Chapter 14: Kizzik the Carver

KIZZIK

Savo’s Bells Rina! After all these years working together, her explosion spell still makes me jump! I’m glad she gave Kenji that channeling stake. Her aim’s pretty bad without it, anyway, time to get to work. As the longhouse goes up in flames, I slip out of my cuffs, catching them before they hit the ground. The people I'm caged with don't pay me much mind. Everyone’s fixated on the ‘distraction’, including the guard just outside the cage. It's easy enough to get the key off him without him noticing. I slip out of the cage but not before telling the others to stay still and quiet.

“Things are gonna get a little crazy out there. You’re safer here.” I whisper.

The first guard goes down hard when I chop him in the back of the neck. The second gets a dagger in the throat before she can scream. The other two guards at the back of the cage are dead before they hit the ground. It feels good. Almost like the old days. I was getting tired of goblin hunting. Using the shadows as my path, I keep out of sight. Kenji should be handling Bisanu now so I need to find the lieutenants. I feel kind of bad for the kid. The black dog is one mean bastard, tough as dragon hide. He won't go down easy. There, a few meters in front of me is a cloaked man shouting orders to the scrambling bandits. He seems in charge so I’ll start with him. As soon as I take a step out of the shadows, he turns toward me. If he noticed me that quick, this must be the assassin. Hold on, I recognize that dopey face!

“Lemo?!” I say, surprised.

“Kizzik?”

“Well how about that! Small world!”

Lemo used to be a member of the black heart gang back when I ran with a different crowd. It feels like a lifetime ago. I guess we both moved on to bigger and better things. At that moment, another figure rushes to his side. This must be the mage. She’s a fox Bellua. She’s pretty but in a dangerous sort of way. Burnt orange hair with black tips, yellow eyes that leer at me like I’m a piece of meat. She flashes her claws that glow a sickly green.

Another explosion hits the center of the camp, disintegrating a couple unlucky bandits. They’re in a full blown panic now. Some of them try to put out the fire while the rest run out of the camp to look for their attacker. Good thing Rina can do this from almost half a kilometer away. It’s a risk that she’ll hit one of us but you know what they say. Fortune favors the bold and all that.

“That’ll be my friend. She likes to make a mess.”

Lemo whispers something to the fox and she takes off out of the camp. Divide and conquer. Kenji’s plan is working surprisingly well.

Lemo whistles at me.

“Not sure what you’re doing here but this aint gonna go the way you think Kizzik.” he says.

“Oh look at you gettin all tough with me! I remember when you were just a snot nosed brat getting in the way. But it looks like you’ve moved up in the world!”

Lemo sneers at me. “Thanks for noticing. I’m still building my reputation here. I don’t hold a candle to the legend that is Kizzik the Carver of course.”

Little twerp. He sure knows how to push my buttons. It’s been a long time since I heard that name.

“Left that little nickname behind a long time ago. Kizzik is fine or you can just keep my name out of your mouth altogether if it's all the same.”

“You can change your name as many times as you like,” Lemo says. “You can run and tell lies to your new friends about who you are and what you did, but it won’t wash all that blood off your hands.”

“Aint that the truth. If I had a heart left in me, it’d be breaking right now. Good thing I carved that up too.” The flames flash off my cleavers as I fall into my stance.

It’s still. The chaos swirling all around us falls away as I focus. I breathe deeply and as I exhale, I let my old self come out just a little. Lemo was a scrawny prick the last time I saw him but he’s put some meat on his bones since then. He’s also got much better gear. I can’t make the mistake of taking him lightly. There’s a half beat when all is still, when everything falls away but us, and then we move, sliding through the space like ghosts.

We clash silently. Two shadows dancing in the fire light. He’s fast for sure. Whatever training he’s been doing, it's working. Lemo matches my every move. We dash back and forth, sparks flying as our blades collide. To anyone watching, we probably just look like blurry phantoms. Stab, dodge, parry, slash. The rhythm of the battle sets in my bones. Lemo’s good. He doesn't leave any openings, always pushing for the advantage. He fights like a killer.. I’m actually starting to have a good time! I throw out a wide swipe trying to take his head off. He ducks under my cleavers, kicking me in the chest.

“Oof!”

Lemo follows up with a flurry of throwing daggers, catching me in the shoulder and the leg. He’s back in my face before I have a chance to react. The bandit slashes at me again and again and I barely block the barrage. A smile starts to spread across his face as he continues to push me backward. A couple of his attacks make it through, slicing gouges into my scales.

“The carver’s lost their step!” He shouts.

He pressures me again with a strong cross strike and I trip backward, falling down. My cleavers clank into the dust beside me.

“Argh! Damn! You’re too good!” I say.

“Ha ha ha! I guess you don't live up to the legend after all. This is too easy! ” He brings his daggers down on my head.

“My thoughts exactly.” I say.

Quick as lightning, I slip one of my stiletto daggers straight into his heart. His own blades stop short. Blood bursts from his mouth like a rose. He coughs, spattering me with crimson.

“Here’s a tip from a veteran kid. If it seems too good to be true, it is.” I get up and dust myself off, wiping the blood from my face. Lemo falls. Poor kid. He would’ve been something special if we hadn't met here.

KABOOM!

I’m showered by splintered wood as one of Rina’s spells blows up the building I was standing next to. Maybe I should find somewhere else to be. I look around just in time to see Bisanu charging Kenji through the wall and out into the forest. I sure hope that armor holds up!