The Hero's Gaze

Wooden chairs scraped against the stone floor like nails on a chalkboard as guardsman surged to their feet. Alaric’s eye twitched. His jaw clenched tight as he quickly scanned the room. From the high ceilings and windows, he recognised it to be the same workshop he spied on earlier. From this level, he could see other large doors along the walls that were previously hidden from view.

Alaric felt ripples of power emanating from the other end of the room. A power that only the blood of the divine sense. It had been too long since he felt something this…dense.

Two guards carefully picked up a table with ten round balls, each with a candle wick sticking out, and shuffled it to the corner of the underground workshop. Guardsmen dragged the remaining workbenches and chairs to the far wall, leaving a large open area. Alaric stretched the kinks out of his neck, tossed his jacket to the side, and rolled up his sleeves. His eyes stayed fixed on the giant at the other end of the room. A dozen guardsmen began taking coins out of their pockets and dumping them on one of the work benches.

“What’s happening?” Elara turned to Alaric.

He ignored her.

She then pulled on Kethryll’s robe to get his attention. “What is going on?”

“A time-honoured tradition,” Kethryll whispered.

“What?” Elara’s eyes bulged.

“The unspoken agreement between foes,” Kethryll’s tone was as if he was talking to a child. “When a lone warrior faces an enemy of superior numbers, the combatants pool their coin and fight hand-to-hand combat. The winning takes the pot.”

“Why don’t they just all attack at once?” Elara asked.

Alaric took his magical pouch from his pocket and retrieved a gold coin. He tossed it into the pile.

“Are you crazy, woman?” Kethryll shook himself. “They are honour bound to fight one-on-one to see who can defeat a man crazy enough to fight them all by himself and claim the pool.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Elara threw her hands up.

The giant demigod pulled a gold coin from his pocket and bit the end of it. Satisfied, he spat to the side and then flicked the coin with his thumb. It landed on the table and spun. It continued to spin for a few more heartbeats before it came to rest on its edge.

“Shhh,” Kethryll waved her away. “An omen. This is going to be good.”

The guardsmen started to form a line. The giant folded his arms, legs held firmly in place.

Silence washed over the room.

Alaric clenched his fists and spat to the side.

He charged.

The guard first in line ran forward two paces and swung his right fist. Alaric slipped to the right and rammed a fist into his opponent's stomach. Alaric felt the man crumple around his hand before flying off and hitting a wall. From the corner of his eye, Alaric saw a boot come flying for his head. He stepped forward, grabbed the leg then spun, sending the body attached to it into the other wall.

Alaric continued his pirouette until he faced the charging line of guardsmen. In the blink of an eye, he stepped forward and raised his boot, then rammed it into the chest of the closest body. The force of the kick hurdled four men into the back wall, barely missing the giant who was yet to move a muscle.

Arms from behind looped around Alaric’s biceps. More arms wrapped around his waist and thighs. One of the larger guards ran towards Alaric and punched.

Alaric took the full weight of the guard’s punch to the side of his face. With knuckles still buried into his left cheek, Alaric turned to glare at the guardsman. Shock, then fear filled the man’s eyes.

Alaric let out a snarl. He tossed one set of hands from his arms aside and then reached over to grab the other set of hands. Bones snapped in his grip. A whimpering cry rang out. He grasped behind his back and felt a handful of hair. He tossed the man like a dirty towel from his waist. He kicked the air, sending two blurred figures into Wood shattered. Pain filled the air.

Clouds of dust and splinters of wood churned where once stood a tidy workshop. Voices that cried out in pain soon settled into murmurs. A Door, twisted and broken, fell from its last remaining hinge. The sound reverberated off the stone walls.

A lone bead of sweat rolled from Alaric’s temple.

The giant stepped forward.

A sneer crossed his face. The giant reached up to his shoulder with a meaty paw and snatched a handful of clothing. The jacket and shirt peeled from his wide frame. The material was torn from the seams, revealing muscles as thick as rope. The demigod stretched his arms wide then hunching over, contracted all the muscles in his arms and chest. Sinew and muscle rippled under the flesh like a shark beneath the ocean’s surface. Teeth flashed in a wicked smile. He then inhaled a lug full of air, straightened, and raised his arms horizontally. Arm's bend at the elbow. Biceps threatened to explode from the skin.

Alaric wiped his brow, then showed his palm to his opponent. No Sweat. He cracked both sets of knuckles and then raised his fists. It was then that he to the demigod's measure. Looking the monster up and down, it was obvious to all that the giant standing across from Alaric possessed incredible strength. Alaric decided that his speed was his best weapon.

A glint caught Alaric's eye. Three golden rings hung from the demigod's body. A ring for each nipple and one through the belly button.

Before Alaric could frown, the beast lunged forward. He ducked and rolled in time to miss the head-size fist aimed for his head. He spun and turned at the same time. A boot was inches from his chest. Alaric reached out and pushed off the shin. He sailed backwards in the air. The high windows came within his peripheral vision. The ceiling must be two stories high, he realised.

The giant eyed him with caution.

Alaric landed softly on his feet at the other end of the workshop.

“I would have your name, intruder,” the demigod said in that high tone.

“I am Alaric,” he replied. “Son of Athanter. The god of cured meats and haberdashery. And you?”

“I am Bruteon,” Bruteon straighten. “Son of Borean. The god of weightlifting and jewellery design.”

“I’m here to put an end to the duke's schemes,” Alaric said. “Stand down, Bruteon. And I will see that your crimes will be sentenced lightly.”

“I will consider it, Alaric,” Bruteon cocked his head, then sighed. “Nope.”

Within a heartbeat, Bruteon surged forward and snatched Alaric by his collar. Before Aleric could react he was flying towards Elara and Kethryll. Elara’s eyes widened. A flash of purple, and the two were gone from his flight path.

Stone walls were a blur as Alaric flew down the corridor. His body twisted. He reached out to the stream of cobbled stone that was the floor. Nails gouged deep tracks. Alaric slowed enough for his feet to find purchase. He looked up to see a log-shaped arm.

Alaric's nose shattered on impact. His body spun twice in the air before he landed face-down on the cold, hard stone. He spat the metallic taste from his mouth. Crimson pooled before him. Instinctively Alaric pushed off the ground with a burst of power. Bruteon slammed his boot down where Alaric had been. Shattered cobbles and dust filled the air.

As Alaric began to twist to land on his feet, a giant's fist crashed into his chest. The stone wall crashed around him and he flew into another chamber. He felt two more walls smash across his back until he skidded to a halt.

He gasped a few times before air filled his lungs. The dull grating sound filled the air. Alaric looked up to see Bruteon squeeze himself through the hole in the wall. Rubble fell in his wake.

“You disappoint me, Alaric.”

“You’re not the first,” Alaric shook his head. Dust fell from his hair. He glanced around. They were in some sort of storage chamber. Wooden crates were stacked floor to ceiling. Some were damaged from Alaric crashing through the wall. Copper coins poured out in a steady, bronze stream.

He sighed, then rose to his feet. Pain rippled through his joints as he raised his fist.

Bruteon sneered.

Alaric dashed forward. Bruteon swung his right fist. Alaric ducked and pivoted to the right. A left hook slammed into the giant's right knee. A moan of pain. Bruteon crumpled. Alaric pushed off the balls of his feet to stop at Bruteon's back.

A right hook to the kidney caused the demigod to arch back in pain. The other kidney got the same treatment. More groans filled the air.

Alaric dashed to the side, spun and launched himself at the crippled giant. A harsh war cry coarse from his throat. His right fist raised to deliver the final blow. Bruteon twisted towards Alaric and caught him with an uppercut.

Stars filled his vision as his head impacted the ceiling. He winced and then realised that they were actual stars. A weight settled in his stomach as he stopped travelling upwards. He looked around. Below was the mansion’s patio area. The guests were assembled in a group all looking up at him, except one. It was the duke. He was facing the crowd giving a speech. In the gardens, workers were arranging the weird pipes full of gunpowder that he saw earlier that evening.

Gravity tugged at him. Alaric raced towards the ground, arms flapping. He fell through the hole in the ground and into the waiting embrace of Bruteon.

Slick arms squeezed Alaric into Bruteon's sweaty chest. Alaric gagged. The iron hug tightened. Vertebrae popped.

“I would say you fought well,” Bruteon pressed Alaric tighter. “But then I'd be lying.”

Alaric let out a cry.

The golden glint caught his eye again. Alaric snapped his teeth on a ring and whipped his back. Flesh tore.

A pungent rush of air gushed from the wound. The flesh flapped in the torrent making a flatulent sound. The grip loosened. Bruteon wailed.

Alaric bit down on the other ring and pulled. Stifling air blew Alaric's eyelids back. Waving nipples whined to a crawl and Alaric found himself free from Bruteon’s embrace. He staggered back a few steps.

From the abdomen up, the giant’s once bulbous physique was now naught but skin. Like an untethered sail flapping in the breeze, Bruteon’s skin hung from shrivelled bones. The demigod tried to pinch his nipples to stem the flow, but he was too late.

Alaric blinked, shook his head and blinked again. He reached out and tore off the last ring. Bruteon’s high-pitched squeal forced Alaric to step back. Waist and legs deflated in a foul gust of air. Alaric reeled back holding his nose. Once all the air was released, Alaric turned back to see Bruteon was now his size.

“You son of a bitc—.”

Alaric cut Bruteon off with a punch in the face. Bruteon’s eyes glazed over, his body stiffened and then fell backwards with a crunch.

Alaric spat a bloody tooth out. “Back at ya.”

With a sigh, Alaric bent down and grabbed Bruteon by the folds of skin on the back of his neck like a kitten.

“You’re under arrest,” Alaric muttered as he trudged out of the chamber.

After what felt like an eternity Alaric emerged from the corridor’s gloom, with Bruteon’s feet dragging beside him, to see Elara and Kethyrll binding the last of the unconscious guards.

Bodies lay strewn amongst fragments of shattered wood and stone.

“Took you long enough,” Elara dusted off the palms of her hands.

Alaric dropped his prisoner in a heap and shuffled over to one of the few intact chairs. He set it upright on its legs and then collapsed on it with a sigh. He watched Kethyrll dart to the far end of the room, where the table of ten balls with candle wicks sticking out of them. There were only nine now. Alaric rubbed the side of his head. He must have miscounted before.

“The seals not here,” Kethyrll called out as picked up a knapsack and made his way to the table with the pile of coins. In one swipe of his hand, Kethyrll slid the coins into the bag.

“They must be in the duke’s office,” Kethyrll walked up to Alaric.

Alaric’s eyes fell to the knapsack.

“Don’t worry,” Kethyrll patted the bag that now hung over his shoulder. “You’ll get your share. Onward!”

Kethyrll left his blurry field of vision. Footsteps and the jiggling of coins faded into the corridor. Alaric was too exhausted to keep his eyelids from falling. His head hung low. A foot tapped his leg.

“Breaks over,” Elara smiled down at him.

A spark rekindled a fire deep within Alaric. He gave Elara a weak smile and pushed off his knees to stand.

A loud crack echoed in Alaric's back, causing him to stop halfway up.

“You guys go ahead,” tears filled Alaric’s eyes. “I’ll catch up in a minute.”