The darkness began to fade, and the light of a warm fireplace took its place. The hearth almost caused Kait to forget she had no idea where she was. She craned her neck, try to get a glimpse of the room she was in. Swords, lances, shields, and even some plate armor lined the walls or was scattered unprofessionally. After a second glimpse, she noticed that the fireplace was actually a blazing inferno, with pieces of red hot metal jutting out of its blaze.
"You awake?" asked a voice from the darkness. A figure approached her, and entered the light of the fire.
"Trevor! Why am I here? Were's Katamar?" panicked Kait. She then noticed the pain on her forehead. She pressed her hand to the spot, and noticed the red that spotted it as she returned it. "And what on earth happened?:
"I'm not sure. Your hubby must have some good friends we're not aware of." replied the infuriated Trevor. Kait then noticed the bloody firepoker leaning against an anvil, and a bloody shirt, still recognizable as the blacksmiths.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, then added. "And more importantly, are you ok... am I ok?"
"You're fine, that militiaman just knocked you out. I, however, I don't think I'm gonna be as lucky." Trevor grunted, holding the darker spot on his black shirt.
"What are you talking about?"
"I was making a sword, and I heard Katamar. He was being held by a large militiaman, while a large hunter was flat, and a small hunter was preparing to nail Katamar. I got 'im good with that poker over there. The big 'un got up, and I flattened him. I spun around to help yer hubby, but he was out cold. So I jabbed the poker at the militiaman, and he just sidestepped. He backhanded me, and I hit the ground. He then started walking for you. So I jumped on his back."
"That's... that's horrible. Why was he after us, and how did you stop him?" asked the horrified Kai.
"I'm not sure why, and I didn't stop him. He just shook me off, and as I tried to run at him again, he ran me through with my own poker. Lucky you, the town alarm was sounded, as people realized what was happening. The three guys ran, not wanting to be slowed down by you." he explained.
"We have to get you home." she said. " and I need to get to Kyle, what if they go after him?"
"Go get Kyle, and as for me, I wouldn't last half the journey. Please, just tell my family I love them, I can rest peacefully knowing they know." said Trevor, now struggling to take every breath.
"But... but.. I.." she mumbled. Looking at the wound, she knew he was right, but she couldn't admit it to herself.
"Don't argue, Kait. Just do it, and find your son, before it's too late." he countered.
"I will..." she whispered, as she rose. She then approached the door.
"Wait..one more thing..." said Trevor, pointing to 'dragon.' "Take that to Katamar, it's his now. Just tell him I want the militiaman's blood on it."
Kait followed suit silently, and then she was gone. She knew Trevor would be dead soon, but she couldn't afford to stay behind. She had a long way to Urbanius, the home of Trevor's family, and her own son.
The man Warren was staring at had dark skin. His hair was even darker, and was in large unkept strands that twisted and knotted from his scalp to his chest. The man was obviously tall, even though he was sitting, and he was unhealthily scrawny.
"Who on earth are you?" he finally asked, after days of just staring.
"They call me, Wolfbait. At least that's what they call me now." said the ugly man.
"Ah. I see then." said uneasy Warren, who now wanted to end the conversation more than add to it. Warren could kinda tell, now that he knew. The picture in his head was two years outdated, but he had no trouble believing the man to be Wolfbait, better known to him as the Legendary Unseen Demon.
Warren now hoped more than anything that the legendary madman failed to notice his silver gun behind the armed guards on the other side of the iron bars. He felt hopeless, trapped in a cage with a man known for his rage, and he happened to own his dead sister's gun.
"That yer gun o'er there?" asked Wolfbait, letting his dark hair cover his downward staring face.
"Err... that gun.. Yeah... I think so, can't be sure, it's kinda far away, but you know.. You know I got that gun from a church, yeah, a church. They gave it's divinitiness to me as a trophy for rescuing orphans from a fire." the frightened gunner tried to lie. He felt he was taking his last breaths, and he knew that lame lie wasn't going to prolong his fate.
The ugly man stood, proving Warren an accurate judge of height. He paced forward slowly toward Warren, stopping a few feet away.
"Well, it's nice." said Wolfbait, a sick, twisted grin forming below his malevolent eyes.
Warren prepared to start a false string of fake flattered comments, when he realized that the man's intentions were not innocent.
"You inconsiderate fool!" cried Wolfbait as he reached out his hand. It embraced Warren's throat, and then the two went to the wall. Warren looked down at Wolfbait's eyes, a feet that would be hard if he wasn't being lifted by his throat. They were filled with rage and anguish. They radiated sorrow, but Warren could tell that mercy was not present.
"Guards!" he gasped, "help!"
Wolfbait just stood there, squeezing the throat of the helpless gunner high above his head. The barred gate sprung open, and two armed guards rushed to Warren's aid.
"Drop him! Drop him now!"cried one panicking guard.
"Try to be a little nicer, this guys dangerous." mumbled the other guard.
"You kidding, we both have lances, what's he got?" replied the first, but in a much louder voice.
Wolfbait turned his head. His stern face regained the sick smile, and he dropped Warren. The first guard now wasn't as confident. Wolfbait lunged at the second guard, who attempted to raise his large shield. It didn't work, the rabid Demon was too fast, and too strong for the sheild. He swung it aside and tackled the guard. Placing his hands on the unprotected part of the guards throat, Wolfbait began to squeeze, with no intent of letting up.
The scene didn't last long, as gasping Warren watched the first guard shield-bash Wolfbait to the ground, then continually bash him in the head with the hilt of his lance until the crazed Unseen Demon was finally unconscious.
The guards looked at him like he was lucky to be alive, then dragged the unconscious lunatic out of the cell, leaving him alone.
Warren was glad to have the cell by himself, almost as glad as he was to have air in his lungs still. His glee was short-lived however, as the two hunters that Warren had "met" at the inn earlier came with a third man in their arms.
"Gotta new pal for ya." said the smaller hunter, who had a bandage on his head. The two then threw the unconscious third into the cell, and after closing the gate, were gone.
Warren, afraid that he'd been caged in with another killer, went to check out the man. Although he had a broken nose, and a shoe shaped bruise on his face, Warren recognized the man. He was a pretty famous explorer named Katamar.