Page 51 of Null & Void

Arpi—dazed, as if not yet registering anything that’s happened since he was disarmed by Beans—is close enough that I reach to grip my hand behind his neck while still in the air.

Using the momentum that I’ve created, I swing myself around, using his neck as my counterbalance to land on his back, my grip now on his other shoulder. Looping my arm under his chin, I let go of his shoulder to jam my right wrist into the pit of my elbow. I lock everything in place by gripping the back of his head with my free hand, completely blocking his airway.

I know I don’t have strength on my side, so knotting my arms in such a way that I would have to fully relax to be able to untangle them, means that strength doesn’t matter here, only time and determination.

Arpi must realize this because after he finally reacts and scratches at my arms, he tries to punch my face. He can’t reach, so he changes tactics and goes for the ribs. He gets a few good punches to my side before he gives up and starts stumbling backward.

Picking up speed, it takes me a moment to figure out what he’s doing before I’m slammed into the uneven cave wall. I hear, more than feel, the pop of a rib or two breaking.

Arpi steps forward, going for another backward slam, but it lacks intensity. This time though, the lightning bolt of pain momentarily dazes me, and I am grateful that I’m unable to let go accidentally.He stumbles to his knees, and I use the weight pulling him forward to tighten my grip even more.

Arpi finally loses consciousness and falls, and I relax my arms to fall to my left, scrambling for the knife that Beans sent flying in this direction. Two quick jabs with the knife into his neck, and I watch as his lifeblood drains freely.

Kneeling in a pool of blood and struggling to breathe through my broken ribs, I use my filthy tunic to clean the hilt of the slick knife. I crawl to Beans’ prone form on the ground.Blood leaks from the wound on his head, but not as much as I was expecting for an axe. His beautiful orange lashes and brows are hidden by so much blood…and my rage threatens to choke me.

After inspection, relief washes through me with staggering intensity. It appears to be a minor injury—he must have been hit by the butt or even the cheek of the axe. But I can’t immediately tell if he’s breathing, so I feel for his lifeblood, relieved that it still pulses in his neck. I note with slight detachment the dissonance of first draining one man’s lifeblood with malice, only to be relieved another’s still flows.

Beans grimaces and breathes out a groan, but doesn’t rouse when I say his name, which comes out only as a soft croak.Satisfied he isn’t in immediate danger of dying, I stumble to my feet to navigate the caves, toward the continued sounds of chaos outside.

One foot in front of the other.

Tight breaths.

Testing the weight and size of the knife.

Calculating which arm will throw with the most accuracy.

Lift arms.

Pain.

Decide I can throw with my right if I hold my breath.

I make it outside to a blinding sun, the stench of death, and the sounds of swords clashing.

Tovi is closest, in front and slightly to my left fighting a man I don’t immediately identify. Riley is to my far right with his back to me, fighting two men with deadly grace.I cannot yet see Bitty.

Stumbling forward a few steps, my path is cut off by a small stampede of terrified, unsaddled horses. I see a person raising a sword on my left and brace myself for the fight. But he either hasn’t seen me or doesn’t see me as a threat because he’s going for Tovi. I try to draw in a breath to scream for her, but the pain stops me.She won’t see him coming.

The knife flies from my hand before I remember what Tovi might have done, though maybe her presence here means it isn’t true.

For the briefest of moments, I fear I have miscalculated the knife and my throw, but it flies true and lodges itself in the man’s neck. He drops his sword, narrowly missing the man Tovi is fighting, and reaches his hands up to his throat as he falls to his knees and keels over.Distracted by the display, her opponent makes a mistake and that is all Tovi needs to swing and slice his head clean off at the shoulders.

Tovi spins to face me but looks to my right and then back to me in alarm.I see her scream my name but don’t hear it, the pain of being tackled is louder.

I land with a sickening thud, the air forced from my lungs painfully, and I know this isn’t good.Now weaponless, I can’t defend myself. Tovi is already fighting someone else and can’t help me.I’m not even sure if Riley is aware I left the cave.

Fortunately, my attacker is also weaponless, so I’m being strangled. Strangled to death instead of being cleaved or stabbed. Fortunately. I find this amusing for some reason and would laugh…if I wasn’t in the middle of dying. My consciousness is wavering in and out. The rage inside me is nowhere to be found, it’s left me for dead.I’m too tired to care.

The man with his hands around my throat is sent flying with force out of my view. I gasp painfully for air, which has me involuntarily doubling over to my side.I must lose consciousness briefly because I’m awoken by hot breath blowing hard in my face. A soft velvet muzzle with prickly whiskers nudges and lips at my face aggressively.

It’s the pony. My Sweet Girl. She lips me once more on the cheek and I brush my hands on her warm face in thanks.

Bitty comes running from the direction the man went flying. They are a sight to behold: their face and leathers covered in blood, black hair down and tucked behind their ears, and violet eyes blazing with an intensity I recognize. Their dimples are nowhere to be found, only a vicious disposition and a concerned crease to their brow. Pride swells within me seeing Bitty full of fight. They help me to a sitting position.

Just in time to see Sweet Girl stumble in front of us.

She wasn’t just breathing heavily to wake me up, she had a jagged gash almost the entire length of her side and was bleeding profusely. Syrupy drips are lazily splashing into the dry earth. Despite my ribs and lack of lung capacity, I manage a small scream when she crashes down, and the gash tears open even further, threatening to spill organs.

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