A bloodshed!

The frenzied Callum charged into the room. It was similar to Zoriah's suite but smaller and less lavish. Callum registered two men standing at the opposite wall. They looked surprised by his forcible entry and fumbled to get their guards up. Zoriah stood next to them, looking terrified.

He quickly measured the distance to his enemies was just about to leap the few yards when Zoriah cried out. "Callum, behind you!"

Callum saw something move in the corner of his eye and just barely managed to crouch before a massive club swooshed through the air and hit him with blunt **** in the head. Zoriah's scream filled the room as Callum sank to the floor.

If it hadn't been for the warning, his quick reflexes and a thick skull, Callum would have been on his way to the halls of the dead, several inches shorter. But he escaped the full **** of the terrible blow and only received a scratch. But his attacker was not aware of that.

Callum remained on the floor, pretending to be **** and waited for just the right moment. And just as the bandit was about to bring his club down for the deathblow, his triumphant grin suddenly froze as Callum stabbed at lightning speed and jammed his sword right in the bandit's midriff.

The cutthroat dropped his club and tumbled forward with a guttural groan. Callum quickly got up and faced the two remaining enemies. One carried a dagger and the other one, who seemed to be Vargo, the leader, brandished a sword. Callum had lost the element of surprise, and the bandits took the initiative.

"You're dead, highlander!" the leader screamed.

Vargo charged with a clumsy thrust, while the dagger-man circled and rushed from the side. But Callum foresaw the attack and quickly backed. Vargo's sword missed its target just as the dagger-man leapt forward. The blade pierced his comrade right in the chest, and he shrieked with pain and surprise. Callum countered with an upwards, two-handed slash, aimed at the leader's throat. The torrent of blood trailing his sword testified of the clean hit. A horrid, gargling scream was the last thing mister Vargo uttered, and the two men fell simultaneously.

Callum growled with rage and bloodlust, ready for another attack. But there was none. All three men lay dead at his feet.