Page 24 of Healer
A wave of longing washed over me as visions of a future with Agnes by my side floated through my brain. Part of me wanted to wake her... to proceed with what her kisses started. But I could tell by the nip in the air that nighttime blanketed the planet, and Agnes slept peacefully in my arms.
Lost in fantasies of a blissful future, I pulled her closer, reveling in the way she cuddled against me. I’d settled back toward sleep when a strange sound whispered through the jungle outside. A noise out of place amidst the rustling leaves and chirping birds. A noise intended to go unnoticed—the subtle shift of a hand pulling a blade from its sheath. A jolt of tension betrayed my body’s instinctual response to the sound.
Stilling myself, I drew a deep breath. Agnes’ floral scent was foremost, accompanied by the remaining hues of dinner and the campfire, along with something else... a subtle antiseptic aroma tinted by the sharp tang of metal.
I rolled from the bed, gently stirring Agnes from her slumber. When she moaned softly in protest, I gently pressed my finger against her soft lips, which puckered slightly in response. In an instant, she became fully alert, her grey eyes widening at my expression. In the thin shard of moonlight from an overhead ventilation shaft, I watched worry cross her features.
“What is it?” Anges mouthed the question, eyes darting toward the cave entrance.
I put my lips close to her ear, almost tasting the sweet scent of her hair.
“I don’t know,” I whispered. “Stay here. Hide.”
The grey eyes went even wider, but she nodded in agreement, crawling into the small space between the bed and wall while I reached for my weapons.
I’d stripped down to my loincloth for bed and didn’t take the time to dress, pausing only long enough to strap my utility belt around my waist and grab my scimitars. With one last lookat Agnes, gathering strength from just the sight of her, I moved toward the entrance.
With weapons clutched tightly, I slipped into the clearing, hugging the rock face while I scouted the situation. A squad of ten Aljani guards crept about, their determined faces illuminated by the dregs of the campfire. Two of them attempted to breach the thick wooden door of the Kerzak abode. I braced myself for imminent battle, ready to defend the sanctity of this home… and Agnes with all my might.
My voice echoed through the air, the fierce and commanding Vaktaire battle cry. The sound struck fear in the hearts of our enemies and called our allies to battle. As my roar reverberated through the atmosphere, I knew it would awaken Talamus and Vienda to the attack. The ground beneath me trembled with anticipation as all Aljani eyes turned to me.
The Aljani lacked a reputation for combat prowess. Despite my own training being inferior to that of my Vaktaire brothers, I still felt a sense of superiority in my skills. The Aljani relied heavily on technology to compensate for the lack of natural speed and strength. I noticed each carried a laser blaster, still most Aljani lacked true precision and skill in using the weapon effectively.
Moving like lightning from the skies, I dodged the first few shots, although one came close enough to my side to leave a trail of heat. In one swift motion, I pulled a short blade from my belt and sent it flying into the chest of one guard, who let out a guttural cry as he fell to the ground. My scimitar sliced through the air, expertly cutting through flesh and bone as it landed a blow on the arm of another guard. The Aljani let out a bloodcurdling scream, his eyes wide with terror as he watched his hand fall limp to the ground, still clasping the laser blaster that now lay useless at his feet. The metallic scent of blood andburnt flesh filled the air, as I felt battle rage, incumbent in every Vaktaire’s DNA, awaken.
The deafening roar of blood and battle, the war cry of the Kerzak, shattered the thick, humid air, and the jungle went silent with fear. I felt my heart racing, and a chill crept along my spine, even though I knew the Kerzak stood on my side in this fight.
With a fierce roar, Talamus charged into the fray, his long-handled axe-like weapon glinting in the moonlight. He swung his weapon in a broad motion, cleaving three Aljani heads from their bodies which rolled along the dirt like macabre balls. The resounding clang of blades meeting filled the air as Vienda joined the battle. Her movements were fluid and graceful as she wielded a sword with as much skill as any Vaktaire warrior. The clash of metal, buzz of laser shots, and shouts of war cries echoed, creating a chaotic symphony.
A larger Aljani male, his muscles rippling, raised his blaster with a fierce snarl. I lunged forward, my scimitar clashing against the gun’s barrel as I parried away his aim. With an upward strike of my elbow, I knocked the gun from his hand, sending it clattering to the ground. But the soldier did not admit defeat. He quickly drew a blade, revealing a glint of skill and experience. We circled each other, our weapons poised for the next strike.
“Give us the human, and we will let you live,” he hissed through gritted teeth.
“You will not touch her.”
A surge of energy pulsed through my veins, igniting a fire within me, hotter than I had known before. My body seemed to vibrate with power as this vitality coursed through me, pushing out all traces of weariness and doubt.
Agnes.
My eyes flickered worriedly towards the mouth of the cave, but the thick leather that served as a makeshift door hungundisturbed. The Aljani moved quickly, trying to take advantage of my distraction, but his intentions proved futile. He did not understand the weight of that one glance... that fleeting moment of assurance that Agnes remained safe. It filled me with an unwavering determination to keep her that way.
The Aljani’s movements were swift and calculated, his blade flashing through the air with deadly precision. He knocked the scimitar from my left hand in one fluid motion and lunged. I grabbed his wrist and held it at bay, feeling the tip of cold steel pressing against my gut. Without hesitation, I dropped the blade from my right hand and reached for his throat. The Aljani’s eyes widened in surprise and fear as I squeezed tightly, channeling all my anger and determination into that one grip. He threatened Agnes. Dying by a blade was an honor he did not deserve.
I tightened my fingers around his neck. He let out a strangled cry, his face turning red as he struggled against my hold. In one swift movement, I jerked my hand to the right, snapping his neck with a loud crack that echoed through the clearing. The guard crumpled to the ground at my feet, eyes wide in shock and death.
No one would threaten Agnes and live.
Ever!
My head whipped around to notice Vienda, her blade glinting in the moonlight as she pulled it from the throat of a guard. Talamus was a blur of motion, his blade slicing through the air and nearly decapitating the last standing guard with a swift strike. The young Aljani male eyes went wide with fear as he realized too late that he stood no chance. Blood gushed from his neck, staining the dirt beneath him as his life drained away in an instant.
“Are you well, Vaktaire?” Talamus asked, cleaning the blood from his axe on the body of his last victim.
“Yes, and you?” I retrieved my scimitars and short blade from the bodies.
Carnage stained the once pristine clearing. The bodies of the Aljani lay strewn about, their black blood seeping into the dirt and making movement through the area unpleasantly squelchy. The metallic scent hung heavily in the air, mixing with the musty smell of damp earth. Not a single Aljani remained alive, their lifeless forms adding to the eerie atmosphere of death and destruction.
“Only a scratch.” Talamus frowned at a gash on his bicep before focusing on his mate.
