They had not spoken for an hour; every movement was signalled using their hands. They paused by the side of an alcove of a local tavern, ‘The White Swan’, to take stock. Captain Madlen beckoned his sergeant forward and spoke in a hushed tone.
“Unless we are missing something, or they are very good, I’ve not seen any evidence of the Janshai. We are perhaps a mile from the Communion Hall so I would have expected some sign of life by now.”
The sergeant nodded, “The main force should already be within the city limits.”
“Good, send a runner and suggest they move forward more quickly. I think the most likely scenario now is that we’ve been spotted, and the Janshai are preparing an ambush. The closer they are to us the better.”
It was at that moment that the door of the White Swan swung open. Two Janshai staggered out arm in arm, both of whom were carrying bottles of ale. The first tripped on the step and fell face first on the ground at the captain’s feet. They looked at each other in surprise.
The fact that the captain had not been drinking since dawn gave him a distinct advantage. He grasped his dagger from its sheath and stabbed the Janshai in the throat then rolled forward and plunged the same blade into the chest of the second Janshai as he pushed himself up to his feet. He grabbed him by the mouth and pulled him back into the tavern, swiftly followed by his sergeant who dragged the first Janshai in as his heels scraped along the ground.
“I may be being overly optimistic but this could be much easier than we anticipated. It is a distinct possibility that the Janshai have spent the past couple of weeks drinking and may be in no fit state to fight!”
*
Mia had experienced the same. She’d skirted a little more diagonally to the east to her mother’s quarters, and then approached cautiously listening for any signs of life. She crouched by a door that had been kicked down and was hanging splintered, then crawled in with her sword in hand and straightened up once inside. The small dwelling had been ransacked some time ago and simply left in the same state. Furniture was strewn across the room, twisted and broken. Shattered plates and cups were scattered on the floor. Clothes ripped from drawers and cupboards. She walked around and poked a few items with her toe. There was nothing to suggest anyone had been here for many days.
She looked around and pursed her lips. If she was frank with herself she had just accomplished the full extent of her plan. Now Mia started to feel really guilty about her actions and knew there would be hell to pay. She sighed. Perhaps she should check out the Communion Hall to see if she could get a sense of the Janshai’s activities.
She headed west from her mother’s apartment and made her way towards the administrative district. It was relatively straightforward to keep out of sight as many of the dwellings were built around courtyards that could be reached from the street through atriums. Most had been ransacked like her mother’s, so the doors were largely hanging loosely off their hinges. She could push them open and stride right through. She reached a building bordering the square facing the Communion Hall. Typically, most dwellings had a flat roof with a raised boundary. She used a ladder to climb to the top of a roof and crawled over to the edge.
Janshai were scattered on the steps of the Communion Hall. Some drinking, others sleeping with empty drink urns scattered on the ground around them. She could just make out cheering and yelling from inside the Hall itself. A movement to her left caught her eye. She turned to see three Janshai dragging a chained gargoyle from the prison. Its wings and talons were bound, but it hissed and snapped at them as they dragged it the short distance to the Communion Hall. Another cheer went up as it was pushed through the door and into the chamber.
She looked at the prison. It was a risk, but the Janshai were clearly distracted and enjoying themselves. She reasoned that if there was one place that any Celestinians might be held then it would be in the prison. She retraced her steps, descended the ladder and exited the building down an alleyway to the rear. Mia skirted to the right, a couple of blocks from the main square. She kept in the shadows and took a wide arc so that she came round to the rear of the prison.
There were large solid oak doors that could be opened to let in a prison carriage if it was escorting convicts. They could then close the doors behind them and unload the prisoners safely without any fear of ambush. It was shut solid. She found the small side entrance and the latch was unlocked, but she still looked right and left behind her before she stepped in.
She paused as her eyes adjusted to the dark and sniffed. The stench was overpowering. She slowly crept deeper into the jail and down the steps to the cells that were carved into the stone bedrock of the basement. In the dingy light it soon became clear what the smell was. Gargoyles and large bulky dog-like creatures were crammed into the cells. On the floor some were lying dead, half-eaten, flesh hanging off the bones, slowly decaying. Filth swilled about on the floors and rats scurried away as she stepped past the cells.
The beasts hissed and screeched at her. Gargoyles shrieked and slashed their talons at her from the cells. The beasts strained through the bars, snapping their fangs at her, climbing over each other and howling to get at her. She winced and stepped away, further out of their reach.
It was only when she got to the end of the row of cells that she gasped. The final cell was quiet; there was no howling and shrieking. She stumbled forward and grasped the bars. Lying strewn on the floor were perhaps ten emaciated and filthy bodies. They lay weak and feeble, starved for the past weeks and cast aside by the Janshai. Too frail and lame to fight, simply left to rot and die.
“Mother, mother?” she cried.
There was a slight movement. A pained effort to lift up their heads at the sound of a voice.
“Mia?” She heard her mother’s voice. She sounded helpless but it was her mother’s voice nonetheless.
“Well what have we here?”
Mia stiffened and went to draw her sword. The Janshai was already upon her and twisted her arm behind her back. She cried out in pain as her arm jarred in its socket but she managed to twist and head-butt her assailant before he could react.
He staggered back holding his nose, but then two more arms grabbed her and held her in a bear hug. She kicked at the Janshai’s knees and arched her back trying to connect his face with the back of her head. He held her tight and pressed his face against hers so she could not get a swing at him. She could feel the sweat and spit on her face and the foul stench of his breath. The first Janshai recovered, grimaced and punched her in the stomach. The air was forced out of her lungs and she gasped and her knees went weak.
“Worak wants a beast, but we’ve found ourselves something better. This one has a bit of bite in her.”
Oddly, it never occurred to them to ask what she was doing there.
*
And that was what Gulden and Captain Madlen saw as they surveyed the Communion Hall from the same building that Mia had been perched on earlier.
The two Janshai pulled her kicking and struggling out of the prison. One was bleeding from his nose and the blood was streaking down his tunic. He was still muttering and cursing to himself. The first held her arms, the other grappled with her legs as she kicked and arched her body to break loose. The Janshai who held her legs let go. As her feet hit the ground she used the leverage to force the other Janshai off balance and he stumbled to the floor.
Mia bit his hand and he released her as he cried out in pain. In retaliation he grabbed her by her hair and dragged her along the ground while she tried to reach and scratch him. Clearly they’d had enough. The second Janshai caught up, pulled back his fist and punched her on the side of her head, knocking her senseless to the ground. The first studied the bite marks on his hand, cursed, stepped back then stepped forward and kicked her in the ribs. He grabbed a leg and pulled her scraping up the steps into the Communion Hall.
Gulden cursed under his breath, “We go in n
ow, full force.”
“We need to be coordinated. We need ten minutes to get the runners to relay the orders. We hold for now.”
When Captain Madlen returned he did not see Gulden on the roof. He peered down over the roof ledge and saw Gulden, Ailin, Raisa and a wolf striding and padding across the courtyard to the Communion Hall.
“Christ, can no one follow orders anymore.”
He turned and slid down the ladder.
“Sergeant. Go… go… go, send the infantry in.”
Worak was slouched in his chair. He was bored. Bored and tired. Tired of drinking. Tired of the shouting. Tired of the blood matches. And that was quite something for a Janshai. Normally they were like mosquitos, driven by blood. They needed a new distraction. He cursed the Black Wizard once more. Making him stay here and guard an empty city. He should be in Terramis hunting down and slaughtering Terramians. There was nothing more to be done in Celestina as practically everyone was dead. The city was a morgue. The most dangerous thing about the city now was perhaps bumping your head on a doorframe. He really could not understand why they built the doors so small.
He looked at another pathetic gargoyle chained to the post at the centre of the Communion Hall. They were godforsaken creatures. Black hairy leathery skin, yellow eyes, and they stank. Slime gathered under their armpits, they drooled and mucus oozed out of their noses. And the high-pitched screech. If they cracked open the earth and listened down to hell, that is what he thought he would hear, a noise like thousands of gargoyles. It sat on the ground scraping its talons in the earth. One of his men prodded it with his pike to make it angry. It worked.
He turned as the door opened but was surprised not to see a beast but a girl standing there. He recognised her instantly and sat up.
“Well well, the kitten has returned.”
He turned to the man standing next to him. “Sergeant I assume we are under imminent threat of attack. I suggest you organise the men and have them defend the hall. Nobody gets through that door.” He sighed. He knew the men were in no condition to fight. It would be a matter of time before they were overwhelmed. To hell with it, they’d had their fun. Anyway, to more pressing matters.
“Unchain the gargoyle from the pillar and attach the chain to her wrist.” Worak took out his dagger and tossed the blade in his hands. He stood up and threw it into the pit and it embedded itself in the pillar behind the gargoyle. He sat back in his chair and clapped.
“Let the games begin.”
The gargoyle hissed and spat at Mia. It hopped sideways yanking at the chain as if sizing her up. Mia wondered if she could slowly circle round it so she could reach the dagger. She yanked on the chain flicking it sideways teasing the gargoyle to rotate. But although it did not understand the threat of the knife, it sensed Mia was trying to manipulate it. It leapt up into the air swiping with its powerful wings, initially lifting her off the ground. Mia was yanked up and towards the gargoyle, she gasped at the pain in her muscles in her shoulders as they took the strain.
Her weight was too much for the gargoyle to hold and they fell back to the ground. She landed with a thud on her back and the back of her head smacked the ground momentarily disorientating her. The beast hovered over her then folded its wings and fell on top of her slashing with its talons. Mia rolled away to her left to avoid its strike. It shrieked as its talons sliced through her tunic and drew blood. A roar came up from the Janshai in the room as the beast made to strike again.
Mia winced from the sharp pain in her side but bent up her knees and kicked away the talons of the onrushing beast. She felt its weight on her and pivoted her arms behind her head striking her legs out in front of her and sending the beast tumbling over.
She rolled to the left again and grasped for the pillar. The dark angel thrust backwards once more, but just as she was pulled away she managed to wrench free the knife though she fell sideways onto the ground, cracking the ribs that she’d previously broken in Windstrom’s charge.
She got to her feet staggering, holding her side with the broken ribs. She let out a cry of pain, gritted her teeth and waved the dagger out in front of her, keeping the beast at arm’s length.
The dark angel released its wings once more pulling her off her feet and then sending her crashing to the ground once more. She grunted and fell to her knees. The gargoyle shrieked and dived for the kill, but Mia was ready and leapt forward and plunged the dagger into its chest.
*
The companions strode across the square. The Janshai on the steps leapt up and ran for their weapons. Those who were armed stood their ground as reinforcements spilled out of the Communion Hall.
Ailin released Flare, bringing down three Janshai as they stepped out of the door, sending them tumbling down the steps.
“Ready Raisa?”
“Ready.”
Gulden raised Truth Giver above his head and charged into the Janshai slashing and punching his blade at those still spilling from the door. Raisa stood to his right and hacked at anyone who got past Gulden. Ailin stood back and provided cover, reloading Flare and bringing men down. Halle’s fur bristled on her back and she snarled at Janshai that were pouring out of the prison and the surrounding areas. She waited for the first three that roared towards her, but they were struck by arrows and crumpled to the floor just a few feet in front of her.
Raisa looked left and saw the Windstrom archers on the roof of the building opposite. The infantry themselves were sprinting across the courtyard to join the melee. She stepped over the bodies and hacked at the next Janshai that came towards her.
“Bolt the door,” screamed Worak but it was too late. The doors were kicked open sending them splintering off their hinges and Gulden appeared in the light, filling the frame of the door, Truth Giver raised in his hand.
“Cut him down!” yelled Worak to his men. But the Windstrom soldiers swept past Gulden into the room and engaged the Janshai that remained.
Gulden pointed his sword at Worak.
“Nobody touches him, he is mine.”
Gulden strode down the steps into the pit. He kicked the dark angel off Mia and pulled her to her feet.
“Are you hurt?”
“Yes, all over,” she grimaced.
He nodded and took the carcass of the beast and dragged it to the side.
“You might want to stand back.”
Ailin had followed him into the room.
She raised Flare and fired a bolt at a hordesman that ran towards them.
“You don’t have to do this. I have a bolt left. I can just shoot him.”
“Now where is the satisfaction in that,” grimaced Gulden.
“Could I borrow your sword?”
Ailin spun it in her hand and handed it to him by the hilt.
He tossed it onto the ground.
“Come on then Janshai. You’ve murdered the sons of Terramis and Windstrom and tortured its people. Do you think you can add one more to your list?”
Worak walked down the steps and leapt over the parapet.
They circled each other looking for a small opening.
“Whatever happens here Terramian, you have already lost. Gorath will claim this realm.”
“Gorath!” chuckled Gulden. “Gorath is no more. He was a puppet. You don’t even know the name of the master in which you place your faith. The Janshai are just unwitting instruments of Vane. Anyway, once he has what he wants, he will surely cast you aside and leave you to rot under the rocks from which you crawled.”
Worak cursed and lurched forward with his sword. Gulden stepped to the left and parried the blow sending Worak stumbling behind him. He pulled himself to his feet and circled once more.
“Not very steady for a Janshai. Take you guys off a horse and you are all over the place.”
Worak cried in rage raining blow upon blow at Gulden’s head, forcing him backwa
rds. He dug in his heels and pushed back on the third strike, locking the hilts of the swords together, their faces almost touching. Worak spat into Gulden’s eyes. Gulden lunged forward pushing Worak away from him. He wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his tunic.
“Charming. Do you get many second dates?”
Worak howled once more. He thrust Truth Giver out of the way, tackling Gulden across his midriff and pile driving him down to the earth. Gulden was momentarily stunned. Worak struck him across the side of his face with the hilt of his sword causing a gash from his cheek and above his eye.
Gulden twisted and threw Worak sideways. His momentum bringing Truth Giver around, cutting down on Worak who just managed to block the blow.
He spun sideways once more, broke free and clambered to his feet. Both men were tiring. Worak took a little longer to get up.
He placed his sword hand on his knee and held up his palm of the other hand.
“Well Terramian dog. You have a bit of bite in you. Let’s end this.” He beckoned for Gulden to approach him, but as they closed in he threw a handful of dust into Gulden’s face.
Ailin stepped forward with Flare but Mia pushed down her forearm.
Gulden staggered back deflecting Worak’s strikes but then Truth Giver was smacked out of his hand and went clattering to the ground. Worak swung once more but Gulden caught his sword hand. Gulden twisted him sideways and they collapsed to the floor once more. He still had Worak’s sword arm in his fist and pressed the blade to Worak’s throat. Worak’s eyes widened, but then they narrowed and he grinned as he reached for his dagger. But then it dawned on him that he had thrown it to Mia.
He panicked but it was too late. Gulden forced the blade down into his neck and the life slowly ebbed from him as his body twitched and shuddered for the last time.
Gulden staggered backwards and Mia stepped forward to support him under his arm. They looked around the room. The Windstrom stood over the fallen bodies of the Janshai. Sporadic fighting could still be heard outside.
Once again, Celestina was free.
Dryw Henge Page 27