Threads of Vengeance

Part 1 Chapter 7

Inside Syral

The commander of the Cobra mercenaries paced about, his boots making no sound upon the wooden floor.

“Is everyone clear on the defence strategy?” he asked.

“Aye,” they chorused.

“How about you, Keto?” he asked suspiciously.

He was answered by a loud snore. He walked over to the young mercenary, fast asleep in a sitting position and pulled out his boots. He held the bottom of one just away from Keto's face.

The commander then leant in close to his ear and yelled “KETO!!!”

Keto woke up with a start and banged his head against the sole of the boot. A wave of laughter greeted him.

“What was that for?” Keto growled, rubbing at his now dirty face.

“For falling asleep when I'm talking,” the commander snapped.

“Oh...ohh! Sorry!”

“Alright then, team one, with me. We go aid the Captain in his defence. Team two, with Anar.”

He turned and marched out of the tiny inn room they were located in. Most of the mercenaries followed him.

“Where do I go” mumbled a disoriented Keto.

“Team two, with us” said Kanth, offering a hand.

Keto grabbed it and got up, “I need to shower.”

“No time, the empire's is almost at the gates!” said Kanth

“Get yer arse movin'. Kanth yer on babysit” snapped Anar and strode outside, followed by those remaining except Kanth and Keto.

Kanth waited for Keto to strap on his boots and grab his bow. They ran out of the inn and into the streets that were devoid of people, all of whom had either joined the army in defending the city or closed their doors for safety.

“Where are we going?” Keto asked Kanth as they hurried to keep up with Anar and the rest who had already gone a dozen paces ahead.

“Commander went to the west gate,” said Kanth. “So we go to the south gate.”

“Oh! C'mon, I know a shortcut! I've been here before!” Keto dragged Kanth into a nearby alley and then through a series of twists and turns along a maze of narrow lanes and alleys.

“We're here!” announced Keto.

Everywhere around them were houses and shops, all locked and bolted. The city walls were completely out of sight.

“....Or not”

“How many years has it been since you were last here?” asked Kanth.

“Err about five or si-” he broke off as a loud shout erupted from somewhere nearby.

“There, see? That's where the fighting is going on!” Keto ran off in the direction of the shout.

Kanth shook his head in exasperation and ran after him. He found Keto in an alley, staring at something with a stunned expression on his face.

“What's the matter...” his face paled as he saw what Keto what staring at.

A young boy, a street urchin by the looks of his dirty and ragged clothing stood, surrounded by a dozen bodies. Remnants of a carriage lay strewn about across the cobbled street, stained dark by flowing blood. In the boy's hands was a woman, held by the throat. The woman was dressed in fine silk dyed red and adorned with jewels that glittered in the midday sunlight. Her head, however hung to the side, limp.

The boy dropped the corpse and turned towards the two mercenaries. He cocked his head to the side and smiled sweetly as he lifted a hand towards them. The hand stretched and shot forward towards Keto, accompanied by popping sounds of bones dislocating inside the extending arm.

Keto snapped out of his daze and dodged the elongated arm, purely out of instinct built over years of combat. The arm, now over ten feet long swung like a whip toward Kanth. He jumped up and the hand swung underneath him, into a nearby building. He unsheathed his own Aara and launched a series of attacks with a wordless snarl. Blood erupted from the boy's body as the Aara tore into his flesh.

The arm returned to its normal size and a number of blood red spikes shot out of the cuts that Kanth had made. He jumped back and managed to avoid all, but one which managed to pierce his shoulder. He uttered a short cry of pain.A moment later the beast joined him with a cry of its own as a dozen arrows pierced it in quick succession.

“What in Daarva's bloody breath is that?” swore Keto. He held his usual bow with a tiny crystal embedded in the centre at the handle. It glowed beige from in between his fingers.

 Kanth took the chance to bring his Aara across the neck of the thing. The veins split open in the neck, but instead of blood, red tentacles protruded out and grabbed Kanth. One tentacle entered the wound in Kanth's shoulder. He screamed in agony as the tentacle pierced through and appeared on the other side. A look of something similar to fear flashed across the being's face and letting go of Kanth, it turned and ran, but not before receiving another dozen arrows.

"I'll rip you apart!" snarled Kanth, as he chased after it.

“You're running in the wrong direction, you should be running away from it!” Keto called out as he chased after Kanth.

Kanth chased after the beast, turn after turn, alley after alley. It ran. Sometimes on four legs and sometimes on two, but it ran. Sweated poured out from every pore of his body and his side ached, still he chased after it. Unable to throw its pursuer off, it jumped into a nearby sewer, seeking refuge in the darkness. Ignoring his shoulder that screamed in protest, Kanth jumped in after it, closely followed by Keto.

“Dammit! I can't see anything,” said Kanth, frustration clearly outlining the words.

“Let me take the lead,” said Keto taking a deep breath. His crystal glowed, illuminating half a dozen feet, revealing that they were in a tunnel with sewage water flowing, presumably towards the river. Wooden structures at regular intervals supported the whole tunnel. The walls of the tunnel were made out of mud and looked like they could collapse any minute.

"Smells worse that Daarva's breath," grumbled Keto as he led the way through the tunnel.