Land of the minotaurs lh-4

by Richard A. Knaak

  Forcing himself to stand, Kaz retrieved his axe. It was still not too late to kill Polik. Honor's Face would fly straight and true.

  All of a sudden, from the entrance emerged a squad of gladiators. They swarmed toward him, ready to do battle. The cheers of the crowd turned sour. Clearly most did not think that even a criminal deserved such a short reprieve. Kaz had likely vindicated himself in the eyes of many.

  Polik did not care for that. The emperor had risen and was demanding that the gladiators charge the prisoner. All he cared about was that Kaz died and died quickly before sentiment for the renegade increased.

  The gladiators did not move toward Kaz with much enthusiasm. Any warrior who could single-handedly kill a meredrake was one to be reckoned with, even one as exhausted as Kaz. He was grateful for their hesitation. Each second meant he would be able to give them a better struggle.

  "All right," he growled. "Who'll be first?" His brave words were intended to make them even more hesitant.

  A roar from the other end of the arena made even Kaz lose concentration. Both he and the gladiators turned in the direction of the roar, duty giving way to surprise.

  A lion charged out onto the field. It was a full-grown male. Even before the shock of its appearance could subside, it was joined by two, then three females, all roaring fiercely.

  The animals' escape had only begun to register on those on the field when a second meredrake the size of a large wolf lumbered out. It snapped at the lions, who, despite their numbers, decided it was risky business. They spread out, coincidentally creeping closer to the guards and Kaz.

  Smoke began pouring out of the entrance to the menagerie.

  "Fire in the menagerie!" someone with a high voice called. "The animals have all escaped!"

  There was something faintly dubious about that voice, but those able to hear it registered only the alarm. Weapons were forbidden in the audience, due to the minotaur tendency to end all disputes, especially wagers, with combat. Only the State Guard, clerics, members of the Supreme Circle, and the emperor were permitted weapons here. Minotaurs were not fool enough to go up against a lion or a meredrake with their bare hands, not even after watching the great feat of Kaz. The fire was also worrisome. Many of the spectators near the menagerie began to abandon their seats.

  Other animals began emerging from the smoky entrance, horses, bears, and more. Kaz could not even identify some of the beasts, but anything that had teeth as long as his fingers or claws as big as his hand was to be avoided. There were bulls and sheep, the latter used mainly for feeding the predators. Some of the animals fell upon other animals, but other predators seemed more inclined toward two-legged meals, perhaps because they had been trained to attack when in the arena.

  Kaz was forgotten as the gladiators moved to defend themselves from the more immediate threat. There was no sign of the handlers, but Kaz guessed they were either dealing with other animals that had not made it outside or were already dead.

  "Delbin!" he muttered. The kender had promised to create a diversion, and had. It was up to him to see that Delbin's efforts were not in vain.

  He backed away from the animals and the gladiators, Honor's Face at the ready. One of the other warriors glanced at him, then evidently decided that Kaz was the lesser of two evils.

  Two more warriors passed Kaz, holding nets and tritons. Deciding he was momentarily safe, Kaz turned to see what had happened to Ganth and Hecar.

  They had taken advantage of the confusion caused by the escaping animals and sought to escape as planned. The pair had made it out in the open. Ganth had grabbed a short sword, but now they were being harried by one of their guards and the stubborn old jailer. For an old minotaur, Molus was quick with a weapon.

  Ganth and Hecar were still bound, which made it difficult for the former to wield his blade. Somehow Kaz's father was managing to fend the pair off.

  Roaring, Kaz charged in their direction. Molus turned first and actually smiled when he saw who it was who was coming. He turned away from Ganth and started toward Kaz, but suddenly another figure darted between them. The figure held an axe almost as large as Kaz's own.

  "Take care of your prisoners," snarled Scurn. "I'll deal with Kaz." The look he gave the jailer allowed no room for argument. Molus backed away and went to help the other guard.

  "I beat you in the arena, and I beat you when you came for me, Scum. Don't try again."

  "You should've killed me the last time, Kaz. I asked you to. I couldn't face the clan after such a humiliating defeat!"

  With that, Scurn attacked. His swing was more precise and swift than when he had faced Kaz in the past. Startled by both the vehemence and skill the other minotaur displayed, Kaz backed up.

  Smoke almost distracted him. New fires had started up in more of the underground sections of the Great Circus. Kaz wondered exactly what Delbin was trying to do. If he continued like this, it was possible the kender would burn the colosseum to the ground, in the process killing his friends as well as his enemies.

  Scurn swung again, his axe nipping the air just in front of Kaz's muzzle. Kaz brought Honor's Face up and caught Scum's axe head. The two weapons remained locked for several seconds, then the disfigured warrior pulled his weapon back and tried to ram Kaz with the axe's long, pointed head. Kaz managed to fend off the attack, but the head of Scum's axe sliced the air just an inch or two above Kaz's horns.

  Kaz's injured arm began to act up, causing his grip to loosen. Struggling against pain, he knocked aside his opponent's axe and struck Scurn in the jaw with the lower end of the shaft. The other minotaur grunted, stumbling back. Kaz pursued his assault, striking Scurn again.

  Disoriented, Scurn brought his axe around again and chopped at Kaz. His swing was off, however, and he was left wide open to his adversary. Kaz wasted no time. Again he struck with the shaft, driving the blunt end into the other's stomach. Scurn fell to his knees, dropping his axe. Unable to bring himself to kill so helpless a foe, Kaz took the only recourse left to him. He raised a fist and punched the gasping figure before him.

  Scurn collapsed.

  "Consider yourself fortunate," Kaz muttered. He then turned to the guard and Molus, who had forced Ganth back. Ganth was obviously tiring. Raising the axe, Kaz gave a battle cry and charged at the guard. The guard turned, and his eyes went wide at the sight before him, but to his credit, he charged back.

  Molus was pushed back by a revitalized Ganth. Worse for the jailer, he had to keep an eye on Hecar, who began to swing around to his left.

  The guard was not the warrior Scurn was. He tried to defend himself, but Honor's Face slashed through his guard and, at the same time, severed his sword hand. Kaz thought that would be the end of it, but the guard snatched up his bloody blade with his remaining hand and made a run at Kaz. Grunting, Kaz gave his adversary no quarter. This time he struck to kill.

  The axe buried itself deep in the other minotaur's chest. Kaz did not even wait for the guard to fall as he pulled the weapon free. He moved in on Molus, but the jailer saw him and, abandoning his attack on Ganth, fled.

  "Let's get going, lads," Kaz's father cried.

  "One thing first!" Kaz took one edge of Honor's Face and ran it across the older minotaur's bonds. The severed pieces fell to the ground, joined there a moment later by the remnants of Hecar's bonds. "Grab a weapon and a net if you can, Hecar! We have to hurry now!" His last words were punctuated by the noise of a gong. Kaz looked around and saw smoke coming from yet another area.

  Most of the crowd on the menagerie side of the circus had chosen to flee rather than face the fire and the animals, but many others remained, doing what they could to alleviate the problems. Some of them served only to further the confusion, for which Kaz was grateful.

  The trio hurried toward the menagerie entrance. There were several dozen creatures scattered throughout the arena floor, and at least two had climbed into the lower seats, where members of the State Guard were trying to control them. The first meredrake to escape had
been joined by a second, smaller one. Wolves darted around the nets of gladiators. At least two minotaurs were down, what was left of their bodies not a sight Kaz cared to dwell on. Several of the predators had been captured, but every now and then, one or two other beasts would charge out into the arena from the opening the prisoners needed to reach.

  "We'll have to keep a careful eye out when we get to the other side," Ganth called. "Or we might find ourselves running into the jaws of a meredrake!"

  A ram burst past Hecar, followed quickly by a pair of wolves that veered after their prey.

  A minotaur scream cut through the chaos. It made Kaz look around. Although he did not spot the unfortunate warrior, he did see something else… or perhaps "not see" was the better term. There was no sign of Polik or the representatives of the circle. Even Jopfer's man, Merriq, was missing. No doubt he had been among the first to retreat.

  "Kaz! Watch it. Lad!" Ganth was suddenly in front of him, sword slashing downward.

  He backed away in surprise. His father tore past him. It was not an animal that threatened them, but a gladiator who had noticed them moving around and had elected to try to block their escape.

  The other warrior tried to spear him from the side. Fortunately, Ganth shoved the spear aside with his blade. The spear dug into the earth, jarring the would-be attacker. He pulled the long weapon out before Ganth could follow through, then retreated when he saw he would have to deal with all three minotaurs at once.

  "He'll be back with some friends very soon, Lads. Mark my words!"

  "Then we'd better get out of here," Hecar rejoined.

  Ahead of them, an arrow suddenly sprouted from the side of one of the female lions. The lion stumbled, fell, and managed to rise again. Blood dripped from the wound, but she managed to stay on her feet. Archers began appearing on the walls. A second arrow caught the lion. This time she fell.

  "We'd better move faster! They're getting organized!"

  They reached the entrance to the menagerie almost in time to collide headlong with a huge bull. Kaz wondered if the kender was purposely releasing them a few at a time to keep the melee going.

  "Inside!" Kaz called, hoping that Delbin had not released anything else along with the bull.

  The smell ol many years of animal captivity made the trio recoil. Evidently there was a place that could smell worse than the prisoners' cells. Smoke made it uncomfortable but not impossible to breathe in the underground region. There was no sign of fire yet.

  Two minotaurs lay crumpled on the floor of one cage. He scanned the rest of the room. The area was clear of threats. Several animals were shrieking in their cages, but most of the doors were open and the cages bare. The cause of the fire was a pile of baled hay that burned within one of the empty cages.

  "There're still probably horses in the circus stables, Kaz," called Hecar. "Do we take them or try on foot?"

  "On horseback we'll be more noticeable," called Ganth. "We'd be better off sneaking around on foot. The time to fight is later on."

  "We can go this way," Kaz said, indicating a wooden door slightly ajar. He and the other minotaurs started for it.

  Kaz wondered where the kender was. The brave little creature had a tendency to forget that he could be captured or killed… "I have to find Delbin."

  "We've no time, Kaz," Hecar protested. "It's the will of Kiri-Jolith that we've gotten this far. We have to keep going. He'll catch up."

  "We've no idea what else the kender had in mind, Lad." Ganth looked grim. "He might've figured that the animals and the fire weren't enough."

  Kaz stared off into the distance. "You two go on ahead. I have to find him."

  "Lad, from what you've said about Delbin, why not wait until he just shows up again? His kind are clever when it comes to escaping."

  "Because I can't take the chance. He's helped me too much in the past. I will not abandon a comrade. You two had better get going."

  Before they could stop him, he was already out the doorway.

  Delbin hid behind the door as three minotaurs raced past to stop his latest fire. He was proud of himself for what he had accomplished.

  He was not normally so adept at lighting fires, but he'd been assisted greatly by a strange bottle of oil he had discovered in his pouch. The bottle bore the mark of the circus, but Delbin could not fathom how it had found its way into his possession. Nevertheless, he had made good use of it. The torches positioned every now and then in the walls helped. Between the oil and the torches, Delbin had created some masterful blazes.

  That he might be captured was a thought that occasionally occurred to him, but Delbin did not worry too much. He already knew some neat places to hide and others that could serve as escape routes.

  One more. I should do one more. Kaz and the others might still need more time.

  Seeing no one in sight nearby, he slipped around and headed down the hall. This one corridor seemed to encompass the entire circus and had so far made it simple for him to move from one place to another. His size helped, of course. Someone as large as Kaz would not have been able to hide in such cramped places. Surely his minotaur friend would be proud of him.

  He saw his next potential target moments later. The corridor was stilt deserted, most of the minotaurs having either fled the threat of fire or fighting to subdue the animals outside. Delbin saw a wooden cart. He had no idea of its uses, save that it might be needed to haul things out of the circus. Remembering what most often had to be hauled out of the arena, Delbin made a face. That was a part of minotaur life he did not like. Then the kender started forward.

  "Well! Sargas watches over me this day!"

  Heavy hands clamped on to the small figure's shoulders. He was drawn backward, then flipped around to face the source.

  It was a tall minotaur clad in a black-and-red robe that Delbin knew was the clothing of the clerics of the minotaur empire. He had seen them and knew something about their organization from Kaz, but this was the first time he had been so close to one.

  With the robed one were two warriors who looked similar to the ones who had captured Kaz. They each took hold of an arm and dragged the kender nearer to the cleric.

  "I am Merriq, representative of His Holiness, the high priest. You have an appointment with him. Resist and we shall drag you there. You cannot possibly escape."

  "You let me go or you'll be sorry!"

  The minotaurs laughed. Merriq, still smiling, said, "You are a kender, and a young one at that. You are next to nothing, and if it was not that the high priest himself requested your living presence, I would have you tossed into the arena to distract the beasts while our gladiators find and destroy your friends. They have not escaped, you know."

  "You're lying!" Despite saying that, Delbin was slightly shaken. Had Kaz and the others been captured?

  "The minotaur Hecar and the old one are the prisoners of the circus again." Merriq steepled his hands as if in prayer. "The criminal Kaziganthi died fleeing in dishonor from a meredrake that eventually bit him in two."

  Delbin reacted without thinking, with the same temper that had caused him so much trouble among his own kind. Both Merriq and the guards seemed a little startled by his vehemence. Having no weapon in his hands, Delbin threw the only thing he had, the bottle of oil.

  The bottle broke against the cleric's chest, splattering him with oil and fragments. The minotaur growled and stumbled backward, trying to rub his injured eyes.

  Delbin squirmed out of the guards' grips, but collided with the cleric, who could not see.

  Losing his balance, the blinded Merriq fell against one of the lit torches, which fell free. Flame from the torch grazed his robe, and the screaming cleric burst into flames. The oil helped to create an inferno that quickly spread over most of the minotaur's body.

  One of the guards seized Delbin. The other tried to aid Merriq, but it was too late. The cleric collapsed. More guards began to arrive.

  A guard behind Delbin struck him on the head with the hilt of a dagge
r and sent the kender to the floor, his thoughts reeling. Delbin tried to rise, but the world went crazy, refusing to settle down. At last, unable to struggle further, the kender collapsed.

  Oddly, he did not black out. Instead, Delbin found himself standing by a mountaintop, with the man in gray beside him. They looked out onto a landscape covered in great part by a city. Nethosak, to be exact.

  "The road is harsh. I'm sorry about that," murmured the gray man. "But the balance must be maintained. I swore by Lunitari, Solinari, and Nuitari that I would see to it. I have yet to be released from that oath. I will do what I can for Kaz. I promise you that, young Delbin."

  "I don't understand," the small figure said, looking at the robed man.

  "Neither did Huma of the Lance, but he fulfilled his destiny. This is all about destiny, Young One. Yours and that of the entire minotaur race, who deserve better and worse than they've received these past centuries, Kaz especially. Destiny demands the balance, though."

  Delbin understood even less now. He started to open his mouth, but then a roar echoed through the city below. It was a terrible roar, as if some great leviathan had just awakened in a foul mood.

  The gray man shook his head. When the roar died down, he smiled sadly and added, "It is almost time, I'd say. Wouldn't you?"

  Chapter 11

  A Kender Captured

  Kaz caught sight of the soldiers as they were carrying Delbin's limp form out of the corridor and into the streets. The high priest wanted Delbin alive and unharmed, which meant that at the most the minotaur's friend was unconscious. Still, he intended the captors to pay for what they had done.

  The corridor smelled of fire, smoke, and some other odor that made the minotaur's nostrils twitch. He started after the guards. He had to stop them before they left the shadow of the arena. Anywhere else, and an attack would be too conspicuous. The other minotaurs, busy with their charge, did not notice as he slipped out the entrance after them. Kaz counted only two. A good number. Two he could take with ease.