Framework of the Frontier, Sain Artwell [read me a book .TXT] 📗

wanted criminal of another empire,” Nevija shrugged, like it was an obvious fact to be pointed out.

Rulu screamed something along the lines of, ‘untrue lies’ into her gag. William was inclined to believe her.

He exhaled, frowning with disappointment. “Listen Nevija, the lake clearly wasn’t poisoned. I’ve already eaten one portion of your bullshit, so I’d rather not have another helping right off the bat. Maybe it’s best we head back to Nastall to sort this out. I’ll keep Rulu restrained and hear your side of the story with some proof.”

“Show him,” said Aggaloth.

A triton opened one leather bag to reveal orbs of enchantingly perfect iridescent blackness, each an inch across.

William gestured for them to put the bag away. “No. I don’t mean proof of the money. I mean her crimes. I’m new to this, but I’m not too hot on the idea of sentencing anyone to unknown fates at the mercy of medieval undersea empires without hearing both sides first. She did say that she’s a princess. I don’t want to fuck myself by making an enemy of a whole empire here.”

“Very well.” Nevija sighed through a forlorn pout as she brushed her tail. “Let us do this your way, mister Ranger.”

From the corner of his eye, William spotted metal glimmering in the sunlight, flying at him.

13

William caught Raia’s dart with his backpack. She slipped another into her blowgun. The tritons pointed their bony white spears at William, while Aggoloth closed her bag of pearls.

William picked up his hammer. “Hold up, wait! We can talk about this.”

“We already did. The consensus was to give you a chance to be reasonable, or become merchandize.” Nevija began throwing quick daggers at his legs.

William brushed them aside with his backpack and swung at her when she was about to close. Nevija avoided his strikes with feline grace, ignoring William on a straight sprint for Ember and Rajza. He tossed the bag at her to buy time and took a gamble, removing Rulu’s blindfold. “Help me and I’ll get you out of this.”

Her eyes glared at him for a split second before jumping to the female triton, snapping the woman into a limp sack of unconscious meat. He had no time to untie her. William picked the tied up aboleth from the ropes. She groaned in protest, but wrapped her tail around his arm to hold on tight.

Ember and Rajza lay behind him and the enemies stood ahead. Wielding Rulu and his warhammer, William felt a moment of grin-inducing confidence.

It was two to four, but the advantage was his.

With aggressive swings of his hammer he forced the male triton and Nevaja backward. Rulu shouted something against her gag that William could not make out. Instead, he pointed Rulu at their enemies, forcing them to duck out of the way. The jellyfish in diving armor fell on her face when she tried to find cover.

“Do not be wary of harming her! She will not perish easily,” shouted Aggoloth, struggling to stand.

As if on cue the triton threw his spear at William. He jerked sideways, avoided it, but lost his footing on the slippery shore. Rulu hit the ground in an ugly smack, whimpering.

“Fuck, sorry I’ll—”

Nevija was in his face. He leaned back from her blade, parried and backpedaled on the ground, lifting up the bruised aboleth princess at the miarii, but Rulu could only be pointed at one enemy at a time. The barrage of darts and stabs forced William to step into the lake.

A spear cut through the bubbles obscuring his vision. William struggled backwards into the submerged hall, putting distance between them and the attackers. When he found a pillar to climb on, William’s eyes widened and he realized he’d lost.

“Drop the hammer.” Nevija held a knife to Ember’s throat.

Rulu’s face came up. Though bound, she swam fine with her tail. When her eyes locked on Nevija she slashed a quick cut on Ember’s arm and snapped, “And get her to stop or she dies. Now!”

“No! Rulu, stop. Don’t attack them, please.” William guts sank like blocks of lead. He dropped the hammer and raised his arms.

Rulu glared at him, her gills flared and big lime shaded eyes narrowed. Her teeth dug into the rope between them as she spat words, which were likely well deserved insults at him.

“I know, I know. I screwed this up, but please do not attack. I beg of you, do not make her kill Ember. She is a precious woman and this cannot be her end, please.” A burning sensation began to tingle behind William’s eyes at the thought of her dying now. At the thought of this all ending here, now, in the middle of nowhere.

Rulu had all the right to ignore him, but behind those angry eyes flashed understanding. And then, defeat.

“Cover her eyes,” ordered Aggoloth. The male triton helped her stand.

“Alright, I will,” William said, keeping his hands up. “I’m swimming to the shore now, do not cut Ember or I swear…”

Nevija kept the dagger still, while William splashed back on the rocky shore and turned to gesture Rulu to come closer. Her gills deflated with a look of depression, but she obeyed, allowing herself to be lifted back on dry land.

He did not know what to say. “I am sorry. Thank you. This is shit luck. I should’ve tried to talk with you…”

Rulu hissed, averting her gaze.

“Hurry,” said Aggoloth.

William pulled the blindfold back on Rulu and, in that instant, felt a sharp stab in his thigh. A dart. Electric pain singed through his nerves, tingling up his spine to elicit an involuntary scream and a voluntary litany of curses. “You fuckers, don’t you fucking dare kill ‘er, cos youuu… aarrr… mmmah… tong-errgh…”

A hot numbing sensation pulsed to spread through his body and mind. He slumped on the ground, thinking,