The Varangur spit, the phlegm landing at Gavin's feet. “I should have let you die when I had the chance to watch the demons rip the flesh from your bones.”
Gorram crossed the room it seemed in a single leap, raising his pike high over his head and bringing it down with a mighty slam. Gavin only had moments to bring himself out of the way, pressing into a roll, and then quickly standing on Gorram's right. Gavin swung horizontally in an effort to catch the bigger man in the arm, but he underestimated how fast he could bring the pike up and around to parry the blow. They exchanged several swings from pike to greatsword in horizontal arcs.
The two blades collided in a deadlock, neither man giving up. The intensity that burned in the Varangur's face was almost more intimidating than the demons; anger flared behind his focused eyes, arched eyebrows, and furious teeth. Gorram was unhinged in his fury. Gavin tried to hook his sword under the curve of the axe head, as he had done to one of Gorram's lackeys, but he could not rip the heavy weapon out of his opponent's hands. Instead, Gavin felt himself being shifted, as Gorram used the hooked advantage to pull the former knight's blade and swing him with both hands.
Gavin held onto his sword and flew across the empty room, rolling as he hit the ground. He forced himself to focus, to not allow himself to rest on the ground from the impact, no matter how hard his body fought to. He forced himself to one knee, his vision blurry and head spinning, he knew Gorram would be on him in an instant and raised his sword with one hand, supporting it with the other. The Varangur hammered his pike down, and Gavin almost buckled from the impact, his injured arm shooting pain across it. Again and again he slammed the pike down. Gavin instinctively moved his head with each strike; he sorely missed that helmet now. But then he realized the man wasn't aiming for his head – he was trying to shatter the blade.
Gavin waited for the big man to recoil, to deliver the blow that he thought would shatter the sword, and he rolled to his left, cradling the big sword as he did. The pike loudly echoed against the floor, shaking the ground under Gavin's feet as he stood. He turned toward his enemy once more, but Gorram was on him, faster than he should have been. He forced Gavin back, pinning him to the wall with one arm against his windpipe. The former knight fought for air; he dropped his sword and clawed at the big arm that was being pushed into him.
“Where is it?!” Gorram's voice took on a darker tone he had never heard before as he bellowed in Gavin's face. “There is magic in this room, Korgaan has told me so! Where is Icekin's foul sorcery?!”
Gavin could feel the world around him darkening and spots dotted his vision. He wanted to curse Gorram and his god. He wanted to tell him to burn in the Abyss. Then he thought about Tomas and the peace he might have found, and all other thoughts left his mind.
There was a noise behind Gorram; almost like a breath of air, but in a very musical tone. All Gavin could think of was that it sounded like ice, as odd as that sounded. Gorram turned his head to look at the icicles forming on the far wall in a spiderweb-like pattern. He dropped Gavin and turned completely to face it, as if it were some sign that he was waiting for. Maybe he thought, like Gavin, that it was a message from Aurora.
Gavin fought with the spasming coughs to inhale deep breaths, but it didn't distract Gorram. Despite the haze that hung over his mind and the cloudiness of his vision, Gavin felt for the greatsword he had dropped, picking it up in both hands. He couldn't see Gorram's face, but he could imagine the look of hate as he stared at the web of ice. That was enough for Gavin. He plunged the sword deep through Gorram's furs and armor, pushing and twisting it through the flesh, until he heard the sword emerge from the other side with a sickening ‘pop’. He held it there as Gorram struggled to break free, his pike clattered to the floor as his hands, slick with his own blood, fought to push the blade back.
Gavin closed his eyes and waited until the thrashing stopped and the body fell still. After another few moments, he pulled the blade out and let Gorram's body slide to the floor. He stared into the man's face, the hate still present even in his last moments of life.
“I respected you, but we were never kindred spirits,” Gavin said softly, closing his once ally's eyes. “There was always too much darkness in your heart. Even I could see that. I simply hoped it was a life you left behind. Rest easy now, Gorram. Let the hate leave your soul.”
“Well said, Gavin.”
Gavin spun around, his sword still held ready. He raised his eyebrows and lowered the blade, resting the tip against the ground, when he realized it was Prince Talannar, flanked by two of his elite guards. His hand had a mystical glow around it, and as it faded, Gavin turned to notice that the iceweb did as well.
“The distraction – that was you?”
“Of course it was, who else could it have been?”
“I thought...”
“That there was some other mystical being here?” The prince laughed merrily. “Come now, I would have thought you above listening to rumors.”
Gavin held his tongue and Prince Talannar’s gaze, unsure of what to make of the whole situation.
“Anyway, this is a shame, to say the least,” Prince Talannar waved his hand at Gorram's body. “It would have been a nice thing to boast about, having a unit of redeemed Varangur. Now that is something that could have gotten people below the mountains talking!”
“Your Majesty, I can explain,” Gavin stood formally when he realized the weight of the situation.
“No, no, don't worry.” Prince Talannar shook his head. “I know exactly what happened. After all, it was I that distracted him. It's unfortunate that a few of the soldiers did not get the orders to leave.”
“Leave, Your Majesty?” Gavin narrowed his eyebrows.
“I knew there was a spy among us – I have my sources. We just weren't sure who the spy was. With all of the casualties that we've sustained over the past few weeks, our numbers have reached a new low. I figured if someone were to strike, now would be the perfect night. So I gave almost all of the men the night off; only my most vigilant and trusted warriors watched from the shadows. Unfortunately, it seems there were some that decided that they needed to still patrol the castle anyway.” The prince sighed deeply, seeming rather sullen. “The biggest shame in all of this is the death of Uthar. He was one of my better snow trolls. I warned him what would be coming his way though. Had I removed him, I'm sure the Varangur would have been suspicious and not gone through with his plot.”
“Thank the gods the soldiers are okay. I feared that the Varangur slaughtered them all.”
“I think I have you to thank for that. The guards found the three bodies that you disposed of. They're scouring Chill to make sure that was all of them. Had you not stopped them, they would have certainly killed more of our soldiers and civilians, in sacrifice to their dark god.”
Gavin fell silent, looking once more down at the body of his fallen former ally. “They were following their purpose, nothing more than the rest of us.”
“Yes, but as you so rightly said, we aren't slaying people for the purpose of satisfying some mysterious dark god. We are saving people. Our enemies are, and always will be, the Abyssals.”
Gavin nodded, but he once more said nothing for a few moments. “Thank you for saving me, Your Majesty. If you'll excuse me, I need to sleep and put the memories I shared with this man in the depths of my mind.”
As Gavin went to pass by Prince Talannar, the leader put his hand on the former knight's shoulder. He waited until Gavin looked him in the eyes. There was no hate in those oddly colored eyes; there was compassion, understanding, and a great deal of love for life. They were the eyes of a prince that most men would be honored to serve.
“Thank you, Gavin. Should tomorrow morn I not find you among the other soldiers, I want to thank you for all of your efforts with the Northern Alliance. You have fought bravely under our banners against countless Abyssal forces. May you find whatever it is that you're searching for.”
Gavin held his gaze for a few mo
ments longer, nodded his head, and then left the room.
* * * * *
Talannar waited and listened for Huscarl Stalspar's footsteps to die away. He inclined his head back, motioning toward Elbis, the guard that stood immediately outside the doorway. The warrior held a hand up as he watched down the corridor. After several moments, he nodded.
“He's gone, Prince Talannar.”
“Thank you, Elbis.” Four more of his guards filed into the room, standing at attention. “Elbis, stand guard with Hadrill. Oram, see to the snow trolls. Tell them of Uthar's sacrifice and ask them for two more that would be willing to stand in his place. They will understand the words you speak, even though they will not respond. Do not let that daunt you. Percy and Denny, check with the others around Chill. Make sure that no more Varangur roam the city. Check every alley, every house, every dark corner. They are relentless – I'm sure that was not the last of their assassins. Do not forget the stories we heard from the Brotherhood refugees. I will be checking on our friend. Do not allow me to be disturbed under any circumstance.”
The five guards nodded; Elbis and Hadrill stood outside the room, weapons at the ready, while the other three disappeared from sight. Content with his orders, Talannar spun on his heel, his cape flowing out behind him, as he came to the back wall. He held up his hand, the pendant around his neck glowing an icy blue, while a similar effect was mirrored on his fingertips.
Prince Talannar Icekin walked through the wall, the magicked effects rippling like water as he passed through, into the stairwell that led down into the lower caverns of Chill. He put his hand down, the pendant stopped glowing, and the wall became whole once more. Talannar walked a few paces forward and took the torch from the right wall.
Lighting his descent, he walked down the spiral staircase and slowly descended into the depths of the mountain.
* * * * *
Gavin stood in the empty chambers of the dream, once more. There was no sign of his combat with Gorram, but he stared at the spot where he had slain him. Aurora stood there as she always did, a smile painted on her face.
“Thank you, Gavin. Had you not come-...”
“You wanted an answer?”
His tone was a bit harsher than before as he fought the calm that tried to permeate his senses. He slowly looked up at her, feeling the fatigue of the last few days settling on him. Aurora closed her mouth and nodded her head.
“Tell me what this quest of yours is – where you'll be sending me, what I have to do, and why this is so damn important. Once I have all of the information, then you'll have your answer. And perhaps I'll have my purpose.”
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Tales of Mantica Page 37
