Sergeant Corless was walking directly in front of the king, knowing that the five other guards were waiting for his signal – their orders were very clear. Corless made sure that the street was clear of potential witnesses and that it was very dark to make his move. It was an old movement taught in the sword exercises it was known as the turning serpent and it was designed to quickly draw a blade and attack a target to the rear. With the practice of years Corless gently slipped his hand up to grab the hilt of his sword and he drew his blade in front of himself as he stepped forward with his right foot. As his right foot landed he planted it and started to turn to the left, his left foot did not take a normal step and instead the man stepped around behind himself turning to his left and exposing his blade to lunge back in the direction from which he had just come. Without warning the man was now lunging back toward the king in an expertly executed attack.
The young king saw the warrior ahead of him turn and lunge and he reached for his own sword but knew that it would be too late. The king had his blade only half cleared when the oncoming blade of his guard passed within an inch of his shoulder and continued to travel and buried itself into the chest of the guard behind the king – a guard who had a long dagger in his hand just inches from the back of the king. The king had only a moment to realize that the sergeant had just saved his life as he continued to clear his own blade. Seconds later the king and the sergeant were fighting for their lives against the four remaining guards turned assassins.
Corless had clear orders for he and his men to make sure that the king did not return alive to the palace, and it was the sort of thing that he had done often in his life. Long ago he had traded his honour for gold and since that day he had many times traded the lives of others for more gold. But when he turned he looked for a moment into the eyes of a king – a king that he had seen stand as dragons attacked while he had himself cowered from the beasts. In that moment Corless knew that he himself would die this night but he also knew that he would do so having fought beside his king. The ringing of steel filled the night as two men were pressed hard by four seasoned attackers. As if this were a signal, six more guards charged out of the shadows to aid their four companions. Corless realized then that with ten men against two there was no way that he would be able to save the young king this night. Then wing beats sounded from overhead and a shriek came down from the darkness above.
Dragons of Summer Tide (The Dragons of Hwandor) Page 42