Legends: The Knight of Helm (#1)

Chapter 16

Cladius grabbed his sheath, Sosire placed neatly inside. The man walked towards Agular. Both Almorah and Agular were sleeping. They were being kept prisoner here, in this small medical bay. Cladius didn't like it one bit. He search for anything that could be a make shift weapon, but couldn't find anything. He glanced back at Almorah and Agular. If they were going to make a move, now was their chance.

He placed his hand on Agular, shaking the man awake and then approached Almorah. He gently placed his hand on her good arm.

"Almorah," the knight whispered sternly.

The woman stirred glancing up at Cladius, "What are you doing?"

Cladius placed his finger to his lip. Agular walked drowsily towards the two, placing his arm under his chest and on his abdomen.

"Let's move." Cladius replied, throwing a shirt over his naked torso.

He placed his armor in a bag he had found, previously, and placed his helmet there as well. They got to the stairs and Cladius stopped them, handing the bag off to Almorah, still wearing her special made armor.

"I've been watching there movement's throughout the night, there are two guards at the top of the stairs. Right now, I'm the best solution to take them out quietly, you two wait here." Cladius whispered as the other two nodded.

Almorah wasn't sure what the knight's plans where, but she trusted him. He wanted only the two's safety. It was funny to think, that only three weeks ago, they had met at her Rigger's grave, it all seemed like such a long time ago. Yet the thought still brought tears to her eyes, to think of her father's death. It all seemed so in important, she shook it off, this was life or death.

Cladius slowly crept up the stairs, the Blade of Guidance in hand. He gripped Sosire tightly; as he watched the two drowse men drank their cheap ale. There was no way to progress form here without being seen. Cladius charged forward, as the two men tried to draw their swords, Cladius had already cleanly cut through both of their heads. Almorah and Agular watched the heads role down the spiral stair case, and the clattering of weapon's dropping.

Cladius came down soon after, his sword wet with blood, "Here you go."

Almorah caught the sheathed sword, in her dominate arm. Both Quails unsheathed their short swords, the blade about the size of their forearms. Cladius ushered them up the stairs quietly, the party making great speed.

Cladius held his hand back, looking through the door.

"Almorah, do you have any idea where their leader will be, and our possessions?" Cladius inquired.

"He's over there," Almorah replied pointing to the door the man had tried her to enter, "My best guess, I know not for sure."

"Good enough. You two find our equipment and supplies, take only what they took from us, I'm not stealing from these unfortunate people." Cladius replied running off towards the wall in the dark, taking his armor back.

"Any idea where to start," Agular asked.

"Somewhere nearby is my best guess." Almorah replied.

Cladius watched as the two went into a door nearby the room they were kept captive. He looked back walking slowly and carefully towards the door. He tied the armor around his back, as he tried the door, locked. He grabbed the blade of Sosire, gripping it as tight as possible, the blade digging into his skin. He slammed the hilt into the knob of the door, and loud sound rupture throughout the small settlement. He quickly kicked the door open, tossing the blade into the air, and grabbing its handle. He pointed the blade at a young man rushing at him with a short sword. The man didn't stop, the blade running through the boy's throat. Cladius was shocked how someone could be so reckless. He retrieved his blade as he saw the same man as before leap at him with two daggers in hand. Cladius blocked one blow and avoided the other.

"You just killed my boy!" The man said, his rough untamed beard moving with his mouth.

"You were the one who asked for this, not me." Cladius replied, kicking the man's torso.

The blow was beyond that of an average man, sending the man into the wall a yard away. He fell down to the ground, Cladius wasn't holding back at all. He grabbed the man by his shoulder pulling him up and pointing his sword at his spin. It would be an instant kill, and nothing could be done to recover him from that type of injury.

"You're going to let us leave; I won't take anything that you didn't take from us, knight's honor." Cladius whispered in his ear.

"That's not right! You used our medical treatment; can we not at least get payment for that?" The man replied in spite.

"Consider your life, repayment. I should kill you, so you can't harm another soul, lucky for you, I don't want the bloodshed, nor do I have the time to worry myself with scum like you."

The man shook his head in anger, "You're starving these people. I only do what I have to."

"And selling slaves is part of that, or is that just some change in your pocket?" Cladius replied.

"Only what I have to." The man replied.

Cladius started out the door, as a woman came rushing down stairs with a war axe. Cladius shoved the bandit chief into the wall, dodging his wife's blow. He disarmed the woman, slamming the flat of his blade into the weapon.

"Enough woman, I wish not to harm you, it is unethical." Cladius shouted.

"You killed my boy!" The woman yelled starring at the dead son on the ground.

She was weeping and gnashing her teeth as she charged forward in rage. Cladius could see her broken formation, but his heart went out for the woman. He felt but a fraction of her pain, but his heart felt the guilt of innocent blood. He slammed his sword into the axe's ninety degree, taking the head off. The head of the axe continued flying forward, into the ground. He kicked the woman in the hip, as he grabbed the escaping bandit chief.

"You're not going anywhere." He said, walking out the door carefully.

He watched as Almorah and Agular walked out, the bags full of their supplies, as they walked slowly forward. Twenty men were gathered looking and staring at Cladius. The sword pressed against the man's back.

"Kill him! Kill him!" The man shouted in furry.

"Open the gate." Cladius said aloud, the whole settlement awake now.

"Don't do it!" The chief shouted.

They ignored the man, opening the gate. Cladius nodded as Almorah and Agular walked out of the scene. Cladius walked slowly out of the gate the blade still against the man's back. He walked a good thirty feet, before kicking the man to his knees.

"Show me your hands" Cladius replied.

"What?"

"Show me your hands."

The man showed Cladius his hands as the blade came swiftly down. His hands fell to the sand, blood rushing from his wrist. Cladius flicked his blade as he walked away. The man was left recoiling in the sand in pain, screaming. His warriors rushed to his aid, as Cladius moved away.

"We'll be after you, Knight of Helm!" one of the men shouted back.

"Come and get me." Cladius replied, none dare to take the man, letting him walk off into the distance.

Cladius had made haste, reuniting with his party. He was happy to see them once more, under better circumstances.

"Cladius, what happened?" Almorah questioned, as Agular looked at him in interest as well.

"They'll be hunting us." Cladius replied, "Show me the map."

Agular handed Cladius the map, as the man followed the paper for their next destination. Cladius gave a small breath of relief, glad that that was over.

"Hunting us?" Almorah replied.

"Afraid so," Agular replied, tossing his hammer over his shoulders.