Unkarra Gate (1st draft)

Chapter 25.2

Bogrel led them back to the camp, by part luck, arriving very late in the night. They caused little commotion in the night anywhere but their own tent, at one side of the camp. They were all exhausted and found their way to sleep as soon as possible. But they were woken early when Matias' men showed up looking for Bogrel.

He went along with them agreeably, even though their treatment of him was testing his patience. They brought him to a private spot, a minute's walk out of the main camp, where Matias waited for him. It was a quiet spot, where the sounds of birds and insects could be heard as they busied themselves in the cool morning. A breeze blew from the desert; it carried the words from Matias' mouth away quickly as he spoke.

Matias faced away from Bogrel, but spoke to him. "I understand you have failed again. And moreover, you have defied me."

"How so?" rebuked Bogrel.

"You have killed a man under my employ. A man I gave authority. When you defied his authority, you defied me."

"I saved more lives than I took. He was an idiot that is lucky to have made it this far." Bogrel's voice was rising with anger as he thought of Garruel and his callous treatment of the young men with them on the prior days' excursion.

"I put him in command, and you struck against him," Matias answered, turning directly towards Bogrel; his voice escalating with anger as well. "He carried my authority, and so a strike against him was against me. If there were results, perhaps I could find a way to see past this. But there are no results. I think it is time to revisit our terms." Matias made a motion to a man, and from out of sight came a man dragging Ezara.

They had her gagged and bound, and brought her before Matias. Her eyes were wild: wide open, and staring daggers through Matias.

He continued. "I have yet withheld justice for Raguel, the man she stabbed to death right in front of me. This has not sat well with my men. This has not sat well with me. I might be better served appeasing my men and finding our own way. Let the two of you face justice, and appeal to the most reasonable of you Geberrans - Dara - for help finding your homeland."

"Don't you touch her," Bogrel said between gritted teeth.

"I haven't touched her enough!" Matias snapped back. Several of his men came to his side as he grasped Ezara by her shirt and put his hands about her jaw, framing her face with his massive hands. Next he struck her, sending her roughly to the dirt ground, and she could do nothing to blunt the fall with her hands behind her back.

Watching his niece fall to the ground was enough to put Bogrel into action. He quickly stepped forward and stuck out at Matias. But the bigger man caught the blow, and brought Bogrel in close. As Bogrel continued to try and strike at Matias, Matias continued to lock up Bogrel's limbs and twist them painfully.

Their struggle lasted several minutes: as Bogrel slipped free and tried punches or elbows, Matias tried arm bars and takedowns. Soon Bogrel was on the ground, and Matias on top, catching and twisting his limbs painfully. Bogrel could not match strength, and found himself pinned and at Matias' mercy.

"There is no more time for failures," Matias said through gritted teeth. "Find the way, or you have no use to me. You or the girl. I can use the other, Dara."

Bogrel struggled abruptly as he heard her name, but it only served to give Matias a reason to apply more pressure with his arm lock. Despite his tolerance to pain, Bogrel cried out.

"Find the way, or our deal is off. All parts of it. It won't take long for word to be delivered back to Marpport."

Bogrel could struggle no harder, else he would have.

"You have one more chance." At these words, Matias switched his hold and put an arm around Bogrel's neck. He flexed his arm, and cut the blood and air to Bogrel's head.

As Bogrel fell limp, Ezara watched on. Her eyes betrayed no trace of any fear; instead they burned hot with anger as she studied Matias. She stayed locked on Matias as he let go of her uncle and came directly over to her. They spoke no words, letting their eyes convey far more than words ever could have.