Have I ever written down just how badly I hate Jonah before?
I can’t stay here too much longer, as he and his brother will corner me if I
do, but I need to write some things down. Boy, this has been a day!
Amaka told me what she found out last night. She refused to
comment on how she broke her nose, though. All she would say about it is that
my plan had better be worth it. I had her write down exactly what she told me
onto some paper, so I can get it into the king’s hands. I was going to see if
Louis could deliver Amaka’s report to him for me, but something came up.
I sent Amaka and Starlight to go get some proper
undergarments. I got the feeling that Amaka was also going to swing by the bath
as well, which is fine. The more time they took, the better my plan was going
to work. Except I never got to execute my plan.
Not even five minutes after they left, who else would barge
into the tavern but Judah and at least thirty of his brother’s thugs. Judah
immediately saw me and came to where I was sitting.
“Where’s the silver one?” He smirked before adding, “Or the
blue one?” I slowly stood from my seat before answering.
“They’re not here, Judah. Go home,” I quickly added, trying
to end the situation before it could begin. He just laughed.
“That can be seen, cat,” he grinned. “But they were, yes?”
He didn’t let me answer. “Where did they go? I know you know, cat. It’s your
nature to protect those who don’t deserve it, yes?” He chuckled as if he had
made a joke. The door opened, and a black panther slinked into a corner near
the door. I recognized this particular panther. He was both General
LeBaptiste’s bodyguard and thug. If he wasn’t guarding the General while he was
out and about, he was handling the General’s affairs. I still haven’t figured
out why he’s so loyal to him. I wonder what the General has binding him.
Anyway, his presence meant that not only did Jonah know we
had been camping out here, but the General, or his lackey at least, also knew.
This could be troublesome, but I had an ace up my sleeve. Berith, Jonah, and I
discussed what we would do if this very situation were to happen last night
before I got too drunk to think responsibly.
Berith was at the bar, which was odd for him this time in
the morning. He rarely was here at this time in the day, but he happened to be
friends with the girl working the bar, so occasionally, he would come in for
breakfast. This happened to be one of those mornings. Plus, he may have wanted
to be here as much as he could get away with, so as to help ensure the girls’
safety.
As my conversation with Judah continued, Berith would glance
over his shoulder periodically, I guess checking to make sure that things
didn’t get out of hand. No progress was made in getting them to leave, until
one little tidbit of info came from Judah, whether he intended on it or not.
“If you worry about the General hurting the silver one,
worry not. Jonah take good care of his whores. He wants the blue bitch, now,”
he said, his snarl becoming even more menacing. The expression on the panther’s
face changed into a smirk, which I took to confirm what Judah said to be
accurate.
“Well,” Judah went on. “He would take care of it if it
weren’t Feral.” With that, his snarl turned into his trademark grin. “He may
let me have fun with it even.” If that were the case, I have to do everything
possible to keep Snowtail away from that situation.
Judah’s idea of fun amounts to very slow, highly sadistic
torture. He’s been known to hang people by the ears and slowly pull them down
until their ears were torn off. He then repeats that with other parts of the
body, stopping only when their body goes into severe shock from the pain and
blood loss. I’m not going to go into the worst things he’s known to do. But I
can’t let him do that to either Amaka or Snowtail.
Berith got up and as casually as he could, paid for his
breakfast and left the tavern. Hopefully, he finds them before they come back.
The panther gave him a suspicious glance though. He may not have been casual
enough, but the panther didn’t rise from his seat. He kept his attention
between me and people coming in the door.
“Where are the prizes?” Judah asked, his smile still
plastered on his face. I hated how both Jonah and Judah both treated women as
lesser beings. Judah, however, was far more open and direct about it.
“They’re not here, as I said earlier,” I told him. My
frustration at his dehumanizing of the girls was starting to show itself, and
he picked up on it, as his smile somehow grew even larger. “And like I said,
before, I don’t know where they are.”
Judah chuckled as he took a step closer and leaned towards
me. “Don’t lie cat. You’re too protective of them to not know what they’re up
to. I bet you even sent them off somewhere, didn’t you?” He wasn’t wrong, but I
wasn’t going to admit it. He clenched his hands into fists. “Where did you send
the prizes?”
“I didn’t send them anywhere, and I wouldn’t tell you if I
did,” I told him.
“Is a whore and thief really worth dying over?” Judah asked,
a glint forming in his eye. “How pathetic would that be? The great hero
Alakath, dying for some soulless whore and a dirty thief?” He started laughing
at that. “Come, just tell me where to find them, and die more honorably, yes?”
I responded by pulling my sword from its sheath. He turned towards the thugs
that he brought with him before saying, “Don’t interfere. Instead, send brother
here.”
Once they all had left, Judah turned back towards me. “You
know you can’t win, yes? Just tell me where the prizes are, and you live.” I
thrust my sword at him, but he deftly avoided my lunge. I would have to get
outside in order to set my feet properly. In the sea of chairs and tables, I
would struggle to use proper footwork. I began to back away towards the back of
the tavern. Judah kept his distance, but followed my every move.
The door opened and in walked Jonah. He immediately saw me
and Judah and began to approach us. At that point, I ran for the back door. I
made it through the door and closed it behind me, but as soon as I turned to
continue on, a movement caught my attention. I barely avoided a lunge from
someone. I looked at my attacker and saw that it was the panther.
He was wielding a fairly large knife. Its blade was no less
than ten inches long. This was the last thing I needed. I took a backhanded
swing at him with my sword. He leaped away from it and lunged at me again. I
leapt to the side and into the wall, but avoided the blade. I lunged at him and
he dodged to the inside. He followed that up immediately with another lunge. I
dodged outside and immediately sliced upward. He avoided injury, but my blade
caught his tunic and cut it open a bit.
He smiled as he lunged at me again. Once again, I dodged to
the outside again, but before I could start to swing, he began to slice. I
caught the edge of his blade with the flat of mine. This enabled me to parry
his attack and open him up for one of my own. I sliced at him before he
regained his footing and cut his shoulder. At about that time, Judah and Jonah
had made it into the alleyway. The panther immediately fled upon their
appearance.
I slowly backed away from them, knowing I can’t take both of
them in a fight. They’re both too strong and fast on their own. Together,
they’d quickly overpower me. Still, I didn’t just turn tail and run. I needed
to delay them as long as I could from beginning to search for Amaka and
Starlight. They needed to be deep in the forest by the time I had to completely
withdraw.
I took a wild slice at both of them, trying to keep them at
a distance. “Come, Alakath!” Jonah said. “I just want to talk about the bunny.”
“What about her?” I asked, still slowly backing up as they
walked towards me.
“Give her to me, and I’ll let the Feral bitch be, deal?” I
took a slice at his face for an answer. He leaned away from it and avoided it
easily. “Is she really worth it? The bunny I mean.” He chuckled. “Why waste
your war-hero status on a worthless thief?” He began to smile. “Especially, one
who would be better off working for me as a cum receptacle?” He was starting to
make me angry, but I knew that’s what he wanted. An angry person, no matter how
well trained, is unable to fight in a disciplined manner.
I took one last lunge at him, and it impacted his chest. But
it didn’t penetrate his skin. Not because his skin is tough, but because he was
wearing armor under his clothes. Chain mail, based on how the impact felt. “So,
you’re willing to die then?” Jonah’s jovial tone had dissipated. “Very well,” he finished as he charged at me.
I leapt to the side and sliced at him, but he had already
passed beyond my range before I could even face him. I had to be careful, as
they could easily maneuver to where they were attacking me on opposite sides.
Instead of trying to fight them head on, I dashed past Judah and towards the
street. I figured I would play cat and mouse with them… except I would be the
mouse. They both began to pursue as I ran towards the eastern wall.
Eventually, thanks to the thick crowd, I was able to lose
them for a spell. Now I’m in an alleyway close to the hole in the wall by the
“brothel”. I’m going to go hide out inside the wall for a while. Here’s hoping
that I don’t need someone to pull me out again. And, more importantly, that
Amaka and Starlight are safe.
