Alto staggered from the jagged claws of a troll on his back. His armor spared him from a broken spine but he was forced to work hard to keep his feet under him. If he survived, he knew he could worry about catching his breath. Another troll swung over his head, surprised by his staggering footwork that allowed him to keep his balance. Alto slashed blindly with his sword and was rewarded with a spray of blood and the sight of the troll’s arm twitching when it hit the ground.
Alto backed away from the howling troll and cut through two fingers of the one that had staggered him. He took another strike off his shield and jammed his sword deep into the troll’s belly. He yanked it free and spun toward the wounded ogre. He limped back, trying to escape, but Alto disabled him with another strike to his good leg and then a finishing blow as he lay on the ground.
When he turned back, he was breathing hard and sweating in the cool mountain air. His back ached but he could still move. The other troll ran off, clutching the stump of his arm. Karthor was fighting back against the ogre that he’d distracted and Tristam was busy dodging the remaining troll’s strikes. Behind them, he could see a trail of two dead goblins lying in the road and a third at the entrance to the alley they’d taken. William emerged from it, sheathing his sword and clutching a red stain on his hip.
Alto dispatched the ogre fighting Karthor first with a powerful overhead attack that cleaved him nearly in two. He turned to the distracted troll and jammed his blade through his side until it came out the rib cage on the opposite side. When he pulled it free, he stood there grinning.
“That wasn’t what I meant when I said take it to them!” Tristan said between gasps. His eyes fell on Alto’s blade and he mumbled a fresh curse. “Saints above and below, look at that sword!”
Alto followed his eyes to his blade. He lifted it up and saw the black fuller near the tip of the blade had a dull red glow to it. It looked as if the black lines he’d taken to be ornamental in the crosspiece also had a reddish tint to them.e
“What happens when the red reaches the pearl?” Karthor asked.
Alto stared at it and wondered the same thing. The red glow was nearly a third of the way down the blade. “It cuts like a knife through warm butter,” Alto admitted with a grin. “Even the trolls.”
“First time I ever wished I was better with a broadsword,” Tristam admitted. “Bet you’re not so eager to give it back to the Kelgryn now, are you?”
Alto blushed. “We should move.”
“Let me tend to William and Tristam first. You looked like you had the breath knocked out of you, too,” Karthor said.
“I’ll be fine,” Alto insisted.
“Let’s get off the road first,” Tristam said.
William limped along with them. The best they could find was a sheltered archway of a ruined stone house. The ceiling had caved in and blocked the building. Karthor soothed their hurts and mended the flesh in William’s hip. The archer had trouble moving without limping, but Karthor assured him he wouldn’t be crippled.
“We’re nearly there,” Tristam said. “The palace is one street over.”
“We’re going for it?” William asked. “I’ll help if we do. I’m just saying these creatures aren’t like anything else we’ve fought before.”
“We’ve fought these things before,” Karthor pointed out.
“Aye, one or two at a time, not like the patrols here!”
“I’ll finish it,” Alto said, not caring about the odds. “To the end.”
“Easy for you—with that sword you’re unstoppable!”
Alto stared at William, open-mouthed. He yanked it free of his scabbard and thrust it toward his companion. “Here, you take it. The sword has nothing to do with it!”
“That’s enough,” Tristam snapped. “Keep that sword; you’re the only one any good with it.”
William nodded in agreement, though his eyes stayed on the blade for a long time. Alto lowered it but did not return it to its scabbard.
“Let’s go, and don’t forget the potions the troll gave us,” Tristam said.
He led the way out of the ruined house. They rounded a corner and found themselves facing a group of eight ogres wearing mismatched scraps of leather and chain armor. Alto raised his sword and charged before the shock of the sudden meeting wore off.
“Here we go again,” Tristam muttered as he raced to catch up to the young warrior.
Chapter 21
“Hold up a moment,” Kar advised the younger man.
Namitus glanced at the wizard and nodded. They moved closer to the gatehouse while Tristam led Alto and the others off toward the palace. Namitus heard the sounds of fighting and started to go after them when Kar’s hand rested on his shoulder.
“They’re an able lot,” he said. “If they can’t handle what they face, what hopes would you have to aid them?”
“I’m a better fighter than I look,” Namitus growled.
Kar smiled. “I saw you face trolls and escape; I believe you. What matters to us is that we use this diversion to make our way to the gate.”
“Do you have an idea how we’re to do this?”
Kar’s smile stretched into a grin. “I’m a wizard. With enough time and energy, I can do almost anything!”
“Why am I needed then?”
“I’ll need you to buy me the time,” he admitted.
Namitus chuckled. “Well, then, mighty wizard, we’d best be off before our time runs short.”
Namitus led the way out of the gatehouse and along the eastern wall. Kar stopped him after they’d passed a few roads. “Do you know where you’re going?”
“No, but if they went to the west, I figure if we follow the eastern wall we’re bound to reach it.”
Kar stared at him and shook his head. “This is the sort of thing that would drive a lesser man to drink,” he muttered. To Namitus he hissed, “The gate is along the southern wall. We’re at the northern gate. Heading at a ninety degree angle is not the shortest distance between the two points.”
Namitus blinked in confusion. He was about to respond and admit as much when he spotted a moving torch casting a flicker of light against the walls of the buildings ahead of them. He turned and tracked the source of the light, a torch in the hand of someone atop the northern wall. “Hug the wall!” Namitus hissed before slipping against it himself.
Kar obliged the rogue and they waited while the light came closer. The sound of a new bell ringing in the distance caused the figure to stop. A moment later, the guard with the torch rushed along the wall above them. They were passed by in the night.
“The hourglass has flipped,” Kar observed.
Namitus stared at him. He nodded after a moment. “Right, south then.”
The rogue left the northern wall behind and entered the back door of a single story building that was still largely intact. It was a small house with a central room used for gathering, cooking, and dining. Two smaller rooms served as bedrooms. All three were occupied, though the six goblin occupants scattered about the main room slept on. From the sounds coming from the bedrooms, their occupants sounded far larger and more dangerous.
Namitus froze in the entryway. He heard Kar’s intake of breath behind him when the wizard saw what lay within. Kar backed away, allowing Namitus to step back. The door squeaked on its hinges as he moved to shut it. Namitus froze as a snore was interrupted inside the house.
“Hold the door and step aside,” Kar snapped. Namitus stepped to the side as the wizard began chanting. A few moments later, a miniature sparkling comet of energy streaked into the room and hit the wall. It burst into a dozen sparks, each of which ignited small fires. A second comet arced into the room and burst against the table. Sparks landed on several of the sleeping goblins, catching fire in their dry clothing and spreading as they began to rouse. Kar sent four more motes of energy into the room at different angles, starting fires throughout the building.
“Hurry!” Namitus hissed. He slammed the door shut. A deep shout from inside t
he house added weight to his suggestion. He led Kar to the east around the house and the next two. Rather than risk stumbling into another group of sleeping monsters, he ran all the way to the next road and took it instead. By the time they rounded the corner, the flames from the building began to light up the sky.
“Told you I could make a signal,” Kar wheezed behind him.
“Am I going too fast?” Namitus asked.
“Not if you want to live!” Kar spat between breaths.
Between the growing fire and the distant alarm bells, Namitus was able to guide the two of them through the occupied city for several blocks without incident. The patrolling guards were distracted.
Torch-bearing guards on the southern wall and at the gate showed them their destination. Namitus felt his spirits buoy at the sight. His optimism also proved to be a costly distraction.
“To the right!” Kar gasped, alerting him.
Namitus turned and saw a pair of trolls rushing toward him. They’d bent themselves forward and were using their long arms to grab the ground and move even faster than their legs alone could propel them. The rogue skidded to a halt on the cobblestone street and drew his scimitar in one hand and his dagger in the other.
The first mountain troll charged straight at him, intent on using his mass to crush the puny human. Namitus sprang to the side, away from the other troll, and slashed out with his sword. His momentum and angle weakened the blow but the keen edge of the magical blade still split the skin along the troll’s shoulder.
Namitus rushed toward the second troll while the first one skidded along the stones and tried to stop itself. The second had slowed and was already turning back toward him. Namitus jerked to a stop when something crashed against the ground in front of the troll and sprayed its legs and feet with liquid. Smoke burst out of the troll’s legs, accompanied with a hissing, popping noise. The troll howled and danced around, stomping its feet in the acid and making it worse.
“Stay back,” Kar managed.
Namitus turned from the dancing troll to the first one and ran straight at him. The troll gnashed his teeth and raised a hand to swipe him as he closed {in}. Namitus drew his sword back and then flicked his dagger so that it hit the troll in the chest. The knife fell to the ground, doing no damage to the creature but distracting him.
Namitus ducked as he closed {in} and swung his blade. He judged correctly but didn’t misjudge the troll’s swing. Namitus’s curved blade carved a gash in the troll’s ribs but the force of the claws that snagged the leathers on his back sent Namitus straight to the ground.
Stunned and breathless, Namitus stared up at the mountain troll. The creature picked up a foot and stomped, landing on his hip and causing his entire body to shudder as he felt the bones break before the heavy foot slipped off.
Namitus twisted away, rolling just enough to dodge the long-armed swipe that caused sparks to leap off the rocks of the street. The sparks proved that the claws of a mountain troll didn’t just look like they were made of stone.
The rogue grabbed the hilt of his dropped scimitar and rolled back, swinging as hard as he could. The blade cut deeply into the troll’s arm, the same arm he’d wounded at the shoulder on the first pass. Namitus pulled the sword down and, using both his hands on the hilt, thrust it up and into the thigh of the beast. The curve of the blade helped the sword bite into the meat and dig deep enough to grate off the bone. The troll staggered back and fell to one knee.
A rope of flames snapped out and wrapped around the mountain troll’s chest. A pulse of fire rushed down the mystical cord and immolated the beast. The troll howled in agony and thrashed until he broke away from the magical rope. The flames died slowly, revealing blackened and split skin on his body and face. The troll stared through sightless eyesand then fell forward less than an arm’s width from Namitus.
“Never thought I’d say this but,” Kar paused to catch his breath, “drink the troll’s potion.”
Namitus nodded and fumbled around for the metal flask in his pouch. He pulled it out and managed to get the cap off. He gasped through a few painful breaths and then raised it to his lips and drained it in three quick swallows.
Namitus fell back from his elbows and lay on the ground, panting. His hands went to his stomach as he convulsed and twisted up on his side. The agony in his hip took second seat to the twisting inside his gut.
“I hate being right,” Kar spat out. “Let me borrow this,” he said and reached down to grab the forgotten scimitar in both hands. He walked over to the other troll that was using his hands to try to crawl away. The wizard walked up as slowly as he could behind the troll, avoiding the still smoking puddle of acid, and let the scimitar rise and fall three times as though he was chopping wood. He glanced to the south and saw a group of goblins had gathered in front of the gate. Ogres and men were behind them in defense of the gate.
“They’ll come at us any moment now,” Namitus said.
Kar jumped and spun around, nearly striking Namitus in the process. “You’re alive?”
Namitus grinned. “I am. It worked. Felt like I had a dragon chewing its way out of my belly but once that passed, I was fine.”
“Scary,” Kar said with a twist of his lip.
“It was,” Namitus agreed. He saw the smile spread on Kar’s face. “Very scary. What is it?”
“A shaman of the patron of fear. It makes sense. Even the boons his magic grants are dangerous.”
Namitus gaped at him for a moment and then laughed. “I see your point. Some friend. Now about those creatures that want to kill us?”
“And you’re out of potions,” Kar said.
“You’ve still got one,” Namitus pointed out. “We might need a few more of the tricks you’ve got up your sleeves, though.”
“After seeing what you went through, I’d rather give the potion to them. It might scare them away,” Kar muttered. “But yes, we’re close enough now.”
“Close enough for what?”
“For the world to witness my glory!” Kar said. He reached into his pouches to pull forth the magical components he needed for his spell. Hands clutching the magical paraphernalia, he reached into the sky and began to chant.
Namitus watched him, taken by the way his arcane words seemed to wrap back in on themselves and repeat with increasing volume and power. Namitus yanked his eyes away and looked around, ensuring they weren’t about to be attacked again. He saw a group of monsters running toward the palace to the north, but no one was intent on prematurely ending his and Kar’s life at the moment.
With a final shouted word that echoed off the buildings to either side of them, Kar threw his arms forward and the yellow glow that had gathered around his hands sprung forward and streaked over the heads of the goblins and between the gathered ogres and men. It struck the closed gates and exploded.
When Namitus stopped crouching from the shock wave that had passed over them, he looked to the gatehouse and saw one door had been blown off the hastily repaired hinges. The other door was twisted and half open. Both were blazing with the elemental magic that Kar had channeled into them.
The defenders weren’t gone but they would never be a problem again. All that remained of them were smoldering lumps on the ground.
“You could have done that a long time ago,” Namitus said.
Kar grunted and took a staggering step forward. Namitus grabbed him and slipped the wizard’s arm over his shoulder. “Come on, mighty wizard.” The rogue chuckled. He dragged the man toward a nearby building that was only a few falling bricks away from being ruins. If they could find a defensible spot, he hoped they’d be able to wait it out until help arrived.
* * * *
“I’m done,” Karthor said from where he’d slumped back against the wall of the manor house.
William groaned and tried to pick himself up. He gasped and fell back, clutching his leg in agony. He’d been struck by the club of an ogre, breaking the bone and crippling him. The others had suffered wounds from the
patrol of ogres ranging from bruises and scrapes to cracked ribs in Tristam’s case. Karthor had used the last of the favor that Leander had given him to soothe their hurts. What blessings he had at the end wasn’t enough to aid William.
“Thork’s potion,” Alto suggested. “It’s that or nothing.”
William’s lips were pulled back to show his clenched teeth. He nodded and fumbled to get the flask out of his pouch. He wasted no time in uncapping it and draining it into his mouth.
“Bleah.” William gagged after swallowing it. “Tastes like swamp water!”
The expression on his face changed from disgust to shock. What color remained in his cheeks drained. He held up his arms and stared at his hands. His fingers were curled into claws. “My hands,” he whimpered. “They’re ruined!”
Alto and the others looked at one another, confused. “They’re fine,” Tristam told him.
“Was he poisoned?” Karthor asked. The priest rose up, forgetting his exhaustion and started to look at William’s hands.
“Can’t you see?” William sobbed. “The troll lied! They’re twisted and broken. I’ll never fire my bow again!”
The others looked at one another, confusion mirrored in their eyes. “How’s your leg?” Alto asked, not certain what William was seeing that he couldn’t.
“My what?” William asked, startled by the question. He pulled his eyes away from his hands to his leg and then looked up at Alto and Tristam. His gaze shifted to Karthor before he raised his knee up without any complaints. A grin spread across his face before he put his hands down and stood up.
“What about your hands?” Tristam asked.
William held them up and stared at them. He’d relaxed the muscles so they looked normal. “By the saints! They ached and felt like they’d been crushed. I saw them crippled and useless, but now they’re fine.”
“Jarook is the patron saint of fear,” Karthor reminded them. “What does it feel like when Leander’s blessing heals you?”
Child of Fate Page 21
