The Crimson Claymore

by Craig A. Price Jr.

  Next to the wizard, Searon battled fiercely and effectively despite his only using one hand. A claymore was a tough weapon to handle with only one hand, but he wielded it with such skill. He wasn’t effective on the offensive, yet he still held his own quite well against three draeyks that enclosed on him. Two of the creatures slashed with axes while the third preferred a spiked mace. The piercing weapon held a weight advantage that set Searon off balance with each block.

  Soon, the creatures realized that Searon would not fall despite their numbers and decided on a different approach. The creature with the mace bashed the weapon into the horse’s shoulder, causing the animal to dash forward in rage to knock the draeyk down. When his horse leaped forward, both Searon and the unconscious human tumbled to the ground. His claymore was gone, and he was left defenseless. Without much thought, Searon heaved the human on his back and used his steel boots to knock one draeyk out of the way. The other dashed at him, but he dove back, still protective of the man on his shoulders. He held to the human tight as he made a spinning heel kick that caught one creature in the jaw. Another was on him in moments, swinging an axe above its head. Searon only had enough time to grab the axe at the haft with his left hand to stop the blow. Without thinking, he was left with little choice but to punch the creature with his right hand, causing the human to slide imbalanced on his back. He dropped to the ground in an attempt to catch the man. The draeyks closed in on him quickly as he tried prying the human’s sword from its scabbard. There wasn’t enough time, and he could feel the pinch of an axe blade slamming into his lower back.

  The pain shot through his nerves, and he shrieked loudly, causing a disturbing look to come from both Starlyn and Karceoles. However, both were too far and too busy to come to his aid. It was the first time he let the creatures catch him off guard, and he cursed himself silently. He knew he should toss the human off his shoulders and end the lives of these creatures, yet he could not bring himself to do it.

  Searon dashed to the side to avoid being entrapped by the creatures. The pain shot in his back again, causing him to stumble and lose his grasp of the wounded man. In a matter of seconds, the human fell to the ground and rolled. Searon grasped the small of his back and gritted his teeth in agony. When he brought his fingers to his face, he looked in horror at his blood-stained hand. He also felt a large bruise forming on his lower back that hurt more with each step.

  A draeyk dashed toward the human’s body, and Searon quickly slid in front to protect the unconscious man. He wished he could reach his claymore, but it was ten paces away. Furiously, he kicked up some dirt, blinding the draeyk for a moment. In those mere seconds he was able to elbow the creature’s jaw with his left and jab with his right. It knocked the creature down and in turn granted Searon able to snag the axe from its grasp. A smile brushed his lips at having a weapon in his sweaty gauntlets again. There was little concern that it wasn’t his claymore. He had studied a wide range of weapons throughout his time as a warrior, and some thereafter when training students.

  With the creature weaponless, Searon was able to cleave its skull in two with the axe blade. He studied the axe for a moment, admiring its bronze glow. Laughing started now that he couldn’t believe was his own. Two draeyks jumped at him, and he dodged both swipes, followed by shearing the tip of his axe blade into an uppercut that shed a draeyk’s scaled jaw in half. The last one took a step back and looked at him.

  He stared hard at the creature, daring for it to come forward to its death. Deep inside its black eyes, it almost seemed soulless. There were often times he wondered what went on through the creatures’ minds, what provoked the creatures to do such things. It almost seemed that they were afraid to fail because they feared something worse than death. The draeyks were simple creatures that enjoyed violence but were not intelligent enough to craft their own war.

  Searon had known the draeyks had been led into a war before against the kheshlars. Starlyn hadn’t told him much, and Karceoles was worse to pry information from. Back then, it was Starlyn’s sister, Arria, that had united the reptilian creatures. It seemed that someone had learned from her efforts and took it upon themselves to unite the creatures again. There were differences now as the humans had been involved in their skirmishes. Arria was still out there, and he only hoped that she didn’t get back involved with them. If she did, then the kheshlars truly were in danger once more.

  “Diiiee,” hissed the creature.

  “After you!” Searon barked.

  He heaved the war axe with one hand, watching as it spun in the air like a boomerang. The action almost seemed in slow motion as the creature gasped in effort to bring its axe up to block. Its effort was in vain as the axe blade penetrated into the skull of the creature. Searon dived at the chance to retrieve his claymore and felt complete once the crimson glowing blade was back in his hands.

  Fifteen paces away, Starlyn busied herself against three draeyks. Surprisingly to Searon, she held her own very well. With a slide of hand and a flick of her wrist, she was able to deflect two strikes at once. When the third draeyk struck, she had to quickly move aside the blow and strike. On occasion, she blocked an attack with her foot, creating an echo through her plate mail. Her helm was tightly secured and so only fragments of her straight blonde hair shone through.

  Suddenly, Starlyn rushed west and climbed up the towering rock. The creatures behind followed her to the rock and stared up in disbelief. She pushed her feet from the rough surface of the stone and somersaulted backward. When she landed behind the three creatures, she bashed in one’s head with her hammer and crushed the hand of another. The third charged at her, managing to knock her to the ground. Without a chance for a breath, she pulled out shurikens from her pouch and launched three into the skull of the reptilian creature. It skidded headfirst toward her, and she rolled out of the way before rising to her feet. Her grip loosened on her hammer as she readjusted it to face her last opponent.

  Another twenty paces away, Karceoles stood no longer wielding magic. Instead, he used his zylek like a weapon. He was able to block blows from both sides of him and twirl in complex patterns that showed off his skills. It was strange seeing such an old man attack with such incredible speed. His zylek blocked the axe blows as easily as a sword would without taking a single mark. His blunt weapon didn’t cause as much damage as a sword, yet it was still efficient.

  A few times, he knocked them down with a whack of his zylek. Other times, he channeled a pulse of energy through it that jolted the creatures back several paces. He could sense a draeyk trying to sneak up on him from behind. Spinning his zylek swiftly in his hands, he knocked it in the side of the face, breaking its jaw. With a loud thud, the creature hit the ground, clenching its broken bone. As his back was turned, another draeyk swung its axe toward his face that he was not able to sidestep in time. The blade grazed his cheek, creating a three-inch line of blood. A sharp pain tingled through his body, and he cursed his own foolishness.

  Karceoles hadn’t been so foolish to add a scar to his collection in years. He felt the blood trickling down his face with his fingertips. It had been a long time since he had been overwhelmed in battle. Without trying, he could feel energy channeling from his body into the zylek. The weapon was charging in response to his anger. His nose winced, and his lips parted to show snarling teeth. He dashed at the two draeyks in front of him with stronger blows that took the form of a dance. An illuminating orange light radiated from the zylek that had previously been absent. He pivoted the weapon so it collided with a draeyk’s skull. The blow tossed the creature a span back, surrounded in orange flames. He fought the next as he pivoted his zylek and proceeded to break every bone in the creature’s body.

  The wizard stared coldly at the last one as fire came out of his eyes. He held his zylek forward, creating a glowing orange whip from its tip. Without a second’s delay, he slashed it at the creature. The creature shrieked so loudly that it made everyone want to cover their ears. It made a dent in the side of t
he draeyk’s black scaly skull that smoldered. He slashed at the creature again. The draeyk brought its axe up, attempting a block, but the whip melted through the axe. Another strike caught the handle to incinerate it in mere seconds. Horror stuck the draeyk’s face, and it backed up awestruck. Karceoles stepped forward, the whip growing even longer, until with one last slash of his zylek it wrapped around the draeyk.

  There was utter shock on the creature’s face with eyes wider than ever seen before. Its mouth hung open as the pressure of the whip tightened, causing flames to sprinkle out. Within seconds, the entire draeyk was engulfed in flame, burning it alive. Karceoles whispered unintelligible words that seemed to echo in power while grasping his zylek tighter. The whip sawed at the creature’s body, cutting into its flesh until it shattered the body into dozens of pieces that flew in every direction. Each piece that exploded out was aflame and burned quickly to ash. Karceoles was weak now, drained of energy. It had taken a lot from him to perform such complex magic, but his temper got the best of him.

  Only five draeyks remained on the field, scarred with battle. Karceoles faced one, his zylek being used as a weapon once more. Starlyn fought against three, and Searon faced a single opponent. Starlyn battled smoothly against the three creatures without taking a break between blocks and attacks. Her skill with a hammer was uncanny. She kicked one in the jaw, knocking it back several paces as she crossed blades with the next. The third dashed at her as she snatched a shuriken from her pouch and launched it into its neck. She stood facing her last draeyk as the one she had kicked had fled. Without having several enemies to worry about, she was able to control her slashes better and quickly got the kill by severing the creature’s neck.

  Searon fought with brilliant skill against his lone opponent. There seemed little concern to finish the battle and more for practiced sword play. It felt great for him to wield his claymore once again. The glow of it reflected in his green eyes behind his battered gold-and-red helm. He switched the position of his hands so his left hand rested on the top of his hilt. His attacks were able to shift in different ways, with his left hand guiding instead of his right. It also increased his muscle strength for his lesser arm. The draeyk suddenly attacked him in a frenzy of slashes and uppercuts that he was able to extinguish instantly. Even though Searon wasn’t left handed, he was still able to defend nearly as well. He dropped to his knees, spinning his claymore to shove the creature’s axe down before he impaled the draeyk through the heart.

  His eyes closed as all he heard around him was silence. It seemed that both Starlyn and Karceoles were done battling as well. He enjoyed the quiet, as it reminded him of simpler times. A twig crunched not a pace behind him. Searon turned around abruptly, still on his knees and jerking his claymore to a defensive position. It wouldn’t have been enough time, as he saw one last draeyk with an axe already raised ready to drop it on his skull. Instead of feeling the abrupt pain of death, he saw a sword pierce the creature’s heart from behind. A low gurgling was the only thing he heard as the creature tumbled to the ground. Behind the creature stood the human he’d spent most of his efforts protecting. The man held a sword in his right hand that shook uneasily. A cold sweat drenched the man’s face, and he shivered before dropping his weapon. He looked hard into Searon’s eyes until his knees gave way and he sank to the ground, losing the last ounce of strength he just had.

  Chapter 11

  Searon rushed to help the weak man and strained his back in the process. He was still injured from the blow to his lower back, but he knew that the human in front of him was weaker. With an easy touch, Searon was able to shift the human onto a log. His claymore still resided in his hand, and he put the no-longer-glowing weapon into its scabbard.

  The man tugged at his long black hair now tangled with waves. It hung just past his shoulders and appeared that it should be tied in a ponytail. His eyebrows were thin and his face shaved clean. Even with the days he’d been unconscious, there was still little facial hair to be noticed. He had a baby face as if he was young, but his slanted eyes told his age of long experience. They were hazel and harder than any warrior Searon had known. His body seemed fragile with barely enough meat to cover his bones, but there was still muscle in his arms. Still, he held his pointed chin high with pride. Muscles were only seen if he shifted the right way or likely if he flexed.

  “Thank you,” Searon shifted his gaze to look deep into the cold hazel eyes of the man.

  Searon was amazed that the man held enough strength and courage to strike down a draeyk when just waking up from a coma. He may have seemed thin and weak, but his strength went beyond his muscles. It seemed the warrior had heart, and that was one thing that Searon himself was lacking.

  The man only nodded silently with obvious strain. Sweat drizzled down his face, and his long black hair frizzed with moisture. His hand pulsed in effort to make a fist, and he stared at it blankly. Strength would not come back to him, though, as it seemed he used the last of it to save Searon.

  Searon held his bottom lip down and whistled deep into the wind. In a moment, the gallop of his horse could be heard. Stripes appeared within minutes and nudged at Searon’s hand. He smiled, briefly petting the animal behind the ear. Reaching in the saddlebags, he pulled out dried meat and an apple, which he handed to the man. At first, the man looked at the food with a blank stare before reaching for it. With barely a chance to swallow, the food disappeared into his mouth.

  Karceoles stalked up slowly with his zylek. He put out his hand to assist the man to his feet. The man looked at him reluctantly before accepting his help. Strangely, the wizard gave up his zylek to the human, who gratefully accepted it. Karceoles appeared strange in brown robes without his zylek in hand. He appeared weaker as he hunched over, but he still stared down his nose to look at the human.

  “What is your name?” Karceoles asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “My name is Andron of Guerettos,” he said in short breaths. Karceoles noticed the man had dark bags under his cold eyes. His accent sounded nasal, as if he spoke more through his nose than his mouth. Each word seemed to connect together with barely a definition of sound from one word to the next, and that gave his voice a flowery tone.

  “What are you doing this far west?” Starlyn broke in with wonder.

  It was strange to see humans that crossed the Aedth Desert. Most who attempted such a feat were later found as bones sprawled out on the desert floor. The Aedth stretched on for so many leagues that it was deemed an infinite amount by the standards of humans. Starlyn stared at him strangely as if he was the first human she had met. Likely, Andron was her second. There were also rumors spread throughout Calthoria about the other side of the Aedth being more dangerous than the desert itself.

  “The village I come from is strong, but it was attacked by savage draeyks. The finest warriors were gathered and sent out to cleanse the land surrounding us. We were led astray until we became so lost that we had no choice but to continue traveling.” He paused briefly to wipe sweat from his brow and catch a breath. “Our numbers dwindled, but we could not stop. Everywhere we went we found draeyks, and our bloodthirst was great. We were destroying the creatures that brought chaos and fear to our homes. It seems I am the only survivor of the hundred sent.”

  “And you were their leader?” Karceoles brushed his knotted white hair from his face to better inspect the warrior.

  Andron croaked a laugh and shook his head. “Hardly. I come from a mere peasant family. It is merely luck that I am still alive.”

  Andron’s face turned grim now with memories of his fallen comrades tormenting him. He seemed to be holding onto himself with barely a thread. His face buried into his knees, and he began to rock back and forth. Chills tensed his body and traveled down his spine as he sighed. There was little left for him but his home, yet it seemed enough.

  Karceoles looked at him with respect glowing in his orange eyes. The wizard did not believe Andron could be a mere peasant. Surely, he was a captain, a lord. Hi
s fighting skills were more than enough proof of his importance.

  “Luck has nothing to do with it. I saw you battle out there. There is much skill in you, and I would gather that you are superior in swordplay to the rest of your party.” Searon flinched his nose as he spoke.

  He had trained thousands of warriors over the years, and none held as much skill as he saw in the young man before him. Even the captains that Searon trained for various legions did not seem as skilled as Andron. Searon knew he only saw little of Andron battling and would have to test his skills when he regained strength to be sure. Warm thoughts crossed his mind as he realized he would have someone to sword practice with. It was good exercise to dance with a blade at least once a day.

  “Let’s just say that I’m faster to learn from my mistakes,” Andron said, disregarding their compliments.

  “Do you have a family?” Starlyn asked as she sat down next to Searon.

  “Wow, a kheshlar! I’ve heard stories, but I’ve never known they were true. I mean…you are a kheshlar, are you not?”

  A smirk broadened at Starlyn’s rosy lips. There was a slight blush that streaked across her face that quickly faded. Instead of seeming offended, she appeared proud. In fact, she brushed her golden hair behind both of her ears and grinned profoundly. She looked a fool. Andron’s eyes widened as he was able to get a closer gaze of her thin tall ears shaped like long leaves.