“Go!” Rauph roared, before he started to sprint across the squares, metal sheets rising towards the heavens as each mighty stride hit the floor, the razor edges missing the Minotaur by seconds as he charged determinedly towards the advancing wall of metal angling towards them. Rauph instinctively knew that if he waited too long and allowed that jagged pathway to cut across his path it would leave the two companions isolated and unable to reach their goal. Ashe inhaled deeply and balanced on his toes, as if he were about to run a race, then sprung lightly on his feet, only to hear yet another ominous click.
“That’s not fair.” The Halfling screamed. “I never moved!” The right side of the square blocked as another razor-edged sheet shot for the sky, leaving Ashe with only one exit and it was not in the direction he wanted to run. The staircase was over to the right meaning he now had to go forwards and then leap sideways to regain his path.
“Oh amorous almonds!” He screamed, charging forward and out onto the next square realising that if he put just one step wrong, he was going to be literally kissing his nuts goodbye. He landed on the next slab, feeling it click but kept running, the air behind him rushing past as the metal barrier launched up from beneath. Sinders squawked loudly in protest from its perch next to Ashe’s ear, flapping its wings and obscuring the Halfling’s vision.
“I know, I am rushing, I really am.” The Halfling responded to his feathered friend, spitting feathers from his mouth as he leapt to another stone, missing amputation by the barest of inches. “Just hold on tightly and close your eyes, like me.” Sinders stared at his master, in shock, then ducked his head down into his black and white plumage with a further terrified squawk.
Ashe hurled himself to the next slab, his lungs burning, the metal barrier physically pushing him forward this time with the shockwave of air, causing the Halfling to windmill with his arms to prevent falling. The little thief was not stupid, he realised he was not getting the distance he needed with each step, he was going to end up missing his footing and the result was too gruesome to contemplate. He looked over towards one of the torches set about the arena floor and noted that the slab upon which the nearest smoking flame stood appeared different from the others. He needed to change direction anyway, so he leapt to the side, his chest heaving as he ran across and dived for the sanctuary of the spitting brand, just as something whistled past his head and scythed through the air in a slow crescent, right where he would have been, had he not changed direction.
The line of metal barriers standing up behind him, blocked Ashe’s sight from identifying who had just thrown the strange missile towards him but his eyes had recognised the strange silvery weapon arcing back around. It had to be the blue competitor. He got to his feet, realising his hands were greasy from the surface of the slab but all too pleased that where he stood was solid and not threatening to slice him to ribbons at any time. His eyes started to smart almost instantly from being close to the spitting torch suspended above him.
He looked up, then realised his mistake and quickly stared back at the ground again, hoping vainly that his mind would erase the terrible image he had just beheld. The thief finally understood the real concerns of the street urchin Porthon, regarding the strange disappearances of his street friends. Ashe swallowed hard and tried to concentrate, despite the wobble in his throat and the tears in his eyes. How could these people be so cruel to those less fortunate than themselves?
The Halfling gritted his teeth and waited for the barrier to rumble back down again so that he could see the blue and silver armoured Minotaur that was limping determinedly towards him, her orange hair all spiked and hard, her arm already back, ready to throw her deadly weapon.
Ashe swiftly took in the scene, looking around for Rauph and spotting the Minotaur far across the arena floor, charging alongside whoever was trying to cut them off. There would be no rescue from his friend. The gleaming staircase was directly ahead of him and the blue champion was rapidly closing from behind with a stride the Halfling could never hope to match. Rauph had told him to run for the stairs and by every nut analogy in the book, that was what Ashe was going to do!
* * * * * *
Rauph surged ahead, angling towards the advancing line of barriers with a dogged determination, his own pounding movements initiating a matching boundary of cold metal. His eyes judged the passage of whoever was moving to cut them off, the competitor shrewdly triggering both of the sides of each slab as she ran and allowing her own forward momentum to trigger the metal sheet behind, completing each square and dropping the whole into the chasm below.
It was a clever play but it did not allow for what Rauph had in mind. At the last moment he leapt diagonally across onto the slab directly in his opponent’s path, slamming his right heel down hard on the rear edge just before his rival could reach it. His actions activated the metal barrier just as the competitor moved to jump across after triggering the left side of the square. There was a loud thud and a curse as they rebounded back off the barrier. Rauph did not hesitate and leapt to the other side, ready to activate the wall on the right, there was another frustrated cry and Ammet appeared in a swirl of red cloak, materialising out of thin air before the navigator’s eyes.
“I’ve got you.” Rauph roared menacingly, knowing he had his victim boxed in, due to the fact that Ammet’s own path had resulted in the metal wall triggering between this slab and the one she had just leapt from, leaving her with nowhere left to run apart from through himself.
“I don’t think so.” Ammet replied, glaring venomously at Rauph from where she stood, her curly black hair soaked in sweat and plastered to her brow. Her gold earring glinted in the torchlight and there was a desperation and hunger in her dark eyes that made Rauph realise she was not going to back down without a fight. “You don’t even belong here. Why didn’t you stay dead? I mean what do you care about winning? You gave up your right to the throne when you abandoned us.”
“I care for the Taurean people.” Rauph confessed. “…And I care for my friends. That’s all the reasons I need.” He watched intently for a reaction from the female contestant and watched as she bowed her head and stared up at him through her long eyelashes coltishly.
“Can’t we work together, beat Mora and then figure out what to do next?” She asked slyly, a treacherous smile spreading slowly across her features.
“I don’t think there is much to figure out.” Rauph confessed. “I have to beat Drummon to save my friends. If this means accepting the mantle of king, then so be it. I do not want the position but I shall not shirk from my duty if called.”
“And I can be your bride?” Ammet smiled moving sensuously towards him. “We can rule Taurean side by side.” A clattering sounded behind Rauph making him check over his shoulder to see Ashe was now cut off from crossing the slabs. The ominous figure of Chane walked towards the Halfling. She was repeatedly throwing her deadly weapon out towards him, forcing Ashe to cower at the base of one of the flaming torches, instead of allowing him to head across the slabs towards the rotating stair. Rauph immediately felt uncomfortable with the growing conflict within him, he needed to act and save his friend but Ammet was the more immediate danger here.
“Come on, don’t say you haven’t thought about us being together?” Ammet continued, gathering her long cloak in her hands and pulling it tight across her body to accentuate her Minotaur curves. “Once you have lain with me you will never want anyone else.” Rauph licked his lips nervously, not sure what to do as she swayed towards him, swinging her hips and confusing his emotions. She was quite exotic for a Minotaur despite her obviously psychotic personality flaws. Ammet winked, offering a gleam in her eye that offered nights of long hot smouldering passion, then her arm snapped forward sending her evil cloak fanning out towards him.
“You are so stupid…” She laughed, knowing that Kristoph would never have the time to get out of the way before her ravenous cloak engulfed him and teleported a large part of his torso away, leaving him ble
eding out on the floor. Her eyes gleamed with excitement, the surprise was complete.
“…So I’m told.” Rauph replied, stomping his foot down and triggering the final metal barrier. The sheet sliced up through the leading hem of the cloak, cutting free a scarlet ribbon that fluttered harmlessly to the floor at Rauph’s feet. There was a loud bang as the wall surrounded the slab then a muffled thump as the stone dropped away inside. Rauph had no time to congratulate himself over his ingenuity. He instantly turned about and started to retreat across the slabs eager to assist his little friend.
* * * * * *
Ashe shrieked as the deadly silvery blue blade arced in on yet another glittering orbit, just managing to duck before the swirling blade took his head off. This was ridiculous! He was literally a sitting duck standing under this torch which meant he had to risk it, make a break for it and run for the stairs like Rauph had told him to do, despite the inherent risk it involved.
The weapon scythed back and was deftly caught by Chane who sent it whirling out almost instantly, this time swooping it in low, causing Ashe to jump or risk losing a limb. He jumped, stepped back a few unsteady spaces and caught himself just inches from the gleaming edge of the nearest slab. Sparks flew as the weapon skimmed the stone surface, before it looped up again and arced back around to its mistresses’ outstretched hand.
“Hold on Sinders.” Ashe yelled running for the next slab and throwing himself through the air. He landed with a thump, feeling the slab click and hearing the metal sheet launching from the ground behind him, only for it to clang noisily as Chane’s deadly toy collided with it. He did not want to know how close the weapon had come to hitting him and swallowed hard before jumping to the next slab causing the same automated reaction from the trapped arena floor. His eyes darted from side to side, noting the walls of metal slowly retracting around the floor about him, some near, others far, opening up different views and opportunities of pathways to take.
One wall squealed loudly in protest, shuddering to a stop in mid descent, a jagged hole cut through the metal appeared to be preventing its smooth surface from sliding back into place. Ashe had no idea what had caused the damage but as Rauph was not focusing on it and was instead staring intently in his direction, he figured it wasn’t that important. He gazed back over towards the golden staircase and took a deep breath before throwing himself towards the next slab, his arms and legs flapping, as if he were some kind of gangly frog.
The navigator angled towards his little friend, noting Chane stopping to collect her weapon from the floor and eyeing up her target as he hopped ridiculously from one slab to another. It would have been quite amusing if it had not been for the terrible danger the Halfling was in. She drew back her arm waiting and watching for each wobbling jump the thief made, then threw her weapon.
Rauph bellowed in horror as he watched the deadly throw, already knowing in his heart that this time her aim would be true. Ashe landed awkwardly, pulled himself up to jump again, then bent his legs and bounced high, twisting in the air just as the blade whirled in and pierced his right side. The thief dropped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. A wall of metal shot up as he fell, activated by the Halfling’s landing, blocking Rauph’s view. He charged for all he was worth, noting the vindictive smile upon Chane’s face as she watched him coming, aware that he would never be able to reach his fallen friend in time as she moved behind the barrier chuckling.
Chane strode purposefully over towards the downed Halfling, intent on causing the pitiful creature pain and suffering, knowing it would further enrage Kristoph, to put him off balance and therefore easier to defeat. She knew it took a cool head to beat her in unarmed combat and by goading the prince in this way, she knew he would be blinded with rage by the time he arrived. Kristoph’s pet lay on the floor groaning, his hand clutching where her weapon had penetrated his tunic, its blade wedged in his bulging side.
She moved closer, stepping carefully over onto the slab and leant down to retrieve her blade, tugging hard at the weapon, only to find it was caught up inside the little man’s tunic. Chane tugged again and something bright blue started to emerge from his clothing. Was this the colour of a Halfling’s blood? She pulled harder at the tangled mess bulging out through the rent sliced in Ashe’s tunic, its edges stained dark with blood. What was this? Some kind of inner organ? Chane braced herself and pulled harder, drawing another groan of pain from the thief as the object finally popped out, making the Minotaur stagger back towards the edge of the slab, her boot stopping just short of triggering the mechanism.
The female Minotaur gazed down in disgust at the wet blooded thing she held in her hands, initially unsure as to what it could be. Then she turned it over in her hands and started to laugh. A bright stuffed toy, fashioned in a shape of a monkey, stared back at her, its eyes wide, its nose formed from a button, the right ear shredded and hanging limp at the side of its head. She struggled to free her weapon from the tangled material but the threads were all wrapped around the blade and it was knotted tight from her pulling.
Why on earth had this pitiful creature been carrying a stuffed toy inside his tunic? She looked down at the little man still lying on the floor and allowed herself a moment of rare maternal emotion. He looked so defenceless lying there, so sad, so pathetic.
“I think I know why Kristoph liked you.” Chane whispered, still working at the toy as she attempted to free her weapon. “You are quite cute for a pet. I bet you were constantly keeping him on his toes.” She turned away, confident the Halfling was no threat to her plans and prepared to face the angry chestnut Minotaur charging across the board towards her. One final traumatic wrench and the weapon ripped free from the toy monkey, allowing Chane to drop the ruined toy to the floor where she stepped on it and ground it under her left boot.
It was time for Kristoph to meet his doom.
“Surprise!” A small voice groaned from behind her, causing Chane to start, just as a small hand shoved her hard in the small of her back making her stagger off balance, her left boot lifting from the crushed blood-soaked monkey and scuffing forwards, leaving a smear of scarlet in its wake. She reacted quicker than Ashe gave her credit for, her left hand sweeping behind her to grab a handful of the Halfling’s hair, just as he bent down to retrieve his toy.
Ashe shrieked in pain and reacted the only way he could, pushing towards the Minotaur to relieve the pain, just as Chane’s slick boot came down on the edge of the slab and skidded forwards.
“Look out!” Ashe cried. “Don’t pull me anymore. You’ll drag us both over…” He struggled with the Minotaur but she was simply too strong for him.
“You stupid creature. You dared to lay hands on me? Me! Do you think you of all creatures have the right to tell me what to do?” There was a click, a responding metallic swoosh and a sickening thud as the metal sheet shot upwards. Sinders took to the air in an explosion of feathers. The crowd roared in delight, causing Rauph to scream out his fear, the view to whatever grisly spectacle they beheld still blocked by the row of triggered metal barriers, letting the Minotaur’s imagination run wild. Ashe was dead, Chane had killed him, he had not been fast enough, it was all his fault! He charged around the end of the barrier and stopped breathless, his eyes horrified at what he beheld.
Ashe lay slumped against the metal barrier, his little body covered in gore, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping, the lower half of Chane’s body still spasmodically twitching on top of him. His little hand clutched a blue furry toy that was turning black as it soaked up the crimson pool around him. Rauph jumped over onto the slab, ignoring the click and swoosh of the metal barrier behind him as he dropped to his knees, snatching the Halfling out from beneath the Minotaur’s corpse. The navigator’s chestnut eyes filled with tears that he desperately tried to blink away as he scrutinized Ashe’s body for some clue to the fate that had befallen his friend.
Rauph scrabbled at the Halfling’s side, pulling Ashe’s tunic away from the worst of t
he gore, finding himself retrieving pieces of adhered blue fur away from a shallow wound in the thief’s side. This made no sense, Ashe had to be hurt somewhere else? Rauph turned the little thief over, noting a large egg had formed on Ashe’s left temple, as the Halfling’s head lolled to one side. The navigator’s huge hands continuing to frantically search for a more serious wound but found his friend was covered in so much gore that his task was simply an impossible one. Everything was covered in so much blood!
The crowd screamed for more blood, making Rauph wish he could climb up through the observation ports and lay waste with his swords. Maybe if it was their own blood being spilled, they would not be as vocal in demanding more tribute from the contestants they clamoured over.
“Ashe! Wake up.” Rauph yelled. “Come on you stupid Halfling, open your eyes!” The body in his arms remained unresponsive. A low groan sounded from the Minotaur’s lips as he gathered up his little friend and bundled him in his arms, collecting the ruined toy and Chane’s discarded throwing blade as he did so. He was not going to leave Ashe alone out here, under the eyes of these disgusting vultures!
For a moment, Rauph considered walking back to the tunnel entrance where he and Ashe had first come from but a quick glance at the cavernous floor where the stone blocks had dropped away made it clear there was no way back. He had only one choice, to ascend the rotating staircase. The navigator started walking solemnly across the arena floor, beyond caring as rows of metal barriers lanced into the sky behind him, the deadly blades missing him by the narrowest of margins. His attention was totally focused on his fallen companion. This was his only friend and he had failed him. No one had been as good to Rauph since Scrave had left. How could he be expected to focus on the challenge now? How could he continue up the staircase of the triumphant when the only thing that truly mattered to him lay lifeless in his arms? There was nothing triumphant about this.
The Labyris Knight Page 88