Infinity Blade: The Rise of Raidriar

Chapter Eight

Jori glanced at the crossbow and made sure that it was well out of her reach. The woman under him raised an eyebrow at the long nails, the unkempt beard, and his shirtless chest, smiling for a brief second at how well muscled it was.

"Well Scruffy, it seems we have a problem."

In his turn, Jori studied her, ignoring her comment on the situation. Her long dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, in a no-nonsense style. She would have been attractive, but her grey eyes spoiled it. They were grim, dangerous and hard.

"So, are you a mute or what?" she asked still raising that curious eyebrow, oddly nonplussed at being pinned down.

"What is your name and what are you doing here?"

"Same as you I imagine. Pillaging and plundering our weaselly black hearts out."

Jori glared at her.

"I am Jori, a deathless ruler, I do not 'pillage and plunder my weaselly black heart out'," he stated, mimicking her voice as he spoke the last few words.

The girl shrugged unfazed by the response. "Of all the Deathless, I run into the one with the dumbest name."

Jori ignored the insult at his name. She was a thief, that was all. It didn't matter to him if she knew who he was. "What's your name?" he demanded again.

"Well if you insist, it's Iris."

"How did you know that the Worker was no longer here?"

"From one thief to another," she began, "I can't, in good conscience, reveal my sources." She gave him a look of mock sincerity.

Jori let out an exasperated sigh. This was getting nowhere. And what was he going to do with her? He'd cross that bridge when he came to it, he decided.

Jori's head snapped up as he heard the slightest sound of a soft boot on the cold stone floor in the hallway outside.

"Did you come alone?"

Iris hesitated then nodded slightly. Slowly, Jori began rising to his feet, while still keeping an eye on Iris.

Creeping noiselessly towards the door, Jori's hand tightened around the dagger in his hand. Jori flattened himself against the wall near the opening, keeping Iris in his peripheral vision.

Jori could hear the faint sounds of breathing and the muffled sound of soft leather boots. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Iris slowly rise into a crouch and retrieve her crossbow. For a brief second, he wondered if the other intruder was with her and if she was just going to shoot him; but he dismissed the idea. She seemed convincing enough when she said the intruder wasn't with her.

The footsteps stopped and the breathing was more noticeable than before. Jori glanced at Iris who was aiming the crossbow at the hallway, centimeters from where Jori was. She nodded confidently, and Jori suddenly reached out onto the other side of the wall and found purchase, grabbing a leather jerkin. Jori hauled the unsuspecting man into the lab and the man let out a startled yelp.

There was a resounding thud and the hum of a vibrating string. The man let another yelp as a bolt from Iris' crossbow pierced him in the upper right shoulder.

The man dropped from Jori's grasp and fell to the ground, whimpering and nursing the ten-centimeter bolt that was lodged in his arm.

The two stared at the moaning figure on the ground before them, losing quite a bit of blood. Jori glanced at Iris who had that same eyebrow raised again. He was going to comment on the fact when she interrupted.

"What are we going to do with this guy?"

Jori bent and inspected the man's sleeve. The mark there was unmistakable. "Liberators," he said quietly to himself.

"I thought that they had died out or at least had been inactive for some time."

"Well, looks like they're back. And they usually don't travel alone; or so I've heard."

Jori stood from his crouching position. He walked over to the desk and grabbed his pack, slinging it around his shoulders.

Iris jerked the bolt out of the man and tore off a good chunk of skin.

"Well I guess this makes us allies for the time being, Scruffy."

"Looks like it," Jori responded a little hesitantly.

Yet again she raised the annoying eyebrow at his lackluster response.

"Stop doing that!" Jori said, flustered.

Incredibly, the eyebrow ascended even higher on her forehead. "And what am I doing that's got your undies in a ball?"

"Well, for starters, you keep raising that stupid eyebrow. And, it's panties in a bunch, not undies in a ball!"

Iris carelessly pointed the loaded crossbow at him and put her free hand on her hip. Jori recoiled and Iris glanced at the crossbow. Hastily she lowered it, a little embarrassed.

"Listen Sir Humpsalot-"

"Rogar! Get your lazy bum back out here!"

The voice cut off Iris' remark. It was foreign and had a thick accent. Jori and Iris froze, looking at the entrance. Waiting a few moments, they crept silently towards each other.

"So there are more," Jori breathed in Iris' ear. She nodded and her brow furrowed in thought. She stared at the door as if it would somehow give her an idea.

"We need to see how many there are," she whispered back, her face centimeters from his.

Iris started towards the door, her soft boots noiselessly moving across the floor. Jori followed instinctively crouching as he snuck silently behind her.

Iris' heart beat rapidly as she peered around the doorframe. She let out the breath she was unconsciously holding as she saw the corridor was open.

Jori nodded as Iris signaled that the way was clear. They ghosted through the hall, and stopped at the next corner, leading to the stairs and into the Worker's throne room.

There was a small hum of conversation from the room, that masked the sound of approaching feet.

Suddenly, a man rounded the corner and stopped just as he saw the two. In the blink of the eye, Jori dashed past Iris, jamming the butt of his dagger into the man's stomach, driving the wind from his lungs. Jori then grabbed the stunned man's head and smashed it against his ascending knee.

The man's eyes glossed over and Jori caught him before he crashed to the ground.

Iris closed her gaping mouth and nodded sternly at Jori, who nodded back.

Again, Iris cautiously poked her head around the corner.

"This will be fun."