One of them didn't kneel.
She did lower her head, but it wasn't submission. I must have looked like a scary-ass motherfucker, but her eyes weren't wide with fear like the others.
It was more like she didn't care much for this work.
Maybe I should scare her further or break something to reinforce my evilness.
But when I looked at her, I couldn't. She was… stunning.
She had green hair.
A deep emerald, down to her shoulders. Far longer than what a warrior in this world should have had.
Her face was like an overworked office lady. She must have been somewhere in her late thirties, with dark sacks of sleepless nights under her eyes.
My mind could only go to the term "Christmas cake" and a few less flattering words, though I thought she was still good-looking.
Oh no.
A strange sensation fluttered in me - my heart throbbed, and if I were older, something else might have too.
I stiffened, locking my stance before anyone noticed.
Was this my weakness?
I mean, green always had been my favorite color.
She met my gaze - well, the empty void where my eyes would be inside the armor - and didn't shrink back.
"...Alright," she said, tired. "What do you want from us?"
Her voice matched her appearance. Not smooth at all.
"I seek information," I said, projecting a rumbling bass I hoped sounded intimidating. "Your boss. Who commands you? Who was the fool who dared to attack my empire? Speak."
The others looked to her, expectant and silent.
"A woman called Rennac," she answered after a moment.
"Where is he?" I asked slowly, putting extra emphasis on each word.
"She's running things out of a wine cellar in the Old Briar Inn. That's where he is most nights."
That was informative. And the Old Briar Inn was the fifth place I would have gone to anyway.
It was a bit weird how quickly this woman sold out Rennac.
Maybe this job or this Rennac had chewed her down to the bone before I arrived. She did say she didn't care for him.
I gave a quick glance at everyone else. They also didn't seem very happy with their position, and they shared the same exhausted look the woman had.
Maybe I could offer them a better deal, plus I wouldn't be opposed to hanging out with the green-haired lady longer.
But I had to act like a dark lord who was definitely not flustered by pretty ladies.
I turned slightly so all six could see me better.
"You've chosen the losing side," I said, pacing slow and deliberate. "You attack my people… you threaten my territory… And for what? Pitiable coin? A petty boss who hides in basements?"
I stopped in front of her.
It took effort not to sound too gentle.
"Were any of you responsible for the death and harm bestowed upon my men?" I asked menacingly.
"No," she said, and it seemed to be the truth.
I showed no emotion.
"If you work for me," I said, "you will earn more. You will no longer be low-life criminals. You will belong to something greater. An empire."
There was another pause.
"If I find Rennac, my enemy, lacking, she will simply die. But I guarantee my allies' safety and riches. "If we cross paths again and I find you to be my enemy once more, the same fate will befall you."
I hoped they would join. But what if none of them would? I didn't seem like the most sociable fellow. But maybe their fear, greed, and general scumminess would compel them to join?
Then, suddenly, far quicker than I hoped for, the green-haired woman placed a hand over her heart.
"I'll join," she said, and hair fell over her face as she stood up. "I don't care for Rennac. Not in the slightest."
No fear. No hesitation. Just a clean, lazy acceptance of things.
Four others quickly followed, eager not to be the last one standing. One of the women even scrambled to kneel deeper than the others, as if that would earn bonus points.
But one man - the crossbow guy - scowled.
"No way," he spat. "I ain't bowing to you. You're just some freak!"
And he charged me again.
He shot another bolt straight into my chest. It bounced off with a sad little tink.
I couldn't let this go on without at least hurting someone, so I took a step forward and grabbed him.
My hand closed around his arm, and with a simple twist - nothing even close to full strength - there was a crack.
He screamed as his arm bent the wrong way. His crossbow clattered to the floor.
I lifted him effortlessly by the front of his shirt, his legs dangling.
"You made your choice," I said, my voice steady. "But I am in a very generous mood tonight."
I tossed him into a pile of crates. They exploded around him in a crash of splintering wood and dust.
"If not for them joining me," I said, gesturing to the five kneeling recruits, "your fate would be far worse."
He stayed down.
I hoped that didn't kill him. I'd put extra care into that. Even if the throw knocked him out, I healed him when I let go. Just a quick "Kane." That should have set his arm right while leaving most of the pain intact.
But they wouldn't know. In any case, did that send the right message?
"Don't mess with me or I'll hurt you." Yes. That would do.
I wasn't going to be a nice lord to those who would dare to hurt me. But my friends, on the other hand, would be powerful. They'd have a great future. They're going to be rich and have lots of… well anything they want. Money, expensive cars, mansions, beautiful women - or men.
Some of those may or may not exist yet.
I surveyed my new subordinates, my gaze lingering a fraction longer on the green-haired woman.
"You," I said. "All of you. You belong to me now. You've just ascended to a higher destiny."
When I left the warehouse, five new subordinates trailed behind me like cautious ducklings.
I wasn't sure why exactly they did it. I mean, I didn't tell them to, but if they want to, then I let them.
The Old Briar Inn wasn't far.
It was a dingy and dark little place. A perfect place for a wannabe crime boss.
The five recruits watched me carefully, waiting to see what I'd do, how I'd move, and if they'd made the right choice in not being folded like the crossbow guy.
There was a chance that they'd betray me later, but as long as I had my armor on, any attempt would fail.
The only one who was a threat was the mage, and he didn't seem to be skilled enough to dispel my armor, if he ever had the notion of doing that. And I didn't think he knew anything about chaos magic at all.
I stopped outside the door and turned to the five.
"You will remain here," I commanded. "Do not let anyone leave. If they do, kill them."
One flinched. The others nodded.
I cast two Nyx spells - it was pretty useful for theatrics. One on me, and a stronger version - Nyx-Kali - inside the inn. Then I put one of the ice words, like an aura, around myself: "Skadi."
Cold bloomed outward. Frost crackled across the stone beneath my boots. The air whitened. A thin crust of ice crept up where I was walking.
I pushed the door open.
I didn't speak. Not a word, but my steps cracked the wood underneath my boots.
The moment I stepped inside, the temperature dropped like a stone.
Conversations froze mid-sentence. Someone's laugh died in their throat. A man standing closest to me inhaled sharply as frost gathered on his beard.
I moved through the tavern wordlessly - gliding more than walking.
A woman backed into a wall.
A mug slipped from someone's hand and shattered on the floor.
I passed the fireplace; the flames dimmed, smothered by the cold rolling off my armor.
Perfect.
Someone whispered, "What in-"
I ignored it.
I didn't look left or right. I didn't acknowledge a single terrified patron. I simply drifted toward the back hallway, where the private rooms most likely were.
Ice spread in a thin sheet along the floor as I walked. The boards creaked under the sudden cold, brittle and groaning.
At the end of the hall stood a door.
I lifted one hand toward it.
I saw light pouring through it and heard laughter coming from the other side.
I opened it, and there was a staircase leading down.
The room darkened as I descended. The temperature plummeted; frost raced along a table, creeping over mugs and the velvet jacket of the single man inside, surrounded by women.
I stared at him from within the swirling dark, silent as death itself.
I really must have looked scary. Maybe a bit silly with how far I took the evil-lookingness.