by Janet Durbin
"Well done. I will wait for you in the room. We will carry on this discussion in privacy.” The mysterious Boss rose and left the table in the same quiet manner he had entered.
"Awe inspiring, isn't it? It can be a bit overwhelming for a first timer like you. Happened to me the first time I saw him."
Drayco realized he had been holding his breath and slowly exhaled through pursed lips. Ruben chuckled. He slapped Drayco on the back, again causing pain to run through his body.
"Let's go."
Ruben flipped back the drapes, got up, and grabbed Drayco by his shirt collar, dragging him to his feet. He let go once the dark man was upright, indicating for him to return to the front lobby. When they entered the main room, Ruben told him to go toward the hallway beside the counter where Louis stood; the same one Randolf went down earlier. The man looked up as the two entered, then returned his gaze to the paperwork in front of him. All niceties disappeared once Drayco was in the hall, out of sight of the open front door.
The big man reached up and grabbed a handful of Drayco's hair, pulling him to a stop. He forced the dark man's head back and whispered, “You better be on your best behavior from now on. I may not be able to kill you, but the Boss won't hesitate."
He kept a firm grip on Drayco's hair as he dragged him down the hall to a door with the number 130 on it. Ruben opened it and tossed Drayco inside before entering himself. Unable to stop himself, his arm strapped to his side, Drayco fell hard. Ruben grinned at the man lying on the floor. He turned and bolted the door behind him.
Drayco managed to get to his feet and look around the room. A small table with a chair was in a corner and a bed was close to the opposite wall. That was all the furnishings in it. The room had a coolness to it due to the lack of any heating apparatus. And, like in the bar area, there were no windows. A rug covered part of the floor to muffle sounds and to ward off some of the chill. A small candle on the table and another on the wall mount near the door were the only lights in the room. The rest was covered in shadows.
Drayco inhaled sharply when he saw Drizzle on the bed, still tied up. A man was lying gagged and hogtied next to him on the floor. It was Randolf. He had wondered what happened when the mercenary failed to show up. Now he understood. A bruise covered the side of his head, and it looked like he had been knocked out. He was awake now, staring at Ruben, eyes filled with questions.
Ruben came up behind Drayco, grabbed a handful of hair, and propelled him to the wall beside the table. The world spun and his back met solid material as he was slammed against it, knocking the wind from his body. Rope hung embedded in the wall. The dark man felt it wrap around his left wrist. The big man cut the strap holding the right arm and tied it against the wall, as well. Drayco's feet were secured in the same manner, pinning him effectively. When Ruben straightened, he backhanded the prisoner several times across the face.
"That will do,” a voice whispered from the dark shadows near the bed. The Boss emerged and glided across the floor to the captive tied to the wall; his robes made almost no sound when he moved. “You can have your fun when he is of no more use to me."
A small, gloved hand reached out from the robe and came to rest on Ruben's shoulder. He jumped at the touch, as if he had been hit with lightning. He recovered quickly and turned toward the Boss.
"I have something of interest to show you."
He turned back to Drayco and firmly grasped the front of his shirt. With one powerful yank, he tore it open, revealing the skin underneath. A long, freshly healed scar ran from around the right side of the neck to the left nipple.
"Yesterday afternoon, I put this wound here. Today, it's healed like it has been there for weeks. I first noticed it when we were sitting at the table. I have an idea, but I need your permission to prove my theory."
The Boss observed the scar on Drayco's chest. With a slight nod of the hood, he gave Ruben the permission he needed. “As long as it doesn't kill him."
Ruben pulled out the same slim knife he had used on Drayco yesterday and advanced on the restrained man. Drayco kept an eye on the blade. He had no idea what Ruben planned, but knew he was not going to like it. Ruben reached up and put the knife tip into the exposed skin close to the left clavicle bone. He pulled it smoothly across the new scar to just below the breastbone. Another slice followed two inches from the first. Blood ran down Drayco's chest, pooling at his feet.
The dark twin held back with the first cut. He was unable with the second. A blood-curdling scream echoed across the room. The last thing he heard before passing out was Ruben laughing as he admired his handy work.
In the front lobby, Louis heard a faint scream echo down the long hallway. He'd heard that sound before and ignored it as he had previously. He was paid handsomely to hear nothing. He followed those directions very well. He glanced at the paper in his hand, then turned it over onto an orderly stack in front of him. He picked up another and sighed. He hated doing paperwork, but someone had to do it.
* * * *
The sun was just clearing the treetops when Shyanne and Joseph woke, their arms wrapped around each other, her head resting on his warm chest. The blanket only half covered them. It had been kicked off during the night by their activities. She wasn't concerned, though; she was warm against Joseph's body. Shyanne looked up at the man holding her and smiled. He was awake, watching her. He had the look of a man who had been awake for many hours.
"Good morning, my love. Did you sleep well?"
She stretched before returning her head to his chest. “When I finally did ... yes."
He kissed the top of her hair and hugged her. It had been a love-filled night for the both of them. Because of it, he felt truly alive for the first time since the death of his family and friends.
Joseph had thought about his mother while Shyanne slept. If she had lived, she would have liked this half-pint, spunky whip of a girl. Shyanne sat up and stretched again. He watched as her long, strawberry blonde hair fell down her back like a waterfall. He reached up and ran his fingers through it, enjoying the silky feel.
"Hey, silly! That's for my brush to do.” She smiled as she swatted his hand away. “It does a better job too."
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down beside him. His lips met hers and they kissed long and passionately. When they broke apart, Shyanne sat up again.
"Joseph, my love, we need to get going. I want to stay and make sweet love to you again and again, but I don't want Drayco to get too far ahead of us. Who knows what kind of shape he's in."
He sat up, encircling his arms around her, “You right, my dear. We need to find your brother first. I shouldn't be so selfish."
"I don't know how to explain it ... but deep inside here,” she tapped her chest with her fingers, “I know he's okay. I've been able to sense him for some time, even before we found each other. It took me so long to find him, and I don't want to lose him aga—"
Joseph turned her face toward him and put a finger over her lips. “Shhh. We won't lose him.” He kissed her, then stood up. Reaching his hand out, he offered it to her, “Let's get going before something does happen, something that won't involve searching for Drayco."
Shyanne smiled as she grabbed the offered hand, rising to her feet. The two dressed quickly. They moved to the horses afterward. Joseph decided to ride Bravaro instead of the horse from the mercenaries.
"It will only slow us up. Bravaro and Jack can move faster."
Joseph removed the bridle and gave the backside of the freed horse a swat. It jerked away from him and darted around the ruins, running across the open area toward a small clump of bushes.
"I wonder if that horse will lead us to where the mercenaries have gone,” Shyanne asked as they watched it disappear.
"Damn. I didn't think of that. Let's move!"
Shyanne and Joseph flung themselves into their saddles and hurried after the smaller horse. Joseph was in the lead. He pulled Bravaro to a sudden stop when they were close to the bushes. Shya
nne yanked Jack's reins to the side before he rammed into the lead animal.
"Joseph! What are you trying to do, get killed?"
Near the bushes, the grass was sparse and the ground soft. A gap between them showed prints in the middle of a pathway that lead deeper into the woods. The path widened beyond the bushes to hold two horses side by side.
He got off and walked to the gap. “Shyanne, I don't think this is the way Bravaro came. There is only one set of tracks here. If Drayco's horse came this way, the prints would still be visible."
"What do you want to do?"
"Stay where you are. I want to walk the perimeter."
He moved around the field, but did not find any other horse tracks leading away from it. Some parts of the perimeter were thick with undergrowth, making it difficult to see anything. He returned to where he had started and walked up to Shyanne.
"Nothing. No other prints. I guess we have no other option. We follow these tracks and hope they lead us in the right direction. I remember the other mercenaries leaving, but it was too dark to see which way they went. And I was focused on capturing that Garth fellow. Damn it all to hell!” He slammed a fist into the other hand.
"It's okay, Joseph. Everything will be all right. We'll find them. You'll see."
Joseph returned to Bravaro. He paused before getting into the saddle. “Shyanne, I will not fail you. I will find your family before anything happens to them.” He got up, jerked on the reins, and turned Bravaro onto the trail. With a nudge, the horse started into the thick woods.
They rode for half a day, their forward progress slow for fear of losing the tracks they followed. Just before the trail took a sharp turn to the right, they found what they were looking for. Another path joined the one they were on. It bore a print matching Bravaro's hoof. Joseph smiled back to Shyanne. He gave her a thumbs up, then pointed to the ground. She smiled when she saw the V mark in the dirt.
Several miles later, Joseph started to go around a bend in the path but pulled Bravaro to a sudden halt before going completely around. Shyanne had to pull hard on Jack once more to prevent a collision.
"What's the—” she started to ask. Joseph waved his arm for silence. She stopped and listened.
Joseph was already getting off his horse, his hand reaching for the sword on his back. Shyanne wondered what was ahead to make him so concerned. His face had a harsh look and his stance was stiff and guarded. Everything she saw indicated he was ready for a fight. She wanted to ask what was going on, but did not want to distract him. He was concentrating hard on what lay ahead.
Shyanne started to get off Jack. Another wave halted her in mid swing. Suddenly, a snuffling noise sounded. Joseph's gaze locked on hers for a split second before returning to whatever was on the path ahead. She saw fear shining in those eyes, but determination as well. The undergrowth made it impossible to see what was making the noise. As if on request, a light breeze shifted the bushes. A huge shape became visible. The greenery blocked the way again when the breeze ceased.
Shyanne started to get off her horse again. This time it was not Joseph who halted her in mid-swing. It was a high-pitched squeal. It came from whatever creature was around the bend. The sound caused all the hairs on her neck to stand straight up. She looked at Joseph. He was crouched low, ready. His entire attention focused on what was ahead. She got off Jack and moved to his side, slowly taking her sword out as she went. She crouched beside him and looked down the trail. What she saw took her breath away.
It was huge, monstrous in fact, and there was more than one. The creatures filled the path that was wide enough for a wagon to use. At that moment, they were standing upright on their back legs. Their heads, appendages, and backs were bald, with only tufts of hair sticking out sporadically. The underbelly was the only place where it was thick. They were about ten feet tall.
The creatures’ faces were like something out of a long ago science fiction movie.
Eight eyes peered from different areas of the head, allowing it to view many angles simultaneously. No nose was discernible where one should have been, and the mouth was a large, gaping hole with fangs jutting upward. The hunched shoulders had four powerful arms protruding from the upper torso. The legs were short and stocky. They looked strong enough to kill with a single kick. The hair covered any distinguishing features, which would have allowed anyone to recognize a male from a female.
The two lumbering creatures were fighting over what appeared to be the remains of a woman. The bigger of the two had the body in its mouth. It swiped at the smaller creature with a heavily clawed appendage. The body was filthy. A nearby pit showed where it had been put to rest, but these creatures had found her and dug her up. At seeing what was happening, Shyanne felt sick to her stomach.
"What are those things?” she asked softly.
"Scavengers,” Joseph whispered without taking his eyes off them. “They live off the dead and won't attack us unless we try to take their meal away.” He paused. “And they're very aggressive when provoked. I don't want to take any chances. We'll have to work our way around them somehow.
"We can't just let them eat that poor girl."
"That poor girl doesn't feel a thing; she's already gone."
Disgusted, she whispered, “Well if you're not going to do anything about it ... I will.” Her tone was harsh. Shyanne raced down the path toward the creatures before Joseph could reach out and stop her.
"Shyanne! Stop! You don't know what you're dealing with!” Shocked by her odd behavior, he ran after her, hoping to catch her before she reached them. Unfortunately, she had a large head start on him. “Shyanne!"
Shyanne refused to listen. The thought of those beasts ripping that woman apart and eating her was too much to bear. Even if she was dead, Shyanne was not going to let her body be desecrated in such a fashion.
As she reached them, she brought her sword up and swung it with all her might at the nearest beast. The smaller scavenger was trying to get at the body. It missed seeing the threat until it was too late.
Shyanne's sword cut deep into the outstretched arm. The creature screamed and drew its appendage back, almost wrestling the sword out of her hands. She managed to keep a hold of it and freed the blade as she went past. It turned swiftly, reaching with razor sharp claws. It would have gotten Shyanne if Joseph had not reached it first.
He buried his sword almost to the hilt in the exposed area between the shoulder blades. He immediately pulled it out and swung at the neck. The blade sliced deep into the skin, causing the creature to scream again. It grasped at its neck with one paw while reaching for the being causing it so much pain with another. Shyanne buried her sword into a thigh before it could snag him. Blood ran everywhere.
The ground became saturated and muddy, causing the lumbering creature to lose its footing and crash onto its back. Joseph took advantage of the opportunity and plunged his sword deep into the exposed chest. An ear-piercing wail emitted from the mouth, similar to a fingernail raked across a chalkboard. It caused the human combatants to wince. The sound gradually stopped as the creature died.
Joseph was leaning on his sword next to the smaller creature's body, panting from the effort of killing it, when the bigger creature made its move.
"Joseph! Watch out!"
The larger beast threw the female's body aside and lunged at the two people who stood near the dead one. Both dove out of the furious creature's path and into the shelter of the surrounding trees, winding up on opposite sides of the path. The creature stopped at the other's side. It looked around with its many eyes before it bent over and smelled the matted bloody mess lying on the ground. Shyanne and Joseph observed the situation without moving.
With a high-pitched squeal that ran up their spines, it picked up the dead creature, threw it over a shoulder, and ran down the path until it disappeared from view. The sound of the creature fleeing through the trees was heard long after the pair lost sight of it.
"What do you make of that?” Shyanne asked. Wh
en nothing was said, she looked at Joseph. He was standing next to the road, anger written all over his body.
"Do you know what that was?” he shouted at her. “That was a zindrell! They are very, very dangerous when messed with."
"We beat it, though. And we did it easily."
"We were damn lucky. The one we killed must have been its mate. That's the only reason I can think of as to why it didn't shred us apart instead of running away. I've seen just one tear a group of ten well armed men apart with ease.” Joseph shook his head at Shyanne's folly. “And we were facing two."
"I'm sorry, Joseph.” She shuddered at the picture that came to her mind. “But I wasn't going to let them rend that poor woman's body apart."
Joseph sheathed his sword as he walked up to Shyanne. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently to emphasize his words. “I didn't want to see them rend the bodies of the living apart."
She looked into his blue eyes and saw the fear mixed with concern in them. She looked down at the ground. “I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Just don't do that again. I don't know if we'll be as lucky the next time.” He hugged her close before releasing her. “Now, let's see to the body. We'll have to go deeper into the underbrush to give her a safer burial place."
Joseph moved toward the body lying in a heap where the scavenger had thrown it. He rolled it over and discovered it was a young woman maybe in her early twenties. It was hard to be sure because of the shape of the body. The extremities were intact, as was the head; but the abdomen area was gone. Dull, blonde hair, caked with dirt, stuck out in several directions. Shyanne walked up behind him after sheathing her weapon. She gasped when she glanced over his shoulder. Joseph looked up at her shocked expression, thinking it was due to the condition of the body. She pointed at a large, ragged hole in the woman's neck.
"What do you think?"
Joseph didn't think, he knew. He had seen a wound just like that before, back at the ruins with the spiderbats, where the horses were kept, when Drayco fed.
"Drayco."