FOREVER KNIGHTS: #4 Battling Black Roses
Men Do Not Wretch, But Bast Does

Before they saw him, the twins sensed the demon’s coming. They retreated to a far corner of Nightway to observe. Carefully containing their magic, sure not to generate even a ripple of excitement.

Radix emerged. He didn’t seem particularly gratified from the possible murder of a child. Nor disappointed from not being able to. His frail shoulders were hunkered with his usual dark intent. His pace slow on gnarled legs. Tattered gray robes swayed around him and he used a long branch for a cane. The ground blackened even further than the original path, with his every step.

Killing any trace of life he touched. Trees lifted and arced in an effort to escape his reach. Recoiling from him.

It’s Radix’s nature.

His bleak lack of humanity burned everything he touched. He was every inch the black demon. Face hollow, eyes sunken, and cheeks wan. The long gray beard matching bits of scraggly hair stealing from the hood of his gray robe.

He wreaks of death and rot.Just as all his Cimmerii.

And he happened to be downwind from them. The smell was so repugnant against their potent senses, they shoved past each other trying to get far enough from the clearing to wretch.

Alazareth strained against the urge. Leaning at the waist with hands braced on his knee as he choked, abdomen clenching as he struggled.

Next to him, Sebastian upheaved uninhibitedly.

Alazareth gave him a sideways look. “Men don’t wretch.”

Bast straightened, catching a pile of leaves to wipe his mouth. “Did you smell that?”

“Of course, I did, but I’m a true man!”

Bast straightened, feeling much better now that he’d emptied his stomach. He gave his twin’s back a rough slap.

Making Alazareth choke against a wave of nausea.

“I’m going to the Wake to wash up.” He gestured to his length. “In two hours when you can move, you can join me.” He walked away.

Alazareth’s stomach tightened again and he strained to control the need to vomit. “True men do not wretch!”

“No.” Bast returned to his side to eye him. “Clearly they crouch and choke and squeak…Whatever it takes to not wretch. Don’t shit yourself.” He roughly patted his twin’s back a second time.

He’s doing it on purpose.

“You’re horrible!” Alazareth shouted back. Eying the pile of partially digested meat, Bast had expelled on the grass.

Alazar held his stomach and turned slightly, huffing as he fought the reaction of his gut.