Requiem for a King [MxM]

Something Of A Hero Myself

Quintus slammed the singing sticks together as his back hit the street. The wind rushed from his lungs, and his vision doubled as he skidded over the stone. His back hit the side of a building and his vision doubled. He didn't get to catch his breath as two blurry shadows appeared over him. He got a leg up in time to kick the first one away, but the other crashed on top of him and pinned his arm against the wall.

He slammed his short stick on the ground and the sound punched through the netherborne's head. Petals rained over his face, but their sweet scent had grown disgusting enough to turn his stomach over. He swore under his breath.

How long had it been since he'd fought like this? Ten, maybe twenty years. Back when he and Octavia ran into that beast in Tilay. And even then, Octavia had done most of the work. She tore through netherborne like they were wet paper. Quintus, while he wasn't completely useless, didn't possess necromancy that could compare.

"What's the matter, necromancer?" the big one hissed, climbing down from its perch. "You're getting slow, sloppy. The Night-Blooming Rose would've killed me by now."

Quintus scowled. Gods, he hated the ones that spoke. And worse, it was comparing him to Octavia, which meant it had been here before. "What can I say? I like to play with my food." He pushed to his feet as more ankle biters converged on him.

The first disintegrated, but the second caught him across the face. The blow sent him skipping down the road. Blood pooled in his mouth and trickled into his throat, causing him to cough and sputter. A humanoid shadow eclipsed his vision, one arm poised to strike. He tried to move, but his body was still recovering from the shock of the blow.

A shadow flashed into his sight and collided with the netherborne, taking the beast down onto the street. The crash of bodies hitting the street sounded to his right, followed by the sweet chime of a bell and a chorus of screeching.

Quintus' heart leapt into his throat. No, it couldn't be. He wasn't that stupid.

"Quintus!" Several Gavraels appeared over him. "Come on, that big one is headed this way." He pulled Quintus to his feet and dragged him further up the street.

Quintus had yet to regain all his faculties—his vision still swayed and his gait sent him on a listing path. But luckily, he didn't need his feet or eyes to yell. "Have you lost your damn mind? I told you to go north where it's safe! You're going to get us both killed."

"You're welcome," Gavrael said dryly as he yanked Quintus into an alleyway. They climbed up the steps on the side of a building to its roof and hid behind a chimney. The stomping of the giant netherborne sent quakes through the town and made dust leap from the ground.

Quintus swore under his breath. This was bad. He couldn't protect Gav and fight these freaks. Heck, he probably could fight these freaks, even if Gav wasn't here. He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed. Think...

"By the gods, that thing is massive," Gavrael whispered, his voice shaking. "What do we do?"

"I don't know..." He swore. It was just too much for him to handle at once. If only he could separate them... His eyes drifted to Gavrael's sword. If Gav could hold his own in a fight, he could distract the little ones long enough for Quintus to take care of the talker. If they played this smart, they could have a chance. Or fail miserably and die, but he'd try to think positive this time.

"Gav, do me a favour and ring that bell I gave you," Quintus said.

Gavrael gaped at him. "But that will give away our position. Surely there's something else—"

"Just do it. Trust me." When Gav rang the bell, he captured the sound and curved it around in a wide arch. The chime sounded a few seconds later than it should've and came from farther south. The netherborne screeched, and their stampeding footfalls retreated that way.

"Alright." Quintus stood a little straighter and took a few breaths to regain his equilibrium. "I have a plan. Gavrael, head to the east gate. I want you to wait there a little while, then make some noise. That'll lure the little ones to you, so make sure you have a place to hide until I take care of the big one."

Gavrael nodded slowly. "Okay, I can do that, but will you be alright on your own?"

"I'll be fine. I think. Use the bell and run if things get too hectic. You know where safety is."

"Alright." He started towards the steps, but stopped and turned around, looking at Quintus with those bright stormy eyes. "Hey, uh, don't die please."

"Same to you," Quintus said with a nod. He rounded the chimney stack and leapt over the parapet to the street below. The big one had turned to head over the southern buildings. "Not so tough without your guard dogs, hm?"

It turned back and hissed, its eyes narrowing. "You, necromancer..." The netherborne climbed back down and slammed its front foot on the street hard enough to cave the ground in from one side to the next.

Quintus popped up in the air, arms and leg flailing. A second later, the monster's leg slammed into his side. The blow knocked the wind from him, but he held fast to its leathery skin with one hand and slammed his singing stick into its foot. The beast hissed as necromancy ate away at its limb like piranha's to flesh.

He fell free, and a stack of barrels broke his fall, crumpling under his weight. Splinters tore into his jacket and dug into his skin. From the corner of his eye, he spotted the netherborne trying to escape over the buildings.

"Oh no you don't." Quintus stalked after the beast with ambling strides and slammed his sticks together. The sound tore through the netherborne's back leg. It listed like a drunk and fell over, taking half a wooden building down with it. But Quintus didn't stop there. He slammed the sticks together again and again, punching holes through the netherborne's chest and torso.

Sin and symphony made the store windows rattle and the air vibrate, and flower petals twirled into the morning sky. At last, only the sound of Quintus' laboured breathing remained. Sweat and blood mingled on his brow and dripped into his eyes.

He brushed an errant splinter from his coat and headed east. He could faintly make out the scuffling of a few netherborne in that direction. "Gav?" he called, sending his voice shooting down the road. If he could find Gavrael, he could at least lure the netherborne away. The eastern gate loomed in the distance, but he saw no sign of Gavrael.

He banked a left and followed the street south to where the sound of the netherborne was most concentrated. There, he found the monsters crowded around a tiny stone building near the gate. One climbed onto the roof and punched a hole through the roof, and a muted yelp came from inside.

"Hang on, Gav, I got you." Quintus sucked in a breath as he raised his sticks, pulling from his last reserves of strength. He slammed the sticks together, and they vibrated so rapidly, they became a blur. The chime shot through the air and slammed into the netherborne like a battering ram. They didn't get to scream before their bodies exploded.

Quintus' legs went weak and wobbly, and he fell to his knees, sweat dripping from his face to soak the road. His body shook and darkness encroached on his vision. He crumpled onto the warm earth like wet paper and rolled over onto his back. Petals danced over his head, the wind carrying them towards the north.

"Quintus!" Gavrael appeared over him, looking more like a shadow than a person. "Here, let me help you." He peeled Quintus from the street. "Just lean on me."

Quintus winced and pain shot through his side, and put a little more of his weight against Gavrael than he should've. "And here I thought you were going to throw me over your shoulder."

"Now is not the time for jokes. You're hurt." Bless his heart, he actually sounded concerned.

"On the contrary, I believe this is the best time for jokes. We cheated death, saved a whole village." He squinted at the destroyed buildings. "Well, mostly saved it. But I suppose heroic acts and collateral damage go hand in hand."

Gavrael sighed like a disappointed parent. "You need help, in more ways than one. I know a safe place we can go. And well... I've been up to some heroics myself."

"Is that so? Looks like we have a long walk, so tell me about it."