by H. J. Cronin
Garpaw sucked in a deep breath and looked at Ardag, not knowing what to say. ‘Thank you Ardag, I thought I was surely going to die,’ was all he could mutter.
‘That’s all right, my friend. This is magic of the ancient elven race – one thing they did leave behind was their magic which my father has studied and learned. It is a shame that I did not take that path, because when my father’s time comes, it will also be the end of magic,’ he said, very sadly.
Bry shook her head and placed her hand on his shoulder. ‘Magic will never die, Ardag,’ she said, comforting him. ‘Besides, your father has many years left in him to teach,’ she added with a smile, and patted him on the shoulder.
‘That is true Bry, that is true. Maybe I could learn the old magic arts after all,’ he joked.
Johan felt uncomfortable with the mention of elves, so quickly changed the subject, ‘So what do we do now, gang? The scroll is obviously a fake, so where do we go?’ he asked.
Ardag stroked his chin and nodded. ‘Yes, that was a fake, but the true scroll could be here somewhere. Let’s make our way out of here for now in case more of the undead beasts return. We need to rest and recuperate before continuing our quest, especially Garpaw.’
The others agreed and the four companions made their way back to the Great Hall, not looking back at the pile of undead zombie corpses that they had left behind.
They walked back into the cobweb filled dark hall feeling content with their victory but disappointed that they had not found the scroll. But things were about to get a lot worse.
Standing in front of them were four strange humanoids. They could not make out their details but each wore thick red plated armour. One was without a helmet while the others had their faces obscured. As they drew closer the friends could make out the features of these strangers; the one without a helmet had long white hair and dark grey skin with blood red eyes. Ardag knew instantly who these beings were; they were vampires.
‘Greetings, druids,’ the one with long hair said in a well-spoken manner. ‘I am Count Varko from the Vandalore Clan.’
‘What is it you want, vampire?’ Garpaw said with a snarl, but Ardag placed his hand on Garpaw as if to calm him.
‘That is a rude greeting for a count,’ Count Varko said, scowling.
‘Just get on with it count, why do you come to us armed?’ Ardag asked.
‘I merely come for Johan, son of Haramithir,’ he replied, looking directly at Johan. ‘Give him to me and all of you will see this day through.’
Johan looked at the others and he trembled. He sighed and stepped forward but Bry stopped him. She looked at the count with a look of disgust. ‘Why do you come for him? Is it your master Count Darkool that sends you like a dog to do his bidding?’ she mocked.
A look of surprise came over Varko’s face at the mention of his master, but that quickly turned to anger at the woman’s last comment. ‘Hand him over, bitch, or I will cut your breasts from your chest and drink your blood.’
She grinned, ‘If you want my breasts come and get them you vampire fuck.’
‘That’s enough!’ Ardag cut in, ‘there will be no bloodshed here. Count, I bid you take your men and leave.’
Count Varko laughed at Ardag and mocked him. He looked at his companions and smiled, ‘well these are not men, son of the Eagle. These are the Blood Guard. You have quite a battle on your hands. Those creatures that attacked you were just a warm up,’ he said, referring to the zombies.
‘That was your doing?’ Garpaw asked, full of rage.
‘I was shown a trick or two about animating the dead, I heard of your quest to find some special scrolls so I thought I would set you up, I was lucky to reach Sworcadia before you on horseback. Now, this is your last chance – hand that bastard over or I will kill you all here and now.’
‘I am afraid negotiations are over count. Johan stays with us,’ Ardag concluded.
‘So be it,’ Count Varko responded with an evil grin.
He said something to his Blood Guard. Suddenly the count and his vampire soldiers leapt into the air at the companions with their weapons drawn. Ardag knew what kind of fight was on their hands; these were formidable fighters. With Garpaw fatigued this fight was already uneven.
Ardag made the first move using his lightning fast skills with his blade. Next Bry immediately took on her bear form and followed Ardag into the fray, then Johan charged with his sword held high and lastly Garpaw took on his wolf form and slowly, but determined, ran into the fight.
The fight was even to start with. Neither side gave way as the sound of metal on metal echoed throughout the hall. Ardag went straight for Count Varko and the two duelled tirelessly. Count Varko was just as good with his sword and managed to block all of Ardag’s offences. He then attacked Ardag with a thrilling intensity, swinging his sword in all directions. He managed to catch Ardag’s arm slightly with the edge of his sword, tearing through his skin creating a deep cut. Ardag was momentarily vulnerable and Varko jumped at the opportunity, diving at Ardag with his sword tip aiming for his heart.
Ardag was hurt but not badly. He saw Varko coming at him and managed to bring his katana up to block the powerful blow. Using his sword and Count Varko’s momentum, he managed to force the count to the ground, brought his katana down, stabbed the vampire in the stomach, and the monster oozed blood. But Varko was a vampire, a simple stab in the stomach only caused brief pain. Ardag knew that vampires could only be killed by decapitation, much like other undead creatures.
Using his hands Varko pulled the blade out, ignoring the fact that it cut his hands as he gripped it. He snarled at Ardag, leapt into the air and came at Ardag with a new ferocity. Ardag suffered another slash to his back but that did not faze him; he carried on fighting the count.
Meanwhile Johan fought his own melee with one of the Blood Guards. The creature was unlike anything he had fought thus far. Its speed was superior to Johan and its armour thick. He managed to block all of its attacks and even got in a few of his own. The creature came at Johan with its red blade low, but Johan managed to block the attack and push the Blood Guard to the side. He saw an opportunity and drove his own blade into the back of the monster; his sword, Slice, cut right through the armour and exited through its chest.
The creature did not fall. It turned around and stared at Johan defiantly; he could see the blank eye sockets behind the helmet. The blade was ineffective on the vampire, Slice was stuck and Johan was left without a weapon. He glanced around quickly for an alternative. The creature walked towards him and brought its sword up ready to end Johan’s life. To his right he saw an old chair full of cobwebs which had been here since Sworcadia was sacked. As the Blood Guard brought its sword down Johan lifted the chair and blocked the blow. The sword’s tip slightly protruded through the wood of the chair, the chair which had saved his life.
He yanked the chair forward, pulling the Blood Guard down and managing to flank him and pull his sword out. Johan raised his sword in the air and looked at the vampire with bloodlust in his eyes, challenging the creature to come forward. Of course it did and Johan found a new strength, frenzy. He attacked the Blood Guard with great speed and power; the creature backed off, attempting to block each strike. Johan’s sharp blade cut through the Blood Guard’s wrist with one quick slice, resulting in it dropping its sword and becoming defenceless. Johan quickly spun around and sliced the monster’s stomach with the straight edge of his sword, and with unknown strength and one swift slash he sliced through the Blood Guard’s neck like a hot knife through butter, sending its head flying in the air. Before its head hit the floor its entire body broke down into hard lumps of blood and the creature was vanquished. One down, another two and a count to go.
Just after he destroyed the vampire Johan saw a strange young boy standing in the far corner of the room staring at him. He wore rags and had long brown hair; he must have only been seven or eight. The boy did nothing but point down to the ground where he stood, and then he vanished.
Ardag saw Johan eventually defeat the Blood Guard and smiled with satisfaction. His other two companions held their enemies at bay, but Ardag’s reflections didn’t last long because Count Varko was on him again with his sword; he had already suffered various cuts and near misses. Varko managed to overpower Ardag for an instant, sending him to the ground and hacking down at his katana which was held above his head. When the count raised his sword again Ardag saw an opportunity – he spun around and kicked the count in the legs, driving him to the ground, and he had just enough time to stand before Varko was back on his feet and renewing his attack.
Bry was also doing well. She clawed and bit at her enemy but the Blood Guard’s agility outmatched the bear, and it managed to deflect many would-be critical blows. Bry saw an advantage when the Blood Guard turned around to see Johan charging at it. She pounced on the creature, sending it to the ground and on top of it she snarled and went for its head. She managed to bite its head and using her paw to anchor its body, she bit its head off and spat it out to her left, where it turned into the same bloody mess its companion had. Two down, two to go.
Garpaw did not do so well. Because of his exhaustion after being stabbed, his usual agility and fast pace was missing. He managed to block a lot of attacks from the Blood Guard. He even managed to overpower it at one stage and tore its arm off, which, to Garpaw’s frustration, grew back. He circled the vampire, stalking his prey and ready to pounce again. Bry and Johan were making their way to him to help out. Garpaw saw his chance when the Blood Guard was momentarily distracted, and pounced at the creature. But these guards of Count Darkool were fast and skilled. As Garpaw was flying towards him, the Blood Guard gave one swift cut with its sword to Garpaw’s stomach in mid-air, releasing a tide of blood into the air.
Garpaw fell to the ground and immediately changed back to his human form. He held his stomach as if to hold his intestines in. The Blood Guard had clean cut a giant gash in Garpaw’s abdomen. Garpaw saw his friends approach and smiled. He then saw darkness as death took him.
Johan gasped and froze as he saw his friend die; anger took over and he charged at the Blood Guard with rage in his eyes. Bry also saw what had happened and the bear entered a frenzy mode. They ran at the lone Blood Guard who challenged them fearlessly. Johan ducked a swing from the vampire, brought his sword up and stabbed the monster in the back. At the same time, like a huge flying boulder, Bry in her bear form flew through the air and with a strong swipe of her paw, ripped the Blood Guard’s head off. Before it even hit the ground she was back in her beautiful human form and she and Johan immediately went to their friend who lay in a pool of his own blood.
Ardag was distracted for a second and this was enough for Count Varko to make his move. Varko came at Ardag and knocked him down onto the floor with a shoulder barge. Ardag’s katana flew out of his hand landing only two feet away; he reached out as if to grab it but the count stood on his hand and placed the top of his sword onto Ardag’s neck.
‘By the time your friends get here you will be dead, Ardag son of the Eagle,’ Varko said with an evil grin as Ardag struggled for breath.
‘You will not succeed, count,’ Ardag managed to mutter. ‘Your master will fall!’
‘No, Ardag, it is Wilmurin which is already falling into darkness.’ With that the count raised his sword above his head, ready to bring it down onto the helpless Ardag beneath him.
Ardag stared up in defiance and waited for the killing blow; for a fighter like him this kind of death would be honourable. Just before the count brought the sword down two sword tips suddenly burst through his chest. He gasped and looked down at them, releasing his weight on Ardag. Ardag made the most of this advantage and went for his sword. He jumped up with his katana in hand and before the count could respond, with lightning speed Ardag sliced through his neck and the count’s head departed his body, in mid-air bursting into black flames as did his body, and the vampire became a pile of ash.
Ardag looked up to see who had saved him. Standing where the count had been, wearing a dark green cape with a cowl obscuring his face, was a man wielding two short swords, one in each hand. The man pulled his cowl back revealing his face.
Ardag looked up at the newcomer and only could say the man’s name. ‘Palar,’ he said, looking at the rogue they had met in Bruskany.
9
Unpleasant Reunion
He sat in the large cave surrounded by his saviours. He had been here for three weeks. All he had been eating was mutton broth since he had arrived; it was time to return home now, but he couldn’t help look back to that day.
Bethegar sighed and remembered how he had gone from certain death to sitting in this cave, now very much alive.
The battle had not gone in their favour. Bethegar was happy though, he saw Johan escape with his sister Bry and Ardag. Johan was safe. Bethegar had been taken down by the giant black widow spider, Felecia, and was covered in web. He quickly changed back to his human druid form but struggled to move. The daughter of the Black Widow had bitten him, not fatally but it had weakened him. She approached him, looking as if she was going to finish him off.
But she didn’t; she transformed into her beautiful lady form and stared at Bethegar with an evil but seductive smile. ‘Still defiant until the end Bethegar,’ she said as he tried to struggle. ‘Tell me where Johan has gone and I will kill you quickly.’
He decided on an answer; he had seen Johan leave but he was not going to tell the bitch now. ‘If you let me out of these bloody webs I will show you,’ he said, catching his breath. He contemplated his deception.
‘Very well. Any funny business and you will be dead instantly,’ she warned, and unwrapped him.
He stood up and walked around her, looking at the dozens of bodies that littered the floor. All of his men had been killed; only he survived. Felecia did not know what Johan looked like so he picked out a young man who had his throat slashed, laying in a pool of his own blood.
Bethegar wore a sad expression on his face, which was very genuine because it was one of his men, but that might help in making this bitch believe that it was Johan lying there with his throat cut, ‘That’s him there, looks like one of your men got to him before you could.’
‘You are a liar he-bear. I saw the bastard escape with your bitch of a sister, where are they going?’ she asked, gripping his chin with her hand, her long sharp nails digging into his skin.
‘Kill me now you bitch – you will never find him. My father will hear of this and destroy your clan,’ he responded, pushing her away.
Her men grabbed him right away; although he was a brute of a man he was too weak to resist. They held him down and Felicia cackled and took on her black widow spider form once more. The giant spider approached her meal, ready to eat. Bethegar tried to struggle but he was too weak. He was ready to accept his fate.
Just as she was a few feet away and he could sense the end was near, out of nowhere a gigantic boulder, as if falling from the sky, landed on Felicia and crushed her, green blood oozing from the bottom of the boulder as the spider died. Her men looked around in horror and confusion. The two men let go of Bethegar and he fell to the floor. Now more boulders rained in on the Black Widow’s men, squashing and crushing them, groups at a time.
Suddenly the earth began to shake and running into the fray came a group of five twenty-foot giants. They kicked and threw the helpless men into the air. Within seconds the men were wiped out.
Bethegar watched in amazement as the giants made easy work of the humans. One of them approached him and held out his hand.
‘Bethegar of the Clan of the Bear,’ said the giant in his own language. He wore a skull cap and crude woollen clothing. ‘The north are friends with my family, we take you now to a safe place.’
It was true, since the First War of Wilmurin where the giants had been almost wiped out it was the northern clans who took them in and let them live free. This family were an ally of his clan, although small was their number they we
re giants, and they were a formidable enemy.
Bethegar nodded at them, too tired to say anything, as one of them scooped him up and placed him on its shoulders. They walked for some time towards the mountains and soon they arrived at the giants’ home, a large cave complex in the mountain which was big enough to house the members of this giant clan.
They offered him food and a warm bed and took care of him. If it wasn’t for them, Bethegar would surely be dead. He took comfort in knowing that somewhere out there were his sister Bry and Johan, both in the safe hands of Ardag. He lay back and slept for almost a day.
Bethegar sat upon a stone and shook off the thoughts of that day three weeks ago. He was happy to be alive but he could not stay here long. He had to return to his home, Bemon, to let his father know of the Black Widow’s treachery. He should be back from his council meeting now so the time was right to return.
He called out to one of the giants: ‘Ka’ka, I am ready to return to Bemon now.’
Ka’ka looked around. He was the alpha male of the group, a few feet taller than the rest and the most dominant. ‘You are welcome here as long as you want, friend,’ he said to Bethegar.
‘I thank you for your hospitality and I am very grateful, but I must get back to my father as soon as possible,’ said Bethegar, rising up and taking his equipment. He had recovered well from the fight and was ready to go.
‘Very well, little bear,’ Ka’ka said with a smile. ‘It has been a pleasure to have the son of King Bemnom here in our home. We will take you to the edge of the Dark Wood and from there you can make your way home.’
‘Thank you friend, I will never forget what your people have done for me. May you be rewarded by your gods,’ Bethegar said honestly and bowed, and the giant bowed his head in response.
They left the cave that morning with Bethegar on Ka’ka’s shoulder, and another four giants accompanied them. With this kind of company the journey would be swift and safe. After they dropped him off at the Dark Wood it would be a four day walk to his home, or if he transformed into his bear form it would take only two day to run there; he smiled at the thought of returning home.
