Severed Destinies Read Online Free
swung around the outside of the door frame and caught him square on the jaw. Dazed, Varayan reeled back into the house.
The man who had been waiting outside entered and closed the back door, then moved up to stand over Varayan. The second man, who had first grabbed for the agile thief, appeared next to him and spoke.
"This the one?"
Varayan could only see two dark silhouettes of men towering over him as his vision swam from the blow. The man with the cudgel was tall and slim, whilst the other was slightly shorter but much more well-built.
"Yes," answered the cudgel holder. "It's him alright."
Varayan squinted to try and see their faces better. Something about the slimmer man seemed familiar. "Do I know you?" he mumbled, rubbing his aching jaw.
The slim man laughed. "Oh, you know me, Varayan. You'll wish you didn't by the time Torga here finishes with you."
Varayan tried to push himself up off the floor, but the larger man named Torga pushed him back down with his boot.
"Stay down there, my young friend," chuckled the slim man. "We may be here for a while." He leant down so that Varayan could see his face more clearly and grinned.
Varayan groaned and rolled his eyes as he recognised his ambusher. "What exactly have I done to upset you this time, Leran?"
Leran prodded at him with the tip of his cudgel. "Where's my money?"
"Isn't it in your pouch?" smiled Varayan, sarcastically.
The cudgel swung up, catching the thief on the left cheek and throwing his head back. "Don't play games," growled Leran, his face contorted in anger. "You stole my money and I want it back."
Varayan's cheek was numb and he cursed his mouth for reacting faster than his brain did. "Leran, I swear that I didn't take any of your money. I left the tavern that night broke. Would I be robbing this house otherwise?"
"Yes, you would," replied Leran. "You're a thief, Varayan, and not a very good one. Now, where's the money?"
Varayan sighed. "Look, if you want something then just take this." He held out one of the money pouches he had found upstairs. "Looks like they were saving for a rainy day."
Leran swiped the pouch from Varayan's fingers and weighed it in his palm. "It'll do…for a start. What else did you find?"
The thief sat up straight and shook his head. "Nothing of any value really."
Leran glanced at Torga and the big man roughly hauled Varayan to his feet, then held him whilst Leran searched his clothing. All of Varayan's spoils were quickly transferred to Leran's pockets, including the beautiful emerald ring.
"Now, about my money," grinned Leran coldly.
"What?" cried Varayan, "You've got everything I own now. I don't have anything else. I didn't steal your money."
Varayan had learnt to deny accusations, be they true or false. In this instance, Leran was indeed correct. Varayan had lost to him at a card game in the nearby tavern two nights previous and, as he had left, the young thief had managed to take an ample percentage of Leran's winnings before anyone noticed
"I'll give you credit for one thing," said Leran, leaning in close to the thief as he dangled from Torga's grasp. "You're quick. You took that money without anybody noticing and that was an amazing feat, seeing how you were sat at the table with some of the best gamblers in Ashgar that night. However, I do not appreciate being the target of your petty thievery."
"We're all petty criminals around here. I was just trying to make a living."
Leran's face showed no humour at that remark as he turned away from Varayan and strolled to the foot of the stairs. "You know, I once visited Naskador and tried something similar to what you did. Let me tell you, in Naskador you'd be dead by now."
Varayan felt like he was getting a lecture and struggled in Torga's grip. "I think I'd like Naskador," he said.
Leran looked distant for a second, then snapped back to the moment. "Well, young Varayan, you'll wish you were in Naskador soon enough. Let's get this over with, Torga, I'm getting
The man who had been waiting outside entered and closed the back door, then moved up to stand over Varayan. The second man, who had first grabbed for the agile thief, appeared next to him and spoke.
"This the one?"
Varayan could only see two dark silhouettes of men towering over him as his vision swam from the blow. The man with the cudgel was tall and slim, whilst the other was slightly shorter but much more well-built.
"Yes," answered the cudgel holder. "It's him alright."
Varayan squinted to try and see their faces better. Something about the slimmer man seemed familiar. "Do I know you?" he mumbled, rubbing his aching jaw.
The slim man laughed. "Oh, you know me, Varayan. You'll wish you didn't by the time Torga here finishes with you."
Varayan tried to push himself up off the floor, but the larger man named Torga pushed him back down with his boot.
"Stay down there, my young friend," chuckled the slim man. "We may be here for a while." He leant down so that Varayan could see his face more clearly and grinned.
Varayan groaned and rolled his eyes as he recognised his ambusher. "What exactly have I done to upset you this time, Leran?"
Leran prodded at him with the tip of his cudgel. "Where's my money?"
"Isn't it in your pouch?" smiled Varayan, sarcastically.
The cudgel swung up, catching the thief on the left cheek and throwing his head back. "Don't play games," growled Leran, his face contorted in anger. "You stole my money and I want it back."
Varayan's cheek was numb and he cursed his mouth for reacting faster than his brain did. "Leran, I swear that I didn't take any of your money. I left the tavern that night broke. Would I be robbing this house otherwise?"
"Yes, you would," replied Leran. "You're a thief, Varayan, and not a very good one. Now, where's the money?"
Varayan sighed. "Look, if you want something then just take this." He held out one of the money pouches he had found upstairs. "Looks like they were saving for a rainy day."
Leran swiped the pouch from Varayan's fingers and weighed it in his palm. "It'll do…for a start. What else did you find?"
The thief sat up straight and shook his head. "Nothing of any value really."
Leran glanced at Torga and the big man roughly hauled Varayan to his feet, then held him whilst Leran searched his clothing. All of Varayan's spoils were quickly transferred to Leran's pockets, including the beautiful emerald ring.
"Now, about my money," grinned Leran coldly.
"What?" cried Varayan, "You've got everything I own now. I don't have anything else. I didn't steal your money."
Varayan had learnt to deny accusations, be they true or false. In this instance, Leran was indeed correct. Varayan had lost to him at a card game in the nearby tavern two nights previous and, as he had left, the young thief had managed to take an ample percentage of Leran's winnings before anyone noticed
"I'll give you credit for one thing," said Leran, leaning in close to the thief as he dangled from Torga's grasp. "You're quick. You took that money without anybody noticing and that was an amazing feat, seeing how you were sat at the table with some of the best gamblers in Ashgar that night. However, I do not appreciate being the target of your petty thievery."
"We're all petty criminals around here. I was just trying to make a living."
Leran's face showed no humour at that remark as he turned away from Varayan and strolled to the foot of the stairs. "You know, I once visited Naskador and tried something similar to what you did. Let me tell you, in Naskador you'd be dead by now."
Varayan felt like he was getting a lecture and struggled in Torga's grip. "I think I'd like Naskador," he said.
Leran looked distant for a second, then snapped back to the moment. "Well, young Varayan, you'll wish you were in Naskador soon enough. Let's get this over with, Torga, I'm getting
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