The Wandering God

36 Lead A Dog Into the Village 3/4

The hair on Zakhar's arms prickled with danger. The big man stood, starting toward the daquan.

"I said sit down!" yelled Kageyama, the kitsune himself jumping to his feet.

A huge smile on his face, Captain Duan put a boot to the barrel sat in front of him, and tipped it over with a push of his foot.

There was a hiss as the stale water contained in the barrel poured onto their fire. Then blackness.

Zakhar leapt and swung, fist cutting through the air where the daquan had just been.

"Sanli!" called Kageyama in panic.

There was a gasp, and the sound of a scuffle.

Zakhar heard Sanli curse. Then the sound of a knife being drawn.

A moment later, light flared to life, created by green zih that hovered just above Sanli's head. Light. Illuminate. Shine.

Zakhar could see Kageyama, standing next to Sanli, one arm on the prince's shoulder. Relief was in the kitsune's eyes as he beheld Sanli beside him, unharmed.

Then Zakhar saw Ao, struggling, pinned against Captain Duan's chest. The daquan had an arm about her neck. A dull, rusty looking knife he must have found in one of the ruined kitchens of the village was held just beneath the Ao's left eye.

Sanli had just performed the spell for light, and had Tenzetsuto in one and his seal in the other. Seeing Ao, the prince immediately let his seal fall back on its chain against his chest and reached for the metal drop that controlled the collar.

"Buh buh buh," said Captain Duan, and pushed the rusty knife against the soft skin beneath Ao's eye. "I wouldn't do that prince. Unless you want to race? Can your collar suffocate me into submission before I poke her eye out?"

Captain Duan's smile was triumphant. In his arms, Ao's face was furious. She pulled at the arm about her neck, her nails digging into the thick material of his shirt, trying to sink her teeth into the hand that held the knife to her face.

"Gu- ah!" Ao's pain tore through Zakhar. The daquan had sunk the knife tip into her cheek in response to Ao's attempt to fight him. Blood leaked from the wound and ran down her smooth skin like a ruby tear.

"Ao!" Zakhar started forward. The daquan dug the knife deeper, and Ao cried out once more. Zakhar froze.

"Don't move, big man," said the daquan twisting the knife and causing the blood to blossom as the point went deeper. The daquan cinched his arm tighter and Ao gasped.

Zakhar shook, sick with rage. Don't, he thought. Losing it here won't help.

Ao's struggles slowed, as the daquan tightened his arm about her neck.

"Stop!" yelled Sanli, muscles straining to stay still. "You're going to kill her!"

"Like you almost killed me?" Captain Duan asked conversationally.

Her face turned faintly blue, and the hands trying to tear away the daquans arm became feeble, till at last they fell to her sides.

Now, his captive at last still, the daquan turned his attention to the three men before him, knife still at Ao's eye. "None of you move," snarled the daquan, suddenly vicious. "Little prince, take the pendant off nice and slow, and toss it my way."

Slowly, face twisted in anger, Sanli did as he was told. He tossed the silver tear drop and Captain Duan caught it with his free hand. The dog then looped the necklace around his own neck.

The captain started to step backwards, toward his horse, dragging Ao with him.

"You don't seem so bad, as royals go, little prince," Captain Duan said, his voice once again calm. "So let me give you some advice. You should not make your weaknesses so apparent," he gestured with the knife to Ao. "Out here, they will get you killed."