I took it off and passed it over, leaving me in a creaky old shirt. Methodically fast, Kat took an arrow from Harmony's quiver as a disturbed Eddinray observed.
'Samurai this is beyond barbaric!' he gasped. 'There's a sickness inside you man!'
Kat grunted back, fit the arrow sideways into the angel's mouth then took hold of her damaged arm. 'Bite down,” he said. 'Hard.'
Harmony's eyes glistened over as she focused herself into a trance. Unusually benevolent, Kat waited for her mind to reach that tranquil state, before placing his foot fully on her armpit, and jerking her wrist back with a sickening crunch.
Howling like a wounded animal, Harmony's front teeth snapped the arrow in her mouth and she fell unconscious. That revolting click of connecting bone made me stagger, but I remained standing. Despite her spiritual objections, Kat doused Harmony's wound with the water flask, cut my fleece into ribbons then wrapped her arm securely in a sling. Once the primitive procedure was complete, he stepped back to breathe, then felt the poke of Eddinray's finger into his back. 'This is
With a grouchy skull still splitting, Kat provoked the knight with his own push. 'Teach me knight…Teach me good.'
'Enough!' I cried, positioning myself between them. 'What's done is done! Harmony needs rest…not our stupid bickering!'
'No rest!' said Kat. 'The knight can carry her!'
And dispassionately he walked on ahead, clearing his ears of gunk and leaving Eddinray and me to mirror resentful expressions.
'I'll carry her Eddinray. Your mail is enough of a burden.'
'I will be responsible for Harmony,” he returned, as if a duty. 'You've carried us long enough already Danny.'
With respect, I nodded, bearing weapons instead of the angel. Touchingly, I noticed that Sir Godwin Eddinray had, for the first time, lost his carefree shield. No longer was he the intermediary with no emotional investment — now he had something very precious to lose. With great struggle then, he picked up that sleeping beauty, and carried her on his way.
27. Breakneck
A storm was coming. The wisest option would be to wait this torrent out, but Kat had other ideas.
'In Hell!' he yelled back, 'the storms wait you out! We will barter the canteens!'
'Barter?' I cried; 'to a storm?'
'That town!' he stressed, pointing ahead.
A staggering clash of dark clouds concealed any sign of the town, but Kat was adamant. 'All realms have their civilisation,” he remarked. 'Their damned civilization…'
***
The dry landscape reminded me of a John Wayne movie, the vast plains of the old west with oddly shaped boulders and standing columns of rock.
“Can we stop?' begged Eddinray. 'Just a little while?'
Harmony heavier in his arms, her limp feathers coiled around his feet and dragged behind him.
'We should stop,” I agreed, taking pity.
Kat spared a moment to look over the fatigued knight, and unmoved, he not only resumed his pace, but increased it…
Not ten minutes later, Eddinray's legs expectantly gave way, and he buckled to the dust with Harmony. I went to him and he drank from my canteen, clenching his thirst and returned some colour to his cheeks.
'You're fine,” I told him, glaring at Kat, who pigheadedly upped his gears toward a town growing clearer. 'Hey!' I yelled, furious. 'Get your ass back here! You hear me?'
That second, the red mist came over me. I picked up the nearest rock and threw. It struck its target, impressively bursting over the back of the samurai's head. Eddinray's eyebrows sprung up in surprise, as did mine to observe Kat stumble, but not completely fall over. He rubbed the back of his skull, dabbing his fingers at the blood accumulating there, and when he eventually turned, his livid face demanded the one responsible. 'Who…?'
'Right here!' I announced, unafraid. 'It was me! So what! I've had it with your mood you tetchy son of a bitch!'
Kat returned — not walking, but striding.
'What?' I moaned, my heart racing. 'Come on you bastard!'
I grappled another rock and threw, but it was batted away like a baseball by Kat's katana. Aware that I would lose any sword fight, I threw down mine and readied my fists. 'I fight like a man! Let's go! I'm going to knock you the fuck out!'
Kat placed his swords on the ground then charged like a bull. We dove into each other with a thud, trading high punches and low blows on the dirt. Eddinray paced like an old woman over our scuffle, biting his nails as I rolled over my protector, pummelling him with my clenched fists.
Kat yelped like a puppy when I planted my knee deep into his groin. He came back stronger however, and with his teeth, he tore a chunk of skin from my neck. I yelped too, pulled my hand free from our ball then punched Kat's face, feeling my knuckles break against his jaw.
'Okay men!' said Eddinray, deciding now was the time to break it up. 'Point is made! I will not referee such rambunctious behaviour!'
We didn't stop — we couldn't. I placed my hands around Kat's neck and throttled him stupid. He meanwhile gouged his thumb into my eyeball.
'God's blood!' announced Eddinray. 'This is your final warning men! Dare you provoke me to intervene!'
With his cheeks full of hot air, Eddinray leapt between us with prying arms. Unfortunately, his well-meaning interference only fed Kat's fire. He punched the knight full in the teeth before resuming his wrestle with me.
'Stop! Stop!' exclaimed Harmony, at the top of her voice. 'What…is the meaning of this?'
The three of us paused now, inter-weaved, bleeding and breathless under the angel. She looked weak on her feet, but her anger toward us seemed to give her strength.
'They started it!' Eddinray complained, cradling a cut lip.
'You are all accountable!' she yelled back. 'How dare you have me wake to this! I am absolutely appalled! Ashamed!'
We bruised men began to separate while she berated us further. 'Godwin, Daniel — disgraceful! And Kat I expected more from you — a man of your wisdom scrapping like a schoolchild!'
Showing us the harshness of her clamped wings, we each took a good look at ourselves. How could I have allowed myself to get so frustrated? Especially after Newton's plea to have patience with Kat, not to mention my trials with Bludgeon. Like Harmony, the scientist and centaur would be ashamed.
'I'm sorry Eddinray,” I said, assisting him up. 'I'm sorry…Kat.'
Patting the dust from his armor, Kat looked at me; then, without reluctance, he apologized. The humble word sorry left those thin lips of his, and I was gob-smacked.
'And me?' jabbered Eddinray. 'Do you apologize for smacking my lip, samurai? Well? Let me hear it…'
The knight did not get his apology. 'Charming!' he scoffed. 'Are you well Harmony, dear?'
'Still pains in my arm,” she answered, with an amiable nod. 'I'll be fine, I'm sure. Who is responsible for the sling on my arm?'
“That was Kat's work,” I said, and Harmony thanked him.
Preparing to move again, we suddenly caught sight of two black angels in the sky overhead, carrying three struggling strangers toward the advancing storm and town.
***
