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~*~ TDT2: The Blood Debt ~*~

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12-Aug-2007 00:02:24

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12-Aug-2007 22:11:20

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13-Aug-2007 21:17:13

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15-Aug-2007 20:59:27

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Blood red fire lined the sky as the sun dipped behind the trees over Bond’s shoulder. He was unable to witness the scene, unable to turn his head even a fraction of an inch. The last time he had tried, he had been dragged from his horse, tied to the nearest tree, and whipped again. His back burned and was the same color as the horizon with his blood. Every movement sent lances of pain through his ravaged flesh. His shirt hung from his bony shoulders in tatters, shredded through whipping. In the process of destroying it, many of his secret knives had been discovered and confiscated. But he still had one, buried deep in his wide sash. He just needed a chance to use it.
It wasn’t big enough to break his fetters, although maybe it could be used to pick the lock. A much larger sword could shear the old, rusted metal, most like. But if he could just stick one of his guards and make a break for it…
His futile plotting was interrupted as his horse’s plodding stopped. He turned gingerly to look at his guard, who had yanked hard on the reins. Then he followed that man’s gaze to the captain ahead, who had raised a hand for them to halt. The captain and all of Bond’s guards looked tense and nervous.
Then he heard it. A low, sonorous tone, then louder, clearer. It was a horn. The captain had drawn his sword, and the soldiers as well. “What’s going on?” Bond asked softly.
“Shuddup!” snarled a guard.
But for once, the captain felt generous. Maybe it was that there were bigger things on his mind then bullying his prisoner. “Bandits, I think,” he muttered.

19-Aug-2007 00:10:47

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“We’ve been called many names.” The voice was feminine. First Bond saw their shadows, long in the setting sun. Then horses emerged from the trees on all sides, silent and swift. Within seconds the party was surrounded. “Bandits, outlaws, thieves, criminals, what does it matter? Either way, you’re our enemy. And this is our territory.”
Bond scanned the troupe, a lot of hard-faced men and women, rugged-looking and clad in rags like his. Each was armed with assorted weapons – maces, scythes, blades ranging from two-handed swords to dirks and daggers. Then he found the speaker. Behind him, her back to the sun, he saw the silhouette of a short, wiry woman, long hair about her shoulders, and two sword hilts peeking over her shoulders. He had to squint as the sunset spat hot fire around her, making her form appear to glow at the edges.
Finding her sent him reeling, both with pain from the movement and shock. She looked so familiar…”Krystal?” he gasped deliriously.
The woman seemed to notice him for the first time. “Sorry, I’m afraid not. You are?” Bond slumped in the saddle with disappointment. Would his companions ever come to his aid?
“Krystal?” echoed the captain. He turned to look at Bond, eyes wide. “That’s where I’ve seen you before! You’re from the contest! But that’s imposs-“
Everything happened at once. Feathers sprouted from the captain’s chest and he lurched backwards, twisting in the saddle as he fell and letting out a shrill scream. The outlaws closed in, there was a clash of swords as the first guards were engaged, and then the fighting broke out all around him. All of his guards were occupied. Bond found himself, for the first time, no longer the center of attention. It was too good to be true. He snatched up the reins one soldier had dropped, holding them awkwardly in his shackled hands. He didn’t even have to kick the horse into motion; it had panicked and begun to gallop.

19-Aug-2007 00:11:04

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The dying captain gasped in his last breaths and screeched from the ground, “Get the traitor! Issavan will want him!”

Bond saw a nearby guard wheel his destrier about and charge, longsword raised. Bond swerved away from the blow and raised his arms over his head. The blade sheared through the iron fetters, missed him by inches as the horse’s legs churned under him, and bit into its flank. The two horses collided and he was jolted from the saddle. Bond fell clumsily and lay still, wind knocked from his lungs. His back was afire with agony.

“Find their prisoner!” he heard the woman yell.

It took a moment for him to register the fact that here, he could escape. He was free! All he needed to do was slip away. He began to wriggle across the ground and collapsed against the stones, gasping with pain. A few feet away, a guard was unhorsed and lay gurgling on the ground as blood foamed from his mouth. Bond rolled to avoid his sword as he thrashed and saw a horse thunder towards him. He flinched, but it stopped a few feet from him. Hands reached down and dragged him to the saddle. He struggled and writhed, but the pain was too great.

“Stop that,” said the woman’s voice, annoyed, and then everything went black.

19-Aug-2007 00:11:22 - Last edited on 19-Aug-2007 00:12:08 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Bond’s first thought upon waking was the pain. It consumed his every sense, setting a ringing in his ears and black spots before his eyes, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth and a rank stench of dried blood in his nose.
Then he noticed the voices, and forced himself out of the pain-induced haze to alertness. His eyes quickly shut again. “What are we going to do with him? Rivera, this was bold, and may cost us.” The voice was deep and strong, definitely male, but also sounded tired.
“Are you kidding me? Father, did you not hear what I told you? This man is from the king’s contest!” That left Bond no doubt about whom they were discussing. The speaker was the woman – Rivera - from the battle. The night before? How much time had passed? He quelled his frustration and focused on listening.
“Which is exactly why it is dangerous to hold him!” The first voice snapped in exasperation.
Rivera** voice practically quivered with excitement. “One, do you recognize the implications of his being here? At least someone survived when their ship disappeared, and they’re back. That’s important. And Issavan doesn’t know, or at least, his men don’t. Their captain only figured it out when he called me by the name of one of the other contestants. Two, Father, this puts US in power, consider! He’s wanted. By his friends, if he isn’t the only survivor – I can question him when he wakes. And the king’* men want him for sure. We can ransom him to the highest bidder. Or we offer for him to join us, maybe! We can help him.”
“We do need the coin,” mused Rivera** father. “But if we make a deal with Issavan’s soldiers, that means exposing ourselves. We put ourselves at their mercy.”
“It’s a chance we must take, Father.”
“We’d have better luck trying to keep him here.”
“I have a feeling he won’* want to stick around,” said Rivera dejectedly. “When he got here, he was delirious. He kept muttering about this Krystal and about someone named ‘Corynn’ and that he had to go.”

19-Aug-2007 00:11:37

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