The Cyber Chronicles VII - Sabre (21 page)

Tassin chewed
her lip as she stared at the distant castle. Her horse stamped and
tossed its head, champing at the bit. Tarl sat on his mount beside
her, both of them hidden just within the forest's bounds by a veil
of leaves. Her heart had leapt when Dellon's colours had fallen,
but the flagpole had remained bare and her tension had grown with
every passing moment. Then the popping cracks of distant laser
shots had reached them, and her heart had turned to lead. Something
had gone wrong yet again, and she longed to race to Sabre's aid.
Glancing at Tarl, she glimpsed the worry in his eyes before he
noticed her attention and cast her a confident smile.

"We must help
him," she said, frowning.

"Nope. We stay
here and wait. He's more than capable of dealing with a few
primitive soldiers."

"They have
laser cannons. They could use them against him."

Tarl shook his
head. "Sabre told me they face outwards, and can't be turned
around."

"That was four
years ago."

"Then they've
probably forgotten how to use them."

Tassin gazed
at the open gate, biting her lip again. A group of riders clattered
over the drawbridge, and Tarl cursed.

"We've got to
get out of here. They're coming for you."

"But Sabre
-"

"Bugger Sabre,
he can look after himself. I'm the one who has to look after you,
now come on!"

Tassin glared
at him. "I will not run like a coward."

"Damn, but
you're a stubborn bloody female! You can't take on that lot, and
they have orders to kill you on sight, I'll bet my left arm on it.
Let's go!"

The soldiers,
led by three armoured knights, thundered closer, and Tarl's horse
cavorted as he tugged on the reins. Tassin drew a laser from the
folds of her skirt, and he gaped at her.

She said, "We
can fight them. We have better weapons!"

"Where the
hell did you get that? Did Sabre give it to you? He's an idiot! Put
it away!"

"I will not
abandon him!"

Tarl reined
his horse closer and reached over to snatch the weapon from
her.

"Hey! Give
that back!" she yelled.

"No."

Tarl tucked
the laser into his waistband and grabbed her horse's reins,
ignoring her growl of rage. Yanking the beast's head around, he
spurred his mount into the woods. He angled away from the
approaching troops, who followed the path that led into the woods
further down. Tassin tried to pull her reins from his grip, jerking
her horse's mouth, and it half reared in protest. Tarl hung on.

"We have to
help him!" she shouted. "Let go!"

"No way. I
promised I'd keep you safe. If I don't, he'll kill me."

"If you don't
let go of my horse, I'll kill you!"

"I'll take my
chances."

A thud made
Tarl glance back, amazed to find that Tassin had jumped off her
horse. She scrambled to her feet and ran back towards the castle.
Tarl pulled his horse to a skidding halt and swung it around,
cantering after her. The Queen dodged behind a tree when he tried
to grab her, and he yanked his horse to a stop and jumped down. He
caught her as she made a dash for it, jerking her to a halt. She
slapped him, making his ear ring.

Tarl swore.
"What the hell do you think you're going to do, apart from get
yourself killed?"

"Help him! You
have a laser, you can help him too!"

"He doesn't
need our help!" Tarl glanced around and cursed as the horses
galloped off after the mounted group that had vanished into the
forest down the road. "Great! Now we're on foot, being chased by
mounted soldiers!"

Tassin tried
to pull free, but he hung on, twisting her arm until she hissed
with pain.

"Let me go!
When Sabre hears of this, you'll be sorry!"

"I'll be even
sorrier if you get killed. Come on, we've got to hide."

"I will not
hide like some -" Tassin broke off as he swung away, dragging her
after him.

"They'll
backtrack those horses right to us. We need to get away from here,
and fast," he said.

"Let me go,
you oaf!"

Tarl hauled
her through the forest, and she cursed as she tripped over roots
and was forced to duck under branches. Soon she panted, and he
glanced back as hoof beats approached. He looked around and headed
for a huge, spreading oak whose knobbly, twisted trunk offered easy
access to its branches. Stopping beside it, he yanked her closer
and tried to shove her up the tree, but she fought him, kicking his
shins. He swore as her fingernails raked his cheek, then slapped
her, making her gasp.

"How dare
you?" she demanded.

"Get up the
bloody tree, or I'll knock you out and carry you!"

She raked him
with a scornful look. "You couldn't!"

Realising that
she was probably right, Tarl gripped her waist and flung her up the
tree, forcing her to grab it. He scrambled up after her, shoving
her from behind. Tassin squeaked in outrage at his rough handling,
but could not turn back while he pushed her, and he forced her to
scramble into the branches.

When they were
high enough that the lower branches hid them from view, Tarl found
a fork and wedged himself into it, pulled Tassin close and clamped
a hand over her mouth. She clawed at his fingers, mumbling muffled
curses. He caught her hands and pinned them to her waist in a
crushing grip, holding his breath as the cavalrymen passed
below.

****

Sabre headed
along a corridor towards a thudding sound, rounding a corner to
find a group of Tassin's soldiers trying to break down a stout
door. They used a wooden statue as a battering ram, and bits of its
smashed head littered the floor. Not bothering to waste time asking
what was inside, Sabre fired at the lock, then kicked the door open
to reveal a room full of swords and armour. The men crowded in,
grabbing weapons, and he left them to it, continuing his search for
Dellon. There was an unpleasant possibility that the King had left
with Torrian, but he doubted it.

A man leapt
from a doorway beside him and tried to impale him with a sword.
Sabre smashed him aside with a back-handed blow, the soldier's
helmet saving him from a crushed skull. The sound of running,
booted feet made Sabre swing around and raise his lasers. The group
of Tassin's men that had armed itself from the armoury appeared
around the corner, and he lowered his weapons as the soldiers ran
up to him.

"Sir," the
sergeant who led them said. "What do you want us to do?"

"Kill as many
of Dellon's men as you can, or imprison them. Do you know where the
King is?"

The officer
shook his head. "Where's the Queen?"

"Waiting in
the forest until it's safe. Is Dellon in the castle?"

"Yes sir, as
far as I know, but we've been locked up since Torrian left."

"If you find
him, bring him to me."

"Yes,
sir."

The sergeant
ordered his men to follow him, and most of them ran off with him,
leaving four, who eyed Sabre. The cyber turned and continued down
the corridor, the soldiers following. He glimpsed a battle raging
in the courtyard through the windows, the air abuzz with arrows. A
surprising number of Tassin's men had been in the dungeons, and,
now armed, put up a good fight. Sabre headed for the throne room,
where he hoped to find Dellon hiding.

The structural
scanners mapped the new corridors as he passed along them, adding
them to the map the cyber had from the last time he had been here.
This appeared to be a little-used part of the castle, the rooms
filled with dusty furnishings, ornaments and long forgotten coats
of arms. According to the cyber's old map, the throne room was
beyond the wall ahead, but when he reached it there was no door. He
cursed, glancing around.

"You have to
go around, sir," one of soldiers who followed him said, nodding to
his right.

Sabre headed
in that direction, brushing aside a curtain to enter yet another
dusty room. This one had many tarnished shields on the walls, and a
door on his left. He strode over to it, then paused. Beyond was the
throne room, and a trap if Dellon was in there. He checked his
lasers, ejected the half-charged crystals and reloaded. According
to the scanners, five men stood on the other side of the door, but
the stone walls hid the rest of the room. He glanced at the four
soldiers, wishing he had more men with him, then scanned the door,
which was unlocked. Doubtless the armed men within were waiting for
him to walk into their trap.

Retreating a
few paces, he considered the solid, brass bound door. If he opened
it and walked in, the men inside would certainly ambush him. He
needed the element of surprise, and for that, he had to make a
sudden entrance. Tassin’s soldiers looked puzzled by his antics,
swapping bemused glances. Sabre charged the door and leapt. His
boots hit it with a tremendous bang and smashed it down with a
screech of tearing wood. It bounced as it hit the floor,
disintegrating into thick planks that bounced away. Sabre landed
running, then dropped and rolled as swords swished over his head
and crossbow bolts buzzed past. He leapt up, spinning to scan the
room. Dozens of armoured knights closed in on him with naked
swords. He dropped and rolled again, raised his lasers and snapped
off a series of rapid shots. The knights' armour absorbed the
bolts, glowing spots appearing on it, and he switched his targets
from chests to heads, since the helmets' metal was thinner. Two
knights collapsed, tugging off their helms, the rest came on
undeterred.

The four
soldiers who had followed him in went down under the scything
blades within minutes, making him wish he had sent them for
reinforcements instead. Sabre rolled and ducked to avoid the
slashing weapons and snapped off shots that brought grunts of pain.
He jumped up as several swords whistled towards him. One bounced
off his thigh armour, making him stagger. Spotting the throne
nearby, he shot the two knights who blocked his path and sprang
onto the back of it, firing into the crowd. One laser died, and he
tossed it aside, then the other went dead two shots later. He flung
it in a knight’s face and dived at him, bearing him to the ground
with a metallic crash.

Sabre smashed
his fist into the knight's visor, dented it and knocked the man
unconscious. Twisting as swords stabbed down at him, he wrenched
the weapon from the knight's lax fingers and raised it to parry a
blow aimed at his neck. A ring of steel-clad brawn closed in, and
he turned to deflect blades with showers of sparks.

A sword hacked
into the armour on his back, almost thrusting him onto a blade. He
smashed the weapon aside, swung and charged the men beside him.
Leaping high, he plunged his sword into a knight's throat, and he
went down with a great clatter. Sabre jumped over the body and onto
the throne again, gaining a height advantage. Weapons slashed at
his legs, forcing him to jump over them, balanced on the throne's
arm.

According to
the scanners, twenty-seven knights surrounded him, and he had only
killed five so far. With a cyber's prodigious, spring-loaded grace,
he leapt over the warriors and backed away as they came after him,
thrusting his sword into any weakness. Some tried to circle behind
him, but he speeded up his retreat towards the far wall, foiling
them. They broke into a rattling run, and Sabre turned and sprinted
for the wall. Running up it, he pushed himself off and performed a
graceful somersault, landing behind his foes. He cut two down
before the rest swung and charged him again. Sabre turned and
ran.

****

Tarl gazed
down at the troops who milled below, his hand clamped over the
furious Queen's mouth. The men had returned a few minutes earlier,
and searched the ground for tracks. Soon they would realise he was
up the tree, and then there would be trouble. Tassin squirmed,
forcing him to tighten his grip.

He bent to
whisper in her ear, "They're going to find us. When they do, I'm
going to let you go and use my laser. You climb higher up the tree.
They probably have crossbows. I'll give you your laser then,
okay?"

Tassin nodded,
mumbling, but he kept his hand over her mouth. There was still a
slight chance that the soldiers would not spot them, and he did not
want to make their discovery a certainly by letting Tassin give
them away. Some of the men dismounted to examine the ground,
approaching the tree, then looked up, peering through the leaves.
He froze, not daring to breathe, his grip on the Queen tightening
again.

One of the
knights pointed and yelled, and Tarl cursed. Releasing Tassin, he
boosted her up the tree, freeing his hands to reach for the lasers
in his belt. He thrust one at her, then turned to fire at the men
below. Two fell with choked grunts, and a couple of crossbow bolts
hissed past. Blue fire strafed the soldiers from above as Tassin
fired, and three more men fell. Tarl scrambled further up the tree,
seeking shelter amongst its branches. A tug on his leg made him sag
and grip the branch. He shoved Tassin higher, climbing after
her.

Settling into
another fork, he fired again, the laser bolts searing through the
leaves. More blue fire hissed from above, and yells of pain came
from below. Tarl fingered the back of his leg. A quarrel protruded
from it, and his hand came away bloody. Hoping that he was not
going to bleed to death, he fired at the men again as one tried to
climb up after them. The soldier fell with a cry when a laser bolt
hit him in the chest, and another collapsed in a heap as his head
exploded in a red mist.

Sabre sprang
onto the throne again, swinging his sword in a flashing arc that
hit a knight on the helm with a clang, sending him staggering. Cuts
oozed on his arms and thighs where blades had caught him while he
moved amongst them with a cyber's peerless speed. The cyber guided
him, projecting potential sword strokes and warning of danger
behind him. The number of knights had dwindled to twenty-two, and
some were injured. Their armour made them cumbersome, but also hard
to hurt. Two had the imprint of his boot indented in their chest
armour where he had kicked them, lifting them off their feet with
the force of his blow. Whereas an unarmoured man would have died,
however, they had recovered and rejoined the fight.