The Forgotten Rogue

Chapter 52

Emeric and Hunter struggled against the assaulting forces that threatened to overpower them. Hunter was faced with eight guards who had surrounded him. They came at him one at a time however, acting in his favour. If they all decided to attack at once, he would be doomed.

Emeric was valiantly battling against Calvert. They both attacked with uncanny precision that drove the other back and set their bone rattling after each horrendous strike. Emeric swung a deadly overhead strike and as Calvert raised his own blade to deflect the deadly blow, Emeric kicked him in the gut.

Calvert grunted and stumbled back, the action saved him from Emeric's deadly overhead strike. Their eyes met, both reflected the fury and hatred they felt towards each other. Calvert stormed forward. He hacked at Emeric, but the Rogue efficiently blocked the shower of blows. Their swords locked, however, instead of breaking apart, Calvert pushed forward into Emeric's defenses and barreled him into a wall.

Emeric grunted and fell to his knees, but he acted faster than an eye could follow as he stabbed at Calvert's legs. The blade struck home and Calvert cried out in pain as Emeric's blade sank into his calf. He staggered back allowing Emeric to clamber back to his feet.

Emeric launched himself at Calvert, but he was grabbed from behind as guards interfered to save Calvert from a killing blow. One of the guards grabbed Emeric's arm and twisted it painfully behind his back in an attempt to make Emeric drop the blade. He didn't...

Emeric grit his teeth as the guard twisted his arm more. Another centimeter and his shoulder would pop out of its socket. He grimaced as they forced him to his knees. He punched out with his other arm, but the guards swiftly halted his attempt as they painfully held a dagger to his jugular.

"Let him go." Calvert ordered as he recovered from the initial pain of his wound. The guards looked up at him in puzzlement. Their hesitation was met with an angry growl from Calvert, "He's mine."

They guards reluctantly let go of the Rogue and stepped back to make room for Calvert to attack. As Emeric clambered back to his feet and punched the guard who had nearly dislocated his arm. 'Now I won't have to deal with him later...' Emeric thought dully.

He gripped his sword tightly and resumed his attack on Calvert, however, his old injury in his shoulder had been reawakened under the strained position earlier and Emeric found that his movements were sluggish in lacked some precision. He grit his teeth and fought for all he was worth.

Hunter cut down another guard with a swift stab to the chest. He was still largely outnumbered and knew that it was only a matter of time before he would be cut down. He grimaced...He had been supposed to watch Emeric's back, but at the moment it looked as if Emeric was doing better without him. After all, he had alerted the guards, unintentionally. Somehow he knew that Emeric would have been able to get in and out unnoticed.

With that thought, Hunter set his teeth and launched himself at the guards with a new will driving him. The guards raised their defenses, but Hunter's lighting attacks were more than they could handle. With in the next few minutes three more sentries joined their fallen comrades. The others were starting to feel a small inkling of fear. At a word from their commander they all went at Hunter simultaneously.

He grunted as an opposing blade cut a deep gash in his lower arm. He ignored the warm trickle as he cut two more men down, but he didn't get out unscathed. A deep cut across his thigh had nearly dropped him, but he cut down another guard and then barreled into the last remaining man who stood in his way. He struck the man down with the hilt of his sword, leaving him unconscious.

Hunter turned to help Emeric, but he was managing just fine. A few guards stood around the dueling men...To save Calvert if Emeric appeared to have the upper hand.