The Way of the Sword and Gun

by Stuart Jaffe

  Training saved Owl's life. Though disoriented, his body shoulder-rolled out of the way of Brother X's follow up sword strike. He stumbled to his feet and regained his focus.

  "You won't win," Brother X said.

  Blood dribbled down Owl's forehead. He let it run. With a slight hop forward, Owl raised his blade for an ax-strike. He watched Brother X's eyes follow the blade, and he brought up his gun with his other hand and fired.

  Brother X's speed continued to impress. Though his eyes gazed upward, his own blade swung out, catching Owl's wrist and knocking the gun off target. Brother X then kicked straight into Owl's gut. He aimed his own gun right between Owl's eyes.

  Owl could hear the Masters in his mind teaching that when faced with a gun, one that there was no doubt would be fired, any action, no matter how desperate, was worth taking. Even only a one-percent chance of living was better than a one-hundred percent chance of death.

  Owl thrust his head toward Brother X's chest, rolling the gun's muzzle upward along his scalp. Brother X involuntarily shot. The blast rang Owl's ears and he felt the singe on his skull, but the bullet went off into the distance.

  Brother X shoved him backward and attempted to aim again. This time Owl swung his gun-wielding hand to knock Brother X's weapon away. Both guns discharged into the ground. Neither of them had another shot.

  Huffing, Brother X stepped back to regroup. "You say you want peace but you fight me. Queen Salia will bring peace to this world through force. Give her the power of the Library and there will be an end to the suffering of the innocent."

  Though exhausted and sweating, Owl didn't want to let Brother X rest. He attacked again. Both warriors moved fast, but Owl could tell that Brother X had slowed considerably.

  They struck with vicious abandon and used the thicker parts of their guns to deflect the incoming blades. Sparks shot out at every clash. The soldiers cheered and hollered at the awesome sight. Such a thought distracted him, and he failed to see the butt of Brother X's gun until it hit him in the cheek.

  All went dark.

  His ears continued to ring but the sound died out. He floated in darkness. A breath later, it all came back. Copper taste of blood. Rumbles of a large crowd. Rough stone under his hand. Sharp odor of sweat. His vision returned last. He sat in the dirt, blood filling his mouth, Brother X standing over him.

  "When my sister was only sixteen years old, she saw how horribly the people were treated," Brother X said. He sounded muted but Owl heard enough to understand. "She saw the abuse every day. And she had had enough. She began taking control of our town. And when she brought peace to our people, then Chief Master showed up to take over. That was when I was forced to join the Order. That was when my sister and I planned for this day."

  Owl stared at his opponent with his jaw slack open. "Y-You're Salia's brother?"

  "I've been her spy since the beginning," Brother X said and thrust his sword through Owl.

  The blade came out Owl's back and blood spit from his mouth. Fawbry cried out. The soldiers cheered. Owl looked into the amused face of Brother X and wanted to scream at the depth of the betrayal.

  Brother X cocked his head to the side. "Look at that," he said with an impressed nod. "You've trained well."

  Owl looked down at the sword piercing his body. The butt of his gun pressed against the blade. He didn't recall doing so, but it appeared that he had pushed the blade to the side so, though it sliced through him, it failed to damage any organs.

  Brother X pulled his sword free, wiped it off, and returned it to its sheath. He singled out two men. "Wrap his wound and take these enemies to the prison grounder." To Owl, he said, "After we take your book and destroy what's left of the Order, my sister will want to meet with you."

  Malja

  The four creatures bearing guns stared in awe at the burning house. The gold light flickering on their faces did little to improve their gruff features. Flat, wet snouts and bristle-haired bodies. Thick muscles and gray skin. A row of spikes along the spine. They looked at Malja, and she could practically see their thoughts — wondering, since the house now burned as a beacon, if she could really be some magical prophet returned.

  Malja decided to take a chance and hope they answered yes. She put her hands on her hips, parting her coat enough to show her assault suit that had made such an impression on the other creatures. These brutes, however, showed no reaction.

  She then slipped out Viper but instead of holding the dear weapon as a threat, she placed it vertically before her like some holy symbol. "Put down your weapons and pray before me," she said, mimicking the cadences she had heard from the Korstra leaders in the South.

  The creatures look to each other in confusion. The biggest of these brutes thrust a meaty finger at her and garbled out a few short sounds. The others aimed their guns in her direction.

  Malja sighed. "Wonderful," she said, and in one graceful motion, brought Viper back to a fighting position.

  The leader let out a noise that had to be mockery, and when it spoke, the others joined in. Malja couldn't blame them. If this had been Corlin, she would be the one laughing — low-quality guns and limited shots meant she would have a good chance of taking down four bandits. But here — she didn't know.

  The guns looked to be in excellent condition. They also looked far more dangerous than any weapon she had ever seen. Two were handguns that made even Owl's well-maintained weapon look like a paltry imitation. One reminded Malja of a shotgun, only bulkier and more compact. The last weapon required two hands to carry and had so many parts that Malja couldn't begin to guess what it was capable of.

  No way was she going to get a step closer to them like this. She needed something to disrupt the flow of the moment. So, she laughed. She let Viper hang at her side and she laughed. The creatures let out hesitant sounds and watched each other for leadership.

  "Guess you're not in charge," she said to the one she thought had been the leader. She stepped forward, smiling and forcing out as much laughter as she could. "Since you can't understand me, I thought you should know that I'm not really this friendly."

  She moved to the side, essentially placing the one on the end in front of her, and the others lined up behind. The advantage wouldn't last long, but it would give her a little extra time. She turned Viper so that its point faced her first target.

  The one creature she had mistaken as the leader stopped laughing. His tone dropped and his guttural words erupted in rapid succession. He knew something was wrong.

  Malja gave them no time. She swung Viper upward into the first creature's chin. Yanking downward, she removed her blade. Viper's force thrust the shocked creature to the ground while its lower-jaw rolled several feet away.

  The next in line raised its gun, hands fumbling with some control on the weapon. Malja sliced diagonally upward. The creature tumbled back which saved its life — though Viper did cut a line across its chest.

  The other two had enough time to fan out, flanking both sides of her. One held a handgun, the other the two-handed gun. Had they simply shot her, Malja thought they might have killed her. But they were scared and unsure. And, she suspected, they thought merely holding their guns on her was enough of a threat to stop her.

  They were wrong.

  Malja leaped toward the one with a handgun. She saw its face scrunch up just before she hooked Viper on its hand and pulled through. The hand and the handgun flopped to the ground. Malja kept moving until she was behind the creature.

  She heard a high-pitched sound followed by a whomp, and the creature fell over, a hole the size of her head burning in its chest. The one on the other side held its smoking weapon. Whether it had killed its fellow soldier on purpose, she couldn't tell. By the way it trained its weapon on her and showed no sign of panic, however, she thought the thing could fire again without reloading.

  Sweat fell down her side. Her assault suit lowered its temperature to cool her but the heat of the burning house continued to intensify. The roof fell in
with a crash, sending sparks hurling into the air. With firelight dancing on its face, the creature used its weapon to gesture to one of the vehicles.

  Malja calculated the distances between her and the creature — too far to take a gamble. If she could maneuver closer as she walked toward the vehicle, she might be able to use the extra reach with Viper to hit the creature. But she saw no other choice at the moment. Getting in the vehicle was not an acceptable alternative. Once inside, she was dead.

  The creature barked out a few words. Malja stepped around the body at her feet, using it to position closer. She casually let Viper swing in her hand. Just a few more steps closer.

  The air sizzled but not from the fire. Tommy! The creature's awed eyes confirmed what Malja already knew — a portal had opened behind her. The creature threw its weapon aside and dropped to the ground, burying its head under its hands. She thought she heard it whimper.

  After putting Viper away, she backed toward the portal. But before she entered, an idea struck her — Viper had come through the portal with her unharmed. So had her clothes, for that matter. Whatever made it possible for her to travel through the portal without burning up like Fawbry's hand, also appeared to protect things on her body. And that meant she could bring a few items back.

  Crouching down, she swiped the handgun and the one that looked like a shotgun. "Thank you," she said quickly before the creature changed its mind, and she entered the portal.

  * * * *

  When she stepped into the bunker, Malja's skin froze and her heart nearly stopped. Tommy stood at the bunker entrance with one hand stretched out toward her and the other stretched toward the stairs. His face had drained of blood. Sweat soaked his hair. A third eye blinked from his cheek and a fourth from his neck. Eyes like those that had once covered Barris Mont.

  Tommy looked at her a long time — those eyes empty of recognition. Her heart skipped but then he shivered, raised his lips into a relieved smile, and collapsed. A dim field of magic in the stairs dissipated. The extra eyes closed and faded back into his skin as if they had never existed.

  She rushed to his side while the portal shut behind her. "I knew this was going to be too much. Damn Kryssta, I knew it." She cradled the boy and brushed his hair aside.

  He was breathing, thank the brother gods, but his skin burned with fever. She rocked him gently for a few minutes. When his eyes fluttered to consciousness, Malja let out a long held breath. Tommy patted her arm.

  Struggling to stand, he pushed Malja away.

  "You need to rest," she said but he struggled anyway. She wanted to hold him down, yet his eyes blazed with a determination she knew well. Better to let him have his way a little longer. He looked up the stairs and then motioned for her to follow.

  Malja checked that both guns she had brought with her had survived the trip. They appeared to be good — she wouldn't be sure until she fired them, and since she had no extra ammunition, she didn't want to waste bullets. She strapped the guns over her shoulders and followed Tommy.

  Blood stained the stairs. On the first landing, she found Tommy on his knees, wrapping Master Kee's bleeding arm with strips of the man's robe. Master Kee's bruised face trembled.

  Malja sniffed the air — burning, blood, and bowels. She knew that combination. The army had ransacked the Order. But she didn't hear any sounds of occupation.

  She closed her eyes. "Thank you, Owl, for you sacrifice," she whispered.

  "No," Master Kee said. "Owl lives. And your Fawbry, too. But Nighthowl and Bennet were not so fortunate."

  "I will pay them their honor," Malja said.

  "Thank you."

  "Where are Fawbry and Owl?"

  "Brother X took them prisoner. He has the book now, though I don't know if he's aware of it. I hope not. For as long as he and Queen Salia think those boys have answers, they'll be kept alive."

  "So he defeated Owl, took him and Fawbry prisoner, and attacked here? It seems your bunker is well hidden."

  Master Kee shook his head. "It was your boy who saved us."

  "Tommy did?"

  "Brother X's army tried to finish us for good. But when I came down to the bunker, Tommy didn't hesitate. I simply wanted to know if you had returned, if there was any hope, but this boy of yours — he created an illusion around this building. Made us look dead. Fooled me until I reached the stairs and saw him at work. Those of us who managed to get in were safe."

  "Illusions? I didn't know you could do that."

  Tommy shrugged. Apparently, he hadn't known either.

  "I'm impressed," Malja said, and she could see Tommy's chest swell. He kept his eyes on Master Kee, but she didn't want to draw attention to the boy's pride. That much she had learned — leave the boy alone in situations like this. Besides, she didn't fully understand what an illusion spell meant nor what damage it could cause the caster. Best to keep quiet and observe.

  Master Kee raised his head to get a better look at Malja. "Did you find the code?"

  "I did."

  He fell back. "Thank Kryssta. We're all safe now."

  "Don't get too happy," she said. "There's still an army to deal with."

  "They left."

  "Left?"

  "They saw we were all dead. Though they didn't know they had the book, they left because they had a means to get the book — their prisoners. Beyond that, the Order compound has no strategic value — we're far from anything other than the Library. Despite the numbers they brought, Queen Salia can't afford to leave anyone here — not when she plans to take Corlin."

  Malja looked at Tommy. "If he can create illusions, maybe they can, too. Maybe their army isn't as big as I saw."

  Master Kee closed his eyes. "That would be a gift from Kryssta. Just like you."

  Malja tried not to laugh, and Tommy smiled. "No sleeping, Master Kee. We've gained some time, but they took Owl and Fawbry prisoner. They'll be tortured until eventually they'll tell what they know, which is more than just the book. Our enemy will find out what we've attempted to do. This isn't over yet."

  Owl

  Consciousness came and went like a tide within Owl's mind. All sense of time and direction floated on clouds just out of reach. He felt movement. He heard horses and shouting. He smelled manure.

  When he woke and stayed awake, he was resting on a pile of hay in a cramped cell. Fawbry sat by a metal door, his arms wrapped around his knees. Slivers of light poked through slits in a boarded window high above.

  "Where are we?" Owl said, his throat parched and sore. When he spoke, his side ached and he remembered being skewered by Brother X.

  "What's it look like?" Fawbry said.

  "I know we're in a prison, but where exactly?"

  "Salia City, I think. We definitely traveled east, so if this isn't the city, it's somewhere close by."

  "Malja?"

  Fawbry shrugged and let his head fall back against the wall.

  Owl put a hand on his wounded side and sat up. It stung like an animal bite but the damage was minimal. Far worse than the wound — he didn't have his coat anymore. "So, not only did I fail to defeat Brother X again, now he has my coat, and I probably didn't even give Malja enough time to succeed. This just says everything, doesn't it? Stupid ol' Owl can't do anything right." With a groan, Owl clambered to his feet. "I'm sorry. I really am. I thought I had been trained to be a great warrior, but I'm just a failure. And now, I've let Queen Salia have the power to destroy the whole country."

  "You sure have an ego," Fawbry said.

  Owl snarled. "I failed. I'm telling you I'm a sorry excuse for a warrior. How's that having an ego?"

  "You really think the future of Penmarvia is all up to you? That losing a fight or two is the destruction of all the Masters' hard work training you? I know you're part of a great legend and all, but nobody's that important." Before Owl could protest further, Fawbry got up close and said, "If you had succeeded things might've been easier, but that doesn't mean all hope is lost. And besides, failure is good for us. It te
aches us how to be better. Sometimes it opens us to opportunities we'd never have come across otherwise. By Kryssta, if I hadn't failed as a griffle warlord, I'd never have met Malja." Fawbry frowned. "Of course, that might have been better for me considering I lost my hand because of her."

  "I appreciate what you're saying, but I have been raised for this one purpose — to protect the Order. Twice, now, I've been tested by the real world, and twice I have failed. There is no excuse."

  "Stop worrying," Fawbry said, but Owl detected the nervousness in his voice. "So what if Salia has the thirteenth book now? She probably doesn't even know that's what your coat is."

  "She's got plenty of brilliant minds on her side. They'll figure it out. And why even take the coat unless they already know?"

  "Doesn't matter. She's not going to understand it. And if she does, so what? It's all useless without the code. She'll never get to use the other books."

  Salia spoke as the metal door clanged open. "Not so," she said. Two guards watched Owl and Fawbry as Salia entered the cell. Fawbry cursed under his breath.

  She looked harsher than when Owl had met her before. Not just because her blonde hair had been pulled back tight enough to stretch her scalp. No, she looked stressed. Tired. He wondered if that was just because he saw her as an enemy now or if the rigors of leadership had taken their toll.

  "My magician-slaves," Salia continued, "are very bright indeed. They've already figured out that your coat is a map. There are a few symbols on the edges of the coat. Did you know that?" She walked closer to Owl, gloating as she spoke. "With that little bit, my magicians have deciphered the Order's pathetic code. A shame, really. I'd been looking forward to torturing the two of you for information."

  Owl spat at her feet. "You're a liar."

  Salia's face darkened and the entire cell seemed to grow colder. "Tomorrow, the two of you will join me and a few of my best soldiers. We will cross the Great Field and go to the Library. And I will use its power to save this world from itself."