The Sworn Defender

by The Ranger

  "No, I was, uh—" he lied. "—just thinking about the poor blacksmith that had to forge armor that big."

  Jensen nodded, with a look on his face that told Richard his fib had not quite landed. The baker did not dispute his claim, though, as he pulled the last bracers from the table. He slipped them on, adding to the dusty breastplate and greaves he picked up just before.

  With that, the table had been largely picked clean, leaving behind only a bit of chainmail, a kite shield, two round shields, and a matching pair of axes. The twin weapons looked a bit weathered but seemed like they had been quite beautiful once. A blazing sun encircled by a ring of lightning was depicted on the flats of both weapons.

  Jensen picked them up and looked at them fondly.

  "No shield?" Richard returned, a slight smile stretching across his face.

  The baker laughed as he shook his head.

  "There's a… a tale my brother and I loved to hear as children; it told of a noble hero from Altura, who wielded twin axes as he led the charge against an army of invaders," the baker explained. "He and his army defeated the legion and saved their home. And he became a legend. So, seeing these twin axes here… well, I really can't help myself."

  Richard laughed slightly as Jensen shrugged his shoulders and smirked.

  "I can't blame you," he sighed. "We all have something that's inspired us. In one form or another."

  "Oh, you don't know the half of it!" Jensen exclaimed. "Gared, my brother, was quite the scholar. Every other day he'd tell me about some new, epic tale he'd read about, about the great heroes of the elder ages. Then, from there came the desire to… the desire to live up to the legends."

  He seemed somber for a moment when he finished speaking, his gaze falling to the table as the rain trickled down his forehead.

  "Fool's errand, really, but there's no changing the past. All we can do is respect our failures and draw wisdom from the lessons they offer. We can choose to be kind to ourselves and those around us."

  Jensen paused before opening his mouth to say more but hesitated when he looked ahead.

  "I suppose there's no more time for talk," he murmured.

  The baker pointed in front of them, and they watched Andros pull his greatsword forward. It gleamed, all four-and-a-half feet of it, as blue runes shined across its surface, bursting with magic Richard had never known.

  The Sentinel made no attempt to call upon the rest to join him, but they still lined up at his rear wordlessly. Whatever terror had planted itself in Solton's defenders began to stir, but none made a show of their fear as they stood behind Andros. He spared a glance back at them before returning his focus to the legion of Seekers ahead, most of which seemed to have sensed the impending attack, and began to gather as close as they could. It was an uncomfortable sight— seeing so many of them jumbled together, silently scraping against each other.

  "Richard," the Sentinel muttered.

  He was surprised by Andros' sudden call but took a few steps closer as he watched the man intently.

  "Send them into disarray with your vines," he ordered. "Shatter their formation, and we will begin our assault."

  He cleared his throat as he stepped up to the veil, something he had not realized he was doing until he had done it. Andros moved to his side to allow a clear view, and he raised his hands carefully.

  Wind and rain swirled around them as he surveyed the swarms that laid just ahead. It almost seemed as if their numbers had grown in the minutes since they had last encountered each other. A nervous feeling began to crawl through Richard's chest as he stared at the stirring mob. To succeed here would require all the strength they could muster.

  His mind returned to the pit where Torfir had held him and his friends captive; the memory of being trapped there, unable to move or to resist, filled him with panic, yet his thoughts flew forward in time, to his great escape. They dwelled on the power he had sensed coursing through him when he tore away from the pit, how angry he had felt when his friends were threatened, and the intense heat that sat behind his face. It was that same strength he was trying to call on once again; the same inhuman might that had been marked by Tala's own yellow eyes— but he could not trigger the change at will.

  "Go ahead," Andros encouraged, placing his hand on Richard's shoulder and reminding him where they were.

  He looked away from the Seekers and noticed that both he and the Sentinel were no longer protected by Solton's barrier. It had continued to shrink and now left them partially exposed. The older warrior did not flinch, though, as the monsters barrelled forward. His eyes were on Richard, and they were waiting for him to act.

  Desperation gave way to purpose as the ground ruptured before them; heavy vines whipped up from the snow— five, ten, and then twenty shot up through the frost. They swept across the monsters, tearing their ranks asunder and leaving nothing but split earth in their way.

  "Good work," the Sentinel muttered, making no other comment as he leapt ahead into the fray.

  Kiri and Baku followed after the warrior, guarding his back as he tore apart Seeker after Seeker with each strike. Jensen ran in behind them; the sight of the baker rushing into battle encouraged the rest to join the fight as well. Brennan was the last to dash in, but even he seemed to carry a bit of vigor when he raised his sword and shield.

  Rain pelted Richard's face as he watched the battle unfold. He had thought he would sprint in with the rest after scattering the skeletons, but he quickly realized that his interference was not so easily accomplished.

  Without his vines obstructing the monsters' paths and allowing his allies an easier defense, the battle would grow far bloodier. Even with Andros dispelling every enemy he clashed with and their numbers gradually declining, danger surrounded them on all sides. His defenders put every effort into shielding him, but even they crept backward as the monsters encroached. It seemed the Soul Seekers had grown wise to the Sentinel's efforts and began to merge. While his Banisher blade still managed to dispel each giant he faced, they were no longer slain by a single attack. They persisted and engaged Solton's forces with more ferocity than he had yet witnessed from these creatures.

  Regardless of his interference, Richard had already noticed an injury, as Kiri seemed to have sustained a gash to his cheek. Nonetheless, he and the rest continued to fight valiantly; even Jensen, as averse as he had appeared to the idea of challenging monsters, took every opportunity to hack into the creatures that drew too close.

  He almost wanted to smile— Richard was confident that Andros would destroy the Soul Seekers as long as he managed to keep up his defense. It was as straightforward a battle as he might have ever expected.

  A crack rang across the air and reverberated through Richard's ears as his focus broke. His hand trembled, and it reached for his shoulder to find the black arrow that had sunk into his flesh. He turned his eyes forward in time to see a wave of them flying towards him. He groaned and flicked his wrists to swat at the projectiles with a vine, managing to obstruct most of them. He winced when one found his leg, and another buried itself in his arm.

  The snow felt cold on his knee as he crumbled towards the ground and howled in pain. He raised his head, setting his sights on the farthest edge of the skirmish. A line of Seekers converged there and formed black bows with a bite sharper than any he had felt before. His sudden inability to concentrate had incapacitated his vines and forced his allies to sew themselves together. Richard could see the Soul Seekers storming through them, already leaving three bodies in their wake. However, Andros drew his warriors closer and did all he could to keep the monsters at bay.

  "Do not waver!" the Sentinel yelled, grunting as a stray blade scratched his hand.

  Richard groaned when he burst to his feet; the arrows that had been lodged in his body dissolved as his strength ran through them. He attempted to entwine himself with the ground below him and felt his wounds begin to close. Though everything ached with each movement, he took no notice of the pain; instead, he shot his
concentration into the earth and let it rise beneath the Seekers' feet.

  The row of skeletal archers broke apart as a restored vine crashed into them. Then, he moved his attention towards the other tendrils he had produced and began to lash them against the monsters once more.

  He raised his hand, ready to sweep through them when dread pulsed through his body.

  Terror flew across the field as the veil standing over Solton faltered, and a visible crack appeared within it. Richard stared at it in horror, fearing what might happen if the barrier dissolved.

  The thought of racing back to Solton crossed his mind, but he was pulled away from the thought when an arrow pierced his knee. He buckled, falling forward and sliding through the slush at his feet. He landed in the battlegrounds and was overwhelmed by the desperation he could feel all around him. Anger, terror, and pain ensnared him in a shadowed cloak as he was forced to behold the destruction churning all around him.

  The Soul Seekers had wasted no opportunity to push their advantage. The monsters forced Solton's defenders to scatter; there were pockets of them across the field, some standing at each other's backs and others protecting no one but themselves. It was chaos, and Richard knew none of them would last as long as they stood alone.

  He had to help them somehow.

  "Richard!" Kiri shouted. "Get to your feet! Now!"

  He looked up to see the young man racing towards him, with Baku at his rear and Jensen running to keep pace. He stretched his hand down towards him, and Richard gripped it tightly as he was pulled up.

  "All these arrows are really starting to annoy me," Baku snarled, raising his shield to block an attack that might've cleaved through Kiri.

  "The veil!" Richard shouted, his eyes widening as he met theirs. "It's starting to crack!"

  Kiri shot his focus upwards, behind them, and his brow furrowed.

  "I see the fissure… but it's starting to repair itself," the man revealed.

  Richard turned to look at the barrier over Solton and felt relief rush through his chest. He stretched his senses, allowing them to pulse through the village, and confirm his friends' safety. He tilted his head as he sensed a much closer danger.

  He instinctively raised a vine to shield Baku and Jensen from an incoming attack and lashed it across the Seekers closest to them. He allowed it to wind back and seal them off from the rest of the skirmish.

  "Thanks," Baku sighed, taking a breath as he stepped back.

  "Everyone within the village is still safe," he announced. "But Eilon is already pouring his strength into the veil. We'll have to hurry."

  "How do you know?" Jensen questioned.

  "He's walking away from a dozen arrows, and he's throwing vines around— are you really asking how he knows what he knows?" Baku scolded.

  "Well, I was just curi-"

  "We need to find Andros. I know this will seem… I know this is shameful," Kiri interrupted. "But he is the only one here who can kill these things, and he is the only person we are obligated to protect. If he goes, Solton goes."

  "Bu-but the rest of your people," Richard stammered.

  "Everyone that took a step past the veil knows what they did the second they did it. This isn't about our personal safety anymore; this is about defending our home. Protecting our… our families."

  He felt taken aback by Kiri's proposal but knew there was truth in his words. He turned to face their right and could sense a few groups of Seekers had broken off from the rest of the pack when the rift appeared. They ventured towards it, rushing against both sides of the barrier as they attempted to break through. Andros stood alone on one side, preventing them from charging forward in Eilon's direction. His arm was exposed as a massive Seeker tore away his gauntlet, but the Sentinel slammed his fist into the monster, yanking his blade across its ribs. Even with the large creature crumbling away, Richard could sense Andros' agitation. Distress was beginning to cascade off of him.

  He considered raising his vines around the Sentinel but worried his accuracy would fail him across that distance.

  "What are we waiting for?" Baku growled, the falling rain contouring the frustration in his face. "Can't you use your vines to split up the crowd like before?"

  "I-I can't do that without endangering the others," Richard murmured. "Even if we can't protect them, I won't be the one to kill them."

  "Well, can you support Andros with your vines from here?" Kiri questioned. "Keep the Seekers off of him while he tears them apart?"

  He shook his head as he shut his eyes.

  "I can't— he's moving so quickly," he groaned. "I might hit him if I strike from here. I need to be able to see him with my own eyes. I-I need… I need a moment to think."

  "We can't just stand here and think things over while people are dying," Baku growled. "We need to do something."

  "We'll get him to Andros," Jensen assured him, stepping closer to Richard. "We'll help you reach him, and you can do what you need to do. Just point in a direction."

  Richard stopped to look at him and glanced at Baku, then at Kiri. Neither of them objected to Jensen's offer.

  "If we get overwhelmed, I don't know that I can protect you," he mumbled. "I don't know that I could save any of you if I waver."

  "Don't worry about that," Kiri returned. "We may not be as tough as you, but we'll manage."

  "Speak for yourself. He's only tougher than us if we let him be," Baku chided. "Come on, Magic Boy. Just like Jensen said— point in a direction. We'll get you there!"

  Richard clenched his fists, searching for an alternative. For a brief moment, he thought of doing what he had done before: forcing Tala's power to pour into the Seekers and letting it tear them apart. However, he had not forgotten what that did to him before. If he collapsed here, in the midst of battle, he might not wake up until long after the skirmish ended.

  The only option that remained was a grim one, and one that Richard was sure would lead to his allies' deaths. Losing Lucian and then Aven set in him a desire to find another way. Yet, he knew Baku was right; every moment he wasted delayed their attack and condemned the rest of Solton's warriors.

  "Andros is just over there," he pointed, his finger trembling slightly. "We'll have to cut through about two dozen to reach him, and I sense… I sense at least three merged Seekers. They're rushing towards him."

  "We can handle it," Jensen reassured, raising his axes. "We're ready."

  Frustration burrowed into Richard's chest, but he quickly sent the thought away. He knew that they did not have so much time that he could freely lend it to indecisiveness. He raised his hand, reluctant-yet-ready to dismiss the vine that shielded them, when an all-too-familiar voice spoke out a second before he could do so.

  "You know what you need to do," it whispered.

  He froze, leaving his hand hanging in the air awkwardly as confusion spiraled through him.

  "What are you doing?" Kiri asked, a perplexed look on his face.

  Richard stood quiet, though, as he reached for the sword that hung at his side. His hand hovered near the hilt for a second, hesitating before he laced his fingers around it. It was warm and filled his mind with a steady sense of calm. He could feel the gem pulsing in his pocket; he could feel magic ripping across its surface.

  He took another step forward, away from those who stood at his sides, and pulled the sword from its scabbard in a single sweeping motion. The moment he did so, the blade sparked to life, flames bursting from its edges and streaking across the sky in a brilliant flourish of magic.

  "My Sworn Defender," the voice murmured before fading as it grew silent once again.

  The rain sizzled and smoked when the fire clashed against it, light twisting and heaving across the gray sky. For a single moment, Richard was sure the day looked brighter than any he had seen before.

  "How are you-" Jensen tried.

  "There's another way," he declared, slashing his fiery blade through the air in front of him.

  A pillar of flames shot forward, se
aring through the vine he had formed and scorching any Seekers that stood in its way. He watched their remains carefully for a moment and smiled when their skulls withered along with the rest of them. The power of Fire was enough to banish these monsters.

  Richard whipped his sword around as he brought it back in front of him, holding it defensively while the Seekers eyed him guardedly.

  "I can destroy them on my own now," he announced. "I'll clear a path so the three of you can get to Andros, but I won't go with you. I'm going to do everything I can to save the others."

  His sudden display of arcane power distracted the Seekers long enough that most of Solton's warriors were able to organize themselves into a shield wall around their wounded. They gathered off to Richard's far left, directly opposite of Andros. While the Sentinel was also able to claw back an advantage during the diversion, he was still overwhelmed by the monsters' sheer numbers. He needed their help.

  "Why don't you come with us?" Kiri inquired. "With the two of you side-by-side, these monsters wouldn't stand a chance of beating us. We can defeat them faster and still save the others."

  "We shouldn't stay that close to each other," Richard said, shaking his head. "The Seekers are starting to realize that Andros and me are both threats; if we fight together, it'll be easier to overcome us."

  "Sounds about right," Baku agreed, his mouth hanging open a bit as he stared at the flaming sword.

  "I'm glad because it's no longer time for a discussion," he returned, sensing their allies battling for their lives across the field. "I'll clear a path; you need to go as soon as I do."

  They nodded, and he lifted his fiery blade as he brought his attention back to the Sentinel. He took a breath while he concentrated on the distance between them.

  Steel flashed when Richard lunged forward, thrusting his weapon through empty air and shooting a stream of flames in front of him. It melted the snow, leaving the ground blistered and burnt as it rushed forward towards Andros. The arcane energy faded just before reaching the Sentinel, creating a clear route for the others to join him.

  "Go!" Richard yelled, watching his allies charge past him.