"Can't you just squeeze a few tears out?" Theo begged while waving chopped onion under Carrot's nose while Scourge nipped at Carrot's ankles.

Unicorn tears were supposed to be excellent of healing wounds. However, Theo happened to know the world's most stoic unicorn.

"It's not that I don't want to. I'm just not a crier." Carrot huffed.

"But Dullahan will ask why I'm huuuuuuuuurt." Theo cried, pulling on Carrot's ears.

Carrot reared back. "Stop that, Mortal Turd!" Carrot whinnied.

Theo jumped back to avoid flashing hooves.

He didn't quite make it. Carrot clipped him on the shoulder, hitting his mangled shoulder. Theo yelped.

"Ah-" Carrot settled all four hooves back on the earth before tossing his head, "well you deserved it."

Theo just groaned. "This is a disaster. How do I explain away this? It looks like a wolf snacked on my shoulder."

"I know!" Scourge shouted. "We could say a wolf bit you."

Theo and Carrot ignored Scourge. The situation was pretty bad.

They were just outside Dullahan's base, but if Theo entered injured, there would be too many questions. And Dullahan with questions was not a Dullahan you wanted to meet. 

Dullahan preferred to talk with torture than little, unrefined things like words.

"Maybe I should just hurt myself worse," Theo said. "If you can't tell what caused it, I can claim anything happened."

"No," Carrot said. "I am not letting you mangle yourself worse…besides, I think you are getting an infection."

Scourge scrambled up Theo's shoulder. He sniffed. "It does smell bad," Scourge reported.

Theo pulled his bandages off. It looked terrible, too. He shuddered. Theo grimaced and settled for changing his bandages. Hopefully, nobody would bother checking on his injuries.

His stomach rumbled, but Dullahan would expect him to come immediately. And he didn't like to meet Dullahan on a full stomach.

Carrot bopped Theo's arm. "Going in already?"

Theo gave a short nod. "I'm already too late," he said while plucking Scourge off his good shoulder. 

He put the squirming dragon in one of Carrot's saddle bags.

Carrot whickered but followed Theo as he pushed aside some thick vines to reveal a small path. It was barely noticeable, really just an area with a few more stepped on twigs than the rest.

After an hour of walking, the path became wide enough for a pair to walk along. A few minutes later, the base was in sight.

There weren't any visible walls, but the air hummed with thick magic. It made Theo's skin prickle. Two guards dressed in dark green cloaks stood in the magic's only gap.

Theo recognized one, the shorter, more muscular one. The other was new. The old guard stepped aside, but the new one held a blade to Theo's heart.

"Identification," he growled.

The older guard put his hand on the new one's forearm and angled himself between Theo and the newbie.

"Sorry, he's just trying to do everything by the book. Very new," The guard said. Sweat dripped from his brow. "You don't need to show anything."

Theo shrugged and pulled a silver medallion from his bag. It swung from a leather strap. He held it up, the medallion spinning slowly.

"You may pass," The new guard lowered the sword. When Theo was only a foot away, he could hear the veteran guard berating the new one.

"Do you know what would have happened if you spilled that one's blood?" The guard hissed at the younger one.

"No – did I – did I mess up?" The younger replied.

"You idiot…" The voices trailed off as Theo walked further away.

Carrot briefly tapped Theo's good shoulder with the side of his face. A subtle show of support.

"Go ahead to the barracks," Theo murmured to Carrot.

Carrot bobbed his head and peeled off to the right. Theo felt a little bare without his Carrot by his side. But he kept a straight spine and his chin up.

The base was well established. It had started as a few tents when Theo first joined Dullahan. But it had grown since. 

There were now rows of barracks, raised by mages, and fields for livestock. A large building was the cafeteria, and a small medical office was annexed to it. 

In the middle of everything, though, was Dullahan's cabin.

It was large and built of raw logs. It should have been a simple building, but it was encrusted with treasures looted from Dullahan's victims.

Theo touched a finger to a golden gargoyle knocker. 

He took a deep breath and rapped it thrice.

The door eased open. 

Nobody was there. 

A fiery, prickling magic pulled Theo forward. The tattoos around Theo's neck burned and glowed like embers, pulsing with his heartbeat.

Theo was dragged through a narrow hall and into a sitting room. 

He was shoved to his knees in front of Dullahan's feet. A thick fur rug eased the fall to the ground.

Dullahan sat at a filigree table, sipping tea from a no-doubt-priceless cup. His blond hair was still damp. He wore a silk lounging suit. It was powder blue to match his eyes.

He was reading a newspaper and didn't bother looking up.

Theo waited, silent.

Dullahan set down his mug and dabbed at his upper lip with an embroidered napkin.

"There was an interesting picture in the paper," Dullahan stood and held the newspaper before Theo's face.

Theo flinched. It was the wanted poster for "Neo."

"It seems you did retrieve the earring, at the very least."

"Yes. The mission was successful." Theo said as Dullahan placed the paper on the table.

Theo pulled the earring out of his pocket. "It was-"

Dullahan kicked Theo in the ribs. A crack sounded as Theo toppled to the ground. 

Dullahan rested a foot on Theo's wrist.

"The mission is not successful when your face is all over the paper," Dullahan pressed on Theo's wrist, "And from reports, you wasted your blood."

Crack. Dullahan put all his weight on Theo's wrist. 

Theo inhaled a sharp breath. He shuddered but didn't dare to cry out. 

Dullahan smiled pleasantly as he delicately plucked the earring from Theo's palm.

"Must I remind you, your blood is the only thing of value about you? And I have planned how to use every drop of it." Dullahan walked to the table and took a sip of tea. "Do not mess up my plans."

He leaned against the table. “Sit,” Dullahan said.

Theo sat in the chair adjacent to Dullahan's. 

Dullahan clapped twice, and a manservant dressed in a green suit appeared from the next door.

"Bring my warlock some food."

The servant bowed in acknowledgment before exiting the room. 

Dullahan retook his seat. He sipped his tea, scrutinizing Theo.

"The next item is in Laenders," Dullahan said while drumming his fingers on the table. "There's a cave system there that one of the lords uses as an external vault. It's a ring with a stone that matches the earring."

"However, this last failure of yours is curbing my expectations. I don't know if I can even trust you to do this." Dulllhan paused to take another sip of tea.

"I can," Theo said. 

Hopefully, Marc would stop him from actually stealing the ring. But even if Marc didn't, a little thievery is less of a sin than wiping entire cities from the map.

“Good,” Dullahan said. "Because if you outlive your usefulness, I will find ways to repurpose you. I like having an invincible little peon, but you could become a biological weapon.

A simple immobilization spell, and I could cart you to whatever town I desire. Drain enough blood and there will be no one left to oppose me. I prefer not to level the kingdoms I will soon rule, but I couldn't fault the efficiency."

Theo kept his eyes down. The servant entered and placed a plate of liver and greens in front of him.

"Please eat, my little warlock," Dullahan smiled.

Theo struggled with the fork. 

Dullahan had crushed his dominant right wrist. 

He shoveled the food in his mouth as fast as he could. When he cleared the plate, he remained still, eyes down.

"Go," Dullahan said. "Don't seek treatment until tomorrow. Leave at first light for Earnest."

"Yes, lord," Theo bowed his head and took steady, even steps for the door.

As soon as he was out of the door, Theo quickened his steps. He could barely restrain himself from running. 

He nearly collapsed onto Carrot when he saw him standing outside his barracks.

"What did he do?" Carrot asked, eyes flicking over Theo.

"He didn't seem to notice that my wounds were strange. Maybe he thought they were from the fight with Marie," Theo said, voice shaking. "That went well, at least."

"Something is wrong with your arm."

"Wrist," Theo said, "broken."

Carrot growled, or he growled as much as a horse could.

Scourge stuck his head out of Carrot's saddle bag. "Mortal Theo is injured?" He asked.

"Very," Carrot said, grinding his teeth.

Scourge responded with a hiss of his own. It was not nearly intimidating as Scourge thought it was, and Theo would usually tease him for it. 

However, at the moment, he could barely stand up straight.

"I'm going to try to sleep," Theo said. "We have to leave at first light."

"Praises be," Carrot muttered. "Wish we could leave now."

Theo offered a half smile before stumbling into the dark barracks. 

It took his eyes a minute to adjust, but the shack was blessedly empty.

He thought about changing, but his arm felt like lead, and he didn't know if he could pull his shirt off. Instead, Theo eased himself into the bottom bunk bed on the left.

The pain made it difficult to sleep. 

Just as Theo finally made it to a restless doze, the rest of his roommates clambered in the room. They fell silent as soon as they saw Theo. 

Theo cracked his eyes open and gave a half-hearted smile.

"Freakin' creep," a man with too many muscles named Ben hissed.

The second man, George, gave a sharp nod, causing his long, greasy ponytail hair to bob up and down.

The third, Owen, returned Theo's half-hearted smile but said nothing.

Owen was a relatively new henchman of Dullahan's. He seemed pretty young and naive. 

Theo wondered what had caused the boy to join hands with the worst man on the continent.

"I need a drink if I have to room with the little monster," Ben said, dropping a canvas bag on the top left bunk.

"I'm actually pretty exhausted," Owen said, falling onto the bottom bunk across from Theo.

"If you can relax with the freak here, more power to you," Ben said. "George?"

"Out o' here," George said, fishing a small purse out of his pocket and tossing it up and down. George and Ben walked out of the barrack, laughing noisily at jokes that weren't funny at all.

Owen sat up, fishing around under his mattress. 

Theo watched him with narrowed eyes.

"Got it!" Owen said after a few minutes of searching. He turned to Theo with a giant grin, holding what looked to be a twig in the air.

His dark eyes glowed with delight, and his brown curls bounced with excitement.

"Good?" Theo said. It was unusual for anyone to speak to him…much less like this.

"Eat this," Owen said while shoving the twig in Theo's mouth.

Theo chewed. It was dry. It tasted like…a twig. He swallowed. It was unpleasant.

"You aren't supposed to swallow it!" Owen yelped. He grabbed the sides of Theo's face. "Oh no."

"You said to eat it," Theo said.

"Well, yes, but," Owen crossed his arms, "I just got my words tangled. You were supposed to chew it so you hurt less."

"I still hurt, but thanks," Theo said. He eyed Owen. He had shared barracks with Owen for a year, but they had never exchanged as many words before.

Of course, he had also only stayed at the barracks a couple of times that year, and they had never been alone.

Owen hopped back over to his own bunk. He sat with one leg pulled up to his chest and eyed Theo with the type of wariness you would give a wounded beast.

"Do you want me to take you to the medic?" Owen asked.

Theo twitched his head to the side. "Dullahan told me to wait until tomorrow," he said.

"Why'd you-"Owen started to ask something before trailing off and shaking his head. "What're you doing tomorrow?"

"I will be stealing something," Theo said.

Owen fidgeted with his fingers. "What?"

"Some jewelry from a Laender's lord," Theo said.

"Holy apricots! Isn't their security supposed to be really good over there?" Owen exclaimed, and his eyes grew wide.

"I think so." Theo managed a slight nod.

"How are you going to manage that?"

"I will see when I get there," Theo said. "But before that, I need sleep."

"Ah, sorry," Owen said. "I'll stop asking questions."

"And, um, thanks for the stick."