"Who the hell are you?" The leader of the knights asked as we stared down one another. We remained silent and still, tense, waiting for an indication on what to do next. "I asked you all a question." As if he gave a command, the foot soldiers all leveled crossbows at us. Aodh shifted next to me, I glanced to see his expression was grim. "Are you all mercenaries?"
"There's no way we can fight this many with crossbows and not get injured." Aodh barely breathed the words to us and glanced at Gaetano still clinging to my back.
"What is it? Answer me!"
"We are mercenaries." Aodh finally answered.
"You are coming with us. Lay down your arms and we will let you ride a horse, resist and we drag you behind by a leash." I could feel the others collectively tense and wait for Aodh's response. Everyone was still for a long time. "You resist then?"
Finally Aodh unbuckled his sword belt and let it fall. "Fine then." We all followed suit, Gaetano slipping down from my back and I undid the many belts that housed my weapons. As it was, they didn't allow us horses. They shackled our wrists in front of us with a piece of long leather looped around the chains that led to a horse, each of us separated from one another. We walked for most of the day without rest and I worried how Gaetano was fairing, fighting all night and now this... Finally a keep came into view. That was where we were headed. The terrain we were crossing was rough and rocky, high, jagged cliff faces on either side of us, though the road itself was well maintained. Eventually we crossed the drawbridge to reach the keep's gate.
"Open the gate!" The captain shouted, to have his order repeated by a soldier on the wall above us, and the iron gate rose, allowing us to enter into whatever awaited us. Once inside the courtyard, we were all tied to one another's shackles and led inside in a long line, surrounded by guards. We were taken to a large antechamber lighted by red lanterns. In that dark, windowless place, the air itself was eerie. There were red carpeted pathways inlaid amongst a large indoor pond that we followed. At the end of the antechamber, surrounded by multitudes of candles, was a man in all black armor, sitting at a large desk. "I have returned General." The captain saluted, fist over his heart. A man standing in the shadows caught my eye. White blond hair cut long in front, short in back and at one side. He had the air of a mercenary. Perhaps even this General's bodyguard. He seemed completely at ease and unconcerned with us, leaning against a column. "I have brought prisoners captured in Plum Wood."335Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpwj21wHg9
The General stood, "Good work." His voice came out sounding muffled and metallic behind his black helm. He walked around his desk, closer to us. He stopped before his desk. "I am the Black General, Baruch, and I now rule Redmont Hold." Baruch picked up a tall candle holder and carried it closer to us, walking down the line. "What interesting helms you all have. And women and children amongst you!" He said, noticing Beatrix and Gaetano, causing Gaetano to stiffen. "Don't get too excited little one." Baruch said, then purple flames and black smoke rose from his hand holding the candleholder, melting the metal to flow to the ground, blackened. ~Magic!~ White light issued from him and enveloped Gaetano.
"What are you doing?" Beatrix asked, panic threaded her tone. Gaetano screamed as the general reached for him. I drew a dirk from one of my wrist guards, cutting through the leather connecting us. I tensed to lunge for the general but the white-blond mercenary I had noticed before was suddenly in my way. I lunged at him, he parried my swipe with his dagger, his other swiped at me and I dodged back, drawing my other dirk. The commotion of the fight broke the general's concentration at least. The guards descended on me and I started cutting throats, dodging attacks. The mercenary sheathed his daggers and drew his sword, leveling it at Aodh's throat. I froze and the guards wrestled me to the ground. I grunted under their combined weight, trying to shift to be more comfortable.
"You are the famed Black Mercenary, are you not? To think you would be in Adroso at a time like this. Is this your new band?"
"I joined them." I grunted out the words, trying to breath. "The Order of Beasts."
The Black General laughed. "The Order of Beasts, I like that. I have never seen a band such as yours before." The mercenary returned to the shadows near the column once more. "Third Captain, remove their masks." He started with me, ripping off my leather helm and proceeded down the line, taking the helmets Aodh had had made for us. "My, you all will be entertaining. I wish to see just how powerful you all are myself."
"General Baruch, do you mean..." The Captain didn't finish his question.
The Black General started to quickly leave. "Yes, they will be splendid entertainment." He laughed, the metallic sound sending a shiver down my spine. I was hauled up and ushered away from the others at sword point. Aodh tensed but I shook my head at him. As hobbled as we were against this many weapons...there was little we could do but make the best of it and wait for an opportunity. It meant playing this Black General's little game...whatever it might be. I was led out to the dungeons of a coliseum. ~This should be interesting.~ Well, fighting was a lot less frightening then what my mind went to when he'd said...entertainment.... I was led past an iron gate and into the arena where soldiers clustered the stands. The arena was cobbled, with pillars, both broken and still standing littering the grounds. I was released, though the guards were uneasy about it. I smirked. They exited and another gate opened....allowing a silver back gorilla to dash into the arena. ~Oh shit. Really? Me fight that thing without a weapon?~ This was not going to be easy. The gorilla was agitated, bellowing and pounding his chest, flitting around. The gorilla caught sight of me and charged...and I ran. Like I can face a gorilla face to face? Yeah right. I used the pillars as refuge but kept moving. I dashed around another pillar then kicked off it to land a kick to the gorilla's face before disappearing around another pillar. I spun around another one and punched him in the face again, dodging a swipe of his might arm and ran. Jumped off a pillar to knee him in the face, dodge rolled his counter and ran again. Dodge, dodge, dodge, punch, punch, kick, run. As long as I could remain ahead of the beast, I was okay, but my attacks did little to his massive form then royally piss him off. I managed to dodge his charge, kicking him into the wall with his momentum behind him, stunning him. The Black General stood, clapping his hands, distracting me, and I saw the others lined up near him. I didn't know what hit me, but it must have been a swipe of the gorilla as I sailed back and into the wall, knocking the wind from me. He swiped again, slapping me to the side and making pain explode in my head and my ears to ring. He picked me up by the neck, roaring into my face. I grabbed his arm but could do little more as I was still trying to get breath back into my body.
"Give him a weapon!" I heard Beatrix yell over my pulse sounding loudly in my ears. Able to think more clearly, I grabbed the gorilla's thumb and yanked backward as hard as I can. He shrieked out and dropped me. I grabbed some rubble with both hands and slammed it into his head, kicking him back before body-slamming a leaning pillar and making it fall on him. I panted, my neck already feeling bruised and abused from the gorilla's attention. The gorilla was alive and shouting, though he could not lift the pillar off of him. My heart lurched for the poor animal...but there was nothing I could do for him.
"He won! Drake won!" Gaetano celebrated.
"Yes!" Beatrix joined in happily and Perce smiled. While waiting for what would happen next, I was coughing and trying to catch my breath, falling to my knees. Another gate opened...and Aodh was led through... I stared in surprise. ~Next he wants us to fight each other?~ Aodh's expression was grim but gave away nothing. Except his eyes, those icy blue eyes of his were pained. Aodh's shackles were removed and we were left alone in the arena. I climbed to my feet and saw Aodh's tightly clenched fists twitch like he wanted to help me. My heart squeezed for the turmoil he seemed to be in.
"What shall we do now Griffon?"
"I will not fight you." Aodh said sternly. "No matter what Drake, I will not fight you."
ns 15.158.61.42da2
