Not when it was his doppleganger who had killed the young woman.
For two weeks after that, he travelled these halls. Lines about needing to reach Carnick so that her loss was not in vain. He checked the rooms over and over again, but to no avail. Some days he was certain he had checked them all three times over, while during others he feared that he had only checked the same four over and over.
Diane closed the book, a tear falling for the man who thanked his body’s dependence on water, for without it, he would not be able to be reunited with his thief. She then placed it on his chest, and thanked him for the knowledge.
Room 1
“Why did you insist we come back here?””
Diane bit into her cheek. Each step brought the two closer to the exit, to which they still had no key. If her thoughts were correct though, that would soon be remedied. “That man had checked all of these rooms already with no luck, so why should we believe that we’ll find it in those rooms?”
Kat paled for a moment, letting her knuckles pop as she looked at Diane. “Please tell me you know where the key is then, because I do not want to end up like Mr. Bones back there.”
Diane stopped in front of the door, and charge a bolt of electricity to her fingertips. For a moment, she glanced back at Kat, who hissed out, “Don’t you even think about it,” before she looked down. There were the instructions, right on top of a thick stone slab. She pointed down, and fired.
The stone split into two from the impact, sending shards of stone up, before revealing, tucked away between the two halves, a fine, golden key. Diane picked it up, before turning to Kat and smiling. “You always keep a spare under the doormat, right?”
Kat blinked a few times before she simply placed her head into her hands and screamed. “That’s not funny!”
Diane on the other hand, had to disagree, even if the joke had come with a heavy heart.
Sacrifice
The two turned the key, before glancing to the other. Diane smiled, running her hand along the bandage around Kat’s head, just as the barbarian grinned, and she ripped it off. As Kat kept her hand up, Diane wrapped her own, softer pair over the barbarian’s one, and sent a small pulse of warmth to her companion. Kat just smiled, and turned to the door. They were ready to finish this.
The doors grated as they were forced open. From the heavy dust that fell off, both girls assumed that this was the first time they had ever been opened. Looking within affirmed the thought, as dust covered everything. Kat forced herself not to smile at the glint of gold that was at the back of the room, but instead kept her eyes on what she thought may be the final trial.
As the door closed behind them, a green energy flowed in from every crack in the walls. It became increasingly thick as it approached the middle of the room. Over the tomb, the gold, but all toward the statue that sat before the coffin. The thick dust on it shook as energy seeped into stone, and the golem gave a soft rumble in return. It was clad in stone armor that screeched as it began to move, but Diane actually smiled at the imposing figure. While the armor was meant to scare, it matched every depiction of the man, even down to the golden pendant around his neck.
The golem moved to stand, planting one of its feet flat onto the ground as his left hand ran along the pendant. Upon touching it, the green energy rushed into the remaining crevices, and his eyes flared to life, glowing a dull, light green. His right hand slammed onto the large, stone blade beside him, and he stood tall. Kat looked up at the man who was almost twice her size, and took a step forward. “Stay behind me. If he wants to fight, I don’t want you near that slab of rock.
The golem’s eyes narrowed, before looking past the small warrior, and to the sorceress who radiated magical power off of her. He lifted one hand and pointed straight at Diane before bellowing, “I, Carnick, the giant, the guardian, the faithful, and eternal, beckons you to come!” When instead the insignificant stepped forward, he brought his other hand forward, putting the blade before Kat’s face. “I only wish to speak, but if you do not honor my trial, I will fight you.”
Kat growled as her hands curled into fists. She didn’t like this at all. Something so large and imposing getting a one on one with Diane rang as a thousand red flags in her mind. Than again, it wasn’t really her place to decide when the alternative was a seven foot greatsword in her face. Diane helped in her backing down as the sorceress squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry. Carnick is an honorable man, and probably wishes only to see if we are deserving.”
Carnick nodded as Diane stepped forward, before she put her fist to her chest, and extended it outwards. “A warm greeting to you, Master Carnick. I, humble Diane, beseech you as one who loves now, to one who loved before.” She grabbed the edge of her dress and extended it outwards in a half curtsy.
The golem smiled at the gesture, before planting the blade back into the earth. He then placed a hand onto Diane’s shoulder, and looked deep into her eyes. “Tell me, young one, what brings you to the tomb of my beloved queen? Is it treasure, power, or are you here to honor her memory with tribute?”
Diane turned to the bag at her side, soon undoing the clasps and rummaging through the supplies within. While unprepared for the final request, she saw no harm in obliging in it. Still, as she grabbed a thin, tightly bound parcel, a pang of hurt rang through her chest. This is nothing though, not… not for Kat, especially after all the stupid stuff she has done for our relationship. With a small bit of flame, the bundle was undone, and a beautiful, black book revealed itself to be within.
The symbols on top, of fire, ice, lightning, and earth made the possession clear. It was a grimoire, and not just any grimoire, but the best grimoire that Diane had ever found. Even with her capabilities to learn magic, she had not even begun to learn, let alone master, every spell in the book. And now, she offered it to him. “I give you the best that I have on me now, and apologize for not having brought more.”
Carnick nodded, able to see the magic that radiated off of the book as well. It was indeed a mighty gift, just like if a warrior were to give him their own blade. It was touching, and the lack of any hesitation made it seem like her words were true.
But no gift or words would ever be able match his love.
In a practiced swing, he brought his free hand up, and Kat tensed. The eyes had deepened to a darker shade of green, and it took all her will to not attack. All he had to do now was to bring that hand down upon Diane, and she… Kat pushed the thought away. Diane knew what she was doing… she had to.
“Your offering is great, and your words heartfelt. I can sense the bond between you two is strong, even of the same sort as me and my queen. A guardian and protector, with one who would throw her life down for the other. However,” his raised hand curled into a fist, and time seemed to slow for Kat, “No love is as great as mine is for my dear Salasune.”
One second, and his hand began to descend. With the second, Kat forced the bottom buckles off of her breastplate. Three, and Diane looked up, only to see the sickly green of Carnick’s eyes, and to open her mouth. At four, the breastplate fell into Kat’s hands.
And on five, his fist found its mark. Kat froze, watching the first cracks appear on Diane’s head as time seemed to almost stop. Blood came soon after, gushing against the golem’s hand as her beloved’s head began to give, and her neck bent. The sound of the impact made Kat’s knees weak, and the sorceress was lifted off of the ground. With the next moment, and Diane was flying as Carnick followed through.
Kat closed her eyes. All around her was still, calm, but she knew the truth. She had let a little of it slip out against herself. It was always there, always wanting out, but that wasn’t her role. She was a fighter, but she was no killer. She was a protector, not a destroyer. And normally, she was a knight. As she slammed her foot down though, she didn’t hold back. The red fury in her veins surrounded her spirit, and she screamed the primal cry of a barbarian.
Markings covered her whole form as she opened her eyes. Bite m
arks and scratches where her wolves had placed them on her in her youth, along with the prints of her bloodkin, and wolves’ eyes that marked her clan painted themselves upon her body as she looked before her. Carnick was turning away from her, and to Diane. That wasn’t acceptable. Not now, not ever.
The breastplate came first, knocking Carnick off balance as it slammed into the armor on his back. A green aura flared as the shield bounced off, and soon came again as Kat approached. Her sword was in both hands now, and she could hear the wind screaming in her ears as she thrust forward. Upon impact, she could feel every part of her body shake and scream from the force, made only worse as the aura forced her blade away, and left no mark.
Carnick turned around, growling as he moved. “What do you think you will do to my-” He was cut off as he had to plant his raised foot. The gnat’s blade had come against his right side like a bull, and he saw the glow of a savage on the woman. A smile broke over his face as he straightened out now. He had faced plenty of these things in the wars, and was astonished at himself for not recognizing the fool before. “Unbreakable armor?”
Kat’s arms shook as she clenched her blade tightly. Unbreakable? No such thing existed, her dad had taught her that long ago. Everyone always thought it was real, when in reality, it just never had the right force applied to it. She swung her sword behind her, staring Carnick in the eyes as she swung again for his right side.
Her blade caught stone again, but it wasn’t the stone she had expected. Instead, it was his fist, slamming into the side of her blade midswing. Her arms cried out in pain again, but it was too late to go back, so instead, Kat pushed all the power she could into the swing. She felt something give, before the screeching of tearing metal met her ears, and she was thrown back, along with the now shorn off majority of her blade.
She slammed into the wall, panting as her vision swayed for a moment. She was against rock, and even before she had lost her blade, she knew he had reach on her. Now the bastard held its own blade, and she could hear Carnick muttering an apology. She didn’t know to what, and honestly, she didn’t actually care. Kat forced one of her arms off of the wall, and pushed herself out of the small divot she had made. As long as he posed a threat to Diane, she would fight.
Carnick turned to her, extending his arm so as to let to blade be between them. “I killed plenty of you in my lady’s service. If you think you will be the one to break me in my eternal body, than you are mistaken.”
Kat slowly walked forward, her fingers tightening around the pommel of her blade. It was all she had left, but with the steel ball at the end, it could still do something. She just needed to wait, and look for an opening. It wasn’t the easiest goal, but it was all she had left. “You said that you understood our bond, so if you think I’ll back down, you’re dead wrong.”
Carnick nodded, before swinging the massive blade in a long arc over his head. It moved surprisingly quick, but when he brought it down, Kat simply ducked under it as if it weren’t even moving. His middle was open now, but she had seen how that worked out. That was also with unbending steel, rather than her own fists.
Carnick performed two more slashes, both coming in quick succession, and both again being dodged by Kat, who stepped away from them easily. As he lifted the sword over his head though, her back hit the wall. He smiled, and brought the blade down, cutting through the rock like butter.
As the dust began to settle, Carnick chuckled. Down, just like all the rest. He went to pull out his blade, but found more resistance than expected, and the weight on it was… increasing? He looked to the smoke, and saw a glowing silhouette in it. It brought its hands down, and Kat’s pommel cracked against Carnick’s helmet. The aura flared back up, but as she felt it try to repel her, Kat pushed back, her body glowing more intensely as she looked Carnick right in the eyes. “Don’t underestimate me!”
He lifted his blade as the pommel cracked, and Kat lost her footing on the slab of rock. She fell to the ground, but didn’t even notice the impact. Instead, she was on her feet in less than a second, and smiled as she looked up. The aura on him was fading, but she could see it. A crack had been there, and she was ready to leave a lot more.
He swung his blade again, but just like a gnat, she was too fast, and too small to possibly be hit. Carnick continued to move against her, cleaving the ground of the room as he yelled, “Stand still! I will not dare allow some imposters defile my lady’s tomb!”
Kat ducked underneath one of his thrusts, her face contorting with rage. This time, she did not think, she only acted. As she ran at his middle, she screamed, “Diane didn’t want to!” She put her right hand behind her, curling each finger one by one into a fist, before she slammed it forward. It came down hard against the stone, and she could see the aura come back at full strength. It pushed against her, but she wasn’t going anywhere. “If you had listened to her, and not cheated, we would be gone already!”
Kat’s gaze turned blood red as she put her second hand on his gut, and pushed. Carnick raised his blade, but she didn’t care. Instead, all of her focus was on her right arm. The fingers were already broken, and as the repulsive force against her grew, she could feel the rest of the bones in her arm give way.
But again, she didn’t care. She only needed power, and as the muscles in her arm flexed, they shattered the bones within. Tears came down Kat’s face, but still she pushed, throwing Carnick off balance as his feet started to drag through the dirt. He only had to bring his blade down, and it would all be over. She would be gone, and then, because she failed, so would Diane, and that simply couldn’t happen. With all of her might, she put everything she could into one last push, and tilted Carnick, before forcing him to fall.
His body hit the ground with a mighty slam, churning up the dust in the room, and shaking the tomb. As Carnick attempted to recover, the stone body weighing him down greatly now, he felt a boot land on his wrist. Panic ran through him, as that stopped the hand that was reaching for his sword. If she could grab it, it would mean trouble, but he had heard the snapping of bones, and knew, there was no way the barbarian could lift it with only one hand.
That is exactly why Kat didn’t even try. Instead, she put both hands around the large hilt, and began to lift it. It was at least the weight of a dozen men, and her body screamed at the force required to get it off the ground. She needed it though, as she was now certain of what this blade could do.
Carnick’s eyes flared as he saw her lift it over her head, and then turn towards him. He raised a hand, but did not dare say anything. If this grave robber was to kill him, he would take what knightly dignity he had left. When the blade came down on his legs though, it became harder to think that. The aura cast upon him was strong, but that much weight, with her strength behind it, was simply too much, and he watched the stone be shattered. With a sigh, Carnick said, “You win.”
“No, I don’t. Not yet.” Kat began to lift the blade again as she stared at the pendant on Carnick’s chest. “I bet you have the same, stupid regeneration that the rest of this damned place does. That necklace looks important though, so maybe,” She grunted as the blade came over her head, and she stood over Carnick, ready to cleave him in half, “if I break it, you won’t come back.”
Carnick’s eyes turned their purest, brightest green as one of his hands curled around the pendant. “Please, no! It has nothing to do with those enchantments, as it is simply my lady’s pendant. It… it was her last gift to me! If nothing else, have the heart to leave it with me.”
Kat glared down at Carnick. He had hurt Diane, possibly even killed her, and yet he expected mercy? ...No. No, the defeat in his last words gave reason to believe otherwise. He just wanted that which helped him hold onto, and remind him, of his love. Of his duty. Of his purpose to still exist. Kat glanced over to Diane, and at that moment, she understood the crazed, old knight.
Carnick opened his eyes as he heard the loud slam of his sword against the floor. Above him stood the short, red headed barbarian, b
ut now her marks were gone. It was a sight he never thought possible, for it meant a barbarian who didn’t go for the kill. “Why?”
Kat slowly moved off of Carnick, stumbling as she tried to walk. Her arms felt like nothing now, and could only hang limply by her sides. Of course, most of her body just wanted to collapse at this point, as the strain of the fight had ripped through the majority of her muscles. She looked over her shoulder, and sighed. “I did it because I am still a knight, and I will not punish a man who just wanted to protect the memory of the one he loves. Not when I’ve gotten mad at others just for looking at Diane.”
Carnick laid back as her footsteps grew more distant, and he ran his hand over the pendant on his chest. Maybe there were bonds as great as his and his queen’s? Looking to the barbarian, he knew it was not a question; not anymore, and so said, “I, Carnick, give my blessing to you to take as you wish from this place.”
Kat collapsed next to Diane, and placed a hand onto her companion’s shoulder. She was too tired to quip back, but instead just tried to squeeze her beloved awake. A tear came down the barbarian’s face as she whispered, “Diane?” When no response came, she shook the sorceress, and cried, “Wake up, Diane.” When all was still, Kat found the strength to grip both of her lover’s shoulders, and ignored the pain as she screamed, “Diane!”
“Will you please shut up, Kat. I have the worst headache of my life.”
Kat began to openly weep as she pulled Diane close, and held her tight. “You fucking idiot! I… I thought you were gone.”
Diane blinked, her vision still blurry as she tried to figure out what was going on. “What are you talking ab-Ow!” She put one hand to the side of her head, only to find dampness there. She pulled it away and felt her veins turn to ice. She now remembered why there was blood there, and soon wrapped Kat up in her own arms. “I’m here, I’m here.”
For a long moment, the two simply sat there in each other’s embrace. Diane could tell that her companion needed this, and she even gave Kat a gentle peck on the top of her red mop of hair. The sorceress’s curiosity soon grew too large for her to contain, and she titled Kat’s head up. “How… how did you beat Carnick?”
Diane and Kat- the Bound Bands Page 7
