Downtown Druid

Book 3 Chapter 61: I Am This City

It was late morning when Gavain reached the edge of the city. Dantes first saw him through the eyes of a pigeon circling just outside the main gate. He looked different from the last time he’d had seen him. He still had a spear at his back and wore the segmented armor he’d seen before, but now his face that had been blemished by a single scar was now covered in them. His hair that had been thick and lustrous was now thin and graying. His cheeks were hollower and his brown eyes were no longer lit with warmth, but instead glowed with rage. Dantes watched him, realizing very quickly that he knew exactly where he was waiting for him.

How that was possible, Dantes wasn’t sure, but he’d guess it had something to do with the newborn god that seemed to have granted him his blessing. He sent a few rats to look at him more closely, and could see some kind of symbol burned into the back of his neck, whether it was a godmark or some kind of brand from his time in a Frasheid prison, Dantes couldn’t tell. He sent a few more rats to watch him more closely, but when one got within five feet of him, he grabbed it. Dantes barely even saw him move, but he felt it as Gavain snapped the poor things neck with his thumb before he continued his walk toward Dantes.

When Gavain made it through the outer gate and a few streets further, a number of guards cut him off in a narrow street, with Pacha in the lead. That surprised Dantes, he had no idea that Pacha knew Gavain. Had they communicated? Or had he been trying to track Gavain’s movements since news of his regicide had spread as Dantes had?

“Gavain,” said Pacha, giving him a deep nod of respect. “I’m glad to see you well.”

“I am not well.”

“Alive is well.”

“Not always.” He jerked his head to the side. “Move out of my way. There’s someone I need to see.”

“Come now. You and I serve the same god. Let’s talk for a bit. I know you likely feel bitter for what treatment you received, but we can talk. We can see what reparations the city, the guild can give you. There’s no reason to cause chaos in the streets.”

“The treatment I received did not leave me bitter. It was its lack of reason that upset me. I gave myself up to stop a war and confine an evil man. That war happened anyway, and that man now roams these streets freely. My sacrifice was meaningless.”

“Not to me,” said Pacha, stepping toward him. “I know what you meant by it. I know what it represents. You may not be rewarded here, but surely Justice will give you your due in time.”

“I intend to take my due today, in blood.”

Pacha shook his head. “You seek Dantes?”

He nodded. “First him, then the Guild that sold me to save itself.”

“What comes after that? The Council? The Committee members that agreed to the decision? The guards that did their duty to transport you to the docks? The captain of the boat that transported you to Frasheid? Their children? Their grandchildren?”

“No. The captain would be the place I stop.”

Pacha shook his head. “I can’t let you do that.”

“You would protect the crime lord?”

He frowned. “He... he saved the city. People think he’s a hero. Under his and Argenta’s control the city is safer. People are fed, and the worst keep to themselves, not spilling out into places they don’t belong... Even with that though, I’m not doing this to protect him, but those that may fall after. You’ve left Justice behind.”

Gavain shook his head. “No. Justice left me behind. He was just kind enough to leave me in the care of his son. Revenge.” He laughed bitterly. “Dantes keeps the worst to themselves? So he makes the problems small enough to ignore, so everyone else can get one with their lives. Men still snort dust until their eyes bleed, shops still pay just to not be shut down by force, but it’s okay, because we can simply not look where it’s happening. Excuses and weakness, that’s all I see.” ꭆaNοᛒÈS

Pacha drew his sword, as did his men, though reluctantly. “Please son, we can talk about this.”

“Talking has always led to trouble for me. Now, I trust in my might.” Gavain launched forward, striking three times with his right fist in less than a second, sending Pacha and the two guards next to him flying backwards with fist shaped dents in their breastplates. Other guards went to draw their swords, but they too were launched back in only a single strike. When they were all moaning on the ground, Gavain walked through a now clear street, with men and women running in fear from him.

Dantes watched everything with a grimace. He hadn’t expected Pacha to interfere, and was surprised that he’d defended him, though that seemed to have been more about saving Gavain than him in many ways. Now he knew what god Gavain had received a blessing from, Revenge. Dantes felt a little offended by that. If there was ever a god he should’ve received a blessing from, it would’ve been revenge. He’d dedicated his life to the slaying of those who’d wronged him, but now he’d been born and supported the man coming to kill him, even after he’d accomplished so much in his name. He shook his head, he didn’t expect fairness from the gods. That was how weak people thought. He wouldn’t have minded some unfairness in his favor though.

Dantes had no traps between himself and Gavain, and it wasn’t long before the adventurer arrived. He looked at him, across the field of thorns and vines, then he looked out into the stands, where Dantes had fifty men standing with firearms, crossbows, and bows pointed at him the moment that he’d arrived, Jayson and Jayk among them.

Gavain reached back, and grabbed his spear as he stepped boldly into the arena.

“I’m here for your head, Dantes.”

Dantes stood up from his throne, Jacopo rearing up on his hind legs. If Pacha couldn’t convince him not to fight him, then there was no reason for him to even try.

“Come and take it then,” he said, sending his will throughout every plant in the arena even as all of his men pulled triggers or loosed bowstrings.

Gavain leapt into the air just before the vines at his feet could tangle him, then he slammed the butt of his spear into the ground. The spear shaft extended, launching him into the air toward the men Dantes had in the stands. One crossbow bolt nearly hit him as he launched himself, but he batted it away with his bare hand and it exploded in the air behind him.

Dantes sent a tangle of thorns, vines and branches after him as he landed in the stands, but he was too fast to be caught.@@@@

The men swung rifles, bows, and knives at him as he closed in, but the others backed away, climbing the stands to get enough distance to fire on him.

Gavain left his spear behind as he tore through them. He caught strikes, and broke weapons in his gauntleted hands. He grabbed men to use them as shields from the others and when he closed on one of them his every strike hit like a cannonball, sending men flying into seats, shattering them.

Dantes and Jacopo combined their focus and sent even more vines out, having some of them move their men out of Gavain’s reach, well the rest moved to halt his progress.

The hero leapt backward, spinning himself in the air as he landed next to where he’d left his spear, he raised it, and aimed the point at Dantes.

Dantes sensed his intention, and had the tree throne shoot out thick branches in front to defend him.

Gavain extended his spear and it slammed into the branches Dantes had placed in the way. He retracted it a bit and slammed its lengthened shaft into Dantes’s men that were rallying.

Dantes sent more thorned vines toward him, and gave the signal to his vermin.

Dantes knew the streets of Rendhold better than anyone else in the city, and his improved senses, speed, and balance made him nearly impossible to pursue.

Unfortunately, Gavain was used to accomplishing the impossible. He made up for his lack of knowledge and grace with sheer power, speed, and focus. Smashing through walls and leaping over rooftops to catch up to him.

Dantes barely reached another of his gardens, shooting more plant life toward him as he summoned another wave of vermin to attack him.

Gavain was barely slowed this time, even though his body was a wreck, his strength was far greater than it had been at the start of the fight. A single wave of his spear destroyed all of the life Dantes sent at him.

There was a howl that sent shivers down Dantes’s spine and made Gavain whip around, barely managing to catch the mouthful of teeth as Murk attacked him. Murk’s sister followed shortly after, and Dantes and Jacopo both joined them. They linked up their minds, seeing through one another's attacks and coordinating. Gavain was stronger than them, but by alternating their attacks and keeping him on the defensive, they were able to chip away at him more than they had before, but it wasn’t enough.

Gavain slammed the butt of his spear onto the ground and the impact threw everyone back from him. Dantes stood up and ran from him again, even as the others renewed their attack.

“Abandoning your friends!?” yelled Gavain with a raspy voice, smashing Murk and his sister to the side and running after him into a nearby alley. Suddenly, he froze midstep, suspended in the air, unable to move anything, but his eyes.

Dantes stood at the other end of the alley, his hand against a rune on the wall, causing it to glow with light. All across the alley, along the ground, on the walls, everywhere around where Gavain stood suspended, were arcane runes glowing with power.

“A friend of mine made this. He said it could hold a dragon, but since you’ve slain them before I asked him to make sure it could hold at least two.”

Gavain’s eyes darted around the alley, where he noticed that both of the buildings on either side of him were filled with more barrels.

Dantes put his wooden hand on the ignition run that was above the holding rune he was holding, and sent his will through it.

Again there was an explosion, and this time Dantes was close enough to be thrown back, smashing into a wall behind him. Jacopo landed on his shoulder and focused on healing him. As Dantes began to mend together, he pushed himself to his feet.

Gavain was already standing on top of the rubble. Dantes had no idea how he was moving, his armor was scorched and his body shredded, but he still stood.

Dantes frowned, he was out of options. He’d gone through all of his plans, he had nothing left. There were other possibilities that he’d ignored. People he didn’t want to endanger, friends that couldn’t reach him in time. Vampa may have been a big help, but he just couldn’t bring himself to ask him to take that risk after just wedding his Aunt. He couldn’t do that to him. Night hadn’t yet fallen, so the other druids weren’t able to make it to him in time.

He shook his head, and pulled a fresh dagger from his belt, holding it in front of himself. Jacopo did the same, shifting into a man and raising his clawed hands.

Gavain began to step toward them. His spear gripped tightly in his hand as he stepped forward. He stopped, and looked up.

Dantes heard crying behind himself and turned around.

Syn stood on the rooftop above him, holding a small child, pressing a dagger into his throat. She was in the shape she’d taken as Sevryn. The child was an orc, maybe five years old, his tusks just starting to grow.

Dantes stared at the orc, willing him to briefly appear as a being with too white skin and too long of limbs, but he didn’t change. It was a real child. It wasn’t a trick.

“Gavain. Give me your name, or I’ll kill this child,” she pressed the tip of the knife into the boys chin, drawing some blood and causing the boy to cry.

“Not like this,” yelled Dantes, forcing himself to his feet. “I won’t win this way.”

Syn shook her head. “I know you won’t. But I will.”

Gavain stood still for just a moment, staring at her with what remained of his eyes.

“You heard me. Give me your name. NOW!”

Syn blinked and Gavain disappeared. She felt a hand on the hand that held her dagger, and could smell charred skin and sulfur behind her.

The child changed, becoming a dragonkin and driving a different dagger toward Gavain. It struck true, digging deep into his stomach.

Gavain didn’t shift an inch. He twisted Syn’s arm, breaking it, and kicked the other changeling off the roof.

Dantes saw a glint of green stone as a necklace that had been tucked into her shirt popped out. It had been a ruse, they’d had to make Dantes believe it, to make Gavain believe, but it hadn’t mattered.

Gavain vanished again, and appeared in front of Jacopo, a gust of violent wind following him.

“I’ll end your pet first.” He raised his spear.

Dantes moved, slamming his shoulder into Jacopo and launching him away as Gavain drove the spear through his chest with enough force that the point of it was buried in the concrete beneath him.

Jacopo lunged forward, but Dantes held up his hand to him. He didn’t say anything, just projected a series of images to him. Jacque, Vera, Wane, Alessa, Zilly, all of their friends and confidants flashed in front of his mind's eye in an instant, and Jacopo understood, forcing himself to turn and run away.

Gavain watched him run, and leaned forward, putting his weight on the haft of the spear as he leaned in close to Dantes.

“This City is free of you.”

Dantes smiled, and spat a mouthful of blood out onto Gavain’s face. “I am this city.”

Gavain sent his will through his spear, and sent a blast of fire across Dantes’s body. Gavain held that flame there until Dantes turned to ash.