Vega cursed his laziness.
He had been so busy sizing up the black-clad newcomer into the room--his garb and fighting stance in particular drew his attention--that he missed the pounce and strike of the reptilian warrior. Mere seconds later, Ayal lay lifeless in a pool of his own blood.
Scarcely had the spatter, screams and gurgle ceased that he turned to face the other three combatants... and Vega realized any debt he had to the slaver died when he fell under blade.
Before anything else could happen, though...
"YOU! IN THERE! THIS IS A CAPTAIN OF THE BISANTHIUM GUARD! WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED! SURRENDER NOW OR DIE!"
All four warriors whirled to face the door.
"Weapons are forbidden within the city..." Lucius murmured. "I believe we might be in some trouble."
The presence of the guardsmen outside sent Vega springing into action. The sudden movement, rendered even quicker thanks to his superhuman relfexes, left the other three pausing as he drew his broadsword and swung it in an arc around his head to clear space. He turned toward the bed... and saw one of Ayal's two silent bodyguards poised with a dagger above the head of the dancing girl!
"NO!" Vega said, stabbing forward with the sword through his heart. As he pulled the sword free, he scooped the dancing girl up onto his left shoulder in one smooth motion. He turned, seeing the first human intruder trying to approach, and delivered a kick with his left leg to the solar plexus. He fell back with a loud ''OOF", being sent backward into the wall.
Vega looked left and right, and saw the dark-clad man and reptilian warrior closing in. With only one arm to use to fight, he began to curse his impetuousness until...
KER-SLAM!
Suddenly, the front door of the apothecary burst open and four guardsmen poured through the door, swords drawn.
"HALT OR DIE!" one of them, a squat man wielding a short sword, demanded.
The interruption distracted the other two warriors in the room, giving Vega his chance as he glanced back over his shoulder briefly at the still-bound apothecary.
"I am sorry..." he said, before leaping forward.
As Vega jumped with tremendous velocity, he saw the defiance on the faces of the guards melt into shock. Lowering his shoulder, ducking his head and cradling the dancing girl against his own body he SMASHED into the guardsmen! Armor, helmets, swords and clubs went scattering in all directions as he burst through into the street. Landing onto his feet, he took off as a sudden storm of arrows started to whistle through the air.
Snarling, Vega accelerated. In that moment, the base animal instincts that waited to be triggered--traits that, in truth, lay deep beneath the psyche of even the most civilized man--took over. Vega's senses grew focused on one specific goal--escape.
His legs began to increase the pace, ignorant of any pain or fatigue, as he raised back into the shadows of a nearby alleyway. Vega could pick up the surprised voices of the guardsmen, which quickly receded as he made one turn--then another--descending deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of alleys.
Finally, he halted, sniffing the air a few times. Satisfied, he turned toward the double doors of a dingy building to his left, kicking it in.
Vega stuck his head into the structure, giving a low whistle--and hearing the satisfied snorting grunt of a horse in response. Grinning, Vega opened the double doors and a thin gray horse trotted out.
Whose steed was it? Vega didn't know. Nor did he care.
Ironically, in all his travels and ventures as a freebooter, he had never added "horse thief" to his list of misdeeds.
Until now.
He mounted, placing the girl on the horse in front of him, and jerked the reins, sending the horse sprinting out into the alleyway. He led it out into the street and then off, toward the nearest road out of the city.
* About an hour later... *
Once out of the city, Vega stopped in a secluded grove of trees, unclasping his cloak and laying it on the ground. Then, with a surprising gentleness, he laid the dancing girl down on the garment, and withdrew a short dagger to cut her bonds.
"You are free," Vega said. "My contract with the slaver prevented me from liberating the apothecary... until he died, of course. I only wish I had been able to act in time to rescue you both. You may go... go wh--"
Why did he suddenly feel pain?
Vega looked down and to his right, and saw the feathered shaft of an arrow extending from between his second and third rib--and the steady flow of blood that accompanied it.
Vega blinked once, falling forward onto his knees.
Then, darkness.