By the sword

Story by kleet on SoFurry

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A story commission for DracenMarx on FA, as a tie-in for this picture by Anapnea - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/20487274/


The human fled, his blood-stained robe flapping around him. His lungs ached from the exertion. The battle had not gone well. Despite their superior numbers, his allies had been felled by each swing of the small group of mercenaries. Using the last of his magic to stem the bleeding wound in his hip, the human found a rocky outcrop to hide inside.

Before he could recover his breath, and think about how to escape further, he could hear the jingle of armour as one of his pursuers drew close. The sorcerer pulled his only remaining weapon - a single dagger - from the folds of his robe and readied himself to face his final stand.

Lewis, a powerful lizardman warrior, followed the track of his prey. This was the final target - and the one that had managed to sneak his arcane attacks past the fighter's armour. He wouldn't let this one get away. As he came closer to the rocks, his tongue picked up the taste of the human's blood. He was here, no doubt planning a foolish ambush. Drawing his sword, the lizardman approached cautiously. "Surrender, and face justice, damned mage! Don't make me come in there and strike you down" "Do your worst, scalie scum!" the sorcerer said, slowly moving out of his hiding place to get eyes on the lizard, and to prevent himself being backed into a corner. "Look at you. You're injuries are worse than mine, you're out of breath, and most importantly: all your friends are dead or dying. You think that dagger can match my sword? I'll say this only once: Lay down your weapon, kneel down, answer a few simple questions and I'll let you live. I swear, on my honour, that you'll face justice with dignity - which is more than your friends offered those townsfolk. One last chance, drop that dagger, and kneel down" The human wavered, the eyes of the lizardman staring deep into his own - the sharp, green orbs not blinking once in the entire time they had met. He knew there was no way to outrun the warrior, no way to fight his way past him. "Time's up, human. Drop the dagger, or die like a rat" "Okay... okay, you win" the sorcerer said, tossing the dagger to his side. He had failed, but at least he could plan a proper escape once captured. "On your knees" the lizardman said, moving closer, sword still pointed at the human's chest. The mage didn't resist, and slowly knelt down. "Now, where are the rest of your allies camped? We already know about the band to the south, by the river's bend. But your group wasn't from there. Where did you come from?" "... we came east. We camped in a forest clearing, half a mile from the road. About an hour march from the townslands." The fighter smirked, knowing exactly where the man was talking about. That piece of information would earn him a fine reward from the mayor, perhaps even a promotion up the ranks of the militia. "I'm so glad to hear you say that, pink-skin. Of course, it means your life is now worthless to me. Enjoy your trip to hell" "But you sai-" The sorcerer's words were cut short as the lizardman's blade thrust forward, easily pushing its way through the kneeling human's chest, bypassing the defensive ward the mage had cast on his body. The shining steel lanced through the liver and lung, creating a terrible wound and emerging from the back, cutting through the robe fabric that was already stained with dust. Dark red blood quickly flowed out and soaked the fine robe, a horrific gurgling yell coming from the mortally wounded man as the fighter planted one foot firmly on his chest and kicked the human free from his blood-stained blade. The sorcerer collapsed onto the ground, hands gripping at the bleeding hole on his chest as his body writhed in agony. "I know what I said, you piece of human filth. But I wasn't gonna let the hangman have the pleasure of killing you. Where's the fun in that?" After wiping his sword clean on the hem of the dying human's robe, the lizardman sheathed his weapon. Taking one last look at the now still sorcerer, he began the hike back to town. His unit would want to know about the second camp. Smiling as he walked towards the setting sun, he thought about how many more lives his blade would take this day. Or tomorrow.