The Exiles

Chapter 6

Standing at the base of the steps was the merchant Hoji and a hand full of his men bows drawn. "Really, Robert," the fat man said, "if you'd have just told me the truth you could have spared yourself all this pain. I knew you had a demonic ally." His lust filled eyes looked Aka up and down. "I honestly didn't expect it to be her."

Rob glared at the merchant, and with a faltering step died to step forward. He failed, and with a groan dropped to a knee, his sword clattering to the floor. He clung to the table which held his armor when Aka had first entered. "If you even so much as try to touch her, I swear I'll kill you." Aka knelt down by Rob and glared at Hoji. "Why?! Why did you do this?!," she shouted.

"Why you ask?" Hoji gestured for three of his guards to advance on the duo while the other two kept their arrows trained on the duo. "Why, for money of course. The lord of a local clan hired the bandits you and Robert slaughtered to weaken this area financially. My caravans were not molested and we prospered greatly under the arrangement." The merchant lord rubbed his double chin. "Well, we did until you and your blue eyed friend here wrecked our operations. Now, that same lord wants the head of those responsible." He grinned evilly and licked his lips. "However, I think I will only give him the barbarian's head. You I think I will take to my bed chamber. I'm not decided yet."

Hoji's men had gotten to Rob and Aka by the time they had finished speaking, and that's when Rob sprang to life. With a roar of primal rage he snatched the small table up and held it out front of him like a shield. The huge man simply bowled over the surprised guards. The guards in the rear loosed their arrows, but they were blocked by the wooden table. Hoji shouted and began to flee up the steps, and shouting orders. Aka was stunned by Rob's charge as well, but only for a moment. She quickly recovered stabbed the three downed guards in the throat using her claws. She then flung a fireball, just missing Rob's head catching an archer in the face, melting his flesh. She quickly snatched up his sword and rushed to his side. Rob was doing his best to hold the two remaining guards off with the now ruined table, but it was clear that wasn't going to work much longer. Another man appeared on the steps, only to catch a fireball in the chest. The last guard facing Rob turned to ran, and the enraged demon drove Rob's sword into his back and through his body. The knight coughed violently after the brief skirmish. He retrieved his sword from the slain guard and started up the steps. Aka watched him go, and knew that he was badly hurt. She took the bow and a quiver of arrows from the corpse of the man she had slain and resolved to burn the mansion down to the foundations if she had to. That bastard Hoji was going to pay!

A guard was waiting at the top of the steps and Rob knew he was in trouble. Every breath was painful, and he knew he would be fighting fresh men. It didn't matter. He had resolved to die alone in this hell hole; he never expected Aka to come for him the way she had, and he wasn't going to let that bastard merchant get his hands on her. As he advanced the last few steps towards the guard he saw an arrow piece the man's eye. Rob glanced back and saw Aka fitting another arrow. Rob charged into the hallway and turned sharply to the right, and Aka was on his heals and faced left. A guard was there and she let the arrow fly, striking the man in the throat. She heard Rub grunt and saw him crossing swords with another guard and more of his fellows were pouring into the hallway. Aka dropped the bow and started to fling fireballs; the effect was instantaneous, the guards panicked and started to retreat even as even more fireballs came at them. The man who was fighting Rob had his sword locked with the knight and looked over his shoulder to shout for help. He didn't see Aka kneel. He however did feel her hot claws rip into the flesh of his groin and inter thigh. He dropped to his knees and screamed even as Rob clove his skull in two. Aka retrieved the bow and rushed ahead. "Come on Rob," she shouted as she aimed and let an arrow fly, then a second, then a third. He staggered forward just as more guards started to come into the main entrance from outside. Aka held the bow with her left hand and began to through fire with her right as Rob advanced down the hallway. Everywhere fires were beginning to start because of the relentless flame attacks by the demon, and the hall was beginning to fill with smoke, Aka knew that Rob, in his weakened condition, wouldn't be able to last here much longer. Time to change tactics! She thought as she kept forward and took flight above the heads of the combatants. She then engulfed herself with flames and landed in the midst of the guards, fire blazing as she raked with claws. The rout was on! The guards fled into the courtyard, and the blizzard had redoubled its fury. Rob soon followed them out and saw Aka flying flinging fire at the guards that where not bolting in fear. Aka quickly looked for an exit for Rob, and saw that Wind and the other horses were tied up by the still open gate! She landed next to Rob and half dragged, half pulled the man to his horse. With Aka's help he was able to mount the stallion, and Aka used his sword to cut the rope hitching the horse. "Go! Ride!," she shouted as an arrow zipped past her face. She slapped the horse hard on the rear and he thundered through the gate at a full gallop. Aka rushed through herself, trusting to fortune, darkness, and the storm that no arrows would strike her as she took flight. She flew a circle above the gate, and thew fireballs as guards mounted the remaining horses by the gate, killing rider and steed alike. She then flew off trusting to her superior sight to find Rob.

Fortune was with her. She was flying just above the trees when she spotted a lone rider, hunched over following snow covered road. She landed and Wind snorted, clearly spooked, but he did not bolt. Aka talked to the great horse and she walked to him and took hold of his bridle. Rob, for his part, looked on the verge of collapse, and she couldn't tell if he was conscious or not. The howling wind made talking almost impossible, and she knew she had to get both Rob and Wind into shelter or the wind and cold would kill them. For an hour they walked, Aka leading the horse plodding after on trembling legs. Rob was unmoving. Another hour passed when the spotted a cave up in the treeline, and Aka lead both horse and man to the shelter. Luck was with them for the cave was empty of beats and large enough for Wind. She pulled Rob off the horse and was alarmed at how cold he felt. She quickly tripped his armor off him and covered him with the blanket that was being used to cover his equipment in the estate where he was held captive. "Rob, don't die, don't die," she said over and over again. She got under the blanket with him and closed her eyes. She began to heat her body using her demonic powers, pressing her flesh against his. And he was cold to her touch, so cold in fact he wasn't even shivering anymore. She ran her fingers through this matted har and kissed his battered face over and over. "Please don't die. Please don't die". Eventually she placed her back to the stone and pulled Rob onto her, his head on her shoulder, his flesh against hers.

Aka started awake to find Rob had moved. He was bundled as well as he could be and had a small fire going inside the cave. He looked at Aka and smiled. "Good morning," he said as if it were simply another day. Aka looked confused a moment then flung herself at him and began to cry. Rob held her and pushed her as he would a small child. She looked at him and he kissed her softly. "Thank you for saving me," he said. Aka didn't answer, instead she looked at him. The left side of his face was badly bruised, his eye swollen lip split. She took his hands into hers and saw for the first time that his fingers had been broken. Closing his hands, not to mention holding a sword had to have been torture.

"When you didn't come back I went to find you. I had to find you, I ha-," she started before being silenced with a kiss. "We need to get away from here, and kill that bastard. I will make him pay for what he did to you. Lord Hoji wants a demon. I'll show him what a demon is like!"