Revenant's Resolve Chapter 20

Botezatu stalked forward, pulling the sword’s tip free of the ground soundlessly.

“What is he, then? Some kind of Mage? A telepath friend of yours, Zarah?” the Knight demanded, glancing between Reznik and the observation box. “To merely give the facade of a trial by comb-“

“Silence, Sir Botezatu.” Prince Vezemir spoke at a volume loud enough to be heard in the arena, but without a hint of the wrath that Botezatu displayed. “Your exploits are well-known. My father spoke so highly of you, and so I have set before you someone I hope will be your equal in combat. A… test, I suppose you could say.

“The aging Eastern Shield himself versus a man who threatens to take that accolade as his own mantle.”

“May the gods watch over your father’s soul, Prince.” Botezatu briefly closed his eyes before smirking and adding far quieter: “At least he wouldn’t have allowed this farce under his rule - he even kept your mother in line.”

“ENOUGH!” Vezemir roared, slamming his fists against the wooden wall of the box. “Botezatu! You allowed a Revenant to walk free in our lands - a beast you are sworn to kill on sight, still at large! Were it anyone else in my entire kingdom, I would have them hung from the walls of the keep!

“Your honor and your experience are what has earned you this bout to prove your innocence, along with my own personal gratitude. I pray that if there were anyone in my lands with the sense to bend the right rules, that they stand in my presence right now.

“My mother wanted you flayed alive! I sacrificed another half-year until I ascend to the throne to have you here under -my- judgment today.”

Botezatu stared up at the box with a resolute, stony expression. Most of the previous wrath painted there had either been hidden, or fled upon Prince Vezemir’s explanation.

“I… see. So be it, then.” Botezatu gulped and nodded solemnly, the sword’s tip bouncing once from where it pointed at the ground.

Then, he looked back to Reznik, lifted the sword in front of his face, and flicked the blade back out again.

Oh hell…

Reznik stood motionless, trying to decide on a course of action.

Something, anything that would stand a reasonable chance of sparing him his life, Sir Botezatu’s, and the two women in the stand next to the Prince.

Botezatu also appeared to be considering him curiously, with a noticeable tilt to his head.

“Strong, silent type, mh?” Botezatu quirked a brow at Reznik that held a hint of humor.

Reznik, devoid of any other reply, simply nodded.

What can I say?

It’s kind of my -thing- by now.

“I like that in a sparring partner. Most nobles won’t shut the hell up.” The corner of Botezatu’s lip quirked up as the faintest indent of crows' feet formed around his eyes.

Then, he struck.

With speed that felt inhuman, Botezatu crossed the short distance between them, dodged under Reznik’s instinctive haymaker, and plunged his sword to the hilt through a gap in the armor of Reznik’s side.

With a spin, Botezatu ripped the sword free and sprang out to Reznik’s right.

Before he could realign his thoughts, Reznik was already following the man with a wrath-filled roar.

He closed the distance, swinging out in an attempt to likely grab Botezatu’s skull and crush it between his hands. Instead, Botezatu smacked the flat of his blade against Reznik’s armored wrists with enough force to send his arms whipping around the opposite direction.

As Botezatu bounded back, Reznik finally managed to wrangle control of his body again - demanding that it stop for a second and let him think.

No!

We can’t kill him, not yet!

He doesn’t deserve it! If he does, then so do those two up there!

“I admire your fortitude. Takes a tough man to get ran through and go on the offensive!” Botezatu praised, circling around behind Reznik as Reznik followed the man with his head and eyes. “What are you? Orc? Dragonnewt?”

Nope! Try again!

Now… how in the fuck do I keep you alive through this?

Wait - are all duels to the death?

The king didn’t say this was to the death, just trial by combat!

Maybe I ca-

Reznik’s thoughts were interrupted by a lightning fast overhead swing by Botezatu that he managed to block with the steel gauntlets on his wrist at the last possible second. Then, without hesitation, Reznik’s opponent yanked the blade back from Reznik’s crossed forearms and deftly brought the tip up and under one of the plates on Reznik’s chest.

Likely, if he were still human, it would’ve torn through his heart, or at least mangled a lung.

Unfortunately for Botezatu, the well-executed maneuver did not go in his favor.

Instead, Reznik grabbed Botezatu’s forearms, howled, and attempted to bite off Botezatu’s face.

Which, because of the helmet, ended up with a remarkably powerful headbut that earned a crunch from Botezatu’s nose.

With a short grunt, Botezatu scrambled back, holding a hand to his nose with a pain-filled wince.

Reznik gnashed his teeth, ripping free the sword still buried in his chest with a rasping shriek, before flinging it off to the side.

Wait!

Hold!

I know you want to eat him but we literally can’t right now!

Botezatu’s eyes followed the sword through the air before it landed in the dirt on the side of the arena that Reznik had entered from.

They landed back on Reznik with a narrow stare as Botezatu slowed his breathing and righted his posture. The former Riverguard commander glanced up to the stands, blew out a spray of blood from one nostril, and smiled grimly.

“Fitting.” Botezatu began to chuckle darkly, slowly fading into a deep sigh. “I am to die by the consequences of my own actions, then.

“You’ve come a long way since that jail cell, haven’t you, Revenant?”

Botezatu smiled grimly, then pinched his nose and pushed it sideways with an audible pop before slowly walking to where his sword had fallen.

Ah. Good, he recognizes me!

Deeply, Reznik hoped that now that Botezatu understood what he was up against, and that a resolution ending with both of them alive and whole could be found.

“I told you once that I’ve fought several of your kin before. Killed them too.” Botezatu explained calmly, picking up his sword. “And that I couldn’t promise your safety after the battle - that someone may force my hand.

“I don’t know if you can feel pain, but I will still do my best to make it quick.”

Oh, fuck, he recognizes me.

Botezatu didn’t waste any more words, sprinting across the distance between them, bringing his sword down over his head with enough force to whistle the tip.

Reznik attempted to block, but right before he expected to feel the rattling impact of his opponent’s blade, it instead slammed into a gap in his hip armor. The blade bit into the leather underneath, cutting a short distance into Reznik’s skin as Botezatu ripped the weapon back, dodged underneath Reznik’s swung fist, and then slammed the hilt of the weapon into Reznik’s helmet.

The vicious attack sent Reznik stumbling forward, confused as to how the old man could move so fast.

Before he’d had time to process, Reznik felt the impact of the sword behind his left knee, glancing off of his shoulder, and then plunging deep into his back.

It was ripped free a moment later, and Reznik barely had enough time to raise his hands when the blade was placed against his neck and Botezatu began to pull back.

Reznik had managed to grip the sword on its blade with his thick leather gloves, fighting against Botezatu’s attempt to shear off his head. Or at least through his throat.

Fuck!

Botezatu I really don’t want to kill you!

Fine, we’ll do this again.

Reznik’s body let loose another wild howl and pushed the blade forward, overpowering Botezatu’s strength at the same time as Reznik slammed his head back into what he hoped was Botezatu’s nose. After moving, the blade gave an inch, Reznik suddenly found himself pushing against empty air as his opponent dropped the blade and kicked him roughly on his back.

Reznik dropped it and scrambled to his feet, spinning wildly on Botezatu, who watched him with a curious expression.

“I must hand it to Zarah, the armor does make this problem a lot harder to solve.” Botezatu mused gruffly, snorting in through his nose and blowing a wad of bloody phlegm out through his mouth. “Normally, I would just cut off all your limbs, then your head, and then burn everything to ash. But that’s not really an option, now, is it?”

Alright.

So we beat him within an inch of his life.

Until he capitulates or can’t move.

The we hope Zarah can negotiate for Botezatu’s release.

He glanced a moment up to the box and found that Zarah was already arguing in a hushed, harsh whisper with Vezemir.

Vezemir, for his part, continued to watch the spectacle before him with an unbothered, intrigued expression.

Then, Botezatu began his attack again, walking calmly towards Reznik with an unreadable expression.

Reznik attempted to strike first, leaping forward at Botezatu as he brought his armored hand down in a wild slash aimed for Botezatu’s head.

Botezatu narrowly avoided it, bouncing to the side in a lightning-fast dash that left Reznik spinning to try and find him again.

Only, Botezatu had begun to sprint directly for the sword that Reznik had pulled free from him earlier.

On instinct, Reznik pursued his prey as Botezatu slid to a stop, grabbed the sword, and curled into a ball.

As Reznik leapt upon Botezatu, he found the pommel of the man’s longsword slammed into his gut, and instead of taking the former knight to the ground, Reznik was carried by his momentum forward into a flopping roll.

“You need finesse!” Botezatu growled as his blade darted out at Reznik’s arm while he was pushing himself up to his feet.

It clanged off of Reznik’s gauntlet harmlessly, but it did knock his arm out of balance enough that Reznik stumbled to find his balance.

Gotta get some breathing room!

Jump!

Go backwards! Or forwards!

Just away!

Reznik’s body sprang nearly ten feet into the air as it leapt abruptly backward, having just barely enough footing to do so. Landing with a dense thud, Reznik found Botezatu approaching him quickly, but with a faint limp in his right leg.

“Let’s put an end to this, shall we?”

Agreed.

Attack the sword, not him.

If we remove the weapon, we can just take him to the ground, and end the fight quickly.

Use that finesse he mentioned.

Then, Reznik shoved the idea at his body.

At the same moment as Botezatu came into range, whipping his sword around to bite at Reznik’s neck, Reznik sprang forward, bringing his left hand down at Botezatu’s face.

Botezatu attempted to dodge to the side, but only ended up leaping into Reznik’s outstretched right arm. Botezatu’s sword still clanged off of Reznik’s pauldron, but Reznik gripped the back of Botezatu’s coat with his right hand and wrenched back, effectively slamming Botezatu against his chest plate.

Then, with a shriek, Reznik threw Botezatu to the ground, following him with a raised fist.

Finesse!

Only hit him with a quarter of our strength!

Reznik felt the moment that Botezatu’s jaw crunched under his knuckles.

Then he felt one of Botezatu’s ribs crack as he brought a blow down there a moment later, followed by a deep wheeze from from his opponent.

That’s enough!

“NO!” Reznik heard the feminine scream a moment later as his body wrapped its hands together and prepared to stave in Botezatu’s chest.

With a mental push that felt like him bringing a sledge down on his own body, Reznik tried to halt the attack.

Almost to his own surprise, his body moved a moment longer, then froze stock-still, arms midway into the killing blow.

Whew. That was close.

Botezatu made a small groaning noise before his eyes rolled back into his skull and he stopped moving. With that finished, Reznik looked up to the viewing box to find Luminita leaned over the parapet, watching with wide fear-filled eyes.

Reznik also noted the unusually high number of crows in the air. And on the walls of the arena.

And also the ground around Reznik.

All were focused on him with rapt attention.

More unsettlingly, they all remained perfectly silent. Which, as far as Reznik understood, was not something this many crows did often.

Or ever.

In the silence, Prince Vezemir began to clap slowly, rising out of his seat to also lean over the edge.

“Well done!” Vezemir laughed with a bright smile on his face. “Oh, very well done! I was at the edge of my seat the entire time! Now, I think you’ve earned a reward, friend! Feel free to enjoy a meal, if you like!”

Prince Vezemir waved a hand at Reznik, glancing downward to the unconscious man beneath him, much to Luminita’s clear horror.

“Pri-“ Luminita began, but was cut off by a wave of the Prince’s hand.

“Silence, please.” Vezemir smiled in a flat, polite way that felt out of place with the scene before him.

Luminita looked to Zarah, who also shot her a glare that seemed to go on a moment too long.

Those two are up to something…

Zarah probably just said something in Luminita’s head… but what? And why isn’t she speaking to me?

“So go then. Feast upon your vanquished if you so desire!” Vezemir presented with a pride-filled grin.

Something about it didn’t feel right.

If I so desire?

Well, as hungry as I suddenly find myself - I don’t.

Get me a steak, a dead deer, even a convicted murder, maybe… but not Botezatu.

Slowly, Reznik shook his head side to side.

The Prince raised a brow curiously, leaning forward against a small crenelation.

“And why not?” Vezemir demanded, resting his jaw on the palm of his hand. “The man just clearly tried to kill you, after all. He’s also killed a number of your race. If you hadn’t pulled that little switch-up at the end, you would likely be quartered and burning to death right now.

“I know you’ve also eaten men before, so why is it such a problem all of a sudden? Ah, does my presence make you squeamish?”

The Prince’s glare was intense as he waited for Reznik’s reply.

Come on Zarah…

Get in my head!

Translate for me, please!

Reznik turned his head and stared at Zarah with a pleading hope.

“Ah-ah, not you.” Vezemir lifted a waggling finger and turned his head fractionally back to the telepath. “Revenants do not speak. They do not hold compassion, or kindness.  That is reserved for Men alone.

“I wish to hear his reasoning, simple as it may be from his own lips. If he fails, I will have my guard and Captain Harvish kill them both.”

From my own lips.

Fuck.

Goddamnit.

Reznik knew what he would have to do. He would have to speak. And not something simple, intuitive such as his own name.

He would have to put together a semi-complete sentence.

Something understandable, otherwise this would have been for nothing.

I really should’ve just stayed in the wastes.

Damnit.

Okay.

I know I’m hungry, but this is something that needs to be done.

Reznik took in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused his will into pointing his finger down at Botezatu.

Gradually, twitchingly, his pinkie, thumb, ring, and middle finger curled inward to the palm, leaving only his index extended.

Slowly, it lowered down until he was more or less lined up with Botezatu’s bleeding nose.

He’s a friend!

A good man, damnit!

“Ff-ff-ff…” his lips curled and sputtered as Vezemir tilted his head and put a finger to his ear.

FRIEND!

“FF-rr-end. Frrrreen.” Reznik managed to get out the word with considerable effort.

He protects the Kingdom! Protects you!

He nearly died to protect the citizens of Carcal!

He fought to keep everyone safe from the Bessarbans.

“Pp-pp-ro Tekt.” Reznik continued to stutter wildly, and hoped he would at least be partially understandable at this distance. “Aaa-ll”

“Oh my… Are you saying we have this all wrong, servant?” Vezemir questioned almost rhetorically, presentingly as if there were an audience around them. “That your good -friend-, Sir Botezatu, clearly recognized that the thing in his cell was not in fact, a Revenant, but something completely unknown from the southern wastes? And that while his decision was hasty, he did it to protect his citizens and the kingdom as a whole?”

Reznik’s train of thought caught for a moment as he tried to put together just what the Prince was up to.

Slowly, he nodded.

“Well, that is most interesting! You see, master, oh- what was your name again?” Vezemir questioned after Reznik finished nodding, again leaning his ear forward.

With a mental sigh, and another thrust against his psyche, Reznik pushed his own name towards his lips.

“Rrrreeznik.”

“Ah, that’s right, Master Reznik! So terribly rude of me to forget.” Prince Vezemir waved a dismissive hand and smiled politely at nothing. “You see, your benefactor, my head Inquisitor, Zarah informed me that you were a Revenant.

“Clearly both she and Sir Botezatu were woefully mistaken by your appearance and personal manner. Obviously, you are no Revenant! Revenants do not speak or make friends, least of all with those duty-bound to end their existence!”

I…

That’s actually not an unfair stance to take, really.

I hardly resemble what I was just two months ago - I mean, fuck, I haven’t eaten a person in over three weeks now!

No more mindless violence either.

Reznik saw the validity in Vezemir’s train of thought, but also how he was bending the letter of whatever law was in place in his, Zarah’s, and Botezatu’s favor.

“Now, we’re no strangers to strange new things here in Wallach. I mean, gods above, why else would we send inquisitors into the wastes to learn anything we can?” The Prince smiled and looked for approval from Zarah, who squinted but slowly nodded along with him. “Therefore, I find Botezatu not guilty of treason, and will allow Zarah’s sponsorship of Reznik as a common citizen with a writ of royal approval.”

I… a citizen?

Does… does that mean I won’t have to hide anymore?

Or at least that I can go out sometimes?

“Now, Harvish, can you dispatch the healers for poor Sir Botezatu down there? I fear that our armored friend did not take it easy on him.” The Prince said a moment later, reminding Reznik that he was still crouched atop Botezatu’s unconscious body.

Ah. Right! I should probably exit through the door I came through, then.

And hopefully eat - I could do with a whole leg of pork right now. Or a leg of cow.

Hell, I would eat an entire live chicken if one crossed my path, feathers and all.