COTN: House of Micha Part 4

4.  Elgin

Medi comforted the distraught warrior after the Councilor left them alone to go on her own quest. They are in hiding in the forest near the Outpost. Elgin looked at the walls where his men are now hanging by their feet to feed the crows and flies. There are eighteen of them hanging there with their innards hanging out. Elgin wondered about the nineteen Elite if he can recalled among the faces hanging there, the missing one should be Zerin; the one whom he considered as his brother.

Where is Zerin? He is not hanging out there. The others are all there.

"I need to get there." Elgin points to Medi the Outpost. "Those are my men. I need to get them down. And to find Zerin. He is not there."

"Zerin may be alive. I know it." Elgin shouted out again at Medi. "He is like my brother. I cannot let him die needlessly."

"Elgin, he could be dead by now or held as prisoner but we need a plan to get him out. You can't charge in like this. You would be next on the wall."

Elgin restraint by the Medi soon settled down. Then they were to see what actually happened to Zerin.

Zerin came out under escort by the Red Guards but not as a prisoner but dressed like them. He is a Red Guard now. There are six of them escorting him now. They are riding towards the city and could be passing through the forest. Elgin and Medi took to intercept and soon found the ideal spot to ambushed them. Its a small clearing in the forest which the path has to go by.

Elgin took to the fore of the group and rode into them with his twin halberd. He swing both his weapon and took on the first Guard in the chest. The second Guard blocked his attack but was thrown off the horse. Meanwhile Medi came from the rear and thrust her spear into the unsuspecting Guard, and rode up next to Zerin. She kicked at Zerin' horse to get it to run forth. Elgin on seeing Zerin fleeing for safety, also turned his mount to follow suit.

The trio rode hard and were not chased by the Guards. Soon in the dark forest, they stopped to rest and Elgin confront the surviving warrior.

"How did you escape unharmed?" Elgin saw no wounds on the warrior.

"When we attacked, I was knocked by a Red Guard with the hilt of the sword. I must had blank out and next I recalled was being captured. They held me captive while they haul the rest dead or injured to the walls. They cut the throats of those who are still alive and throw them over the wall hanging by the rope." When Zerin said that, he was emotional and broke down into tears.

"I was to be escorted back to the city as a prisoner to be presented to Lord Darren. He wants me to tell him the whereabouts of the others or I would suffer a fate worse than that." Zerin placed his head onto his hands and sobbed.

Elgin walked off from the spot and Medi followed him.

"Do you believed him?" Elgin asked her. Medi looked at the leader of the Elites and nodded.

"Why do you doubt him?" Medi wanted to know why Elgin does not believe him.

"An Elite does not betray his own, and more to it; we would not allowed ourselves to be prisoners. We prefer death to imprisonment. Zerin knows that, unless he is a coward. Then he does not deserved to live too."

Elgin turned to face the young warrior. Zerin is now holding a dagger that was concealed in his tunic. Medi saw the young warrior true self now.

"Elgin, I could not die. They wanted me to kill myself, but I could do it. I would had prefer to die by their swords but not on my own. They taunted me and made me a fool. They want me to be public display at the City for the others to see me as I was; a coward fearing to take his own life. Kill me, Elgin; I begged of you. Fight me and kill me like a warrior." Zerin charged at the other two, but Elgin stepped in with his halberd to cut into Zerin' chest and neck. The young warrior died at Elgin' feet. 

It was then the Red Guards came storming out; there are about fifteen of them armed with swords on foot.

"Its a good day to die, Medi." Elgin shouted out and charged at the Guards. Medi also took up her spear and joined in.

Medi held her spear at the end of it and used it like a swinging sword with a deadly end. She find herself facing six of the Guards now. Its seems that the Guards have split up to attack them individually. She keep on jumping and swinging her spear to deter them from attacking her. She have not taken on so many foes on her own; three was her max during training. She landed on her feet and still find her foes all around her keeping at bay from her swinging spear. She looked over and see Elgin had taken down two of his.

She stood there and looked at the Guards. She could tired out before them, and they would attack her. She needed to find a new strategy to fight them. She saw her chance and ran in to the dark forest; she would use the darkness as taught to her by Cedi.

"She is getting away. Find her." The Guards followed her but they are in her domain.

Medi slipped between the trees and crawled into the undergrowths as the Guards came rushing in.

"Find her. She has to be near here." The leading Guard shout out and his voice ended with a short take of breath as the spear pierced into his lower throat. The Guard hands reached out to hold the spear but the life is slipping away.

"Spread out. We would find the vixen." Another Guard shout out loud. The remaining five Guards spread out to search for her. They slashed at the undergrowths as they searched. No one looked up and one of them lose his life when the dagger from Medi found the back of his base head. The dagger sink deep and cut the thick veins that feed the heart. Medi was running off on the branches with her dagger as soon as the Guard fell on his knees.

"She is there. She got Terry. Damned these trees, we cannot see far. Or near" The Guard shouted out just before the arrow pierced his left eye into his head. He fell back without a sound to the sunned looks of his other Guards.

"We cannot fight her here. Let us get out." They ran out as fast as they could. Medi could not resist to let loose another arrow at the fleeing Guards but she missed the person she aimed at. She joined them at the clearing to see Elgin being wounded still facing four Guards.

"More to the fight. I always find the odds are good in bringing the best out of me." Elgin laughed out loud to see Medi still alive and untouched by the fight. Elgin did not hesitate in his attack as he lunged towards the startled Guards. His twin halberd coated with blood now found another on the right shoulder and left thigh.

"Ah! One more down." Elgin kicked at the wounded Guard to removed his weapons. "Medi, we are even now; three each and that is a good odd to win against."

The six Guards looked across at the two warriors and decided they had enough for now. They took off back for the forest leaving Elgin holding onto his wounds. Once they have left, Elgin fell down to his knees. Medi ran to his side to cradle the Elite warrior' head.

"Medi, I am dying. The wounds are deep and I may not live." Elgin is holding to his lower right waist where the blood is spewing out. Medi reached down to hold his hand over the wound.

"Elgin, please hold on. I would get some herbs for you. You would be fine." She try to assure him but she sounded unconvincing as she seen such wounds. They are fatal and most of them never made it alive after that.

"Medi, I am a Elite warrior. I know the wounds are fatal, so patronize not my feelings." Elgin pulled to sit up and leaned on the nearest tree.

"Elite Warrior, you would not die. I have the means to help you."

Medi looked up to see Monik, the High Priest leading a a small group of his priests walking towards them. Monik raised up his hand to show Medi he bear no malice.

"Medi, I am here to help. My priests freed me after you left. They been following us as they did with the other Guards. They are not fighting warriors but peaceful devotee of the House. I am also here to heal the warrior as I am his only hope to live. Please allowed me to redeem my wrongdoing." Monik did not pause in his strides as he knelt by the wounded warrior. He moved the hand to looked at the wound and slowly shakes his head.

"Its fatal but there are hope." Monik reached out his hand and one of the devotee came forth to offer a leather pouch. He reached in the leather pouch to remove a vial. He poured the content over the wound and watched it work over the bleeding. The bleeding soon stopped and Monik ignoring Medi indicate his priests to move the wounded body to lie down on the ground.

The High Priest took over the wounded and pushing Medi to stand aside. Soon the priests have fashioned up a simple sled to move the wounded.

"Medi, I would take care of the warrior. Your task is to continue on to restore the House. Find your Mother; she would know." Monik said to Medi as the priests pulled the sled with the wounded away back into the forest. "He would return to your side when he is fully recover. He would not come alone, as my priests would seek out more of his type in the land."

Medi stood there to see Monik joining his priests.