Part 4
To Chains or to Tea
“In the name of the King, I have come to take you under arrest.”
“What!?” the Vassal asked, incredulously.
“On the charge of Violence on another by means of a Kazan,” the constable said.
“He’s got them there,” Ranin said.
“Leave now,” the Vassal said.
“You threaten an officer of the law?” the constable said.
“A Kazan threatens no one.”
“I have heard of your power,” the officer said. “You did a fine job on the arm of the gnat, at the orphanage.”
“This constable is in more danger then he knows,” Ranin said.
“He is not helpless in the situation. He has help,” Namic corrected.
“And what is that to you?” the Vassal asked.
“Have you seen the price that can be gained on a good Kazan?”
“Money,” the Vassal spat. “Money and Power rule the world. It never changes.”
“Why should it stop?” the constable asked. “Now will you come or must I force you?”
“We will go nowhere with you,” The Vassal said.
“Sworder!” the girl said, and then continued lowering her voice, “Are you defying a man of the law?”
“He may be an officer,” the Vassal admitted. “But he does not act like one. If he gets his way he will separate us: you will be sent back to the orphanage and I would be auctioned off to the highest bidder.”
“So be it,” the officer said, and a cat appeared climbing over his shoulder. The feline leapt off his back and onto the ground. Its size was only slightly larger then a common street cat but its ears were much longer and pointed and it had a presence which could not be described.
“Fascinating!” Ranin said, surprised.
“As I said,” Namic noted. “But I think the constable underestimates the pair.”
“Get back,” the Vassal of Fire commanded the girl as he prepared to face the beast.
“Is this not familiar?” Ranin asked.
“Only to the untrained eye,” Namic said. His always harsh voice made him hard to read.
It’s the optics,” Ranin defended.
The feline pounced at the Vassal who brought up his sword to defend himself. The impact sent the Vassal to the ground. The Vassal reached up and grabbed the cat’s head with his free arm and smoke rose as the fur began to burn. The cat reactively batted away the extended hand allowing the Vassal to escape his pinned position. The cat pounced once more, but this time Sworder ducked and slashed at the cat as it passed. A large gash opened across the feline’s neck as it landed but no blood spurted from the wound. A low growl emanated from the beast as it started to shine with white light.
“It’s Staging!” Ranin exclaimed.
“The next card has been put on the table, indeed,” Namic agreed.
The light was so bright that it became impossible to tell where the cat began or ended. Then all at once, the light faded. From where the cat stood pounced a much larger shape. It looked similar to the cat which had been there before, but had armor plating its back and belly. Its claws were now armed with metal attachments to shred anything caught by them. Other qualities changed also. Its ears grew thinner, eyes narrower, and tail longer. The gash across its throat closed slightly and it seemed less impaired.
“Fierce little thing isn’t it,” Ranin noted.
The armored beast leapt at the Vassal. It flew through the air at considerable speed. The cat tackled the Vassal of Fire to the ground. The Vassal was barely able to fight it off before it could do more then slash him across his face. The Vassal quickly bounded up in time to avoid another strike from the armored cat. He backed away from his foe, three gashes running across his face but no blood flowed from them.
“He might be out classed,” Ranin noted.
“Think not that all the cards have been shown,” Namic countered.
“Is the girl’s will strong enough?” Ranin asked.
“We shall soon see,” Namic foretold.
The Vassal of Fire grew more defensive as the cat wailed on him. With scrapes and burses running across his skin, the Vassal faced down the armored cat.
“The Cat of Orzar is swift and agile,” the constable said. “And with its armor any strike you do land will have little effect.”
The cat pounced one more time.
“Sworder!” the girl cried.
“I think he can see the cat,” Ranin commented.
The Vassal stepped forward, shouting a battle cry. An invisible force emitted from him, it could not be heard or felt but it was there. Raising his sword above his head, the Vassal plunged the blade into the ground. The sword blazed as it descended and, as it sunk down into the earth, a column of fire erupted, engulfing the Vassal and the Cat of Orzar in flames.
“Oh! Well!” Ranin exclaimed.
“Interesting indeed,” Namic noted.
The flame died almost as quickly as they had appeared. Sworder stood panting; both hands firmly clamped to his short sword, imbedded deep into the earth. The Cat of Orzar was gone and the ground around Sworder was heavily scorched.
“Focuses,” Namic said. “The abilities Shadow Warriors have to unleash a large amount of shear force and channel it into a single action. Many times it takes a significant amount of energy, even too much for the Kazan to hold its form.”
“It brings back memories, doesn’t it?” Ranin said almost dreamily.
Namic gave Ranin a long hard look.
“What?”
The officer was taken aback.
“Well, till we meet again,” the officer said, as he realized he had lost.
“For your sake I hope that is never,” Sworder said standing in the charred circle.
The officer grunted before turning his horse and galloped away.
Sworder sighed as he saw the horse retreat and took a step back placing a hand to his head in weariness.
“What was that?” the girl asked, rushing to Sworder’s side.
“It was a duel, of sorts,” Sworder said, stabilizing himself.
“No! That thing you did with your sword.”
Sworder took a long look at his short sword before realization dawned on his face. “Oh, you mean the other sword. That was Blaze.” Then after a moment of meeting the girl’s confused face he elaborated. “It was a Focus, I took all I had and let it out in one devastating blow.”
“And you could have done that at any time?”
“Well, I did not even know I could do it until I did,” Sworder said.
“But now you can do it anytime?” the girl asked.
“Well, I have to be in that form,” Sworder said gesturing to himself. “And I have to have the strength to draw on.”
“He is not telling the whole truth,” Namic noted.
“Or he does not know the whole truth,” Ranin replied.
“He does seem not to know,” Namic admitted.
“What other knowledge has he lost?” Ranin asked.
The two travelers resumed the journey, the greatly wounded Sworder and the young girl.
Namic and Ranin watched as the two made their way to the outskirts of the town. They watched as the girl approached a cottage by herself.
The girl reached the door. “You might want to stay out of sight. I don’t know how he would react,” she said, glancing around before she realized she was alone.
“React to what?” A voice rang from around the corner, startling the girl.
“Uncle Ben!” she cried, running up.
“My deary!” the old man said in surprise, as the girl hugged him. “How may I help you?”
“I need to leave,” the girl said.
“Well,” he said, thinking a moment. “How ‘bout we go inside and have a little chat over some tea.”
My Stories 