Chapter 25 – Belt Buckle Ballet, First Verse

  Olivia

  Olivia strode her footpaws along the cobbled stones of the underground aqueduct; blade held in front.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  The river’s endless churn echoed around. Rushing water through the ancient channels filled the air with a cool mist that dewed her fur, collected into droplets on her sword. Traces of sunlight shone through fissures above, reflecting marine hues across the gray stones.

  The passage smelled of deep earth after long rains.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  The path beneath, slick with moisture, led them through the aquatic corridor to another archway obscured by a fog. It hid what lay beyond.

  Every dampened step flooded Olivia’s footpaws with chill dread.

  Yet.

  She approached.

  Tap. Tap. Pause.

  The cat-folk’s ears flared.

  Distant voices murmured through the watery veil.

  “They’re here,” Olivia said.

  Demi put a hand on her shoulder for a moment.

  “I’ll try to reason with them,” Demi said, “but I don’t have high hopes.”

  Olivia exhaled, focusing fully on her role. Together, they crossed the threshold.

  A chasm stretched before them, a massive hole inside the earth. It yawned down into blackness below. The top of the cavern extended upward, and on the left side of the chasm, a waterfall poured down the rocks into the seemingly endless void. A stone bridge wide enough for one person stretched over the chasm, leading to a precipice and cavern entrance on the other side. On the left side of the precipice stood a stone structure with lifts and pulleys hammered into it, with a smaller hand-made cavern entrance at the top.

  Across the bridge: people.

  A large orcish man hefted two crates on either shoulder. His back was turned to them, addressing two others. One was a tall, lanky man who carried some elf blood and wore a red bandana ornamented with beads and a cutlass. The other was a halfling in foppish clothes, making animated hand gestures as they spoke.

  The man in the bandana noticed Olivia at the same time as she noticed him. He pointed and said something, prompting the orc and halfling to look their way.

  The cat-folk stepped to the foot of the bridge and stopped, their voices coming clear.

  “That looks like hazard pay to me,” the halfling was saying, pointing at them. “Don’t you want hazard pay, Smiley?”

  The half-elf in the red bandana, Smiley, grimaced.

  “One of ‘em looks like a highborn, Rupert,” Smiley responded. “That’s a big hazard.”

  Rupert glanced their way for a moment, smiled, and said: “so don’t kill that one, take her hostage!”

  “Nobody is being killed,” Demi called from over Olivia’s shoulder. “In fact, we’ll turn around right now if you just tell us who is having you smuggle the dragonquartz!”

  Rupert stepped to the foot of the bridge.

  “Inconceivable!” he exclaimed. “That’s basic stuff! When you’re hired to do a crime, you never tell anyone who it was!”

  “Even I know that,” Smiley agreed.

  “Okay, how about money then?” Demi said. “You can tell I’m highborn.”

  It was the orc’s turn to speak: “we do that, we die.”

  “Violence is quite the compelling currency,” Rupert nodded, “rather, not having violence done to you. That’s compelling!”

  Demi gave a frustrated sigh.

  “Then, that is the currency we’ll trade,” Demi said. Olivia, sensing she needed to follow through, extended her sword and stepped onto the bridge.

  “Er, right then, violence,” Rupert said, floundering suddenly. He pat Smiley once on the thigh and said: “okay Smiley! This one’s all you. Just keep them off us until we’re all loaded up and shipping out, yeah?”

  Smiley blinked in tired confusion.

  “What about me?” Smiley asked.

  “Things always seem to work out for you, my friend,” Rupert said with a smile. “Come on Fezzle, let’s go!”

  The orc chuckled, moving down the bottom exit with Rupert to leave Smiley alone on the far end of the bridge, a look of mild disdain on his face. He eyed Olivia and Demi, placing his right hand on the hilt of his cutlass.

  “Just – er – stay over there,” Smiley said.

  Olivia held her position, glancing back at Demi. The countess readied her sistrum.

  “I’m going to bind him as we approach,” Demi lowered her voice. “Prepare.”

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  The cat-folk knew it wasn’t the time to bring up how much she’d prefer not to stab Smiley. This was different from a rat or a bat – he seemed nice! But he was one of the bad guys, and he wasn’t moving aside as the pair advanced down the bridge.

  Tap.

  Tap.

  Tap.

  Smiley gave them an exasperated look and drew his cutlass.

  “Look-” Smiley began.

  “Bind creature!” Demi incanted, a chime echoing.

  Chains appeared around Smiley, began to close in – then, the largest bead of his bandana shattered with a crystalline pop!

  Crack!

  Out of the explosion of glass dust, a translucent indigo bolt shot around the chasm like arc lightning, careening into Demi in an instant. She cried out, taking a knee as blood trickled from her nose. The spell-chains splintered apart and disappeared.

  “Fuck!” Demi yelled, “what did you do?”

  Olivia held her sword toward Smiley, who was feeling around where the bead had been.

  “Banshee’s bead, my last one,” Smiley clicked his tongue. “They’re supposed to block a spell and burn up whatever mana the person had left. It uh – it never seems comfortable for them.”

  Olivia glanced back to Demi, who stood and wiped her bleeding nose with the back of her hand. She looked sunken and woozy; but still determined.

  Hmm. Olivia thought of something.

  “Lady Delacroix,” Olivia said, “if you’re out of spells now, maybe you should stay back?”

  Smiley and Demi seemed to remember her presence.

  “And Mister Smiley?” Olivia pressed, looking his way. “How about a duel? One on one!”

  The man made a face, his eyes entirely on her weapon.

  “Do you have a better sword?” Smiley groused. “That just looks painful.”

  “I do not!” Olivia reported.

  Smiley looked to Demi.

  “And are you gonna shoot me?” Smiley inquired.

  The countess seemed to weigh her options. She sighed, backed away, and said: “I vow not to interfere with your duel, on the condition that you let us pass if Olivia wins.”

  The man smirked: “if I come out on top, please turn around, I don’t wanna stick a highborn. Don’t wanna stick her cat either, frankly.”

  “On my honor as a noble,” Demi called from over the chasm.

  “Then, on my honor as a helmsman,” Smiley said, “wait a sec.”

  Olivia blinked her confusion as Smiley wandered to a nearby crate, lifting a short sword from behind it. It was castle-forged steel and plain of design, but polished and sharpened.

  “Fezzle won’t miss his dagger,” Smiley said, crossing the bridge toward Olivia. “I’d rather not get smacked by that.”

  “Okay, fair,” Olivia said, lowering her sword. She approached with it held by the blade and said: “trade?”

  “Yup!” Smiley responded.

  They tossed their weapons to each other at the same time. Olivia snatched the new sword by the handle and twirled it into place. Smiley caught the rusty blade, now holding a weapon in each hand. He began to return to his position, then paused.

  “Wait, why do I have this?” Smiley questioned.

  He tossed the rusty old sword off the bridge.

  “Wh- that was my first loot! I worked really hard for it!” Olivia cried.

  The pain of loss!

  “Er, sorry,” Smiley said, “didn’t realize you were so new. Okay, so – are we going?”

  The man readied himself several paces away, cutlass raised. His expression was hard to read but perhaps betrayed a boredom.

  Olivia fought the urge to get anxious. She dug deep.

  “Eingarde,” Olivia called. She turned her left shoulder toward Smiley and extended her sword, shifting all her weight to her back foot and raising her off-paw high.

  Smiley’s expression brightened instantly.

  “Lencian style, eh?” he seemed impressed.

  Suddenly, he took a more serious stance as well, pivoting his right side forward! Oh – that was also Lencian style! He knew!

  “Yes!” Olivia cheered. “I got inspired by the hero of Crimson Regicide!”

  “Oh I love that one!” Smiley lowered his weapon. “You need to see it when the Bladedancer Regiment is doing it, they have an actual swordmaster train-”

  “Olivia,” Demi’s voice thundered, making the cat-folk’s ears flatten.

  “Sorry, eingarde,” Smiley said, readopting his fighting stance.

  Okay, this was just a saber match. Olivia could do this.

  She advanced into range, hoping a swift attack would take him by surprise. He was ready with a neutral guard, so she slashed high.

  He raised his guard. She feinted the strike down to get under it, but he tilted his blade to meet hers and turned it aside.

  Olivia took a small leap back to dodge the riposte.

  “Right, cat,” Smiley complained, eyes active and focused.

  She remained aggressive. It was time to try a flurry.

  High, low, low, lunge.

  He met every strike, and at the end, another riposte came – a thrust she leaned precariously over the chasm to dodge.

  “Careful now, don’t fall!” Smiley sounded genuinely concerned.

  “I’m not going to fall!” Olivia countered. “It is you who shall fall!”

  Olivia rebalanced and performed a sloppier flurry, distracted by how lame that had come out.

  Cling, clang, cling, clang-a-cling!

  Smiley went on the attack, matching her pattern!

  Clang, cling, clang, cling-a-clang!

  This was getting pretty good, actually! She twisted to dodge an incoming thrust, then caught a brief glimpse of the fist coming at her face:

  Cronk!

  “Ow!” Olivia yelled more from surprise than pain, seeing stars. Smiley hesitated.

  “Sorry, I uh,” he blurted, “forgot we were fencing!”

  Olivia recovered, feeling a kind of fire in her chest like never before. Wow! She should get punched in the face more often! It hurt, of course, but it also gave her a new clarity.

  “No, you’re right, we’re not!” she exclaimed. “I can try this now!”

  It was time for all the banned acrobatics! The cat-folk became a twirling ball of grace over Smiley’s head, clearing him easily! She landed on his opposite side and threw a blow he barely had time to knock aside!

  “Woah!” Smiley yelped, eyes flashing.

  Olivia caught Demi in her view now. The countess could follow the other two if she could just get this guy out of the way – aha!

  Clink-clink!

  She performed two rapid fading swings, retreating from Smiley each parry. Now they crossed blades near the lifts and pullies of the stone structure.

  When Smiley struck next, Olivia cartwheeled onto one of the elevated platforms and swung down in response.

  “Gah,” he grunted, turning her blade with a grimace. “You’re gonna make me jump around?”

  Olivia swung again!

  “I could keep attacking you from the high ground!” she taunted.

  Smiley took a surprisingly nimble leap to reach her platform, prompting her to hop up further to the one behind! He swiped at her legs, but she leapt straight up and grasped a platform above, clawing her way on top. The whole scaffolding shuddered as up ahead, Smiley clambered up one of the support beams. Olivia ran to attack him before he reached the top, but the supports buckled! She grasped out and clung to a stone outcropping for balance.

  “Charon’s hells!” Smiley yelled. He was barely able to kick off the structure as it collapsed beneath them, gripping to an outcropping of his own.

  About ten feet separated them, now thirty feet over the precipice and precariously close to the lip of the chasm. Olivia and Smiley both glanced down to see Demi had crossed the bridge and watched from below.

  “Right, I guess we go up?” Olivia asked, turning her attention to Smiley. He gave her a vexed expression, before glancing up. It wasn’t too much further to the top.

  “Bloody adventurers,” he grumbled, sheathed his sword, and began to climb.

  Olivia met him atop the structure in a few moments, both of them heaving labored breaths as they resumed less energetic guard positions.

  “Lady Delacroix!” Olivia called suddenly, glancing to the countess. “Go after them!”

  Demi hesitated for a scarce moment, then turned toward the exit and hurried off. Smiley emitted a frustrated growl.

  “Blast it!” Smiley said, his attention fully on the retreating Demi. His stance went lax. “Oh, Fezzle’s gonna let me have it, so is Rupert, damnit!”

  Olivia felt oh-so-proud! She beamed!

  It took a moment for Smiley to look back her way. He jolted back into a fighting position.

  “What in the fiddling fuck be wrong with ye?” Smiley yelled! “Why didn’t you come at me while I was distracted!”

  “I didn’t want to hurt you!” Olivia responded, advancing on him.

  “That’s the whole point of a bloody sword fight!” Smiley roared.

  Their clash of blades continued its dance through the higher exit.