Emily's Saga

by Travis Bughi

  Gavin, recognizing the curved blade that all samurai carried, had wisely chosen not to try and slip past. He turned to run in the other direction towards Emily but skidded to a stop when he saw Count Drowin. In an instant, they realized they were trapped, unarmed and alone.

  “Miss Stout,” Drowin said, as if comforting a frightened unicorn. “Come now, is that anyway to react to an old acquaintance?”

  “Roll over and die, vampire,” Emily said and then spat at the Count.

  She was too far away for the saliva to hit anything but the ground, but the gesture was clear. Emily felt remarkably like Adelpha. Normally it was the big amazon queen who instantly jumped to insults with Emily attempting to be diplomatic. However, this was an enemy with which no agreement could be made. She knew why the immortal was here, and worse yet, she knew there was no angel who could save her this time.

  “Now, Emily.” Drowin tisked. “You know I love your fire, but remember how I feel about empty threats? Is that any way to treat the only vampire in the world?”

  His voice was articulate and sweet, iced over smoothly like glass, yet underneath it all, the presence of death loomed dark and cruel. It was a voice that stung deep into the heart like a shard of cold metal.

  “How did you find me?” Emily asked. “And what do you want? My business here doesn’t concern you.”

  “Oh, you haven’t heard?” Drowin’s voice remained professionally light. “I run this city now. My hand is slowly wrapping around Lucifan’s throat as we speak. Any day now, I’ll be sinking my fangs into its veins to draw forth all the wealth and power that I deserve. Anything that happens here concerns me now. For example, if someone were here to kill the wife of my business partner, that would very much concern me. I have big plans for Lucifan, you see, and they involve Katsu and his wealth of power.”

  “You don’t seem surprised to see me,” Emily noted.

  “Well, actually, I am. You see, that’s why I’m here personally. It seems you have an uncanny knack for survival, Emily, and it is a knack, which, however unpleasant, is also vastly interesting. Please, tell me, how did you survive the basilisk’s poison? I certainly know it works, as my disintegrated brethren have shown, so how did you survive?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Emily cocked an eyebrow.

  Deep down, she was terrified, but the confident mood came easily to her under the serene threats that radiated from Drowin. He was flamboyant, egotistical, and impersonal. It made it easy for Emily to hold her ground because Drowin willingly gave it to her, knowing that he could take it back at any moment.

  He let his smile creep up higher on one side. “Hm, my first guess was that Katsu’s wife had lied, or that you were one fantastic actress. However, that mark on your leg says differently, and that is truly astounding. It’s almost unworldly, isn’t it? Your survival is almost, oh, what’s the word? Divine? Yes, divine in nature, wouldn’t you agree? In fact, as I stand here and contemplate it, I can’t help but remember that angel called Quartus, and his oddly timed death. Didn’t he save you from me once before? Yes, now I remember. He did.”

  Emily’s eyes widened before she could mask her surprise. She looked away again and then back at Drowin, and he tilted his head down in triumph. He’d figured it out. Emily hadn’t been clever, skillful, or even lucky. She hadn’t developed an antidote or special powers. Only divine intervention had saved her, and it was an aid she could no longer receive.

  “Well, mystery solved then.” Drowin echoed both his and her thoughts. “On to business, Karaoshi.”

  The vampire called to the samurai who took a step forward. Gavin reached for a weapon that he already knew was not there, a gut reaction. He balled his fists up as he was pushed back-to-back with Emily in the alley, each facing their respective opponents.

  Emily hardly noticed Gavin’s back touching hers. Her heart had skipped a beat at Drowin’s last word. For a moment, she could have sworn she heard wrong.

  “Leave the girl, vampire,” Gavin shouted. “You can have me in her place.”

  “Ha! Haha! Oh, how noble,” Drown said. “Now really, young knight, you do Miss Stout here a great disservice. To suggest your life is worthy of hers, how truly naïve. Allow me to cure your ignorance, if I may, by introducing my associate.”

  Count Drowin gestured toward the samurai.

  “His name is Takeo Karaoshi, and he’s known as a sort of prodigy where he’s from. Apparently, he is an even better swordsman than his older brother, who held a reputation as an undefeated duelist in Juatwa. I believe you killed his older brother, right, Emily? Did the deed yourself, I hear? Accidentally hitting him in the heart because you’re such a terrible shot? Tsk tsk. What a dishonorable way to die, by an arrow from a clumsy girl. That type of thing brings shame upon the entire family. Am I right about that, Takeo?”

  Takeo’s hard-set face twitched slightly at Drowin’s words, but he kept his death gaze focused on Emily, and Emily’s shallow breath caught in her throat.

  “No, wait,” Emily stammered. “I didn’t kill him. Heliena did.”

  “You insult my lord’s wife with your lies,” Takeo spoke, voice flat and emotionless.

  “I’m telling the truth,” Emily pressed. “She wanted him dead to protect herself. I just took the blame because I was trying to protect her. Heliena killed your brother.”

  “Silence!” Takeo commanded. “I shall spare her your unkind words. Prepare to die, Stout.”

  Count Drowin was smiling at Emily, noting the beads of sweat dripping down her skin, and was basking in her fear with the cruelty of his kind. Her heart beat loudly, and she knew he was taking in every pulse with hungry anticipation. Takeo took a step forward, and Emily heard the wooden shoes clip-clop on the stone alley. Emily felt Gavin’s back push hard against hers as he tried to maintain distance between himself and the samurai.

  “Run, Emily,” Gavin whispered. “I’ll protect you.”

  “We’ll have a better chance fighting together,” Emily countered, “and I’m not leaving you.”

  “This isn’t a time for heroics,” he chided. “Leave this to me.”

  “Gavin.” Emily gritted her teeth in warning.

  The clip-clop came to a sudden stop.

  “Out of my way, knight,” Takeo said. “I do not wish to harm you.”

  “Dispatch them both,” Count Drowin commanded.

  “You,” Takeo said firmly to the vampire, “are not my lord! Once again, knight, please step aside.”

  Emily was shocked to renewed silence. Takeo had not only disobeyed a vampire, but he’d managed to do it with sheer confidence. This did not sit well with the vampire. Drowin’s eyes darkened, and his lips curled back in a snarl at the insult. But, surprisingly, he remained silent.

  Drowin must have something very big in limbo, Emily thought, to take that statement without retaliating.

  “Run, Emily!” Gavin yelled suddenly.

  The knight lunged forward with his hands outstretched towards the samurai. He was taller than Takeo, and larger, too. Years of wearing plated armor had built strong, reliable muscles, and Gavin brought that strength to bear now in an attempt to take Takeo by surprise before he could draw his weapon.

  But the samurai was never off guard. He stepped back, drew his sword, and sliced it across Gavin’s stomach in one fluid motion. The knight’s hands were nigh a finger’s width from Takeo when the steel cut into him, and had Takeo not attacked with the same movement that drew his sword, Gavin would have succeeded. Instead, fresh blood splattered to the ground, and Gavin’s sudden charge was brought to a shattering stop. He pulled his arms in as he fell to his knees and wrapped them around his stomach. He cried out in pain and hunched forward. His breath went shallow, then deep, and then shallow once more.

  “I asked you not to interfere,” Takeo said, staring down at the knight before him. “You may survive that wound if help comes, but I could not risk preventing further injury in case you decided to make another rash decision. However, I
can instead give you a clean death now if you wish to leave this world.”

  He spoke like a merchant as he said all this. Calm and sincere. Takeo flicked his blade to the side in a motion that wiped his blade clean of blood and sent the red liquid crashing to the ground before Gavin’s eyes.

  “Run,” Gavin said, “Emily.”

  The knight collapsed off to the side, still breathing, still clenching his stomach.

  Damn it! Emily’s mind screeched. Gavin! Why didn’t you wait for me?

  “I will take that as a no,” the samurai said.

  “Damn you!” Emily said. “I didn’t kill your brother! It was Heliena!”

  “Your lies fall on deaf ears,” he replied.

  Takeo took a step forward, and Emily’s heart skipped a beat. Count Drowin was smiling broadly now, wicked in the pleasure it revealed. The smell of fresh blood was filling his nostrils and it was as enticing to him as behemoth meat roasting in the fire. The samurai took another step forward, and Emily hunched down on bent knees. He was in striking distance now, and Emily knew full well the speed these warriors were capable of. It was legendary, to say the least, and Emily hoped against all hope she could be just fast enough to dodge his blade.

  Takeo swept his sword up in both hands now as he looked into Emily’s eyes. The samurai was full of bitterness and hate, the same bitterness and hate Emily had been full of when Heliena had killed Chara, and Emily couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

  “Please,” Emily begged. “Listen to me. I didn’t—”

  Takeo swung his sword horizontally, attempting to slice Emily across the stomach. Emily bounced off her heels with every drop of energy she possessed, but still the tip of Takeo’s sword bit into Emily’s flesh as she twisted away. The studded leather helped blunt the attack, and although the armor was sliced open, Emily escaped with only the loss of a thin trickle of blood.

  Damn, he’s fast! Emily thought as she jumped back, breathing hard and clenching a hand to the wound. He’s even faster than Okamoto! Emily’s heart, already beating loudly, took a deep thud as she realized that even with her knife in hand, she’d be no match for this warrior.

  Gavin moaned from the ground and shuddered. For the briefest instant, Emily feared he might have died, but he started breathing again, and she was thankful for that. He never should have come here. Emily never should have attempted to find him. It was all her fault this happened to him. She’d put his life in danger, and now he would pay the price for that mistake.

  Takeo bent low, and Emily anticipated another strike, fast and deep. If it didn’t hit where her armor had been cut last, the studded leather might keep her alive long enough for one more strike, but that was a faint hope.

  “Prepare to die, Stout,” Takeo said and gripped his sword tightly.

  Clunk.

  A heavy noise of bone on stone rang from the cobbles of Lucifan’s dark alleyways. Emily, Takeo, and Drowin all turned toward the sound that had thundered from the darkness. Down the alley, behind the samurai, and headed towards them was the distinct, shadowy outline of a minotaur.

  “Leave her,” came a throaty voice.

  From out of the night’s encompassing shroud, Talvorn Bloodhoof stepped into view. His pistol-shaped horns gleamed in the low light, and his tail whipped back and forth. He took up half the alley as he stood at full height, towering over all of them. In his hands, he carried a massive log of wood that had been cut into the shape of a mallet. The large head on the weapon was easily the breadth of Emily’s torso, but in the minotaur’s hands, it looked to be just the right size.

  From behind him, Emily heard the clink of gunslinger spurs, and Adelpha and Abe stepped out of the darkness to fill the gaps on either side of the minotaur. Adelpha raised her bow, and Abe pointed his guns at the samurai. Emily’s heart soared to new heights, and she sighed in relief.

  “Step away,” Adelpha barked out at Takeo.

  “Talvorn?” Count Drowin said in confusion, throwing his arms open with palms facing up. “What are you doing? Are you saving this girl? You were contracted to kill Emily Stout! Minotaurs never break their contracts!”

  “I did not . . . grunt.” Talvorn snorted. “No contract . . . was made.”

  Drowin balked, apparently too stunned to retort.

  “Emily, over here,” Adelpha said and then made a jerking motion with her head.

  Emily never took her eyes off Takeo. She began to pace around him, keeping her knees bent to leap away. The samurai held his position, poised ready to strike, and he twisted slowly to keep an icy glare on his target. After passing him, Emily took her first couple of steps back toward her friends but kept her eyes on the samurai and made sure not to block Abe’s line of sight. Takeo gritted his teeth.

  “You won’t escape me,” Takeo said and stepped toward her.

  Talvorn tilted his head to the sky and roared. Emily, Adelpha, and Abe jumped in surprise for the minotaur’s booming voice would have made a werewolf whimper and run. Talvorn lifted his arms out to expand his chest and finished his mighty war cry with a snort. Then he bent down, pointed his horns at Takeo, and charged.

  The burst of speed Talvorn achieved rivaled a bugbear in ferocity. His hoofed feet chipped the stone as he leapt from standstill to dead run. Emily had wisely moved out of the way during Talvorn’s howl, and now only Takeo stood in the path of Talvorn’s deadly horns.

  The samurai, so close to the charging flurry of blood and bone, only had time for one choice and so chose to stay alive. He stood up straight and threw his arms wide. Instead of being skewered by one of Talvorn’s horns, he passed unharmed between both of them and was struck square in the chest by the minotaur’s head. The force of the blow swept Takeo completely off his feet and propelled him into the air. The samurai flew just short of ten paces, flipping over and over like a discarded cloak, and landed on the cobbled stone with a violent smack, sliding another few paces until his mangled body came to rest at Count Drowin’s feet. The sword was still gripped tightly in his hand.

  Talvorn snorted again and shook his head.

  Drowin looked down at Takeo with an amused smile. He stepped back as Takeo groaned and began to stagger back to a standing position. The samurai had to use his sword for help, and his breathing came short and shallow. No doubt his lungs were bruised, along with most of his body, and Emily thought he’d be lucky if he hadn’t broken any bones as well. Only once he had achieved full height, leaning heavily on one leg, did the Count say something.

  “Well done, Karaoshi,” Drowin mocked. “The only thing you’ve managed to achieve tonight is to scratch an unarmed knight. Now, return to your master and tell him you’ve failed.”

  “I’m not finished.” Takeo winced.

  “Go and tell him, or I will for you.”

  Takeo looked down and swallowed his pride before looking into the vampire’s cold eyes, then back to Emily with fierce hatred. He stood up as straight as he could and sheathed his sword with dignity before he staggered off into the darkness. Emily was surprised he could stand at all.

  Drowin watched the samurai until he was completely gone from sight. When the clip-clop disappeared, he looked back at Talvorn.

  “Samurai.” Drowin grinned and shrugged. “Their honor is their chain. Now, where were we?”

  Talvorn had not moved a muscle since his charge, and his hard eyes locked with the vampire’s. Drowin’s smile faded to a cold stare. For a moment, neither of them flinched, but then the vampire took a step forward.

  Talvorn took a step back.

  “Ah.” Drowin smiled again. “So you’re not suicidal. If I may ask then, why did you even bother coming? You know I’m not leaving here without the girl.”

  The vampire took another step forward, and Talvorn again took a step back.

  “I’m taking her . . . to safety,” Talvorn said.

  “There is no safety in Lucifan!” Drowin laughed. “Not anymore! I rule this city now, the only city in the world, and the profits will flow like bloo
d from an open wound.”

  Drowin continued to chuckle and laugh as he took measured steps forward. Talvorn continued to match him, stopping only to grab the still-moaning Gavin in one hand and sling him over his shoulder, where Gavin hung, barely breathing.

  Talvorn backed up until he reached the group from where he’d charged, and Drowin began to close the distance, bringing with him a wave of frigid air that sucked the heat from around Emily. The vampire held his arms wide, exposing his chest, and left his mouth open just enough to reveal his fangs in all their glory.

  Then Emily heard the metal click of two gunslinger pistols being cocked.

  “That’s far enough,” Abe said, holding his guns steady at his waist.

  Drowin stopped, though if it was out of fear, he did not show it. The corner of his mouth twitched, and then the vampire tilted his head ever so slightly. His smile transformed to a smirk, and his face filled with a perplexed look as if he’d never seen such an amusing sight before.

  “And whom might you be?” he asked.

  “I’m Emily’s older brother,” Abe said, “and I’ve always wondered something. How long does it take for a vampire to grow his eyes back?”

  Abe brought his six-shooters up to eye level, taking aim with both, and Drowin’s smile became a snarl as his lips curled back and his nostrils flared.

  “I can smell your blood rushing, boy,” Drowin said. “I can sense your fear. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re the first gunslinger I’ve met. I was turned immortal long before your mother was born.”

  “Thanks for the tip,” Abe said and then pulled the triggers.

  Boom boom boom boom.

  Abe shot four times, two bullets from each gun. The noise echoed off the stone walls and ground, making Emily’s ears ring. Four puffs of black smoke escaped into the air, and through them Emily saw Drowin’s face explode into a bloody mess. Both his eyes were gone, and two holes appeared where his nose should have been. The force of the bullets had shattered Drowin’s upper jaw, and he screamed a garbled, bloody shriek.