Nalia and Scrornuck. “Consider yourselves prisoners of Lord Draggott. Surrender and come peacefully, please."
Jape led the three out of their hiding place. “That's a very kind offer. Maybe we could join Mister Draggott for dinner some time?"
The Captain spoke patiently, in the manner of a cop trying to talk a robber out of a bank. “You're outnumbered and we control the only exit. Surrender and we won't hurt you."
"Of course you won't.” Jape wagged the “GUEST” tag clipped to his cape.
Two of the soldiers drew their swords.
"Did you really think that'd work?” Scrornuck whispered.
"It was worth a try."
"This is your last chance to come peacefully,” the Captain said.
Jape shook his head. Nalia reached for her sword.
"Have it your way.” The remaining soldiers unsheathed their weapons. Three stayed by the Captain, blocking the way out, three turned to face Scrornuck, and the remaining two advanced on Jape and Nalia.
Scrornuck shot Jape a questioning look. “Nothing up my sleeve today,” Jape said. “They're all yours."
"You guys sure you want a fight?” Scrornuck raised Ol’ Red and let about four feet of the blade spring forth. The attackers blinked and paused for a moment, but continued their advance. One soldier raised the inevitable taunt, calling, “Hey, cutie, what's under the dress?"
Scrornuck sighed. Not again. “Man-eating tigers,” he said, slowly raising one leg, as if to give them a peek. “Wanna look?” He suddenly spun about and swung Ol’ Red, shifting his grip slightly so the sword's blade jumped out to leave neat little cuts on the soldiers’ cheeks, just below their helmets. “I win!” he shouted as the three dropped back. With a broad smile, he raised his sword and bowed graciously as he'd seen the duelists in Taupeaquaah do. What a great place, he thought.
As Scrornuck bowed, the soldiers rushed forward, thrusting their weapons. Ah, shit, he thought, I knew this was too good to be true. Ol’ Red leaped out to deflect two of the blades, but the third got through, finding the gap between his belt and the bottom of his armor. He felt a sudden pain followed by the sticky warmth of blood as the sword grazed his right side. Ol’ Red's blade flickered and disappeared as he whirled to his left to escape the attack. For a moment he stood motionless, growling a deep animal sound that was equal parts pain and anger. The wound, though minor, hurt.
The soldiers charged. It was a mistake—no, a big mistake, a very big mistake. The attacker on Scrornuck's left, the one who'd opened the cut in his side, had just enough time to make a noise that was less a scream than a surprised whut? as Ol’ Red's blade shot out to its maximum length, edges glowing a coppery red, and skewered him through the heart. The man in the middle accomplished little beyond bouncing his blade harmlessly off Scrornuck's shoulder-guard before uttering a muffled huh? as the fibersword opened him from sternum to bellybutton. The third was more fortunate: Scrornuck slammed Ol’ Red's guard down on the man's hands, knocking the sword from his grasp and leaving him disarmed but still among the living.
The whole battle, if it deserved to be called such, had taken about ten seconds.
Scrornuck stole a glance at Nalia and Jape. She clearly had the upper hand—the soldiers had yet to land any kind of a blow on her, while she had inflicted minor cuts on both of them. Jape stood safely out of harm's way behind her. This ain't fair, Scrornuck thought. She's the Cast, I'm the Guest, and who do they come after?
He looked again at the soldier to his right, who made no effort to retrieve his sword. Not wanting to kill an unarmed man, he tossed the soldier at the pair attacking Nalia. The three went down in a heap, and stayed down as the tip of Nalia's blade danced around them. She glanced at Scrornuck and chuckled. “Still trying to pick up women in fights?"
He shrugged. “If it works, it works."
Two more soldiers
Jape led the three out of their hiding place. “That's a very kind offer. Maybe we could join Mister Draggott for dinner some time?"
The Captain spoke patiently, in the manner of a cop trying to talk a robber out of a bank. “You're outnumbered and we control the only exit. Surrender and we won't hurt you."
"Of course you won't.” Jape wagged the “GUEST” tag clipped to his cape.
Two of the soldiers drew their swords.
"Did you really think that'd work?” Scrornuck whispered.
"It was worth a try."
"This is your last chance to come peacefully,” the Captain said.
Jape shook his head. Nalia reached for her sword.
"Have it your way.” The remaining soldiers unsheathed their weapons. Three stayed by the Captain, blocking the way out, three turned to face Scrornuck, and the remaining two advanced on Jape and Nalia.
Scrornuck shot Jape a questioning look. “Nothing up my sleeve today,” Jape said. “They're all yours."
"You guys sure you want a fight?” Scrornuck raised Ol’ Red and let about four feet of the blade spring forth. The attackers blinked and paused for a moment, but continued their advance. One soldier raised the inevitable taunt, calling, “Hey, cutie, what's under the dress?"
Scrornuck sighed. Not again. “Man-eating tigers,” he said, slowly raising one leg, as if to give them a peek. “Wanna look?” He suddenly spun about and swung Ol’ Red, shifting his grip slightly so the sword's blade jumped out to leave neat little cuts on the soldiers’ cheeks, just below their helmets. “I win!” he shouted as the three dropped back. With a broad smile, he raised his sword and bowed graciously as he'd seen the duelists in Taupeaquaah do. What a great place, he thought.
As Scrornuck bowed, the soldiers rushed forward, thrusting their weapons. Ah, shit, he thought, I knew this was too good to be true. Ol’ Red leaped out to deflect two of the blades, but the third got through, finding the gap between his belt and the bottom of his armor. He felt a sudden pain followed by the sticky warmth of blood as the sword grazed his right side. Ol’ Red's blade flickered and disappeared as he whirled to his left to escape the attack. For a moment he stood motionless, growling a deep animal sound that was equal parts pain and anger. The wound, though minor, hurt.
The soldiers charged. It was a mistake—no, a big mistake, a very big mistake. The attacker on Scrornuck's left, the one who'd opened the cut in his side, had just enough time to make a noise that was less a scream than a surprised whut? as Ol’ Red's blade shot out to its maximum length, edges glowing a coppery red, and skewered him through the heart. The man in the middle accomplished little beyond bouncing his blade harmlessly off Scrornuck's shoulder-guard before uttering a muffled huh? as the fibersword opened him from sternum to bellybutton. The third was more fortunate: Scrornuck slammed Ol’ Red's guard down on the man's hands, knocking the sword from his grasp and leaving him disarmed but still among the living.
The whole battle, if it deserved to be called such, had taken about ten seconds.
Scrornuck stole a glance at Nalia and Jape. She clearly had the upper hand—the soldiers had yet to land any kind of a blow on her, while she had inflicted minor cuts on both of them. Jape stood safely out of harm's way behind her. This ain't fair, Scrornuck thought. She's the Cast, I'm the Guest, and who do they come after?
He looked again at the soldier to his right, who made no effort to retrieve his sword. Not wanting to kill an unarmed man, he tossed the soldier at the pair attacking Nalia. The three went down in a heap, and stayed down as the tip of Nalia's blade danced around them. She glanced at Scrornuck and chuckled. “Still trying to pick up women in fights?"
He shrugged. “If it works, it works."
Two more soldiers
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