The Lost Clone by Vaughn Heppner

Author:Vaughn Heppner [Heppner, Vaughn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-08-04T16:00:00+00:00

***

Hern proved correct.

Giants lined the high wooden walls that circled the sand-covered practice field. Each giant gripped a heavy cudgel and shield. Other normal men in leather garb carried hand catapults, the strings cranked back and bolts in the grooves. Those men stood behind the various cages.

The trainees were inside the large cages on the practice field, did calisthenics, stretches and then watched a tyro or veteran explain various moves and uses with different types of edged weapons.

The trainees soon practiced with weighted wooden counterparts to the actual weapons. Maddox and Dravek proved adept at every weapon shown them. Whoever watched and evaluated must have noticed.

The day went apace with rest and food periods, and then with more training.

The day passed and the next started. It was much the same as the first, an endless parade of hand-to-hand weapons practice.

Throughout the next few days, Maddox practiced with wooden weapons against Hern and others. They always practiced under the watchful eyes of the trainers and hand catapult-armed guards. Maddox didn’t show his full potential but kept the others from injuring him.

The trainers finally pitted Maddox against Dravek. They sparred without going full tilt against each other. By agreement, neither defeated the other, but they hacked, slashed and thrust with enough alacrity to satisfy the watchers.

“Who would win between us?” Dravek asked as they ate bread and meat at stone tables in the shade under some trees.

Maddox shrugged.

“Do you think you could defeat me?” Dravek asked.

“What do you think?”

“No,” Dravek said promptly.

Maddox continued eating.

“Do you disagree?” Dravek asked.

Maddox set his hands down by his plate. The owners didn’t give the trainees forks or spoons and certainly no knives. “I have no opinion. I don’t care about the question.”

“I don’t believe that.”

Maddox sighed. “I’d win, but I don’t care to press the issue.”

“Why do you think you’d win, because I didn’t get all your memories?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me,” Dravek said.

“Hold that thought then. We might find out sooner than you think.”

Dravek looked where Maddox did.

Gallant Ophir stood near some giants with an armored car behind them. He was the red-robed man with red painted eyes and big ruby rings that shot rays. Today, a woman in red robes watched with him. She, too, had red-painted eyes and a beehive hairstyle of dark curls. She was smaller and darker than Ophir but exotically beautiful.

“I don’t like the way she’s staring at us,” Dravek said.

Maddox didn’t care for it either. His intuitive sense told him there was more going on. She was a…a sensitive, at the least, maybe an outright telepath. He could feel her trying to read his mind.

“You,” a guard said, standing near the tables.

Maddox turned around.

“Finish your meal and then go to the car. Gallant Ophir and his witch wish to interview you. Be quick, though.”

Maddox turned back, surprised the guard would use the word witch. Maddox ate another bite of bread and then brushed his hands on his thighs, standing and heading for Gallant Ophir. It was time to find out the real score to all this.

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