Escana

by J. R. Karlsson

  If the man was angered at having to give ground he didn't show it, he pushed forward and yet again Hern was forced to block with steel. He kicked up at the ground as their blades met and Hern shut his eyes just as the sand hit his face.

  He had been wary of this, it was a common tactic in Je'dara for those wanting to end a fight quickly. Opening his eyes at a squint he saw Yalem confidently slice down aiming to cleave him in half, Hern threw up both his swords at the last moment and caught the blade. The force of doing so brought him down to one knee but it was worth it to trap his enemy's offence. Now he'd be able to determine whether the man had enough...

  Yalem tore both blades from Hern's hands with a side swipe from the flat of the blade that sent the assassin tumbling to the floor, the man had monstrous strength the likes of which he'd rarely come across.

  Scrambling to his feet Hern found himself unarmed. He heard Yalem kicking one of his blades away, the other had fortunately landed nearby, testing this man's strength had nearly cost him his life.

  There was no attempt to rush forward as Hern went to retrieve his weapon, he was clearly meant to have been reduced to a single blade which suggested his opponent was more comfortable with fighting against that style. That did not bode well, the last thing Hern wanted to see was a confident Yalem at his best and in his element.

  The circled each other briefly, the guard Captain always keeping him clear from the second blade and tapping his belt as Hern drew closer to it. He knew if he were to duck down to retrieve it that Yalem would spring a throwing knife on him.

  Why he hadn't tried to bury them in Hern before was a mystery, was the man relishing the thought of blade-on-blade combat? Anyone he had met who savoured such an idea usually ended up dead, there was no such thing in this world as a fair fight and Hern was determined to use that against the man somehow.

  He came at him with an even greater speed than before, his blade dancing dangerously as Hern's eyes tracked his every move. The blows rained down with torrential strength and those that Hern could not avoid he was hurt from by blocking. Leaping back and seeing no opening to counter, he realised that his hand had gone numb from the impact. It was as if he were being smelted and this darkened arena was Yalem's forge. It was all he could do to keep the man from cutting him to pieces, such was the ferocity of his attacks. Still, he hadn't scored a hit. Yet.

  He approached the man cautiously once more, waiting for the next assault to begin. This time it was not forthcoming, he stuck out an arm and beckoned him onward as if urging him to attack. Hern refused to oblige him, he had learnt long ago never to value your own ability so highly that you would agree to whatever your enemies tried to goad you into doing.

  This frustrated Yalem into another flurry of blows, Hern started to realise that his sword arm would probably lose its grip on the blade before his opponent tired. He needed to think of something quickly before that happened.

  The roar that split the night air distracted them, Re'tak had decided without their mind link that he'd take matters into his own hands. Had Hern taken that long already? They had agreed long before their arrival at Greyhawk that if he took too long to dispatch the fort's populace Re'tak would assume the guards were hounding him and that a diversion was required.

  He struck out at Yalem, hoping to catch him out in distraction. The man parried the blow effortlessly as if he were embarrassed at the attempt and continued the assault.

  Hern was starting to weary quicker than usual, he had uncharacteristically failed to factor in his swift recovery from injury and how that would impact on his stamina. Re'tak had never explained how he had gone about healing Hern's wounds or the effect a fight to the death would have upon his newly healed body.

  Yalem let out a yell and lashed out not at Hern but the blade he was using to block his attacks. The impact was more jarring than any of his previous efforts and it twisted Hern's wrist painfully attempting to meet it with a parry.

  He heard a screeching noise and the slightest of thuds in the sand to his right, something had landed on the ground after the latest attack but he couldn't afford to examine what as the next strike came down on his weapon. Why was Yalem targeting his weapon?

  Then it became apparent as Hern attempted to put some distance between them by lashing out at the man and was instead met with a smile. Yalem had cut a large chunk of Hern's blade off with the last two strikes, somehow rending the very steel with his brute might. He now gripped his own sword in the style of an executioner, clearly preparing to deliver the final blow. He knew how he was going to beat this man now.

  Hern cast aside the worthless weapon and raised his hands in defence, causing Yalem's smile to subside into confusion. No, he wouldn't have expected that.

  This time he knew he had to press the man while the element of surprise still held, summoning what little reserves he could find he leapt forward and waited for the blade to come arcing out at him.

  Yalem obliged him and the strike was fierce and easy for Hern to evade, tightening the gap between them and giving the man less space and time to manoeuvre in. He aimed a savage kick at the man's shin and it connected before the guard Captain could bring the blade to bear. He followed this up with another close-quarters dodge of the man's sword as it came swinging back. Yalem had switched back to his previous single-handed grip and was frantically trying to disable his opponent.

  Hern lunged toward the man with even greater urgency, hoping that he had been quick enough. The cracking sound of his ribs indicated that the hilt had buried itself in them. Yalem realised now what was happening and levelled a savage headbutt at Hern's nose. It was too little too late, Hern had picked his pocket and buried the throwing knife into the man's sternum.

  Still Yalem struggled on, hammering against Hern with the pommel of his blade and cracking another rib before discarding the weapon entirely.

  Hern staggered clear, holding his side and watching the man die. At least that's what he hoped would happen.

  Instead Yalem showed no signs of slowing, taking hold of his sword and advancing on Hern's position with a murderous look of outrage in his eyes. As if Hern had presented the audacity to attempt to harm him and now must pay the price.

  The assassin kept his distance, refusing the man's every attempt to engage him and watching the gushing trail of blood lead a winding path across the sand as the guard Captain staggered after him.

  With another yell, Yalem threw his sword at Hern in frustration. The aim was true and the pommel caught him a glancing blow on the head that staggered him momentarily.

  As he righted himself, he saw Yalem dig his hands into his sternum and curl up into himself for a moment before tearing the throwing knife out with a roar.

  Hern hit the ground as fast as he could manage as the projectile came racing through the air and narrowly avoided him. He felt a burning sensation on the nape of his neck as Yalem's stomach acids bit into his skin, it was then he knew the man had no fight left in him.

  He watched in disbelief as the man dragged his way through the sand toward the location of Hern's second blade. It was with genuine horror that Hern saw Yalem pull himself up to his feet with the blade in hand and attempt to stagger over to where his quarry lay.

  There was no way the man could still be standing, yet he was. The entrails hung limply from the gash in his stomach as it leaked a sticky ichor that Hern had never seen before.

  He picked himself up groggily and searched the sand for the nearby weapon, it had landed a short distance from his position and provided that Yalem didn't break out into a sprint he'd be able to get one good throw in.

  He gripped the knife tightly and rose from the floor of the arena to stare at whatever this creature was that advanced upon him.

  Measuring the shambling approach, Hern threw the projectile with measured force at the head of the thing known as Yalem.

  It buried into the brow to the hilt, halting its progress as its neck snapped back and ruined whatever balance it had left. It toppled ba
ck into the sand and lay still.

  Hern let out a breath and waited, there was no stirring from his opponent and he could vaguely make out the sounds of struggle from close to the fort walls. Re'tak had bought him time and now he had to make good and hope his friend could handle the guards. He needed to find Dyson and put an end to Greyhawk.

  As he headed for the arena exit he caught a stirring sound in the sand. The sound of splayed limbs attempting to right themselves and form a pursuit.

  He fled.

  It followed.

  118

  Jimmy

  The trepidation as they approached the source of the shouting was palpable. Rushing to the aid of the guards didn't seem like such a great plan any more, especially without the aid of B-Company.

  He felt the desert sand under his feet, it clung to him as if resisting his every attempt to aid these men in their desperate struggle. Or was it his mind telling him to run while he could? It wouldn't be the first time the thought had struck him. To where though? The same question popped up each time and he had no response. Only one option gave him the chance at living, if he were to hide the assassin would hunt him down, if he were to run the desert would kill him. If the lizard didn't. At least by advancing on the creature they may stand a chance of getting out of this alive.

  C-Company had hardly been resolute when they had set out, their motivation being much the same as Jimmy's. Now that they drew closer the fear was plain on their faces, none of them wanted to lose their lives in spite of the way they were treated at the fort.

  The shouts had turned to moans by the time they arrived, a cluster of men were trying to keep the creature at a distance with their spears to no effect. It seemed to be toying with them, drawing one man out of formation at a time and striking quickly to both disarm and maim.

  It was a lot worse than he imagined, pieces of body littering the desert floor and men squealing in agony as their life bled out between their fingers.

  With a swipe of its tail the creature sent another two men hurtling back into the palisade with jarring impact. It bit at another, severing an artery with a calculation that made Jimmy's heart feel cold.

  As the numbers thinned so did the opportunities for the guards to press, this was exploited mercilessly by the creature who now took any number of men out with each attack.

  Jimmy found himself looking down at his short sword and feeling paralysed with fear, what good would such a weapon be against a monster like this? If Garth were here he'd probably tell him that the blade had no reach and that he'd have to duck in beneath the lizard's defences. The human wreckage of the few guards not armed with spears attested to the futility of that idea.

  He heard the men behind him being sick in the sand at the sight of the carnage, they must have been thinking the same thoughts. Realising how pointless it was to offer opposition to this force of nature.

  The combat didn't last much longer, the guards had paid no attention to the arrival of C-Company and their subsequent lack of aid. Instead they had been torn to pieces as if they were but lumps of meat obstructing the creature's path. When the final guard was flung against the palisade like a rag doll by the creature's mouth, it turned its attentions to Jimmy.

  He had expected the cold, unfeeling eyes of a predator to stare back at him. Instead he saw something almost human as it looked over them, appraising his targets and searching for a threat that wasn't there.

  'Drop your weapons,' Jimmy said, looking back at the men hopelessly gripping theirs. They looked at him as if he were mad, then again perhaps he was. Arms wielded by those before him would do little good in this situation.

  With great reluctance the men cast their weapons aside into the sand, some with more knowing looks than others. Jimmy just hoped the gamble paid off, it was the last one he had to make.

  If the creature had any comprehension of their gesture it didn't show it, the tension rose every second it stood there, silently looking at them.

  It started to move toward them with caution, perhaps confused at their lack of aggression toward it after the guards' failed attempts. Jimmy found he was holding his breath, he feared that even the sound of exhalation would be enough to provoke it.

  It sniffed the air as if smelling their fear, he hoped it could sense their passive intentions too. It padded forward without any further preamble and pushed its head up close to Jimmy's face. Had he not been paralysed with fear he would have bolted at that point, for all the good it would have done him. Then it moved on, sniffing at the other terrified members of C-Company, none of whom made any move against it in spite of or possibly because of their fear.

  The footfalls receded over time and everyone stood in complete silence, baffled at how they were still alive.

  'Kid, I think you just saved our lives,' Eigani said, his tremulous voice somehow freeing Jimmy's limbs and giving him confirmation that he was still alive.

  'Let's not get ahead of ourselves,' Darinnis replied. 'That thing could just as easily come back when it's hungry, if nothing else is going to stop it.'

  Jimmy's heart sank, he had forgotten about the assassin. It didn't matter if they had survived the beast, if the assassin wasn't hunted down and killed then they would become his eventual target once more. The creature certainly wouldn't take kindly to their killing its companion if they somehow got the better of the foreigner, this encounter had been nothing more than a stay of execution. He wished The Hermit was still here, he'd know what to do.

  'What do you propose we do now then?' Eigani asked Darinnis. 'All the guards here appear to be dead and there's still a killer on the loose.'

  'All guards are not dead,' a voice came from the darkness.

  The left side of his face was badly bloodied and he walked with a visible limp but there was no mistaking who it was. For a brief moment Jimmy thought the assassin had returned already to finish them off, he was mistaken though. The look in Jadil's good eye did not fill him with any relief, especially when the man sighted their discarded weaponry.

  'What the fuck are you doing out here and why didn't you attack lizard?'

  Silence greeted him, the engrained subservience of being at the bottom of the social ladder had dampened any previous spirit they had shown.

  'If I don't get answer I gut you like fish where you stand.'

  It was Darinnis that finally spoke. 'What were we supposed to do? Prod it with our spears and hope it didn't do to us what it did to your men? Why in Torr's name do you think us lot would be any use to you in a fight? Or are your brains addled from the hit you took?'

  There were several sharp intakes of breath at his last question, nobody spoke to a guard that way and lived.

  Jadil smiled at the man, Jimmy knew that smile and felt powerless to stop what was coming.

  'Maybe you are right,' he said in his thick accent. 'Maybe I take a knock on the head and not myself.'

  He patted him jovially on the shoulder before thrusting his sword deep into the man, Darinnis had a confused expression on his face as he coughed up blood onto Jadil's already stained armour.

  With a twist and a jerk, Jadil removed his sword and advanced on the remaining members of C-Company. Jimmy watched on powerlessly, frozen to the spot in complete horror. He thought briefly of Urial and how he had done nothing and nearly cost Jakob his life but for Ella's intervention. That day he had been enamoured by the grace of The Hermit, there was nothing graceful in the moves of this butcher. He carved open a hole in C-Company, hacking down those most capable of fleeing or putting up a fight first, then executing the few left that were defenceless. Jimmy realised to his horror that he was being left for last.

  Jadil hobbled over to him, there was no sadistic smirk on his features as Jimmy had expected given the wanton slaughter he had wrought. Instead there was an unreadable mask in place as he carried out his final kill.

  Jimmy closed his eyes as the blade whistled down and decapitated him.

  119

  Hern

  Hern had locked aw
ay everything upon entering into combat with Yalem, in spite of this for the first time in memory he found that fear had touched him unbidden.

  The shambling corpse of what had previously been the guard Captain was like nothing he had seen before, it came after him with obvious intent but was never fast enough to catch him. After a time Hern continued toward his final exhumation, attempting to put enough distance between himself and the creature. Given that the decision was between dying because of a rushed attempt at ending Dyson's life or facing the thing following him and perishing, he had realised there wasn't one that needed to be made. He'd deal with his unwanted pursuer upon completing his task.

  He encountered no guards on his traversal through the sandy corridors, Re'tak had done an admirable job of drawing their attention and he hoped that his friend had survived without serious injury.

  A scream from behind filled him first with dread but then with a strange satisfaction, the monster in his wake had taken pause to kill anything with a pulse, inadvertently aiding Hern's cause and allowing him to further the distance between them.

  He knew that Dyson would be safely hidden away from any potential threat or coup, the man's paranoia was apparent and in this particular situation served him well. Having said that, it would do him no good against Hern's particular abilities.

  He cast his mind out across the fort, there were so few people left alive and most were screaming stabs of light scattered across his conscience like so much human debris. He filtered them out through force of will and maintained his focus on determining where Dyson had hidden himself.

  He sensed him then in an unlikely place, the man had situated himself in his own office. There was a strange calm surrounding him that Hern had witnessed upon their first meeting. Why had he not hidden?

  Hern proceeded more cautiously then, the unexpected was an anathema to those in his trade and it had presented itself more than once, turning an already difficult task into chaos.

  He made it to Dyson's office without incident, the man on the other side of the door was alone and accepting of his fate. Hern decided to knock.