The Iron Teeth

Queen of Swords 16

After a minute or two of walking Blacknail stopped and sighed in exasperation. He then turned around and headed back the way he'd come. He'd forgotten to do a few things. To get back to his tribe he'd need to travel through the city and the people that lived there.

He didn't feel like going back for his mask so he just left it behind. He did however fix up his clothes as much as possible so that he wouldn't draw too much attention. They had gotten very dirty and torn so he looted a few bits and pieces from the men he'd just killed. They also made for convenient bandages to tie up his wounds.

None of Malthus' stuff was salvageable; nothing was left of them but bloody scraps. It had been totally worth it, though; he regretted nothing.

Once Blacknail had managed not to look like some sort of murderous drifter, even if he kind of was one, the hobgoblin stepped back into the city. He slipped out of the bushes at the edge of the scrubland and into a nearby alley.

The cool air in the shady alley was a welcome change from being out under the hot sun. All the clothing he wore got very hot when he did strenuous activities such as fighting off squads of assassins and dueling their leader.

It didn't take him all that long to trace his way back to the edge of Herad's territory. He kept his head down and his distance from any crowds as he walked the city streets. There weren't a lot of people around anyway, and those that Blacknail did see were moving quickly and looked nervous.

Word of the battle taking place had undoubtedly already spread. All the magical explosions from earlier had probably gotten people's attention as well. Like rabbits or mice that had heard an unexpected noise the citizens of Daggerpoint were seeking shelter and finding other less dangerous places to be than out on the streets.

As he drew closer to Herad's base the sounds of fighting became more and more obvious. The cloaked hobgoblin stopped at the entrance to an alley and looked up over the city as he listened. It sounded like the battle had started up again.

Zelena must have attacked again while he was gone. Blacknail's chest tightened painfully as he felt a sudden sense of urgency. He picked up the pace and started to jog. He didn't really want to join the fighting but what if something bad was happening? He had to know how the fight was going.

Quickly, Blacknail scuttled up the side of nearby building and pulled himself onto the roof. Once up in the sunshine he looked over to where Herad's barricade had been built. Nothing remained of it but ash and the stone all around it was stained black. The flames had scarred the city.

Further back from the blaze the cobblestone streets were red with blood. Ha, Herad really had dyed the streets of Daggerpoint with the blood of her enemies, and more than a few of her minions as well. Saeter had told him she wasn't being literal but he'd been wrong!

The killing was far from over, though. Below Blacknail the struggle for control of Daggerpoint was still ongoing. Blacknail frowned with concern as he realized Herad's men were making a fighting retreat back towards their base. If the enemy reached the base then all of the hobgoblin's things would be in danger, even his cheese!

Zelena had finally committed her own forces and they'd been joined by what was left of the mercenaries. A small solid square of shield bearing infantry were pushing their way down the center of the street. On both sides of them were loose mobs of Zelena's bandits.

The attackers were steadily pushing the bandits of Blacknail's tribe back, and they also had them outnumbered. They looked to have a man and a half for everyone in Hera's tribe. However, the battle was far from over. Herad may have lost her tall wooden wall but Blacknail knew that she'd made other preparations. He'd spent a lot of time avoiding having to help set them up after all.