Their conversation does not escape the notice of the other soldiers in the pit. They begin to cluster around the two, curiously at first. Their curiosity turns to concern as they listen in on the conversation.
Markley observes the rest of the soldiers congregating around them. “Talken?” he asks. “You ever seen this brute here before?”
“No,” says Talken. Talken turns to the other men. “What about you, Feist? Ever seen him before?”
He shakes his head. “No, can’t say I have. What about you, Lucius?”
Lucius shakes his head. “No, never seen him.”
“Which proves nothing,” says Atticus. “As I mentioned, I’m new here.”
“We’ll see if your story checks out. You seem to be mighty occupied with this man you trying to rob, a little too concerned I would say.”
“I explained my actions,” remarks Atticus.
“Oh yes,” says Markley. “So you did.” Markley takes a closer look at the man on the floor. Moments before, he was convulsing rapidly. Now, his convulsions seem to have mitigated and his breathing stabilized. Markley has seen numerous succumb to the deadly effects of the darts and this makes no sense.
“We going to search you,” states Markley. “But first, you need to demonstrate your allegiance.”
Atticus shrugs nonchalantly. “Ask it and see it done. I’ve nothing to hide.”
“You have sword?” questions Markley.
“That I do,” says Atticus. He pulls it out and shows them.”
“That’s good,” he nods. “Now, take that sword and plunge it into this man, so you can aptly demonstrate he means nothing to you. Afterwards, we going to search you and if we find something funny, we going to feed you to the raptors. Ai?”
Atticus shrugs. He takes his sword out of its scabbard carefully and looks at Perronius. As he looks back at the men, he sees Domithicus about fifty yards away. He gives him the slightest of nods. Domithicus returns the nod. He reflexively reaches for the butt of his gun.
Atticus takes the sword and plunges into Perronius’ petticoat. He buries it into the wooden scabbard and from their viewpoint, it penetrates Perronius. It just barely grazes his skin but rips a hole through his chambray shirt. The soldiers seem satisfied.
Markley nods. “Ai, that’s good. Now we going to search you.” He moves forward to search Atticus and steps behind him. He begins his search, feeling his pants for weapons. Talken looks curiously at the man on the ground and his eyes grow in dilation. His face contorts in consternation. The man’s chest heaves up and down, rhythmically. He moves his head slightly.
“Markley!” he yells.
“What is it?” asks Markley. Markley begins to feel for the man’s gun holster. His chest seems to stop in his chest as he finds it is empty. In the next moment, he is blown back against the wall at the same second, he hears a deafening bang. Blood seem to erupt from his chest in spurts and his throat seems to clench up, causing him to breathe in shallow rasps. He looks in horror as his body drains itself of life. Every attempt to stand up is an act of futility.
Before Talken can grab his gun, Atticus fires a shot which nearly disintegrates his head from temple up. Crimson, bile, brain matter and shattered bone pour down in the cavernous hole that once held his handsome face.
The other men reach for their guns, but it is too late. Domithicus reaches for his pistol and fires several rounds rapidly, thumbing the hammer and pulling the trigger almost simultaneously. Not one of the soldiers stand in the cacophony and continuous stream of gunfire. Vast holes rip through their chests as they fall to the floor. Some are dead as they hit the ground; others choke on their own blood as they try in vain to gasp for breath.
Domithicus and Atticus look at each other, seemingly with the same thought. “Do you think anyone heard that?” asks Domithicus.
“These walls are monstrously thick and insulate sound, but we can’t take any chances.”
Atticus looks around in alarm. “We need to get rid of these bodies. Now!”
“Let’s get to it,” says Domithicus. Domithicus and Atticus load up their contribution of corpses and dump them down the chute. The raptors, having had their appetite whetted, emerge and begin to gorge themselves. In morbid fascination, they watch for a few seconds and quickly turn away in disgust.
They both return to Perronius, whose breathing is now regular. “Should we wake him?” asks Atticus. “We did it!" he says. “I wasn’t sure about this plan, but we did it.”
“We have much more to do,” mentions Domithicus. “If others heard those gunshots and it is likely at least someone has, then we are going to have a lot more company. You ken?”
Atticus nods his head. “Then let’s wake him.”
Domithicus reaches into his satchel and extracts a tiny vial of peppered smelling salt. He pops the cap and brings it up to his nose. As soon as he does, Perronius’ hand shoots out preternaturally fast. It catches Domithicus by surprise and he emits a startled cry.
He sighs, heaving his chest as his heart slows. “You’re back.”
“We’re in the pit,” answers Perronius groggily. “It’s not a question.”
“Yes,” says Domithicus. He takes his canteen and brings it up to Perronius’ mouth, who fights the temptation to gulp down the water. He takes sips and sits up. It is too much for him and he immediately feels light headed and must put his head back down. “How are you feeling?” asks Domithicus.
“Like a recovering corpse.” Perronius slowly moves into a sitting position and this time the light-headedness is mitigated. Quick movements are met with a feeling of wooziness. He knows he will need a half hour to regain his equilibrium.
He turns to them both. “I’m in no position for traveling. I’m going to need half an hour. One of you will stay here with me.”
“I will.” They both say in unison. Perronius shakes his head. “Domithicus, you will stay here with me. You’re a bit faster with the iron. Atticus, you must find Germanicus. You’re more of a surreptitious killer. I need someone with your penchant for sneaking up on the unawares. You ken?”
“Ai,” says Atticus.
“Where is Germanicus?” asks Domithicus.
“Where else?” replies Perronius. “In the thick of it.”
(5)
Germanicus uses the wider tunnel to propel himself faster through the duct systems. Unfortunately, his clumsy movements echo throughout, alerting the guards to his presence. He hears a loud ‘bang’. As he rounds a corner, he sees what it is. A large arrow penetrated through the metal duct and out the other side. That could easily have been him. He cringes at the thought. They know roughly where he is, but not exactly.
They’re trying to keep his pursuit relatively quiet, which would likely elicit the wrath of Songre Khan. He would punish anyone responsible for the breach. Germanicus takes the arrow and dislodges it with considerable effort. Unfortunately, the rumbling drowns out the noise of the scurrying feet that run through the vents. As soon as he dislodges the arrow, a badger appears from around the corner and launches itself at him. He reflexively puts up his hands, pushes it off him, and barely deters it. The pesky badger comes at him faster and swipes him with one of its razor-sharp claws.
Catching Germanicus on the elbow, a significant laceration opens. He winces in pain. His other arm reflexively reaches for his butterfly knife and he extracts not a moment too soon. The badger launches at him at the same moment Germanicus stabs violently towards it with his butterfly knife. Penetrating its vulnerable belly, the badger cries out in a high-pitched almost bat-like sound.
Germanicus finishes the job with a quick and violent twist of its neck, careful to avoid its diamond sharp teeth. He takes the badger and throws it behind him. Another badger runs at him from the same direction and he is unprepared for its savage assault. It chomps down on his thick leather boot, penetrating through it and into his ankle. He screams out in wailing agony and thrashes out his leg violently. Still, the beast holds on with tenacious ferocity.
The badger continues to bite harder. Germanicus, sensing a ruptured vein will inevitably ensue, kicks forward with his other leg, snapping its neck and its grip from his leg and catapulting the badger’s corpse through the ducts.
Another arrow is shot through the duct system and this time, it is much too close for comfort. If Germanicus had not averted his gaze during the attack of the badger he just disposed of, the arrow would have penetrated through his skull.
He reaches for the butt of his gun and pulls out his twelve shooter and cocks the hammer and listens intently through the grate. Another arrow penetrates the grate, grazing his oblique and causing a small amount of blood to seep. He winces and pulls the trigger, firing several shots through the grate.
The first shot enters the archer’s neck and exits outside his jaw, shattering his teeth and blowing a hollow hole through the side of his mouth, creating a monstrous visage of pulverized skeleton, crimson and gore. He screams and misfires his arrow, sending it into a soldier who had been standing in the back. Blood pours from the gaping wound in spurts. He drops to his knees.
Germanicus hears the fall out, knowing he hit his mark. He empties his gun until he hears two other bodies fall. Two shots ricochet off the side of the wall inside the room and he covers his head reflexively.
A searing pain erupts from his foot, filling up his boot with sticky warmth. He stomps down on it with all his force and almost reflexively fires off his pistol. He cringes at the thought that he could have just inadvertently killed himself with one of his own bullets from the ricochet. Though he is fearful of another bullet entering the ducts, he puts his ear to the duct and listens intently. He hears nothing. He scuttles forward and cringes with every movement. Viscous blood drippings trail the path behind him. He pushes himself harder, despite the excruciating and unrelenting pain.
Germanicus looks disoriented, unsure if he is backtracking or moving towards an exit. Though he knows Perronius must be dead by now without the antidote, he must persevere. The man’s abilities to overcome any malady are mind-boggling. There is a chance. He turns a corner and is greeted with another arrow that just manages to miss his head. He fires and hears a man cry out. Another arrow lodges through the duct, grazing him again in the side of the leg.
As he backtracks, some sound catches his ear. It is a steam-powered water filtrating device. He can hear it churning relentlessly. He remembered one important fact from his studies in mechanical engineering. Such a machine is equipped with a gas mixture in the base, which is used to accelerate the process. It is extremely flammable. That’s why they’re not using bullets. A plan forms in his mind.
He takes his gun and positions it at an angle. He secures it there with a carabiner and a pigeon screw, twisting it until it is tight. He wraps his rope around the trigger, ensuring it is taut, but not enough to pull the trigger down. He carefully but quickly moves through the ducts. When he feels he is sufficiently through, he pulls tightly on the rope.
The effects are instantaneous and deadly. He hears a loud, partial bang followed by a louder bang and intense, searing heat. In seconds, he is inundated with smoke that permeates the ducts and induces an intense coughing fit. If he stays put for a second, the metal begins to scorch his skin. He winces every few seconds as the heat continues to raise the temperature of the metal.
(6)
Being so close to death must have sharpened Perronius’ skills. Not only did he know that Germanicus was still alive, but he gave him the location of where he would be- in the duct system of all places and he is in extreme danger.
Atticus moves through the hallways leading to the main receiving hall when he hears the first of the explosions rock through the castle. At first, he believes it to be an earthquake as the building itself shakes, but it stops abruptly and the noxious smell that follows is unmistakable. Smoke begins to flow outside the grates that top the duct system. Atticus cringes, hoping that Germanicus was not there when it happened.
Minutes later, a group of frenzied soldiers run through the hallways at breakneck speeds. “Fuckwad shot right through a steam converter. Blew the fucking room to bits, so he did.”
Atticus breathes a sigh of relief. One of the soldiers looks at him. “You there. We need your help.”
Atticus nods. “Ai.”
“Let’s get to it!” says the man in charge. From his stripes, he appears to be the captain. Atticus does a quick count of the soldiers. There is too many of them for him to properly subdue; and if he fails, Germanicus is dead for sure.
He and the soldier run to one of the rooms outside the vestibules of the receiving hall. The Captain unlocks the doors. They all run into a large room with several barrels on shelves. He’s got to be heading here,” says the Captain.
“What if he backtracks?” asks one of the other soldiers.
“Can’t. That fire destroyed his other options. He has no choice but to come this way. Otherwise, he’d be scorched to death,” says the Captain.
Atticus listens intently and distinctly hears a banging from inside the grates. He keeps the reveal from his face and does his best to look indifferent. If there was only a way to get a message to him without alerting the guards. And then it dawns on him. Something that Germanicus would recognize. Atticus always keeps a small boa knife on him. It is a prized possession of his. He won it from Germanicus in a card game. He smiles in nostalgia.
The soldiers run around, still in a panic, unsure if another explosion will rock the castle. The captain barks out orders. Luckily, they give him little notice. Atticus takes out his boa knife and hurtles it through the vent system via a small hole in the grate. It makes a ‘clanging’ sound which he could have done without, but he looks around to confirm it.
As he turns around, he comes face to face with one of the soldiers. The man stares him down with reckless suspicion. “Never seen you before.” He looks at his badge carefully in the dim lit back storage room. “Lieutenant is it?”
(7)
Domithicus hears another explosion rock the ground beneath him, followed by another a few minutes later. He looks at Perronius with a worried look on his face. Perronius seems unconcerned, unflappable.
“The gas vents are combusting. It will be in our favor-so long as it doesn’t kill us first.”
Domithicus looks at him with an exasperated look on his face. “And if the soldiers don’t kill us first. I killed all of them, except for the one I wounded. He’s going to come back and when he does, he’s going to bring a hunting party with him. I’d say we have less than a minute before this place is swarming with soldiers.” He looks at Perronius with an assessing gesture. “How are you?”
“Recovering,” replies Perronius. He clenches and unclenches his hands and moves his shoulder up and down, feeling the blood begin to warm him. “I can move my hands, but-”
“But what?” asks Domithicus, desperately.
Perronius shakes his head and grimaces. “No feeling below the waist. Bit of an inconvenience.”
Domithicus shakes his head in frustration. “I would say that is more than a bit of one. “He looks around. “How many ways out of here? Do you remember?”
“My mind is sharp, Domithicus. Of course, I remember.” In the pit, there are three exits.” Another large explosion rockets through the pits, blowing one of the doors off its hinges and through corpse-strewn room, blowing sawdust in their eyes. Domithicus instinctively closes his eyes but coughs. From the doorway that had just blown, searing flames rise, eating up the cobblestone walkway relentlessly.
Perronius shrugs. “Sorry, only two now.”
Domithicus emits a barely perceptible moan and runs his hands through his hair. He wishes he had Perronius’ disposition. Even now, he is unflappable. Four men crouch down outside the door and bang it open, while opening with a round of fire.
Domithicus jumps on Perronius reflexively and begins to fire back. The first man through the door is hit headfirst, opening a hole in the top of his head, exposing brain matter
and crimson spurts. His head goes slack. The other men are unmoved. They begin to fire back with harder rapidity.
Perronius seamlessly empties both his guns in seconds. Two other men behind the man are hit in the abdomen and chest, opening cavernous holes through which copious blood flows, unrelenting.
Domithicus begins to reload. Unfortunately, it gives the men behind them plenty of time to go around the downed soldiers. They crouch down quickly and move into the room and begin to fire off rounds indiscriminately. The shots ricochet off the floor and walls and some come precariously close to Domithicus and Perronius. Domithicus awkwardly moves him around.
“I’m out of bullets, Dom. Get me some guns. Now!” Domithicus looks around and sees several guns from downed soldiers. He crawls to them as quickly as possible. A volley of bullets blasts over his head. He grabs two gun belts and throws them over to Perronius. He pushes himself up with his hand until he is in a sitting position and takes one of the guns and begins to fire rapidly, cocking the hammer while almost simultaneously pushing the trigger. Two men cry out in mortal anguish and drop to the ground.
Domithicus leaves him propped up and quietly moves around him and towards the door. He waits patiently. For the moment, all is quiet. He catches movement and fires strategically through an aluminum barrel, spraying its contents onto an unwitting soldier. He cries out, revealing himself. Domithicus blows a hole through his head, nearly disintegrating his head in a mess of gore and brain matter. He goes slack and falls forward.
Domithicus fires again. Though he doesn’t have a clear shot on them, he’s hoping to get them to prematurely react. They take the bait. One of the soldiers moves forward, revealing himself. Perronius fires off two rounds, blowing a hole through his chest. He chokes, sputters and falls forward.
Their tactic works, but unfortunately, it also serves as a good diversion for the soldiers. Several of them filter in as Domithicus and Perronius dispatch their fellow soldiers. The soldiers begin to stakeout different places inside the pit, cutting off the two from escape.
Dawn of the Merlin- The Final Quest Page 8