Chapter 33

Ambush

- His enemy towered over him, touching the mountains, but he knew no fear -

With food in his stomach, Thonavar felt strength return to his body. It was evening now and the moon could be seen faintly in the sky. There was still light but it was fading quickly.

Thonavar and Chaeron had finished eating. However, Lyla, being a slower eater, still clutched her piece of fish, finishing up the last of it.

Lyla swallowed her fish and was about to throw the bones into the fire, when Thonavar ears pricked up.

He had heard something.

But Lyla and Chaeron appeared not to have noticed anything. Lyla threw her fish carcass into the fire.

Something does not seem right, thought Thonavar. His sharp eyes searched the darkness of their surroundings.

We should douse the fire and move to the boat.

Thonavar rose to his feet. But as he did, three boys stepped quietly into the light from the darkness. They moved so swiftly that they were in their midst before they could blink.

Lyla sprang to her feet and Chaeron remained seated, a look of complete surprise on his face.

"Well, well, what a surprise. Who would have thought there would be others faster than we?" The first boy said with a grin. He had hair which spiked in all directions and his eyes were a piercing blue.

Lyla’s eyes narrowed and she exchanged a glance with Thonavar. However, the second boy was quick to observe the glance and stepped forward.

"Yes," said the second boy. He was tall and blonde. "How curious indeed. By the Almin, how did the three of you get ahead of us? Surely, we could not be slower than you three," said a second boy, menacingly.

No one said a word.

"Perhaps we should make you tell us," he continued. "We have ways of making people talk."

He moved to stand directly in front of Lyla with arms folded and stared down at her provokingly. Lyla however stared defiantly back up at him. Chaeron looked frantic and did not know what to do. He looked at Thonavar for a sign.

Thonavar’s memory started to jog and he remembered that these were some of the boys who had started off from the hill at seemingly unsustainable speeds. Lyla was right. Her warning moments ago had been timely. These boys were dangerous and were prepared to use violence.

He felt the tension in the air and his fists clenched and unclench. He sized up the three boys. All three boys were tall and largely-built for their age. The third boy was half-hidden by shadow and had not spoken yet.

Nevertheless, Thonavar could see the exhaustion in their eyes. He moved slowly toward the first boy, the one with spiky hair. As he moved, his mind raced with the potential outcome of the impending fight.

I will take down the boy with the spiked hair first. Lyla and Chaeron will take the blonde boy down. But there was still the third boy. He was hiding in the shadows. But by the time he came to the rescue of his friends, he would be too late.

Thonavar knew that Lyla would be quick to grasp the plan. Already, he could see Lyla exchanging meaningful looks with him. Chaeron too had stepped into a defensive position.

Thonavar decided to act. He surged forward, moving swiftly to the spiky-hair boy who quickly hid his surprise, a smile sprouting on his face. Stepping to one side, the spiky-hair boy then turned on Thonavar who ducked beneath a swinging punch. Thonavar surged upward with an uppercut which found the chin of his opponent. Thonavar stepped back. But the spiky-haired boy just stood there grinning, unperturbed.

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"You hit hard. That is good," he said to Thonavar.

At the corner of his eye, Thonavar saw Chaeron clinging to the neck of the tall blonde boy and Lyla tackling him to the ground.

He turned back to the spiky-haired boy who was now making a rude gesture at Thonavar. Thonavar jaw tightened and he surged forward once more. He did not know why the boy was not unconscious from the force of his blow but this time, he would bring him down.

Suddenly, Thonavar felt a slight wind in his direction and he turned to the side just in time to see the third boy hurtle out of the shadows toward him. Thonavar barely dodged the hurtling form when an arm snaked out and smashed into his face. Thonavar spun around to see the spiky-haired and blond boys pinning Lyla and Chaeron down onto the ground. The spiky-hair boy grinned at him before shouting out dramatically. "You might try but no one has bested the colossus!"

Thonavar turned back to see the third boy standing before him, flexing and unflexing his arms. He was considerably taller and bigger than the other two boys.

"I am Gargan. Gargan Beefheart. I would like to reach the cold mountains and sanctum before the sunset on the third day. More than that, I would like to be the first to reach."

"Then you are wasting time," said Thonavar immediately. "Leave us to ourselves."

"Hmmm, what is your name?" Gargan asked. "How did you and your friends overtake us?"

"I am Thonavar Ironhand and these are my friends. We too would like to reach the mountains before the third day’s sunset. We have no quarrel with you."

"Your hair is of a strange colour Ironhand. Are you a demon?" Gargan asked, his tone mocking.

"My hair is black but there are streaks of white," replied Thonavar, his anger rising.

Before he could utter another word, Gargan moved with incredible speed toward Thonavar and stood before him, staring down at him. Thonavar looked into Gargan’s black beady eyes and what he saw left him feeling a sense of dread. Gargan’s eyes were cold and empty. More than that, they were filled with cruelty and violence.

"Now, let us start again. It is obvious that you three have somehow managed to find a way to cheat. Tell us how you did so and we will leave you unharmed," said Gargan, smiling sweetly.

"We did not cheat," said Thonavar. "The three of us were simply faster than the three of you. Do not threaten us Gargan. We are not afraid."

Thonavar put up his hands but Gargan’s fist slammed into his face with blistering speed and force such that Thonavar felt his feet leave the ground for a moment before he crashed into the earth.

"Thonavar!" Lyla shouted, struggling against the vice-like grip of the blond boy. Thonavar struggled to his feet, trying to shake off the blurriness from his eyes.

"You are a coward," said Chaeron in a low voice, his face white with anger at seeing the still form of Thonavar lying on the ground. "Your mother would be ashamed of you. Come and fight me you coward."

Chaeron drew himself up to full height.

"Chaeron," cautioned Lyla. "Do not fight him."

But Chaeron did not back down. Gargan turned toward him.

"A coward, am I? What else did my poor mother say about me?" Gargan said mockingly. "And yes, I accept your challenge."

Before Chaeron could reply, Gargan was before him and brought his fist down on Chaeron’s head again with terrible force. Lyla winced as Chaeron too hit the ground and did not get up.

"Chaeron!" Lyla shouted. "You monster," she said, glaring angrily at Gargan.

Gargan smiled at her. Turning to the blond and spiky-haired boys, he gestured for them to leave the still forms of Thonavar and Chaeron.

"I will watch over the girl. She will not move lest she incur my wrath. You two search the area. There must be a clue as to how they arrived here faster than we. When we find out how, we will acquire the method for ourselves."

Lyla glared up at Gargan defiantly. He ignored her.

"You will never find out," said Thonavar, standing to his feet.

"Look. The demon boy awakes," said Gargan.

"I have been awake all this time you fat fool," said Thonavar. Blood dripped from a cut above his eye where Gargan had struck him. "I was listening to you moan and whimper about how you could not make it to the cold mountains by yourself and needed someone to carry you. I know you Gargan. You are slow and fat."

The other two boys stopped looking around and turned to watch. Gargan moved toward Thonavar. His eyes bulged and his face grew red.

"Fancy words, demon boy. Tonight, I will end you. No one will know you ever lived by the time I am done with you," said Gargan as he advanced on Thonavar, flexing and unflexing his large arms. He was massive for his age. But Thonavar did not care. He was furious.

"Do not waste your words slug. Show me," said Thonavar and he raised his fists defiantly. Anger coursed through Thonavar’s veins and an uncontrollable rage seized him. Gargan’s eyes flashed with violence and his lip curled into a sneer as he drew nearer to where Thonavar was standing.

"Thonavar stop. You cannot win," pleaded Lyla, her eyes flashed with concern. "Please!"

She crouched by Chaeron’s unmoving form. He was still breathing but had been knocked out cold.

But Thonavar ignored her and moved toward Gargan.

"Stop!" shouted Lyla again.

But her cries fell on deaf ears as the two boys flew into each other.