Sicarius (4 page)

“Are you the head lion?” Gytha asks. 

“Do not interrupt me please. Let me finish. You need to hear this before we act.” 

“Hey. Act? Don’t talk to my—” 

Once more, Ambrose cuts them off from speech. “Once we are recruited by King Oswald, we are called spiders and tossed in a dark dungeon with no interaction besides the king. From there, we are taken out of the dungeon, and we are called snakes. We are to train until the age of fourteen. We are given a mission of importance by King Oswald at this age. If we fail, we are killed by another Sicarius, secretly watching our every move,” Ambrose states as he looks at the girls in guilt, hoping they catch on to what he is trying to do. “If we pass, we are called eagles. The king awards us with a black defensive weapon forged from the meteor that the land of Fraudule is based around. In my case, it is my glove. The kingdom’s enemies always assume this is where our land strength comes from—the meteor. They are right. We Sicarius that hold this metal are strong. This metal is so lightweight and impenetrable but unable to be sharpened.” 

He is trying to alert the girls about the enemy in the trees without having the enemy knowing his intentions. Aida looks at Ambrose as if she knows a similar story about a black metal made from a meteor. She also shows hints to Ambrose that she understands what is going on. 

Aida rides close to Gytha so she could whisper. “There is a reason why he is being rude. Just let it be.” 

Gytha looks at Ambrose, understanding the hint. 

“We are not to show anyone, even other Sicarius, what type of defensive weapon the king gives each of us. There are none the same. We are to train around and perfect our skills with the weapon. If another Sicarius sees where it is located, they are to forget. Failing to do so will be punishable by death. After so many years of still being alive and missions we have set out to do, we are awarded to become a lion. There can only be one head lion. If any Sicarius flees in any situation, he will be killed. Do not look now, but my competition that has been after my position for years—head lion—is up in the trees.” 

“Ha-ha!” Gytha laughs as if Ambrose said something funny, not knowing Ambrose was being serious. 

Ambrose carries on with an emotionless look to his face “He is equally skilled and came to me before. When he found me, he tried to convince me to come back. This time, it will not be so easy to rid of him. It is very unusual for the king to try to bring back a rogue Sicarius without killing him. I told you this long story to continue my speech, not setting off our element of surprise. He may think he has it, but we actually do.” 

“This is why you have been looking distracted. You have been tracking him tracking us,” Ms. White states. 

Ambrose keeps looking forward not to show any sudden movements as he would if he did not know of any danger. “Correct.” 

Ms. White is trying to stay collected. “A good example on why they made you head lion.” 

“Do not show fear. By doing this, he will think he still has the element of surprise. I am curious as to why he is alone. Maybe the king has lost faith in my skills.” 

Gytha looks at her mother trying to stay composed. “You did mention you two were equally skilled.” 

“Yes, equally, but no more. He will not be able to take me back. It will be a draw, and he will flee by the time we both injure each other. Unless the king must believe the one who tracks us is more skilled and will be able to take me back alive.” 

“Why did the king send this man after you?” asks Aida. 

Ambrose rides closer to the girls so as not to echo his conversation. “The king cannot afford to let his most experience and skilled be killed. Not without knowing my knowledge and passing it to the new generation. Maybe this is the answer to your question. I am not entirely sure why. Even if I capture this man, we are trained not to talk, and death is the only way out. It will be useless to ask questions. We can only assume,” Ambrose responds to Aida’s question. “Another thing you should know about us Sicarius, we are trained to use our surroundings to win. He will try to kill you two, thinking you will be my weakness. He will be right. This will be the only way he will win.” 

Ms. White looks at Gytha with a smile not to cause suspicion. “What should we do? I do not want us to be killed. I do not want us to be used as a weakness.” 

“Run and hide. I will find you soon. Without you two in the fight, I will win. Now go!” Ambrose shouts to the girls. 

Ambrose uses the girls running away as a distraction. Ambrose knows this action the girls have made will leave Adrian confused. This will lead to Ambrose having the perfect element of surprise. 

Chapter VI 

The two girls run off into the distance, and Ambrose takes out his dagger. Ambrose then flings the dagger into one of the trees. Adrian drops from the tree before the dagger hits him and takes out his bow and points it at Ambrose with an aggressive look. They are yards away from each other. 

Adrian looks down his line of sight. “Our king told me to convince you into coming back, and if you say no to my offer, I am told to bring you back alive with force. Well, I say no. I am bringing back your head. I will tell the king there was no other way and take your place as head lion. For what is a better way of proving my status than bringing back the head of the previous head lion?” 

“Oh, you too? Disobeying? I do not think that is wise.” Ambrose turns his horse at Adrian, measuring his opponent. “You might end up like me, getting chased by others. You know, I do not know why you are calling him our king. I have no king.” 

Adrian looks at Ambrose, insulted, and begins to shoot all his arrows at him. Ambrose charges Adrian on horseback in a squatting position, using the horse’s head as a shield from the arrows. Ambrose knows that the horse will fall soon due to the pain. When the horse falls, it will fall forward, giving Ambrose a boost at Adrian. This fall that the horse will make will produce a slingshot effect directly at Adrian. Ambrose just has to extend his legs at the perfect time. If he does this perfectly, he will be flung fast and will reach Adrian before he shoots another arrow. 

The horse falls as planned. Ambrose finds himself in midair. Ambrose grunts from putting all of his strength in his fist that he has pulled back. Ambrose braces himself to strike Adrian. When Ambrose’s fist hits Adrian’s face, Adrian rolls back from the power of the impact. After the strike, Ambrose quickly stands on his feet, ready to fight. 

When Adrian rolls, he loses the bow, and his robe falls off. Adrian shows an immense amount of frustration. He pulls out his sword as he stands and faces Ambrose. 

Ambrose notices Adrian’s robe is off and has pulled out a sword. Ambrose knows he will not only be in a fight for his life but also for the girls. He needs to win. Ambrose knows this fight will be difficult with no offensive weapon, but he still has his glove and thinks none of the Sicarius or of the location. 

Adrian looks at Ambrose, emotionless after the blow. Adrian charges Ambrose, and with every swing he makes with his sword, he makes it impossible for Ambrose to use his glove. Ambrose then finds an opening to back away from Adrian. 

Ambrose looks confused and make eye contact with Adrian. “I see you know my defenses.” 

“Everyone knows where the head lion holds it. You should know this. You are a rogue Sicarius as well, so even if I did not know, the king would have told me. You are slipping, Ambrose.” Adrian gets back into his offensive stance and gets ready to pounce once more. “I do not understand the king’s method, wanting me to bring you back alive and not telling anyone. Maybe he just wanted you for your knowledge. I do not know why, but if you did come back, he did not want anyone to question why he has not killed you yet. This must be why he made it such a secret even in the group of Sicarius.” 

“Really, I never would have thought any of the Sicarius would know where my defensive weapons would be. I always tried so hard not to show anyone even as head lion. I knew once I became head lion, everyone would want my title, trying to figure out all my movements and where I located my weapon, just like the previous head lions before me.” 

“Maybe you are not slipping. Maybe your position has made your head too huge. Even so, if I do not kill you, there will be more who will try. Regardless of what the king said, they will go after your head like I do. This knowledge of more Sicarius disobeying the king to become head lion hits me like a lightning strike. When I think about it, the reason why he keeps the head lion becoming rogue a secret, it is to keep order throughout the kingdom and the Sicarius.” 

“Everything becomes clearer once you start to think of what is going on around you. Once you start to see this, you become obsessed for more knowledge. Eventually, you will stop doing what the king says and do your own bidding.” 

“You will not drag me down to your level. I do this only for the king and what is best for him. It just happens disobeying the king’s order and killing you is for the best. This will not become anything more.” 

“Just as I said so long ago.” 

Adrian rushes forward in attack. “Enough of your trickery and talk with that damn tongue. I will cut it out, and after I kill you, I am going to kill the two you are with as well.” 

“You will not touch them!” Ambrose tosses his robe to prevent it from being damaged as Adrian charges, giving himself more room to become flexible. 

Ambrose braces for the ongoing fight and makes a facial expression that is filled with hatred toward Adrian for threatening to harm the girls. Adrian becomes close enough to Ambrose to swing, but it is no use. Ambrose uses his agility, making it hard for Adrian to connect. The two use their outstanding skills to maneuver around each other without touching. The fight is impeccable. Their fight is so evenly matched they could go on for hours, although Ambrose has more experience and has more to fight for. This will show Adrian that Ambrose will be the one who shall win the duel. 

Just as it seems that Ambrose has the upper hand and is about to take the sword from Adrian, another Sicarius jumps over Lion Adrian unexpectedly to strike at Ambrose. Ambrose barely dodges his blow and rolls away from the fight to measure what he is dealing with. He has to figure out another plan of action. Ambrose is in shame for not noticing this other Sicarius that hid in the shadows. Ambrose should have known this.
Maybe Adrian is right, I am losing my abilities,
Ambrose conjectured in his mind. Ambrose forgot that this is how Sicarius fulfill missions if sent solo. There is always a second. Now Ambrose has an idea what the outcome of this battle will be. 

In the far distance of the horse trail, Aida just realizes that Ambrose only has the dagger. Aida remembers that he tossed it to make the man jump from the trees just as they left.
He will be weaponless to attack,
Aida tells herself. Aida stops her horse with Gytha fallowing. Aida turns her horse in the direction they came from. 

Puzzled by her mother’s action, Gytha turns her horse as well, facing Aida. “Why have we stopped?” 

“I do not like this. Stay here and hide. I will return soon.” 

Scared of what the outcome might be, Gytha reaches for her mother. “What? No!” 

Aida snaps the reins around the horse’s neck and she takes off. “I have spoken. Be safe.” 

“Do not leave me like Father did,” Gytha said quietly. 

Gytha stays, looking worried, and watches her mother ride off. She finds shrub and ties her horse out of view. She then finds another place to hide just in case men come so they will have to look in two different locations to find her. 

Back at the fight, the three Sicarius stand and look at each other. Ambrose’s opponents charge him with an offensive tactical approach. Ambrose tries to catch any of their weapons with his glove, but two ranked lions are too much. 

Ambrose’s movements, being in the position of head lion, are watched by all Sicarius, who study him. All the Sicarius know everything about Ambrose. Ambrose is no match for more than one. 

The Sicarius who helps Adrian, while in combat, finally finds a way to surprise Ambrose with a kick to the back of the knee. This was done from overwhelming Ambrose with their skills. The kick drops Ambrose to one knee. As Ambrose is on one knee, the one who recently joined the fight places his sword to Ambrose’s throat. 

With all his might, Adrian kicks Ambrose’s torso as he kneels. The pain from the kick brings Ambrose fully to the ground. Gasping for air, Ambrose is placed on his back without struggle. Reginald places his sword on Ambrose’s throat once more. 

Reginald looks at Adrian as if he is out of line and looks back at Ambrose before he could recuperate. “Now you are coming with us.” 

“No, Lion Reginald, I want his position. I am the next in line.” Adrian places his hand on the shoulder of Reginald. “We shall kill him and tell the king we had no choice.” 

“No, everyone who is a lion is after his position. There is no true way of even knowing who is really next in line. We do as what the king said. We are Sicarius. That comes before all, and if not, you are just as guilty as Head Lion Ambrose,” Reginald said as he keeps both of his eyes on Ambrose, knowing that the slightest distraction will make him lose his position, and Ambrose will be free to fight or flee. 

Ambrose sits patiently awaiting his fate with Reginald’s sword firmly pressed against his throat. Ambrose watches them converse for their slightest distraction means his freedom. 

Adrian removes his hand from Reginald’s shoulder and places the point of his sword to Ambrose’s throat forming a slight cut. “We all know I am second in command, so this means I am entit—” 

Their conversation and the concentration they place on Ambrose make it impossible to keep aware of their surroundings. This makes the perfect opportunity for Aida to jump out of the bushes and interrupt Adrian in midsentence. Her surprising presence makes it easy for Ambrose to get out of the hold he was in. 

Aida tosses Ambrose her husband’s sword as he moves out of their possession. Aida moves back into hiding. She still is able to watch the fight with the angle she places herself in within the shrub. 

When Ambrose gets to his feet, the two Sicarius notice he wields a black sword. Ambrose charges the Sicarius before they can react, putting them on their defenses. As Ambrose swings, he knows what the sword can do with enough power. Ambrose is the only one in the fight that knows what the sword can do. 

The two Sicarius try to block Ambrose’s blows with their swords. The two Sicarius stand in disbelief after they thought they blocked Ambrose’s swings. Their swords are cut in half. Ambrose uses this time to strike once more at Adrian. Adrian knows the only way out of the swing is to use his defensive weapon. 

Ambrose knows Adrian will use his defensive weapon to avoid being wounded. Ambrose will use a great deal of his power to cut through his weapon. 

When Ambrose comes down with a swing from the sword, Adrian tries to block the sword with his left wrist. The left wrist is where Adrian holds his defensive weapon. It is pointless, and Ambrose cuts his hand off. Adrian looks at his wrist, confused, as if the cut should not have happened. 

Adrian falls to the ground seconds later just as the pain passes through his body. He grips his wrist firmly and lets out a horrible grunt. He is trying to stop the blood. Adrian knows if too much blood is lost, he will die. He is convinced he must survive and will become the new head lion. 

Standing behind Ambrose, Reginald takes action and hopes to attack Ambrose on his blind side. He takes out a dagger and charges at Ambrose. Ambrose turns around right before he is hit. Ambrose hits the dagger out of his hand with the sword, and then Ambrose thrusts the black sword at Reginald. Reginald kicks his right leg at Ambrose’s blows. 

Reginald tries to block the blow with his defensive weapon. This weapon of his is wrapped around his shin. He soon finds out it is pointless. Ambrose had seen what his next move was and used a vast amount of force on the swing. This swing cuts Reginald’s foot off. Reginald falls with a painful grunt, grabs ahold near where his foot once was, and looks up at Ambrose. He waits for Ambrose to deliver his final blow now that the tables have turned. He is now the one with the sword to his opponent’s neck. 

Adrian holds his wrist from bleeding out and notices that Ambrose is hesitant in delivering the final strike to kill Reginald. Adrian figures he could use this moment to attack Ambrose. Adrian pulls out a dagger, stands, and dives toward Ambrose as quietly as he can. During this attack, Ambrose looks at Reginald and thinks in silence. Ambrose does not want to continue killing. 

Ambrose hears Adrian coming toward him. Adrian is not as quiet as he seems. The injury and shock that is coursing throughout his body stops him from noticing this. Ambrose looks out from the corner of his eye and swiftly shifts his body 180 degrees while swinging the black sword. It makes contact with Adrian’s neck. The swing from this very sharp sword decapitates Adrian without much effort. As his head rolls off his body to hit the surface, his body loosens to the ground like a piece of thin rope. 

After this swing, Ambrose points his sword at Lion Reginald’s throat once more before he could move. “I have a message for your king, Reginald.” 

Reginald looks up at Ambrose with drowsiness and fatigue from loss of blood. “What is it?” 

Ambrose’s face is full of negative emotion. “You tell King Oswald I no longer do his bidding. I have no king! I am a free man! I am no longer a slave of his violence, and if he chooses to come after me, if he tries to find me, I will kill him!” 

Ambrose swings the black sword once more, cutting Reginald’s left hand off to show his dominance. Reginald lets out a horrible grunt. Still hiding in the bushes, Aida looks away in disgust. She seems to think that Ambrose is a monster after cutting Reginald’s hand off for no reason. 

Ambrose picks up Adrian’s robe, rips it, and uses pieces as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding for Reginald. After he stops the bleeding, he strips Reginald’s armor and robe. Ambrose looks at their defensive armor and figures he has no need for their armor since they are cut in two. Lastly, Ambrose walks up to a tree and cuts down a thick branch. Ambrose shapes it as a cane; he tosses it onto Reginald chest. 

Ambrose feels his neck for the bleeding to see how bad the cut is. It is no larger than a paper cut. Ambrose looks at Reginald while doing this. Ambrose then points down the path they appeared from. “Go now. Before I cut your other hand and foot off and make you crawl.” Ambrose forces Reginald to move with the black sword. 

Reginald struggles to stand up. While finally on his one foot, he hops off. He is using the branch that Ambrose cut for a crutch. Once he is out of sight, Aida comes out of hiding.