Free Mighty Hammer Down by David J Guyton

would guide her, but before he could answer, she
looked over his shoulder and spoke softly.
    "Why do your Mages here wear black and
not silver?"
    "I didn’t know there were any other
colors that they wore. Why are you whispering?"
    "Do your strange Black Mages always
carry swords?"
    He turned around to see what she was
talking about. Five men in black robes were walking calmly towards
them in the alley, their wall of living darkness bristling with
shining swords. The fact that they didn’t run showed they had
confidence and were determined to finish the job this time. Since
he had only a knife, he decided to run. He grabbed Alana by the arm
and rushed her along with him. She went along without a
fight.
    "What’s going on? Do you know them?"
she asked as she ran.
    "I don’t know who they are. All I know
is that both times I have run into you, I have run into Mages that
want to kill me. So I think it’s you who has some explaining to do,
not me."
    "Get him. Kill the girl," the Mage in
the center bellowed. The other four Mages rushed in to
attack.
     
     
     
     

Chapter 8
     
    They ran down the alley as fast as
their feet would carry them. Rommus drew his knife so that he would
at least have a fighting chance if any of these men caught up to
them. He could hear the boots stomping on the cobblestone behind
him, and he knew that if he paused for a second to look at his
pursuers, he would encounter a blade before he could see the person
wielding it.
    The alley curved around a corner
slightly, and when he saw what waited ahead of him, dread overtook
him. Two more armed Mages. There was no way that he could defeat
five, let alone seven men while protecting this woman, and now he
had no choice but to try. The Mages in the distance walked slowly
toward their prey. Rommus frantically searched the alley for a
hidden exit or something to use as a weapon, but he saw nothing but
cold stone walls.
    As he ran, he considered the fact that
the men behind them were probably pumping their arms as they
struggled to keep up and their swords were most likely not leveled
at his back. He took a great risk that could have cost him his
life. He stopped and crouched to the ground. Two of the four
chasing him tumbled over him, their swords clattering to the
ground. The other two continued to chase Alana, but turned back
when they heard the swords fall.
    "Not the girl!" the fifth man of the
group yelled as he brought up the rear. "Get him!"
    He raised an arm and pointed at
Rommus, his sleeves hemmed with blue satin.
    Rommus wasted no time and stabbed the
nearest Mage in the leg, leaving the knife buried hilt-deep in the
unfortunate man. He screamed as he reached to his leg, dropping his
sword and falling to the ground. That was the outcome Rommus
expected, and he dove for the blade. Alana saw her opportunity as
well, grabbing one of the other dropped swords before their owners
could make sense of the madness.
    One of the weaponless assassins kicked
Rommus under his chin before he got a good grip of the sword, and
then stomped on his outstretched arm to foil his plans. The man
then screamed and fell to his knees as Alana pulled her sword free
from his middle. Without missing a step, she was off clashing
swords with another Mage. Rommus stood, sword in hand, and
deflected several thrusts from another attacker.
    Seeing the mayhem, the distant Mages
were running in to assist. It was all happening too fast to see
what was going on, but Rommus managed to open the belly of one of
the Mages, sending blood and innards to cover the cobblestone
street. Alana had spilled the blood of two others, making little
red rivers between the stones. Rommus rushed to the attackers,
shouldering one away from Alana and slicing deeply into the arm of
another. Alana quickly stabbed the man in his gut when he fell,
twisting the blade sharply before removing it. The one who seemed
to be in charge was holding back and staying away from the clanging
swords. Rommus spun with all