by Brad Clark
Nikki responded in Commoner, “He is welcome here, just as all Hurai are.”
Jarkai showed his teeth with a growl. “You bear the swords of the Sak’Hurai, but you cannot be one. I have never heard of a female Sak’Hurai.”
“You have been stuck in this pit for too long. Sak’Hurai does not know gender. Sak’Hurai knows but honor and commitment. I am Sak’Hurai. Would you like me to show you?”
The large man nodded sharply at Conner. “And him, the one who you say is Hurai but does not look it. Are you to tell me that he is Sak’Hurai, too?”
“No,” Conner replied with as much strength to his voice as he could. His eyes glanced around, and he shifted his body so that he could see behind him. The bad feelings about their situation were getting stronger.
“Is there not some law about wearing Sak’Hurai swords? Something about death to imposters?”
Nikki shot back, “Since when do the people of the mainland concern themselves with the laws of the Hurai? You not only flaunt our laws, but also our traditions, too! A true Hurai would never let themselves become as inebriated as half your customers!”
The large man let out a loud, boisterous laugh. Others around joined in as well, which was when Conner realized that a dozen or so men had moved closer to them. They were not yet close enough to be threatening, but Conner’s sense of unease was becoming strong enough to concern him.
“A true Hurai? If you were such a true Hurai, then why use the language of the peasant? Around here, we use our native tongue. Or do you use Commoner because your friend does not know Hurai? How could he be Hurai if he does not know the language?”
Conner took a step forward and said, “I could show you that I am Hurai!” His hands went to the handles of his swords, but he did not draw them.
The large man let out another laugh while Nikki chastised him. “Conner! Enough! We are not here to get into a fight.”
“Well, you kind of provoked him.”
Nikki started to snap a reply back to him and then realized that she probably had indeed gotten them off on the wrong foot.
“What is it you want?” the large man asked, crossing his thick arms. “A mug of ale, perhaps?”
Nikki wrinkled her nose.
The large man continued to laugh. “Of course. Sak'Hurai would not dare partake in the thick ale of the peasant folk.”
Nikki ignored the man’s boisterous laughter and asked, “I am looking for the owner of this place.”
“Well look no further, for you have found him. I am Jarkai.”
“Well met, Jarkai,” Conner said. “I am Conner, and we are looking to buy horses. Four of them.”
Jarkai’s laughter turned into a deep chuckle. “Horses? We have no horses here. For a chip of coin, you can have an ale. For a whole coin, you can have a meal. For two, there are even rooms.” His lips spread into a wide smile. “Sak’Hurai still do that kind of thing, right?”
Nikki turned and blushed.
Conner took another step forward, his hands absently going to the handles of his swords. He said, “There is no reason to be disrespectful!”
Jarkai’s laughter instantly stopped. “Either draw the sword or don’t. But if you don’t take your hand off of it, I will have it removed. I don’t take kindly to threats in my home!”
Conner could feel the group of men around them move another step closer to him. He turned and looked at each one. “It is you who threaten me. We are here to conduct business and not to argue about the laws of the Hurai. Or to discuss other people’s business!”
“The only business I care about is that of my customers. Paying customers. If you are not one of those, then you can leave. On your own, or otherwise, it does not matter.”
Conner did not remove his hand from the handle of his swords. “Now you threaten me? You really want to be on the other end of these swords?”
“Conner!” Nikki shouted. “Enough! We are not here to fight.”
“Of course not, but he disrespected you, and I will not have any of that!”
She put a hand on Conner’s shoulder and said, “Really, it is okay.”
“But you are…”
“Conner!” Nikki shouted, cutting him off before he could reveal who she was.
Jarkai did not miss their exchange and asked, “You are who? Someone special.”
“I am no one.”
Jarkai moved forward and looked at her more closely. “No. You are someone. I have seen your face before. It was younger, though. Much younger, but it is the same face. You were not always Sak’Hurai, but you have always been the daughter of the king. You are she!”
Nikki shook her head vehemently. “Of course not!”
“I do not forget faces. I may forget names, but never a face.”
He stepped forward and grabbed her by the upper arm with a strength that caught her off guard. Conner took a step towards them when Jarkai’s other hand thrust out and caught Conner square on the chest, sending him tumbling backward. Strong hands grabbed his arms and body and kept him away from Jarkai and Nikki. He squirmed and fought, but there were too many of Jarkai’s men that had a strong hold of him.
Nikki tried to squirm away herself, but the grip that Jarkai had was too strong. She twisted her body and punched him, but his size was too great for her. Although she struck with great force, he was easily able to withstand her blows.
Conner barely noticed that all talk around them had stopped. Those that were nearby scurried away, for they knew what was about to come. “Let her go!” Conner shouted. When his words got no response, he added, “We don’t want to hurt you, but we will if we have to!”
Jarkai and his men all laughed.
Conner caught Nikki's eyes, and he gave a slight nod to let her know that he was ready to fight. But she responded with a sharp shake of her head. These were still her people, and she did not want to hurt them. Conner knew there was little choice. It looked like Jarkai’s massive hands could easily snap her arm if he wanted to. Yet, despite his strong grip, Conner knew that Nikki could get away, but it would likely require her to draw her swords and fight him. He had his own problems as at least four men had him in a strong grasp. He wiggled and moved to try and gauge how easy it would be for him to escape. He barely budged. It would take a great effort to free himself, but if he could just get one arm free and draw a sword, they would surely release him.
“Why princess, it seems that your companion is anxious to die for you? Did you think that you could sneak into here without you being noticed?” Nikki shifted her body, and Jarkai squeezed her arm tighter. “Try and escape, and your friend dies.”
“He is but a pig from the east. He means nothing to me.”
Jarkai burst into another fit of laughter and looked at Conner. “The princess seems willing to sacrifice your life. How does that feel to you?”
“What is it you want?” Nikki asked. She glared up at Jarkai.
“I want the oppressive rule of your father and his Sak’Hurai to end. That is what I want. Now with you in my possession, we might just get our wish!”
“You speak treason! The Hurai have been ruled justly and wisely for centuries! My father has continued that to this day.”
“You and your father have sat comfortably on your island, living in comfort and peace while the world around us is falling apart.”
Conner’s heart leaped at Jarkai’s words. Has the Deceiver’s army already reached this far west?
Jarkai continued, “There is a blight that has struck our farmland. It hasn’t rained in weeks and what crops are alive may soon wither and die. All of this is the One God telling us that the rule of King Loshin is unjust and must end!”
“You have plenty of food! I can see it on the tables of these people!”
Jarkai spun and shouted at Nikki and said, “Yes, and for many, it’s the first meal they’ve had all week! I’ve had caravans come from the far east, from as far away as Taran to bring food. For now, we have enough to not starve. When the next c
aravan comes, we will have more, and then more of your people will be fed. But if the blight doesn’t go away or if the rains don’t come back, there won’t be enough caravans to feed an entire nation!”
Nikki shook her head slowly in disbelief. “I have heard nothing of this. There is plenty of food for all.”
“On your island, yes, as the blight has not crossed the waters to your precious home and palace. But I am sure soon enough your crops will soon stop producing, and then you and your father will go hungry.”
“Holding us hostage will not bring the rains,” Conner said. “Or end the blight. And as far as the caravans from Taran, I would not hold out much hope that they will continue. War has come to the world. An army of the Deceiver’s forces is marching across the continent. Soon enough, they will be here, too.”
Jarkai gave Conner a blank look. “What are you talking about?”
“It is why we are here,” Nikki added. “Conner, my companion, and I must return to the east to help fight the war. My father will be sending his army as well. Sak’Hurai, Kin San, and all who can hold a sword will be called to fight. You can help us fight, too!”
Jarkai shook his head slowly. “The words out of the mouths of any Hurai royalty are poisonous lies. Your father’s precious rule is coming to an end, and then the One God will bless us and heal our crops and bring rain. Take them to the cellar and bind them. With the precious daughter of the king in our grasp, we will surely get what we want!”
The men who had Conner’s arms started to push him away. He knew he could not let Nikki and himself get imprisoned. There was too much at stake. So much time had passed since he left Karmon that there was no way to know how far the Deceiver’s army had traveled. Karmon could be destroyed. Tara City could be burning. Each day that they delayed could cause one more city to fall. Thousands could be dying every day. He now regretted spending a comfortable night at the palace, sleeping well into the day. Frustration and exasperation drove him, now. Desperation was just around the corner.
“Have you killed?” Conner shouted as loudly as he could. His face showed the anger that was in his heart.
Jarkai looked at Conner and blinked. He opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out.
“I have,” Conner continued to shout. “I have killed to protect myself. Killed to protect those that I loved.” He hesitated to reveal more, but he knew he needed to say it out loud. The memory of slaughtering Centurions in their sleep still haunted him, even though he believed it had been the right thing to do at the time. He just wished he had never done it. He lowered his voice and said, “I have killed without cause. Without mercy. Have you? Have you felt the warm blood of someone else on your hands? I have. I have seen eyes as they fade from life to death. And I will see that from you if you do not release us. Right now. I will kill all of you. Without thought or care.”
Nikki’s head slowly shook, telling him what she thought of what he was about to do. Conner could not look at her, for he knew she did not approve. There was no time to waste. They either needed to be let go, or they needed to free themselves.
“Take his swords,” Jarkai said.
Conner let his anger boil over to drive him. He could not hesitate, or he knew his mind would stop his body. If he thought too much about what he was about to do, then he wouldn’t do it. They would be imprisoned. Maybe Glaerion and Ryshak would free them. It would take time though, and time was something of which they had so little.
As someone reached for his swords, Conner could feel the grip on his arms loosen just a bit. It was all he needed. He twisted his body, pulling his arms into his body, which freed them. He dove to the ground, landing on his left shoulder and then rolled to a sitting position. In a blink of an eye, both his swords were in hand and ready to be used. Jarkai was right in front of him, large right hand grasping Nikki’s left upper arm. Before anyone else could react, Conner slashed his sword across Jarkai’s forearm. The hand remained grasped tightly to her arm as Jarkai let out a scream and grasped at his severed limb. Nikki, trained and disciplined, was not fazed by Conner’s action, even if she disapproved. She took the severed hand by the wrist, pulled it off her arm, and tossed it to the ground.
Conner did not wait to see Jarkai’s reaction to having his arm severed. He spun to face the dozen men who had been holding him, but none remained near. They were scattering across overturned tables and benches, racing to get to the exit as quickly as possible. Some bystanders remained, curious to see what would happen next. Conner straightened up, relaxing his shoulders. With no more threats, he sheathed his swords and turned to look at Jarkai.
The tavern owner was on his knees, tears flowing from his eyes. Nikki was crouched next to him, wrapping his bloody stump with a cloth. Conner expected to see some sort of sorrow or remorse in Jarkai’ eyes, but they blazed back at him with anger.
“Was that really necessary?” Nikki said.
“I could have killed him,” Conner said. He continued to glance over his shoulder to be sure that no one was sneaking up on them from behind or rushing in with a crossbow to shoot them.
“He will soon die if he doesn’t get help. The wound must be cauterized to stop the bleeding.”
“What do you care? He was going to imprison us.”
“He is still one of my people. Our people.”
Conner looked down at Jarkai and shook his head. “We both may have Hurai blood running through our veins, but he is not one of mine.”
Nikki’s eyes narrowed, and she pursed her lips. “This does not seem like you. You are a kind man, Conner, not a cold-blooded killer.”
“You do not know me well enough, then. His life or the rest of the world? We don’t have time to be caught up in whatever game he is playing. Let’s go. We’ll get our horses and get out of here. If he finds help, then he can live. Otherwise, he will just be another of the thousands of casualties that this war has brought.
Nikki stood and said to Jarkai, “The bleeding has slowed, but it has not stopped. Find help quickly, or you will die.”
“You will not help me?” Jarkai cried out, spittle coming from his lips.
She let out a heavy sigh. “There is little more I can do for you and Conner is right. We must be going. We have a war to fight.”
“May your souls burn in hell for what you are doing to me!”
Conner had started to step away, but he turned back. “I could have killed you and felt no less remorse. You would have gladly imprisoned us, and you would curse us?”
“Your actions prove you are enemies of the Hurai people. You may hold the throne, but not for long. We will rise up and conquer your rule!”
Nikki took Conner by the arm and pulled him away. “Do not engage him. He is out of his mind.”
Jarkai tried to stand up, but he ended up falling onto his back, spitting out curses in his native tongue. Conner let Nikki lead him towards a back entrance, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the wounded barkeeper. For a moment, he felt sorry for Jarkai. He probably did not deserve to have his arm severed, but they didn’t have time to be imprisoned. At least he had let him live.
The screaming and shouting continued as they pushed their way out the back door and into the stables located directly behind the tavern. The tavern and horse stables were two separate buildings with a very narrow alleyway between them. One thin person could squeeze through, but certainly not a large person. There was no door into the stables, only a wide-open archway. Lanterns were lit throughout the interior, bringing plenty of light to see throughout the inside. There were single horse stalls along a back wall, and all of them were occupied. Along the left and right walls were a dozen large pens where several horses were boarded. In the center were racks of saddles and tack.
As they entered, Conner looked around, ready to draw his sword and fight any stablehand that might attack them. When he saw no one, he relaxed and breathed.
“Hey!”
The voice started Conner, and without thinking, his swords were in his hands.
Two figures stepped from the shadows at the far end of the building. Conner moved into an offensive crouch, ready to pounce on them. After a heartbeat, they came into the light and Conner recognize the Elves.
“What are you doing?” Nikki asked. “You were supposed to wait for us outside.”
“We were going to ask you the same thing,” Ryshak snapped back.
“What happened in there?” Glaerion asked in a calmer voice. “All of sudden everyone came running out.”
“Well, we had a situation,” Conner said. “They all ran out in a panic. The barkeeper tried to capture us, but we had to resist.”
“Well, you made them all mad,” Ryshak said. “They weren’t all in a panic. Once outside, a bunch them were gathering up the courage to storm back in. We were just about to come inside through the back entrance to help you escape. They were all pretty mad. What did you do?”
“If they’re coming after us, we should saddle up horses and get out of here,” Conner said.
Ryshak snorted. “We can fight. There aren’t many of them.”
“We’re not fighting!” Nikki snapped back. She looked around the stables. There were plenty of horses to choose from. “We need to be quick. Jarkai knows where we went. The moment they come into the tavern, he’ll send them after us.”
“I’ll guard the door,” Ryshak said.
“No time, Ryshak,” Glaerion said. “Find a horse and saddle it.”
As quickly as they could, they each found a horse and took tack from the center of the room. Nikki had her horse ready first, and she moved to help Conner.
“Are you okay?” she asked with a voice barely above a whisper.
Conner let out a grunt. Although he was familiar with riding horses, his hands were all thumbs as he tried to put on his horse’s bridle quickly and under pressure.
“I didn’t expect that out of you,” she continued.
“What? He had you by the arm, and we needed to escape.”
“I know. I’ve seen you fight and I know you are a fine warrior, but you were a bit callous about slicing off his arm.”
Conner did not feel any remorse. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to. Jarkai had tried to capture them, and he might have even tried to kill them. Certainly, he was acting in a very threatening manner. Too many good people had died around him to make him worry and fret over one more that he didn’t even care about. However, he was glad that he hadn’t killed him, for he had too much blood on his hands already.
