MY KING! NOT BLAZE TOO!
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Tawnya’s cry stabbed so much that Blaze couldn’t help the flinch as it twitched out of her. The keening of her dearest friend tore her apart, but she had to remain strong. This was the only way. She forced her smile wider.
“Will you toast with me while the Traitors are still around to depreciate?”
“Now, are you not the one who lived in the meeting house of these Traitors?” Burdock questioned. “How do we know that you aren’t loyal to their cause?” The Urlificans stepped closer, preparing to apprehend her at his word, but they weren’t completely focused on her.
Blaze kept the glasses elevated, observing the soldiers watch them like dogs watching a bone. She flipped her hair back and took on an uninvolved tone. “Oh, forced to live there more like it. This village needed a healer to replace the Traitor when he died...” The only feeling Blaze had left was rage, nothing else.
“Blaze! How dare you! Jonathan loved you as a daughter!”
“You liar! You are the biggest kaffing Traitor-hugging smacker I’ve ever seen!”
Linda’s accusation nearly broke Blaze down, but Bark’s remark surprisingly saved her.
“You kaffing stink hatch! You think he would have taught me if I didn’t make him think I was listening to his ways?” She threw back at the mongrel just as she had rehearsed all afternoon.
“Enough!” Kent’s voice roared order back into the crowd.
“Grand General, do you wish that we proceed with the hangings?” Burdock asked.
Kent was silent for a while, then tilted his head to the Junior Officer. “You decide.”
Shock splashed onto Burdock’s face as he struggled with the change of command. All eyes were on him, and while he was stunned at first, he became comfortable with his new power. Looking back at the pained and betrayed Traitors, a greedy smile burst from his long face as he declared, “Men, let’s toast to this victory!”
The pigs cheered as Blaze bowed and circled around, serving the glasses to each filthy Urlifican in his place. As she climbed the platform to serve Kent and Burdock, she made certain that she didn’t catch the slightest glimpse of the Traitors’ hated glares at her. Once all of her enemies got their drinks, she grabbed the last one and threw the tray to the ground. Holding her glass high she cried out, “To the strong, the powerful, the great healer, the grand killer, the ruler of Urlificans and Traitors, the master of us all...”
The troop needed no persuasion to finish. “To King Urlifec!”
Mugs were tilted high, ale was sloshed to the ground, and every soldier drained his mug. Blaze closed her eyes as she took a gulp of her tea; the cool liquid sending awakening chills through her body. Burps and grunts bulged from the engorged men. It was only breaths before the first gagging cough.
“Ghaaaaaa!”
Mugs and men fell to the ground as the victims moaned and writhed.
“You Traitor!”
She opened her eyes and leaped from the platform into the circle of dying men, just avoiding Burdock’s flying sword. Flinging her glass toward him, she reached into the side of her dress where a slit allowed access to Obrae’s sword underneath. Tea exploded and showered both Blaze and the Urlifican as Burdock batted away her glass and leapt after her. “Run!” She shouted while looking straight at Tawnya and Mark.
Blaze stood at the ready as Burdock charged her, sword held high for a slash. She easily blocked and threw his attack, remaining out of his range. She just needed a few moments.
“AAAHHH!”
She turned in time to barely block the Grand General’s attack. The man slammed down like a boulder, forcing her to focus every muscle into keeping his sword elevated upon hers. He bore his teeth as drool and vomit dripped from his peppered goatee. Burdock used her detainment to attack her unprotected back. Dipping lower in her stance, Blaze locked the cross guards together, burst forward, and rammed her hip into the Grand General’s. He stumbled over as she freed Obrae’s sword and ran straight to the platform.
“YOU KAFFING TRAITOR!” Burdock roared behind her. She turned en-guard as he bolted toward her. Then he collapsed, sprawling forward along the gravel. “What the kaff is happening?!” His legs twitched uselessly behind him as he clawed forward. His red, enraged eyes tried to burn her as he bared his teeth clinched in abhorrence.
Boot slams upon the platform warned her of Kent’s movements, and she ducked under the whistling steel. However, she watched in horror as he turned and charged, sword held high, straight for Tawnya, who hadn’t run.
Both girls screamed; Tawnya in fear and Blaze in pure rage.
Blaze tore the small dagger from her waistband and hurled it at the Urlifican. The knife planted itself under his shoulder blade, and he arched in agony. As he whirled around, Blaze leapt onto the platform, yelling in pure bloodlust.
Time froze with them face to face. Shock melted into confusion which morphed into fear as Kent looked down to see her sword run through his chest. They both let out a long breath. Blaze’s was followed by labored gasping. The Grand General’s was his last. Kent’s whole body pulsed as a hollow gurgle erupting from his gapping mouth. Pulling her with him, the former Urlifican fell limply onto the platform, and she quickly pulled the blade from his body, ready for another attack.
All was silent. The staring villagers stood stock still, like the Urlifican bodies littering the ground. No one moved. Only her labored gasps and heartbeat filled the Square. Turning back around, she saw that the Traitors were still huddled at the back of the platform. Rage exploded from her as she swung the bloody sword in their direction.
“I told you to kaffing run!” Her barking voice sounded like a monster’s, but she didn’t care. The Traitors had to run; they had to live. The Traitors jumped at her command, and the still spell of destruction was broken. Muttering and uneasy shifting grew amongst the villagers. Only Tawnya remained in place, staring at Blaze in disbelief and shock.
“Blaze...”
Blaze was about to fall apart from the maelstrom of emotion inside of her. Inhaling and exhaling as she lowered her sword, Blaze tamed her raging inferno into a steady flame. She forced herself to walk to the Grand General’s black cape, which he had dropped before attacking her. Using it as a cloth, she cleaned the Urlifican’s already drying blood off of Obrae’s sword.
“Blaze...”
“Tawnya, let’s go.” Mark urged. The Traitors started to head down the path toward Jonathan’s property.
Blaze straightened up and tried to imply the need to run to her friend through a strong stare. In a steady voice, she implored, “Tawyna, go now.”
“But, Blaze, you need to come, too,” her friend pleaded, taking a step toward her.
“Blaze, you kaffing wench of a poached toad! What have you done?!” Bark exclaimed. “We can’t let those Traitors escape.”
His friends shouted in an agreeing reply as the shock wore off of the villagers. “We should kill them ourselves.”
“Yeah, we’re as loyal as any Urlifican.”
“Payment to King Urlifec!”
Stomping over to Tawnya, Blaze grabbed and shoved her friend off of the platform into Mark’s fast-acting arms. A small scream rushed out of Tawnya as tears started to fill her eyes.
“Mark get her out of here now!” she turned, sword at the ready, to defend their escape, even if it was against the whole village.
“NO! Blaze! No!” Tawnya began to scream and cry. “You must come with us! Please, Mark...Blaze! No!”
Blaze strode forward and leapt down from the platform, baring her weapon. “You wish to kill them? That’s fine by me, you half-nosed rat, just try.” She stepped into the defending stance, challenging anyone to attack her. Silence answered her, but Bark was smirking.
“So, the smacker is wanting another fight.” He cracked his knuckles and stepped into the ring of the dead, Burdock’s body between the two fighters.
“Should we go after the Traitors?” Dash asked eagerl
y.
“No, this shouldn’t take too long. We know where they’re going, anyways.” His cronies laughed.
Blaze laughed with them. “You’re right. This shouldn’t take long at all.”
Not taking his eyes off of Blaze, he pressed closer. “But I haven’t a sword. Would that pig, Obrae, like you fighting an unarmed man?”
Blaze bristled at the insult. “That will be the last thing you say about the man who makes you look like a blind, limp mongrel.”
But, Bark was right, Obrae would be completely against it. She killed the Urlificans out of necessity, but fighting Bark was avoidable. Although, she didn’t want to avoid it. She wouldn’t defile Obrae’s sword with the Wilden’s blood.
Reaching through the hole in her dress and pulling loose the scabbard, she glanced down at Burdock. Calling out to The Bear owner, she demanded, “Evan, this wretched Urlifican received my mercy. Remove him and let him recover in the pub.”
As the dumbfounded bartender walked through the parting crowd uncertainly, she walked over to the gallows platform and propped the sword up. For a second, she pictured Obrae standing, arms folded, upon the platform, studying her with his all knowing eyes.
“Blaze...”
“He should wake with a massive headache.” Her sharp answer silenced any other remark from Evan as she turned back to the crowd. He lifted the drugged man over his shoulder and turned to go to the pub. The spectators were on edge as Bark and Blaze stared at each other, slowly starting to circle. She elevated her hands and bent her knees, ready for an attack. “Ha! Already scared?” He mocked, moving in a cocky fashion. “Remembering our first fight, Traitor wench?”
Blaze wouldn’t lower herself in responding to his jibes. The jerk may be twice her size, but Obrae had taught her how to fight real men. She followed every step of his, getting a feel for his gait and size. Her pounding heart was ready to fight. Planting herself into a low stance, she challenged, “Boys first.”
Bark jumped at the remark and hurled himself at her. His speed surprised her, and Blaze barely jumped aside in time. As his momentum pushed him forward, she stepped toward him and stabbed her elbow into the middle of his back. He grunted in shock and fell chest first into the ground. She stood behind him grinning, waiting for him to get back up.
The rage in him built up when he saw her demeaning smile. Spitting dirt out of his mouth, Bark screamed toward her, fist pulled back to strike again. She dodged again, this time grabbing hold of the offered limb and throwing him behind her while tripping up his feet.
A third time, he got up and repeated the attack, and again, she finished it by staring at his sprawled form in front of her. She laughed at the lack of a challenge. “All of those ales at the pub must have made you soft. This is pathetic.”
He got up again, eyes red from dirt and anger. “You kaffing coward, do your Wilden of a mentor a favor and fight me face to face.”
He said the wrong thing. Blaze gritted her teeth and tensed up. He would pay for that remark. He came at her again, and this time she stood her ground. Blocking his fist, she threw every ounce of herself into a punch. The wind whooshed out of him as her fist sank deep into his soft gut. Bark’s large form collapsed into a limp, gagging heap. Blaze stood ready for him to get up and ask for more.
He did. Raising from his hands and knees, he charged her with both fists drawn back. She prepared to block, but instead of punching at her, he extended his arms and rammed her, throwing both of them to the ground.
Sitting on her, Bark began to wail upon her arms as she protected her face from the hammer-like blows. Her arms felt as if the bones were going to shatter, and her lungs burned from the lack of air. “You. Filthy. Kaffing. Traitor. Smacker. I’ll. Show. You. Fighting.”
The villagers started to cheer with his pummeling of her. With the little air that she could grasp, she flexed her core and thrust her hips as high and to the side as she could. He fell forward with her following, ending up on top. Using his chest as a foundation, Blaze pushed herself back up onto her feet. She couldn’t afford another mistake like that. Both were heaving as the break stretched on. It was time to finish this.
“Get up!” she demanded. “Give me a good fight. Or, are you not Lesirian?”
Grunting in both frustration and effort, Bark rolled himself onto his side and up to his feet. This time, she attacked him, aiming straight for his head. He dodged to the left and threw a punch toward her neck. In one fluid motion, she blocked with her already bruising forearm thrusting upward. Pushing his assaulting arm away, she urged her coiled legs to drive her forward while allowing her other fist to fly with unrestrained ferocity.
The hit directly to the side of his face sent shocks down her arm while his head whipped around from the blow, followed by his body. Bark landed with a heavy thud, stirring up a cloud of dust. Without hesitation, she leapt onto his back, digging her knee into the large muscle of his right arm. Grabbing his left arm with both hands, she bent it backwards until his fist nearly touched the opposite ear. A muffled scream described the agony he experienced.
“Don’t even think of moving,” Blaze seethed while relaxing his arm back. The man was as still as death. She looked up, daring any person to challenge her. “Any one else want to go after the Traitors?” No one moved, their motivation tied down with their beaten leader. Pressing his arm enough to elicit a groaning whine, Blaze pushed herself to her feet and walked back to the platform to retrieve Obrae’s sword, not caring if Bark got up or not.
“DIE YOU KAFFING SMACKER!”
While grabbing the sword and scabbard, she turned to see him advancing with a stone in his hand. Her turn provided her with enough power to whack the sheathed blade across the side of his skull, sending him careening to her right. The assailant tumbled into an unconscious mass.
“Bark!” Dash bolted from the mass of villagers straight to a crossbow that had been dropped by the nearby poisoned Urlifican. “No one beats my brother like that!” Blaze bolted to the left, hoping to run around the platform for cover.
“RAAAAHHHH!” Evan’s bugle echoed all across the square as he ripped the bow out of the boy’s hand and hurled him into the crowd with the other arm. She glanced around the platform’s corner to see the man threatening the whole crowd with his bulk and bow. “Blaze won the kaffing fight fair an’ square. If any one feels differently, I suggest you change your mind fast.”
She wasn’t going to let any one take the hit from her fight, especially Evan. The man had been too good to her and the Traitors. She needed to leave and let Srift recover. Whistling as loudly as she could, Blaze let out two blasts then a longer descending tone. Lily’s answering whinny pierced the air as the thumping of hooves beat the ground. The dun trotted toward her and the platform from behind Patrick’s hut. Before any more bows could be gathered, Blaze rushed from her cover and leapt onto Lily, bringing the mare to a stop only long enough to change directions. She turned her back on the village of Srift and bolted down the path toward Jonathan’s smoldered home.
Chapter 5
“We have to go back! We can’t just leave her there!” Tawnya fought while Mark tried to hug her.
“Tawyna, Blaze wanted us to get away.”
Pushing away from Mark’s embrace, Tawnya looked to her parents. “Is it right that we be willing to die for the True King but forsake one risking her life for us?”
“Tawnya...” Linda started softly, but Kevin, her father, whirled from his guard at Obrae’s cabin window. “Tawnya, it isn’t as if we are out of danger, and Blaze isn’t one of us. She has killed. Perhaps it was to set you free, but blood is blood. The True King forbade killing most of all. Do you refuse that?”
Tears seared her vision at her father’s condemnation of Blaze. “This can’t be the True King’s way, we...”
The sound of a rapidly approaching horse silenced the Traitors. In the fading twilight, Lily’s galloping form tore down the mountain path toward the dwelling.
Tawnya bolted to the door.
Thank the True King, Blaze was safe and was led straight to them! Before she reached the door, four strong arms grabbed hold of her. “No! We have to help her! Blaze! Blaze!” Tawnya struggled against Mark and Kevin’s hold but helplessly watched her sister friend pass, leaping over the sheep field’s gate and racing to the woods beyond.
“Tawnya, please, just let her go,” Mark pleaded. “She chose this.” Tawnya stopped struggling at his words.
“Blaze has trained under Jonathan, my dear,” Kevin continued. “She knows the ways of the healer but instead chose poison. Surely there was some way to knock those soldiers out, but she chose to kill them. Her actions might have held noble intentions, but she broke the ultimate law of the True King.”
“Stop it! Just stop it!” Glaring at Mark and her father, Tawnya never harbored so much anger and disgust. “Don’t mar the True King’s name by saying he, who is willing to give all of Lesira a second chance, won’t forgive a girl who broke one of his laws. She is risking her life to save ours, and how dare you condemn her of intentions you can’t prove!” She trembled from the weight of her fear and anger. But, as she looked out the back window and saw an empty field, she resolved to stay strong for her brave friend.
She shrugged off her restraints and turned to the silent room. All seemed unsure of how to respond to her sudden forcefulness. Mark gingerly reached for her elbow, but she pulled it away from him. The pain of rejection hardened his smooth face, and she nearly apologized for hurting him. But how could he reject Blaze, how could all of them reject her?
Soft crying caught her attention, and Tawnya looked to see Contessa trying to calm a scared Addison. Tawnya’s answer dissipated into sorrow. Such a young girl shouldn’t have to witness any of what they experienced. In the world as the True King intended, none of the day should have happened. Tawnya walked over to the ten-cycled and knelt down. The girl’s face was hidden in her mother’s chest, shoulders shivering. Rubbing the girl’s back between Contessa’s embrace, Tawnya wished for it all to go away. She looked up to meet Contessa’s tear stained eyes.
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