Chapter 14: Death awaits

The challengers rode up in a hurry, and then stopped a short distance from us. We were ready for the fight if it came to that. I had hoped having Jasmine next to me would catch their eye. She did not like having her sword hidden behind her saddle in her bed roll as opposed to being in her hand. But she needed to play the part of a Damsel for the moment.

“Drop your weapons,” he called out.

“I don’t think we will,” I replied.

He noticed Jasmine then. I could see desire in his eye. “What are you doing here?”

Then we heard from one of his group in the back. “That woman looks as tasty as the one we have.”

I knew then that I had made the desired impression on them. “I’ve come to see the King of Thieves.”

“That would be me,” he replied.

“Good then I won’t have far to go to kill you. Meet me here in the center.”

He moved to the center. I gritted my teeth and focused in on him. Then, I charged my horse and sliced him open as I went past. He fell to the ground dying as he lay there. These men were thieves and were accustomed to doing their dirty work on the ground, not mounted on horseback.

I went back to our group and proclaimed. “I claim all he owned and possessed. I am now the King of Thieves.”

“King of fools, more than likely. He was just an idiot!” another member of the thieves called out.

“Then I will have to kill each of you until I have killed you all.” I readied my horse and pointed my weapon at the next one. He whistled, and another 25 men rode up.

“Line them all up; I’ll burn your bodies when I am finished.”

“And what if we decide not to come to you one at a time?”

“Then, you would have no honor as a thief. Come, let me send each of you to be with your comrade there on in the dirt.”

At that point, another party of men rode up. They were riding in a more disciplined fashion. No doubt word had spread about how we had “magically” appeared. The ones in front of us parted and the others moved forward.

“Have you come to fight instead of the others?” I taunted.

One of the new group spoke up, “It’s good to see you’re finally here; Hero John is it?”

“You have me at a loss; I don’t know your name, I am afraid.”

“Oh forgive me; they call me Roland.”

“And Roland, why would you call me Hero John?”

“Well before you left the Citadel, your picture was adorned on banners there; they were good likenesses, I might add. You traveled with a band of seven others; I see one is missing. Also, you made your way here bringing the cock burner with you. Very pretty, I might add. Although, I have never seen one of her color before.”

“You seem to know all about me. Who might you be?”

“You could ask my brother behind you. I believe he would tell you that I am the one you call the King of Thieves.”

“I understand you wish to kill your brother.”

“That is between brothers.”

“Well then; it is also between us,” I held up my hand; the cut had healed but was still quite visible.

Calvin rode to my side and then held up his hand also. “He is indeed my blood brother; the blood of my blood,” said Calvin.

“I thought that might be the only way he could have made you help him to find our valley,” Roland said.

“It was but a small thing. However, the problem now, dear brother, is that if you kill me, you must also fight him as a blood honor.”

“We should speak of this in the camp then, dear brother,” Roland said.

“Lead the way,” I said.

The Thieves were around us as we rode. It was to be expected. As we neared the center of the compound, there, on six pikes, were the heads of men. One couldn’t help but notice them.

“Those are the heads of the last six Heroes that have come to try to take my treasure,” Roland offered. “There would be seven, but the first body disappeared before I could have his head. Yours will take his place.” There at the end of the row was a seventh pike.

We moved forward, all of the men and the children looked at us. There were no women in the camp except one. She was the Damsel, and her beauty was comparable only to that of Jasmine. She looked at Jasmine, and then looked at us. There was hope in her eyes, but she barely smiled. No doubt having seen seven Heroes slain trying to rescue her had taken its toll.

We arrived at a large tent and dismounted along with the thieves. Roland showed us inside; then he then turned to leave.

“We will meet for supper in my tent,” Roland announced.

“I’ll have the possessions of that cretin I killed, now!” I replied.

Roland looked at me. “You can have them for now. However, I will have them all later,” he laughed as he left.

We settled in, but spoke of nothing but the arrival there. The walls had ears, and we needed to be careful not to speak of anything other than that. About an hour later, a runner arrived and with him was a small girl who looked to be about eight years old. They carried a number of things with her including a tent that was erected alongside ours.

Jasmine, Kathy and Jane went to the girl. James, Calvin, Tyler and I sat back, but no doubt, we were thinking the same thing. That small wisp of a girl would be the beginning of the key to all of our plans. We rested as best we could; the men talked a little louder as the women quietly whispered. That was what would be expected on Chaos, and that was exactly what we would need to do to continue our deception.

We arrived for dinner at Roland’s tent. He sat with his prize next to him, no doubt trying to entice me. Little did he know that my enticement for him would far outweigh the one he now displayed in front of me. We ate and drank with them as we sized each other up for the fight we knew was coming.

After dinner, he decided that he would try his enticement. “Hero John, this is my property Kimberly. I understand from our conversations that you are here to rescue her.”

“Hello Kimberly. I am sorry to have to dash your hopes, but I am not here to do that.”

Roland was confused, and with a look of disbelief on his face, he said, “You would not attempt to rescue her?”

“That was not why I came here.”

“And why did you come here then?”

“A rogue calling himself my brother’s brother is set on killing him. My honor will not let that happen, and I will do everything I can to prevent it.”

He laughed at me. “So you would kill me for wanting to kill Calvin?”

“No, I would kill you because you need killing. Helping Calvin is simply a byproduct of that.”

“I do not know if I could fight and kill the brother of my brother. I may have to send another do it in my stead,” Roland said.

“Well if you don’t have the stomach for a fight, I will send only a woman to fight any man you send to kill me. No man but you is worthy of my time.” That was the insult I needed to hurl at him. There was no way he could ignore it. His men would require that he take action. And, true to form, he did.

“What woman would you send?”

“The girl child; it is all your, men are capable of handling.”

“You a Hero would send a mere child to her certain death?”

“Is there another of my women you would think would be a more worthy match for this ‘special man’ that you would send?” I said with disdain in my voice.

The bait was set, and the question was now was how hard would he bite. It didn’t matter which one he chose, I would turn and twist the words so that he would have no choice but have his man fight Jasmine; I’m a lawyer after all.

“You would let me chose the woman he would fight?” Roland said in disbelief.

“I have yet to see this “special man” you would send to fight in your stead. Is he really that much better than you?”

He roared at that. “I am the King of the Thieves, and you dare insult me in my own tent!”

“I gave no insult; you offered another in your stead. Obviously, he must be better than you, or you would defend your own honor.”

“You will die knowing that I am the best. Here is my champion” A small man came forward; his appearance was quite unassuming, and I saw no scars on him. That told me how dangerous he really was.

“Does this champion of your have a name?”

“I am Zeke, and I look forward to killing any you would send to fight me.”