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Scarlet Ruse

Chapter Two: The Enemy

Whoever or whatever had the bright notion to attack such a fortress was either drunk with confidence or a complete imbecile. Nevertheless I wasn't about to blindly charge into the fray like the rest of these valiant saps; fuck fighting off an invasion. While the others all charged down the West ramparts and into the great hall, I ducked off to the left, scampering up a set of wooden walkways, part of a makeshift scaffolding someone had put up for some reason; repair work most likely as it looped around back of the main turret that served as the Barracks of sort.

I found a glass pane window after a few seconds of scouring, it took a bit of force to push it ajar, the wrought ironwork of its frame was frozen near solid with the biting blizzard winds. Soon as I was inside I could hear the clashing of metal off somewhere in the Grand Hall below, a fight I was all intent on avoiding. No I intended to find Kaiber and ditch this mess all together, I had a contract on that lizards head, and a big one at that, surely he had to be worth something to someone.

There was a fair wager that he was already at the Grand Hall, aiding in whatever valiant attempt of resistance there was against whomever the invaders were. But he was far more likely to be in his room within the Barracks, snatching up the single trinket he held of worth; that dump drab little cloak. I drew one of my daggers just to be safe as I marched the halls toward the room he'd been given and sure enough as I rounded the corner he came stumbling from his room, hurriedly clipping aforementioned cloak on over his shoulder.

I didn't waste time, I made past him, grabbing one of his horns tight as I did and dragging him away from the sounds of battle that rung down the hallways.

“We're leaving" I said sharply, tugging him along after me, the dimwit friend of his hurrying confusedly after the pair of us like some lost pup.

“What? why ? urrgh let go of me"! Kaiber growled, tugging and fighting back against me like some stubborn child; I didn't have time for his crap.

“Quit it or i'll crack you over the skull and drag you off the mountain unconscious you little vermin" I barked back at him, giving his horn one good retching yank that issued a sharp yelp from him. I didn't care if he wanted to fight, I didn't care for him full stop, he was money to me, nothing more. I didn't get more than a few more feet down the hall before Digger dashed past me and bared my path, lips drawn back, teeth and claws bared, snarling like a feral beast. I hated that brainless oaf, he followed Kaiber about like some personal butler or steward.

“I don't have time for this, go snarl at…" I didn't get to finish that sentence, agony shooting up along my left arm all of a sudden. I let out a sharp cry of pain as I looked over my shoulder to see Kaibers jaws locked around my lower arm; he'd bit me. Not just some pinching nip, no a full on savage bite, I could feel his fang like teeth buried in my muscles and the heated saliva coating my skin.

My grip on his horn fell away instantly and the second he was free he dodged away from me, his right arm coming away with my reserve dagger in hand. I watched as he spun on his heel and took off down the hall toward the fight, digger shoving me aside and hastily following as I clutched the wound tight.

“You fucking little bastard"! I hissed through clenched teeth, at that moment two thoughts ran through my head, the first was how much I wanted to flay the lizards hide to use as new wrapping for my dagger handles. The second thought was what Roderic would do to me if I let the damn lizard kill himself in some stupid display of selfless valour. Cursing under my breath I dug a hand into the pouch at my belt, drawing a vial of ointment to coat my wound in before bandaging it tightly. It hurt, badly, it was agonising, but as far as injuries went it wasn't the worst I'd had, still I was going to scald that bastard for it.

I made down the halls after him, wincing as I went, the sounds of battle growing louder as I went till I came out into the Grand Hall. I had been expecting Ver'Ulf'Nii or perhaps some sort of raiders, but before me the Keep was laid siege to by Thralls instead. The shambling corpses were all gaunt, the skin stretched and leathery over the bones, stringy hair, empty sockets. Most if not all clad in old and worn chain hauburks and welding broken or dulled steel swords and chipped wooden shields. They were infantrymen, from the last war, slow and stumbling, pouring in slowly from other hallways, stiffly shuffling about toward the back of the Hall. Gallen and Tormin both held off the advancing horde amidst a defencive line of loyal warriors and mercenaries alike, Gallen's booming voice rallied them whilst Tormin chanted away under his breath.

The two of them alone could easily hold off this shambling horde of brainless husks, my eyes scanned the offensive line for Kaiber but he wasn't anywhere to be found, surely he hadn't already been killed? No he was too good to be cut down by a mear thrall, my eyes began to scan the rest of the room and quickly did I spot Digger off by the main door, scratching and pounding on it in a panic.

I made a line directly toward the halfwitted lizard, ducking the stumbling swings of various thralls, shouldering my way through them, concerningly though none of them made to give chace to me; something was off here.

“Where's that little prick Kaiber"! I barked at the dark scaled lizard as I shouldered up next to him, dagger drawn to fend off any of the slow shuffling undead soldiers.

“Outside. Evil man. Door wont open"! He whined, panic was clear in his tone, though 'evil man' wasn't much of a help. Still I took it as a sign to hurry up, issue was though that the Grad Hall doors were huge, thirty feet tall and three feet thick of solid wood, framed with heavy iron. A quick look off to my side showed the mechanism that usually opened it wasn't going to work; it lay in pieces, shattered like glass. I gave out an annoyed growl and turned back to the horde before me, there were no windows in the Hall, the doors where bare shut and to go around would take to long.

“Belmont, get this damn door open, Kaibers in trouble"! I scratched out as loud as I could, hoping it would get the fools attention. Belmont was a warlock, I'd met him some time ago on a different contract, if anyone here could force the door ajar it was him. I was wagering on how chummy he and Kaiber had gotten, it was a wager that paid off, the plate clad man came charging through the horde like it was nothing, clearly using magic to do so.

I pulled Digger aside just as Belmont slammed shoulder first into the door with a yell, the monolithic slab of wood held for a moment before it began to give way, shuddering open with agonising slowness. Warlocks, the raw power their faith gave them scared the crap out of me whenever I witnessed it, but faith was something I'd shunned during my harsh upbringing in the streets.

As soon as the door was ajar enough to slip through I did just that, squeezing out onto the frozen stone foreyard of the Keep; though I stopped dead in my tracks just soon after. I had expected to be met with more thralls, or perhaps a Golem, but before, with its back turned stood a Shade, a perverse and dark mage, a thing of evil and cruelty. It stood there with a single arm raised outward and a few feet away was Kaiber, hoisted into the air, clutching at his own throat, kicking and writhing as if he was being hung by an invisible rope.

I faltered, took a step back, as if I was going to take on a Shade for a little coin, but before I could turn and slip back inside, Belmont was at my side, his poleaxe drawn and readied. Even Digger was there, unarmed yet teeth bared and ready to fight, both of them had fear in their eyes but it was overridden by something that I didn't possess; they weren't afraid of dying.

But I was.