Kzine Issue 13

by Graeme Hurry et al.

  The car flew through them and rolled down the slope. Out of control, it turned over twice before coming to a halt at the bottom of the hill. For a few seconds nothing moved, including the two unconscious men inside the car. Then, an indifferent female voice said: “Jerks.”

  The little screen blinked and went black, and the only sound that remained was the wind in the trees and the distant sound of an approaching helicopter.

  THE CRIPPLED HEART

  by Tyler Bourassa

  A thick cloud of smoke curled angrily in the sky, reminding Everett of what they’d done. He tried hard not to remember specifics, but kept seeing flashes of faces in his mind. Faces that started out smiling, but quickly changed to looks of fear at the edge of his hungry blade. He’d thought that after a while it would get easier, the killing and the screaming, and it had in a way. He was much better now at making excuses for what he did, but the faces wouldn’t leave him.

  “Not a bad haul, eh Everett?” Hervold’s raspy voice pulled Everett from his haunted reflections.

  “Yeah, we were lucky to find so much gold in a small farm like that. It’s good we didn’t ride by it. You were right.” Everett replied. He’d tried to get them to skip the farm. They still had plenty of gold left over from the caravan they’d raided two weeks ago.

  “Did ya hear that old farmer screamin’ for us to leave his daughter?” Tael began to laugh and pitched his voice high, “Please sirs, don’t touch my Elley! She’s all I got left since her mother died!” They’d made the poor farmer watch as they each had a turn on his daughter.

  Everett had been outside killing the farmer’s son while the others enjoyed their rape. He had gladly taken the job of searching the rest of the farm for survivors. It was almost a blessing when he found the skinny farmer’s son wielding a scythe like an axe. The boy had courage and a far better death than his father.

  “I still don’t know how those farmers had fifty gold pieces saved away. Their farm didn’t look so good to me,” Rohlind said as he hefted the chest with their gold. He balanced it on his lap while he rode his tall black stallion.

  “These farmers aren’t as hard off as they’d have you believe. They’re always complainin’ about poor harvests and bad yields! Pah! Look at how rich they are! My old da’ was a cooper back in the city, an’ he never had that much money just layin’ around.” Tael jammed a piece of sausage of his mouth and continued talking between bites, “We should find some more rich farmers to visit!”

  “Perhaps we will,” Rohlind replied and stared off into the distance, already counting the gold pieces that could be made from more farms like the last one.

  Everett stop listening to their conversation and focused on the pleasure of the ride. He’d always liked horses. That was one of the things that enticed him into joining the Queen’s Army when he was younger. They said he’d get to see the country, earn more money than he’d get for months of pushing a plough, and if he was good enough, get his own horse someday.

  “You got that far away look in your eyes, Everett,” Hervold growled. “Remembering the old days? When you were a good Queen’s Man and fought for glory and justice in her army?” Hervold began to laugh a scratchy chuckle.

  Everett turned red and scowled at his companion. “Gods, no. I was just looking at that sunrise. It helps me forget about the killing for a while.”

  “That’s your problem. You can’t find peace in what you are.”

  “I know what I am,” Everett whispered.

  “Yeah, you know damn well what you are, but you don’t embrace it. Look at the rest of us.” Hervold’s face curdled into a sneer, then he pointed at Tael and Rohlind, then back at himself. “We welcome murder, rape and stealing to our breasts like they’re our suckling babes. Hell, we enjoy it. We love to see those weak fools plead for their lives before we take everything from them. You shy away from it.”

  “I never turn away from a task,” Everett said angrily. “I’ve left crimson trails all across this country.”

  Hervold nodded. “That you have, but it seems like no matter how many people you kill, you still aren’t a murderer. You’re just someone who kills because you have to. You want to be a lot happier? Become a murderer. Stop pretending like you have some pretty wife back home that’s waiting for you, when you’re done doing what you have to do,” Hervold spat.

  Everett looked away, not wanting to meet Hervold’s angry glare. “I know I have nothing,” Everett said, and turned back to Hervold, “and trust me, I am a murderer.”

  Something in Everett’s voice seemed to reassure Hervold, who nodded and turned away.

  “Can’t we stop and rest for a while? We’ve been ridin’ all night since we killed those farmers,” Tael whined. “My arse is so sore, I feel like one of those perfumed fops who rent themselves out like a woman back home. I need to rest!”

  “Watch it,” Rohlind growled. “Just because we can’t see anyone doesn’t mean there aren’t others behind the tree line. We don’t need to announce our business to everyone within earshot!”

  “I’m sorry, boss.” Tael lowered his voice and leaned towards Rohlind. “You know sometimes I say things before I think.”

  “What do you mean sometimes?” Hervold asked.

  “Shut your stupid mouth, Hervold!”

  Hervold looked over to Tael and grinned. “Come make me.”

  “That’s enough! Both of you!” Rohlind yelled. “We’ll go over to that stream and rest for the day. I prefer riding in the dark anyway. Is that alright with you two?” Rohlind eyed his men dangerously. He was normally calm, but when he’s angry, he becomes a rolling boulder that can’t be stopped until he hits something.

  “Course’, Rohlind. That’s a great idea,” Tael said.

  Hervold nodded and said nothing.

  They rode down to the stream and Everett wordlessly took the reins of his companion’s mounts and tied the horses off to a tree. He always cared for the horses when they stopped for a break. The others didn’t mind, since it meant less work for them. He began to carefully rub down each horse, then fed them all grain and patted his own mount on the back lovingly.

  Everett began to walk over to the others and felt their eyes settle on him. He knew they all enjoyed watching him limp around, like some lame footed fool. His right knee was never the same since his old horse got an arrow in the neck and fell on him, shattering his knee and ruining his military career. After he spent a month in the healer’s tents, he’d been discharged with papers promising him a pension that never came. Gold was needed to fund the war and not pay for broken soldiers to lay around and do nothing. It wasn’t long after he met Rohlind.

  Tael was staring at him with a mocking grin and Hervold scowled with a look that was half pity and half disgust, but Rohlind looked on impassively. Rohlind never mocked Everett’s limp, he knew Everett’s worth with a blade.

  “Stop gawking at him like he’s a bare chested woman and that’s the first tit you’ve ever seen! Tael, cook us something hot to eat before we rest and mind the damn smoke this time! You almost got us caught by those soldier’s two weeks ago,” Rohlind yelled out. He gave Everett a slow nod, who returned it.

  “Yeah, sure.” Tael said and pulled his eyes away from Everett.

  Hervold looked away slowly, before going back to sharpening his sword.

  Everett took a seat by Hervold and rested his own sword beside him. He eyed the strange blade Hervold always seemed to be sharpening, and wondered at the design. It was the same length as a standard long sword, but slightly curved. It had a serrated edge the last three inches of the blade, ending at the tip. Hervold fought differently than he did too, the moves all seemed backwards, but they were effective. Everett supposed it made sense that Hervold fought differently and had a strange sword since he was from the West. Their skin was dark and they spoke a strange language that Everett couldn’t understand.

  “Are you eyeing up my lady, Everett?” Hervold rasped. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”


  “You mean your sword?” Everett asked.

  Hervold smiled and ran his hand down the length of his blade slowly. It was the kind of touch that would be called a caress if done to a woman, but it didn’t seem out of place to see Hervold do it to his sword. “Where I’m from each man must make a choice. Will you be Vai Nolai or Sou Savan? To be Vai Nolai is seen as honourable. You find a wife, start a family and take up a trade that helps your village. You know the kind of man I mean? A carpenter or something, who has a wife and five screaming children.”

  Everett nodded.

  “That’s Vai Nolai. Many fools make that choice. The other choice, the one I made, is to be Sou Savan. You would call it a warrior, or a soldier, but it translates to swordhusband.” Hervold barked out a laugh. “Sou Savan only learn to kill, and seek glory in battle. This is my wife and she’s never let me down.” Hervold pressed his lips to his blade and gently kissed it. “I think, you’re Sou Savan, too?”

  “I suppose I am,” Everett replied quietly. “Although, sometimes all the killing weighs on me.”

  “Those are the words of a coward, Everett, and I know you’re no coward.”

  Everett’s eyes darkened and his hand went for his blade. “Watch it.”

  Hervold chuckled and the sound brought the attention of Rohlind and Tael.

  “Are you two gonna eat or just sit around gossipin’ like two old whores too ugly to earn?” Tael asked. “If you aren’t quick, Rohlind’s gonna have everything eaten.”

  “It’s damn good,” Rohlind rumbled. “Tael’s skills are wasted with us. He should put on a skirt and an apron and spend his days in a kitchen,” Rohlind said, then laughed uproariously. Chunks of meat flew from his mouth and Tael turned red and put his head down.

  Everett and Hervold looked at each other and grinned, then got up to grab some food.

  * * *

  It had been weeks since they’d been able to get any money and everyone was starting to snap at each other and tighten their belts with hunger. Everett had warned them that they were spending all their gold too fast, but Rohlind scoffed and Tael had called him a ’penny pincher’, and they continued wasting their gold on ale and whores.

  Now they were going to try to rob a merchant and Everett was sure they would all wind up dead. The merchant had ten guards wearing chainmail armour without a spot of rust. Men that kept their armour in that good of condition knew how to use a sword.

  Rohlind knelt down beside Everett and whispered, “You remember the plan?”

  “I do.” Everett said, a second before he heard the call they all agreed to. It meant that the merchant and his guards were getting close and everyone else was in position.

  “Alright. Let’s make some gold,” Rohlind helped Everett up and disappeared back into the bushes.

  “God’s preserve me,” Everett breathed, then limped onto the road. He wore an old wool robe, dyed blue, with a deep hood that easily hid his features. It itched terribly, but it was the only robe they’d found that could fit over his sword.

  It wasn’t long before the wagons came into view and Everett limped over to them. He raised his hand in greeting, careful to keep the hood over his face. “Hello, sirs,” Everett said, trying to make his voice sound feeble and weak.

  “Get that off the road,” the merchant said and waved his hand dismissively towards Everett.

  Two guards walked over to Everett and the bigger of the two said, “Get off the road, old one. We don’t want to hurt you, but our employer is in a rush and won’t tolerate any delays.”

  “Stop talking to it like a person,” the other said and cuffed Everett in the head. Everett fell with the blow and hit the ground, then pretended to have a fit. He twitched around like a real beggar he’d once seen and more guards looked over to see what was happening.

  The cruel guard’s eyes widened in surprise and he grabbed his sword hilt. “Blast it. I didn’t mean to kill the poor bastard!”

  Cries rose up from the wagons, drawing everyone’s attention away from Everett, as two guards at the back of the line fell dead with arrows sticking out of them. Everett stood up, then drew his sword. He saw Rohlind and Hervold dash out of the bushes. Hervold twirled around in his strange sword forms and Rohlind bashed his enemies to the ground with a large two-handed hammer.

  One guard turned back towards Everett, the large one that was kind, and Everett’s sword slid into his neck. A moment of pity pulled at Everett’s heart for killing the man, but at least he was an armed guard and not a boy with a scythe. The guard would have done the same to him if he had a chance.

  The second guard saw his friend fall, and took a two-handed swing at Everett, who blocked it easily. The guard was fearful, panicked. This was probably his first real battle. He was perfectly happy slapping around an old beggar, but fighting a man with a sword was different. Especially when he could hear his comrades being slaughtered behind him.

  “I surrender,” the guard said and threw down his sword. He dropped to his knees and raised his hands over his head.

  Everett hesitated a moment and looked towards Rohlind.

  Rohlind was cutting the merchants neck with a dagger he kept on his belt and saw Everett looking at him questioningly. “No prisoners, Everett. You know the rules.”

  Everett nodded and the guard opened his mouth to plead or beg. Everett’s sword separated the guard’s head from his shoulders in one clean cut, before the guard could speak.

  “There’s no gold in these stupid carts!” Hervold yelled. “Just silks and women’s clothes. What kind of an idiot would hire ten guards just to cart around some cloth?”

  Everett cleaned his blade and sheathed it, then limped over to the others. It did seem like a waste to have such a heavy guard with no gold on hand.

  Rohlind shook his head in disgust, then yelled, “Check the carriage, you fools.”

  “Ya, think there’s a pretty wife hidden in there?” Tael asked eagerly. “I haven’t had a woman in a while now, an’ he did have all these girly clothes!” Tael pulled at the door handle, then frowned when he found it locked. He smashed off the handle with a dagger hilt, and disappeared inside. There was a scream, followed by a cry of pain, then a woman flew out of the carriage. Tael followed with blood running down his hand and kicked the woman in the face as she tried to get up. Tael was on her in a flash with his dagger pressed up to her neck. Her eyes were wide with fear and there was blood running down her face from a cut on her forehead.

  “Now, now, sweetie. I like it rough, but I like to be the one doing the cuttin’.” Tael sucked on a shallow cut on his hand.

  “Get off me you filthy thief!” The woman yelled.

  Everett had to give her credit. If he were in her position, he’d be too afraid to stand up for himself like that. Her whole group was just murdered and chances are she was next. Everett limped closer and took a good look at her. She was beautiful. He’d seen pretty girls, but this woman tugged at his heart and made his body tighten with desire.

  “Falling in love, Everett?” Hervold asked with a chuckle. “Maybe you’ll finally take a turn?” Hervold’s nasty grin left no confusion about what he meant.

  “She must be a noblewoman or something,” Everett muttered. “Maybe we can ransom her off.”

  Rohlind shouldered past Everett and Hervold and loomed over the woman. “Is that true, girl? Are you some type of noblewoman that we can make a bit of gold off of?”

  The woman’s gaze reluctantly pulled away from Tael and she turned to Rohlind. “Is my uncle dead?”

  “Is he the fat merchant?” Rohlind asked.

  “He is.”

  “Then yeah, he’s dead,” Rohlind replied with a laugh.

  The woman closed her eyes briefly and Everett thought she might cry. When she opened them again, they were determined. “He was escorting me to the estates of Lord Vandin, who is my betrothed. I’m sure you’ve heard of him?”

  Rohlind nodded.

  “He would be willing to pay a large sum, if you took m
e to him safe, and untouched.” Her eyes flicked back to Tael and filled with disgust. “Do you know where his lands are?”

  “That I do, lady. He’s a powerful lord and from what I hear, a wealthy one. Get off her Tael and help her up.” Rohlind smiled. “Looks like we found something better than gold, boys.”

  “Does this mean we aren’t gonna rape her?” Tael asked with a frown.

  “No you idiot,” Hervold growled. “With the gold we’re gonna make off her ransom, you can buy all the whores you want for years.” Hervold wiped the blood from his sword on a dead guard and sheathed it before searching through the bodies for gold.

  Tael scratched his head. “Well, that’s somethin’ I suppose.”

  Everett was still surprised that they lived through the encounter. He thought for sure the four of them wouldn’t be able to take out ten trained guards. He looked around and took in all the death. At least everyone they’d killed had been armed, except for the merchant.

  “Everett, get over here,” Rohlind yelled and waved towards him.

  Everett headed over and felt his face turn red as the woman watched him limp all the way there. He looked towards her face, expecting to see mockery, but saw only pity.

  “You’re gonna guard the woman,” Rohlind turned towards her and asked, “What’s your name anyway, girl?”

  “Caralyn,” she answered.

  “Alright, you’re gonna guard Caralyn here, until we get her safely to her betrothed.”

  Everett looked over and saw Tael and Hervold piling up bodies in the bushes on the side of the road. He turned back towards Rohlind and asked, “Why me?”

  Rohlind frowned, he didn’t like to be questioned. “Those other two are as likely to wind up raping her as guarding her. I know you’re a man of honour,” Rohlind sneered. “You won’t take her against her will and cut into the profits we’ll make from Vandin.”

  Everett nodded. When night fell he was sure that if Tael was left alone with the woman he’d try something. Probably Hervold too. “Alright. I’ll ride behind the wagon and make sure nothing happens.”