burst open. Kai strolled in, searching each corner with his eyes while heading directly for the bed. He grabbed the frame under the bed and flipped it over as he had done in the other rooms, but nothing was there.
“Basei take you,” Kai cursed, summoning the wrath of the demigod of war. At that instant, a breeze blew through the open window and ran through Kai’s hair. He walked over to look out the window, hoping against all odds that he would see some sign of Stefan running away from the building, but what he saw instead was better than what he could have hoped for. Out in the street below, a man was limping away from the inn as fast as his good leg would carry him. Kai deduced that Stefan had jumped from the window and hurt his other leg significantly.
The Ranger wasted no time in jumping out through the window and scaled down the side of the building. He scurried down with the skill of a squirrel and started sprinting off after the man.
“Get away!” Stefan screamed when he saw Kai chasing after him.
Kai said nothing. He slammed into Stefan and tackled him to the ground. Stefan lashed out with a couple feeble punches, but Kai slammed his fist into Stefan’s ribs. With two more deft strikes the air, and ability to fight back, was knocked out of Stefan. Kai grabbed the pathetic man by the throat and hoisted him up to his feet. Stefan gasped for air and wheezed horribly while Kai slapped a pair of iron cuffs around his wrists.
“Where is my sister?” Kai growled. Stefan tried to speak, but he still had not regained his breath. “Let’s go for a walk,” Kai said. He grabbed Stefan by the back of the arm and jerked him back towards the inn.
The pair had only gone a few steps when Kai heard the clanking of a bottle from behind. He wheeled around just in time to see a man emerging from an alley, aiming a crossbow at them. Kai dropped to the ground and kicked Stefan’s legs out from under him in a foot-sweeping motion that landed the prisoner flat on his back as the crossbow bolt flew by harmlessly.
The assailant started to reload, but Kai was already taking aim with a throwing-knife. The blade whistled through the air as it made its way towards the assailant. Kai watched the crossbow fall to the ground just after his knife sunk deep into the attacker’s neck. The man stumbled back against a nearby building, clutching at his neck and gargling through the blood. He tried to run away, but he made it only a few steps before he collapsed on the ground lifelessly.
“They won’t let me talk to you,” Stefan warned.
“I see you have your breath back,” Kai replied dryly.
“They’ll kill me,” Stefan pressed.
Kai looked from Stefan to the dead man, and back again to Stefan. “Let’s go,” he said. Stefan started to resist, but Kai yanked the man to his feet and was all but carrying him back to the inn with such force that Stefan had no choice but to be dragged along.
As they entered the inn through the front door, Stefan stiffened and started to scream and shout. Even Kai was surprised at the sight that greeted him. Hadock lay in the same place where Kai had left him, but three crossbow shafts now protruded from his skull. Mandhar was pinned to the bar now with a long sword skewering him through the heart. Kai shook his head and swore under his breath.
“I told you!” Stefan screeched.
Kai turned around and slammed his elbow across Stefan’s left temple. “Have a seat,” he said as Stefan fell down with his back against the doorjamb. Kai drew his sword with his right hand and pulled a mini-crossbow from his cloak with his left hand. He knew that the assassins were likely still nearby, but he had to look for the barkeep. He quickly ran across the room and peered over the bar, where he found the barkeep lying in a pool of blood.
“Snake eggs,” Kai cursed. He looked back to Stefan, who was starting to come back to his senses. The Ranger needed to find his sister, but he had to find a safe place
“Basei take you,” Kai cursed, summoning the wrath of the demigod of war. At that instant, a breeze blew through the open window and ran through Kai’s hair. He walked over to look out the window, hoping against all odds that he would see some sign of Stefan running away from the building, but what he saw instead was better than what he could have hoped for. Out in the street below, a man was limping away from the inn as fast as his good leg would carry him. Kai deduced that Stefan had jumped from the window and hurt his other leg significantly.
The Ranger wasted no time in jumping out through the window and scaled down the side of the building. He scurried down with the skill of a squirrel and started sprinting off after the man.
“Get away!” Stefan screamed when he saw Kai chasing after him.
Kai said nothing. He slammed into Stefan and tackled him to the ground. Stefan lashed out with a couple feeble punches, but Kai slammed his fist into Stefan’s ribs. With two more deft strikes the air, and ability to fight back, was knocked out of Stefan. Kai grabbed the pathetic man by the throat and hoisted him up to his feet. Stefan gasped for air and wheezed horribly while Kai slapped a pair of iron cuffs around his wrists.
“Where is my sister?” Kai growled. Stefan tried to speak, but he still had not regained his breath. “Let’s go for a walk,” Kai said. He grabbed Stefan by the back of the arm and jerked him back towards the inn.
The pair had only gone a few steps when Kai heard the clanking of a bottle from behind. He wheeled around just in time to see a man emerging from an alley, aiming a crossbow at them. Kai dropped to the ground and kicked Stefan’s legs out from under him in a foot-sweeping motion that landed the prisoner flat on his back as the crossbow bolt flew by harmlessly.
The assailant started to reload, but Kai was already taking aim with a throwing-knife. The blade whistled through the air as it made its way towards the assailant. Kai watched the crossbow fall to the ground just after his knife sunk deep into the attacker’s neck. The man stumbled back against a nearby building, clutching at his neck and gargling through the blood. He tried to run away, but he made it only a few steps before he collapsed on the ground lifelessly.
“They won’t let me talk to you,” Stefan warned.
“I see you have your breath back,” Kai replied dryly.
“They’ll kill me,” Stefan pressed.
Kai looked from Stefan to the dead man, and back again to Stefan. “Let’s go,” he said. Stefan started to resist, but Kai yanked the man to his feet and was all but carrying him back to the inn with such force that Stefan had no choice but to be dragged along.
As they entered the inn through the front door, Stefan stiffened and started to scream and shout. Even Kai was surprised at the sight that greeted him. Hadock lay in the same place where Kai had left him, but three crossbow shafts now protruded from his skull. Mandhar was pinned to the bar now with a long sword skewering him through the heart. Kai shook his head and swore under his breath.
“I told you!” Stefan screeched.
Kai turned around and slammed his elbow across Stefan’s left temple. “Have a seat,” he said as Stefan fell down with his back against the doorjamb. Kai drew his sword with his right hand and pulled a mini-crossbow from his cloak with his left hand. He knew that the assassins were likely still nearby, but he had to look for the barkeep. He quickly ran across the room and peered over the bar, where he found the barkeep lying in a pool of blood.
“Snake eggs,” Kai cursed. He looked back to Stefan, who was starting to come back to his senses. The Ranger needed to find his sister, but he had to find a safe place
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