Twenty-Three

Terce, The Ides of May

Town Hall, Larkins, Bahim, Drum

“Lord Marrow,” said Jeremy Wynn, First Knight of the Marrow Family. “The army is prepared.”

“Is there nothing,” said Lord Victor Marrow. “To rid of the stench of braxin?”

Jeremy Wynn hesitated, unsure of how to reply. “Forgive me, my Lord,” he said at last.

“How many?” said Marrow.

“Pardon me, my Lord?”

“How many men,” said Marrow. “To go onto Eastpoint?”

“Eight of our battalions,” said Jeremy Wynn. “All but one. As per the orders of Councillor Keys.”

Marrow spat onto the ground. “And he sends none of his rats to our aid.”

Jeremy Wynn chose not to reply to this.

“Very well,” said Marrow. “We depart at Sext.”

“Sir!” cried a soldier as he entered. “Logan Floyd!”

“Logan Floyd?” said Marrow.

“He is at the front gates,” said the soldier. “He has turned himself in!”

Victor Marrow pushed past the soldier and stepped outside, where a commotion was already arising. Jeremy Wynn followed hastily.

Main Gate, Larkins, Bahim, Drum

Lord Victor Marrow found Logan Floyd standing at the entrance to Larkins. Logan was knelt at the ground with his hands tied to his back. His fauchard was on the ground in front of him. Soldiers surrounded him, spears pointed at his head.

Mercy, Second Knight of the Marrow Family, stepped forth and greeted Victor Marrow. He paid her no heed and walked straight to Logan Floyd.

“Logan Floyd,” he said. “What brings you here.”

“I have come to turn myself in,” said Logan. “I believe I have quite the sizeable bounty on my head.”

“And so you do,” said Marrow. “Tripled, actually, since your misadventure in Greghorn Castle.”

“That bounty is yours,” said Logan.

“How generous,” said Marrow. “The Councillor would like to see you, no doubt.”

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“No doubt,” said Logan.

“But you see, Logan Floyd,” said Marrow, now leaning in close to Logan to whisper into his ear. “You fascinate me. You are known as the strongest warrior in Kaps, but I have also heard that you know very little Connexion. You cannot produce a single challis, and you do not even know Barrier Connexion. Is that correct?”

“That matters not,” said Logan. “Take me to Keys.”

“You have won all those battles not by technique, not by swordsmanship, not even by Connexion. You have won those battles by simple murderous malice. And they call Kate Rinehart the Devil Child.”

Logan did not reply.

“But no matter. What matters to me is that if I am to do this,” said Marrow, stepping back away from Logan and holding out his left hand. A ball of water appeared above his palm, initially clear, but then it began boiling and hissing and turned a crimson purple. “You will not be able to defend yourself.”

The ball of water burst into a thousand fragments and shot forwards towards Logan. Marrow was right about Logan. He had little to no knowledge of or experience with Barrier Connexion, and could not stop Marrow’s assault. The only defence Logan knew was to kill his opponent before the assault could even be made. The water droplets, or more precisely the droplets of poison, ripped into Logan’s skin, burning his clothes, which he had been given by the Deer Lop before he had left the Forest. Logan grit his teeth to prevent himself from screaming, but he could not help but let out a low grunt. He felt blood dripping down his arms and torso. Morrow laughed.

“This is the greatest warrior of Kaps?” he said. He raised his hand again, then stopped. Through Logan’s ripped clothes he could now see the wounds that Logan had sustained from his battle with the Spider Lops.

“You —” said Marrow. Then he Sensed the figure catapulting towards him from the sky and looked up. He raised his arms with Barrier Connexion just in time to block the collision with Kate Rinehart. Even still Marrow was sent hurtling backwards. When Marrow returned to his feet Kate Rinehart was already slaying his men, parrying their spears with the blades fixed onto her wrist and sending challis in return. Marrow formed two balls of poison with his hands and sent them hurtling her way but she dodged them with ease. They found their mark on a soldier instead, whose face burned away to reveal his skull.

“Kate,” Logan said.

“Pick up that damn fauchard,” said Kate as she impaled a soldier through the neck.

Logan looked at the bodies now piling up at his feet. Kate saw Logan staring blankly and grit her teeth in anger. She grabbed Logan by his hair.

“If you are not going to help,” said Kate. “At least get out of my way.”

She then hurled Logan into the air with incredible strength. Logan flew up to the sky, over the heads of the terrified soldiers, then landed with a thud on the ground, outside of the scene of chaos. He coughed and saw bright red patches on the grass.

“Blood…” he said.

He looked up and saw through his blurry vision Marrow clashing with Kate. Kate fought with dazzling speed, thrusting herself up into the air and forming beautiful arcs of challis down onto her opponent. Marrow, himself a challis master in his own right, had abandoned using his Stone completely and was facing her with his swordsmanship alone. But Kate was able to slay more of Marrow’s men in between the blows she exchanged with Marrow. More bodies scattered all around. What had gone wrong? He had come here to prevent all of this. But no, more death…

He could hear the footsteps of the soldiers cautiously approaching him. He did not have the strength to get up, but he Transcended their Minds with fear, making them halter and fall back. Yes, this was the best he could do. If the men attacked Logan, there was no doubt that Kate would swoop in and kill them. Ah, Kate… she had no doubt taken more lives than Logan, but she was not burdened by them. No, she felt most alive in battle. She took thrill in the feeling of her blade cutting flesh, and the spatter of blood on her cheeks as she took life after life. Perhaps it would be all the easier of he let go, like Kate. He remembered once again the taste of the pigeon’s blood. And why not? It was hopeless for him already…

But now he was already falling unconscious.