Greetings and salutations, I'm listening to The Vandals and some
Uriah Heep, thinking about what I'm going to write next. Hope you like the
characters, and I hope you picked on some of those subtle things I slipped
in. I also hope that none of you got offended by the language, if you
think it should go up in rating then tell me in your reviews. I'm glad you
liked the action and if you didn't like it that much, I'm working on the
other aspects of the story like dialogue and character stuff.
Chapter Two: Release
Fenris was shocked and surprised by this conversation. He could hear them scuffling about inside and barely straightened up in time for when they came out. The assassin was a plain looking fellow, Fenris probably couldn't have picked him out from the crowd. The perfect assassin. Murnab smiled after the departing figure and then looked towards Fenris. "You did it again my boy!" Murnab said clapping Fenris soundly on the shoulder.
"I guess I did." Fenris said simply, trying not to betray any of the knowledge he had received.
"And you beat her in such a manner that it makes for a prime rematch!" Murnab said excitedly as he poured a glass of wine for the two of them. Fenris took his glass and clinked it with Murnab's, not smiling or making any kind of expression that he normally didn't make.
*What am I supposed to do now? Should I help her, should I just let things be?* Fenris drank deeply from his glass as he pondered over the implications of the situation. "I must beg leave of absence Murnab, I need to get into some dry clothes." Fenris said inclining his head in respect.
Murnab's smile faltered as he looked at him. His eyes narrowed slightly but waved his hand in ascension. Fenris left, walking quickly. He couldn't think of anyone he could talk to. He got to his room and quickly got into the baths. *I hope this'll help.* He thought fervently. Cizrai being dead might have been a good thing for him in the long run, but considering it would like he killed in her cold blood and not the arena... *It doesn't take a genius to know that it would mean mob justice for me.* Fenris jolted up, being struck in the face with sudden realization. It all made sense to him now.
Fenris had to be casual about all of this. If he looked like he was being rash then this entire thing would look extremely bad. He got out of his bath and dried off. He had no idea when the assassin would strike so he had to act quickly and warn Cizrai. He got dressed and walked out of the room. He entered the hallway and walked smack dab into Bo. The Plainsmen smiled down at him. "Hey dude." He said simply.
"Look, Bo, I have a moral question I have to ask you." Fenris said in his always serious tone. He started to walk down the hall and Bo followed.
"Ok I guess, but I'm not the best person to go to. I am here because I stole from my tribe." Bo said chortling slightly.
"I've heard about an assassination attempt, aimed at Cizrai." Fenris was trying to move his lips as little as possible in as low a tone as possible. Bo's ears perked up at hearing that.
"Really? I say let the bitch rot." Bo said with dead seriousness.
"Normally I wouldn't have too much of a problem with it except I will be blamed for it." Fenris replied still using the same methods as he did before.
"I see, I'll help you as much as I can. After all, what are friends for?" Bo said returning to his usual self. They were at the main entrance now and Fenris stopped completely, looking at Bo in a new light.
"Thank you, my friend." Fenris said, clasping the hand of his first and only friend in this pit of war. Fenris jogged out of the coliseum and into the streets of the city. He knew where the inn was, he had been there once before when he had done an assassination job for Murnab long before his gladiatorial debut. He rushed down the roads not bothering to look normal or even incognito.
He had never felt this way before, the excitement of the battle was coming to him again. In his 28 years of life, Fenris could not recall a single moment when he actually cared about a person being protected. He had killed men and women, some young, some old, for ten years and now he was going to keep one from dying. *The irony is delicious.* Fenris thought as he finally found himself outside of the inn where the assassination was to take place.
Now that the moment of truth was upon him he felt a little nervous. *Me nervous? I've fought beasts and warriors for my entire life and now I'm nervous? Pull yourself together Fenris! You're not going to fall to pieces over some strumpet!* Fenris had gathered his resolve and decided to just bust into the inn. The entire crowd quieted for a moment while they checked him out, not many of them recognized him without any of the armor or weapons they typically saw him with. Fenris spotted Cizrai sitting in a corner by herself tearing the cloth napkin at the table while a half empty tankard of beer was beside her.
Fenris walked in quickly, his shoes hitting the floor loudly in his own ears. He finally reached the table and looked down at her. Her short red hair was unkempt right about now. "Cizrai, I need to talk to you." Fenris said quietly.
She looked up at him with such intense hate that Fenris backed up slightly. "What could you possibly have to say to me?" Cizrai's voice dripped with venom as she spat out those words. Fenris knew things were going to go quickly downhill from here, but he still had to try.
"Someone's trying to kill you." Fenris answered simply pulling out a chair and sitting down.
"Gee, that's new. I'm only a gladiator, people wanting to kill me is a completely unheard of experience." She replied with biting sarcasm.
"Cut the sarcasm, I mean that someone is going to kill you here at some point and make it look like I did it." Fenris was getting impatient since Cizrai seemed belligerent and unwilling to take any of his advice.
"What the fuck are you talking about? Is this some sort of trick? Do you think I'm stupid?" Cizrai was yelling at him by now, she was standing up, attracting the attention of the entire inn. *At least the assassins will have a harder time at it.*
Fenris grabbed her by the shoulder and brought her only a few inches from his face, he could smell the alcohol coming off her breath as he looked into her green, hate filled eyes. "Think about it, if you're killed then the first person on the list is me. Then, after Murnab throws me to the mob the two most powerful gladiators are gone and then he can select a more manageable slave to train into his special protégé." Fenris threw her back into her seat and she just stared at him with both contempt and calculation.
Just as she was about to reply the inn keeper walked over to them. "I want you two to leave, your yelling is upsetting the other customers." He pointed for them to go out the side door. Cizrai was already complying though she was swearing up a storm all the while. Fenris couldn't help but feel that he had seen that guy before. As he stepped out into the alleyway it hit him. *The assassin!*
Fenris got out in time just to see five armed guards from the coliseum smirking at him and the now grappled Cizrai. She was struggling vainly to get free but the half-nelson kept her from getting away. Fenris drew his fists up and prepared himself for a fight. "Catching the two of you together will play well in the coliseum rumors." One of the guards said chuckling at the prospect.
Fenris didn't give any of them time to pull any moves on him. He slugged the one holding Cizrai first. He could feel bone breaking underneath his fist. A second opponent swung his sword at Fenris. He ducked under it and slammed his fist into the guard's stomach before grabbing his sword and kicking the guard back, keeping the sword. Fenris finished the combo by running the guard through before turning to the next adversary.
The remaining guards all charged him recklessly. *They practically lined themselves up for me.* Fenris thought gripping his sword more tightly. The first one was eviscerated in an upward swing that was brought down to crack the skull of his second opponent. Fenris spun around from that attack and ripped his final opponent's stomach open, spilling out its contents. Fenris turned away from the three dead guards and faced the final one, lying on his back with blood covering his face. Cizrai was standing their, looking pissed and minutely thankful at the same time.
Fenris transfixed the final guard with the sword and left it there. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I listened in to that conversation." Fenris commented looking at the dead guards and then back to Cizrai. "So, do you have any ideas?"
"Well, I was going to go to sleep until I realized that people wanted me dead. Do you have any ideas?" She retorted sharply.
"As a matter of fact I do, Bo is right now working on helping me out. How I don't know, and what we do from there I have no clue, but for now, lets go find Bo." Fenris replied dusting his hands and walking out of the alley.
"I can't believe I'm going along with this fucked up escapade with the bastard and the son of a bitch." Cizrai muttered, not entirely to herself, she wanted Fenris to hear it too.
"You could at least be a little thankful for my good deeds." Fenris said still focusing upon the road, looking for any other guards. The assassin would probably get word to Murnab before Fenris got there.
"Oh come off it! You only saved me because it would look bad for you!" Cizrai certainly did seem to have a firm grip on the matter despite mitigating circumstances.
"True, but I did the right thing nonetheless. And that counts for a lot." Fenris, always the pragmatic, replied keeping up his strolling pace. He could see the entrance to the coliseum more clearly now, but more important, he could see high-tailing it out of there. He had a pack on his back and was running like he had a whole series of whips trying to hit him. "Look, there's Bo now." Fenris pointed him out and stopped to wait for his friend. *That still feels kind of odd.*
Bo arrived breathing quickly, he looked really winded. "I got our stuff from the arming room." Bo panted out. He straightened himself up after inhaling a huge amount of air in and then letting it out explosively. "The guards are already mustering themselves to go out after us." Bo said quickly, handing a bundle to Fenris, Cizrai was still in her armor.
"Well then, we need to get out of the city all that much faster." Fenris said strapping his sword around his waist. He and Bo began to walk quickly towards the city gates when Cizrai yelled at them to stop.
"What about me? You think you bastards can just leave me here?" Cizrai had grabbed both of them by the back of their shirts and was keeping them from moving any farther.
"Well, since I'm a bastard and Bo here is a son of a bitch, I naturally assumed that you didn't want to keep company with us." Fenris said, disentangling himself from her grip.
"But I got her..." Bo started to talk but Fenris elbowed him hard in the stomach.
"We'll leave you your spear and the rest is up to you." Fenris continued, taking the spear from Bo and tossing it to the Woren. She caught it deftly and looked ready to use it on the two of them. Bo looked like he would want that to happen. Fenris turned around again and began to walk towards the city's gate. Bo followed him but still looked back at Cizrai a few times.
"Dude, aren't you afraid that she'll, ya know, take her revenge?" Bo asked as they walked quickly towards the gates. Both kept an eye out for guards but no one armed seemed ready to leap out at them. Right now they were just moving their way through the crowds.
"Well, if she were human, yeah. But from my understanding of the Worens they typically don't go about killing the one who they owe a debt to. She may be different, and if she is, I'll kill her when she tries." Fenris answered with his renowned cold-bloodedness.
"Man your cold!" Bo said with a mix between amusement and shock. The two continued on in silence. The crowds basically moved away from them, no one really wanted to get in the way of two armed men right now. After ten minutes of their brisk pace they reached the gates and the guards in between them and their freedom. Fenris stared impassively at the guards while he pulled his sword out, Bo had already knocked his bow and was waiting for the guards to make the first move.
The guards seemed to have their own reservations about fighting the two of them. Bo decided not to let them pluck up enough courage and let loose his first arrow. The shaft pierced the guard through the eye and he fell down in a heap. The remaining nine guards charged the two of them. Another stumbled to a halt when an arrow pierced him in the chest.
Two more guards fell by the time the remainder reached Fenris who had interposed himself between Bo and the guards. The first one impaled himself upon Fenris's sword and Fenris had to kick him off before he could face the next one. That cost him precious seconds and he was put upon the defensive.
He blocked several different attacks by several different guards which again and again prevented him from going on the offensive. Fenris saw an opening and slammed his forehead into the face of one of his attackers. Fenris was slightly dazed but the guard was out cold. Fenris followed through with an upwards arcing slice, cutting down the guard to his left. He spun and brought the sword down to dismember the sword arm of his right opponent and then cutting laterally with his sword.
Bo had been covering Fenris this entire time and the remaining guards had been killed with swift arrow work. "Come on." Fenris said stooping to kill the one guard he had just knocked out. The two ran out of the city and into the dense forests surrounding it. They kept on running for another ten minutes before they stopped completely underneath the shade of a giant tree.
Bo sat down letting an explosive sigh out. Fenris was still running on adrenaline and stood. He opened his pack to find all of his armor shined impeccably. "Thanks for getting my stuff." Fenris said shooting a glance over at the heavily breathing Plainsmen. Bo just nodded and continued to catch his breath. Fenris began to put his armor back on. It felt good to have those steel plates protecting him again.
His armor on, Fenris began to pace about. He was anxious, he was still within the reach of Murnab and now he had to make sure that not only he survived, but Bo as well. After five minutes of recuperation, the two were just about ready to leave when they heard some rustling in the bushes. Bo knocked an arrow and Fenris pulled his sword out again. The rustling got closer until Cizrai's head appeared. Bo still had his bow knocked but Fenris put his sword away and crossed his arms, waiting for her explanation.
"Decided to join up with us eh?" Fenris asked leaning against the tree. Cizrai glowered at him like she had never glowered before, everything else that was a glower might as well have been her smiling.
"Yes." She replied the way that word sounded was almost painful to hear. "I still owe you for back at the inn." She added very softly. Fenris knew she said something but he couldn't quite figure it out.
"Okay then, so what next? We've just escaped from slavery and now we're on the run from slave catchers and gladiator guards." Fenris was still leaning against the tree and looked from Cizrai to Bo. He had never been out of slavery so the idea of choosing was kind of odd for him.
Bo was the first one to speak up on the matter. "If we start heading west right now we'll reach the Scar River. From my understanding of the geography, there's a Ranger outpost along the river but I'm not sure how far away it is actually. Anyways, the Ranger's are against slavery and would probably help us out."
Fenris nodded at the idea, he had heard of the Rangers somewhat over the course of his life. He might have fought one or two when he was still in Janabis' army. Cizrai was also nodding at the idea though she still glared at the two of them slightly.
"Good, we can reach the river by nightfall." Bo said started off going west. Fenris just shrugged his shoulders and followed the Plainsmen. Cizrai followed too but she didn't look happy about it. *Come to think of it, I don't think she's capable of happiness.* Fenris thought with some amusement.
They walked for hours along the forest. None of them talked too much. Bo hated Cizrai, Cizrai hated both of them, and Fenris was still getting used to the idea of being free. All of them kept their eyes out for signs of being followed but they didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. They continued walking well into the night. It wasn't until they heard the sound running water that they knew they had reached their goal. The moon was not out tonight and the stars shone down weakly at the trio of runaways. Fenris began to unbuckle his armor and toss it to the ground. Bo didn't wear armor and Cizrai seemed to be surgically attached to hers the way it stuck on.
Bo went looking for some firewood while Fenris went over to look at the river. He hadn't seen a river running in about eight years. The river was about fifteen feet below him in a ravine of sorts. The water sounded so nice at this time of night. In fact, it was one of the few things he could hear in the dead silence that enveloped him. He heard Bo behind him carrying some firewood and turned around to see him drop it in this big pile.
Fenris had a vague idea of how to start a fire but he rarely did so since his days he was in the army. He stepped over to the fire watching Bo look around him for anything he could start a fire with. "I have some flint." Fenris said simply before he began to strike a few sparks over the grass to get the fire ready. Pretty soon the fire was in a nice little blaze and the three were sitting around it, staring into the flames. "I wish we had thought to bring some food." Fenris said after feeling his stomach gnawing at him. The other two murmured in general agreement but didn't say much. *Bo is out of character, usually he can't shut up.* Fenris thought as he stared at the fire.
The night seemed to drag on forever. Cizrai fell asleep and curled up into a fetal position with her back to the fire. Bo finally decided to speak up once the Woren was asleep. "Fenris, I was wondering. Since we're going to be traveling together, what's your story?" Bo asked looking at him from across the fire. Fenris was a little surprised, he had never really thought about his past. He remembered it, what it taught him and what it made him, but he never really gave it any serious thought.
"Well, I guess I'll start with my first memory. I was chained to a group of other people, I couldn't have been older than ten. All of the people in the line had a mark on their right shoulder blade. It was the image of a skull, burned into them. I could feel a burning pain on my right shoulder blade too, signifying that I had the mark as well. I looked over to my left and saw a big man with a whip yelling at all the people. He turned to look at me but I returned to looking at the person in front of me again. We marched for hours at the same plodding pace from sun up to sun down for what seemed like weeks.
My memory blanks a little at this part but the next thing I remember is being in a dorm with possibly a hundred other people, most were probably near my age but a few were much older and covered in scars. I soon learned that I was going to be in the slave army of Janabis. You might have heard of him. My memory skips around again.
The next key moment in my memory is when I first killed someone. I was probably fifteen at the time. I had been training for five years with this boy, he had slept in the bunk right next to mine and I had killed him. I distinctly remember not feeling anything other than impatience, impatience at the boy for being too slow on the parry, impatience that I had to kill someone who was a slave for Janabis. I thought that I might have been punished for killing the property but I was rewarded for my actions. I was trained harder at this point.
I'm glossing over some of my memories, they didn't really mean much to me other than the lessons they told me. I learned to fight better than anyone else they told me. I was eighteen when Janabis used too much power and got himself killed. I was a lieutenant at that point. I had surpassed all expectations and had become what my trainers had wanted: A remorseless, unstoppable, fighter.
Well, I was still a slave when Janabis kicked the bucket so I got sold to some guy who was interested in turning a profit. So I arrived at the games. After my first five fights Murnab bought me and turned me into his personal assassin, gladiator, and body guard. That's what it has been like for my life." Fenris finished up his story to the stunned Bo.
"I had no idea. So this must be a novel experience for you, being free and all?" Bo asked reclining slightly.
"I suppose." Fenris answered, going onto his back and looking up at the stars. Bo didn't ask anything more for the night and it wasn't long before Fenris was asleep. A dreamless ten hours later and he awoke to find himself not in his room at the coliseum, but out in the open, with the sounds of the Scar River behind him. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and found Bo and Cizrai arguing heatedly a few feet away. Cizrai was being particularly shrill at this point and Fenris was surprised he hadn't woken up sooner with all this commotion. Stood up and stretched out still watching the two argue.
"...I don't care if you want food! My arrows were meant for people, I can't hunt with these kinds of arrows!" Bo yelled at Cizrai who was swishing her tail in anger.
"Dammit I don't care if you have to make your own arrows right now, get me some God damned food!" Cizrai shouted pulling the tall Plainsman down to eye level. Fenris had finished strapping on his armor and was looking at the two amusedly. That is, at least until he heard some twig snapping.
His body tensed immediately and he looked over at the spot where he heard the sound, all he could see was dense foliage. The trees swayed minutely in the breeze, he couldn't pick up any unusual odors or sounds on the wind. "Would you two mind quieting down?" Fenris asked quietly. He was mildly surprised that they heard him.
"Why?" They asked in perfect unison.
"Because, you two are creating enough noise for anyone within a mile to hear." Fenris replied going back to his old voice. The two looked at him, then each other, and then at the surrounding forest before they both nodded their assent. "I don't know what we can do about food but by this evening, we'll eat." Fenris said, not knowing if he could back it up in any way, as long as it kept them quiet.
The three began to walk again, all were hungry but there wasn't much they could do about it now. Fenris was more concerned with making it to this evening than about actually eating. The forest thinned as they plodded along. Fenris was trying to keep a look out in every direction and as a direct result, he trailed the other two who were bickering again, but much quieter. It was probably about noon when they stopped again. It was beginning to be difficult for all three of them to carry on in their present state of hunger.
They had stopped in a moderately large clearing which was similar to a knoll which dropped sharply into the river behind it. The river was still ten to fifteen feet below them at the present stop so water was out of the picture. The sun was beating down on them and Fenris, in his campana, was shaded and being scorched at the same time as the metal grew hotter and hotter. It was beginning to become unbearable even with the padding supposed to prevent it. Fenris pulled the hat off and rubbed his hair back, feeling sweat moisten his fingers.
Fenris stood up and was about to tell the other two it was time to go when the campana he was holding was suddenly shot off his head. Fenris looked into the cover of the trees and saw them, a handful of orcs. The bastardized race that was sometimes used in gladiator fights much to the amusement of the crowd. More were creeping out of the cover of the forest and started to advance on him. Fenris looked around for Bo and Cizrai but could find neither.
"Your friends aren't going to help you against these odds." One said in a guttural voice. Fenris's eyes hardened in anger. The orc was moving closer. It held a morning star in its paw and was gripping it tightly. Orcs always fought better when the odds were on their side. More orcs were beginning to surround Fenris as he continued to stand scanning for any signs of his friends. "Bo! Cizrai!" He shouted, waiting for them to answer.
"Go ahead in cry out for help." The original orc spoke again, laughing in derision. Fenris narrowed his gaze unto that orc. He was alone again, for one brief time he thought he had friends but it was ripped away. He was alone. *Fine then! I survived the Pit! I survived the arena! I did it all alone! I don't need some fucking turncoat to watch my back!* Fenris thought pulling his sword out and looking at the orcs. They had stopped five feet away from him and were waiting for the signal to attack.
"I don't need help." Fenris intoned quietly. With those words he lashed out against his enemies. Numbers would not help them now. He struck down the orc who spoke and then spun around to cut the legs from underneath the one to his left. Fenris reversed the blade and impaled the orc directly behind him before kicking it back into its fellows. Another pretentious opponent charged him and was decapitated for his foolishness. The orcs surrounding him all rushed in at once.
Fenris fought on, sometimes he flowed with skill and grace casually cutting down his foolish opponents. Sixteen years of fighting all boiled down to a senseless brawl over his own freedom. But his training began to falter, the desertion of his "friends" hit him hard and anger was boiling inside of him. Anger and fear, for now he was free, he had gained his freedom and now, if he died, everything that he once would have enjoyed would be taken away from him again just as it was when he was captured and put into slavery. His form faltered, he no longer attacked his opponents with skill but hacked at them. His anger fueling his swings and cleaves, he dropped his shield and began raining blows down with both hands. A raised shield, a defending weapon, an upturned arm, all gave way before his mindless hacks and cleaves.
The fray came to an abrupt halt. Fenris stood in the middle of dozens of dead bodies. Scores more of orcs were waiting, like jackals at a wounded enemy. Fenris began to feel blood trickling down his body. His armor had been pierced in several locations and blood was welling up and out of the rents made in it.
"Is that it? Is that all that Murnab could send at me? A bunch of orcs!" Fenris was yelling at them, the bitterness left inside of him made him want to fight still. His body was worn out but his hat still raged inside of him. The orcs backed away slightly, they looked at him before turning back behind them as if seeking reassurance. Fenris followed their gaze, and saw a man knocking an arrow back.
The arrow was let loose. It flew from the bow and into the air, hunting for Fenris's life. Fenris could only stare, his reactions were dulled by his fatigue. He tried in vain to twist his body out of the way but it was too little too late. Fenris inhaled sharply as the shaft thunked into his body. Pain caused him to stagger backwards as he tried in vain to breath. The arrow had pierced him at the side of his throat, almost at the juncture between shoulder and neck.
He was staggering backwards, memories flashed in front of him. The orcs were no longer the gangrel creatures of before, but the victims of his blade. Each smiled at his death, some were laughing at the scene, and he could hear the crowd cheering in the background. They were laughing, at him, laughing at the way he died. Laughing at how the mighty Fenris was laid low by a single arrow. Fenris took another step back only to find that he had run out of ground. He slipped off the edge and began to plummet into the Scar River.
The last thing he remembered seeing was a pair of eyes.
* * *
That's it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I hope its cliff hanging enough for you folks out there. Its time again for fact of the chapter: Did you know that nemo, is Latin for no one. Think about that for a minute, which means that "Finding Nemo" is actually "Finding No One". Boggles the mind, doesn't it?
Chapter Two: Release
Fenris was shocked and surprised by this conversation. He could hear them scuffling about inside and barely straightened up in time for when they came out. The assassin was a plain looking fellow, Fenris probably couldn't have picked him out from the crowd. The perfect assassin. Murnab smiled after the departing figure and then looked towards Fenris. "You did it again my boy!" Murnab said clapping Fenris soundly on the shoulder.
"I guess I did." Fenris said simply, trying not to betray any of the knowledge he had received.
"And you beat her in such a manner that it makes for a prime rematch!" Murnab said excitedly as he poured a glass of wine for the two of them. Fenris took his glass and clinked it with Murnab's, not smiling or making any kind of expression that he normally didn't make.
*What am I supposed to do now? Should I help her, should I just let things be?* Fenris drank deeply from his glass as he pondered over the implications of the situation. "I must beg leave of absence Murnab, I need to get into some dry clothes." Fenris said inclining his head in respect.
Murnab's smile faltered as he looked at him. His eyes narrowed slightly but waved his hand in ascension. Fenris left, walking quickly. He couldn't think of anyone he could talk to. He got to his room and quickly got into the baths. *I hope this'll help.* He thought fervently. Cizrai being dead might have been a good thing for him in the long run, but considering it would like he killed in her cold blood and not the arena... *It doesn't take a genius to know that it would mean mob justice for me.* Fenris jolted up, being struck in the face with sudden realization. It all made sense to him now.
Fenris had to be casual about all of this. If he looked like he was being rash then this entire thing would look extremely bad. He got out of his bath and dried off. He had no idea when the assassin would strike so he had to act quickly and warn Cizrai. He got dressed and walked out of the room. He entered the hallway and walked smack dab into Bo. The Plainsmen smiled down at him. "Hey dude." He said simply.
"Look, Bo, I have a moral question I have to ask you." Fenris said in his always serious tone. He started to walk down the hall and Bo followed.
"Ok I guess, but I'm not the best person to go to. I am here because I stole from my tribe." Bo said chortling slightly.
"I've heard about an assassination attempt, aimed at Cizrai." Fenris was trying to move his lips as little as possible in as low a tone as possible. Bo's ears perked up at hearing that.
"Really? I say let the bitch rot." Bo said with dead seriousness.
"Normally I wouldn't have too much of a problem with it except I will be blamed for it." Fenris replied still using the same methods as he did before.
"I see, I'll help you as much as I can. After all, what are friends for?" Bo said returning to his usual self. They were at the main entrance now and Fenris stopped completely, looking at Bo in a new light.
"Thank you, my friend." Fenris said, clasping the hand of his first and only friend in this pit of war. Fenris jogged out of the coliseum and into the streets of the city. He knew where the inn was, he had been there once before when he had done an assassination job for Murnab long before his gladiatorial debut. He rushed down the roads not bothering to look normal or even incognito.
He had never felt this way before, the excitement of the battle was coming to him again. In his 28 years of life, Fenris could not recall a single moment when he actually cared about a person being protected. He had killed men and women, some young, some old, for ten years and now he was going to keep one from dying. *The irony is delicious.* Fenris thought as he finally found himself outside of the inn where the assassination was to take place.
Now that the moment of truth was upon him he felt a little nervous. *Me nervous? I've fought beasts and warriors for my entire life and now I'm nervous? Pull yourself together Fenris! You're not going to fall to pieces over some strumpet!* Fenris had gathered his resolve and decided to just bust into the inn. The entire crowd quieted for a moment while they checked him out, not many of them recognized him without any of the armor or weapons they typically saw him with. Fenris spotted Cizrai sitting in a corner by herself tearing the cloth napkin at the table while a half empty tankard of beer was beside her.
Fenris walked in quickly, his shoes hitting the floor loudly in his own ears. He finally reached the table and looked down at her. Her short red hair was unkempt right about now. "Cizrai, I need to talk to you." Fenris said quietly.
She looked up at him with such intense hate that Fenris backed up slightly. "What could you possibly have to say to me?" Cizrai's voice dripped with venom as she spat out those words. Fenris knew things were going to go quickly downhill from here, but he still had to try.
"Someone's trying to kill you." Fenris answered simply pulling out a chair and sitting down.
"Gee, that's new. I'm only a gladiator, people wanting to kill me is a completely unheard of experience." She replied with biting sarcasm.
"Cut the sarcasm, I mean that someone is going to kill you here at some point and make it look like I did it." Fenris was getting impatient since Cizrai seemed belligerent and unwilling to take any of his advice.
"What the fuck are you talking about? Is this some sort of trick? Do you think I'm stupid?" Cizrai was yelling at him by now, she was standing up, attracting the attention of the entire inn. *At least the assassins will have a harder time at it.*
Fenris grabbed her by the shoulder and brought her only a few inches from his face, he could smell the alcohol coming off her breath as he looked into her green, hate filled eyes. "Think about it, if you're killed then the first person on the list is me. Then, after Murnab throws me to the mob the two most powerful gladiators are gone and then he can select a more manageable slave to train into his special protégé." Fenris threw her back into her seat and she just stared at him with both contempt and calculation.
Just as she was about to reply the inn keeper walked over to them. "I want you two to leave, your yelling is upsetting the other customers." He pointed for them to go out the side door. Cizrai was already complying though she was swearing up a storm all the while. Fenris couldn't help but feel that he had seen that guy before. As he stepped out into the alleyway it hit him. *The assassin!*
Fenris got out in time just to see five armed guards from the coliseum smirking at him and the now grappled Cizrai. She was struggling vainly to get free but the half-nelson kept her from getting away. Fenris drew his fists up and prepared himself for a fight. "Catching the two of you together will play well in the coliseum rumors." One of the guards said chuckling at the prospect.
Fenris didn't give any of them time to pull any moves on him. He slugged the one holding Cizrai first. He could feel bone breaking underneath his fist. A second opponent swung his sword at Fenris. He ducked under it and slammed his fist into the guard's stomach before grabbing his sword and kicking the guard back, keeping the sword. Fenris finished the combo by running the guard through before turning to the next adversary.
The remaining guards all charged him recklessly. *They practically lined themselves up for me.* Fenris thought gripping his sword more tightly. The first one was eviscerated in an upward swing that was brought down to crack the skull of his second opponent. Fenris spun around from that attack and ripped his final opponent's stomach open, spilling out its contents. Fenris turned away from the three dead guards and faced the final one, lying on his back with blood covering his face. Cizrai was standing their, looking pissed and minutely thankful at the same time.
Fenris transfixed the final guard with the sword and left it there. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I listened in to that conversation." Fenris commented looking at the dead guards and then back to Cizrai. "So, do you have any ideas?"
"Well, I was going to go to sleep until I realized that people wanted me dead. Do you have any ideas?" She retorted sharply.
"As a matter of fact I do, Bo is right now working on helping me out. How I don't know, and what we do from there I have no clue, but for now, lets go find Bo." Fenris replied dusting his hands and walking out of the alley.
"I can't believe I'm going along with this fucked up escapade with the bastard and the son of a bitch." Cizrai muttered, not entirely to herself, she wanted Fenris to hear it too.
"You could at least be a little thankful for my good deeds." Fenris said still focusing upon the road, looking for any other guards. The assassin would probably get word to Murnab before Fenris got there.
"Oh come off it! You only saved me because it would look bad for you!" Cizrai certainly did seem to have a firm grip on the matter despite mitigating circumstances.
"True, but I did the right thing nonetheless. And that counts for a lot." Fenris, always the pragmatic, replied keeping up his strolling pace. He could see the entrance to the coliseum more clearly now, but more important, he could see high-tailing it out of there. He had a pack on his back and was running like he had a whole series of whips trying to hit him. "Look, there's Bo now." Fenris pointed him out and stopped to wait for his friend. *That still feels kind of odd.*
Bo arrived breathing quickly, he looked really winded. "I got our stuff from the arming room." Bo panted out. He straightened himself up after inhaling a huge amount of air in and then letting it out explosively. "The guards are already mustering themselves to go out after us." Bo said quickly, handing a bundle to Fenris, Cizrai was still in her armor.
"Well then, we need to get out of the city all that much faster." Fenris said strapping his sword around his waist. He and Bo began to walk quickly towards the city gates when Cizrai yelled at them to stop.
"What about me? You think you bastards can just leave me here?" Cizrai had grabbed both of them by the back of their shirts and was keeping them from moving any farther.
"Well, since I'm a bastard and Bo here is a son of a bitch, I naturally assumed that you didn't want to keep company with us." Fenris said, disentangling himself from her grip.
"But I got her..." Bo started to talk but Fenris elbowed him hard in the stomach.
"We'll leave you your spear and the rest is up to you." Fenris continued, taking the spear from Bo and tossing it to the Woren. She caught it deftly and looked ready to use it on the two of them. Bo looked like he would want that to happen. Fenris turned around again and began to walk towards the city's gate. Bo followed him but still looked back at Cizrai a few times.
"Dude, aren't you afraid that she'll, ya know, take her revenge?" Bo asked as they walked quickly towards the gates. Both kept an eye out for guards but no one armed seemed ready to leap out at them. Right now they were just moving their way through the crowds.
"Well, if she were human, yeah. But from my understanding of the Worens they typically don't go about killing the one who they owe a debt to. She may be different, and if she is, I'll kill her when she tries." Fenris answered with his renowned cold-bloodedness.
"Man your cold!" Bo said with a mix between amusement and shock. The two continued on in silence. The crowds basically moved away from them, no one really wanted to get in the way of two armed men right now. After ten minutes of their brisk pace they reached the gates and the guards in between them and their freedom. Fenris stared impassively at the guards while he pulled his sword out, Bo had already knocked his bow and was waiting for the guards to make the first move.
The guards seemed to have their own reservations about fighting the two of them. Bo decided not to let them pluck up enough courage and let loose his first arrow. The shaft pierced the guard through the eye and he fell down in a heap. The remaining nine guards charged the two of them. Another stumbled to a halt when an arrow pierced him in the chest.
Two more guards fell by the time the remainder reached Fenris who had interposed himself between Bo and the guards. The first one impaled himself upon Fenris's sword and Fenris had to kick him off before he could face the next one. That cost him precious seconds and he was put upon the defensive.
He blocked several different attacks by several different guards which again and again prevented him from going on the offensive. Fenris saw an opening and slammed his forehead into the face of one of his attackers. Fenris was slightly dazed but the guard was out cold. Fenris followed through with an upwards arcing slice, cutting down the guard to his left. He spun and brought the sword down to dismember the sword arm of his right opponent and then cutting laterally with his sword.
Bo had been covering Fenris this entire time and the remaining guards had been killed with swift arrow work. "Come on." Fenris said stooping to kill the one guard he had just knocked out. The two ran out of the city and into the dense forests surrounding it. They kept on running for another ten minutes before they stopped completely underneath the shade of a giant tree.
Bo sat down letting an explosive sigh out. Fenris was still running on adrenaline and stood. He opened his pack to find all of his armor shined impeccably. "Thanks for getting my stuff." Fenris said shooting a glance over at the heavily breathing Plainsmen. Bo just nodded and continued to catch his breath. Fenris began to put his armor back on. It felt good to have those steel plates protecting him again.
His armor on, Fenris began to pace about. He was anxious, he was still within the reach of Murnab and now he had to make sure that not only he survived, but Bo as well. After five minutes of recuperation, the two were just about ready to leave when they heard some rustling in the bushes. Bo knocked an arrow and Fenris pulled his sword out again. The rustling got closer until Cizrai's head appeared. Bo still had his bow knocked but Fenris put his sword away and crossed his arms, waiting for her explanation.
"Decided to join up with us eh?" Fenris asked leaning against the tree. Cizrai glowered at him like she had never glowered before, everything else that was a glower might as well have been her smiling.
"Yes." She replied the way that word sounded was almost painful to hear. "I still owe you for back at the inn." She added very softly. Fenris knew she said something but he couldn't quite figure it out.
"Okay then, so what next? We've just escaped from slavery and now we're on the run from slave catchers and gladiator guards." Fenris was still leaning against the tree and looked from Cizrai to Bo. He had never been out of slavery so the idea of choosing was kind of odd for him.
Bo was the first one to speak up on the matter. "If we start heading west right now we'll reach the Scar River. From my understanding of the geography, there's a Ranger outpost along the river but I'm not sure how far away it is actually. Anyways, the Ranger's are against slavery and would probably help us out."
Fenris nodded at the idea, he had heard of the Rangers somewhat over the course of his life. He might have fought one or two when he was still in Janabis' army. Cizrai was also nodding at the idea though she still glared at the two of them slightly.
"Good, we can reach the river by nightfall." Bo said started off going west. Fenris just shrugged his shoulders and followed the Plainsmen. Cizrai followed too but she didn't look happy about it. *Come to think of it, I don't think she's capable of happiness.* Fenris thought with some amusement.
They walked for hours along the forest. None of them talked too much. Bo hated Cizrai, Cizrai hated both of them, and Fenris was still getting used to the idea of being free. All of them kept their eyes out for signs of being followed but they didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. They continued walking well into the night. It wasn't until they heard the sound running water that they knew they had reached their goal. The moon was not out tonight and the stars shone down weakly at the trio of runaways. Fenris began to unbuckle his armor and toss it to the ground. Bo didn't wear armor and Cizrai seemed to be surgically attached to hers the way it stuck on.
Bo went looking for some firewood while Fenris went over to look at the river. He hadn't seen a river running in about eight years. The river was about fifteen feet below him in a ravine of sorts. The water sounded so nice at this time of night. In fact, it was one of the few things he could hear in the dead silence that enveloped him. He heard Bo behind him carrying some firewood and turned around to see him drop it in this big pile.
Fenris had a vague idea of how to start a fire but he rarely did so since his days he was in the army. He stepped over to the fire watching Bo look around him for anything he could start a fire with. "I have some flint." Fenris said simply before he began to strike a few sparks over the grass to get the fire ready. Pretty soon the fire was in a nice little blaze and the three were sitting around it, staring into the flames. "I wish we had thought to bring some food." Fenris said after feeling his stomach gnawing at him. The other two murmured in general agreement but didn't say much. *Bo is out of character, usually he can't shut up.* Fenris thought as he stared at the fire.
The night seemed to drag on forever. Cizrai fell asleep and curled up into a fetal position with her back to the fire. Bo finally decided to speak up once the Woren was asleep. "Fenris, I was wondering. Since we're going to be traveling together, what's your story?" Bo asked looking at him from across the fire. Fenris was a little surprised, he had never really thought about his past. He remembered it, what it taught him and what it made him, but he never really gave it any serious thought.
"Well, I guess I'll start with my first memory. I was chained to a group of other people, I couldn't have been older than ten. All of the people in the line had a mark on their right shoulder blade. It was the image of a skull, burned into them. I could feel a burning pain on my right shoulder blade too, signifying that I had the mark as well. I looked over to my left and saw a big man with a whip yelling at all the people. He turned to look at me but I returned to looking at the person in front of me again. We marched for hours at the same plodding pace from sun up to sun down for what seemed like weeks.
My memory blanks a little at this part but the next thing I remember is being in a dorm with possibly a hundred other people, most were probably near my age but a few were much older and covered in scars. I soon learned that I was going to be in the slave army of Janabis. You might have heard of him. My memory skips around again.
The next key moment in my memory is when I first killed someone. I was probably fifteen at the time. I had been training for five years with this boy, he had slept in the bunk right next to mine and I had killed him. I distinctly remember not feeling anything other than impatience, impatience at the boy for being too slow on the parry, impatience that I had to kill someone who was a slave for Janabis. I thought that I might have been punished for killing the property but I was rewarded for my actions. I was trained harder at this point.
I'm glossing over some of my memories, they didn't really mean much to me other than the lessons they told me. I learned to fight better than anyone else they told me. I was eighteen when Janabis used too much power and got himself killed. I was a lieutenant at that point. I had surpassed all expectations and had become what my trainers had wanted: A remorseless, unstoppable, fighter.
Well, I was still a slave when Janabis kicked the bucket so I got sold to some guy who was interested in turning a profit. So I arrived at the games. After my first five fights Murnab bought me and turned me into his personal assassin, gladiator, and body guard. That's what it has been like for my life." Fenris finished up his story to the stunned Bo.
"I had no idea. So this must be a novel experience for you, being free and all?" Bo asked reclining slightly.
"I suppose." Fenris answered, going onto his back and looking up at the stars. Bo didn't ask anything more for the night and it wasn't long before Fenris was asleep. A dreamless ten hours later and he awoke to find himself not in his room at the coliseum, but out in the open, with the sounds of the Scar River behind him. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and found Bo and Cizrai arguing heatedly a few feet away. Cizrai was being particularly shrill at this point and Fenris was surprised he hadn't woken up sooner with all this commotion. Stood up and stretched out still watching the two argue.
"...I don't care if you want food! My arrows were meant for people, I can't hunt with these kinds of arrows!" Bo yelled at Cizrai who was swishing her tail in anger.
"Dammit I don't care if you have to make your own arrows right now, get me some God damned food!" Cizrai shouted pulling the tall Plainsman down to eye level. Fenris had finished strapping on his armor and was looking at the two amusedly. That is, at least until he heard some twig snapping.
His body tensed immediately and he looked over at the spot where he heard the sound, all he could see was dense foliage. The trees swayed minutely in the breeze, he couldn't pick up any unusual odors or sounds on the wind. "Would you two mind quieting down?" Fenris asked quietly. He was mildly surprised that they heard him.
"Why?" They asked in perfect unison.
"Because, you two are creating enough noise for anyone within a mile to hear." Fenris replied going back to his old voice. The two looked at him, then each other, and then at the surrounding forest before they both nodded their assent. "I don't know what we can do about food but by this evening, we'll eat." Fenris said, not knowing if he could back it up in any way, as long as it kept them quiet.
The three began to walk again, all were hungry but there wasn't much they could do about it now. Fenris was more concerned with making it to this evening than about actually eating. The forest thinned as they plodded along. Fenris was trying to keep a look out in every direction and as a direct result, he trailed the other two who were bickering again, but much quieter. It was probably about noon when they stopped again. It was beginning to be difficult for all three of them to carry on in their present state of hunger.
They had stopped in a moderately large clearing which was similar to a knoll which dropped sharply into the river behind it. The river was still ten to fifteen feet below them at the present stop so water was out of the picture. The sun was beating down on them and Fenris, in his campana, was shaded and being scorched at the same time as the metal grew hotter and hotter. It was beginning to become unbearable even with the padding supposed to prevent it. Fenris pulled the hat off and rubbed his hair back, feeling sweat moisten his fingers.
Fenris stood up and was about to tell the other two it was time to go when the campana he was holding was suddenly shot off his head. Fenris looked into the cover of the trees and saw them, a handful of orcs. The bastardized race that was sometimes used in gladiator fights much to the amusement of the crowd. More were creeping out of the cover of the forest and started to advance on him. Fenris looked around for Bo and Cizrai but could find neither.
"Your friends aren't going to help you against these odds." One said in a guttural voice. Fenris's eyes hardened in anger. The orc was moving closer. It held a morning star in its paw and was gripping it tightly. Orcs always fought better when the odds were on their side. More orcs were beginning to surround Fenris as he continued to stand scanning for any signs of his friends. "Bo! Cizrai!" He shouted, waiting for them to answer.
"Go ahead in cry out for help." The original orc spoke again, laughing in derision. Fenris narrowed his gaze unto that orc. He was alone again, for one brief time he thought he had friends but it was ripped away. He was alone. *Fine then! I survived the Pit! I survived the arena! I did it all alone! I don't need some fucking turncoat to watch my back!* Fenris thought pulling his sword out and looking at the orcs. They had stopped five feet away from him and were waiting for the signal to attack.
"I don't need help." Fenris intoned quietly. With those words he lashed out against his enemies. Numbers would not help them now. He struck down the orc who spoke and then spun around to cut the legs from underneath the one to his left. Fenris reversed the blade and impaled the orc directly behind him before kicking it back into its fellows. Another pretentious opponent charged him and was decapitated for his foolishness. The orcs surrounding him all rushed in at once.
Fenris fought on, sometimes he flowed with skill and grace casually cutting down his foolish opponents. Sixteen years of fighting all boiled down to a senseless brawl over his own freedom. But his training began to falter, the desertion of his "friends" hit him hard and anger was boiling inside of him. Anger and fear, for now he was free, he had gained his freedom and now, if he died, everything that he once would have enjoyed would be taken away from him again just as it was when he was captured and put into slavery. His form faltered, he no longer attacked his opponents with skill but hacked at them. His anger fueling his swings and cleaves, he dropped his shield and began raining blows down with both hands. A raised shield, a defending weapon, an upturned arm, all gave way before his mindless hacks and cleaves.
The fray came to an abrupt halt. Fenris stood in the middle of dozens of dead bodies. Scores more of orcs were waiting, like jackals at a wounded enemy. Fenris began to feel blood trickling down his body. His armor had been pierced in several locations and blood was welling up and out of the rents made in it.
"Is that it? Is that all that Murnab could send at me? A bunch of orcs!" Fenris was yelling at them, the bitterness left inside of him made him want to fight still. His body was worn out but his hat still raged inside of him. The orcs backed away slightly, they looked at him before turning back behind them as if seeking reassurance. Fenris followed their gaze, and saw a man knocking an arrow back.
The arrow was let loose. It flew from the bow and into the air, hunting for Fenris's life. Fenris could only stare, his reactions were dulled by his fatigue. He tried in vain to twist his body out of the way but it was too little too late. Fenris inhaled sharply as the shaft thunked into his body. Pain caused him to stagger backwards as he tried in vain to breath. The arrow had pierced him at the side of his throat, almost at the juncture between shoulder and neck.
He was staggering backwards, memories flashed in front of him. The orcs were no longer the gangrel creatures of before, but the victims of his blade. Each smiled at his death, some were laughing at the scene, and he could hear the crowd cheering in the background. They were laughing, at him, laughing at the way he died. Laughing at how the mighty Fenris was laid low by a single arrow. Fenris took another step back only to find that he had run out of ground. He slipped off the edge and began to plummet into the Scar River.
The last thing he remembered seeing was a pair of eyes.
* * *
That's it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I hope its cliff hanging enough for you folks out there. Its time again for fact of the chapter: Did you know that nemo, is Latin for no one. Think about that for a minute, which means that "Finding Nemo" is actually "Finding No One". Boggles the mind, doesn't it?