50th of Searing, 120: Continued from here.
[indent=30]Arkash looked behind him again to see the human arrive at the entrance of the Alley, followed shortly by his brother. That one-way path was the perfect opportunity for Brodie to catch up to the lizard, and as he bombed toward Arkash, it looked as though he might.
[indent=30]The Rathari had other plans and turned to face forward. The stack of crates was still there from a few nights ago. So, using his tail, he whipped the lowest crate on his way past and knocked it out from under the other crates the result was a makeshift blockade that dropped all over the Alley floor and blocked the human's way. That didn't stop him from trying to clear it with a long jump, of course. The sound of crashing wood sounded through the narrow passage as Brodie's, followed by Chad's weight dropped into the crates. "YOU'RE DEAD WHEN I CATCH YOU, FREAK!!" Cried Brodie's voice from down the alleyway.
[indent=30]It was going so well! At that rate, Arkash would be able to climb up the downspout with ease and escape the vicious humans. The downspout in question came into view up ahead, and Arkash heard the boxes shift behind him. He had a bit more time thanks to the crates, but that didn't mean he could mess up this next part as he did in the first few tries. That could have been the difference between life and death; he had to make it count.
[indent=30]Breathing heavy, he sprinted just a little harder at the corner of the wall, then straightened up at the last moment and leaped. His tensed legs kicked off the right wall and propelled him like a spring to a higher elevation while momentum carried him forward. With his claws ready, he gripped the downspout, then found his footing with his talon-like claws on the support brace of the spout. He'd done it, but it wasn't over yet. He had to climb to the rooftop.
[indent=30]As the lizard began to ascend, the sound of Brodie's and Chad's footsteps echoed below. He was out of their reach, he was sure. But they could still throw things at him, or worse: Climb up and drag him down. His body was relatively light, save for his tail, so he tensed his arms while he gripped the pole tight and pulled his body up. The amount of force it took to squeeze the metal and support his weight was immense, but he managed. His lower claws followed after his hands and gradually pushed him up. Steadily, he wormed his way along the pole.
[indent=30]But, it wasn't enough.
[indent=30]"Break it down," snarled Brodie, and bitter hatred dripped from his tongue, much like Arkash's venom.
[indent=30]Break what down? The downspout? Arkash laughed internally. Chad was strong, but not that strong... Right?
[indent=30]The whole downspout jerked suddenly, and Arkash looked down to see the more muscular of the three brothers. He'd pressed his foot against the water's exit, and had the spout wrapped in a hug. Normally, Arkash would be far less concerned, but the amount of maintenance the spout had received was probably... Nonexistent. It would come down with ease.
[indent=30]The first bolt of the lower supporting brace came free, and the whole thing jerked again. There was no time to lose. He had to climb faster. Arkash was perhaps halfway up the spout when the entire thing broke from the wall, and gravity claimed him.
[indent=30]The fall was slow at first, then quickly sped up as Arkash plummeted. Uncertain, the lizard tucked his head to his chest and curled into a ball to minimize the damage of the fall... But the impact of his body on the ground beneath the iron pipe was still immense, and nearly completely robbed him of his breath, on top of paralyzing his back with pain. At the time, that was the least of worries.
[indent=30]Brodie and Chad were going to kill him. With his back in such a bad state, he couldn't get out from under the pipe in time to save from Brodie's first stomp, so he lifted the pole with the added surface area of his arms to protect against the forceful strike. The downspout hit the side of his head a little as Brodie drove his heel into the trapped Rathari, but the length of the metal absorbed most of the impact. Chad joined in on the Rathari stomping, and one hard slam of his foot saw his arm buckle. Arkash hissed in pain and attempted to retreat further under the pipe to no avail. They started kicking at his sides.
[indent=30]"I got it!" yelled Alec's voice from down the alley. Got what? Come to think of it, where had Alec been during the chase? Arkash hadn't seen him. The assault eased, and Arkash took a moment to catch his breath. His body hurt, but the adrenaline kept the pain at bay for now.
[indent=30]"No fucking way..." Brodie muttered while he caught his breath, then leaned forward to rest his hands on his knees. Arkash had thought that they weren't kicking as hard as they usually did. Perhaps he'd tired them out? Hesitant, Arkash looked upward to spy the youngest of the three brothers. As his vision cleared, he saw it in his hands: The jar of Arkash's savings.
[indent=30]"It's a lot too, should make up for all the money he owes us, plus interest," added the four-eyed human as he reached his hand into the jar, took a handful of the farthing notes and gave it to Brodie. The oldest of three brothers inspected Arkash's notes, as though it was hard to believe that he had so much stashed away.
[indent=30]"THAT'S MINE!" Roared Arkash, who pressed hard at the pole that trapped him. As hysterical strength pushed his body to its limits, Chad took a step in and pressed his boot to the bar that trapped him. All the resistance and fight in the Rathari was crushed. He couldn't lift the bar and Chad's weight. "Get off me..." He hissed through nigh-manic breathing. They could take his ax, break his bag, and ruin his tinder. But that money, it was his and Cojack's only shot at a better life. Cojack. If they had the money, what happened to him? Weakly, Arkash struggled beneath the pipe, to no avail.
[indent=30]"Hey, calm down, Newt," spoke Brodie, who'd more-or-less caught his breath. "You should be happy; this proves you're actually useful. I mean, I was just gonna slit your throat right here and call it a day!" He laughed deeply, as did the younger brothers. Arkash's blood ran cold as Brodie handed back the farthing notes, and stepped toward the trapped Rathari. "No, I'll let you live. You're gonna keep making me money, too."
[indent=30]That part, at least was relieving, but, there was an uncomfortable saunter in his walk. Arkash couldn't determine if it was just due to his exhaustion or if he was trying to appear threatening. Was he excited? Why? "...But?" Asked Arkash, ever perceptive.
[indent=30]"But... I promised you something the last time you ran from me. Do you remember?" He did. How could he forget? He was on the brink of consciousness, but those words stuck with him. He dared not speak them, though.
[indent=30]"You said you'd cut 'im," answered Chad, who leaned just a little more of his weight into the pipe. Arkash strained and grunted. It was getting hard to breathe.
[indent=30]"That's right," returned Brodie, who whipped out his knife in a single flick. He pointed the blade to his two brothers before he spoke "hold him down," confidently.
[indent=30]Arkash's irises narrowed at the sight, and he began to pull, then struggle, then thrash against the bar. He had to get away. His venom continued to pile in his maw and drool out the side of his lips as they quivered.
[indent=30]Alec approached from the side, then knelt and gripped his right arm while Chad held onto his left. With a one-two-three-heave, the brothers pulled Arkash out from under the pipe and pinned him to the floor with their weight. Alec was the lighter of the two, so he tried to pull on his right arm, but Arkash was weak. He had next to no upper body strength. His tail thrashed and thumped the ground while he kicked his feet in an effort to catch the youngest brother with his claws, but he held firm. When he realized his struggle was in vain, he stopped and looked to Brodie, who examined his knife in the dim light of the Alley.
[indent=30]"You had to go and lie, didn't you?" he asked as he walked closer, and Arkash began to struggle again. Brodie's attempts at closing the gap were met with swipes of his foot claws until the two brothers shifted to hold those down too. "You couldn't just give me the damn money. You had to run like you had any chance of getting away." He rushed forward then, and in an instant, Brodie's hand was around his throat. His knife was pressed against his chest. Brodie knelt on his legs, which not only kept them still but strained his knees and cut off the blood flow. numbness began to spread through them, and Arkash strained as he suppressed a cry of pain.
To be continued: here.
[indent=30]Arkash looked behind him again to see the human arrive at the entrance of the Alley, followed shortly by his brother. That one-way path was the perfect opportunity for Brodie to catch up to the lizard, and as he bombed toward Arkash, it looked as though he might.
[indent=30]The Rathari had other plans and turned to face forward. The stack of crates was still there from a few nights ago. So, using his tail, he whipped the lowest crate on his way past and knocked it out from under the other crates the result was a makeshift blockade that dropped all over the Alley floor and blocked the human's way. That didn't stop him from trying to clear it with a long jump, of course. The sound of crashing wood sounded through the narrow passage as Brodie's, followed by Chad's weight dropped into the crates. "YOU'RE DEAD WHEN I CATCH YOU, FREAK!!" Cried Brodie's voice from down the alleyway.
[indent=30]It was going so well! At that rate, Arkash would be able to climb up the downspout with ease and escape the vicious humans. The downspout in question came into view up ahead, and Arkash heard the boxes shift behind him. He had a bit more time thanks to the crates, but that didn't mean he could mess up this next part as he did in the first few tries. That could have been the difference between life and death; he had to make it count.
[indent=30]Breathing heavy, he sprinted just a little harder at the corner of the wall, then straightened up at the last moment and leaped. His tensed legs kicked off the right wall and propelled him like a spring to a higher elevation while momentum carried him forward. With his claws ready, he gripped the downspout, then found his footing with his talon-like claws on the support brace of the spout. He'd done it, but it wasn't over yet. He had to climb to the rooftop.
[indent=30]As the lizard began to ascend, the sound of Brodie's and Chad's footsteps echoed below. He was out of their reach, he was sure. But they could still throw things at him, or worse: Climb up and drag him down. His body was relatively light, save for his tail, so he tensed his arms while he gripped the pole tight and pulled his body up. The amount of force it took to squeeze the metal and support his weight was immense, but he managed. His lower claws followed after his hands and gradually pushed him up. Steadily, he wormed his way along the pole.
[indent=30]But, it wasn't enough.
[indent=30]"Break it down," snarled Brodie, and bitter hatred dripped from his tongue, much like Arkash's venom.
[indent=30]Break what down? The downspout? Arkash laughed internally. Chad was strong, but not that strong... Right?
[indent=30]The whole downspout jerked suddenly, and Arkash looked down to see the more muscular of the three brothers. He'd pressed his foot against the water's exit, and had the spout wrapped in a hug. Normally, Arkash would be far less concerned, but the amount of maintenance the spout had received was probably... Nonexistent. It would come down with ease.
[indent=30]The first bolt of the lower supporting brace came free, and the whole thing jerked again. There was no time to lose. He had to climb faster. Arkash was perhaps halfway up the spout when the entire thing broke from the wall, and gravity claimed him.
[indent=30]The fall was slow at first, then quickly sped up as Arkash plummeted. Uncertain, the lizard tucked his head to his chest and curled into a ball to minimize the damage of the fall... But the impact of his body on the ground beneath the iron pipe was still immense, and nearly completely robbed him of his breath, on top of paralyzing his back with pain. At the time, that was the least of worries.
[indent=30]Brodie and Chad were going to kill him. With his back in such a bad state, he couldn't get out from under the pipe in time to save from Brodie's first stomp, so he lifted the pole with the added surface area of his arms to protect against the forceful strike. The downspout hit the side of his head a little as Brodie drove his heel into the trapped Rathari, but the length of the metal absorbed most of the impact. Chad joined in on the Rathari stomping, and one hard slam of his foot saw his arm buckle. Arkash hissed in pain and attempted to retreat further under the pipe to no avail. They started kicking at his sides.
[indent=30]"I got it!" yelled Alec's voice from down the alley. Got what? Come to think of it, where had Alec been during the chase? Arkash hadn't seen him. The assault eased, and Arkash took a moment to catch his breath. His body hurt, but the adrenaline kept the pain at bay for now.
[indent=30]"No fucking way..." Brodie muttered while he caught his breath, then leaned forward to rest his hands on his knees. Arkash had thought that they weren't kicking as hard as they usually did. Perhaps he'd tired them out? Hesitant, Arkash looked upward to spy the youngest of the three brothers. As his vision cleared, he saw it in his hands: The jar of Arkash's savings.
[indent=30]"It's a lot too, should make up for all the money he owes us, plus interest," added the four-eyed human as he reached his hand into the jar, took a handful of the farthing notes and gave it to Brodie. The oldest of three brothers inspected Arkash's notes, as though it was hard to believe that he had so much stashed away.
[indent=30]"THAT'S MINE!" Roared Arkash, who pressed hard at the pole that trapped him. As hysterical strength pushed his body to its limits, Chad took a step in and pressed his boot to the bar that trapped him. All the resistance and fight in the Rathari was crushed. He couldn't lift the bar and Chad's weight. "Get off me..." He hissed through nigh-manic breathing. They could take his ax, break his bag, and ruin his tinder. But that money, it was his and Cojack's only shot at a better life. Cojack. If they had the money, what happened to him? Weakly, Arkash struggled beneath the pipe, to no avail.
[indent=30]"Hey, calm down, Newt," spoke Brodie, who'd more-or-less caught his breath. "You should be happy; this proves you're actually useful. I mean, I was just gonna slit your throat right here and call it a day!" He laughed deeply, as did the younger brothers. Arkash's blood ran cold as Brodie handed back the farthing notes, and stepped toward the trapped Rathari. "No, I'll let you live. You're gonna keep making me money, too."
[indent=30]That part, at least was relieving, but, there was an uncomfortable saunter in his walk. Arkash couldn't determine if it was just due to his exhaustion or if he was trying to appear threatening. Was he excited? Why? "...But?" Asked Arkash, ever perceptive.
[indent=30]"But... I promised you something the last time you ran from me. Do you remember?" He did. How could he forget? He was on the brink of consciousness, but those words stuck with him. He dared not speak them, though.
[indent=30]"You said you'd cut 'im," answered Chad, who leaned just a little more of his weight into the pipe. Arkash strained and grunted. It was getting hard to breathe.
[indent=30]"That's right," returned Brodie, who whipped out his knife in a single flick. He pointed the blade to his two brothers before he spoke "hold him down," confidently.
[indent=30]Arkash's irises narrowed at the sight, and he began to pull, then struggle, then thrash against the bar. He had to get away. His venom continued to pile in his maw and drool out the side of his lips as they quivered.
[indent=30]Alec approached from the side, then knelt and gripped his right arm while Chad held onto his left. With a one-two-three-heave, the brothers pulled Arkash out from under the pipe and pinned him to the floor with their weight. Alec was the lighter of the two, so he tried to pull on his right arm, but Arkash was weak. He had next to no upper body strength. His tail thrashed and thumped the ground while he kicked his feet in an effort to catch the youngest brother with his claws, but he held firm. When he realized his struggle was in vain, he stopped and looked to Brodie, who examined his knife in the dim light of the Alley.
[indent=30]"You had to go and lie, didn't you?" he asked as he walked closer, and Arkash began to struggle again. Brodie's attempts at closing the gap were met with swipes of his foot claws until the two brothers shifted to hold those down too. "You couldn't just give me the damn money. You had to run like you had any chance of getting away." He rushed forward then, and in an instant, Brodie's hand was around his throat. His knife was pressed against his chest. Brodie knelt on his legs, which not only kept them still but strained his knees and cut off the blood flow. numbness began to spread through them, and Arkash strained as he suppressed a cry of pain.
To be continued: here.
