...Sadness For Everyone

                            By:

                         Fox Cutter

    Chapter 3

"How dare they," Elena growled, pacing along the length of
the small cell where we now at. It was the same thing sie
had been doing for the past hour, sense the guards put us
there.

"Relax," Ren said, laying back on the one bed in room.
"We'll get out of here soon enough."

Sie snorted. "Being out is not the problem, the fact that
they would imprison one of my race at all."

I shook my head, returning my attention to what I was doing,
feeling over the lock on the cell door. The door was made of
up simple iron bars and I could easily reach thorough it to
the lock on the other side.

Our capture had gone pretty quickly. We had been escorted to
the local castle, which wasn't that large of a place,
searched, then throw into the cell. They even took my guns
away, knowing exactly what they were. As much as it seemed
to look like it, this was not a medieval world, as the
single light bulb that tried to light the cell attested to.

In the morning we were to be taken to see the Captain of the
Guards, or something close to that. He was to decide what
exactly to do with us.

"So," Ren said, sitting up on the cot. "What's the plan?"

The question was directed at me, which was great except that
I didn't have one. Shaking my head I took two steps back
from the door and give the lock my best kick. It shook for a
second but nothing else.

"I have no idea." I said, shaking my head again. "Though I
really need to learn how to pick a lock."

"You don't know?" Ren asked, sounding astonished.

I shrugged. "Just didn't get around to it. I never was
actually trained in anything, I just sort of did it."

He rolled his eyes, brushing some of his white-blond hair
from his face. "It was part of my training, maybe I can get
the door."

"With what?" Elena asked, stopping in hir tracks and turning
to face him. "You didn't even have a weapon on you." Sie
glared at him, hir arms crossed against hir chest.

He gave hir a long slow smile. "Oh really? I'm always
armed."

"Then show me," Sie challenged.

He laughed, "Very well, I will." Then lifted his right hand,
he held it in front of himself, almost even with his left
shoulder, his palm facing on. Then he pulled his arm accost
his body in once fast move, keeping his hand perfectly level
in front of him.

At the end of this move he was holding a grayish-white
sword, the blade was glimmering slightly in the harsh white
from the light above us.

"Whow," I commented, pushing my glasses back up on my nose.

"You like it?" He asked, handing the sword over to me. It
was amazing lightly, maybe only a dozen pounds. The balance
on it was exactly perfect and the hilt was made to fit a
human hand. From the shape of it, I gathered it would fit
Ren so well he wouldn't know he was holding it.

Elena reached out for the sword. "May I see that?" sie
asked.

I shrugged, handing it to hir.

Taking it from me sie moved it slowly through the air,
whisking it around in front of hirself. Finally sie brought
the hilt up to hir nose and smelled it.

"It's made of your bone." Sie commented, offering it back to
him.

He happily took it back, smiling widely. "Exactly, I have a
perverted healing power. I can control my own bones, to an
extent." As he spoke the sword seemed to melt back into his
hand.

"I can extrude bone structures from my palms, swords,
daggers and other such things." He said, dusting his hands
off once the sword had vanished. "It does drain me a bit,
and I do lose bone mass doing it. Though I do have a
reserve, it's why my lower arms are so bulky."

As he said this he rolled up his shirt sleeve, showing us
that his arm did look larger then normal. "Once I'm out of
the reserves I start lose strength in my bones. If I lose a
large amount I can break something just by tapping it
wrong."

"Interesting," was my comment.

He smiled. "Useful, it means I can carry a number of tools
with me. I just have to know them completely so I can copy
them, for example." He spread his fingers, four small little
pieces of bone were held in his palm. "A lock pick set."

I laughed. "Well then, get us out of here," I said,
motioning to the door.

"Yes sir," he said. Still smiling, he walked over to the
door, sticking his arms out through the bars. Closing his
eyes he stayed there a minute, every now and then moving his
hand one way or another.

After another minute he gave a slight chuckle and for a few
seconds both hands were moving. Then, with a soft snap, the
door swung out a few inches.

Ren leaned back, stretching his arms. "Sorry it took so
long, had to get a feel for the lock first."

"It's perfectly fine," I said, "you've learned the skills
quite well."

He smiled, standing up and dusting off his pants. "It's a
required skill for being a Hunter, maybe you should take the
class."

"I just might," I said, swinging the door open the rest of
the way and stepping out into the hall. It was lined with
cells down it's length, but ours was the only one with a
light on inside. The only other light was at the guards
station at the end of the hallway.

Elena walked up behind Ren as he stood in the door way. "I'm
impressed," sie commented, "I've never seen a blind lock
picked that fast."

He smiled. "Yes, some times I amaze myself, but not often."

"He's modest," I mumbled to myself as I started down the
hallway. Elena let out a snicker as sie followed me, hir
stronger hearing easily picking it up when Ren never even
knew I had spoken.

As I reached the end of the hallway I slowed down, stopping
just before the corner. Moving slowly I took a quick look at
the guard station.

"How many do you see?" Elena asked.

"One," I answered. He was sitting with his back to use,
working on something at the table he was sitting at. I
wasn't quite sure what, I didn't have that good of a view.
In the corner I could see mine and Elena's packs, as well as
our assorted weapons. On the far side of the room was
another locked door.

"Just the one," Ren asked, moving up next to me.

I nodded, pulling my head back. "He's all alone."

"Good," Ren said, then stepped past me and into the light. I
swore, trying to grab him, but he was already standing
behind the guard. In a quick move his hands were around the
guards neck.

"Hi," Ren said with a smile. "Listen, we were wondering if
you would be so kind to escort us out of the city?" As he
spoke I walked over to my pack. I could see that Ren had a
small dagger in his hand and was pressing it against the
guards throat.

"If not," he continued, "it's not that big of a problem.
We'll just leave you here." He pressed the dagger a bit
tighter against his neck. "I'm sure you can guess the rest."

The guard said a swear that didn't translate into anything
in english. "I'll lead you out of the city you heartless
swine," he finally said, twisting his head to spit on Ren's
shoe.

Ren laughed, "Come now, if you help us you'll be just fine.
We did force you after all. No tricks though," He pressed
harder again. "I would not like that."

"Trying to put fear of god in him?" I asked, as I re-holster
my two guns. I had already put my pack back on.

He smiled. "Oh no, the fear of me is far more powerful right
now."

I sighed, stepped aside as Elena re-equipped hirself as
well. "Fine then, just don't kill him, please. We're not
here for that."

He shrugged, pulling the guard to his feet. "Currently,
that's not my decision, now is it?" the last part was
directed to the guard.

The guard snorted.

Ren walked him over to the door leading outside. "Open it
please."

The guard compiled, quickly unlocking the door for us. Ren
pushed him forward again. "Now take us to the closest
unguarded exit to this city if you could."

He nodded and started to walk down the hallway. Elena and I
followed a few feet back.

"Was it the best idea to bring him?" Elena whispered, "he
seems to be a bit over zealous."

I returned hir whisper. "Would you rather be back in the
cell," Sie frowned at that. "Ok, don't answer that. The
point is we're out, and as long as he doesn't kill the man
I'll be happy."

"Not much of a fan of death?" Sie asked with a slight upturn
of hir lips. I wasn't sure if it was a twitch or a smile.

"No," I responded, turning a corner. "Frankly I don't like
killing anyone. It's almost always unnecessary."

Sie laughed softly, "for you. For me though..." sie didn't
answer, sie just smiled at me wide enough that I could see
hir elongated canines.

We turned a second corner and was suddenly outside in a
small courtyard. There were a few other exits and one door
in the far wall. The whole place was illuminated by a series
of lights around the buildings that made of the edges of it.

"That door leads to the castle orchard." The guard said, "On
the far side you will find a second door that leads out of
the city, both will be unlocked, but once you leave the door
will not open for you again."

Ren smiled, and then shoved him back towards one of the
other entrances into the small courtyard. "Thank you, your
help has been greatly appreciated."

He spat on the ground as he rubbed his neck. "You are a
coward, the only weapon you know how to wield is fear."

My companion turned around to face him. "Is that so?"

"If you had any honor you would have fought me in battle,
not attack me from behind."

A look of hanger crossed his face, his clenched his fist
slightly. "Very well then." He snapped his head around.
"Elena, could you let this man borrow your sword?"

Sie frowned, but did draw hir sword, handing it over to the
guard.

"So, you finally wish to fight me?" He said, holding the
sword by his side. "With what, your hands?"

Ren laughed, and did a quick series of complex hand gestures
the resulted with him holding a large sword, bigger then the
one he had shown us in the cell. All in all the display of
his was more distracting to him then to the Guard.

The elf laughed. "A magiced sword? Is that suppose to
impress me?"

Ren fell back into a fighting stance. "Fight," He snapped
out.

"Willingly!" The guard said, his sword up and slashing
towards Ren's head. Ren had already moved, ducking to one
side and blocking the blade.

Spinning around he broke away from the guard and brought his
sword down for an attack on the lower body. The guard easily
countered, swinging his sword down and back up, sending
Ren's blade up and over his shoulder.

Stepping back Ren narrowly avoided a quick cut at his arm,
once again attacking with his sword, this time higher up,
aiming for the shoulder. The guard's sword meet his in the
air, but Ren twisted this time, sending his sword across the
guards, slicing through the air towards his head.

The guard's reflexes saved him, causing him to drop and roll
back over the stone work that covered the ground. He
returned to his feet in a second though, his sword moving to
block Ren's newest attack.

This time the guard returned it with his foot, pulling Ren's
legs out from under him with one foot while he spun around
with the other.

Ren hit the ground with his free hand, using it to push him
to the side, avoiding the guards attack, then sprung to his
feet. Moving sideways slowly the pair sized each other up,
each one taking a few quick breaths.

Ren moved first, moving his arms one way then just a quickly
spinning around, trying to take the guard by surprise. The
guard saw what he was doing and had his blade at the ready,
easily blocking Ren's advance.

Backing off with his sword Ren slashed down one way then
spun the sword around, slashing upwards. The guard hadn't
expected this and received a small slice along his upper
arm. It wasn't deep, but it was first blood.

"Give up," Ren asked, backing up a pace.

The guard smirked, moving sideways on the balls of his feet.
"No," he said leaping to the side and slashing with his
sword. Ren blocked, forcing his sword up and causing the
pair to spin before breaking away from each other.

Ren increased his attack, slashing five times quickly,
barely leaving enough time for the guard to block. Each blow
forcing the man to take a step back, closer and closer to
where Elena and I stood..

I saw an opening to end this without more blood shed.
Pulling one of my guns out I spun it in my hand and stepped
behind the guard. Before he even knew I was there I slammed
the butt of the gun right into the base of his skull.

The elf froze for a few seconds before slowly toppling over
to the side.

Ren was august, holding his sword prone in the air and
staring at me, his jaw agape. "What the hell did you do?"

I shrugged, putting the guy away. "I knocked him out."

"I had him finished, in two more moves I would have had him
pinned and he would have had to admit defeat." He was
started to bellow, pulling his sword back into his body.

Elena growled as sie picked up hir sword. "Then what, honor,
glory or would you prefer death? Do you think nobody heard
your fight, people will be coming to investigate soon. We
must leave if we have any hope of living."

Ren started to say something but I was right there between
them. "Listen, we don't have time for you two to fight.
Right now we have to get the hell out of here before we're
captured again. Can we at least do that first?"

He nodded. "Yes," he answered, his voice carrying his anger
with one word as well as it did with many.

Elena snorted, but didn't say anything else.

Neither one of them said anything else until we were well
away from the city.

   To Be Continued...

-----

This story is (c) 1998 by Fox Cutter, hardcopy reprints
limited to one a person, all other rights reserved. This
story may not be distributed for a fee except by permission
of the author, and this copyright notice may not be removed.
Elena and hir world is (c) 1998 by Chris Bradford.