The battle of flesh is over, now it's time for the battle of loyalty and will.
You can find
Chapter 13
here,
Chapter 1 here
, and the story (Enchanted) that started it all
here
*
John walked up to the man standing next to the pile of bodies. He did a double take when he realized it was Matthew. John's eyes dropped to Matthew's arm that was cradled in a sling across his belly. An arm that ended in a bandaged stump a few inches below his elbow.
"Gold or no gold, I'm going no further," Matthew said and turned slowly so John could see the bandage across his head. A bandage that covered his left eye.
John winced. "I understand."
"I want to be mad at you," Matthew said. "I probably am, to be fair, but I saw the hole in your chest. You got no right to be standing right now. Even with Sadie's help, you should be on this pile."
"Seems I'm hard to kill," John said.
"That'll come in handy if you mean to see this madness through."
"I do."
Matthew snorted and shook his head.
John moved closer to the stinking corpses. Flies buzzed about the pile as the midday sun warmed them and hastened the rot that was setting in. Matthew cursed and waved his hand in front of his face as though he could make the smell go away.
"Thought I'd get used to their stink," Matthew choked out. "It was the reek after a big battle that made me realize being a soldier wasn't for me. That and all the bastards trying to kill me with no proper reason other than somebody told them to."
John smirked and allowed, "That's a better reason than most."
"Saints, John, how can you stand so close?"
"They stink," John allowed, "I know it and smell it, but it doesn't bother me as much as I'd expect it to."
Matthew grunted and shook his head. "I'll leave you to it. I'm taking my crew back to Rock Haven today. I'll give you a few days before we leave and head south though. I expect these demons will be more interested in you than me by then."
John nodded. "I expect they will."
"You really mean to continue on? Just the four you?"
John turned and looked at the women that had accompanied him. They stood behind Matthew a few paces and only now did Helleen clear her throat and step forward. She batted at a fly that circled her head before she spoke.
"We're not going back with you," she said.
Matthew's shoulders drooped. He turned slowly and looked at her. He eyes took her in from head to toe and then back. "You fought these things... you know what they can do."
Helleen nodded. Roxanne came to stand at her side and took her hand in hers.
"Sisters," Matthew muttered. "You know what they can do. By all rights they had John in an early grave!"
"He saved my life," Helleen stated. "Helping these people is the right thing to do. They're not craven or cowardly, nor are they able to handle this on their own. They need us. They need John. My sword is his nowβ no, more than my sword, I've pledged my life to him."
John frowned.
"And since she's your sister you're with her too," Matthew said to Roxanne.
"She's more than that," Roxanne said.
"That's it?"
Roxanne shrugged. "No, there's more, but I don't need to explain myself and even if I did, it wouldn't change anything. We've had good times working for you, Matthew, but that time is over."
Matthew sighed. "Damn. You two were a bit part of the attraction. And I don't dare try to find another tiger or bear or something."
"You'd better not," Jennaca warned, earning a chuckle from all of them.
Matthew looked the twins over a final time and nodded before turning back to John. "Take care of them... well, as best you can."
"I will," John vowed.
Matthew shook his head a final time before turning and walking away.
"Well, that sucked," Jennaca mumbled once he was out of earshot.
Heads nodded in agreement. Jennaca stepped forward and came to stand beside John. The twins tried to do the same but the stench made them gag at the same time and forced a retreat.
"What are these?" Jennaca asked. "They don't have enough in common with any single animal I've ever seen. Not bears or great cats or wolves. Closest to reptiles, maybe, but they're not as heavy as I'd expect."
"Not as heavy?" John asked.
She nodded. "I helped to drag many of these here."
"The stink doesn't bother you?"
She shrugged. "It's like I can turn it off."
John grunted and knelt down so he could poke and pull at one of the bodies. They're hide was thick and tough but having found a gash in it he could pull it back easily. The meat inside was more pungent than ever.
"Their hides are tough, but the meat inside... they've been dead half a day? How could they be so strong and fast? All this bloody slime... They're bones seem sturdy enough but... wait."
John laid his spear down and drew his dagger. He sawed at the leathery hide to open it further which was no small feat in itself. Once the gash was large enough he reached inside and scowled as he felt the creatures innards. "It's not a viscous jelly with chunks of something firmer in it."
Roxanne gagged, prompting her sister to turn and gag with her.