The Nekromancer - 46. Chapter 46

The trio walked along the mile long bridge, Jakun's tail twisting itself in knots. He didn't want to do this. The amurrun knew he was about to die. And the amount of time he had been close to death lately, he almost wanted to just get it over with.

"Jakun, whatever happens today, you have our support," Amnor Sen said.

"I don't want to fight him."

'Do it anyway. He's a loose end. Trust me, I know how people like him can get, swearing vengeance to their dying breath,' Anya growled. 'He will never give up until you are dead. Kill him before he kills you.'

He could see the dwarf and the gnome, a wooden case between them. Every step brought him closer to the duel, closer to his death.

"I don't know what is worse, fighting Ivris or walking to death…" he breathed.

"Fighting Ivris. You'll see, when you duel, you aren't thinking of death," Jeremy said.

The cleric held out a bottle, Jakun taking it with trembling fingers. He gulped at the contents, his throat burning with the taste of cheap wine. Draining the bottle, Jakun let out a shaky burp, before the contents of his stomach sprayed across the bridge.

"If you can't find your own courage, gold bought is fine. Just don't make it the only courage you get," Jeremy said, taking the bottle back. "You can do this. Just focus on your shot and nothing else."

They took a moment for him to recover, Jeremy running his hand over Jakun's back.

"You're okay. It's best to get it over with, okay?"

They approached the dwarf and the gnome, Durand snarling at Jakun.

"Let's end this, cat."

"Hold on. Hi, Amnor Sen. I want to ask why you have to fight Jakun. This doesn't have to be settled with death," Amnor Sen said, a frown on his face.

"He murdered my baby brother-"

"Who attacked him while he was stopping a robbery," Amnor Sen pointed out.

"Lies. Told by a cat with everything to lose. I will not accept anything less than his death."

Jakun's fur puffed up, a low growl in his throat. Another person who wished him harm, who wanted to kill him. His ears laid back, tail thrashing.

"Then it will be settled with death," he snarled. "You will regret this."

"Actually, I think I'm going to enjoy it."

The dwarf smirked, motioning Kurst forward. The gnome opened the case, holding it out to Jakun.

Lifting one of the silvered weapons, Jakun frowned at the weight. It was much heavier than he thought, and the cat wasn't sure how he would be able to aim it properly.

The barrel was long, narrow, and he couldn't tell if the weapon was loaded or not. Staring into the barrel, Jakun yelped as Jeremy pushed the barrel aside, the cleric shaking his head slowly.

"You would never look head on at a loaded crossbow. I doubt looking head on at one of these would be any smarter," the human said.

"If it was a mage duel, it would be twenty paces," Amnor Sen said sharply, scowling at Kurst.

"Guns are not magic. If they are more than twenty paces apart, the weapons would only hit by a miracle," the gnome said.

"I thought you were on my side."

"I am on the side of honor. An unwinnable duel is not honorable. Our terms have been set, increasing the range to be unhittable would negate the terms. There needs to be accuracy for a clean kill shot."

"Ten paces each," Jeremy said suddenly. "It is a happy medium. Sword duels are five, magic duels are twenty."

"Ten paces," Jakun agreed. "I want to be able to hit him."

Amnor Sen let out a sigh, before nodding.

"Fine. Ten paces."

He made a mark on the bridge with the heel of his boot.

"Meet on the mark and shake hands."

Jakun stepped forward, his gut clenching, his hand trembling. He held out his hand, Durand taking it with a vise like grip.

"Let this duel settle this matter for all. We bear witness, the weapons are fair and the duelists have agreed to the terms," Kurst intoned. "You will each take ten steps and upon my mark, turn and fire. One. Two."

Jakun stepped, his feet nearly scuffling over the ground. His mind was spinning, his chest tightening. The amurrun felt like he was about to be sick again. He had only one way out of this, one way to turn the tables on his foe.

"Six… seven…"

He was nearing the side of the bridge. Surely there wouldn't be space.

"Nine. Ten. Turn and bear."

He spun on his heel, his hand slipping to grip the barrel of his weapon. Hurling it at Durand, Jakun charged, the dwarf's sneer turning into a look of horror as the pistol slammed into his face.

There was an explosion, heat passing over Jakun's face as he lunged. Blinding black smoke filled the air, Jakun grabbing for the pistol laying loose in Durand's limp hand.

He looked down at the dwarf, Durand's lower jaw a mess of bone and blood. The dwarf looked back at him, a pleading look in his eye. Jakun stooped down, grabbing the front of the dwarf's shirt.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance."

He stuck the unfired pistol into the dwarf's ruined jaw, Durand letting out an agonized grovel, his one good eye squeezing shut.

"No, you're going to watch me end your life," Jakun growled, prying the dwarf's remaining eye open.

"Jakun, leave him," Amnor Sen said, his voice dim around the ringing in the amurrun's ears.

He felt powerful. For once in his life, Jakun controlled someone else's life, held it in his hands. And it made him giddy, drunk with the power. He let out a laugh, his tail thrashing as he stared into his foe's defeated eye.

"Please kitten, let him go. You don't have to kill him…"

Growling again, Jakun squeezed the trigger.