Broken Blades Don't Sing (Tales of Ashkar Book One) (35 page)

"No lack of interesting characters", added
Raxxil casually, withdrawing his hand from Serraemas's
shoulder.

"It's best not to linger and catch unwanted
attention", said Serraemas as he leaned forward before getting up
and heading for the door. The others followed suit, and behind
them, Serraemas felt movement as they stepped out of the active
tavern. The moon shone down brightly upon them, illuminating the
various houses and structures down the winding streets.

"Now where are y'all off to in such a hurry?"
rang a voice with an accent.

Serraemas whipped around to face the man that
had followed them. He stood past the others, next to the door of
the pub, and held up his crossbow threateningly with gloved hands.
Under his trench coat was a simple vest, leaving only his face
exposed. Raxxil pushed the little girl behind him and assumed a
poised stance. Serraemas did the same.

"What do you want with us?" Serraemas asked to
the figure before them that continued to chew on the long piece of
grass.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, folks",
responded the stranger as he lowered his weapon then slung it over
his back, his expression shifting back into a toothy smile. "Name's
Darius Van Keele, finest bounty hunter this side of Ashkar."

"I did not ask for your name, nor your petty
accomplishments", snapped Serraemas.

"Well, I suppose not", chuckled the intruder,
"But I know yer names, and I reckon y'all have a high price on yer
heads."

"Perhaps it would have been wise to not announce
your intentions before the deed", chided Raxxil.

"Let's not go 'bout insultin' my professional
skills, now", asserted Darius. "If I wanted ya’ll dead, ya’ll be
dead by now. But... tonight there are some nasty folk summoning
even nastier things, and it looks like y'all look the type that
could handle yer own. Yer more use alive than dead. For now, at
least." The words captured Serraemas's attention immediately.

"Tell us what you know", commanded the
staff-wielder, disregarding the man's arrogance and stepping closer
to the knowledgeable bounty hunter.

"Take it easy, I'm gonna spill the beans",
assured Darius, pointing down the street. "Go a few blocks down,
take a right into the seventh alley down yonder, and keep going
'till the third door on the left. It'll lead ya into a basement
full of surprises."

Serraemas narrowed his eyes as he scanned the
man's rugged face. "That could easily be a trap."

Darius threw his hands up in defense. "C'mon
now. I may be a bounty hunter but I ain't no scoundrel! My word's
as good as a wench’s bosom after a steamy bath. Besides, if the
tales are true, y'all can handle yerselves jus' fine."

Raxxil looked at Serraemas and shrugged. The
latter returned a blank expression as he perused their options. The
hammer-wielder gestured for Serraemas to get closer. The
staff-wielder obliged, and stopped next to Raxxil so that the two
stood side-by-side and faced opposite directions.

"He knows way too much to be bluffing",
whispered Raxxil.

Serraemas stared off into the distance
thoughtfully. "Regardless, we have no choice. This is our only
lead."

"Let's go get those nasty people!" cheered a
childish and feisty voice.

"What—?" started Raxxil. "Oh... this is big
people stuff!"

They both looked down to meet Arwynn's vibrant,
green eyes.

Such innocence. Just like Elena's...

Serraemas blocked out the unwanted images
forming in his head and returned his attention to Darius, who was
waiting expectantly. Serraemas nodded at their unexpected
informant, then turned and headed down the street.

"Don't forget! Seventh right, third left!"
called the bounty hunter after them, already dozens of feet behind
them as they bounded to their destination. "Oh, and don't worry
'bout the stragglers. I got 'em."

"Stragglers?" asked Raxxil aloud, but Serraemas
soon realized what the words meant. Around them—particularly in the
nooks and crannies of the patchwork city—lurked the familiar
presence of those that did not belong on Ashkar, and the night grew
ever darker.

Chapter 21

4th Dusk of the 5000th Age of Lion

Raxxil tucked Tanaria under his arm, holding
onto the small child tightly. They sprinted down the stone-etched
streets of Merchant's Keep, their footfalls echoing into the still
night. As they moved away from the bustling side of the city and
into a quieter section of homes, hovels, and whatever the denizens
of the city could claim as their own, he felt the lingering aura of
darkness in the air.

Shadows moved around them, dancing about like
Geunde Ghaliers circling their prey, but they pressed on without
looking back as their cloaks whipped in the wind. Within a short
span of time they had found the alley, and made a sharp cut into
its dark depths.

He glanced down at the little girl, her bright
eyes glinting in the moonlight. She looked into his eyes not with
fear but with determination, and it seemed that she had placed the
tragedy that had befallen her in the back of her mind. For the
moment, at least. She was strong, especially for her age, but
tonight was a night of demons. Fear would reach her again.

This time he would protect her no matter the
cost.

"This is it", said Serraemas as he studded into
a halt. Still absorbed in his thoughts, Raxxil almost crashed into
the icy elementalist, but caught himself at the last second. They
stopped inside the alley next to the third door that the bounty
hunter had mentioned.

Without pause, Serraemas pulled open the door,
which was, surprisingly, unlocked. Its hinges squeaked far too
loudly in the silent air, and Raxxil cringed. They were met with a
set of stairs that cascaded downward. Peering into its black depths
yielded nothing but darkness.

Raxxil caught movement to his left, near to the
street they had just come from. He quickly dropped the little one
and pushed her behind him as he withdrew his mighty weapon. Several
dozen familiar shapes slowly approached the group, and the noise of
eerie and malicious laughter invaded his ears.

"They're back", announced Raxxil to the others.
He looked at Serraemas, who was still looking down the staircase
and seemingly disregarding the encroaching threat. Abruptly, the
sound of loud steps rushed upward from below the stairs.
Simultaneously, the horde of demonic creatures from the street as
well as below lunged at them.

Serraemas pointed upward. "Onto the rooftops!"
He gripped his staff and leapt high above, jumping off the walls
toward the top of the building.

Raxxil reached for Tanaria, then crouched down
and pushed off as hard as he could with his legs. They soared into
the air to the side of the structure, and with another push,
bounded onto the rooftop. Erendil followed soon after.

Up here, they had a much better view of the
city. To the northeast was the mountain that overshadowed the
kingdom. The elevation rose gradually across Merchant's Keep until
the set of structures owned by the Tradesmen, which were nestled
next to the mountain itself. Even from here, Raxxil could tell that
they lived lavishly, with high, ornately-crafted buildings that
culminated in spires jutting into the night sky. To the south was
the only gate to the city, and the more commercial area that they
had passed on their way.

"Draw them out", said Serraemas, turning to
Raxxil. "I'll go down there and end it."

Raxxil peered down into the sea of darkness that
surged after them, climbing the walls after the group. In the
center, next to the open door, stood two that appeared more unique
than the others. The bodies were of the same wispy essence—albeit
much larger and menacing—with armor that covered most of their
torso and legs, but otherwise their dark essence that constituted
as flesh was exposed. To top it off they brandished gigantic axes,
waving them about menacingly. Their hellish faces looked up at
Raxxil with red eyes as foul as the rest of them.

Raxxil felt small arms wrap around his waist,
and he looked down at Tanaria. Her previously determined eyes were
replaced with the horror from when they first met. Raxxil kneeled,
placed an arm around her tiny head, and brought her closer to him
in an embrace.

"I promise you, I will not let harm come to
you", he whispered in her ear, before standing up and motioning
Erendil to come near. "Take her, and flee to somewhere safe."

The lizard-man withdrew slightly, shaking his
head as he did so. "Don't entrust her to me. Please…"

Raxxil looked to Serraemas for answers, but the
latter's eyes only offered a time-is-running-out look. Frustrated,
Raxxil reached out and grabbed the towrth's leather vest, dragging
him closer so that their faces were inches apart. "So what can we
entrust you with?" The words left his lips like fire.

Erendil looked down in defeat and said
nothing.

Raxxil scowled, but released his grasp and
pushed the towrth away. He gave Serraemas a sharp look, then
reached down and picked up Tanaria before leaping into the fray.
The expressions of his enemies shifted from murderous glee to shock
as he flew back down into the alley. Raxxil swung his hammer as he
crashed down into the ground, eliminating a host of the demons. The
others that weren’t immediately crushed counterattacked, but Raxxil
swung again and fended them off. The girl was tucked under his left
arm, and he made ample effort to protect that side.

He looked to his right, and caught the attention
of the two larger and more distinct demons. They glared at him with
malice, raising high their wicked weapons and charging. While the
horde of minions were just fodder, these seemed stronger and
deadlier, which meant that they must have required more effort to
summon. Raxxil would get double the satisfaction from sending them
back where they came from. Behind them, more demons poured in from
the open door, leaving Raxxil with little time to stand idle.

Raxxil put one foot forward, took a deep breath,
and then rushed into a sprint in the direction of the street,
barreling through dozens of shadowy shapes. He swung his hammer
back-and-forth, creating an open path directly ahead. Within a
brief span of time, he was out onto the cobblestone street. He
placed no effort to look behind him, and neither did he need to to
know that the horde of demons were racing after him.

"Alright, Vrand, you have to work with me on
this one", Raxxil said inside his mind. He could feel the elemental
yearning to release his fiery wrath. He did too, but despite the
temptation, they both kept it at bay. He would not risk the little
one so close to his explosive abilities. Unreleased and restrained,
Raxxil continued leading the chase, only stopping to swing his
hammer a few times for the monsters that got too close. Despite his
efforts the tide only grew larger, and the overwhelming flood of
darkness seeking to envelop did not relent—

Wind whistled in his ears as a gust flew past
Raxxil into the horde of darkness behind him. The wind cut through
shadowy hides like butter, shrieks of pain piercing the air as a
host of demons perished.

He faced forward again to see where the attack
had come from, and his eyes grew wide at what he saw before him.
Two armored figures stood in the moonlight: an older man and a
young woman, the latter of which he never thought he would see
again. "Samantha...?"

---

Serraemas watched as Raxxil plunged into the
dark depths of the shadowy horde with Arwynn still tucked under his
arm. Raxxil landed swiftly, then set off into a dash onto the
street. It was only a few moments before he was out of sight. Just
as Serraemas presumed, the hellish minions chased Raxxil eagerly,
giving Serraemas the opening he was looking for. He turned to
Erendil, who at the very least was clutching onto his bow with more
than just trepidation. "Gather yourself. We must not fail now."

The towrth hesitated, then nodded slowly.

Serraemas gripped his staff and looked down into
the alley. By now, there were not as many demons left, though they
continued to pour out of the door regularly. He looked up into the
starry night, contemplating their options. He then turned to
Erendil and gestured for the towrth’s attention. "Stay here and use
this spot as a vantage point.” Serraemas pointed down at the door
in the alley. "Shoot whatever comes out that isn't me."

"Thank you", replied the towrth, as if a great
burden had been lifted off his shoulders. It was more than obvious
that responsibility was not something the archer was up for at the
moment.

"Very well", bade Serraemas before leaping into
the air and down into the alley. A graceful landing followed by a
dash, and he was soon in a descent he knew not where it lead. The
stairs fell deeper into the earth, but it wasn’t long until he
reached another open door at the end. Serraemas could hear voices
chanting something unintelligible from inside the room beyond. As
he made his way to the bottom of the stairs, he was met with
several shadowy minions that charged through the doorway. Startled
by his presence, they reached out as fast as they could with claws
to stab him—