45
Sir Talmid exchanged a few moves with his evil clone, distracting him enough to see Ember dart out the throne room doors. She would probably be safe, but a downwards strike nicked his cheek. Would he be safe?
He spun his sword and lunged forward to push the clone back for a second, then Sir Talmid backflipped over a table. He leveled his blade at the evil Talmid clone. âWho art thou?â he muttered to himself.
âI am Taimid.â the clone intoned. âServant of thedude.â
Sir Talmid blinked. He hadnât expected him to respond. ââTaimidâ?â he repeated. Was that a dudeism? Suddenly he snapped his fingers and Taimid didnât even flinch.
No reflexes or muscle memory. Talmid noted about Taimid. âDoth thou have to be evil?â the Knight asked while he thought of a plan. âTis most awkward a situation to have to slay myself.â
Taimid aimed his sword forwards while his other hand dropped to behind his back, and Sir Talmid recognized the motion. âI live to serve thedude.â Taimid said, âand you will die for him.â Sir Talmid instinctively ducked under the arc of the throwing knife that embedded itself in the wall, ripping through the tapestry behind his head.
Then Sir Talmid reached behind his back for his own dagger, which he threw expertly on a spinning path to Taimidâs head. It struck him and bounced, the impact sending Taimid staggering to the ground. The dagger clattered to the foot of the throne, but Sir Talmid went to the fallen clone first. He put his boot on his chest.
âI am sorry for you, Taimid.â Sir Talmid said. âYou have my appearance, my face, but not my legacy nor intentions.â He closed his eyes and was going to deliver a deathly blow when suddenly Taimid smashed. A Paradox blaster had fired.
âHa, got him!â the knight turned to see a Space Marauder whoop. The injured trooper, in a prone shooting position under a collapsed table, lowered his blaster. Around the throne room, the remaining living Rogues, some still trapped in thedudeâs Locked cages, began to cheer.
Sir Talmid shook his head. Fools. They had mistaken Taimid for him. He could use this to his advantage. He got up and stood still as possible, so as to appear mindless, while two Rogues that could stand, a Shinobi and a Sorceror, went to his sides.
âWeâll escort you back to your quarters, Lord Taimid.â the Sorceror said and the Shinobi slapped him the back.
âAs you wish.â Sir Talmid said in a monotone, and allowed himself to be escorted out of the throne room. When they were in the hallway he suddenly said, âTake me to the cloning room!â
His escorts stopped. âWhy?â asked the Shinobi.
âI must oversee the other clones.â Sir Talmid bluffed. âHis Majestyâs ordered it before he summoned me.â
The Paradox didnât question him and turned around. Taimid must have been high up in the chain of command. What Sir Talmid really worried about was thedudeâs mention of their being other captured knights who he intended to clone. If there were more knights in the castle, he wanted to know who they were and to rescue them. Then, he also had to escape with Emberâ¦
They passed a number of other patrolling Rogues and castle staff on the way to the mysterious âcloning room.â Several of them stopped to stare with shock at Sir Talmid, and some touched their blasters or fidgeted with their swords, before ârealizingâ that he was actually Lord Taimid.
Sir Talmid pretended not to notice. But he knew his ruse would not last long.<ac_metadata title="Charcoal & Embers Part 45"> </ac_metadata>