The Redemption - World of Ranicke 3

Chapter 5

Theik-Lekal could only react.  When he noticed the riffraff and thugs charging out of the shadows something in him reacted and he had to head towards them.  As he was moving forward all he could really hope was that the girl would do what he had told her to do.  While moving forward he noticed the one guard who had drawn his attention was slowly starting to react.  He instantly knew that he was a traitor to the one he had been watching.  If all else failed he would deal with him and get some information from him.

Zephara was still talking to the seller there was a bellow from his senior guard.  He turned and the sudden silence of the area startled him for a moment before a throng of screaming men came at the small party.  For a brief moment he was almost offended since they should know that attacking an Imperial party was tantamount to suicide even if they took out the target.  A brief moment later he surged forward and had his battle axe in hand and listened to the commands from his senior warrior.

"All back around Zephara.  Protect and guard him with your lives."  The bellow was loud enough to make some pause.  "All who attack an Imperial party is eligible for death of the worst sort."  That bellow made a few more pause but it wasn't enough by a significant amount.  There were only half dozen guards to probably twenty or more attackers.

Before the battle was joined a small waif darted behind Zephara and almost caused him to strike at her.  When he turned to her he found a young girl of his race who was maybe ten or eleven years old.  "What are you doing girl?"  He asked her.

She ducked down and held an arm over her head.  "Please don't hit me master.  My owner told me to find somewhere to hide if there was any sort of fight.  I am just doing as he ordered."  She was crouching down as well as she spoke.

Zephara looked down at her and smiled slightly.  "In that case stay down and I will do what I can."  A shadow caught his attention and he whirled around and struck.  The axe slashed across an attacker's chest which caused the man to scream and flinch back.  When Zephara snapped the axe back around he used just enough of the bits to slice the man's neck open.  There was a spurt of arterial blood as he went down.

Theik had joined in the battle but was staying well away from the Imperial guards since he really didn't want to face them.  Just looking at their weapons they were much heavier than his and were being used with a brutal efficiency.  Since he had what most would take as a wood cutters axe he was using glancing blows.  Unlike the guards he was using most of the axe as best possible.  He would nail one with the bits only to snap the butt against the head or throat of another.

As he was fighting he watched one guard go down but the young man, who was probably some Imperial relative, was doing damn good though he was much smaller than the others.  Out of one corner of his eyes Jim noticed the one guard dash down an alleyway and he went after him.  The other was moving fast but he didn't appear to notice that Theik was following him till the last moment.  As he was getting ready to strike at him the warrior spun around.

"Who the Segnan are you filth.  I am an imperial guard and to interfere with me is to die."  The guard figured that with the uniform he was wearing would keep him safe.  "I am going to get help as ordered so get out of my way vermin human."

Theik laughed.  "Is that why you opened the way for the thugs and then ran?  I didn't hear any orders called to you before you ran.  Face me like a man or die like the dirt you are."  His body was coiled and ready for whatever might happen.

The other gave a huge swing of the battle axe he was carrying to try and take out the human in one strike.  Most of his kind had a low opinion of humans and had never faced one who had the training Theik had.

Theik danced back and returned the swing.  Though he knew better it was a light flickering blow across one leg.  "Children shouldn't play with the trained.  Come little girl and show me what you aren't."  That was a definite sneer when he said it.  It was obvious the human had little respect for the other.