531 Small Monster

Here, I’m supposed to say that it was easy, that I was used to fighting against superior numbers. That is true, in so far as it goes.

Dusky was the first to strike, mostly because his weapon was longest. I had intended to close and thrust my own spear after deflecting it with my shield, but instead I had to step to the right to avoid Sandy and Black, which I had to reverse to avoid being crushed by Blondo.

They weren’t a tightly knit force or anything; I just spent more of my time dodging, blocking, or parrying than fighting back.

One would think that the unwieldy weapons of Black or Blondo would create openings, but the others were there to attack in the gaps. Oddly, it was Sandy who left himself open first, doing a spinning maneuver that drove me back, but left his sandaled feet open to a strike. He howled, and fell to knee.

There was no time to celebrate; Black and Blondo circled to either side while Dusky kept driving me back toward a building.

One of the crowd hurled a knife at me, straight into Blondo’s lower back. While he turned to shout at that man, I leapt upon him. He struck me twice before I leapt away, just in time for Black to rake his axe across Blondo’s face. <1 >

Now inside Dusky’s preferred combat range, I dodged his fist to reach out and grab his belt, turning that into a [Hip Throw]. He held onto his weapon, but went sprawling into Blondo.

Black pressed me for a swing and a half, forcing me to drop my spear and swipe across his belly with my claws. They didn’t catch on anything, sliding effortlessly across his armor. He did wince in pain, though, and I knew I’d left a bruise.

I danced away, ducking under someone’s thrown axe. Damn it! This wasn’t working, and if I didn’t end it soon, I’d be fighting against a mob.

.....

Sandy had snuck away, but Dusky and Blondo had disentangled from each other, and were already on their feet. I chose to dodge to my right, to put Black between us.

Black, for his part, brought his axe around in a wide arc, more power than control.

“Varnak, out of the way!” Dusky said, jabbing Black in the buttocks. Black howled and clenched the wound, limping off to one side, and hurling curses.

Dusky then followed through with a [Flurry of Thrusts], driving me along the road. I only held my ground and advanced again when Blondo was in the air, possibly hoping to crush my head on his way down. I wasn’t able to sink my fangs into his leg, but even the brief delay caused my my bite, he spun and hit the ground. Head first. Hard.

Dusky changed his stance, to one more suited to defense. Around us, the crowd yipped and laughed, and withdrew whenever either of us approached.

“I have the better weapon.” Dusky said.

“We’ll see.” I replied. “Spirits of water...”

“As if I were so inept!” he shouted, striking.

I batted the tip of his spear away, stepping forward to strike him in the belly. His lance sprawled on the ground as he flew backward, and the shield dissolved into splinters.

“How?” he asked. “How are you so fast?”

“I am a monster.” I said. “One with, apparently, more combat experience than you.”

“No,” he said, clutching his stomach. “That is not possible. Not at your age.”

He failed to rise.

If you cannot stand, you cannot fight.

Pausing only to return a thrown rock, I returned to the command center. I bore no weapon save my claws, but the crowd parted before me, laughing all the time.

I’d been expecting the door to be locked and a beam of wood thrown to bar it shut. Instead, it opened readily.

“The...” stammered a young boy. “The chieftains are expecting you, geckoling. Is that offensive, calling you geckoling? Please don’t kill me.”

That was when the arrow struck the back of my head, finding no purchase, but piercing the scales.

“I am Chanter of the Truth!” I screamed at the crowd. “The next one to pelt me with so much as a rotten vegetable today will live the rest of their life unable to move their legs.”

Some things, people fear more than death.

I turned back, to find the boy already fled. He had wisdom; maybe some day he would be a chieftain.

The albino was alone. “The others,” he said, “are busy elsewhere.”

historical

“You mean they’ve decided not to fight me.”

Albino chuckled. “Fight you? When four of our champions together could not stop you? No, little monster, nobody else wants to fight you.”

I took a moment to straighten my posture. “We had an agreement.” I said.

“Not with me.” Albino said. “I recall the other chieftains talking while I remained silent.”

My lips pulled back from my teeth, but not in a smile. “Then there is nothing to discuss. I am taking what the others promised.”

“Is that what you think is happening now?” he asked. “You don’t think that someone wise would have dispatched some soldiers to take your pet into custody?”

“That would have been most unwise.” I said.

He chuckled, let out a single peal of what might be laughter. “I told them that much. Tell me, how well do you think they listened? If you run, you might be able to stop them.”

“If it’s both of them, you might be the only remaining chieftain at the end of the day.”

“Ah.” he said, letting his lids close halfway. “Not today. But, perhaps, soon.”

I did not run; I hadn’t seen either other chieftain on the main road, nor did I see Scar until he emerged from an alleyway, almost directly in front of me. He was facing away, and I think his first indication I was there was when my fangs pierced his armor and his flesh. He screamed, but not for long.

“Taranda.” I said, “Things have changed. I need you to come with me.”

She looked at the corpse that had recently been a chieftain. “What if I don’t want to be anywhere near you?”

“Taranda, if you want to remain among a people who regard you as a snack, I’m not about to force you otherwise.”

“Good.” she said, and fled with the speed that keeps the helpless alive.

“That’s not...” I began. And then I realized I didn’t care. Not enough to chase her among the wounded. I only needed twenty more points; that was Sarai and one other. <2 >

I found Big Black at the prison. He seemed .. calm. “We search now for the slaves you requested.” he said, “but none has come forward.”

I sighed. “If you intend to lock me in the dungeon while I look for them, then I promise you there will be unintended consequences.”

“I am not so stupid as I look.” he said, gesturing me toward the basement stairs.

I perused the slaves. “That one.” I said, pointing to her, “That one is Sarai.”

“No!” she screamed. “No, you are mistaken! I’m not her!”

I took out a whetstone, raking my claws along it. “Tell me, Sarai. You began with the tip of my nose. Should I begin skinning you at yours?”

“No, no. I swear I’m not her. I’m her twin sister.”

“As a Truthspeaker, you think I cannot tell when another is lying?” I asked.

She fell to her knees, pressed her face into the tops of my feet. “No, please. Please! I’ll do anything, just... just kill me quickly if you must. Kill me before peeling my skin off.”

She sobbed onto my feet for a while.

“You offer your life so readily?” I asked.

“Yes. Please take my life before taking my skin.” she said.

“She’s tricking you.” one of the guards said.

“She’s tricked herself.” I said, squatting just long enough to wrap a shortened belt about her throat and tug her hair free. Gripping her hair with that hand, I turned her face upward, so her eyes were looking into mine.

“I accept your life.” I said. “For the rest of your life, you are my slave. You serve as I see fit. Do you understand?”

“No!” she screamed, tugging at her collar. “No, that isn’t what I meant!”

“The choice was yours.” I said, stepping behind her and wrapping my other hand around her head. “Go whole and unashamed to your nameless father.”

She screamed, almost loud enough to drown out the Hyenadae cheers and laughing. “Do it, you monster! But know...”

I snapped her neck. It was a clean and swift kill. “I see none of the others here.” I said.

“Then they will be in the mines.” Big Black said.

I shrugged. “Leave them there.” I said. “Their suffering is as nothing to me.”

Awards, awards, awards. <Complete Quest.>

“Allow me time to ask Taranda again to come with me,” I said, “and then I must make my way south.”

Big Black looked down at Sarai’s corpse. “Go, then.”

<1 > The last I knew, that left a very nasty and fearsome looking scar.

<2 > I tend to remember the names of those who skin me. Sarai having done that, she was on my list already, quest or no quest.