Of Wolves and Foxes Ch. 02

Blue eyes observed his opponent draw nigh, but the wolf would not bow out. Instead, he did likewise, limping the distance between them.

With a grunt, the brute threw the heavy spear up and caught it with the other hand before lunging it towards the boy.

But sharp reflexes caught the weapon and redirected the shaft downwards. Explosive flames burst out as soot scattered wide upon impact. The fox stumbled back, and the wolf followed.

Both hands shoved at the beast plate, pushing the knight off kilter. And through the slits in the visor, the knight observed elbow after elbow bash it in. Bryce latched onto the target's shoulder and hurled another elbow at the helmet.

Nuts and bolts flew as the visor broke off the hinge. Another strike followed, bending it further into his enemy's face. The fox yelled out as blood splattered through the gaps.

But the recruit wasn't done. A hand reached for the helmet, gripping the plume. Then down came the knight's face, hard into the boy's knee guard. The cries went dead silent. Broken remains of the visor tumbled down to the burning floor. And then the uppercut followed, ramming through the opening and snapping the knight's head backward.

Balance was lost as armoured legs stumbled away. The brute flailed clumsily, waving the javelin about blindly. That weapon seemed quite a bit shorter now.

A clank resounded through the battleground when the silver warrior dropped down to a knee. A plated hand covered a bloodied, swollen face. Between the fingers, a bloodshot eye regarded him with new-found caution. He was moving way too fast for someone with an injury.

"What? Are we done already?!" the wolf taunted while throwing his arms out. "I've got one leg and I'm still wiping the floor with you!"

That did it. Metal in hand, the fox tried again. A boom echoed when it stomped on the bridge and dashed forward. In response, wolf jumped back but the fox was faster. With a leap, the silver knight flung the weapon with unhinged force.

"You fool!" the greenhorn cursed.

Quick feet sprung him off to the side just as the ballistic hit. An explosive burst of fire flared out. That alone completely knocked the mist from the air. Bryce stayed low as belts of heat spread out above him. Blue eyes cracked open to view newly ignited flames run up his sleeve.

But the real loser was the idiot responsible for throwing the goddamn metal. Caught in the aftershock, the knight spun through the air and smacked the bridge rolling. Wood splintered as bits of bloodied armour broke off along the way.

His nemesis ground to a gritty stop, leaving a dirty trail of blood where it previously slid. The corpse lay still with flames burning through chain mail. In fact, low flames burnt throughout the length of the bridge.

For a moment, time stood still. Bryce reluctantly observed the eyesore they created. What an utter mess. Pieces of bloodied armour littered the bridge. Small flames danced throughout the scene. His burning jacket soon joined in. One look at the skies above revealed the end of the rainstorm. Thunder still bellowed in the distance.

A sigh broke loose. Leather boots started putting one foot in front of the other. They kicked aside debris as they moved. Ashes turned to dust while wood tumbled into the moat.

"Told you so...," he muttered, stopping right before the deceased. "... flaming javelins aren't fun to play with."

With that, he dropped to a crouch and pulled off his prize from the knight's wrist. Shrapnel decorated the remains, piercing even the metal armour. "I'd say rest in peace, but really, I hope you don't."

He flipped the ornament over and read the name inscribed there. "House of Duna," he recited out loud. Why did that sound familiar?

Just then, a series of low clicking vibrations rippled through the air. Sharp ears picked up on it. The wolf instantly spun around and regarded the fort.

Of course. Since all the smoke was gone, they could see him clearly. And with this knight dead, all leverage was lost. That repetitive clicking noise... that was the sound of ballistae winding up. In a few moments from now, he would burn too.

With haste, the wolf shot up and bolted for the gate. Leather clad feet side-stepped objects and vaulted over the potholes.

The clicking stopped and the arsenal took aim. Shelving the pain, Bryce desperately sprinted through these last yards. Wind tousled brown hair while boots thumped ever harder on wooden boards.

Why weren't they shooting? He should be lit up by now.

But then it happened, just as he approached the gateway. Down plummeted a body alongside the wall. Splat on the bridge, it crashed. The rookie immediately put on the brakes and skid to a halt.

"What in the-...?!"

Dead. Before him, lay another dead fox, wrapped in a cloak and topped by a spear. Crimson blood pooled around the lifeless body.

Before questions could be asked, a crackling scream polluted the air.

Bryce looked up just in time to witness blood droplets fall down the side of the wall. Thereafter, more blood rained down leaving trails of crimson tainting the stone construct.

A shield was the first to plummet. Followed by a helmet, then a mace. But finally, the body fell. It flew past screaming, enveloped in a dark cloak. But then the head struck the edge of the drawbridge, bouncing the fox back off and into the moat. Blue eyes observed the load splash. Shortly after, the colour red rose to the rippling surface and started to spread.

Startled, Bryce backed up from the edge and spun around, seeking out the source.

"You waiting for an invitation?!" a familiar voice yelled. The rookie's ears followed the voice back to the other end of the bridge. But they could scarcely believe what they found.

"I... I just watched you die!" Bryce called out.

"Then pinch yourself," Clause yelled back, arms out, turning 360 degrees. In strides, he crossed the bridge, not minding the blood nor the flames. In one hand, Bryce noticed, was a wrist band of his own.

"You're wondering about this, huh?" The mind reader asked on approach, raising the token for him to see. "It belonged to the asshole you kicked down the hill," he clarified before continuing, "but next time you go body dumping, do me a favour: Consider making sure the asshat is dead first, yeah? That particular one was a bitch to finish off."

Was he even listening? By now, tears of relief raced down the scout's cheeks. He couldn't say a thing as his friend stopped right before him.

"Hey. Cheer up already," Clause smiled. He perked his head to the side, dark hair waving with the act. "You're not going mush on me, are you?"

The answer came in the form of a hug. It started off fine, but Bryce just kept on squeezing tighter.

"What are you? A python? I still got stuff to do later."

"Shut up." Bryce instructed.

The recipient's surprise soon turned to understanding as he patted the trooper on the back. "Oh come now. If you could survive all this, what makes you think I couldn't handle an over-engineered matchstick?"

Clause squeezed back one last time before gently pushing the cry baby off. "We still got business to tend to, buddy," he said with hands on the wolf's shoulders. "Can you move? How's that leg doing?"

An emotional Bryce stepped back and rubbed the eye water from his vision.

Meantime, Clause took stock of their surroundings, wary for their safety. Grey clouds blot out the full moon, enveloping the forest below in their shadows. Dark trees swayed in the distance, spanning leagues into the horizon. Aside from the wind, silence reigned.

"I can walk," Bryce finally responded with cracks in his voice. "That might just be the elixir talking but I'm managing." He gathered himself together before giving Clause back some personal space.

With a limp, the boy moved towards the fallena body. His partner watched him place a foot on its chest before tearing out the spear.

Said partner frowned. "You just had two back-to-back duels with 'A' list foxes on a bad leg. Maybe you should take a-..."

"Pass," the wounded soldier interrupted. He tossed the spear back to its rightful owner. "I'm still relevant, here," he said, now searching the corpse for daggers. "We only made four kills but we both know that knight's move with squadrons in tow. You still need me."

"I'm not saying I don't," Clause countered with hands raised in submission. "But there are medical supplies here. It would be stupid not to stitch you up before raising hell."

The brown-haired trooper stood up straight and regarded the entrance way. The corridor was wide, floor tiled with cobblestone. On stone walls were flaming torches lighting the way.

"I'm willing to bet they're waiting for us in the courtyard," Bryce started. "They'll rain arrows the moment we exit that passageway."

"I'm willing to bet they think we're already dead," argued the other. "What are the odds we'd win against two of their finest? Let alone the entire lot guarding the entrance?"

"We exploited a weakness."

"So? Still counts, don't it?" shrugged Clause. "We're alive and they aren't."

A pause filled the air as Bryce processed something. "You only had one spear," he stated.

Clause simply nodded in affirmation.

"How did you take down that last fox then? The one that fell into the-..."

"Shhh!" quipped Clause, with a finger to his mouth. "Do you hear that?"

The echo of distant chains rattled through the air. It sounded systematic. As though there was a rhythm to it. Subtle at first, but the jingling only got louder. One scout pulled out blades while the other gripped his spear. Back to back they stood, slowly rotating in a stationary circle.

"What is that?!"

"I. Don't. Know."

Suddenly, the drawbridge rumbled. The boys observed the chains to each side get sucked into holes within the wall. And when they were stretched taught, the bridge quaked as it started to rise.

Woden boards creaked loudly as they contorted under their own weight. Every object on the platform rolled towards the entrance. Be it bouncing bullet shells or sliding swords, falling splinters or rolling dead bodies, they all started tumbling their way.

"They're shutting the gate!" Clause stated. "So, what were you saying about not going in this way?"

"Fuck it," Bryce swore. The lad was first to break formation and Clause soon followed. both boys slid down the tilted slope. Two pairs of leather boots landed on cobblestone and backed away from the falling debris.

The chains pulled at the bulky mass, not acknowledging the weight. Step by step, the army of two backed up, watching this load of wood close them inside.

Armament fell at their feet before rolling away. Dust and ashes rained down on their position while the decaying knight landed with a squelch.

Bryce flinched when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. It was his partner, urging him to turn around. "There's no fun in waiting for the executioner. Let's go."

The greenhorn nodded his agreement and let his friend take point. More stuff cluttered behind them by the droves as the gears turned from within the walls.

But who would be responsible for pulling back the gate? If the foxes wanted solitude, then shouldn't they have shut it from the moment they raided this fort?

Or was Clause correct? Were they so bull headed to think themselves invisible, so far out of their territory? Why wait until the wolves slaughtered their primary guard? Just what exactly where they walking into?

Lost in thought, Bryce failed to realise that only his footsteps echoed. Again, he flinched when a cold touch of skin encircled his wrist.

"What gives?" he queried, but Clause adamantly pulled him back. His eyes were locked ahead. The grim expression should have said it all.

"Attention assholes!" a voice yelled out in the distance. Blue eyes snapped to the end of the corridor. One dark silhouette waited there. "You two are currently trespassing on repossessed grounds," the strange voice said. Neither of them had ever heard anything like it. "... but hey, seeing as you fuckers made such a bloody ruckus just to get in... Hi."

Bryce immediately changed stances.

"Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh! Easy tiger," the silhouette warned, raising a finger. "The only way you get to live, is if you don't throw those knives. And believe me. It's in my best interests that you get to live."

'What the fuck is up with that voice?' Bryce thought whilst observing the fox. Hell, it didn't sound like a monster... Come to think of it, they didn't really look like monsters either... What were these things?

Clause didn't say a word, but his grip on his spear didn't falter. His body partially shielded the injured Bryce, cautious of this new player.

The figure spoke one more time as it started treading into the corridor. "I'll take a wild guess... judging by the looks I'm getting, neither of you rookies have ever seen a female before in your lives, have you?" A languid sway of the hips accompanied each step as the enemy drew closer. "Then hows about we introduce ourselves... In a little friendlier manner. I promise you'll like it."

Hope you liked it. Consider commenting if it's worth your time. If not, it's all good. That's all folks.