Condition Evolution 4 by Kevin Sinclair (parable of the sower read online .txt) 📗

nothing fake or forced about it. Even though we’d killed ten Fystr, this fucker was genuinely happy to be here.

“I have to offer, it’s an honor thing, but please do say no,” he said, before clearing his throat. “If you agree to surrender and come peacefully, we will refrain from killing you all,” he said, like he was offering us all a refreshing beverage. “Or we can just kill you all outright. But you.” He pointed at me. “There is something decidedly different about you.”

“There's something odd about you too, you bald grinning freak,” I replied.

His grin grew wider, and his eyes glittered in the firelight as he brought an impossibly long sword from his back. It was surprisingly slender, but it emanated its own threatening aura. It moved suspiciously like Havok would, and my heart, which was already on the bottom of the ocean, managed to sink further as a chasm randomly opened up. I spun Havok around as if he was weightless and smiled back like I didn’t give a shit.

“Interesting. Jotun’s axe, if I am not mistaken!” he acknowledged, then without taking his eyes from mine, spoke to his troops. “Everyone, backs against the walls.” He rolled his neck and did a few experimental sword swings. “Tell your other ship not to attack, or we will kill you all immediately. Fight me, and your people may yet live another day.”

“It’s a trick, Shaun! They’ll kill us anyway,” Ember shouted.

“That just isn't true.” He feigned mock offence in Ember’s direction. “But even if it was, you have nothing to lose by trusting me when death is your only option.”

“Do it, Ember!” I called out, then spoke to her mind. “It’ll buy us time if nothing else.” She did as asked, but had to scramble to a few different terminals to find one that still worked.

“So, Human, do you know who I am?”

“Not a fucking clue, mate. Do you know who I am?”

“Shaun from Earth, apparently. Do ask your people not to interfere in this or they will be killed.”

“They know not to interfere.”

“Good, you can be trained at least. So we each have a living weapon. Yours taken from Jotun, no less. Are you the one who killed him for it?”

“No, I beat him in a fucking tickling contest,” I said with contempt, meeting his unyielding stare.

“You are impudent! Before we start, you should know my name is Zarime.”

“Thanks for sharing. I don’t know how I’d sleep at night without knowing the name of the baldy Fystr I killed, just like every other Fystr I’ve ever faced.”

“Does my name really not mean anything to you?” he asked, the smile dropping from his face for the first time. He seemed genuinely offended.

“I mean, it’s a bit feminine. I wouldn’t pick it for any of my kids.”

He shook his head, the smile returning to his face. “What an unusual specimen,” he said, bringing his sword up ready to fight. He must have finally had enough of my shit.

“I just want you to know that the mischief you have caused has presented you with the very great honor of being killed by the heir to the Fystr throne. I’m as close to a god as you will ever meet with a fully realized Potential of 95 percent.”

“That’s some scary shit, I must admit. You see, I’m so scared I’m bloody rhyming!”

“Finally, you understand your predicament.”

I gave him a long look. “95 percent and you can’t tell that I’m taking the piss? The only thing I’m scared of is that this might actually take a few minutes, rather than the few seconds I thought it was gonna take to kill you.”

“Enough!” he roared. I’d finally gotten under his skin. As always, it was too easy with these dickheads. I felt I’d managed to keep him prattling on for a good while. I just hoped it was enough for the Haven to get its ass over here. Otherwise, we were completely fucked.

He came at me so fast I could barely follow it. Luckily Havok did, and blocked his blow. I just shit myself, metaphorically.

Zarime raised an astonished eyebrow, but didn’t stay surprised for long as he came at me with renewed vigor, pushing me backward with his onslaught. It was an unpleasant awakening to find out that Havok and I were seriously outmatched for the first time ever. He did not let up, striking high, then low, left and right, without any obvious pattern, but with blinding speed and skill.

Ember cried out when she thought I’d been hit. The truth was that I had, but I pretended that he’d missed. When he paused to study me in wonder that I was still standing, Havok swiftly healed me, and I didn’t hesitate to lunge forward with my first attack of the fight.

We, that is Havok and me, lasted two seconds before we were on the back foot once more. We had no answer to his skills. He hadn’t even attempted to attack my mind, though I think we both knew he didn’t need to.

He pushed me backwards, getting into a rhythm of ever more skilled and intense sword work. Cuts were opening all over my arms and legs as he bled me like some kind of sadistic butcher. I felt the final blow coming. A wicked slash at my head. For a moment I thought luck had saved me again, as I tripped falling backwards, narrowly avoiding the cut. But he spun his sword in a tight circle and plunged it down through my chest, pinning me to the floor below.

Blackness clouded my world. Fuck.

Chapter 26

Dental Work

It just didn’t seem possible for Shaun and Havok to be so comprehensively outclassed. My heart screamed to do something, anything. But I was hamstrung by the 20 Fystr guards with orders to kill us all if we interfered. My only hope was that they could hold on long enough for the Haven to arrive.

Seconds later I thought it over, as Zarime made an impossibly