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Description
Inlé turned back toward the alley. When he stepped into the alley, the voice said, "Ah, Wanderer. You ignored me so long?"

"Silence, beast," Inlé answered coldly. "Did you not see that I was not alone?"

Another Jack stepped from the shadows. "A beast, am I? Perhaps I should teach you some respect before I kill you."

"Kill me. You," Inlé asked, dismissing the idea. "Where is the blade you mentioned?"

Laughing, the Jack said, "Why would I tell you, fool? And what need have you to know when you are about to die?"

"What need have you to hide it if you can kill me?"

The Jack thought a moment, then answered, "Have you heard of the rash of hidebehinds in Maine? Find them, and there is your sword. The fee for that knowledge is your life." The Jack leapt forward and punched Inlé hard into the air.

Inlé spun in the air and, as he fell, noticed that Tanya was peeking into the alleyway. The Jack jumped to meet the falling Inlé and punched him into the alley wall.

"Not so strong, are you, Wanderer?" The Jack said, dropping Inlé to the ground. "Perhaps the tough front was just that? You certainly don't seem like much."

The Jack kicked Inlé in the chest, hurling him five meters deeper into the alley shadows. "And you know you're outclassed here, don't you? That's why you don't resist." It slowly approached Inlé who, lying on the ground, had coughed dark blood up onto the pavement. "Not much to say, eh?" it continued. "Guess it's hard with a chest full of broken ribs." It stopped as Inlé began to stand.

"Not especially," he answered. "You get used to it, at least." He closed his eyes for a moment, staving off dizziness, then continued.

"You look too much like a Jack." He shook his head. "But I cannot call you that. They tend to be smarter."

"Eh?"

Now standing, Inlé wiped the blood from his mouth. "Let us start over. Yes, I am the Worldwanderer. And you are an over-proud messenger. You are not a Jack, to be sure. But you look like one. Not a Jack, but no bigger than one. You are merely a Jackalope."

The Jackalope laughed. "A bold front."

"Perhaps," Inlé agreed.

Gesturing behind it, the Jackalope asked, "Does this mean you've noticed your lady-friend prying where she shouldn't be?" It chuckled again.

Emotionlessly, Inlé answered, "Are you sure that you have heard of me? Have I ever been called a 'protector'? No, just a wanderer." He waved a hand at the blood--his own blood--surrounding him. "I do not even protect myself."

"I've enjoyed that part the most," the Jackalope said, throwing another punch, this one easily ducked by Inlé.

"Perhaps," Inlé said, crouched. "But you forget, I do not protect you, either."

Inlé leapt up, kneeing the Jackalope in the stomach hard enough to launch it up. Continuing backward, Inlé caught himself with his hands, and followed the Jackalope up, striking its face with both knees as it fell to meet them.

The Jackalope landed hard on its back, followed by Inlé landing lightly a moment later. Standing over its head, arms folded, Inlé now stood with his back to the the mouth of the alley between the Jackalope and Tanya. "I thank you for the information, beast. Crawl back to whatever master sent you and tell them to reconsider such actions in the future.

"Now if you will excuse me, there is something I must attend to." He turned and looked directly at a now terrified Tanya. But before he could walk toward her, the Jackalope grabbed his ankle.

"We're not done yet," it said defiantly.

"You were given your three customary blows without my resistance. Now I will resist. You wish for a fight?"

The Jackalope grinned a wide, fresh-broken-toothed smile. "Nothing less."

"So be it." Inlé ground the Jackalope's wrist beneath his heel, turning it to pulp as the Jackalope cried out in pain. Its grip loosened from Inlé's ankle, no longer able to use the hand.

The Jackalope stood, holding its wrist. Inlé faced him, shaking his head. "You realize," he said, "you have little chance to win, do you not? I offer you a long life: Attack me again, and your body will look like your wrist."

The Jackalope grinned again. "That is a weak threat, if ever I heard one."

"I make no threat," Inlé said. "Attack me again, and your body will feel like your wrist."

"And if I kill you first?"

"You are not smart enough," Inlé answered. "Attack me again, and your body will be as broken as your wrist."

"I don't need to listen to you!" the Jackalope yelled, charging.

"You do not," Inlé agreed, closing his eyes. "But ... "--The Jackalope's punch landed squarely on Inlé's chest, but it held no power. As soon as it had touched Inlé, the Jackalope's body had been crushed. Blood, black and red and green, squirted out of it like an egg crushed in a fist. Not even a drop of the Jackalope's blood touched Inlé, though it left macabre designs on the alley walls and floor.--"... your geas holds either way."

Description
Inlé turned back toward the alley. When he stepped into the alley, the voice said, "Ah, Wanderer. You ignored me so long?"

"Silence, beast," Inlé answered coldly. "Did you not see that I was not alone?"

Another Jack stepped from the shadows. "A beast, am I? Perhaps I should teach you some respect before I kill you."

"Kill me. You," Inlé asked, dismissing the idea. "Where is the blade you mentioned?"

Laughing, the Jack said, "Why would I tell you, fool? And what need have you to know when you are about to die?"

"What need have you to hide it if you can kill me?"

The Jack thought a moment, then answered, "Have you heard of the rash of hidebehinds in Maine? Find them, and there is your sword. The fee for that knowledge is your life." The Jack leapt forward and punched Inlé hard into the air.

Inlé spun in the air and, as he fell, noticed that Tanya was peeking into the alleyway. The Jack jumped to meet the falling Inlé and punched him into the alley wall.

"Not so strong, are you, Wanderer?" The Jack said, dropping Inlé to the ground. "Perhaps the tough front was just that? You certainly don't seem like much."

The Jack kicked Inlé in the chest, hurling him five meters deeper into the alley shadows. "And you know you're outclassed here, don't you? That's why you don't resist." It slowly approached Inlé who, lying on the ground, had coughed dark blood up onto the pavement. "Not much to say, eh?" it continued. "Guess it's hard with a chest full of broken ribs." It stopped as Inlé began to stand.

"Not especially," he answered. "You get used to it, at least." He closed his eyes for a moment, staving off dizziness, then continued.

"You look too much like a Jack." He shook his head. "But I cannot call you that. They tend to be smarter."

"Eh?"

Now standing, Inlé wiped the blood from his mouth. "Let us start over. Yes, I am the Worldwanderer. And you are an over-proud messenger. You are not a Jack, to be sure. But you look like one. Not a Jack, but no bigger than one. You are merely a Jackalope."

The Jackalope laughed. "A bold front."

"Perhaps," Inlé agreed.

Gesturing behind it, the Jackalope asked, "Does this mean you've noticed your lady-friend prying where she shouldn't be?" It chuckled again.

Emotionlessly, Inlé answered, "Are you sure that you have heard of me? Have I ever been called a 'protector'? No, just a wanderer." He waved a hand at the blood--his own blood--surrounding him. "I do not even protect myself."

"I've enjoyed that part the most," the Jackalope said, throwing another punch, this one easily ducked by Inlé.

"Perhaps," Inlé said, crouched. "But you forget, I do not protect you, either."

Inlé leapt up, kneeing the Jackalope in the stomach hard enough to launch it up. Continuing backward, Inlé caught himself with his hands, and followed the Jackalope up, striking its face with both knees as it fell to meet them.

The Jackalope landed hard on its back, followed by Inlé landing lightly a moment later. Standing over its head, arms folded, Inlé now stood with his back to the the mouth of the alley between the Jackalope and Tanya. "I thank you for the information, beast. Crawl back to whatever master sent you and tell them to reconsider such actions in the future.

"Now if you will excuse me, there is something I must attend to." He turned and looked directly at a now terrified Tanya. But before he could walk toward her, the Jackalope grabbed his ankle.

"We're not done yet," it said defiantly.

"You were given your three customary blows without my resistance. Now I will resist. You wish for a fight?"

The Jackalope grinned a wide, fresh-broken-toothed smile. "Nothing less."

"So be it." Inlé ground the Jackalope's wrist beneath his heel, turning it to pulp as the Jackalope cried out in pain. Its grip loosened from Inlé's ankle, no longer able to use the hand.

The Jackalope stood, holding its wrist. Inlé faced him, shaking his head. "You realize," he said, "you have little chance to win, do you not? I offer you a long life: Attack me again, and your body will look like your wrist."

The Jackalope grinned again. "That is a weak threat, if ever I heard one."

"I make no threat," Inlé said. "Attack me again, and your body will feel like your wrist."

"And if I kill you first?"

"You are not smart enough," Inlé answered. "Attack me again, and your body will be as broken as your wrist."

"I don't need to listen to you!" the Jackalope yelled, charging.

"You do not," Inlé agreed, closing his eyes. "But ... "--The Jackalope's punch landed squarely on Inlé's chest, but it held no power. As soon as it had touched Inlé, the Jackalope's body had been crushed. Blood, black and red and green, squirted out of it like an egg crushed in a fist. Not even a drop of the Jackalope's blood touched Inlé, though it left macabre designs on the alley walls and floor.--"... your geas holds either way."