The Call of Crows

Chapter 43: True Weakness

Bjorn let his scars light up to send an arc of electricity at a pile of tinder, starting a small fire.

He had to use his power sparingly, since he'd never gotten an opportunity to recharge and if one of the Twelve passed over, they would certainly notice him. He could feel the chill of his power getting weaker and weaker.

Bjorn put some rat meat he'd gotten earlier today on a spit and started roasting it over the fire.

Since the Twelve stormed the city, Bjorn and Taya had made their way to an underground aqueduct rather than a sewer, so they had a source of clean water. They'd hunkered down with a few other survivors, making something close to a camp along the water.

Though everyone mostly kept to their own, Bjorn occupied himself with taking care of Taya. Her fever was still going strong. Bjorn tried to cool her off with wet cloths, but it did little good in staving the sickness off.

Bjorn took the meat off the fire and started eating it right away. Even though it burned his mouth, it was all the food he'd been able to forage for himself in days. Most of what he found went to making sure Taya was strong enough to fight her fever.

But he didn't mind. So long as Taya was around, he'd be alright.

Sometimes she spoke in her sleep and when she did, she said those things she always did, about life, the universe and everything. "We have to keep moving forward" or "Have faith you can do it." He liked to pretend she was talking to him.

He looked at her sleeping form on a bedroll a few feet away. She was less sweaty and seemed less tense. Maybe the fever was dying down.

The eerie silence was growing more uncomfortable by the second. The other survivors had said they were going to forage for supplies, so he and Taya were the only two in their camp.

To break the deafening quiet, Bjorn started humming an Ascomanni folk song as he ate.

He stopped his humming abruptly as he heard footfalls coming from further down the aqueduct. He thought the survivors had returned...at least until he heard the clang of metal on stone accompanying them.

Bjorn stamped out his fire, then rushed over to Taya and dragged her bedroll so it was hidden behind a tent. He grabbed his axe and shield and waited.

Three men clad in black scale armor walked into the camp, one of them holding a straight sword that was set aflame and was being used like a torch. The screech of Banebending reached his ears.

The Bane Knights spoke to each other in Nikan.

Panic rose from Bjorn's racing heart.

Then they stopped. One of the Knight who wielded one of Nikan's many types of halberds looked directly at him and sent a wave of magically controlled water at him.

Bjorn rolled out of the way and charged in. He rammed his shield into the man with the flaming sword and swung at the man with the Halberd with his axe.

His opponent parried the axe before the butt of the halberd smashed against his head.

Bjorn stumbled to the ground, pain burning in his temple. Since when had he gotten so weak?

"Looks like we missed one." the Fire Knight muttered in Koini, rolling his shoulders.

"Wait. Isn't this the Northman the Royals spoke of?" the third Knight asked.

"No." the Water Knight scoffed. "That one held his own against her highness, Yahui. This weakling couldn't possibly be him."

The Fire Knight asked, "Are there any other survivors down here?"