Chapter 20

By Erik Brown

The leaders of Winter, the four great Generals, sat at their table. They had been speaking of this and that, mostly preoccupied with ways to fill their pockets. They all heard a crashing sound and watched as the door to their office was abruptly kicked open.

The Generals leapt to their feet, and one of them demanded of the intruders, "What is the meaning of this!"

The dust settled and they all stared in shock at the identity of their intruders. Winter Soldiers, ten in all, lead by the Chief of Inspections, Bresen Versailles.

One of the Generals, an aged cat, eyed Bresen with gleaming eyes. "What sort of business do you bring to us today, Chief of Inspections?"

Bresen smiled, and reached into his jacket. He took out a yellowed piece of paper and held it before them. On the paper was a red seal, and everyone in the Empire knew which seal it was. It was the personal sign of the Emperors.

"I bring a warrant for your arrest. I would suggest that you give yourselves up quietly, as you can see by his seal, the Emperor wishes you to comply readily."

An Eagle General shook his head. "Why… why has the Emperor turned on us?"

Bresen the ferret shrugged. "Remember how you were always sweeping things under the rug? The Emperor found out. It was your deception that has caused him to turn from you."

The four Generals sat down again, one by one. They became very silent, hardly breathing at all. They looked at each other, and nodded in silent agreement. Then one of them, a badger, stood up. "I for one will not relinquish my position."

"Same for me," added the bear General.

"I as well," said the cat.

A tear rolled down the eagles face, then he began to laugh under his breath. "And I was the one who designed the prison in my youth… no, I will not go quietly."

Bresen shook his head. "Well, that is too bad. As the new second in command of Winter I'm afraid it's my duty to execute you four."

The four nodded grimly. "Let it be done," one of them said.

Bresen turned, and walked out of the room. The Winter soldiers had their eyes trained on him, and when he raised and then dropped his hand they filled the room with light and metal.

Chief Bresen wadded up the sealed paper. "Gather the men, its time for the first mission of the new Winter. We go to Cambrin to capture the criminal Rei Kiljrow."

…

Palcos sipped at his coffee, and then offered Rei some biscotti. "Come on, its not bad."

"I'd rather brood, thank you."

"Feh, what's got you so uptight anyway?"

Rei looked around himself. "Well first on my mind are questions. Lots of them."

Palcos smiled to himself. "Oh, right. You're probably wondering where you are and how you got here. Seeing as you were in that freaky coma for awhile."

Rei nodded. "Yeah, I'm kinda wondering how long I was out too."

"Oh, just a couple of days. Skabar said it was a pain dragging you from place to place like you were dead. Got stopped a couple time by Highway guards."

"Pfft. Knew I was dead weight…"

"Heh."

"You know what, I am sort of hungry." He raised his hand to get the waitresses attention. "Think they've got sandwiches here?"

"Probably."

The waitress came over, and before she could speak Rei told her his order. "Coffee and a corn beef sourdough sandwich, dry. That should do it."

The waitress smiled. "Right away, sir."

Rei looked out at the horizon for a few minutes. When his coffee came he took the biscotti from Palcos. "Stuffs only good when you've got a hot drink. Trying to make me chip my beak?"

Palcos shrugged. "Yeah."

As he sipped at his drink he looked out over the scenery and his surrounding. He was on a rooftop on top of a rustic-built café, and out around him were buildings all over done up in distinctly Germanic style. Looking at the people scurrying about below, and the many souvenir shops he knew just what kind of town he was in. It was a tourist trap.

"So, where exactly are we?" He asked.

"We're in a small town called Cambrin, it's about fifty miles east of Marburg. It's got some nice pubs around here, I found that out while I waited for you guys."

"Hmm, anyone else joined us?"

"Nope. The group stands now at you, Skabar, Servan, Aerot, and me. I think the Queen said that was it."

"The Queen?"

Palcos smiled. "The name me and Aerot have been tossing around for Servan. You haven't really been around for it, but she's keen on ordering others around. I think she called Skabar a knave once."

Rei was a bit bewildered, not because he doubted it, but because he thought of Servan as rather quiet and removed. "Seriously?"

"I don't tell lies."

He mumbled his disagreement into his coffee as he took a drink.

"Anyway, she's just beginning to wear on people's nerves. That happens, believe me." Palcos looked towards the horizon. Rei could tell that he was reflecting on his life. "Back at Sieve it happened a lot. You put a couple people in such a close vicinity, one of them will start bossing around the rest."

Rei nodded in agreement. Then he thought about something Palcos had said. "When you were in Sieve, I remember you proudly telling me of how you were going to change the world. So, why are you working for Servan?"

The monkey shook his head. "She told me, that she was going to change the world. Really change it. Not like how I planned. She said a new government like I proposed would only cause strife. People aren't used to accepting new things, but she said she could make that change.

"And I can't quite explain why… but I honestly believe her." He sighed. "I have nothing else, nothing else in my life to give it depth or meaning. This is all I can do, and it is within my abilities to do it, so I must."

"Wow," Rei said, "I never expected such deep words from you."

He smiled in reply. "Well, I'm not surprised. I know that when I was younger I didn't care about things like that. But now I fell like I have to. Except…" he began, but trailed off.

Rei looked at Palcos and saw him staring into his drink. "Mm, what's going on?"

"Oh," Palcos ran a shaking hand through his hair. "You know, I've been talking to Skabar recently. How he's got this book thing going, and a wife… and how he wants a kid…"

Rei closed his eyes, and kept silent.

"I'm getting old. You can't see the gray hairs, but I guarantee you they're there." He smirked. "I was a partying kind of kid. Every night I'd be out doing something, drinking something, and trying my hardest to kill myself. And years and years and years went by! I joined Sieve early, and I really did want to change the world then. I wanted to change myself. And now here I am, chasing after some dangerous goal with people I don't even know.

"I'm old, and I'm getting older. When I was younger I was like driftwood, but always in the back of my mind I felt that I would one day settle down. I expected it. I knew that I would find that perfect someone, and I could lay down some roots."

Rei choked on his coffee, and then he smiled. "You know… I use to think of roots as chains."

The monkey stared at him for a long while. "I… I can understand that. But you know... some folks need something to anchor them down. If they're just floating around all their days… if they have no meaning, or use for life, then why bother to live it? And all you need, is one tiny sliver of a goal, and you're set for life."

He didn't reply, instead he raised his cup, and when Palcos did likewise, they brought them together with a clank.

…

The queen and a knave were walking down the crowded streets of Cambrin. She was an odd queen, not like the ones of old (and there had not been royalty outside of a lone Emperor for quite some time on the North World). They would sit at home and allow their husbands, the king, to run the kingdom. It was his divine rite, after all. They did not order around knights, though they were known to mingle with them, and at times this lead to disastrous results. This queen did not wish to be pampered and allow someone else to run the world. Nay. This queen would appoint her own knights, and would one day rule everything she could lay eyes on.

Her knight, Skabar, towered several heads over her. When they were back in Marburg he had dumped his cumbersome steel armor at his Publisher (they had made a little space that could be his office, if he ever thought of working in the city), and had traded it for some of the Queen's special armor. She had told him, and everyone conscious at the time that they might be running into guards that had guns, and that a bulletproof vest would fare better than a chain mail.

The vest fit him rather well and he liked the way it felt, and so he had cajoled Servan, the Queen, into making him some other bits of armor. Just so that he would feel secure, he said. Over the armor he wore his clothes, and over that massive green cloak. When Palcos first saw him like that he criticized him for getting an outfit that would make him sweat, and smell, rather badly. Skabar only shrugged, and when that didn't help he smiled with all his sharp teeth at the monkey.

The two walked into a small, nondescript store. Skabar parted the cloth that made the door, and let her in. All around were little knick-knacks and magical hooey sort of things. The kind of store that Rei would have liked when he was a child. Though, Servan was not here for merchandise, she was here for some extremely sensitive information.

Fuiko was the owner of the store, and he was a seer. When he was born he was blind, but had a dash of clairvoyance in him. Or he was faking it, but who could be sure. He had also been born not into the Empire, but on the eastern continent. Not that he could tell really, being blind and all. Servan had secretly smuggled him into the Empire a few years ago, she had figured a wizard might aid her appropriately. One day she would need his help, and that day had come.

"It'll be twenty bucks a pop for each time he looks into the crystal ball, just to warns you," the little gray mouse said to the two of them. She hadn't looked up, but who could blame her for expecting chumps wanting to know their future. She was expecting people who were paying to be lied to.

"Actually, I was looking for a special appointment."

The mouse looked up haughtily, but backed down when she saw the seriousness in Servan's eyes. "Uh, right, let me go get him. Your name?"

"Sera DuVanti." Skabar's ears went up as he heard her name, but he remained silent.

The two, queen and knave, waited a moment for the old seer they were expecting. There was a sound of running feet and great, and happy exclamations for the backroom. Skabar watched as Servan smiled for the about the second time he had known her.

"My little bird has returned!" They heard the voice cry out happily. Fuiko came shambling from the back door (which was also cloth) He was a funny sight to see. A raccoon with eyes shut, and was otherwise noticeably rotund and rather short. "How is my little girl?"

Servan rushed over to him and hugged him. "I am doing fine, Fuiko. How are you?"

"I am doing as well as can be expected. I am so glad to hear from you again." He sniffed the air. "So who's the smelly guy?"

Skabar narrowed his eyes, and sniffed his cloak. It wasn't that bad.

The queen spoke for him. "That's a, ah acquaintance of mine. He's protecting me on my journey."

"Ah, a journey. I have not been on a journey of any sort for so long. You know, I hear it isn't safe nowadays."

Servan smiled. "Oh, you just need to be able to protect yourself, not much different than the old days."

Fuiko shook his head. "Right, so what brings you here, Sera?"

"I have, a job for you."

"Of course… of course. Come into the back room. Lucretia, make sure we are not disturbed.

The mouse sat down at her desk. "Yes, sir."

Fuiko lead Servan and Skabar into the back room. He led them to the prerequisite table with two chairs and a cheap looking crystal ball on the table. The raccoon picked the ball up and offered it to Skabar, who happened to be closest. "Please put this in the box over there, we won't be needing novelty, I’m sure."

Skabar did as he was told, then pulled out a chair for Servan at the table. After Fuiko had seated himself, he lowered his head, and stretched out his hands over the table. "Okay, now, give me the object you wish me to read, but do not tell me what it is."

She reached into her own cloak, and held a leather bag in her hand. First she untied the bag, and then she began to pour the contents into Fuiko's hands. Fine white sand fell into Fuiko's paws, and the excess began to make a pile on the table.

"This is sand, but it is not ordinary sand. Hmm, it comes from the desert to the east, correct?"

Skabar sort of sighed under his breath, and went to the far wall to lean against it until the malarkey was over with.

"Yes."

"I can feel that it burns with a mysterious fire." The old raccoon wrinkled his snout. "There are ashes in this sand. Ashes from fifteen hundred years ago." He smiled. "You wouldn't believe it… these are the ashes of Beuter, and of spirits."

"Beuter, the king of the East who held both Eclipse weapons in his hands, but was never able to bring them together. Then I was right, he had died in that spot."

"What is it you want to know about this sand?"

"I know that Beuter became a vengeful ghost when he died. Filled with anger he was unable to leave his plain of existence. A ghost like that will send ripples when it becomes strong, and the body will reverberate that energy on the physical plain. What energy can you feel in that sand?"

"I can feel, energy filling the sands of the desert. The time is coming that Beuter will try to return once more. I can feel that already in the last few months, events have taken place that has angered the dead king. His spirit has become more vengeful… it is getting relentless and anxious. Everyone on the North World is in danger."

"I see. How long do we have?"

Fuiko raised a paw. "There is more. The sand and ashes cry for Beuter, but I felt a grain of dirt, and it does not care for the dead king."

"Hmm?"

"The dirt, it cries for a bird named Tero."

Servan thought of the name. "Tero… such a sad name."

"Tero killed Beuter. He was young then, only a boy. A bird that was lonely, and was deeply angry at everything." He paused. "It is not the power of the dead king you should worry about, but rather the favor that the earth places on Tero."

Skabar was a bit annoyed and broke into the conversation. "What do you mean, 'the earth'?"

"Well, I speak a bit archaically, it is my job to do so as a fortune teller. But, imagine that the North World was created, just as you were. No, it does not have a spirit or soul like we do. It does not have emotions or feelings. It is not alive. And yet it is a creation of the creator. It was crafted from His mind. Yet it is not the land, but the great menagerie of spirits that move it. Angels, ghosts, and more. It is not our will to know these things, but we can grasp at them as if we might."

Skabar opened his mouth to reply but stopped when he heard a footstep. It came from the front room of the store. He motioned to Servan and Fuiko to be silent, as he reached for the sword at his side.

He trained his ears to hear the sounds of the mouse secretary's breath muffled by someone's hand. He heard other breaths, thick heavy ones. About six or so. Then he sniffed the air. First he smelled the steeped blood stains upon metal. These were experienced killers. He could tell that they had killed maybe one hundred each. Then he smelled the cordite residue of spent bullets, and when he heard the cock of half a dozen guns he lunged to get in front of Servan and Fuiko.

Fire and bullets rent room into pieces, and quickly shredded the cloak around Skabar's shoulders. The attack only lasted a few moments, but Skabar knew he would be sore for weeks. He did get lucky; the bullets had all hit his armor. Of course this meant that every bit of flesh under his armor was black and blue. He mumbled curses under his breath as he took a firm grasp of the hilt of his sword.

Two of the attackers walked into the room. Skabar looked at them over his shoulder and around the smoke in the air. They both held guns in their hands, and swords on their backs. They were dressed head to toe in pitch black armor.

"Did we get them?" One asked the other.

"No way anyone could have survived."

Then Skabar let out a primal shout, unsheathed his sword, and let it fly through the air. His blade moved faster than their bullets had and it made the air sing. The two soldiers fell to the ground, and Skabar stood amongst the carnage, breathing hard and sweating. How long had it been, since he had swung his sword in anger?

Servan was helping Fuiko to his feet. "We have to get out of here," she said. She looked over at Skabar. He was about to dash into the front room of the store. He was ready to attack, but it was best to retreat. "Skabar! Cease and desist! We have to retreat!"

He tried to listen to her. He tried to stop from breathing so fast and hard. When the next four soldiers ran into the room it was all he could do to keep from losing his mind. Blood flew, and metal singed the air like fire.

All he could feel was the hilt in his hands. Sounds of combat, past and present, filled his ears. His eyes were blinded by blood. As he breathed in and out, he could taste the intangible death and hatred in the air. He sniffed the air, and smelled blood on everything.

He flicked his sword sharply at the ground, and then ran the blade past his finger and thumb as he slid the sword back into its sheath. He sniffed the blood on his fingers, and then looked at Servan. "Lets go."

…

"Hey guys, what's up?" Aerot waved at Palcos and Rei from below the café.

"Oh, hey Aerot. The Queen's making you carry the bags again?"

Aerot looked at the massive backpack on his back. It was at least three feet taller than him, and at least twice as wide. A smile crept across his face. "Eh, it’s a living. How's our comatose compatriot doing?"

Rei looked down at Aerot. "Fine, thanks."

"This is good. You know I was just carrying this stuff because Skabar was carrying you."

"Sheesh, rub it in."

Aerot looked around. "You heard anything from the Queen lately?"

Palcos shrugged. "Not since this morning. Where was it she went again?"

"Ah, some fortune teller."

"Hmm." Palcos began to craft some sort of plan in his head. "You know what I think. I think we should go get some drinks. We'll probably be here another day. What say you, guys?"

Rei shrugged. "Been awhile since I been to a bar."

"I'm up for that."

"Well then, lets--"

A gun was fired, and everyone hit the floor. Except for Palcos, of course. Though everyone who could see it, even Palcos looked to where the shot had come from. Standing in the middle of the street was a column of black-clad soldiers. All the soldiers were on their knees, and all had guns aimed at everything from Aerot to the rooftop.

Palcos was irate. "Hey! There can't be any shooting, it's time for alcohol!"

A soldier stood up from the column and stepped forward. It was fairly obvious that he was this group's commander. "Hello criminals of our glorious Empire. I Bresen Versailles have come to take you into justice for the Emperor and for Winter. While you can see that my comrades are rather grim, I will give you one choice, dead or alive."

Rei watched as Palcos' right hand went for the gun in his holster. "Well I'd say dead, and I'd be talking about you!" The monkey got one shot off before the soldiers opened fire.

Silence filled the street for a minute or so.

"Oh my God!" Rei heard someone exclaim, and when he looked up he saw it was Palcos. "Aerot! I think I just got Aerot killed! What have I done?"

Rei had to say something to comfort the distraught monkey. "Hey man, its okay. Like you could kill him, he's invincible."

But the monkey shook his head in despair. "See, that’s what I was talking about. I just got off shooting and I screw up!"

Another flurry of bullets were shot, and this time both monkey and bird cowered. Rei thought about their position. "Ah, I say we get out of here."

"Why, what's the point," he said in reply, as he began to unload his gun.

"Um, besides the fact that I don't want to die, I'm pretty sure Aerot would rather that you live." Rei pushed his back against the wall, and looked down onto the street below. "In fact, I'd bet that's what he'd say right now."

Palcos looked up at him shocked. "What? He's not dead."

Then the two of them heard the sounds of Aerot fighting a dozen or so soldiers. "I'd say he's quite alive and kicking."

Rei looked down at the street, as Aerot slashed through two soldiers and then headed for the door to the café. "Okay, load up that gun. Do you have another?"

Palcos blinked at him. "Eh? You're taking the initiative for once?"

"Just answer the question."

"Yeah, sure. Here's a good one." He pulled out a long barreled silver revolver. "It's a bit heavy, but fires well enough. Really straight shot too."

As Rei held the gun in his hands he felt a bit dizzy. He was giving orders and was now holding a weapon; he had never felt so capable of himself. He then started looking around at the other rooftops. Thankfully they were all fairly close together.

"Okay, we've got two seconds max, so listen up. When Aerot gets up here we cover him and then jump to the next rooftops, and get the heck out of here."

Before Palcos could sarcastically say, 'just like that' gunfire rattled the roof and Aerot burst out of the door from the stair well. He had a sword in his hands, and it seemed that he had left the massive backpack on the street below.

"Watch it, I've got a live one on my tail."

Palcos took aim and shot Aerot's pursuer in the head. "Hah, got him!" He exclaimed as the dead body slumped against the wall and rolled lifelessly down the stairs.

"Good job, now there's just one left. That commander. I think his name is Bresen or something. I couldn't even touch him. It was like fighting my own shadow."

Palcos blew the smoke off the barrel of his gun. "Let me at him," he said.

The three of them stood up and looked over the side of café, or what remained of it. They looked down and saw the ferret Bresen below. He was crouched in the lotus position and his sword was laid across his legs. He opened his eyes and looked up at him. "Come down and fight me. All three of you. I'll show you brigands justice!"

"I've got your justice right here, buddy," Palcos said as he took aim and fired at the Winter commander.

It was too quick to see, but Bresen moved his head and let the bullet pass by. A whisker had been shot off, and it slowly floated to the ground. The three watched in horror as he laughed at them. "Hah! Only simpletons use guns! Swords are the only way to fight! And if you haven't a sword, then I dare you to fight me fair-handed."

Rei sneered at the ferret. "You'd probably cheat."

"Heh, you know, I probably would." And before the words had reached their ears, quick as lightning he jumped clear from the street to the rooftop. His sword flashed in the midday sun. "For the Emperor!"

Aerot brought his sword up and deflected the blow, sending Bresen careening across the rooftop. "I know that style," Aerot said to Bresen. "Is it… the Mariachi style?"

The ferret stood up, and wiped the blood away from his nose. "Actually, I'm of the Murrieta teachings."

"Same thing." Aerot leapt at the ferret, his sword ready to attack. Bresen kicked him in the face, causing him to hit his head on a table. "Ouch, dang didn't see that coming!"

Rei turned to Palcos, who was furtively trying to get a clear shot on Bresen. "Uh, I think these two could duke things out without us."

He lowered his gun. "Yeah, you're probably right."

A couple chairs were thrown back and forth. The two fighters jumped and leapt at each other. Every time their blades just barely missed each other.

"Criminal! I'll tell you once and for all, Mariachi fighting is nothing like Murrieta," Bresen said as he deflected Aerot's attacks.

"Yeah yeah, same root I bet."

"You're right about that, but I'll tell you the real difference."

"Come on, Rei, this is the closest roof." Palcos beckoned at the bird.

"But what about the street," Rei queried, but when he looked down at the street he was met with a hail of bullets. "Right, reinforcements."

Dodging sword strokes, kicks, and flying furniture, Rei quickly made his way to where Palcos was standing. He looked down at the street below and shrunk back.

"I don't think so," Palcos said to him. "You're not turning chicken on me!"

"Turning? Look at these feathers. Do I look like an eagle?"

Palcos grabbed him by the arm. "One way to find out."

"You see, the difference between the styles is all in the training."

Aerot jumped across to another ceiling. "Uh huh. Murrieta teaches you with swords instead of sticks right?"

"Actually," Bresen said as he leapt to where Aerot was standing, "We fight with shadows!"

Darkness seemed to cover the rooftop and Aerot was blinded for a moment. "What! How?"

Then all went silent, he lost the feeling in his arms, and everything smelled of cardboard. Somewhere far away he could hear the echoes of a hideous sucking noise. And through layers of stryofoam he felt a knife pulled out of his stomach. He tried touching his stomach so that he could look at his hands and see the blood he knew would be there.

It was like he was a thousand leagues underwater, and some monstrous voice was calling him from above the water. "This is also Murrieta style. First we incapacitate our enemy, and then we cut his stomach open and watch his spirit float away."

Somehow he felt this monster presence grow closer to him, as if Bresen were whispering into his ear. "Something else we are known for is the eating of our enemy, our victim. I may not have time for such, but I will take a piece of you for later."

"Rei! Palcos! Down here!"

Rei felt a rush of happiness as he saw his comrades, and somehow the name flew from his beak. "Sera," he called out.

"How--" Servan was about to shout out, but was cut short by a wave of bullets that seemed to fly from all angles.

Skabar roared at them all. "No time! Where's Aerot? We have to skip town, now!"

Rei was struck dumb, but Palcos was in prime condition. "He's back on the rooftops fighting some commander. I think his name is Bresen or something."

Now Skabar was silent. His hand gripped his sword till his knuckles turned red. "Bresen? Are you absolutely sure?"

"Uh, yeah. He was a ferret--" Skabar leaped over his head, and lightly landed on the roof behind the two. Then he was in the air again, and began to leap from roof to roof.

"Skabar!" Rei called out after him.

"Another thing about Murrieta, we do not know of the terms 'death' or even a 'fatal' sword stroke. We do not try to kill. We try to consume. If not with our mouths, then with our souls! This stroke I am about to use, it is called the 'Shijus', or the 'lingering death'. Prepare yourself, criminal!"

Several things happened all at once. Firstly Aerot felt himself pulled out of the ocean in his mind, and brought swiftly, almost too swiftly, to the surface. Secondly Skabar screamed like a fury, and briefly blocked out the sun as he leapt into the air, surprising Bresen. Thirdly Bresen watched as a sharp blade cut through his elbow, and he watched as half of his arm fell and hit the ground. He couldn't even cry out, the blade had been too sharp and he felt no pain. Then in a few minutes it hit him, and he let out a guttural yell.

"In the Mariachi fighting style we seek only to defeat our enemies. It is a style that demands justice." Skabar then looked at Aerot, in a flick of his arm he sheathed his sword and slung the injured wolf over his shoulder.

"I'm… I'm not going to make it am I?" Aerot whimpered.

"You'll be fine, we just have to catch up with the others."

Rei turned and squinted into the distance, trying to make out Skabar or Aerot fighting on the rooftops, but he couldn't see anything.

"We're almost too the forest, then we'll all be safe," Servan said to Rei and Palcos. "But damn those Winter dogs! They took Fuiko from us. Well, at least I got some information from him."

"Fuiko who?" Palcos asked.

Rei cut into the conversation. "Hey, what about Aerot and Skabar?" Then he looked at Servan and was curious about what she was doing, so he asked. "What're you doing?"

Servan had made a pile of dirt on the ground, and patted the earth around the sides firmly. Then she took a tiny flag from her pocket and stuck it to a tree. "Whatever you two do, don't touch this mound. If Aerot's still alive, and they do come this way, then they'll live. Any other way and they'll both die."

Palcos smiled knowingly. "Tricky dame."

"Now come on, we have to get far away from here. Winter'll doubtlessly be on our trail for awhile."

They didn't argue.

…

Time began to slow down again. Began to beat at an even and steady pace. Bresen had blacked out. Skabar knew it was only a very short break, but it gave him the chance he needed. He quickly took the remnants of his cloak and made it into a makeshift bandage and wrapped it around Aerot's waist.

"If I don't make it… know how I was always gone for the last couple days… I met a girl. She's so nice…"

Skabar shook his head. "You're delusional my friend."

"Well… she seems nice."

He smiled. "Not that. If I tell you you'll be all right, then you'll be all right! I've watched you closely these last couple days, if there's one person who makes use of what he's got, and is complacent with it, it's you. Everyone complains all the… Hey now, you can't go to sleep on me!" He slapped the wolf in the face.

"What? Oh, God! This blood is scaring me!"

"You've never been cut in the stomach before? Suck it up… well, be careful about that."

"But this girl… I've got a letter for her."

"What, you want me to send it to her when you die?"

"No no. I want you to tear it up and throw it away. Forget love, I know I'm dying now."

Skabar slapped him in the face again. "I'll kill you if you insist. Just think positive, if anyone can, its you."

"Yeah, but…"

"Look, you like this girl right? You say she's nice, lives in the city, probably a looker too, right?"

"Well…"

"Think of her then. Think of the whole group? Palcos and Rei, heck even me. None of us want to see you dead. I bet my wife would like to meet you too. She makes the greatest steaks I tell you. Say, when we get out of this you can come to dinner sometime, think you could manage?"

"Mean, I can eat with your family sometime?"

"You bet. Now come on, I'm going to hoist you onto my shoulder again. You're just a bit heavier than Rei, but that's all right, I don't mind. Its like you're my brother. Then I'm going to make a beeline for the forest. We should be able to--"

Aerot cut him off. "No!"

"What? You're not trying to die on me are you?"

"You'll get us killed if you don't go her way."

Skabar thought about it. Made sense, Servan would probably set them up a getaway path, but he could be sure how. "Tell me what you're thinking, buddy."

"That way." Aerot weakly pointed towards the southeast. "I swear that's the way she'd go."

Skabar leapt for the next rooftop. At that same moment Bresen woke up, and tried to push himself up off of the ground with his right arm. Looking down and seeing not only just a stump, but also a massive amount of blood, caused him not to faint again, but to laugh out loud.

"Fool! Even if you had killed me, I'd only haunt you as a vengeful ghost!" Bresen began to tear at his clothes with his teeth, and with his left hand he picked up his sword from the ground. He then wrapped a tourniquet around his right arm, and bounded off after the swordsman that had wounded him.

Soldiers milled about the street, the last few that were not guarding the perimeter and were stoutly searching for the criminals. Then they heard their commander call from the rooftop.

"Winter soldiers, follow me! Cut these criminals off at the southeast. Do not kill them, no matter what! They shall be my supper!"

The soldiers that could do so, obeyed, but the rest stared with wide eyes at their commander who ran like the wind across rooftops. It was as if he had become a dragon. Vengeance lashed out from his tongue, and a regal kind of madness permeated about him. "Break their bones, cut their stomachs open, but I must be the one to watch them die!"

Further ahead of the southeast path Aerot again yelled at Skabar. "What is it? Is this a booby trapped area?"

Too weak to say anything, Aerot pointed at his nose. Skabar was quick enough to guess that the mound of dirt near the white flag was the trap. Aerot nodded as Skabar kept a few feet away from the mound as he passed it.

Skabar turned and was about to run off into the woods, when a voice stopped him. Cruel and vicious it called out to him. "I think not, Skabar! First you killed my brothers and my father. Now you have taken my arm, a grave injury to deal me."

He turned and faced the ferret commander. "Hah! You Murrieta's were always looking for death, and when you brought your pain to the Mariachi's, we fought back! You had condemned yourself then, and you do so now!"

Bresen spat at the ground. "You defile the Murrieta's! But, I don't doubt I could kill you easily with only my left arm. If you'd only fight me!"

Skabar felt for his sword, but stopped himself. "I fell in love with a girl on that battlefield, and for a long time I stopped swing my sword. Now I pick it up again, and all those old feelings came back to me. Bresen, I know peace, and I would not wish to bring back war for anything in the world."

"Skip the crap! I'd even let your friends go if you just fought me! To Hell with the Emperor's orders! I'm bound to die sooner than later, and if I could regain lost honor, then I'd rather that and death!"

Skabar shook his head. "That is a good way to die. But, I can't right now. I have to get my friend here some help. Instead, I will do this!" Then he took his sheathed sword, and drew a line in the dirt, in front of the mound. He turned and began walking away.

Bresen stared for a few moments than yelled at him. "No you don't, Skabar! You fight me now!"

The weasel turned, and looked him in the eye. "If you fought me you would find death, and so I'll tell you that if you pass that line, you'd still find death."

"Heh, death around every corner, eh? I haven't lived like that since my teens."

Skabar was walking away again. "I can hear your knees shaking. Why don't you cross that line and prove your bravery, if nothing else?"

But Bresen just stood and watched Skabar walk away. He began to curse himself. Was he afraid of death, or could he welcome it? "Eh, not until I fight you," he said under his breath. He turned and began to walk the opposite direction.

"Uh, sir," a corporal said to him, "They're getting away."

With slit eyes he looked at the officer. "Cross the line."

"Uh.…" he began to shift his weight from one leg to the other.

"Cross it, or I'll kill you."

"Okay…" Slowly he walked up the line, then crossed it, and exploded.

Madness began to eat away at his mind with renewed vigor and soon Bresen's laughter filled the entire forest for miles around.