The Value of a Heartbeat

Let's go kill that bitch!

Reilyn’s flames pushed back the three guards that ran towards him. One managed to veer out of the way and rushed to Reilyn, sword ready. Their blades clashed as Reilyn raised his own to defend himself. 

He ceased casting fire and sliced his other sword along his opponent’s gut. The guard lost his grip on his own blade and fell to the floor as he cried out. The other two, burnt and weary, walked with shaky legs as they approached Reilyn. One wielded a bow and prepared a shot, the other raised her arms and called out. “Cadis re anuven!” |Blades of wind!|

Reilyn instinctively raised his left forearm to guard, but cursed when he remembered that he wasn’t wearing any armour. He pivoted away from the wind blades flying towards him only to feel an arrow graze his arm. Staying low, he lunged at the archer, slicing their wrist and knocking the bow from their hands. 

From the corner of his eye, he saw the caster prepare more wind blades, but, before she called out to cast her magic, Reilyn wound up and threw one of his swords at her. It whizzed through the air and lodged itself in her chest, as she sputtered blood and dropped to her knees, the sword fizzled out. 

The injured archer gasped and tried to stand, reaching for their dagger. “Ros dihi ku coit don faci re ynalum kyut Llyma’da!” |We won’t let you harm Mistress Llyma!|

Reilyn turned a moment too slow. The other Eyll buried their dagger into his thigh. He cried out and limped back, pulling out the blade and letting it clatter on the floor. “Kea cadiu!” |My blade!| And in his empty right hand, another golden short sword firmly appeared. He gritted his teeth as blood ran down his leg. Lunging forward, he drove both his swords into the other Eyll, one in their chest, the other in their shoulder. He shoved their quivering, bleeding, body against the wall of the slim hallway. They screamed and groaned in agony. 

“Raere keu kur lletta!” Reilyn growled, glaring up at the dying guard. Their eyes dulled to lifeless as their energy healed Reilyn’s thigh and arm. 

Reilyn panted and let go of his blades, dropping the fresh corpse and letting the swords fizzle out. He raised his arms. “Kyortus’ku, cinisis, ribedio’keu.” |Rise, dogs, obey me.| As he shouted, the three dead Eyll rose and picked up their weapons. “Couxilli’keu kyut anupet Llyma.” |Help me fight Llyma.| The corpses grunted and stood around Reilyn, readying for combat. 

Five more guards ran up the stairs as Reilyn and his undead advanced a couple feet. “Carante mwygis?” |More already?| Reilyn sighed. “Kyven! Kea cadis!” |Come! My blades!| His swords appeared in his outstretched hands, glittering gold. “Coit’ontis caillil’ic.” |Let them come close.| Reilyn ordered his undead, they grunted and nodded. 

The five rushed Reilyn, but upon realising that the three guards surrounding him were undead, they froze. Reilyn grinned. 

“Cawellus re kygnissis!” |Cage of flames!|

Reilyn extended his swords outward, and from them, flames exploded around him and his foes, locking them in a raging circle of searing heat. “Migo dihi ku coit don keu’hibere!” |I won’t let you stop me!| He glared at the terrified guards. “Diusseth’aillil taud quontis kygnissis.” |Push them into the flames.| He ordered.

The corpse, who once was a caster, shoved her body against the guard closest to her, pushing him into the flames. His agonising screams echoed down the hall as the other two undead followed suit. The remaining two sprinted to Reilyn, one wielding a sword, the other a dagger. 

Reilyn lifted his swords, jabbing each guard in the chest as they rushed from either side. A sword to the left, a sword to the right. “Taepitu!”

Blood spurted from their chests as the explosions blew them away from Reilyn, and into the fiery trap. As their screams faded out, Reilyn lowered the cage of flames and glanced around at the five new Eyll guard corpses. “Kyortus’ku, lladeo’ku rinili ruia keu.” |Rise, make yourselves useful to me.| Reilyn raised one sword high as he called out. The burnt bodies rose, crisped, brittle patches of skin falling to the bloodied floor. They groaned and gripped their weapons tightly. 

Reilyn and his undead advanced down the hallway, towards the stairs, only a few steps before ten more guards ran towards them. Swords, bows, and magic ready. 

“Llaccid’aillil.” |Kill them.| Reilyn snarled the order, glaring as he saw Lerah and Kheda approach behind the ten guards. The eight undead groaned and threw themselves at their foes, tearing limbs, crushing skulls, stabbing chests, slicing throats. Reilyn stabbed one through the eye, kicking the body off his blade and to the floor. He pushed through the battle to confront the two familiar faces. 

Lerah and Kheda held their swords with shaking hands. 

“Mwod’ku kyvae ku faci llaccid ku untia?” |Did you come to be cut down too?| Reilyn pointed one of his golden blades at them. 

“Kyr’wod pebo pebei ku carpio faci?” |What is the meaning of this?| Lerah shouted, sweat trickled down his face. 

Kheda held his hand out. “Ros inynt’uia mwydo Quilla’da. Mwod’uilla tarum?” |We’re simply looking for Mistress Quilla. Is she unharmed?|

“Migo clybeo’uilla clybae taud kea dretus llalam.” |I left her in my old bedchamber.| Reilyn looked between them, keeping his blade raised. “Tis ku kyptur kur lletties, clybeo’aede re kea ruiter uet tai duillal kyut’mere.” |If you value your lives, you’ll get out of my way and go check on her.|

Reilyn watched as Kheda grabbed Lerah’s arm and, despite Lerah’s protests, dragged the shorter man past the orchestra of wails and screams. Reilyn’s undead tore the last of the guards apart. As he raised his sword higher, he looked over at the two men running to Quilla’s aid. 

Kheda turned and made eye contact with Reilyn, “Honita.” |Thank you.| He mouthed.

Reilyn nodded in response. He then turned his attention to the ten mangled corpses that littered the marble floor. 

“Kyut kyortus. Ku unhil.” |Rise. All of you.| Reilyn’s raised arm quivered, his swords flickered and his knees buckled as the ten fresh corpses slowly stood. Looking behind himself, feeling sweat run down his face and back, Reilyn grinned. Eighteen bloodthirsty, growling, gouged undead stood at the ready. 

“Ros’tai kyut’accid pebei kiwina’dal!” |Let’s go kill that bitch!| 

Reilyn gripped his swords tight and rushed down the stairs, into the entrance hall, his undead at his back. 

Near the base of the stairs, Garrin, Jac, Nia, Catrin and Emyr stood, wrists bound, a guard at each of their backs. Across the hall, Llyma folded her arms across her chest, overlooking the display she set up. Her lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed impatiently. 

Suddenly, as she saw Reilyn descend the stairs, she gasped, seeing the mangled corpses under his control, the blood coating his ripped underclothes. “Caum pebi-” |How did-| 

“You sent for me?” Reilyn smirked, cutting her off. As Llyma fumed, Reilyn looked over at Garrin, who stared back with wide eyes. “Too rugged?” Reilyn chuckled. 

“Could use some more scuffs.” Garrin’s eyes softened as he grinned back. 

“Ku botem’wod bynnosus re dihi don keu’iitte!” |You’ll be wise not to ignore me!| Llyma’s voice echoed. 

Reilyn turned to her with a dirty glare. “Gous. Caum pobrat’igo?” |Oh. How could I?| He wound up, tossing one of his swords with all the might he could muster. It flew through the air and past Llyma’s face, with an inch to spare, the blade grazing her shoulder. The sword fizzled out as it embedded itself in the wall. 

As Llyma’s blood trickled down her white gown, she raised her arm and her eyes bore into Reilyn’s. “Migo botem ku mwaci trisitet re keu’beo anupetsen.” |I’ll make you regret challenging me.|