CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
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Urman Gant
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2nd of Janus, 936 PC
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Urman woke up feeling worse than he had when he finally fell asleep and with a stiff back to boot. Eight hours of sleep and you were set to feel like a new man, half that and it was like you hadn’t slept at all.
He glanced at the brig’s rusty black bars in disappointment then burped. This sure ain’t Kathar’s den. He rolled over to see the young healer’s tired eyes staring at him. Therrin White was his name and it didn't take much to know he’d never spent a night feeling like an animal kept in captivity. Poor boy refused to use the piss bucket and hid his eyes when Urman had to take a shit. Nice though. It was a rarity to share a cell with someone that wanted to give life instead of take it.
“Mornin’ fella,” Urman said. Not only had the boy fixed his legs the first night, he’d cleared up every scratch and bruise on Urman’s whole body, even the ones he might not want to show people. Couldn’t get the scars though. He said those were forever. Fair enough. Wouldn’t be right for Urman to get off with no reminders of what he’d done.
“Good morning,” Therrin said. Urman tried to smile but smiles were as rare as a good smell when you were in a brig. Hardly the place for a friendship to be born but to his surprise he and the healer were getting on pretty well. “Have you thought of a plan yet?”
Urman let out a sigh. “Thought about it all night but short of a miracle it’s lookin’ like we better start callin’ this place home.”
“I’ve been in homes. This is not a home.” That’s all he said – made a point they both knew and went back to sulking.
“Suppose we could try to get one of ‘em in here. I could flirt with him and you could try’n snap his neck,” Urman said. Therrin almost smiled then shut his eyes. “Aye.” He shrugged and closed his eyes too. Only plan he had was the only plan he ever had; do whatever some asshole told him so he could get an inch closer to Harlow. Styner would have him above deck soon enough, telling him he had to do something he’d have to explain to The Creator someday. He’d take his chances at escaping then. In the meanwhile he was going to get some much needed rest.
He moved his legs like everyone moves their legs when they’re restless and dammit if it didn’t make his head turn sideways to the boy. Therrin had saved him when the rest of the world wanted him dead. Sure, he was made to do so but something told Urman he would have done it anyway eventually. “Say we do get out. Where ya headin’?”
Therrin thought for a minute, then said, “There’s a woman I’d like to see again. And I have a brother. He’s heading toward Iron Helm right now.” He paused. “I hope he is anyway. Never should have joined Alaric’s cause. Neither of us were prepared for this. Mum always said fate had given me and Corbin a path others would envy. All we had to do was follow it. Damn Lotus Queen messed that all up though.”
“My mum always said shut up and eat.” This time Therrin did crack a smile and for some reason that made something deep inside Urman feel good. It wasn’t like they were even, legs for a smile wasn’t a fair trade, but he was glad to help the boy some. “So, you was fighting alongside that arrogant bastard, Sampson?”
“Aye. Your name tastes like sour grapes in his mouth too,” Therrin said. “But yes, I traveled with him from Thronerock to The Emerald Forest and everywhere in between. Then snuck through the city walls before we split up and I ended up with a traitor.”
Urman chuckled. “Been there. Can’t tell ya how many times I’ve wondered what my life would be like if everybody did what they told me they were gonna do. I don’t even know how to tell betrayal and trust apart no more. Got to the point where I decided I’d work alone or not at all. Except for one fella, I suppose.”
“Kathar?”
Urman’s eyes shot open. “You know Kathar?”
“No, but I’ve heard enough about him to feel like I do. And I’ve been to his den in the heart of the Emerald.”
“Fit for a king, that place.”
“It’s burned to a crisp now.”
“Course it is.” He should have been crushed by such news but what else could he expect? He’d left his footprints there. People follow footprints like his and they aren’t kind to whatever they find along that path.
“You think Kathar will come to save you?”
He’d considered that idea but who knew where his friend was now. “There’s a chance if I had to reckon, but it seems like all the good fellas are ending up in the wrong hands.” He wasn’t sure if he included himself in that or not.
There was silence for a good bit as both men thought about how they’d ended up where they were. Apparently Urman’s tale was longer because the healer started talking when Urman was still sitting on the docks as a boy. “Alaric liked to say it was wiser to let someone else piss off the wrong person, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to know how you got to be who you are.” Urman gave him the side of his eyes. Any more and the boy might see how much anger was in them and since it wasn’t meant for Therrin there was no reason to scare him. “How does a commoner become so feared by… everyone?”
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Let those same words come out of a different mouth and he might just kill a man but somehow they just tucked this boy tighter under Urman’s wing. “I’ve been askin’ myself that for years now. Only thing I’ve ever come up with is that they’re still afraid to die and death don’t mean shit t’me.”
“Surely it did at some point,” Therrin said, trying to get comfortable on his wooden plank of a bed.
“Course it did at some point. But then the world got it in her head to take my brother away and somethin’ snapped inside me. Couldn’t feel nothin’ but how bad I wanted to get him back. Started off like something ya can’t stop thinkin’ about. Like a gift you knew you was set t’get for the new year. Then it got to be an itch I couldn’t scratch. Right in the middle of my back. And since I didn’t have no door frame to rub against it drove me fuckin’ crazy. Sent me into a frenzy. Before I knew it, hunting and killing was a way of life. Almost a game, really. I’d go to sleep wondering what I’d have to do or who I’d have to kill the next day. Then I’d wake up and do it with no questions asked. I always try t’say I thought there was a light at the end of the tunnel but the truth is, after a while I knew I’d never get Harlow back. Just didn’t know what else t’do with myself. So, I became a killer. On my own terms. Got damn good at it too. I’d catch myself thinkin’ about how to kill a man faster or quieter. Whatever I thought I wasn’t as good at then. Turns out people don’t like it when the monsters from their stories come to life. Had ‘em shakin’ in their boots for a while.” He grinned at that. Then frowned. “But when they realized I was just a man they stood up to me. Got to chasin’ me with their pitchforks made of purple lightning and black magic.” He stopped, shrugged, rolled his hands open as if to say he didn’t have any more story hiding in them.
Therrin stared at him long and hard then said something no one had ever said to him. Not even Kathar. “Sounds like you’re a good brother.”
A short little breath shot out of Urman’s nose. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.”
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Urman stood with his arms behind his back, hands laced through the bars. He’d caused enough trouble in cells to know the deal. They’d slap the shackles on him, take a closer look at Therrin’s body on the floor, then offer him a beating in exchange for the truth. Only with the half-assed Lotus Iris employed they’d fuck something up along the way. Iris didn’t have enough real soldiers to fill the brig he was standing in. He’d been taking advantage of that fact for quite some time now. Might as well do it again.
He took another look at the healer – one arm tucked under his body, the other limbs spread out wildly. A pool of blood that could only mean one thing had formed under his head. It wasn’t much of a fight. Poor boy only got one clean punch off and that didn’t do much more than brush a fly from Urman’s shoulder. But he did yell a lot. And loud. He’s gotten a pair of boots rushing toward Urman pretty quickly.
“What’s going on in there?!” a woman shouted.
The thumping slowed down and came to a pitter patter. “Dammit, Gant. General Styner is going to be furious.” One of the perks of being known as a monster was that no one ever expected him to talk much. He couldn’t if he wanted to with the jagged piece of broken wood between his teeth. Took him hours to rip the shit bucket apart without making too much noise.
He took a deep breath and told The Creator it had to be done when he heard the shackles jingle and clank behind him. The Lotus grabbed his wrist but before she had control of him he snatched hers with his other hand and spun out of her grip. She hadn’t even looked up by the time he had yanked her arm forward. Her chest and face slammed into the bars. Iris would have called her petrified. The piece of wood was through the bottom of her jaw a second later. In and out. Twice to make sure. Blood started dripping everywhere as he held her there, staring at her crazy eyes. Light as a feather. Just like Tessile.
“Get up,” he said sharply.
Therrin rose to his hands and knees as fast as a dog getting scared awake. Urman brought the ruined Lotus’ whole body nice and tight to the bars. Therrin fumbled around in her pants like an untrained pickpocket. Therrin’s arm, the one Urman had cut up with the wood, was bloody and gashed. The kind of wound that leaves a scar if left unattended. Not much of a problem for a guy like Therrin though.
“There’s no keys,” Therrin whispered frantically. “Lords no. Where are the keys?” He pulled his hand out of the pocket and for a brief moment they were frozen. All three of them. Then the Lotus was all clumsy and ugly on the ground. Urman snatched the capsule from the boy’s hand and stared it up and down like it was a fine-looking woman. “What are we going to do without the keys?”
“We found ‘em, boy.” He tossed the capsule in his mouth and crunched down on it without another thought. It was sweet like candy but a thousand times better. Couldn’t ask for a more delicious taste.
For a moment he thought he could die right then and all would be alright. Then he started to feel like he was dying. He curled over and his eyes went wide. His heart got to beating like it might explode then he started coughing like he was standing in a cloud of smoke. Next thing he knew, energy was flushing through him like a waterfall. All through his body – arms, legs, even his cock got a little tickle. When he stood up all he could feel was power tingling in his fingertips. He wanted to hate the look of purple under his nails but damn were they pretty.
“What are you doing?” Therrin asked. “You’ll dry out!”
“We’re dryin’ out in here, boy. Now move back.”
Took a second to get it all figured out but when he had the energy under control he threw a blast at the floor of the brig. It shattered in a crackling explosion, leaving a hole large enough to drop through if he wasn’t so thick. A second blast put a hole beside it. A third one got it all opened up. Aiming was a bitch but he’d figure that out later. “Time to go.” He dropped to his ass and hung his legs over the edge of the hole. He looked back. “Can ya swim?” Therrin nodded.
He shot another streak of purple into the darkness below. An empty hull lit up for a moment as the blast ripped a hole in the bottom of the Cloudcruiser. He sent something like a dozen more blasts down there until water was rushing into the ship like there was something exciting to see inside. “Keep up. Somethin’ tells me I’m gonna need that magic of yours.” He smiled and dropped himself off the edge.