Chapter 4: One for the Road

Trying his best not to step on any creaking floorboards, Raze walked down the corridor, to where he knew the innkeeper was.

He took careful, measured steps, slowly applying his weight to each foot, one after another.

'Openin' the door's gonna wake him up either way, unless he's drunk out of his mind. Doubt that though. I'll kick down the door, spook him. Yeah, thats the plan.'

Quickly strategising, Raze eventually found the door to the innkeepers room.

It had a lock installed.

'Cheap bastard didnt install a lock on mine, but has one on his? Oh yeah that's it, im gonna fuck 'im up.'

Deciding that he wouldn't let something as petty as a lock stand in the way of his dreams, Raze changed plans quickly.

BANG!

His club swung down, impacting the lock. It cracked, but didn't break.

A disoriented voice was heard from behind the door:

"Whuh? wha...?"

Maybe he had been drinking.

Raze swung again. This time, the lock was flung off, allowing Raze to open the door with a single kick.

Deciding to be as quick as possible, Raze inside the room, and approached the inkeeper, barely stumbling out of his bed.

"WHERE'S THE FUCKING MONEY?!"

Screaming with no regard for noise, Raze waved his club around like a madman.

Not even being allowed to answer, he was bashed on the torso with the club, knocking him to the floor.

"WHERE IS IT?!"

"Wha-"

Ignoring the dazed inkeeper, Raze began walking around the room, figuring that it would be quicker to find it himself than dealing with a half drunk, half unconcious man.

He only ocassionally stopped looting to smack him some more.

Bashing pots and a vase with his club, rummaging through all the drawers and throwing just about everything to the floor, it was less than two minutes before Raze had his haul: A dagger that looked nice and shiny, a few hefty purses, and a decrepit looking ring.

'Don't have time to stick around any longer.'

While the guards seemed to be slackers, they wouldn't take kindly to crime within their backyard, and judging by how thin the walls were, it was likely that someone had either already alerted a guard, or they were in the process of doing so.

Deciding that the innkeepers sins didn't warrant the death penalty, Raze let him off with a final whack for good luck.

'Alright, time to get out of this place.'

Sprinting back down the corridor and out of the window, Raze found himself once more on the empty street he was on less than five minutes prior. Glancing left and right, he chose which way to go.

"There he is!"

"STOP!!"

A Group of people on one end of the street, carrying torches, proper weapons and actual armour, told Raze one thing, the "peacekeepers" were here.

Barely missing a beat, Raze carried on sprinting in the opposite direction, using his quick feet, unburdened by heavy equipment, to keep one step ahead.

He sprinted down alleys and backstreets, eventually managing to lose all but one of the guards.

Perhaps he had exceptional leg endurance, or maybe he was just blessed with a dogged persistence, but one thing was for sure. 

Raze wouldn't be able to escape this one.

Eventually finding an exit, Raze barged past the now empty gatehouse, and began sprinting into the desert, his sole pursuer slowing slightly on the desert sand, but managing to adjust rapidly.

'Fuck is with this guy?'

Raze continued running. After a short while of sprinting, his chest began hurting, his lungs feeling numb from the bitter cold air he was sucking in, his legs were losing energy and he'd be fucked if he kept running.

Quickly coming upwith a plan, Raze's feet began to slow, until came to a stop and span around, his pursuer was less than a few metres away.

He took out his club with his right hand, his left concealed behind his back, obscured by the darkness.

Meanwhile, the guard kept his torch in his left hand, while his right one slowly drew a sabre that was in evidently good condition, his eyes completely locked on Raze's club, watching for any sign of movement.

Maintaining a short distance, Raze's newfound friend decided to host a party.

"HEYY!! HE'S HERE!! HEY!"

'Fuck, gotta deal with this one quickly, or his buddies will be here in no time. Don't stand a chance against all of 'em'

There was a brief standoff. 

Raze's left arm whipped out from behind, launching a dagger straight ahead as he rushed at his foe.

Dodging to the left, the peacekeeper narrowly avoided the dagger tossed from close range, but Raze was already swinging down.

With no time to bring his sabre around to his left, the guard raised the still burning torch and managed to block Raze's blow.

Shattering with a light crack, the torch fell to the ground and the flames began to slowly fade.

Stumbling back from the force, the guard rasied his sabre defensively, managing to parry Raze's second swing before countering, unleashing a flurry of innacurate, wild slashes intending on pushing Raze back.

New cuts were made, and streams of fresh blood ran down Raze's skin. While the guards attacks were weak and the cuts left were surface-level, it caused an unintended effect, they opened up the older, deeper wounds that were on the verge of being fully healed.

Wincing in pain, Raze retreated backwards taking a low stance, his club pointed towards his foe, his left arm dangling down in the sand.

His face impassive, the guard approached, raising his sabre, the faint starlight making his blade glimmer with a chilling light.

'No prisoners huh?'

The guard swung down.

Sparks flew, and the sabre was blocked by the club, but this time-

"Gah!"

Just as the sparks flew, a handful of sand was flung into the guards eyes, giving Raze just enough time to bash him on the head with his club, sending the guard to the floor.

'Shame I couldnt do some good lootin' '

Seeing flames on the horizon and hearing distant shouting, Raze had to escape immediately.

Quickly taking the sabre, and tossed dagger, Raze bolted away from the scene, making his way deeper into the desert.

He ran for roughly ten minutes before he stopped.

Ragged breaths turned to mist in the chilly air, and the sweat pouring down his body turned freezing, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.

'No time to waste.'

 Raze doused his wounds in some of his precious water, before starting to wrap them with the sterile bandages he had.

Seeing the faint red splotches through the yellow-ish bandages, He grimaced, wondering if pouring water was a smart choice.

'Lucky the wounds are'nt that deep. Good night's rest and they should heal up nicely.'

Despite these thoughts, Raze didn't dare to sleep, instead opting to find a comfortable position, while inspecting his loot.

Raze decided to inspect the thing he was most excited for, the sabre.

'Forgot to take the sheath from 'im, but even still, this is nice, very nice.'

It was practically gleaming. Whether it was well-maintained, or just a new one, it was good.

He wasn't sure how much this would fetch him in the unlikely event of him selling it, but he estimated it would net him a few hundred minimum.

Looking at the spine of the blade, didn't see any insignia or emblem even after a thorough inspection, so he assumed they were made locally.

not really sure where to put the sabre, he decided to keep it in his hand until he could get a sheath, or a proper sling to carry it with.

Moving on, he pulled out the ring he found, a plain metal band, its outside covered in flaky red rust, on the inside, a brown-black corrosion somewhat concealing a number of engravings, their well defined edges and shapes blurred by both the rusted surface, and the dark environment.

With some work, one would be able to make out the symbols, but Raze put it back into his pocket.

'The fuck does it say?'

He couldn't read.

Neither wanting to look at a bunch of jumbled symbols any longer, nor wanting to put some filthy metal band on his finger, he decided to leave it for later.

'Does seem kinda interesting though. Maybe i can have someone take a look at it? But who?'

Deciding to set himself a little goal, Raze decidied to figure out both who could read this inscription, and then tell him what it said.

Raze shut his eyes, falling into a very light sleep.