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And thus the saga continues

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Braxxas and the Boy then set off, travelling swiftly overland without incident to slow their progress On their arrival in Elsinore, Braxxas directed the boy into the back streets of the town. The side streets and doorways were littered with platoons of the hopeless, beggars, fearfully injured warriors, the blind, the deaf, the mad, the disenfranchised. Yorick began to worry, his hand gripped, white knuckled the short sword given by his mother. He wanted to say something, but the great boar had told him not to speak while they moved through the town. His bush instinct rushed to the fore the adrenalin surged in his veins, he slowed his breathing as he’d been taught. "Fear can give you power if you learn to harness it, like anger." his mother had taught him. "Control it, breath, listen to your heart. What you feel is what gives the reindeer his speed when he needs it, the Shewolf her power in attack and defense."

He had listened, he felt his abdomen tighten, his breathing go shallow, all senses heightened as the boar pulled on his leash through the streets. He started to pick up speed, the boy struggling to keep up. Almost as quickly as they had descended into dark, the streets suddenly exploded into a vast marketplace. The flash of color, the cascade of noise was like a physical blow. In all his 15 years the largest gathering of people that Yorick had experienced was a country market. This was something that was beyond his ken. Braxxas had slowed but he kept up a steady pace, dodging the stalls and carts loaded down with produce. Squeezing through the crowded market and around peoples legs. Yorick tried as much as he could to keep up and to take in the melee going on around him.

A girl at a stall called to him distracting him for a second as he turned back his face was struck by a side of beef, caught completely by surprise as the butcher backed out of his shop, Yorick fell flat in his surprise, the butcher took another step, and with a yell fell backwards over the sprawled out youth.
"By the Gods, What are you doing you young idiot?" The man pulled himself to his feet, his massive frame dwarfing the surprised Boy.
"I’m sorry, I got distracted for a moment." Yorick leapt to his feet and raced to help lift the side of meat.
"Leave it!" Yorick didn’t see the back hand that came with the snarl. The blow knocked him 3 metres sideways. The sudden lancing pain on the side of his head subdued as quickly as it came. He was on his feet as quickly as he landed, the short sword in his hand before he had thought of it. Before he could do anything, Braxxas seemed to materialise between the two protaganists. The low rumbling snarl that seemed to emanate from depths of some demon pit, was a side of the Boar that Yorick had never heard.
The Butcher stopped.
"Is the pig yours?"
"I don’t think he’s anybodies, we’re just together."
"That’ll do, I’ll take him in exchange for the mud you put all over a good side of meat." At first Yorick felt the anger rise in defense of his old friend, but then the funny side of the butchers comment began to occur. He smiled hugely and said:
"Perhaps you’d better ask the pig, Oh and his name is Braxxas and he likes people to talk proper when they address him." Yorick found himself unable to contain himself and started to giggle.
"Bah, gimme that leash" He took a step forward towards the great boar. Braxxas spun and faced the Butcher, the hair over his massive shoulders stood on end, his head flew back and his jaw opened to reveal the great tusks….. from the depths of his throat there came an unearthly roar that echoed around the marketplace. The butcher stopped, his eyes suddenly wide with fear.
Yorick leaned over and unhooked the leash.
"Here you are you wanted this." Braxxas lowered his head almost to the ground and took a step forward. The Butchers eyes widened further, he knew enough about pigs to recognise the classic attack position. He stepped back.

By this time the crowd had pushed back to give the combatants room, quick thinkers in the crowd were making book on the outcome. More people were gathering, trying find vantage points to view the unfolding drama.
The butcher started to grasp at straws.
"That side of beef to anyone who helps me take the pig."

"A Whole side of beef you say." The man dressed in black stepped from the crowd. The broadbrimmed hat failing to disguise the glint in his eye. Yorick could see by the cut of his cloth that this one was different. The confident swagger bespoke of numerous victories. The black riding coat showed the grime of many a mile of road. He was a traveller, a mercenary perhaps. Yorick had seen men such as he passing through the forests of his home. His sword protuded from beneath his coat, a slim blade, a dueling piece, not a great battle sword. Then he was probably an assassin, more suited for one on one. For hire to the highest bidder for the removal of a rival perhaps, a business competitor or a political opponent. Yorick blanched, this wasn’t funny any more. The butcher smiled as he saw Yoricks discomfort.
"Tis yours good sir and a quarter of pork as well if you do the job."
"That seems fair, but cured of course, I travel, so bacon would be preferable with a little well salted Ham." As he spoke, The man in Black casually strolled around the Boy and the boar.
"Oh and I do so like smoked. The beef we’ll have for the next few nights while we’re in town, the rest would be best dried, thank you!" As he spoke he spiralled around coming closer never once taking his eye off the Great Boar.
Braxxas moved his head keeping a weather eye. Yorick gripped the short sword even tighter, the handle became slippery from his sweating palms as he desperately tried to control his breathing.
The man stopped next to Braxxus’ head and lent down, till he was almost eye to eye.
"So we meet again old Swine! Surprise, surprise! Are you up for it?"
Braxxas was silent, Yorick’s nerves were suddenly screaming, He felt the urge to vomit.
"You, Boy stand back," the whisper, intense, commanding! Yorick dared not look him in the eye lest he wet his pants. "This is going to get dangerous, just stand to the edge of the circle!" Yorick was frozen, he was unable to make himself do anything, his brain was racing, trying to decide what to do. At that moment Braxxas took the decision out of his hands. The Great Boar launched himself away, raced across the makeshift circle and turned and faced. He tipped his back, shook his mane and roared. The crowd in front tried to go back, the ones in back tried to get a closer look, the bookies were doing a roaring trade.

The Man in Black turned on Yorick: "MOVE!!"

As he turned back towards Braxxas he pulled the riding coat open. Yorick quailed as The Man in Black revealed, strapped on either side of his torso, a brace of throwing knives. There was an audible intake of breath from the observing throng, a giggle from the Butcher and a renewed frenzy from the Book makers. The only one unmoved by this dramatic turn was Braxxas. The Knife Man smiled and with deliberate care extracted two of the knives. He hefted them feeling the balance. Then with blinding speed he launched the first knife, in an impossible blur Braxxas flipped sideways twisted in the air and came down with the knife firmly clenched in his mouth. He looked nonchalantly at the knifeman, who stood, his eyes narrowing. Yorick felt a thrill surge in his stomach. How could 150kilo boar move that fast. Braxxas carefully placed the knife on the ground. The Bookies were going wild and getting nervous at the same time. The knife man without warning or pause in blur of blinding speed fired off two in quick succession. The Great Boar was a blur and when he stopped there were three knives carefully laid out on the ground in front of him. The crowd was going wild, cheering and stamping, Yorick found himself yelling at the top of his lungs. The Butcher was sweating. The Knife man smiled a crooked smile and nodded in grudging respect. Then without hesitation two more knives suddenly appeared one in each hand and he released them simultaneously, Braxxas reared up and stamped both front feet onto the ground and when the crowd looked again, there was a knife under each cloven hoof. Yorick looked at the knife man, the amusement was gone. The silence in the crowd told that they could feel the sudden increase in tension. The knife man slowly pulled his sword as Braxxas eyed him warily. He took hold of the sword by the end of the blade, a murmur went through the crowd. He swung the sword around and around, 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 times. All the while the boar watched intently. Without warning he let go the sword go straight up everybodies eyes went with it. Within the blink of an eye the knife man pulled his last knife and fired it at the distracted Braxxas. But Braxxas was paying attention, as quick as lightning he caught the knife in his mouth, turned and as the sword came down point first he caught it perfectly on the point of the knife.

The crowd were in stunned silence as he held the sword perfectly balanced. The knife man walked across the space, Braxxas flipped his head back and the sword somersaulted into the Knifemans hand and into the scabbard. With perectly timed flicks of his head using the knife in his mouth he flicked the knives off the ground, 1 -2 -3 - 4 - 5 and with equal speed the knifeman pocketed them. Braxxas pivoted, threw the remaining knife into the air and as it came down he kicked it high and into the waiting hands of the Knifeman. The Two walked towards each and bowed deeply.

Suddenly out of the crowd a young girl dressed in black leapt into the middle of the circle.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN PRESENTING THE AMAZING SKILLS OF MAXYM THE KNIFE! PLEASE SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR MAXYM!"

The crowd were going crazy, cheering wildly, the Butcher was looking confused and the bookies dumbfounded as Maxym bowed deeply to an appreciative audience. He stood and looked around
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BRAXXAS THE WONDER BOAR!" Braxxas bowed deeply to the audience on both sides as the cheering and clapping continued. Yorick was lost, unsure what to think. Maxym leapt onto a stall table and raised his arms.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN PLEASE!" he paused as the noise subsided. "What you have seen today is just a taste. If you want more. FOR THREE NIGHTS ONLY IN THE MAIN SQUARE ….. THE CIRCUS MAXYM… Book early to avoid disappointment!"

Braxxas meanwhile had got back to Yorick,
"What was that all about, do you know him, what is going on?"
"No time, Pah! I wanted our arrival to pass without attracting attention."
The Boar quickly moved away from the throng. In a moment Maxym caught up.
"Thanks old Boar I’ll have full houses every night now. Great publicity."
"Your timing was most fortuitous Maxym, my thanks."
"Ha! thou hast pulled my butt from the fire on occasion tis not often I get the chance to return the favor. Good day to you old friend I must away I‘m predicting big advanced sales. Good morrow and good fortune." And with a wave Maxym walked swiftly away followed by his young assistant.

Braxxas stopped and watched them leave. As they reached a corner in the road the girl paused and turned, for an instant their eyes connected, then they turned the corner and disappeared.
"Who is she?"
"Ha and well you might ask young Yorick, for the Oracle has spoken, your lives will cross once again . She is Maxyms pupil, there will come a time when she is e’en greater than he. For it is spoken that the Master will one day surrender to the pupil."

"Your Mother and you will be grateful for her blade, come we dally to long

Braxxas led off down another lane away from the departing Maxym. Yorick looked quickly back over his shoulder. "Wait, If you know her, then whats her name."
"Why do you need to know"
"Well… She’s….." Yorick wasn’t sure, he suddenly wasn’t sure about anything except for the strange selfconsiousness that seem to centre in his stomach.
"Aaah, Sheesh!…… "The tone of recognition was unmistakable, "She is called Dasha who will be known as the Blade…… Come on, we have work to do, and we need to find a place to stay."

Copyright G.Lauder Aug '99

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