The Blade Mage

by Phillip Drayer Duncan

  If there was one skill I believed myself proficient in, it was my swordplay. It was the one thing that had come somewhat naturally to me. Yet I was helpless against the Obayifo. She was too damned quick and I was too damned tired. Any moment I knew she’d break through my defense and I’d be done, Blade Mage or not.

  Then Stone appeared, hitting the Obayifo from behind and locking her up in a rear naked chokehold. So much for not attacking her with his bare hands.

  Gritting his teeth and holding on for dear life, Stone said, “Now, Wyatt! Kill this bitch!”

  I darted in, trying to take advantage, but once more the Obayifo was gone. She whirled in a blur, dodging my quick jab. I followed through my momentum and tried to cut my blade back toward her legs. Even with Stone locked onto her, she jumped high enough to clear the strike, then my head, and sailed past me.

  Her jump carried her far enough to land between Faith and Axel. Amazingly, Stone had clung on and ridden via his neck hold. Completely undeterred, he kept one arm around her throat and began pelting in her in the side of the head with his meaty fist, over and over.

  The witch reached across her body and punched Stone back with her shield. I couldn’t see the effect from where I stood, but it sounded like bacon hitting the frying pan. Smoke rose from his head and he cried out in agony.

  She managed to shake him free then and Stone hit the ground just behind her. Infuriated, the witch whirled around on him and raised her spear, intent on skewering him at her feet.

  It had happened so fast I hadn’t had a chance to close the distance between them yet. There was nothing I could do.

  The spear came down, but the witch staggered as Faith hit her in the back with a green spell. Instead of skewering Stone through the chest, her spear hit him in the shoulder, and once again it sounded like hot grease as it melted his flesh.

  Spinning back to face her old pupil, the Obayifo punted Stone in the ribs. There was the sickening crack of bones and Stone’s whole body lifted into the air and struck Axel like a projectile missile. Both of them hit the ground in a pile.

  Then I was on her.

  She whipped her spear around toward me so quick all I could do was drop to the floor in front of her, and soon found myself in the position Stone had just been in. Fortunately, I had a magic sword, so as the spear came down I swatted it away. The blast of sparks stung as they rained on my face, but I was still alive.

  I rolled to the side, then once more for good measure, and finally came up to my feet beside Faith. My initial perception was that I’d rolled clear, but I heard Faith screaming my name and realized I’d been too slow.

  Time slowed as the spear reached out, aimed right at my gut. This was it.

  Then Faith slammed into me, knocking me to the side. She caught the shaft of the spear with her bare hands, pausing its flight before the tip slammed into her own chest.

  The business end was inches from her breast bone, but her grip was firm.

  Green energy flowed from her hands, protecting her flesh from burning away, but still she screamed. I could only imagine her pain. It had to be excruciating.

  “Yes, my apprentice,” the witch said, snarling. “Watch as the flesh melts from your hands. It’s the least of what you deserve, wretched child. You can’t hold it. You can’t stop me.”

  She raised her shielded arm to pelt Faith in the face, but I stepped in first. All thoughts of proper swordsmanship were forgotten and I simply struck out with my blade, blocking the incoming strike. This time the sparks were blinding and the whole shield erupted in a blast of energy that knocked me back to the ground.

  Forcing myself back up, I heard Faith scream again.

  I saw the anguish in her eyes.

  The tears streaming down her cheeks.

  As her master had said, even with her own use of the strange magic, the flesh was melting from her hands.

  The Obayifo took a two-handed grip on her spear and pushed it closer toward her apprentice’s chest.

  I sprinted toward her again. I could cut the spear in half, if only I could get there in time.

  The Obayifo raised her hand and pointed at me. I thought she’d try to take me out again, and I thought my sword would protect me, but as I already knew, the Obayifo wasn’t a fool. She fired a simple force spell that hit me in the knee, causing me to fall on my face.

  I fought my way to my feet for the thousandth time, watching as Stone charged in again. Roaring like some great beast, he kicked at her kneecap, snapping the bone. Even a lot of tough supernatural monsters would’ve crumbled from the blow. Not the Obayifo. Unperturbed, she backhanded him across the face and sent him flying back onto a fallen bookcase.

  Axel fired a lightning bolt at her head, but again it had no effect. She simply raised one hand and his whole body lifted into the air.

  The Obayifo took her spear in both hands again, and green tendrils rose up from her body and lashed out at the floating Axel. As they touched his flesh he began to scream bloody murder. I didn’t know what she was doing to him, but it wasn’t anything good.

  Axel and Faith’s screams harmonized. It was a heart-wrenching tune.

  I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t stand knowing there was nothing I could do. We were helpless against her power. We’d thrown everything at her, and the only result was seeing my friends suffer.

  There had to be something I could do.

  There had to be…

  But there wasn’t. I knew there wasn’t.

  And Faith knew it, too.

  She glanced over her shoulder at me, and though the tears still poured from her eyes, she managed to gain control of her voice. “You have to finish this, Wyatt.”

  “What?” I asked, starting toward her.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, smiling at me. “For everything.”

  I knew what she intended to do, and there was nothing I could do to stop her.

  I surged forward screaming her name as she loosened her grip. The spear thudded home. The head appeared through her back.

  The witch cackled in victory, failing to comprehend. She thought she’d won, but Faith wasn’t dead yet. She didn’t see the trap her former pupil had laid for her. With her dying breath, Faith clutched onto the spear, holding it with her ruined hands, giving me the moment I needed.

  The witch was fast, but this time, she wasn’t prepared. She wasn’t ready for this one final betrayal.

  Her eyes widened as Drynwyn came for her neck. The sword was meant to be a light in the darkness. A weapon forged by the ancient druids to protect our world from monsters… Monsters like the Obayifo.

  Her head fell clear and tumbled to the floor.

  The witch was dead.

  But Faith crumbled to the floor as well.

  Yes, Drynwyn was forged to destroy creatures like the Obayifo, but it had also been created to protect people like Faith, and it… No… I had failed her.

  I dropped to the ground beside her, taking her in both arms as she rasped those last few breaths. She couldn’t speak, so there were no more words between us. No romantic goodbyes. Just her wide and terrified eyes staring up into mine.

  I thought to hold her hand until I glanced down and saw the ruined flesh. The skin was mostly gone, and all that remained was melted sinew stretched over bone.

  I thought to try to save her.

  I thought maybe there was a way.

  There wasn’t.

  When her body succumbed to the stillness, I gently closed her eyes and laid her down.

  I stared at her peaceful face, the tears from my eyes dripping down to her cheek. She was gone, but I clung on, holding her lifeless form in my arms.

  In the end, she’d been the one to save me.

  She’d saved all three of us. She’d given her life for me.

  I watched her a moment longer, then picked up my sword and rose to my feet.

  Axel fought to stand as well. His limp was more pronounced now, but he held his remaining drumstick at the ready.

  “
We aren’t done,” I said. My voice sounded hollow and emotionless, yet on the inside, I knew I was struggling to keep it together. If not for the last bit of unfinished business to focus on, I would’ve lost it completely.

  “No, we aren’t,” Axel replied, holding my gaze. “I’m with you.”

  I turned toward Stone. He was conscious, but unmoving where he lay on the broken bookshelf. He hacked and spit out a wad of blood. “Don’t worry about me, kid. Go finish it.”

  I nodded and started out of the library, Axel walking alongside me. There was still one more bill due.

  One more debt to be paid.

  ***

  We found Director Allen locked inside his office, the outside surrounded by the Pattersons. Hamish explained that the rest of the security force were dead or had fled. All except his brother Yoseph, who was hog-tied on the floor at our feet. Their losses had been minimal, but any loss was too many. The Patterson family had gotten much smaller in the past few days.

  Still, he led us to the locked office where Director Allen hid.

  As I approached the door, Hamish said, “Careful, he’s got a gun.”

  I glanced at Axel, who shrugged in reply.

  We kicked the door in and walked inside.

  I was dead on my feet, running on what adrenaline I had left, but it was enough to summon my magical shield.

  Director Allen seemed to realize this and didn’t pull the trigger, but he did keep the barrel pointed in our general direction.

  “It’s over,” I said, watching him. “The Abasy is dead. The manananggal is dead. Your goddamned witch is dead.”

  Director Allen licked his lips and stared at me nervously. “You don’t get it, do you, Wyatt? It’s not over. Not for me. Not ever.”

  “Maybe not,” I replied. “But this round certainly is.”

  “Why’d you do it?” Axel asked. “Why’d you kill your son? Kyle was… He was good. He was genuinely good.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” Director Allen asked. “You think I don’t know my son was a good boy? He was the best. He was the only good thing I ever did.”

  “And you killed him,” I said.

  “I didn’t have a choice,” he said through gritted teeth. “You’re a fool, Blade Mage.”

  “No one is arguing that point,” I replied. “But it’s time to surrender. There’s been enough death today. Submit to the judgment of the Cabal. Maybe the Archmage will show you mercy. God knows I won’t.”

  “Nor will I,” Axel replied. “To tell you the truth, I’m a little annoyed Wyatt doesn’t just want to kill you now. He’d be well within his rights.”

  Director Allen laughed and shook his head. His voice became little more than a whimpering whine. “You just don’t understand.”

  “Then help us understand,” I said, leaning forward. “What’s really going on here? Who were those people? What was the Obayifo really up to?”

  Director Allen fell into a mad cackling coughing fit. When he looked back up I realized his eyes were bloodshot and darting madly. Sweat beaded along his forehead. The bastard was scared. Terrified of something. But what? I got the impression it wasn’t us.

  Licking his lips again, he said, “You think this is about the Obayifo? Oh, Wyatt, you have no idea what’s coming. The darkness is upon us, boy. Just a shame your father isn’t alive to see it.”

  “What darkness?” I asked. “What’s coming?”

  “They are coming. He’s coming.” Director Allen’s voice was little more than a squeal. “And there’s not a fucking thing you can do about it. This is only the beginning, Blade Mage.”

  “The beginning of what?” I asked.

  I never got an answer.

  Director Allen raised his gun to his own head and squeezed the trigger. There was a deafening boom and blood sprayed the wall, then he fell to the ground, dead.

  Axel and I stared at the scene a moment longer, then left the room.

  We headed back to the library.

  I scooped Faith up in my arms and carried her. Axel half-carried Stone.

  I’m not sure why I picked her up. There was no real intelligence or thought behind it. I just couldn’t leave her lying there. The others didn’t offer any comment.

  The Cabal met us as we exited the front door.

  Chapter 33

  Axel and I watched in silence as the Cabal’s people took over. Parker Grimm ordered a full sweep of the house, but by that point I doubted there were any hostiles left alive.

  When Parker approached me, I gave him the rundown in a few words. He looked at me like I was mad, but moved forward with his part. Once the house was secured, new teams arrived.

  Men in white coats started collecting bodies, including Faith’s. They loaded them all onto gurneys and wheeled them out, one by one, to a big truck.

  A group of enchanters arrived to seek out any left-over magic that could be deemed dangerous, whether that be traps, or enchanted items, or collections of unkempt energy swarming where the battle had occurred.

  There were others as well, a variety of mages, supernatural beings, and just people with different jobs. In the time since I’d been gone, the Cabal had put together a more thorough system for cleaning up these little messes.

  Finally, Parker Grimm approached us and said, “The Archmage wants to see you.”

  “Yeah,” I replied from where I sat with my back against the wall. My adrenaline long since drained, I was barely able to keep my eyes open. I felt like I’d been in a car wreck. “What about Stone?”

  “We’re treating his wounds,” Parker said, shrugging. “He’s pretty banged up, but it’s Shain Stone we’re talking about, so I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” I said, meeting his gaze.

  He nodded slowly. “I don’t know what his fate will be. Yours either. That’s up to the big man now. Best not to keep him waiting.”

  Slowly, I forced myself back up to my feet.

  ***

  As Parker had said, it might not have been a good idea to keep the Archmage waiting, but the reverse certainly wasn’t the case. Axel and I had hitched a ride back to the Branson compound with the goon squad. Upon arrival we’d been ‘asked’ to wait in separate rooms and led in different directions.

  My waiting room contained a bed, a lounge chair, a television, and a bookcase, leaving me with the impression I might be there for a while. I even had my own bathroom.

  There was a part of me that wanted to rebel and storm out, but I didn’t. Partially because I knew I’d already pushed my luck far enough. While I had acted within the capacity my station allowed, I’d superseded the Archmage’s authority, and I’d gone after one of the nobles without his, or the Archcouncil’s, blessing. Blade Mage or no, I was in trouble, and I’d dragged Axel and Stone down with me. We could all be imprisoned, or worse.

  There was something about getting in trouble for doing the right thing that just pissed me off.

  It didn’t help that it left me a lot of time to think things over. About the mistakes I’d made and the losses we’d suffered. I hadn’t known Faith long. Not long enough to build a deep trust, but long enough to see who she really was. She was good. At her core, she’d been good. And she’d believed in me. That’s what she’d said, wasn’t it? That she’d seen something in me.

  Her memory would haunt me always. Another ghost to follow me down the road. Something told me she wouldn’t be the last.

  As I waited, a physician came by to check me over and patch up any injuries. He didn’t seem particularly talkative, which was a good indication he knew I was in trouble. Mostly, he mumbled to himself as he spoke over me. As he discovered each new bruise and scrape, he held his hand over them and spoke words of power. A bluish energy spread from his hand, enflaming the area momentarily, then numbing it some. When he was finished, he informed me that I had no serious injuries and excused himself from the room.

  Next, a man came by with a fresh towel and toiletries and indicated I
was free to use the shower. I thanked him for the noble gesture and asked if I was just stinky enough they felt I needed a bath. Had they smelled me from the other side of the estate? He excused himself without engaging in my poor attempt at humor. I thought about refusing to shower as a formal protest, but then realized just how appealing the idea of a hot bath sounded. Call me names if you must, but I’m not too manly to admit there are few things better in this world than a hot bath, and my old cabin only had a shower.

  However, my bath was to be short-lived. As the dried blood crusted on my body hit the fresh water, it began to take on a coppery red tint. A bit of the blood was certainly my own, but who had the rest belonged to? Some of Director Allen’s goons? My friends? Faith? I stared at the water, remembering Faith’s body in my arms.

  Her sacrifice.

  My failure to save her.

  I drained the water from the tub and turned on the shower instead. I stood beneath the water for what seemed a lifetime, allowing it to wash away what blood and debris remained. Resting my head against the tile wall, I tried to clear my mind. My dark thoughts couldn’t wash away, though.

  Finally, I stepped from the shower and toweled off. Back in my temporary quarters I found fresh clothes and food. How they knew my exact sizes, I didn’t know. Perhaps some magic that was beyond me.

  They didn’t get my style right, though. I felt a bit like a prisoner on his way to trial. I’d been provide a black suit, with a silky shirt and a tie.

  I decided to reinstate my formal protest. I put on all the clothes save the shoes, which I tossed on the floor. Then I slid on my dirty, faded, and now blood-stained Chucks, instead. They could only ask so much of me. I also didn’t bother to tuck in my shirt, and to hell with the tie.

  I waited.

  ***