I couldna hear — twas just roar.
I drew m’self straight and pulled my eyes tae Rannald. I focused. Quiet settled over the castle again.
My blade steady once more.
He spat, circling, bein’ careful tae stay in the shadows away from the reach of m’snipers. “Ye canna touch me, Torin, I’ve beaten these men before — ye think this time’s different? The king is dead, the prince will be made tae die at my feet, I will take the princess for m’own?—”
I chuckled low. “Ye ken, those are the last words of a fool about tae lose a kingdom in a fit of hubris.”
He circled the other way. “I winna lose, Torin, ye arna?—”
“We fought before, and I ken ye are weak.”
“Nae...” I saw him falter. “I am nae weak, I am a king.”
I dinna answer.
This was the moment.
The world slowed down around me. Hearing gone, my other senses heightened — sparks and stone dust rained, speckling the air, smoke rose. The air stank of powder and burning thatch.
I could taste the blood.
My heartbeat slowed, I exhaled.
Focus. My sight was all.
His cloak flipped tae the side.
As it had done afore.
Instead of meetin’ him on his left, I stepped inside his guard, and just as his cloak tangled his arm for a momentary fatal heartbeat…
I thrust my blade deep intae his side.
He gasped, blood bloomed black under his mail.
He staggered back, pullin’ from my sword. “Ye… ye?—”
Behind me all hell broke loose, a loud yell in my ear, voices —Charlie is struck!
The shriek of Alexandria.Max!
Why?
Explosions sounded behind me, I glanced over m’shoulder, twas bedlam — in that one moment of losin’ focus, Rannald turned and fled, staggerin’ toward the sally port, his soldiers closing behind him.
Ryan’s voice: “Extraction point!”
I tapped on the radio, “Nae, I’m goin’ for Rannald!”
I dinna listen tae their complaints, I chased with my sword high, roaring.
I cut down one man, then two. The sally port loomed at the end of the narrow passage. Rannald vanished through it, trailing red.
I chased, m’boots echoing on the stones.
He was being dragged now by his men, disappearing around a corner. M’leg was sore, each step sending flares of pain up my side. I limped round the same corner and steel whistled down in front of me, I hadna heard a man so close.
