FOREVER KNIGHTS: #3 Forsaking the Vanquished
We All Know How to Make Radix Suffer

Tev drew a shaking breath. Pushing both hands into the snow to scoop it through his fingers as he continued.

“By the second night, Deragan filled in the walls and added mud as an insulator. So, he could make a fire to warm her. Knowing there wasn’t much else he could do.”

“So, what did he do?” She rested her chin on an open palm, listening intently.

Everything he could. And still, it wasn’t enough…

“He used his amulet to summon the rest of us. He’d hoped someone could get there to watch over her.”

It’d been so cold that night. He remembered. And though he couldn’t feel the bite in the air. He’d felt his fingers going numb and skin starting to tingle painfully.

With all the snow, we’d struggled to replace a path up the mountain.

“By day three she was starving, and he feared the discoloration in her leg.”

“He needed to leave her to get help.” Serdephe nodded in breathless suspense.

Tev nodded slowly. “He had no choice. He splinted the leg with what he could and headed down the mountain to try and replace his way to Wilhelm Kingdom in Battling to get her food, water, and more blankets.”

“What about the cold?”

Lips tightening Tev murmured, “He refused the furs. Leaving them with her. He couldn’t feel the cold, you see.”

“Oh, no…”

“It’s worse than that. It’d not taken long for the creatures to replace her.”

The Sarabis were there. Tev remembered. His throat getting tight.

Radix had led them to her, sensing her vulnerability. The old demon forced open the door. And let the animal eat her where she lay.

“The Captain heard her cries. And half frostbitten, tried to get back.”

“But you were there?”

“I got there first.” He remembered painfully.

Half alive, her face partially consumed by the devil animal.

“I charged it, but Radix got me by the throat, ready to snap it.”

She covered her mouth horrified. “You almost died!”

“But my friend, Acharius, came from nowhere. Huge and silver with his big yellow eyes.” Tev imitated pulling his eyelids wide for the sake of dramatic storytelling. “Howling so loud he shook the trees.” Tev gestured around “When he crossed the threshold into the cabin. Drawing Radix’s attention from me.”

“Thank God!”

“And Acharius! Radix invited him. Waving him over as he tossed me aside.”

“What did Acharius do?”

“He bared teeth, a wolf’s smile. Before jumping on the nearest Sarabi’s back and tearing away parts of its spine.”

She squealed in a mix of triumph and horror.

Our favorite tactic when killing Cimmerii.

“What’d Radix do?”

“He screamed and clawed his neck.” Tev imitated with his hand. “His psychic link with them, makes him feel their pain.”

“Acharius knew?”

“We all know.” Tev murmured. “Before Radix could do anymore damage, twelve other wolves came. Arriving with the falling snow. Radix wasn’t ready to take us all on, with only one of his Sarabi, so he retreated.”

Serdephe cackled in appreciation of the demon’s defeat.

Tev shook his head gloomily. “But we were too late. There was no saving her.” He remembered that part the most vividly.

Looking at the pretty woman lying on the floor. Body spasming as she sputtered and gargled in pain. Whimpering as they surrounded her. Tearing their clothes to rags as they frantically tried to help her. They knelt around her.