I thought, why keep him waiting? So, I charged him, holding my sword straight forward, basically attempting to drive it through his gut. Just a moment before I could have impaled him on my sword, he vanished. He used his magic to teleport out of the way, and needless to say, I could not slow down any more. I crashed into the wall. It wasn't much of an impact, but I lost my balance for a second. The next thing I knew was that I felt a powerful blow against my right foot, and I fell flat on my back.
Zack had always been good at exploiting opportunities, and when he saw this opening, he took full advantage of it. He cut towards me with his sword as I lay on my back. I was just barely able to parry his blow, but I succeeded. I started to feel the fury of battle overwhelming me, and I was truly starting to enjoy our grand duel. I slowly pushed his sword away with mine, and then rolled aside and got back on my feet. Zack wasted no time, he attacked me straight away, striking towards my chest. His sword slid aside on my breastplate, and then he swung his sword towards my head. Finally I was able to parry his blow, and I forcefully pushed him back. He almost fell, but he managed to stay on his feet. This time it was my turn to exploit the opportunity which presented itself, and I struck towards his head.
I still saw how he moved his sword into position to parry, but he teleported away before our swords could meet. I glanced around until I finally spotted where he appeared. I charged him, like I meant to impale him on my sword. Actually I was feinting, meaning to disrupt his concentration. I stopped dead in my tracks just a step away from him, and still he jumped back. He fell for my trick, and I laughed aloud. Zack has always been proud of his brain, but there and then I showed him that I can outsmart him if I really want to.
I swung my sword in a circle above my head in satisfaction, and then I lunged towards him, aiming to cut into his arm. Once again he teleported out of the way, and I quickly turned around and moved my sword into a parrying position. Sure enough, he was right behind me and striking towards me. I parried his blow, and I could see the shock in his eyes. I swiftly struck towards his neck, but he ducked and rolled aside.
I charged after him, but the cunning bastard once again did what he does best, he resorted to magic. He conjured a protective magical shield around his body. By the time I saw it, I was already in the middle of delivering a powerful chopping attack to him. My sword slid aside on his shield, and he was unharmed.
However, he stared at me with an impressed look in his eyes, and slowly I realized why. My sword weakened his shield dramatically, much more so than he expected. For the moment, I was feeling very proud of my creation! For the moment, I completely forgot about our duel, but he didn't wait for me to strike. He cut towards my side with his wicked black sword, and then slipped past me and got behind my back. The next thing I felt was a tremendously powerful blow to my back. My armor was heavily enchanted, hence it protected me well, but I still felt the impact. My sword was powerful but so was his. That impact to my back made me remember why we were fighting in the first place. So, full of lust for battle, I swung around and struck towards him at neck height. He never had a chance to parry, and indeed, he didn't. His magical shield protected him, and he swiftly counterattacked by striking with his sword at my right shoulder.
It was a tremendous impact, and I felt my shoulder going numb for a second. I stepped back and stretched my right arm a bit, while holding the sword in just my left hand. Once I felt my shoulder like normal again, I took the sword in two hands, took a deep breath, and charged at him with a battlecry. I wanted to return the favor and smack him in the shoulder in a similar fashion. He blocked just barely before I could have cut him in the right shoulder.
Refusing to be denied, I quickly pulled back and struck at his left shoulder. He parried again, and I went for his right shoulder once more. He parried, I went for his left, he parried, I went for his right, left, right, left, right, and suddenly, I got tired of it and decided to cut towards his head instead.
He failed to parry, but his magical shield protected him. A moment later, he vanished. I turned around and saw that he was quite some way behind me. I charged him with my sword pointing towards him, feinting that I meant to impale him, but when I got close to him I swung the sword high above and chopped towards his head. Somehow, he managed to parry. I pushed him back, and he was forced to retreat. I pushed him all the way against the wall. He was stuck, and I forced my sword closer and closer to his face. Just when I almost managed to cut into his skin, I felt a powerful force pushing me away from him. Zack has always been fond of telekinesis magics, and he was pretty damn good at it.
But I would not be denied! I would not quit until we found out just which of us had the bigger, badder sword! I charged at him, he stepped aside, but I slowed down in time and avoided crashing into the wall. I slowly turned around, and raised my sword, ready to attack him once again.
`This is gonna be a long, fucking day...' he said to himself silently, such that I barely heard it. He certainly didn't like the idea of our duel much. But I didn't care. I just had to know whether I could beat him! So I swung my sword and we continued our duel...
*
In the end, I never found the answer I sought. Our duel went on back and forth for at least half an hour. Sometimes he had the advantage, sometimes I did. But no matter what I did, he somehow always managed to evade being cornered. Slowly, I started to feel that the duel was exhausting me to my limits. Eventually, we ended up with our swords locked closely together in the middle of the room, staring into each other's eyes over the crossed blades. I would have normally forced my sword towards his face, but by then I was too exhausted. So we just stood like that for a good half minute or so, and then I pushed him away and jumped back. He seemed like he was prepared for my next attack, but I didn't charge him again. With my sword raised ready, I just stood in one place and stared at him. I was trying to gather my strength to tell him that maybe we should carry on another day.
`Hey Zack...' I told him finally, breathing heavily.
`Yeah?' he asked, breathing in a similar fashion.
`What do you say we call it a draw?'
`You sure?'
I was hoping he'd say that.
`Just for now...' I replied. `We'll carry on... some other time...'
`Fine by me...' he said. I suppressed a smile of relief and sheathed my sword.
`You want a drink?' I asked.
`Got any coffee?' came his reply. Yeah, I expected he'd want that shit. I don't know what he likes on it so much. Anyway, I nodded, and lead him out of the room. While I was glad that we were finished for the day, I could not wait for the time when we would continue our duel.
Ighttur-wor
Somewhere above Draconia, present day (14 hours after Twilightfall)
`You never finished the duel, did you?' I ask, as he finishes the tale.
`No, we never did.' he replies. `That day, we had a drink after the duel, and talked a while. Then he had to go. See you in Hell, we told each other. That's how we always say goodbye. It's kind of a joke, you know. We explored so many dangerous places, ruins, dungeons, other worlds, we got used to the thought that any day could be our last. That's why we always say goodbye like that. I know, it's a morbid joke, but we like it.
Well, after he left, I haven't seen him again until...'
He suddenly falls silent.
`Until yesterday.' he says finally. `Or was it today? I don't know how long I was unconscious.'
`What do you mean?'
`Oh, I guess I haven't told you. I was there when Zack... well, when he blew my castle up... I saved his ass. I used a special spell that protected him from the explosion. He didn't see me do it. Neither did you.'
`You saved us from that?'
`Yeah. Then came that explosion and I passed out. When I awoke, my castle was gone. Everything was gone. As for Zack... Well, I saw him a little while later. He was hard pressed in a fight with a large number of Mel's slave soldiers.'
`Did you help him?'
`Well
, I wanted to, but then I thought, this was a fine way to get even. I left him there to get out of the mess on his own.'
`Well, he deserved it. In fact, he deserves worse.'
`Nah... You really don't like him, do you?'
`After all you told me about him, and all the trouble he got the two of you into, I am surprised that you are such good friends with him.'
`I guess he is a little bit reckless, and yes he got us in a lot of trouble, but we always got out of it somehow, and in the end we had fun. You know, if I think back to all the things he and I went through together, it is perfectly clear to me that he and I are not just old friends. We are like brothers. Think what you will, but the son of a bitch is like a brother to me. With all his flaws, and all his hard-headedness. The guy drives me up the wall all the time, but I still think of him as my brother.'
`I wouldn't want a brother like him, mind you...'
`Haha! Well you know what they say about choosing your friends, your family, and your enemies... They say, that...'
He suddenly stops. For many long seconds, he remains silent. Finally, he speaks once more.
`Well I'll be damned!' he exclaims. `Look! Look at the stone!'
I look at the stone in his hand, and see that the face which is glowing is no longer the one facing northwest, but the one on the opposite side.
`We just passed over whatever it's guiding us to...' I tell him. He nods, and he makes the flying demon turn around. A short time passes as we fly back, and suddenly the face pointing down begins to glow.
`We're directly over it.' says Daniel. `This is interesting...'
I look down, and see that there is some kind of ruin beneath us. I see structures with crumbling walls in the side of the mountain. From the looks of it, long ago it could have been a castle.
`What is that down there?' I ask.
`It is Ighttur-wor. An ancient mountain fortress. Well, the ruins of it, anyway.'
`How ancient?'
`Very. It dates back to the time before the Brotherhood. It is one of the greatest mysteries of this land.'
`Why?'
`Well, because no-one knows or has even the slightest idea about who built it. Zack and I once explored it. We found absolutely nothing. But something must be here.'
`Or someone.'
`Yes...' he says, nodding slowly. `I hadn't thought of that... Well, let's see what's down there.'
He commands the demon to land, and soon we touch ground, on a small clearing in front of the ruins. We jump off and look around.
The area before us is dominated by a gigantic wall that certainly seems like it was once the outer wall of a fortress. Much of the walls have crumbled over the ages. There is no sign of any door, but nor is there need for one, as countless sections of the wall are missing; I guess the door has also fallen to the ages. Beyond the wall I see a few towers, but those look just as battered and crumbling as the outer walls.
Daniel turns to our demon mount.
`You stay here while we explore the ruins.' he says, and then he turns back to the walls and looks at the stone in his hand.
`Whatever it's guiding us to, is beyond the walls.' he says after a while. `Let's go!'
Before we could take a step, a figure steps out of the ruins and stops not far from the walls. An elderly man in a wizard robe. His hair is black, in some parts gray. A look of shock occupies his face as he notices me.
I don't believe this...
Drabangar...
`You?! You again?!' he screams. `When will I ever be rid of you?!'
`You know this guy?' asks Daniel.
`Yes...' I tell him, slowly. `He tried to kill me. Twice.'
`Is that so...?!'
Daniel looks towards Drabangar and calls out to him.
`Hey, you! No-one tries to kill Beautiful... and lives!' he yells, and he begins to walk towards the mage.
Oh brother...
But at least I will be rid of Drabangar soon. Unless he escapes through...
Wait a minute... Zack said that teleportation was now impossible. If so, Drabangar has nowhere to run...
`That's right, wizard!' I exclaim, smiling, and walk after Daniel. `You're not going to run away this time!'
Drabangar's face turns red, and he points towards Daniel. A thin blue beam of light shoots into Daniel, striking him in the chest. Daniel stops briefly, and shakes his head. Then he continues to advance on Drabangar.
`Oh, no, no! No!' screams the wizard. `You were supposed to die from that! Come on! Just drop dead!'
`Drop dead? From that? What do you think this is, some kind of fantasy world?' Daniel asks from Drabangar, and then he stops and turns towards the demon behind us. `Go get him, Fido! Chew on his bones!'
The demon moves towards Drabangar, and the wizard's eyes go wide.
`Guardians! To me!' he screams, and moments later three figures march forth from the ruins behind him. They look like half-dragons, but there is something strange about them. They are each armed with a reddishly glowing weapon. One of them has a flail, one a staff, and one a sword. They stand between Drabangar and the approaching demon.
`Kill it!' screams the wizard, and his minions engage the demon.
The demon strikes towards them with it's gigantic paws, but the half-dragons evade the attack, and one of them, the one with the sword, jumps forward and sinks its weapon deep into the beast. The demon raises its head to the sky, screams aloud, and then collapses to the ground, motionless. Drabangar smiles.
Daniel beside me rubs his eyebrow and runs his fingers through his hair.
`Eh... If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself!' he says, and he unsheathes his sword. `Despair, wizard! I'm coming for you!'
Before I could warn him that maybe he should be more careful with the weapons of those half-dragons, he runs towards them. He raises his sword high and swings it towards the one with the staff. The half-dragon raises its staff into a defensive position, to block Daniel's attack. Daniel strikes with such force however, that his sword pushes the staff down and the blade cuts into the half-dragon's left shoulder. The sword doesn't stop there. It moves further down in a diagonal direction, cutting rib after rib, and moving towards the center of its body. Then, it moves further, and leaves its body just below the right hip. Just like that, Daniel pretty much cut the half-dragon in two. The upper part slowly slips down along the diagonal cut and falls to the ground, and the lower part falls forward.
The other two half-dragons immediately attack Daniel. He swings his sword towards the one with the flail, but the half-dragon evades his attack. Then he strikes towards the right side of the other one. This one tries to block his attack with its sword, but like it happened with the first one, it fails to stop the tremendous momentum of Daniel's sword, and the massive weapon cuts into its side, pushing the half-dragon's sword along with it, and then it exits on its left side. The half-dragon's upper body falls backwards, and it's lower body forwards. Daniel's sword cut this half-dragon clean in half...
The last one takes advantage of the opportunity and strikes towards Daniel's back. The reddishly glowing flail gets him right square in the middle of the back. Daniel groans, and turns around. His eyes are full of anger, but other than that, he seems fine. His armor must be very strong...
He swings towards the half-dragon's flail-wielding arm and cleanly cuts it off, prompting Drabangar's last minion to scream out loud. Then, Daniel thrusts his massive sword in its gut, twists it, and then pulls it out, drawing the innards of the half-dragon along with it. Then, Daniel turns towards Drabangar, and the half-dragon falls to the ground behind him.
`What? What?!' screams Drabangar, and then points at Daniel. `You die! You die! You go to the Hells and you die!'
He points both his arms towards Daniel, and a constant stream of some kind of small greenish magical projectiles strike out of his arms, straight into Daniel's chest. Daniel grunts, but doesn't fall. He walks steadily towards Drabangar. His armor seems to be very effectively prot
ecting him.
As he gets within reach of the mage, he thrusts his sword right into Drabangar's left arm. The wizard screams out loud, and the stream of magic projectiles abruptly ceases. Daniel steps closer, and punches him in the nose with his left fist, then pulls his sword out of the mage's arm. Drabangar drops to the ground.
`Take a nap, little boy!' he exclaims, and he sheathes his sword.
`Why didn't you just kill him?' I ask, as I approach him.
`Well, he did try to kill us, so I guess that would have been an adequate response...' he says, nodding.
`So, why didn't you? You shouldn't give this son of a bitch a second chance to kill us! I know him, he will try again!'
`You know, I would like to know what he's doing here. This guy is a skilled mage. I don't think it's a mere coincidence that we found him here.'
`What do you want to do? Interrogate him?'
`I guess. But I am in no mood for it now. I'll just secure him for now.'
He reaches into one of the pouches on his belt, and pulls out a small gem from it. He points it towards the fallen Drabangar, and...
He doesn't do anything.
`What are you doing?'
`I'm thinking.' he says.
`On what?'
`The words of the spell.'
`What spell?'
`Ah, I think I remember!' he exclaims, and then he begins to chant some magic words.
As he finishes, a bright white light envelopes Drabangar's body. His image becomes blurred, and soon after he changes into a brightly glowing wisp-like creature. Then, the gem in Daniel's hand simply sucks him in.
Hold it... I've seen such a thing before.
`Is that a cage stone?' I ask.
`Why yes, how did you know?' asks Daniel, sounding surprised.
`I've seen someone use one long ago.'
`Who? Zack?'
`No. Someone else...'
`Ah. Well, I learned this trick from Zack, actually. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever used it. It's a miracle I even remembered the words of the spell... Oh well.'
Brothers Page 21
