The Land Of Casus

Chapter 3

Thea tried to pull her arm away, but the guard had an iron grip.

"Please, I haven't done anything"

Ignoring her, the guard began dragging her to the door. The second guard went to collect his companions, probably so that they could all deliver her to this King. 

"Let me go," she pleaded, trying to pull her arm free. She resisted as much as she could, however, his grip remained firm. She continued to resist before the guard slapped her across the face. Her head snapped to the side and stars appeared in her vision. Her free hand immediately went up to her cheek which was already hot the the touch. 

"I admire your fighting spirit but it is futile. Like a wild animal who knows it is about to meet its end."  

There was movement next to her, a man hit the guard over the head with the hilt of his sword. Thea recognized him as the man who was lying by the bar when she first walked in. 

"Hey, who do you think you are?" the other guard said unsheathing this sword and stepping towards the young man. 

"The lady said she didn't want to go with you." 

He lunged forward with his word but the guard blocked his attack. In a counterstrike, the the guard swung for the man's face but he ducked and with speed only acquired through practice, stabbed the sword upwards into the guard's armpit. The guard fell to the floor. By now, the other guards had sobered up and had surrounded him. They all went for him at once. The man dodged the first attack, spun to face behind him, blocked the next attack and slit the throat of the next guard in a fast single swipe of his sword. He ducked the swing of a sword and tripped over his attacker. With the man on his back on the floor, he stabbed the man in the neck. The last guard lunged forward but before he could make his move, the man guard the arm holding the sword, slashed the open part of his elbow, kicked his knee in so that the guard fell to the floor on one knee and with a single movement, snapped his neck. 

Thea who had huddled into the corner during the fight gapped at the man in horror. 

"I believe a thank you is in order?" he asked her as he sheathed his sword back on his hip. 

"I, I - "

"What the devil has happened here?" gasped the old man who had just come down from the stairs, holding a bundle of clothes in his hand.   

"I just saved this young lady from a terrible death"

"And in the process, put targets on your backs. You killed royal guards. They will be looking to put your head on a spike now."

"I did what needed to be done."

Best that we get out of here before news of what happened here spreads," the old man said as he made way for the door. 

Seeing no other way out of this mess, Thea followed him out the door. 

"Follow me," called the old man as he hurried down the road, "I have a place where we can hide for a few hours." 

The trio were standing outside a stone house with windows that were covered up to prevent people from looking in. It was on a road where all the houses looked identical. Stone houses in a neat square shape in a neat line. No ornaments decorated the houses, except for a pot plant here and there where people tried to make their houses seem more homely.

"This is YOUR house," said the younger man irritably. "This will be the first place that they will start to look." 

"It being my house is the reason why we are here. It's the perfect hiding spot. They will not think we are dumb enough to come here. The guards will be looking elsewhere, trust me. "