by Sam Puma
When the first Juruga came into view, Jankaro snapped the juzi stick in front of Ixtlayo’s snout. Ixtlayo coughed on the powder and growled as he broke into a trot. The Cruxai in his way were trampled, hit by Galdean arrows, or simply got out of the way as he accelerated toward the Juruga. Jankaro felt a surge of energy as the whiff of juzi stick hit him. He ducked down and held tight as his vision was blurred by Ixtlayo’s racing speed.
By the time the Juruga noticed Ixtlayo leaping, it was too late. He tried to turn, but Ixtlayo got behind his shield with his right paw. Ixtlayo’s claws dug into his neck. The Juruga’s shield hit Ixtlayo’s iron left paw, and clacked against his own sword. Ixtlayo curled his hind legs up, and as he pushed the Juruga to the ground, he rapidly kicked and clawed his belly until the entrails spilled out. Ixtlayo leapt up to swipe at any nearby Cruxai and sent them flying in all directions. The Juruga’s sword flopped up and down in a feeble attempt to retaliate. Blood gurgled out of its mouth and when a Galdean arrow flew into its forehead, it went completely limp. As Ixtlayo raged at remnants of the deceased Juruga’s unit, several emboldened battle cries rose up from nearby Galdeans who witnessed Ixtlayo’s display of force.
The next Juruga was ready and waiting. He urged his troops to stand tall against Ixtlayo. When Ixtlayo charged, they swung at him with their weapons and tried to trip him up with a wooden plank. They fired arrows into his chest and face. His legs took several blows, but the charge from the juzi stick carried him up and over the extended plank. The Juruga was ready to take a swing with his long sword. Jankaro pulled out the poison lance. Ixtlayo leaped to pounce, and the Juruga swung his sword back. But before the contact, Jankaro threw the lance with all his might and struck the Juruga in the neck. Ixtlayo completed his pounce and the Juruga failed to take a swing. He fell beneath Ixtlayo’s weight, gagging and sputtering. Ixtlayo continued his frenzy, ripping apart any nearby Cruxai with the help of Galdean archers intent on protecting their champion.
A third Juruga loomed up the street, already under a heavy barrage of fire from the Galdean archers. Ixtlayo went into a charge, but he was already worn ragged. He ran awkwardly. His limbs were damaged but the juzi stick masked the pain. He stopped to fight the Cruxai in front of the Juruga, swiping and slashing at them, sending them flying one way, then the other. Jankaro sensed his energy was sagging, and he felt his own depleted. It was time for another burst from a juzi stick. The Juruga sensed the opportunity and charged. Luckily a Galdean soldier was nearby, and was able to eliminate the Juruga with a poison arrow before it could engage Ixtlayo.
The Cruxai kept coming, filling in the streets around Ixtlayo. Jankaro had no choice; the Ashtari was hurting and about to fall. He broke another juzi stick in Ixtlayo’s face, evoking a roar that momentarily froze the advancing Cruxai. Ixtlayo burst into another frenzy, killing anything in sight. He ran and pounced on anything big, trampling anything small, while Jankaro held on tight.
“Jankaro, get back to the gate!” He could scarcely hear Janesa call him from the wall far behind them. Ixtlayo rounded the corner of a building and caught a Juruga off guard. He pounced on him and sank his teeth into the back of his neck, sending blood spraying as he rapidly wiggled his head back and forth, ripping his life away with his jaws. Jankaro felt a flash of pain in the back of his left shoulder. He reached back to feel an arrow protruding from his flesh. He grunted and struggled to pull it out and stay mounted while Ixtlayo continued his frenzy, snapping Cruxai in his jaws and crushing them beneath his paws.
Jankaro finally got the arrow free as Ixtlayo started to lose the charge from the juzi stick. “Back to the gate!” He cried out and tried to steer Ixtlayo to the back wall. Ixtlayo resisted at first as he reveled in the power surge of his bloodthirsty rampage. But as his energy dropped and the sword of a hairy cut through the armor of his face, he changed his mind and battled his way to the main street, turning toward the gate. The Galdean cover fire was generous as Ixtlayo struggled to safety. Oranos stood at the gate and battled a Juruga as Ixtlayo limped through. Janesa fired a poison arrow into the Juruga’s eye, and Oranos finished it with a swift thrust through its stomach. He picked up the Juruga’s sword and hurled it at the advancing Cruxai. It spun through the air and beheaded two of them as the others ducked. He picked up its shield and threw it at them before he ducked through the gate and ordered it shut.
“All Galdeans off the roofs!” Orion ordered, although most of them had already retreated. “To the wall!” The last of the surviving Galdeans ran across the planks to the wall, then pushing them off to prevent pursuit. Scattered fires burned all over lower Calixo. The Cruxai filled every street as they pushed forward to claim upper Calixo and finish off the Galdeans.
Jankaro jumped down from Ixtlayo’s back as Franco tried to guide the wounded Ashtari to the shelter of the arena. Ixtlayo limped slowly and collapsed on his side before he got there. Blood soaked through his armor and his leg was crooked in the place where the iron paw had been joined to his leg. Dozens of arrows and two spears protruded from all over his body as his tongue sagged into the dirt and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head. He was still breathing. Jankaro’s head throbbed with pain and his body felt weak as he descended from his own high from the juzi stick. It took a great effort to lift his head to the wall to locate Janesa. She was busy firing arrows faster than he could count.
Kayo stopped the horse. Jorobai could barely see the dark shadows clashing in the darkness, but heard the growling well enough. “Oh, no!” said Kayo.
“What?” Jorobai squinted and heard a loud thud as one of the giants toppled to the ground.
“No no no no no no no no,” Kayo shook his head in disbelief. “Gondaro is not getting up.”
Booming footsteps marched in their direction. Kayo urged his horse to the side to dodge the fall of Agustin’s foot. The giant continued past them.
“We’ve got to help Gondaro. He might be alive.” Jorobai’s heart sank as Kayo kicked his horse into a gallop.
They arrived at Gondaro’s head and Jorobai felt the heat of his breath. “He’s still alive.”
“But nearly battered to death. We don’t have much time. We need to catch Agustin before he gets back to Calixo.” Kayo pulled some bags off of his horse. “Hmm… how to do this… okay. I’ve got it! You have your dagger?”
“Of course.” Jorobai fingered the dagger at his belt.
“Look around. Find me a large stone. Something heavy that I can throw with both hands.” Jorobai felt around on the ground for something that might help while Kayo unpacked some of his belongings and arranged them in front of Gondaro’s nose.
“Found one!” Jorobai exclaimed, and ran back to Kayo.
“Okay, let’s climb up onto his back.”
Jorobai and Kayo climbed onto Gondaro’s neck.
“Now what?”
“Give me the stone.” Jorobai handed Kayo the heavy stone. “Hold on tight. This will be a bumpy ride.”
Kayo heaved the stone down at the pile of sticks in front of Gondaro’s nose, and it hit them with the cracking sound of splintered wood.
Gondaro suddenly sprang to life. He rose awkwardly to his feet and growled as Jorobai and Kayo struggled to hold on. He roared into the night sky.
“No, don’t!” Kayo hissed at him to no avail. “There goes the element of surprise. Tell him to go that way, Jorobai.” Kayo gestured to his left.
“Gondaro!” Jorobai called out, but Gondaro was already off and running in the direction Kayo indicated before he could finish the command.
“We have one shot This stuff won’t last long. Agustin will defeat him again, unless we can touch him with this poison. Feel this pouch between us?” Jorobai reached down and felt the pouch.
“Don’t breathe it in or a spill a drop on your skin; it will kill you. When we get close we will dip our knives in the pouch. His skin may be too thick for us to penetrate. When Gondaro pounce
s, we leap off and stick him in the eyes, up his nose or in his mouth.”
Jorobai imagined what Kayo described, but it seemed like a longshot. And even if they succeeded, they would face a long fall to their deaths.
“Sounds impossible…” Jorobai muttered.
“Take three swallows of this. It will help you to see in the darkness.” Kayo pressed a small bottle to Jorobai’s lips. “It’s the same plant that was given to Jankaro.”
“What?! How do you know this?!”
“It’s a long story. I will explain later. Just drink it!”
Jorobai was angry and frustrated that Kayo knew so much about Jankaro that he did not. But knowing that he was out there alive made the fire in his gut burn brighter. He drank the contents of the bottle and nearly gagged. “Ack!”
“Don’t spit it up. That’s a massive dose. It took Jankaro several days to take that much, and he has formed a permanent relationship with the plant. Your abilities will wear off.”
“My eyes! They’re burning!”
Jorobai reached for his face but Kayo grabbed his wrist to restrain him. “Don’t rub them. Open your eyes. Ignore the pain.
“Look! There he is!” Kayo exclaimed. “He’s turning around to face us!” Jorobai’s eyes and face stung and burned. He forced them open and saw the glowing body of the giant ahead of them.
“Stick the tip of your knife in the poison!”
Gondaro growled and sprinted forward as Jorobai pulled his knife and dipped it in the pouch Kayo held up for him. “Come on! Get up on his head!” Kayo shouted encouragement but Jorobai’s muscles screamed with the difficulty as he struggled to pull himself up. The rumbling of Gondaro’s growl threatened to shake both of them off.
Gondaro launched himself and flew threw the air. Jorobai and Kayo felt the force of the wind and struggled to maintain their grip. When Gondaro hit Agustin, Agustin swiped his paws to the side. Kayo leapt off of Gondaro’s head, aiming his dagger at Agustin’s eye. Jorobai slipped and struggled to keep from falling. Agustin’s head dropped and Kayo flew over him and disappeared on the other side. Jorobai’s eyes closed and everything was black. His stomach dropped as he felt Gondaro’s weight plummet to the ground.
“Give me one more chance!” He cried out just before Gondaro hit the ground. When his paws touched, Jorobai lost his footing and dangled off his head. He hung on with one hand and flopped around, trying to keep the knife from touching him. Gondaro sprinted away from Agustin’s attempt to lower a fist down on his head. “Wait!” Jorobai cried out in desperation, knowing that if he didn’t climb back up and stabilize himself there would be no second chance.
Gondaro cleared away from Agustin’s range as Agustin picked up fallen trees and boulders and threw them at him. The giant Ashtari paused for a moment and lowered his body down below a hill. Jorobai summoned every ounce of strength and scrambled back on top of Gondaro’s head. He got up off his knees and clutched Gondaro’s fur with his toes. He kept his right hand centered forming a tripod for balance. He bent his knees, held his knife high, and forced his eyes to stay open as Gondaro charged again.
Agustin hurled another tree that nearly killed Jorobai, but Gondaro ducked beneath it. Jorobai nearly lost his balance, but clenched every muscle in his body. His mind focused as he prepared to risk everything in one leap.
Gondaro sprang up again with a roar. Agustin attempted a similar move, leaning in and pushing Gondaro to the side. Gondaro caught Agustin’s wrist with one claw, dragging it to the side as Agustin tried to push him down.
Jorobai felt himself falling to the side as he saw the rage in Agustin’s glowing red eyes. He saw all the murders accumulated in the eyes of the dark being. He let go of Gondaro’s fur with his hand and feet and built his momentum as he took two strides down Gondaro’s face and onto his snout. He felt honored to be the arbiter of justice for so many families who lost their loved ones while his personal rage fueled a jump farther than any he had made in his life.
The foul smell, and hot breath of the two monsters filled the air into which Jorobai launched himself.
“For Shalea!” He roared as he put both hands on the knife and kicked his legs in the air, flying like a poison dart.
The movement of the struggle caused Jorobai to miss Agustin’s eye. The knife hit the tough hide of his cheekbone and barely took hold. Jorobai reached up and grabbed the hair of Agustin’s eyebrow. His body flopped sideways with the struggle, and his back hit Agustin’s nose. The knife came loose and Jorobai held it. When he flopped back the other way, he drove it straight into Agustin’s eye.
Jorobai’s ears nearly burst as Agustin cried out in pain. His giant hand reactively reached for his face, pinning Jorobai and squeezing the wind out of him. He struggled but couldn’t move or breathe.
The distraction created the opening Gondaro needed. He got his claws into Agustin’s midsection and ripped away. Agustin lowered his hand to defend himself and Jorobai slid from his face. He tried to grab his lip and the whiskers of his chin but couldn’t get a grip. He fell freely for a moment, but a stroke of luck saved him as the impact of his fall was slowed by the long hairs of Gondaro’s stripe.
Pain shot through Jorobai’s knees and hands as he tried to stop his fall. Agustin pushed Gondaro to the side. Jorobai couldn’t get a grip and tumbled off Gondaro’s head. He slid down his shoulder, flailing wildly, grabbing at Gondaro’s fur. Gondaro fell away from Agustin and stabilized into a crouch, ready to spring up again. His front knees bent low to the ground, and from there Jorobai went into a free fall. Gondaro launched himself at Agustin again as Jorobai fell face first into the ground.
“I will care for him,” said Franco. “He can’t fight. Get up there and fire some arrows.”
In spite of Jankaro’s grave concern for Ixtlayo, he agreed with Franco that he needed to be up on the wall fighting. He rubbed his head as he started for the wall. “Don’t forget your bow.” Franco called out. Jankaro turned around, recovered his bow, and cursed himself for breathing in the powder of the juzi stick that was meant for Ixtlayo alone.
He climbed up one of the ropes and lined up next to Janesa. An arrow flew between their heads. “Get me another bucket of arrows!” Janesa snapped at him through the side of her mouth as she fired down on the advancing Cruxai.
“What? Where?” Jankaro looked to his left at the bucket another archer was using.
“Behind me, damnit! Hurry! I’m almost out!” Jankaro turned around and dragged the bucket of arrows up to her side. Janesa kicked the other one out of the way. “Throw it at them!” Jankaro picked up the empty bucket and hurled it down at the Cruxai.
He loosed his bow and started firing. His head ached and it was hard to take aim. He looked side to side, noting the fallen Galdeans along the wall walk with arrows protruding from their bodies. “What the hell is the matter with you?!” Janesa grunted, not breaking the rhythm of her assault. “Kill something!”
“My head is hurting me. I got some of the juzi stick I gave Ixtlayo.” Jankaro took aim, fired, and missed.
Janesa stopped firing and ducked down. She reached into a bag at her feet. “Get down, Jankaro.” Jankaro ducked down next to her and she handed him a jug. “Breath of life. Drink as much as you can. Breathe deep. Come back up when you’re ready.” She sprang back up, dodged a flying chunk of burning wood, and fired an arrow into the mouth and out the back of the head of the hairy who threw it at her.
Jankaro drank as much breath of life as he could and took two deep breaths. His head still ached but it calmed down a little bit. He got back up and started firing arrows. The pain in his shoulder made it difficult to fire the bow. He couldn’t get much velocity on his shots, and the pain increased with each one.
All of the Galdeans had retreated from the rooftops. The Cruxai were setting up ladders on the wall. “We must be out of poison arrows,” said Janesa. “The Juruga aren’t falling like they wer
e before.”
“Ixtlayo is in bad shape,” said Jankaro as he struggled to draw back his bowstring. “He collapsed before he made it to the arena. His iron paw is bleeding from the surgery and it looks like it’s about to break off.”
“Not much we can do about him now.” Janesa masked her emotions, showing none of the compassion that she had previously felt for the Ashtari. “One more burst with the juzi stick will be all that’s left of him. And it won’t be enough. Tonight we go down fighting.” She grunted the last phrase with her voice full of spite, sending her next arrow into the crotch of a Juruga, causing him to howl in pain and throw his massive sword at the wall, killing a Galdean soldier and two civilians. “Curse you!” Janesa screamed and fired arrow after arrow at his head. After seven shots, she hit his head six times. The third arrow went in one of his eyes and the seventh went through the other eye. The Juruga collapsed and didn’t get up.
While Janesa was busy killing the Juruga, a ladder went up right in front of her. Jankaro dropped his bow and pulled his sword. He chopped the head off the first Cruxai that reached for Janesa. He put his hands on the ladder and tried to push it, but another Cruxai popped up before he could move it. He had to keep fighting as they moved up one by one. When Janesa noticed what was happening, she fired on the Cruxai on the ladder until it was clear, enabling Jankaro to push it down. “Next time,” said Janesa as she fired, “pull it up and throw it over the back. That way they can’t use it again!” As she spoke, Jankaro watched in dismay as the Cruxai put the ladder back up again. He tried to pull it up but there was already a Cruxai climbing up.
“Wait,” said Janesa, as she fired down on the Cruxai near the ladder. “Now!”