The earth rumbled.The wind shrieked.Around them, the shadebegan to thicken, like a blanket falling across the sun.
“You have five minutes!Five minutes to emerge from whereveryou’re hiding!From then on, I will consider you my enemy, boy, and I willsmite you like the gods!”
His words echoed out through the cavern.Isaac could imaginehow it looked—his uncle standing before an ancient altar, surrounded bythralls, a cloud of bone poised like arrows above his head, waiting in theshadow of a colossus with a sneer on his face.His patience was always thinwhen punishment was due.
“Help me stand,” Isaac said.
Zaria pulled him to his feet.She leaned over, checking theknives still in his arm.Instead of removing them, she tightened the splintsand bandages.“Likes to talk, does he?Seems like the sort that’d piss in somewine and expect praise for the vintage.”
“You do get used to the taste.”
She snorted.“Something about a plan, you were saying?”
He thought about distances.Throughout the conversation, hehad been tracking the location of Berith’s voice, trying to determine how farthey still had left to travel.The fact that he could hear his words at allsuggested they were already very close.
“I don’t think you’re going to like it,” he said.
“Oh, aye?Was I supposed to be liking all this?”
“It’s a simple plan, if inelegant.All it requires is thatsword in your hand.If I could just—”
Ossein snapped.
Someone had entered the room.
It was a blur, at first.In the shadow of the colossus, theroom was dark, leaving only a vague impression of bone and steel.After amoment, Isaac saw blood.There was a glistening curtain of red dripping down atorso, clinging to a motley collection of leather and fur.There was a brokenjaw, dangling like a horseshoe.Finally, there was a satchel of black powder,clutched tightly in a white-furred paw.The fuse was small, and the bag waspacked to the edge of bursting.It was enough to vaporize the capsule.
Zaria dashed forward, nearly knocking him over.“Oh, lookwhat the cunt pissed out!”
Soren gurgled, lurching forward.
“Afternoon, captain!Bright day, isn’t it?”
Something wet spilled at Soren’s feet.She raised thesatchel of powder above her head, attempting to point with her other hand.
“Try it,” Zaria replied, baring her teeth.“Bet I’ll floss your guts ‘fore you spark the flint.”
Soren took another step, her leg limp and dragging.Shepointed at the satchel again.
Zaria snarled and charged.
“Stop!”Isaac shouted.
The hyena stopped, if only because Soren took another stepforward, and her face entered the light.Her skull was completely split.Therewas only a ruin where her face had been, a dribble of pinkish brain spillingover the empty socket which had once held her glass eye.Beyond a doubt, thebunny was dead.
With a gurgle, she waved the bomb back and forth, stumblingon unsteady legs.
“I know that’s you, father,” Isaac said.
Soren nodded frantically, her jawbone snapping like a brokendoor.Zaria released a growling huff, letting her pass.After a drunken limptoward the command chairs, the bunny pointed outside, in the direction thatBerith’s voice had echoed.She made a jerking shake of her head.
Isaac leaned on a chair.“I’m not taking his offer.”
Soren nodded, seemingly in relief.
“Well,” Isaac said, “not yet, anyway.”
Zaria stepped to Soren’s side, nearly three heads tallerthan the bunny.“Come again?”
