Rise of the Blade - Charles Moffat [23]
Oh, but now! Now he could move! Every step he took was a joy to be able to move again. He felt power and certainty in his step and his arms ached to feel the vicious cuts he would dig when he found his revenge.
Revenge. The word knawed at him as he walked calmly into a livery and shoved his sword through the neck of a stablehand. Even before the boy had slumped to the ground, the reins were in Chev's hands and his foot reaching for the stirrup.
He looked around in a daze as a man screamed and shouted for the guards. With a face of stone, Chev clenched the sword in his hand and ran the man down. Out into the street he rode, bloody sword in hand while people fled from his path, shouting and screaming in alarm.
Shoving the blade in his belt, he paid them no heed as he spurred the horse mercilessly, driving it southward. He had no time for this nonsense. He could take on a hundred men quite comfidently, his strong heart telling him that a single swing or thrust would kill any one of these fools Waterdeep kept as guards.
With no doubts in his mind, he rode south out of the city towards Bravepike Manor. It was there he had defeated his enemies the last time. Massacred the whole works of them. Now the castle belonged to the d'Or family, and they were no doubt headed there. They didn't know that he had seen and heard their every secret for the last century and a half. They'd never know.
The wood split apart easily and fell into two slabs on each side of the cutting block. Pierce hefted the axe over his shoulder and moved another wood block in place. Down came the axe, his fury driving the axe downwards, driving through wood and getting stuck in the cutting block.
Marque Draque watched from the shadows of the basement. Pierce knew he was there of course. It wasn't a matter of hiding, it was a matter that the furnace with its billowing smoke and seething flames cast a light that hurt his weak eyes.
The Doctor grunted and pulled the axe out, stumbling back a step from the effort. He swore inwardly and shoved another block of wood in place. Down came the axe again, a curving angle that ended in splintering wood. Throwing the axe to the side, he picked up the smaller pieces and threw them into the furnace. He slammed the furnace door shut with his foot.
Draque pursed his lips and lit a cigar in the darkness. Placing it between his charcoal lips he breathed in the smoke and watched the tip of the cigar burn more brightly as it sought the ever precious oxygen in the air.
Pierce hacked and spat. His eyes were rimmed with red but it wasn't from the smoke of either furnace nor cigar. He threw down his leather gloves and rubbed his cheeks to get the life back into them.
Draque breathed out the smoke. His eyes wrinkled as he looked at Pierce. "You know, with all our current funds, we could get a gnomish furnace down here. I could place some magical safeguards on it of course in the event of an explosion, of course. Then we wouldn't have to worry about heating the place in the fall and winter."
The warrio shook his head. "Not worth it. I can tell you right now that the gnomes would insist on expanding this room and then later volunteering-" he said the word sarcastically. "-to set up a experiment laboratory down here."
"How about a gate to the elementally plane of fire perhaps?" Draque asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Perhaps, but then we have the chance of a elemental slipping through and burning the place down." Pierce managed a weak smile. "Besides we all remember the last time we went up against fire elementals."
Draque remembered and grinned. "You wasted all your strength fighting them and when that ogre grabbed you and threw you against the wall you were quite ready for a long nap."
Pierce also grinned, although he