Ky'Mera: The Next Generation (Sequel Series to the Ky'Mera Adventures Trilogy)

Chapter 6: The Cost of War

The Cost of War

Mom and dad were entangled with a group of a dozen or so guards, standing back to back as they protected each other's blind spots. One guard got past mom and cut a thin line down dad's side, but he only lived long enough to regret his attack as mom drover her blade into his neck. I looked to my right and saw Lokí surrounded by at least ten guards, but before I could run to his rescue he smiled and pulled on a previously invisible wire. Darts like those set outside the village for defense now sprang out of nowhere to embed themselves into all but three of the guards. As one they fell into a heap at his feet and with quick slashes of his blade the other three fell to join their comrades in death. I wanted to help in the fight, but my thought was interrupted as one of the girls from inside the tent screamed again. I looked behind me just in time to duck as a tapestry rod whisked past my head. I looked up to see two of the girls had grabbed rods and had come out of the tent to help. The girl in front swung at me again and I blocked it with my blades, the impact ringing out like an out of tune bell. She looked at me in fear as I grabbed the bar and yanked it out of her grip, throwing it to the side as I stood up to look down on them with a threatening look.

They shrunk in fear as I put my blades at their throats, and I whispered in a voice I knew would scare them half to death, "Don't interfere in this, or I won't be so generous next time you swing something at me." I looked each of them in the eyes until they nodded, their pupils almost gone in their terror. I pulled back and ran over to the group of guards attacking mom and dad, leaping onto the back of the nearest one as he made a swing over another guard's back. He yowled and dropped his knife in haste as he reeled in an attempt to dislodge me. I hung on just long enough for me to get a good angle and drove my blade into his liver, hopping off as he fell to the dirt in agony. I didn't stop to make sure he was down, there were still too many guards going after mom and dad. The fighting seemed to blur after that point, all melding into an endless mass of flashing blades and gushes of red blood. When it all came to a sudden halt I almost didn't know what had happened until I actually looked around and saw what had become of Trinlodan.

Bodies littered the ground like forgotten children's toys, and dark pools of blood made every step a wet one. Mom and dad had several cuts on them, though none looked to be very deep, and I glanced around in search of Lokí. I found him in the midst of a group of dead guards, his eyes wide open and a grin plastered on his face. His body was covered in deep wounds and gouges from the guards' blades, yet he still had the last laugh as he died. The guards we peppered with a yellow powder that gave me a distinct feeling to stay back, and every one of them had a look of utter agony on each of their faces. I walked over to mom and dad as they stood in the center of town, dad leaning on mom's shoulder as I joined them.

She looked up and saw the question in my eyes, "Your father will survive. He just needs some rest and relaxation for a day or three." She pulled him up a little higher, "Some food and rest and he'll be up and moving again before you know it."

We stood there for a minute, catching or breath as the dust from our battle settled into the rapidly spreading pools of blood, and it was at that point I noticed the other Bloodlust emerging from behind the tents all around us. I whispered a warning to mom and dad and they looked around to see I was right. All of the Bloodlust were women and children, though some of the young boys seemed almost my age. They gathered around us in a ragged circle, and I braced for an attack.

Imagine my surprise when one of the older women bowed to us and said, "Thank you so much for what you have done. You have freed us from the oppression of the elders after all this time."

I looked at mom in confusion, but she seemed just as clueless as I was. I looked back to the woman and asked, "Aren't you part of the Bloodlust? I would think you'd be picking up arms against us to avenge your elders and warriors."