Baird rolled his shoulders and took a step back. Using the glow of his sparking blade for light, he stared down at the pile of bloody bodies before him. It had been a mighty struggle, but he had prevailed. 

His head snapped over when another light erupted in his peripheral vision. Kookaburra laid a lighter down next to the candle he had just lit. In the orange glow of the dancing flame, his wide grin lingered on Baird and sent chills down his spine. He pointed the tip of his blade down at the god's feet and grimaced. The dog also grinned at him, a devilishness in his eyes that no animal should have ever possessed. 

Kookaburra made a smooching sound with his lips, followed by an obligatory cackle. "Shall we dance?" he asked, breaking a hefty metal leg off the wooden table. 

Baird planted his feet, clenched his jaw, and flourished his sword. "I consent." 

Kookaburra hurled his body forward with a shrill laugh. Startled by the sudden noise, Baird almost missed his opportunity to block the bruising blow. His sword met the blunt edge of the table leg, and with gritted teeth, he held the god at bay. He watched as sparks from his blade leapt onto the metal leg, only to stop at his grinning opponent's bright yellow gloves. 

Baird shoved the table leg aside and swung at Kookaburra's shoulder. He flopped to the ground in laughter and narrowly avoided the blow. The dog skittered up to Baird's ankle and bit down, causing him to grunt. He kicked the animal aside. Instead of growling, the canine giggled, and even though he made the noise with a closed muzzle, the sound echoed through the room. 

Kookaburra swung the metal leg at a disoriented Baird. He cried out as it thudded against his anklebone. He bit his teeth and tried to ignore the pain, but then frowned as the desire to laugh washed over him anew. 

Baird leapt to avoid another swing. Then he stomped down onto Kookaburra's wrist. He heard a crunch, but frowned when instead of crying out in pain, his face twisted into pleasure. Another wave of laughter erupted from his mouth. 

While licking his lips, Kookaburra leapt to his feet. He attacked Baird again and again, the blunt force proving difficult to block. Finally, with one swing, he knocked the sword from his hand. The blade clattered to the floor far out of reach. 

Baird dodged another swing and kicked Kookaburra in the ribs. He squealed with delight. His eyes rolled around in their sockets, and Baird took the opportunity to attack his unguarded groin. But somehow, the laughing man perceived the attack without looking and blocked. When the hard metal hit his knuckles, Baird grunted. 

The martial artist dashed forward and threw the god into an armlock. He kicked the dog away when he came close, and then he focused his attention on the matter at hand. He wrested the metal table leg from Kookaburra's hands. Then he hurled it at the returning dog. For the first time, the animal whimpered, but then with a cough, he chortled again. 

With the laughing god disarmed, Baird flipped him over onto his back. He landed atop a table. Baird pulled a chair out, leapt up onto it, and then hopped from there onto Kookaburra's belly. His feet touched down, and the momentum broke the table. They both tumbled to the floor. 

Blood crept out onto Kookaburra's lips. He grinned up at Baird and laid still as he pummeled him with blows. The god bared his teeth to display a gleeful smile, while the martial artist showed his in a determined grimace. He tossed the god's head from side to side as he bombarded him with punches. His body seemed to take damage, yet his resolve to remaining joyful never cracked. 

Baird snatched a nearby steak knife and drove it into Kookaburra's belly. He snickered. Baird twisted the blade inside the wound with a clenched jaw. The god's eyes widened as he let out an even heartier laugh. 

"How're you enjoying this?" Baird demanded, snatching the dog by the scruff of his neck and hurling him into the distance. 

Kookaburra sputtered something in response, but his words were so mingled in mirthful noises that deciphering their meaning became impossible. He gave Baird a smile of anticipation when he raised his fist for another punch on his bruised cheek. 

After receiving the blow and thoroughly enjoying it, Kookaburra hurled Baird off. He hit a support pillar and grunted. He clutched the back of his bruised head. When the cackling god kicked him in the belly, he lost his breath and felt his head swim. He saw Kookaburra's foot swing closer for a return kick, and he grabbed it. Baird shoved the foot aside, and with it, the attached leg. Kookaburra toppled over, spewing audible glee. 

The god quickly rose, and he picked up the table leg again. "I like giving the pain, too!" 

Baird's head was thrown aside when the blunt metal met his temple. He crawled across the floor to where his glowing blade lay. Then he cried out when a foot stomped down on his calf. The dog appeared out of nowhere and bit into his arm. 

Rage filled Baird's veins. He snatched the dog up and wrung its neck. Then he hurled the corpse up at Kookaburra. Taking advantage of the distraction, he hurried over to his sword and raised it just in time to block another attack. 

"Joke's on you, bud!" 

Baird narrowed his eyes as he stabbed into Kookaburra's leg. "How so?" 

"Reanimation, dummy!" 

The dog rose again and guffawed still louder than before. He moved his neck from side to side, shrugged, and gave Baird a taunting grin. 

The swordsman's irritation had reached its limit. "Let's see you laugh about this!" 

He exploded into the air and kicked Kookaburra in the head. The god toppled to the floor and dropped his improvised weapon. He indeed laughed. But Baird wasn't through with him. 

After kicking his head several times, Baird raised the sword over his head and swung down. Blood shot into the air as the god's smiling head separated from his body. When the dog leapt up to bit him, Baird sliced him in two as well. He frowned when the animal's flesh immediately shriveled up, blackened, and stunk of years' decay. He hurried for the door, disgusted on multiple levels by the things he had witnessed. 

******************** 

Brant dashed up the winding staircase that hugged the inside wall of the circular tower. Whenever he came to a door, he ripped it open with his bare hands and peered inside. He hadn't found Hannah or Keira yet. He had found plenty of guards, but none even nearly as threatening as the armored martial artist he'd fought outside. 

He stopped before another door, the thirty-seventh, by his count, and tore it to shreds. Brant stepped into the chamber and squinted into the darkness. His heart raced. He was here. 

A quivering brunette with a round face and button nose cowered in the corner of the room. She stared fruitlessly into the darkness. Her widened brown eyes darted to and fro, never resting anywhere. 

"Who...who's there?" she squeaked. 

A tear made its way to Brant's eye as he stepped closer. "Hannah, it's me." 

"Brant?" she mumbled, stumbling to her feet. She limped toward the voice, only to trip and fall forward. 

Brant caught Hannah's fall. He pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back comfortingly. "It's alright." he whispered in her ear, "You're safe now." 

Her body quivered at his touch, and her voice cracked when she tried to speak. Her attempts at talking failed completely. 

"Hannah, I'm so sorry." Brant said, his eyes watering still farther. "It's all my fault. If it weren't for me—" 

"I missed ya." she peeped. 

Brant paused for a second. He bit his lip while his thoughts disembarked from one train and boarded another. "I...missed you too." he finally replied, "A whole lot." 

Hannah didn't reply. Her shuddering breaths comprised the only sound in the room for a long moment. 

"I mean, it certainly serves me right, after what I—" 

"You're talkin' an awful lot 'bout yourself, don'tcha think?" 

"You're right." Brant conceded, "I'm sorry. Are you alright? Hurt?" 

"I've been better, I reckon. Just feelin' pretty bruised and achy." 

"What'd they do to you?" 

Hannah exhaled a long breath. "A lotta things, different beatin's and what not." 

Brant growled. His blood boiled. "How dare they?" 

"I dunno. I can't complain too much, though. Keira got it worse." 

"Where is she?" 

Hannah pointed toward the window, where the second tower lay beyond. "Kookaburra's harem chambers." 

Brant gulped and squinted at the tower she'd indicated. His gaze pierced through the darkness and allowed him to peer inside one of the windows. A pale blonde sat in a cell across the way, her face buried in her hands and her body trembling. Her left arm bore an ugly, jagged slash, and her right was peppered with bruises. 

Brant shivered and turned his eyes way from the sight. Silently hoping Keira hadn't suffered similarly to the despondent blonde, he turned to the door and carried Hannah outside. 

********************* 

A/N: Now that was a crazy chapter, am I right? A "swordfight"/brawl with an insane god who gets pleasure from both giving and getting pain, his weird dog, and a rescue/reuniting! 

If you enjoyed all that, please don't remember to vote and comment!

Well, I didn't post yesterday, so today will be a double update. And as such, I'm gonna close this note here to get to that other chapter. Have a great one!