The Exodus Sagas: Book I - Of Spiders And Falcons (58 page)

Gregore’ drew the enchanted scimitar, stolen from the corpse of dead Alamud. “Men, it seems my bodyguard does not agree with me on our tactics. He wishes war on the Chazzrynn vessel, yes, yes, he does.” the doppelganger raised a sinister voice, ensuring the men and slaves heard it. Yells and
boos
followed, mostly from its other kinsman in place as topside men of the Headhunter. “
I would kneel quickly, cousin. Yes, yes, I would.
” Gregore’ whispered at the confused and outraged Altestani swordsman.

“This is not our lord! He is a
creature
, an imposter, a fiend!” Samiri lunged with a twirl of his flashing blade, slicing into clothing. Clothing that bled as if it were flesh. “What in the names of all unholy demons
are you
?”

“You will never know, little human. No, no, never know.” the shapeshifter swung the scimitar with poor skill, over and over, the attacks easily parried by the trained warrior it stood against. The blows were heavy, the swords ringing loud on the upper deck of the slaveship. Gregore’ quickly surmised that it would have to find another way to kill this one.

Samiri, still in shock and fury with many worries and questions, returned the powerful attacks with quick and precise cuts, his left arm behind him, palm down for balance. He ducked under the scimitar, cutting seven times into the flesh of the man that appeared to be Lord Alamud. Then, seeing purple blood slowly seep through cloth and flesh, he knew that surely he dealt with something else. He had seen his cousin wounded, his blood should have been rich and red like his own. He lunged after a high feint, piercing the creature through the chest, with expert precision through the heart.

Gregore’ chuckled, feeling the slight pain of its disguise and flesh being disrupted by enchanted steel, it drew back, grabbing the man’s arm. Stepping forward, face to face, it put its hand on the warrior’s chest. Samiri tried to get loose, free his swordarm, but could not. “It has no heart, no, no, none at all human.” bones of pointed death, one by one, elongated with incredible speed from the creature’s fingers and through the bodyguard’s chest and armor out the other side. They retracted, the Altestani man unable to breathe as his lungs and heart had been punctured, then he felt the cut of the scimitar across his throat, and the feeling of falling. His body splashed into the Carisian Sea, washing under the trireme warship as the waves of motion pulled along.

“Yes, yes. Full sail to the northeast!” the doppelganger pretended to be scuffed, but not injured, and made a show of brushing itself off and sheathing the blade. Quickly, it made the clothing appear torn and cut to add to the illusion. The men went back to work, and any that talked of the matter over the next night at sea, strangely came up missing. The strange family of shapeshifters followed the moons at night, and the distant but nearing Bronze Harpy during the day. No one dared ask again, why the Lord Alamud did not wish to meet the Chazzrynn king.

Kendari I:VII

Temple of the Whitemoon, Chazzrynn

The falcata cut across high, missing the quick Nadderi elf, and then the glowing dagger followed in a set of rapid thrusts that put the cursed elf to backing as he kept his defenses up against the curved weapon of his skilled opponent. Another display of prowess unleashed as Lavress Tilaniun spun and dove ahead with both ancient blades at Kendari’s chest, then stopped before the parry and redoubled the lunge, sending the cursed swordsman toppling back over the stone steps into the sacred grove.

On his feet in an instant, the Nadderi assassin feinted to dive Shiver at the wood elf, watching his falcata, then spun full circle, Shiver attacking high, his left hand knocking the dagger aside. He followed with another blade cut to the curved sword of the hunter, then spun again, slicing his left across the stomach of his enemy. The quick slice of leather and skin was felt, and Kendari turned to an overhead thrust with Shiver, also nicking through the armor of Lavress, sizzling into his shoulder right as he rolled to recuperate his form and spacing. The cursed killer noticed small bloodstains in those two places on the savage elf, feeling confidant in his routine, he smiled and stared.

The Hedim Anah warrior turned sideways, throwing off the target of his torso, and began to weave his dagger from side to side, teasing and distracting Kendari. Feinting with the falcata’s forward edge, Lavress attacked with a horizontal slash, then a kick high toward the face that fell short, and again went into the rapid stabs with the dagger. This time, he stopped short, the parries too easy for his adversary, and jumped at him, slashing across his lowered shoulder with the curved weapon. He had hit armor and cut hard, sending his foe rolling forward to avoid getting caught from behind. Lavress landed ready, but felt his arm stinging. Looking briefly as he readied for another exchange of blades, blood trickled down his arm from an attack of the enemy’s longsword that he had not even seen.

Kendari of Stillwood rolled his shoulder, pointing his heated longblade at the wood elf to keep him at bay. He circled and paced, in obvious discomfort from the wound of what the falcata edge had done to his armor. He looked at the triceps of his forest enemy, noting the attack from below the flying lunge had hit the mark. His tight black garb blended into the shadows under the trees, and his eyes stared across to his prey, waiting for him to initiate his furious attacks again. The Nadderi swordsman felt challenged, for the first time in centuries, for this wood elf hunter was determined, quick, and deadly. His thoughts drifted to the last time he had killed a member of the Hedim Anah, it had been ages. He knew Lavress had at least four bleeding wounds to his one, he had the advantage. His enemy approaching, Kendari looked at Bedesh, trying to crawl to the entrance to the temple. “May I finish him
now
, or would you like him to suffer more?”

Lavress paid no mind, and crosscut toward the green eyes of the murderer before him, his successive attacks with the dagger and again the falcata met the longswords solid as the two elven warriors encircled a giant banyan tree, fighting in the shadows and wind. His injuries were minor, but his shoulder burned with each attack from the inflamed puncture from the heat spewing enchanted weapon. The forward curved falcata cut twice, knocking the longblades of his enemy aside, his dagger plunging straight in subsequently. The glowing blade was caught as the Nadderi elf pulled his arms together, catching it with his enchanted bracers. Lavress was shoved back by the older elf, who now pursued him into the grove of trees outside the circle. Driving the wood elf up the steps and out into the open with violent leg slashes, forcing him into low parries and rapid jumps and retreats, Kendari was feeling it time to end this. His focus changed, completely serious and full of hate.

LCMVXIILCMVXIILCMVXIILCMVX

The satyr could not feel his legs do much but twitch, his hands pulled him from his bloody spot in the grass, toward the downward stairs of the Temple of the Whitemoon. He heard the music, could smell the incense, but the stairs now were only a few feet wide, not like before where many could walk side by side below. The temple was closing slowly. Bedesh looked at the two elven swordsman, heard the furious ringing of steel on steel, then looked to poor Jevendial the hiroon who lay dead across the circle grove on the stones. The canine warrior looked peaceful, his blood covering the stones with two arrows protruding from his back. The satyr, eyes drowsy, his stomach bleeding and burning with each feeble breath, reached for his bow given to him by Lavress. He scrounged his fingers for an arrow as well, and continued his crawl to the closing temple stairs. The very stone moved silently, impossible to see or hear with the melody radiating from the choir below. Bedesh reached the stone mantle above the steps, laying his head back on the Whitemoon designs and runes engraved above. He knocked his arrow, his eyes barely open, his breath short, every part of his body ached and yet felt cold and numb. He waited, for if and when, that cursed elf was within range for a clear shot. He looked at the trail of blood he had smeared in his journey the twelve feet to his position. The sight of it did nothing to him, he was in death’s grip, and only wished to see the murderous elf meet his end.

LCMVXIILCMVXIILCMVXIILCMVX

Kendari lunged with his off hand sword, awkward with the lack of reach since he held it reverse, but shot his wrist and elbow out for a point attack, followed by a diagonal cut, that was parried. Then he spun into a reverse twist, bringing his left hand out and arcing a slice toward the wood elf’s neck, nicking his hair, and Shiver whipped, edge first, knocking the blocking dagger out of Lavress’ hand with the spinning force of the cut. The enchanted longsword subsequently cut low, but was caught by the falcata, twisted and disarmed by the hunter. Kendari cut across the chest of Lavress with the hot blade, through leather and flesh, smelling the burned blood as it rose in the cold air.

Cut badly, the wood elf hunter attacked the weapon instead of his enemy, locking their blades at the hilt, and then grabbed Kendari’s other arm and whipped the two of them to the ground, arms tangled in front of them. They rolled and struggled, each losing the grip on their weapons as they pounded each others hands into the earth. The Nadderi’s head shot back from a brutal head butt from the wood elf, and returned it with and elbow to the hunter’s face. Both bleeding now from brawling, they threw and shoved until their grapple was loosed, and they spun to a knee facing each other. The elves caught their breath for a moment, seemingly an eternity of battle into the night now, and stared at one another.

“I feel naked.” Kendari made a nod to his weaponless hands and then to their blades scattered across the upper grove and steps. ”
Elven dignity
?”

“Agreed” Lavress nodded as well, feeling the need for his weapons as also. Then both men stood up, and picked up their blades.

Lavress felt the cut on his chest and triceps seeping blood, as well as his shoulder, and he wiped some from his mouth from the hard elbow of the Nadderi warrior. He breathed deep, noting Bedesh had moved, and the entrance to the temple was smaller. Still wide enough for someone to get in, still wide enough for Kendari to get in, so Lavress focused on staying alive as long as he could.

Kendari wiped the blood from above his eye where the skin had split, and rolled his cut shoulder again, trying to keep the split chain links from the open wound. His eyes squinted, and he began to encircle the wood elf once again. His swords twirled in his hands, waiting to feel the perfect grip, and waiting for the perfect time to strike.

The cursed swordsman waited no more, taking quick steps toward his enemy, cutting from high with Shiver which met the falcata, then low with his pyramid pommeled longsword meeting the dagger. Lavress did not sit on the defensive either, returning the attacks with low swings of upward momentum angling to his enemy’s face, then secondary thrusts and short cuts from the glowing kukri. Each met the blades of Kendari, who seemed impenetrable as he spun, lunged, feinted, and devastated Lavress with attacks of his two swords that he barely could parry. The wood elf hardly got his cuts out further than halfway, the parries from the longswords too fast. Lavress pulled in tight, his curved weapons countering and stopping any blade that got close, and they were getting closer by the moment. Lavress was tiring, he knew it, and so did his opponent.

Exodus I:XII

Cats Eye Island, Carisian Sea

Saberrak waded into the shallow waters that the away boat had taken them to, never having set foot in the sea, let alone walked waist deep in it. Cold, chilling his body, yet he did not care, all part of freedom he thought, gazing at the strange island ahead of them. The gray minotaur, axes in hand, walked upon the small stretch of sand that foreshadowed the thick forest of strange trees too dense to see much more than hills and valleys. Dark of night, hearing the others disembarking the small torchlit boats, he trudged ahead toward the inland hills, curious as he spotted something out of place. The horned warrior brushed aside some ferns and weeds, revealing an enormous carving of wood as tall as a two story building, round and engraved. The very top, had an eye carved in it, open and feline, with many decorations of cats, men, and various poses of the two all down the wooden pillar that held up nothing. Saberrak assumed it to be more religious waste, and walked in further. Up the steep valley floor, with a trail made for small animals, the minotaur hacked and marched his way higher, spotting several more of the wooden pillars with cat’s eyes atop them. “Hmm, hence the name.” he smiled, followed the trails upward, sensing that there was something to see if he followed the carved totems and the trail, something he wanted to find.

Shinayne and James helped the crew load barrels of dried breads, water, ale, wine, and other supplies onto the away boats, having found a small thatched bunker. All the barrels and crates were marked with the black falcon of Chazzrynn and James knew that he was now privileged to commandeer them as a knight of the realm. “Where did our horned friend take to, my lady?” James was lifting a crate with one of the sailors, looking about for Saberrak.

“Exploring in the night. He followed the trail there, leave some for the big beast. He should be helping here instead of wandering off.” Shinayne rolled a barrel with one of the mates.

“I will track him down, and the others?” James loaded the crate onto the away boat, patting the sailor on the shoulder and looking at the clear starred sky.

“Gwenneth is deep in study with the scroll and Azenairk is helping offload and make room below deck for all of this.” she pointed at the cargo heading back to the Bronze Harpy. “Go get the minotaur to carry these last two heavy ones, I am heading back
, Sir
James.” Shinayne bowed, smiling and noting that he was wearing the blue sash.