Family of Outcasts, Aaron McLeod [best book club books for discussion txt] 📗

“I know what you were doing. Are you saying you’re paying for a prostitute?”

“It’s not like I want to pay her. She even insisted that I don’t. But I’m worried that her mistress will beat her if she goes back without some gold. Now give me twenty, please.”

Arthur sighed with an irritated tone and took out twenty coins out of the bag and gave them to Azoth. Azoth turned with the gold in his hands just as Calina was coming downstairs. Her face was flushed and she was smiling uncontrollably. Her dress was also for the most part, dry. She took the gold and put them into a little pouch of her own, kissed Azoth on the cheek, whispered something in his ear, then went down the steps and out the door. Azoth pulled a chair up to their table and Eric brought him his own food.

“I’ll have ale instead of milk. I need something strong after that.” Azoth said. Aldus quickly took the milk that Eric has brought for Azoth. Eric came back shortly with a pint of ale. Azoth quickly gulped the ale down, belched loudly and began to devour his food.

“Anyways, as I was saying, we can’t stay here for very long. We should gather supplies, regain our strength and move on.” Arthur said.

“A good idea.” Arthur said with a piece of gravy covered beef in his mouth. “I have two questions though. Where are you going to go and what are you going to do if you run into trouble?”

“I don’t know where we’ll go. Somewhere that’s walled and safe. And we’ll have you to protect us.”

“I hate to tell you this, but this is the last town I know of that’s this far east. If you keep going east, you’ll reach the elven border and I doubt they’ll let you in. And what if what happened the other night happens again, when I’m not there to protect you? You’ll be alone and most likely dead before I could get back.”

“He never asked your opinion, did he?” Ragosh said rudely. He stood up and pointed at Azoth. “It’s all because of you that this happened to us. You came to our home while being chased by bandits. If you’d just gone a different direction or let them kill you, we’d still be at Greymoor. Sister Hanalos and Friar Gregory would still be alive. We wouldn’t have to sleep in the dirt every night, we’d have a complete meal and we wouldn’t be completely covered in dirt from head to toe.”

“And eventually, Sister Hanalos would have been forced to leave us and we’d be left with Brother Hammond.” Hannah spoke up. She was looking up at Ragosh in disgust. Ragosh stopped himself from speaking. “Would you want me, Ariana and Jade to be subjected to the sick desires of that man? Would you rather have soldiers always watching over us? Do you think it would be better if Arthur, the only person who knows how to take care of us, would be forced to leave as well? I’d rather wake up with a mouthful of dirt and being cold every morning than live with that.”

Ragosh sat down in silence. He placed his hands on his face and hid his eyes.

“There is something I could do to help.” Azoth said. “It would require a lot of patience and a lot of wea-“

“Hush.” Eric interrupted. “Guards are coming.” Azoth shut up.

Seven guards entered the tavern. Each of them carried a dagger, with four of them wearing a schianova sword on their sides. The other three carried flanged maces. They were all dressed in brightly coloured red and blue fabric with a plate chest over top of it. Their hands were covered with white gloves which bore a crest in the shape of a ferret. None of them wore helmets

As the guards entered the inn, a large man, much taller than any of the others, walked through the door. He was more than six feet tall and was dressed in full plate armor that was stained black. The helmet was a barbute, which covered most of the man’s face save for his eyes and his mouth. Hanging from his back was a massive two handed flamberge, also known as a flame-bladed sword because of its kris shaped blade. The man removed his helmet, revealing a bald head that had a large scar along the side. There was no hair anywhere to be seen on his head, save for his large, thick black eyebrows. Everything on this man was big. His brown eyes, his nose, even his mouth were large compared to a normal human. One would think he wasn’t even a real person.

“Innkeeper Eric, I have come to deliver a message.” The man spoke. His voice was deep and gravelly.

“Yes, guard captain Theodric?” Eric said nervously. Azoth noticed that he was sweating profusely.

“Your daughter, Roseanne, has been taken by mayor Andreas.” Theodric said. “That is all.” He put the helmet back on and left the inn with the guards following close behind. Eric began to shake uncontrollably. His breathing gained speed and his face was drenched in sweat. Tears began to form in his eyes as he struggled to stay on his feet. Eventually, Eric clasped his face in his hands, fell to his knees and began to cry uncontrollably. He curled up and held his knees close to his chest as he fell into the fetal position on the hard wood floor. His cries soon turned to agonizing screams that could be heard across most of the town. Azoth stood up from his chair and went over to Eric. He kneeled down and helped the man up to his feet.

“Come Eric, you should rest.” He said softly. He led Eric back to the kitchen and stayed there for a short while. Soon after, he came back without Eric and sat back down.

No one spoke a single word. They just sat there in silence. The only noise was Azoth’s chewing and the occasional creak from the wooden walls.

“Did he say anything?” Arthur finally asked. Azoth was in the middle of biting into some bread. He finished the bite, chewed and swallowed before he cleared his throat.

“No. And I didn’t ask him anything either.” He said.

“Why?”

“Why would I ask a man such a thing when he’s just learned that his daughter has been taken as some fat bastards play thing?” Azoth’s tone had quickly turned to anger. Arthur didn’t pursue the conversation.

Azoth remained at the table when all the others went up to their rooms. His plate had nothing more than a few crumbs and the remnants of some gravy. He was leaning back in his chair, staring at the wing necklace again. This time he could see it with the candle light. Azoth let out an agitated sigh and put the necklace back around his neck. He picked up the candle and started to head back up to his room, humming a slow and quiet tune. His humming was interrupted by the crack of thunder that came from outside. Shortly after the thunder, he could hear rain hitting the roof of the inn. Another crack of thunder sounded, this time louder.

Just as Azoth reached the top of the stairs, he stopped to listen. He could have sworn he’d heard something other than the thunder. Staying perfectly still, he focused his hearing as best as he could. Another noise came. Azoth went back down the stairs slowly, still listening carefully. The noise came again and he was certain of what he was hearing. Azoth dropped the candle and ran for his room. He opened the door, grabbed his sword and went back down the stairs. He pushed the door open and ran out into the pouring rain. Outside there were four men, all dressed in the town guard armor with a spear in one hand and a large round shield in the other. They lowered their spears and stayed behind their shields as they slowly approached Azoth. Azoth backed away slowly, holding his sword up in both hands. He didn’t know that there were guards outside waiting for him.

“You and your company are under arrest.” The guard on the far right said.

“For what crime?” Azoth asked. He looked behind him. There were three other guards with their swords drawn.

“Murder, thievery. Anything we or the mayor says really.”

“Is this how the law works here? You do what you want to whomever you want?”

“The mayor hired to keep the peace at any cost. And that’s what we’re doing. Take him!”

All seven of the guards charged at Azoth. Azoth sidestepped towards the guard on the right. The guard thrust his spear forward at Azoth’s chest. He barely missed Azoth, who had sidestepped again immediately. Taking his chance, Azoth ran past the spear and struck low at the guard’s legs. His sword met with the guard’s shield. The three with swords tried to strike at Azoth, who quickly moved around the shield and stabbed the guard holding it in the back of the head. He pulled the sword out as quickly as possible and parried an attack that was directed at his head. Another was at his leg, which he also parried. The third he wasn’t able to avoid completely, and left a cut on his right arm. Azoth ignored the pain as best he could and struck at the guard who cut him. The guard held his sword in both hands to deflect the blow and staggered back. Azoth struck another guard with the pommel of his sword.

One of the guards with a spear grabbed him suddenly from behind and flung Azoth down into the mud. Azoth tried to get up, but they kicked him down. One of them tried to take Azoth’s sword away. Azoth struggled to keep it in his grip, but the rain and mud made it slippery and the guar managed to take it. He pushed Azoth over and held the blade down at his throat. A flash of lightning brightened up the sky and Azoth caught a glimpse of the man’s face. Azoth’s emotions quickly turned to anger and rage. He thought about reaching up and grabbing the guard, but with the blade still at his throat, he cast the idea from his mind.

“Wait a moment…” The man said as he took a closer look at the sword. His expression turned to shock, then to maniacal delight. “I recognize this sword. Where did you get this? Did you take this from an elf warrior dressed in a great suit of armor?”

Azoth spat in the man’s face. The guard staggered back and he inadvertently lifted the blade from Azoth’s throat. Azoth got back to his feet and lunged himself into the guard. He began to punch the man’s face over and over again. The other guards pulled him off and restrained him. He tried to free himself, but they punched his face and stomach to try and stop him.

“Doesn’t matter.” The guard said. He held the falchion in two hands and lifted it up to strike. Azoth looked up at the blade and smiled. He closed his eyes and held his head back.

Suddenly, out of the darkness, something stopped the guard’s strike mid-swing. Azoth opened his eyes when he heard a scream. The guard was nowhere to be seen. Only Azoth’s falchion was left, sticking hilt first in the mud. He suddenly fell to the ground as the other guards let him go and had their backs to him. There was a loud scream and the sound of splattering blood. The guards drew their weapons.

“Where are you? Show yourself!” One of them yelled just before another sound emitted from where he was looking. Azoth felt blood spray across his face just before a flash of lightning revealed that the guard’s head was missing.

One by one, each of the guard’s bodies reappeared mangled and broken with a strike of lightning. Each time just before Azoth heard them