by Dan Decker
When he had gone a couple of steps, he looked back at the door but wasn’t able to see it. Barc was right behind him, shaking with fear, his one hand on the hilt of his sword, and the other on his dagger. If the man hadn't confessed to stabbing Jorad, Adar would have immediately armed the man with a blaster.
Adar gave Barc what he hoped was an encouraging nod, but Barc didn’t respond. When Adar looked back in the direction they were moving, a gust of wind cleared out the smoke. The Hunwei were already out of the alley. In the distance ahead, he could see some of their backs. The shift also showed him that the top of the building they had just come from was covered in flame.
Adar increased his speed and motioned for Barc to move along. After hesitating, Barc did too.
As Adar crept down the alley, moving as fast as he dared. He crouched as best he could, hoping the air quality would be a little bit better, even though he couldn’t see an appreciable difference.
If it was, it wasn't by much. His chest hurt with every breath and his throat had become dry and scratchy. The heat from the fire was becoming unbearable. The building across from the one that they'd been in was now also on fire. It had gone up quick, there hadn't appeared to be any flame on it when the smoke had cleared earlier, but now there didn't seem to be a place that didn't have fire licking at the roof of the building.
Adar increased his speed, counting on the fact that the alley was filling with smoke again to keep the Hunwei from noticing them. They were almost at the end when Adar looked back and saw a small group of Hunwei coming from the direction of the ship. A swirl of wind came, and the smoke hid them from view.
When it cleared, the Hunwei were running their way at a quick gait.
Adar pushed Barc up against the wall and brought up his blaster, ignoring the startled look on Barc’s face. He waited for several long seconds to make sure there were only three. Any more than that and he wouldn’t have opened fire.
With his left hand, he made sure to press the button at the front of the weapon. He put the finger of his other hand on the trigger, took aim, and fired three shots in rapid succession.
The first two blasts hit their targets in the chest. There was a flash around them as the blasts hit. Adar hadn’t noticed anything like that before and wondered if it had something to do with the way the smoke surrounded the Hunwei.
The third blast took the Hunwei in the shoulder, knocking it back. Adar fired another shot but the Hunwei rolled out of the way, the blast buried itself into the ash-covered mud of the alley. The Hunwei rolled to his feet and aimed his blaster their way as flame and smoke engulfed him.
Adar pulled the trigger of his own weapon, but nothing happened. Cursing, he threw away his defunct blaster with one hand and pushed Barc with the other as he stepped away from the wall. A blast hit the wall where Adar had just been.
“Run,” Adar said as he grabbed another blaster off his back, “for the love of Melyah, run!” He didn't wait to see what Barc would do as he dashed forward, trusting the smoke to keep him hid. It had just engulfed the alley again. Flames danced all around him. He fired the blaster in the direction he’d last seen the Hunwei. On the third shot, it stopped working, and he tossed it aside as well while pulling the last blaster off his back.
Bleeding Melyah! What kind of fool am I? Any sane man would be running the other way.
He caught a glimpse of the Hunwei aiming another shot at him and dove, hoping that Barc had made it out of the alley in time.
Adar landed with an oomph, mud squishing between his fingers. He wasn't certain what had made him charge the Hunwei, but as he got up to his feet and continued to run, he hoped that it had been the right decision.
The heat was becoming intolerable. He’d been covered with sweat when he’d begun his mad charge, but his skin now felt dry.
He gritted his teeth and moved forward. If that Hunwei escapes, he’ll tell the others about a man that knows how to use a blaster. They’ll turn Zecarani upside down looking for me.
There hadn't been another blast yet, and the smoke ahead was as thick as ever.
He aimed the blaster again and fired where he imagined the Hunwei would be. He was able to get one shot before it too failed. Confound it! All this time I’ve been carrying around blasters with just a couple of shots left.
Cursing again, he slowed and removed the black tipped Ou Qui dagger, dropping his last blaster as he did. He had come too far to turn back now.
He hadn't thought of the dagger as a viable weapon until Jorad had managed to take out one of the monsters. The memory of his son, standing over a dead Hunwei brought a smile to his face. It hadn't just been luck that had resulted in his son's conquest, it had been a desire and will to not give up, even in the face of ridiculous odds. Jorad had said afterward he hadn't even realized what weapon he'd been using until the blood of the Hunwei had covered it.
Now, with his own Ou Qui blackened dagger in hand, he was glad they were capable of penetrating the Hunwei's invisible protection.
A cracking sound came from the side, and Adar felt something rush towards him from above. He sprinted forward as a heavy beam from a building crashed, sending sparks up into the hazy air.
He grimaced when he saw how close he'd come to a fiery death. He'd been making too many reckless decisions over the course of the last several hours and found the realization unnerving. Sometimes a situation called for that kind of behavior but more often than not, deliberate thought yielded the better course of action.
Odds are against me pushing my luck much further. I've stretched it to the limit as it is.
His confrontation with Tere still bothered him and kept him on edge. The last thing he wanted to do now was to make a mistake that kept him from catching up to Tere. Not when he was so close to avenging Nelion's death.
I should have run the other way, Adar thought. I could have escaped. After the loss they just suffered, they're going to be more anxious to get back to their working ships so they can leave.
Regardless, the Hunwei knew Adar was coming for him and had seen Adar kill the other two. He may not have seen that Adar had thrown down his blasters once they had stopped working.
Adar frowned. He should have kept it to bluff the Hunwei, not that it mattered much with all this smoke.
He inched forward through the billowing toxic clouds as the heat became more unbearable and his chest felt like it was about to burst from want of air.
When he thought he was going to have to turn around or risk burning to death, a movement came from the side.
The Hunwei burst through a burning wall. Adar jumped away, but he was too late. The Hunwei grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the ground.
Has the Hunwei's blaster stopped working as well? Adar thought as he scrambled to his feet, surprised the monster hadn't just put a hole in his back and called it a day.
The eyes behind the faceplate were contracted, and Adar thought he could hear the beast howling but the unquenchable roar of the flames overpowered any sound the beast might have been making. The Hunwei got to his feet and swung with his hand, intending to take Adar in the head.
Adar dodged the blow and moved closer until they were touching. A look of surprise crossed the Hunwei's face just before he grabbed Adar, crushing Adar against the armor on his chest.
The Hunwei's armor felt cool on Adar's skin and in the back of his mind, he wondered why that was but didn't dwell on it. He brought up his dagger, used it to flip up the faceplate, and then stuck it in the Hunwei's eye.
The Hunwei loosened his grip as he feebly grabbed for Adar's hand. Adar had already yanked out the dagger and rammed it in again, this time burying it up past the hilt in the other eye. The Hunwei lost the ability to control his arms and went limp.
Adar pulled out his dagger and stepped back. He was certain he'd just dealt it an unrecoverable blow.
Let's see the metal goo heal that.
The Hunwei stood, balanced for several of Adar’s heartbeats before it crashed backward
into the burning building. Sparks and burning wood flew up as the body sunk into the flames.
Adar turned and ran, wishing that he had time to find the blasters of the other dead Hunwei.
Chapter 17
Fire was all Adar could see. It filled his vision wherever he looked. Flames climbed the walls of the buildings and danced at the top. In many places, those walls had started to crumble. It was becoming more difficult to tell where the alley—and his path to freedom—was located.
It even seemed as if fire burned in the sky above him, though there wasn’t anything up there to burn. The thought crossed his mind that it might be a weapon of the Hunwei with which he wasn’t yet familiar, but he pushed it away. He told himself it was just the wind moving the flames and he hoped to Melyah he was right.
A pool of water that had been much larger when he’d first entered the alley was now minutes away from being completely turned into steam. The flames reflected off the remnant of the pool as he splashed through it. The water that splashed onto his legs was warm. When he’d first entered the alley he’d been soaked to the bone, now his clothes were almost dry. It was a mercy he’d been thoroughly drenched by the rain when all this had started.
Wasn’t the pool on the far side, nearest where the ship went down? He shook his head as he ran without changing direction. It wasn’t the first time he’d wondered if he was turned around and running the wrong way.
Wouldn’t that just be my luck? He held his breath hoping to avoid taking in more of the smoke. Melyah knew he’d already inhaled enough of the stuff already. He’d been so focused on fighting the Hunwei he hadn’t even thought about the fact he was breathing in the heady stuff. At first, he had bent over every few steps to take a breath, but it hadn’t helped so he’d given up and pushed all the faster.
It wasn’t until he almost passed out that he tried again and lost precious time sucking in whatever air he could before his fears overcame him and propelled him forward again.
Each second that passed made it that much harder to keep from taking in the smoke. I may be headed into the belly of the beast, but at least I’ll die on my own terms, refusing to breathe of my own accord rather than choking on the smoke. He let out a snort of derision that turned into a fit for breath.
His body rebelled, and smoke was pulled into his mouth. He coughed and pushed out the breath of air he’d been holding, dying to inhale again, but knowing he shouldn’t.
The heat was unbearable. The air was poison. It was impossible to see.
Through it all, he didn’t stop moving.
He leaped over a burning pile of rubble only to find he was now plunging through the remains of a wall. Now I’m running through a building. Melyah! I better not be going in circles.
He was about to pull to a stop until he saw cobblestones at his feet. He was still in the alley after all. He pushed forward, running faster. The flames shifted, and the way ahead became clear, so he pumped his legs, ignoring his chest that seemed about to burst.
Finally, he could put it off no longer and involuntarily inhaled. Smoke entered through his nose and filled his lungs. His mouth opened, and he could taste it on his tongue as if he’d just eaten a spoonful of hot ash.
One moment he was surrounded by flame, the next he was free. The sudden change might have been surprising if he wouldn’t have been choking on the smoke he’d just inhaled.
Something tugged at his feet, and he tripped, landing on the road. His hands slipped on the smooth cobblestone, and an elbow plunked down hard at a bad angle, sending tingling pain shooting up his arm.
He tried to inhale a large breath of air, but choked and fell into a coughing fit. His mouth and tongue were covered with ash. The roof of his mouth was dry and powdery.
When he brought his hand up, he wasn’t surprised to see that it had been blackened. His bare forearms, clothing, and boots were soot covered as well. Crawling to his knees, he cleared his throat and spat. Even his spittle had been darkened.
Kura isn’t likely to recognize me, he thought wryly as he hocked up another black wad of spit, I’d be able to walk right by her. Not that he would, of course. He pushed himself up and shook his head, trying to clear his head of the smoke. He’d be smelling the stuff for weeks.
Adar cast his eyes about as he fought through another spell of coughing and wondered if Barc had made a break for it. He wouldn't blame the man if he had. He hoped Barc had stuck around. He could really use the help. What he wouldn’t have done to have an army at his disposal.
Barc and Kura would have made three, but somebody needed to look after Lars. The lad wouldn’t be able to come along for what Adar planned to do next. Kura would throw a fit when he left her behind again, but what other option was there? Isak and all his men could go to the nine fires for all Adar cared.
As Adar couldn’t get to Tere, taking control of a ship was most important.
Adar was tempted to forgo returning to Kura until after going to the town square but he had promised.
I’ll have to be quick, though. There won’t be any time for her threats or for a long discussion. I’ll tell it like it is and she can just deal with it. Melyah knows how little time I have to capture a ship if it isn’t already too late.
Something needed to be done about the Hunwei, but Adar recognized that wasn't going to happen. He didn’t have any illusions about what he with maybe a couple of others would be able to do against so many of them.
At the very least, he needed one of the ships. A working ship—even though he would have no clue how to use it—was something he couldn't let slip through his fingers.
He growled. If he hadn't been so focused on chasing down Tere, he would have stopped to explore one of them earlier. He had figured he’d have the opportunity to do that later, but that had been a mistake. Confound it all. Tere had spun Adar’s mind upside down, and he’d been running through Zecarani trying to find the man ever since. They might have just lost a huge opportunity because of Tere.
Adar took a deep breath. No. This was his fault. He had let Tere get to him. After another breath, he forced himself to think of his options, limited though they were.
He still had Barc, if he could find the man. Had there been enough time for Erro to calm down? Neare might be open to joining Adar, and that would be two more right there. It wouldn’t be enough to fight the Hunwei, but with the blasters he’d stashed and three men, Adar would have a team.
That might be enough to secure one of the ships.
After hacking up more blackened spit than he thought he had in him, Adar could take in air without coughing. His ability to breathe was still hampered, though; every time he inhaled, it was accompanied by wheezing. When he exhaled, he could feel the need to cough but repressed it.
He sounded like a dying dog. His mouth was wet again, all the coughing had at least done that for him.
The old man and the woman with the baby weren’t on the street any longer. Adar wondered if the woman had just gone back into her house or if she had fled, taking her infant to a safer location.
He hoped it was the latter, Adar hadn’t stopped to talk with either of them, perhaps that had been a mistake. How long would it have taken him to shout out a warning about the danger not being over? If they’d witnessed the destruction of the first wave of Hunwei, they might have figured that the same thing would happen to any more.
Curse Tere and his pride! Would he even care if he knew about all the lives he put in danger when he stole the tablet from me? It was doubtful. The fool could only think of himself. Adar had known that for a long time. He had tried to tell himself he could handle the man and that had only put everybody in greater danger. He should never have agreed to a truce with Tere. He should have killed the man as soon as he showed up.
When Adar looked over his shoulder, he saw the buildings on either side of the alleyway from which he had just come were now engulfed in flames that reached into the sky.
Another couple of minutes and he would have been crispy
meat. He noticed several blisters on the top of his hand.
Well, he would have been crispier.
Great billowing clouds of smoke frothed and churned from the fires. The homes across the street from the alley had caught fire too. It wouldn’t be long before everything on the street burned as well, hotter than the nine blazing fires.
The whole city was liable to burn down if something wasn't done. Adar backed away from the heat and wished he could think of something to do to stop the fire from spreading. He'd never before fought a fire on this scale and didn't have the slightest notion of what needed to be done.
Back in Rarbon there was a special group of guards who were trained to handle this sort of thing. He hadn’t been through their training and from what he could recall, hadn’t ever even had a conversation with any of them.
If there were such a group of guards here in Zecarani, they could have already abandoned their posts or might be dead. He could do nothing to stop the city from burning other than hope the fire died out on its own accord. That was something more likely to happen closer to the center of the city where the city planners had put in roads that were double the width and left more space in between buildings.
Sweat dripped into Adar eyes, stinging as it did. He resisted the urge to wipe it away with the back of his hand like he was prone to do and endured it instead. Getting soot and ash into his eyes would only make matters worse.
Melyah! He thought, putting his back to the fire. I must look blacker than a kettle.
It took him several moments to find Barc. Adar had been on the verge of giving up when he'd spotted Barc across the street, slumped on a bench on the porch of a house.
The shadows had made him difficult to spot. He stared out, the burning blazes reflecting off his glassy eyes. If he had noticed Adar, he made no move to get up. The imminent danger of the fire didn’t seem to register with him as he stared into the flames.