Escana

by J. R. Karlsson

  'I can hear you,' Jimmy said to the figure in the darkness. 'Why have you entered my room?'

  'I have come to kill you,' the man replied in a heavy accent.

  Jimmy tensed, he had been given no weapon and this assassin was undoubtedly armed for the task. Why would anyone want to kill him quietly when they could so easily have done so already without subterfuge?

  'I can feel your fear, it screams at me and asks me why I must end you specifically. Do not take it personally, it is a matter of honour that I must kill you all. I have been exhuming the other members of this fort for hours now.'

  The words struck him cold. 'You killed them all?' The entire of C and B-Company, all the guards. Dead.

  'You thought a Je'daran Master would not take retribution against all those who failed to aid him?'

  He had no idea what the words meant but he recognised the voice. It was the foreigner that had been taken away by the lizard creature into the desert. The one that had shoved him against the door and threatened him. Jimmy balled his fists, determined that he wasn't going to go down without a fight. He then found he was shaking uncontrollably with fear, what kind of fight could he hope to put up?

  Then an idea struck him, if this foreigner had spent time in Sah'kel then surely he knew who...

  'Yalem's room is opposite mine,' Jimmy bluffed, his voice cracking in terror. 'If I scream, he will come for you.'

  The foreigner laughed, causing Jimmy's brief hope to die. 'A worthy attempt at subterfuge, yet entirely transparent to one such as I.' He eased across the room, dragging the tip of a blade along the floor.

  'No, you cannot deceive me. There is no escape for you, my retribution must be absolute.'

  Jimmy leapt out of bed and ran to the other end of the room in a panic he knew was ultimately futile. He grabbed at the stone at the sides of his window in desperation but they wouldn't budge, it was too small to stick his head through, let alone escape out of. He faced his fate and slid down the wall in despair. So much for his fighting spirit.

  'Your termination will be swift and painless if you hold still. I am loathe to make the young suffer, you were in a most unfortunate place at the worst possible time. Perhaps your crimes warranted such an ending, we shall never know.'

  Jimmy could taste the foul stench of the man, how did he survive the desert? Was this all some terrible nightmare? He looked down at his hands, they were frantically pinching his arms in the hope that he would wake. He had been too scared to notice.

  A beam of light shot into the room as the door swung open, a dark figure stood illuminated in the doorway and walked into the room without preamble.

  Jimmy's would-be assassin turned to face the newcomer and froze, the words he mouthed were barely audible.

  'It's you.'

  The figure nodded in recognition of this and continued to walk into the room, as if waiting to see what the armed man would do. Jimmy still couldn't make out who he was, blinded by the light coming from the hallway.

  'Do you not speak, stranger? I urge you to come no closer in defence of this boy.'

  Jimmy felt the cold touch of steel pressed flat against his neck, the man appeared to be using the flat of his blade for some reason. It dawned on him that The Hermit had come back to rescue him, a brief hope flickered in his heart. Not that this stopped Jimmy's head from screaming and crying at the prospect of death. He choked it down for fear of it getting him killed.

  The Hermit made no further movement toward them, waiting once more but clearly blocking the only escape route.

  'It appears we have reached an impasse, my silent friend. I am already aware of your skills and that you could overpower me unarmed as you are. You wish me to spare the life of this boy for whatever dubious personal reasons you have. In order to do so, I ask you to step away to the far end of this room and pray until I have made my exit. I shall leave the boy in the doorway and bother you no further. If this is an amicable agreement then nod your head, the terms are non-negotiable.'

  The stranger nodded, walking over to the far wall and kneeling into a position of prayer. Jimmy knew then that should this assassin want to kill him, The Hermit could not prevent it.

  Jimmy found his feet carefully, not wishing to anger this murderer with any show of defiance. The ensuing walk across the room was tortuously slow, he kept waiting for the man to change his mind and execute him in spite of the appearance of his potential saviour. Once more Jimmy found that the killing blow never came, he was turned in the door frame and pushed back into the room with a shove. The door slammed shut behind him and all was darkness, he heard the sound of a key quickly turning in the lock.

  The Hermit rose and hefted a kick at the door, blowing it off its hinges. He looked down both ends of the corridor and then sped off to his left.

  Jimmy picked himself up and ran to the doorway, a renewed sense of hope giving his limbs strength to follow The Hermit. He found the corridor silent and empty, as if no one had been there.

  112

  Hern

  Hern sprinted down the corridor, all measure of control evaporating in the face of the man who had just foiled his latest exhumation attempt. He couldn't place what it was about the man's stony silence that got to him but it invariably removed all conditioning he had imposed upon himself as if it had never existed.

  He risked a glance over his shoulder, the corridor was free of any extraneous items that could catch his footing thanks to the meticulous cleanliness of Dyson. There was no sign of pursuit, he strained his ears and couldn't make out a second pair of feet pounding after him.

  He had seen how fast his pursuer had been in his combat in the arena, there was no doubt in Hern's mind that he could easily replicate that given the opportunity. Why then was the man so far behind?

  Finally he stopped running altogether, catching his breath in the process. His time at Greyhawk had been unkind to his well-being and it had become clear there was only so much Re'tak's healing could do for his now-aching body.

  Nothing. There was no sign of the stranger following him, this unnerved Hern even further and his attempts to grasp hold of the feeling and lock it down were fruitless. What had his foe done to him that he had been reduced to this?

  Taking a steadying breath, he recalled the contingency they had discussed on their journey from the canyon.

  I have encountered our old friend, or should I say he encountered me.

  Re'tak's response came swiftly. Are you harmed? Why did you not inform me?

  Hern opened in mind and let his friend understand, it only took a mere moment before clairvoyance dawned.

  So the powerful one still resides in the fort yet chooses against pursuit, interesting.

  Had Hern been in full possession of his equipment he could have divined a way to end this threat, all he had on his person were the two swords he had procured and he doubted that this man could be stopped by any force of arms on his part. He hoped Re'tak could coax him out.

  He came to the defence of the fort before, will he not do so again?

  It had been a point of much contention between them, of which there were very few. Re'tak believed that the stranger was acting in the best interests of the fort in his encounter in the arena, Hern felt it was coincidental and that all his actions were ones of self-preservation.

  If you were to attack the fort again you would put yourself at great risk, the remaining guards would not hesitate in attempting to overwhelm you. We needed to catch the stranger as he slept, we did not do this.

  So you propose that we leave the rest for when the stranger sleeps?

  No. I must do this or die trying. It's a shame you're not venomous, we could have used that against him.

  It was a matter of pride for Hern now. He knew that to think in those terms was to invite death upon him but he would rather accept that fate than leave a soul alive as a reminder that he couldn't deliver on his most dire threats.

  The stranger is no longer here, Hern. Try and sense him, open yourself up to the p
otential hurt.

  He wearily canvassed the fort with his mind, he hadn't attempted to do so prior to this for fear of yelling out in pain at having to brush against the force that was the stranger.

  There was no reason to fear, Re'tak was entirely correct in his statement, the stranger had vanished from sight. Could he be masking his presence somehow? Hern dismissed the thought, if he considered the power of his enemy beyond measure then he would attribute many things to it. An objective analysis was needed here, not wild conjecture as to the potential force they dealt with. For all intents and purposes the stranger had gone, this was an unexpected boon to their cause and one he planned to utilise.

  His thoughts were intruded upon by the sound of footsteps, he stretched his mind out without fear to determine their inclination and numbers. There were seven of them being led by a Je'daran native, not that it made any difference when the vehemence of their thoughts became clear. There was an intruder in their midst and they were going to track down and kill him.

  He relayed the information to Re'tak as he gathered it, since their split the lizard had remained stationed outside of the entrance and clear of the light. Somehow their presence had been detected, possibly during his flight from the stranger. The time for subtlety was at an end, it was time for his friend to aid him.

  He heard footsteps coming from the opposite direction now, this was no simple sweep of one area. It was a coordinated pincer movement designed to flush the intruder out.

  He judged the distances and quickened his pace toward the second group of guards, if he could just make it to the intersection that would give him an escape route.

  Slipping into the side passage, he heard the two groups converge upon each other and converse about their lack of success. He could no longer back-track as they had stopped directly in front of the intersection, the only way was forward.

  He could feel Re'tak eyeing his progress with increasing concern, their original plan of Hern dispatching the populace in their sleep had been ruined. Now their admittedly suspect back up plan of ambushing the few remaining armed members of the fort at the entrance was also in tatters, there was no way for Hern to leave without being cut down.

  He heard marching feet in the corridor to his left and continued straight on, picking up the pace lest he be caught prior to turning the corner.

  The marching feet at the next potential turning filled him with suspicion, were the guard so numerous and well-drilled that they could sweep the fort this effectively? Or was he being herded to a specific destination? Why not simply ambush him and be done with it if they already knew his location?

  The further he proceeded down the corridor the more apparent it became that he was being forced in that direction. Given that his life was no longer being immediately threatened by the guard he slowed his pace somewhat. If they were under orders to herd him then he was going to be the obstinate livestock and move as defiantly as possible.

  He didn't need to look back to know that he was now being followed down the corridor that led out to the arena floor, he had deduced as much upon realising he was not being hunted down. He would enter into the theatre and engage Dyson again in the dramatic art of conversation for all his remaining men to see.

  It was with no surprise that upon entering the arena a series of torches illuminated the walls, he didn't know how long Dyson had planned this but it served its purpose. He was expected and there was no darkness for him to hide in.

  He looked around the stands, they were entirely empty. He looked behind him and there were no guards in attendance. An ominous silence had descended upon the arena as a single figure started to advance upon him.

  'You're fucked,' Yalem said.

  113

  Thom

  Thom watched on as Garth clung to life, each breath pushing back the inevitable a moment longer. He had seen men like this before, tenacious fighters that didn't know when they were beaten. The internal injuries were too great and with no surgeon alive in what was left of the camp, there was no hope.

  It was a strange feeling, anticipating the moment that his friend would die. For twenty years Garth had been the only restraint that Thom had known, aside from Gooseman he had been the only one who would urge peace and talk sense. Now, after having squandered the final flirtations of El-Vador, the one thing that had prevented him from falling was being removed from his life.

  They had set him in one of the smaller tents of the fringe of the camp, the boy had gone in search of anyone with medical training but had so far found nobody. Thom felt a deep resentment bubble up once again, they had taken his friend from a life he had earned without regrets. They had forced the man back into the one place he never wanted to return, a place he had spoken of only once in all his time away from it. A place that had given him nightmares for years after the event, memories that had sunk down as they were supplanted by the good he had wrought in Escana.

  They had done this to his friend and Thom had done nothing to stop it, he had been powerless to prevent it and not even present to witness it.

  Anxiety grew in him as it mingled with the anticipation, he didn't know what reaction he'd have when the moment came, in a way the mortal wound had already wrought that moment. Thom knew better than anyone that it would be different when he shared the tent with a corpse. A man was never truly dead until his final breath.

  The flap of the tent opened and a bald man stepped in, he surveyed Garth's condition with distaste and then turned to Gadtor and Thom, noticing their conjoined nature and clearly trying to figure out who was in command.

  'Gentlemen, my name is Sisead, I was informed that the General could be found in this tent. I was unaware of his state of incapacitation, is there anyone currently in charge of this operation?'

  Thom raised his hand. 'That would be me, what do you need to see a General for?'

  Sisead judged the man's demeanour for a moment and then decided to cut to the chase. 'I am to receive a report on the progress of our military into Sah'kel and to issue new orders from the Emperor himself.'

  He laughed in disbelief. 'So you're the Emperor's messenger boy. Well since you had to walk in from a warp gate point I'm pretty sure you got a good view of how we're faring.'

  The man's face soured. 'I am a liaison, not a messenger. If you really are the new General then you would be wise to remember that.' He walked forward and pushed the paper into Thom's hands in a forceful manner. 'The following is the Emperor's decree, it cannot be gainsaid, even by one who calls himself a General.'

  Thom smoothed out the crumpled paper and read the words out.

  'To those in command of the armed forces advancing on the Sah'kel front, it is the will of the Emperor that you endeavour to push for victory within the coming year. To this end a frontal assault will be mounted upon the increasing lizard threat in an effort to overwhelm them and force their army into retreat.'

  'Are you serious?' He heard Gadtor ask in disbelief.

  'Silence, cur.' Sisead hissed. 'Your betters are speaking.'

  Thom felt Gadtor start to rise but laid a restraining hand on him. 'Hold your position, soldier. I will deal with this personally.'

  Together they rose and limped over so that Thom was uncomfortably close to the Imperial liaison. He locked eyes with the man and pushed the paper back into his chest, watching the outrage spread across his features.

  'It is death to lay hands on a Levanese subject!' Sisead cried.

  Thom smirked at him, drawing Skullcleaver from his back. 'It is death for the Imperial liaison to fuck off the General of this army.' He brought the blade down so that it rested near the man's shoulder, hovering by his neck. 'If you ever threaten me again I shall cut your head off and wear it on my cock for the men to see what I think of being ordered around by little bald eunuchs.'

  Seeing the promise in Thom's eyes, the man paled, whatever he had been paid to ferry this message clearly wasn't enough for him to risk his well-being.

  'The Emperor will hear of this.' Sisead
replied coldly, edging his way out of the tent and clutching the paper as if it were a protection from the steel sliding off his shoulder.

  'I'm sure he will.'

  An auspicious start to his career as General, then again diplomacy had never been his strong point.

  'You shouldn't have defied him,' a raspy voice came from the bed. 'He is a snake, very dangerous.'

  The reality of Garth's condition fully imposed itself upon Thom's mind again. 'You shouldn't be talking, old friend. Rest and recover your strength.'

  The painful choking sound must have been an attempt at laughter. 'You don't need to lie to me, I've seen what you have. I was done the minute that beast trampled me.'

  Thom sighed, every word was a struggle and each took a toll on the scant time Garth had left.

  'Do you remember the hills, Thom? Running on the hills, just you and me with Mary.'

  He said nothing, why was this being brought up now?

  'She sat on the top of the hill with a gleam in her eye and had us race down it then back up to see who'd get to her first. You won that race Thom, you were always quicker than me.'

  Fine. If he really wanted to have this conversation now he'd have it. 'I only won because you let me, Garth. I sprained my ankle on the way down, you practically carried me back up.'

  The smith nodded painfully, a fresh trickle of blood running down the side of his cheek. 'That I did, you said you wanted her so I let you finish first. She knew you'd finish first, she was waiting for you Thom.'

  Unbidden, he felt the tears starting to well. He glanced at Gadtor but the man had turned his head toward the tent wall and was wisely pretending that he wasn't witness to any of this.

  'She was waiting for me Garth, you were right. What of it?' His throat had started to tighten up, making the words hard to form.

  'I never told you that I wanted her hand too.'

  Thom frowned. 'Why carry me then? You could have won the race and claimed her, why didn't you if you wanted her so?'

  Garth let out a deep breath, Thom felt a surge of panic as the next inhalation seemed to stall.