Chapter 86 The Attack on Fountain Ridge* (1/2)

All was quiet in the guard house that sat at the base of the ridge that had given Fountain Ridge its name. There was nothing peculiar about the night. The guards had taken in a prisoner earlier that day, gone about their patrols, eaten their evening meal, then changed their roster promptly for the first night shift. It was, for all intents and purposes, no different to any other night.

But it was always on nights that felt no different to any other that change occurred, whether for better or worse depended entirely on the participants. Unfortunately, the prisoner they'd dragged in earlier that day was not a good man.

As the guards went about their usual routine, a check on the prisoner was met with a surprised shout.

”Captain! It's the prisoner, he's unconscious sir!”

”Unconscious? He looks dead, like he was poisoned”.

”What an awful way to go”.

”Least we won't have to process or transport him”.

The guards that congregated around the scene as the Captain appraised the prisoner's body were only partially sympathetic. Only wishing that they themselves would not share a similar fate, and annoyed by the fact that their list of chores had extended to digging a grave somewhere.

The Captain had knelt down beside the prisoner, some Doctor that had displeased the Kildares, and took a pulse promptly. After a moment, he withdrew his hand.

”Call a doctor, he's still alive,” the Captain stated, ”You there, help me get him up onto the cot”.

The group moved to follow orders, and moved the prisoner to the cot at the side of the cell.

”Clear out, continue your patrols!” the Captain snapped. He'd kept order at the guard house for years, he wasn't about to slip up now. He turned to the guard that had helped him and ordered him to stay put while he sent out a note to the Kildares regarding their prisoner.

He doubted the Kildares would care since the man was pretty much dead regardless, but it was his duty to alert them to any changes in the state of their prisoners.

The room cleared, no one heard it when the guard who was watching over the prisoner had his arm bitten. Hard. The guard swore aloud and tried to fight against the ridiculous strength of the prisoner's jaw, but to no avail. The Prisoner lapped up the blood that poured down the guard's arm, so eagerly that he bit through his own lip, the Prisoner's blood mingling into the guard's wound. After a few seconds, the guard started to feel ill, and collapsed to his knees, then to the floor.

And just like that, the prisoner who had once been Doctor Sagen Zaroth stood to attention and submitted to his new enhanced senses. Hungry. He was so hungry.

***

Aegin looked impatiently at Phillip as the older man strapped on his saddle bags.

”Come on, this is a golden opportunity, the more time we have to get Rassa out, the better,” Aegin insisted.

Phillip mounted his horse and sent a look to Aegin. A look that clearly said, 'as if I don't know that'.

Phillip had after all grown up amongst the Kildares, he knew how ruthless and efficient they could be. As they turned to leave, a screamed pierced the night. Phillip paused and turned back. This was a city, it wasn't uncommon to hear screams, especially in the slums, but that had sounded different.

Aegin turned back to look at Phillip.

”What's wrong now?”

Another scream pierced through the darkness.

”Something's not right,” Phillip replied.

”Ah...you've lost me, what about this situation is right?” Aegin scoffed.