Shadow Dance...Chapter Eleven

Shadow Dance...Chapter Eleven

“So where are you heading to this morning? Halin asked Namir curiously as they left the Flying Muses.

“Here and there.” Namir answered as he glanced around them quickly to see if anyone had followed them from the inn. Once he was certain that they were alone he continued, “Why? Is there something troubling you?”

“Well…not really.” Halin lied pitifully. He had attempted to sound convincing in his lie and he knew that he had failed badly.

“Good…so out with it then.” Namir’s cool gaze became steely as he looked Halin directly in the eyes. “I have the feeling that there is more to the questions that you had asked yesterday and your odd behavior than you told us. So now you need to tell me…please.”

“I will…but not here.” Halin whined in response. He felt trapped, but he didn’t quite know how to get rid of the feeling. “I think that it would be best if I told you what was bothering me when we are completely alone.”

“Fine,” Namir agreed a little disturbed by Halin’s uneasiness. ‘This isn’t like Halin.’ Namir thought to himself swiftly as he continued his sentence. “Meet me here, at the Flying Muses, for lunch and we can discuss it then…that is if it really can wait that long…” Namir reassessed Halin’s nervousness and he was certain that it didn’t bode well. Something was bothering him badly.

“Very well.” Halin agreed gloomily. “So…we’re to be back here at noon then?” He was still unable to hide the nervous twinge from his voice.

“Aye…and try not to be late.” Namir said laconically over his shoulder as he made his way through the crowd.

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Halin watched Namir vanish into the crowed streets as the throng of people engulfed him. ‘Why didn’t I tell him?’ Halin pondered morosely. As soon as Halin was certain that he was alone again, he plunged into the busy streets and made his way to the market. ‘I know that Jaconis is following me…I can feel it.’ Halin mused. ‘Here I am completely unable to protect myself from him. Why didn’t I just tell Namir about my fears?’ Halin peered over his shoulder cautiously trying to catch a glimpse of Jaconis as he deftly dodged the hawkers and peddlers. He made sure to nod to them curtly so that he didn’t offend them as they threw out their well-rehearsed deals. Halin noticed a shadow that seemed to dodge just outside of his view as he wound his way through the unfamiliar streets. ‘He really is following me. Dammed why can’t he just leave me alone!’ Halin thought grimly.

Halin decided to duck into random shops and locations in a vain attempt at catching a glimpse of his pursuer. He did his best to blend into the crowd as he exited each store and he focused on not calling attention to himself, but it didn’t seem to help. Every time Halin glanced behind him, there he was just a pace or two back. He felt trapped.

“Why couldn’t the trip here have been smoother?” Halin cursed out loud as he ducked down a back alley at random. He breathed a little easier when he noticed that the alley had a few corners that led into darker places that he could only guess at. “Just don’t get lost.” He muttered to himself as he threw himself around a corner blindly.

“Getting lost is the least of your concerns, boy.” The rugged voice that erupted behind him sent chills up Halin’s spine. Not only was it not Jaconis’ voice, it was gruff and cruel sounding.

Halin almost ran into a wooden fence that had been built across the alley before he saw it and stopped. It was then that he heard the person moving behind him, closer than before. Halin realized that the fence was blocking his path completely at the same time that he noticed how close his pursuer was. These realizations only added to Halin’s surprise and fear. Panicked he turned around to face the person that stalked him. He believed that he was prepared for anything, anything except what he saw.

The image that met his eyes came straight out of one of his nightmares. His assailant stood easily two spans taller than he did and its chest was covered with glittering metal chains that had been fashioned into armor of some sort. Rising above the chain mail was a bestial fur covered face. Halin’s eyes widened with fear as he looked from the metal to the matted furry features of the thing. Its breath came in puffs of steam as it looked at Haling and then it smiled revealing its sharp wolf-like teeth.

“Wh…Wh…What ar…are you?” Halin managed to say before his voice completely abandoned him in fear.

“I am your deliverer.” His assailant rasped, its voice sounded like metal scraping across stone. Halin stared unable to speak as the beast drew closer to him. “Well, boy, aren’t you going to ask what I am going to deliver you from?” Its mirth was written plainly across its features. It was definitely enjoying every moment of Halin’s fear. “In case you are wondering, I am going to deliver you from your wretched fate.” It breathed a huge cloud of steam directly into Halin’s face as it loomed above him. The vile stench drove Halin to the ground as if he were struck.

“I’m not sure who you are, but I suggest that you leave him alone!” Namir’s voice echoed through the ally abruptly breaking the tension that the creature had created. Halin tried to move away from it and found to his dismay that he was completely against the wooden fence and had nowhere to go.

The beast spun to face Namir, momentarily taking its attention away from Halin as it barked its reply. “And I care nothing for your interference!” It growled threateningly as it turned its glowing red eyes onto Namir. “Be gone now…or die!”

Namir recoiled from the hideous thing as he saw it fully. “Get away from him!” He had somehow managed to shout while he tried to pull his knife free from its sheath.

The creature looked at Namir again, its red eyes glowed brighter bathing its devilish light across the alley directly at Namir. “I told you to be gone! Do you not value your life?” It howled at Namir defiance.

Namir noticed the steel clad feet as he traced the beat’s figure from its armored chest down to the ground as he tried to take it all in. He realized that the feet inside the boots had to be dog’s feet as the thing moved closer to him. Namir felt fear grip mind as the creature’s gaze seemed to lock his limbs against his will. He could feel himself backing away from the thing fearful and timid no matter how much he wanted to stand his ground. ‘NO!’ he tried to scream…but his throat clenched and wouldn’t let any sound out. The thing moved even closer to Namir and the fear drove even deeper into Namir’s soul. He could smell the beast’s its wet fur and rotting breath mingled with the smell of refuse in the alley and the combined stench was overwhelming. Namir found himself fighting as hard not to wretch as he was to stand his ground.

“So, you would protect this boy?” It laughed. “You can’t even protect yourself! Tell me…why should I let you live?” It waited a moment as if waiting for Namir to reply, but he couldn’t find his voice. “Tell me child!” It growled impatiently.

“Because I am not your prey.” Namir said, almost whispering. He had wanted to yell at the creature, but somehow he couldn’t. Namir felt as if his mind were not his own to command anymore.

“Good! Now go!” The beast reached down and took Namir’s knife from his limp hand easily and flung it down the alley. Then it grabbed the front of Namir’s shirt and lifted him off of the ground like a misused puppet. The thing carelessly flung Namir down the alley after his dagger as if he were weightless. The loud hollow thud of Namir hitting the cobbled stones of the alley was followed quickly by a sharp snapping sound of wood splintering as Namir’s breath was knocked out of him. Namir lay slumped against a stone wall with pieces of wood splintered all around him in what used to be a shed of some kind. He didn’t move and to Halin he looked dead.

The beast turned back to Halin again. “Now boy, tell me. Who will save you this time?” It sneered menacingly.

Halin stared at the beast unable to move. None of his muscles would cooperate as it hovered over him once more. He felt its saliva trickle down from its hideous mouth and dribble down his cheek. Halin looked into up into the creature’s maw as it gaped open, full of sharp teeth. Another gust of rotting air enveloped Halin’s head in its putrid scent and he almost fainted from it. The creature grabbed Halin’s shoulder and he heard himself scream as the beast’s claws tore easily through his flesh.

“ENOUGH!” Halin’s world shattered as the new sound engulfed him, shards of reality seemed to fly every which way as he desperately tried to find the source of these words. Halin felt the beast turn abruptly to face whoever had spoken. Pain erupted anew in his left shoulder as the beast released its grip on his right one and let most of his body fall towards the ground. The blood pooled under Halin’s dangling body and he felt it as it tricked from his shoulder across his body in its path to the ground. Even though he was loosing consciousness, Halin could still feel the creature’s claws imbedded in his left shoulder like hot irons that were barely holding him above the ground. It was only a matter of time before either the thing killed him or his shoulder bones snapped and Halin knew it.

“Another nuisance. You must be the luckiest prey that I’ve ever hunted.” The beast growled at Halin angrily. Turning to face its new opponent it spat, “Go away. I am too busy to bother with you, elf!”

“I said enough and I meant it. Let the boy go and I just might spare your life.” The elf replied in a harmonic voice. The elf’s clothes seemed to blend into the alley and the debris around him. Even the pain that Halin was feeling didn’t seem to make the elf any clearer to Halin. Instead his vision swam with the rippling that his rescuer’s clothes writhed with as he moved closer and drew a silvery sword out from under his cloak.

“Ahhh…a guardian.” The beast’s eyes narrowed. “What business do you have here in Hornshir, eh?” It menaced.

“That is none of your concern. Now let the boy be!” The elf’s voice pulsed with power and the beast felt it.

“If I do, I’ll come for him again when he’s outside of your protection.” It challenged almost hissing at the guardian.

“Please do, then I can end your life with no fear for those around us, Morcant.” The elf replied as he stepped ever closer.

The beast’s eyes narrowed more. “How is it that you know my name?”

“That is my secret, vermin. Now be gone!” The elf shot back.

“For now guardian…only for now.” Looking down at Halin, Morcant pulled his claws free. “I will be back boy…and I will kill you.” He licked the blood from his claws as it leapt to the roof of the nearest building in a single bound easily. Within moments it had completely vanished.

Halin’s vision swam again as he felt himself hit the ground roughly. The sound of his body squishing into the pool of his own blood and the rank scent of the refuse from the alley were the last things that he clearly remembered as the darkness closed him off from the rest of the world.

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Morcant sat on the roof glumly looking at his feet as his mistress berated him for his stupidity. “But I didn’t know that there was a guardian in the city.” Morcant replied, as his mistress grew more impatient.

“Look at me.” Her voice stung him more than her lash had. “I don’t care who is protecting him. I wanted him delivered to me or killed. I cannot wait any longer. Do you understand?” Morcant withered under her glare.

“Aye, my mistress,” Morcant’s voice was filled with remorse as he looked at her face trying to avoid eye contact.

“Good.” She lifted Morcant’s head until his black eyes stared into her deep brown ones. He could smell her subtle jasmine fragrance as it filled his senses. “Do not fail me,” she whispered, “or next time I’ll take more from you than a small piece of your ear.”

Morcant sat shaking with hatred as she walked over to the ladder and descended from the roof top. ‘One day I’ll be allowed to fight back against you.’ Morcant thought bitterly as his rage began to rise. ‘Not today, but soon.’ He suppressed these thoughts as he cleared his nose of her scent. Slowly he paced the roof as he sifted trough the scents of the city. Wherever his prey had hid, it wouldn’t stay hidden from him for long.