by Billy Wong
"Not necessarily," Meg said. "Our Baehime can allegedly call upon enough magic power to blow up a mountain, and while there aren't many on her level, Ostuh has its share of magical knowledge and devices. Getting part of that hill out of the way to remove the sword might not be daunting for them, though I imagine transporting it will require some serious preparation."
Patrick finished chewing the last piece of his potato and washed it down with drink. "Do you think they'll need our protection during that operation?"
Rich shook his head. "No idea. If they're bringing in heavy equipment, it's very possible they'll have their own people to guard it. It'd be a relief for me, not needing to be near that thing again. On the other hand, I'm sure you and your friends are already hungry to go out again."
He laughed. "We were longtime wanderers. Staying in one place is something we're still getting used to, and besides, Gavin has been feeling inclined to have a look at the sword before it's too late."
"Good luck getting Taryn to send you, then. I kind of hope I'm not selected."
"I don't blame you for that," Gavin said, "after hearing what I have. But if you are selected, I hope you remember that not liking aspects of a job isn't an excuse not to give your utmost effort."
"I understand. I won't slack off if I am chosen."
Meg whispered to Gavin, "Already jumping into the role of worldly elder dispensing wisdom? Considering me and Pat have been playing that to some extent, I guess now we can go back to acting like carefree kids."
"I doubt that would sit well with your captain."
"It was mostly a joke." She smiled. "Still, good to have you back with us to share in our journey."
"Journey? What kind of sentimental nonsense have you been learning around here?"
"I have been spending my mealtimes with a possible nobleman and a singer. Not exactly a miracle for some flowery language to rub off on me."
#
Later in the week, Don got impatient and asked Meg to inquire for him about the situation regarding the sword. She would've suggested that he ask Taryn, but figured he didn't want to draw attention to himself and agreed to do it. She approached the captain when she spotted her in the hall and walked alongside her. "What's going on with the sword? Is Ostuh planning to move it soon, and will we send people to help?"
"There's no need for us to aid in the excavation," Taryn said, "and they'll keep their own well protected I'm sure. But Duke Malin does want a detailed summary of the researchers' findings from them, and for us to monitor what they doing once they're here. Baxter will be transcribing said summary, enthusiastic as he is to prove his leg is healed enough, but I don't want to send him alone. Since there shouldn't be too much danger involved, other than any he might encounter on the road, I figure maybe I'll just have two tag along. How about you and Patrick?"
Taken off guard, Meg didn't respond right away. "Only us? A bit soon to be separated from Gavin again when we just reunited."
"It'll give him a chance to familiarize himself with the fort without you holding his hand, and also get to know the others better. That should help him make a clearer judgment of this place, no?"
"I guess you might be right..." She thought to ask how long this was expected to take, then remembered something. "Gavin wanted to see the sword himself, though. I know it might seem presumptuous of me to ask, but could Patrick stay and Gavin go with me instead?"
Taryn waved a hand. "You've done enough to merit small favors now and then. Take both of them with you, one less soldier here for a few days shouldn't hurt." So that answered her question about the anticipated time frame too, and told her the crew to move the sword would be arriving later on. She thought Christopher might not be pleased to see the sword go without him getting another opportunity to examine—and possibly touch—it, but she wasn't about to push her luck by asking to add yet another member to Baxter's company.
They traveled to Bergin without issue, though Baxter still using a walking stick made Meg think he rushed his recovery a tad. Old warriors had their pride just like young ones, she supposed. Meeting with Agatha, he transcribed the report she gave him over hours and hours of continuous writing. Meg sympathized with how bored he must be, and how much his hand probably hurt. When he had finished and they prepared to leave, she said, "Can we go to the cave and just look at the sword for a bit? Gavin hasn't gotten to see it, and wants to."
"Did you talk to Taryn about this?" Baxter replied.
"I did, and she didn't seem to have a problem with it."
"It shouldn't take much more time if you're just to have a glance. Fine, we can pass by there."
Descending into the lower chamber in the hillside cavern, Gavin stared in awe at the otherworldly artifact. "It's impressive. I wonder..." He stepped towards it.
"You're not going to touch it, are you?" Patrick asked.
"Why not, is it really such a frightening prospect? That researcher is still completely fine, and it's been forever since she made contact. What about you Meg, aren't you curious to experience what Julianna did? It might be your last chance."
She looked at Baxter. "Can we?"
"It's not such clear folly that I feel obligated to stop you. But I hope you kids know what you're doing."
"I'm no kid," Gavin said.
"You're in your twenties, hardly so old that one can assume maturity. If you're their big brother figure though, that lends some credibility to your judgment."
Patrick fiddled with his fingers. "I still don't like this."
Gavin gazed disapprovingly at him. "Come on, no human has suffered harm from touching it. You're just being a scaredy cat."
"The cyclops did..."
"Didn't you say even the cyclops recovered with time? Here, I'll put my weapons down so you can restrain me more easily if I go berserk." He removed his cudgel and quiver of javelins and laid them on the floor. "Probably an excessive precaution, though." Again he moved forward and placed his palm against the blade while Patrick clenched his teeth. The familiar humming and blue glow played out before them. Meg was a little concerned too, though she didn't show it as much. After a tense couple minutes, Gavin pulled his hand back. "See? Perfectly sane." The others breathed a sigh of relief. "But I saw something different from what the ladies did."
Meg frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You said the researcher saw the Night Emperor facing the Saint Princess of old, and Princess Julianna saw the aftermath of that battle. But I experienced something else."
"And that is?" Patrick asked.
"Meg, do you want to see it for yourself?"
Enough people had touched the sword without losing their minds for her to feel emboldened to do so. "Okay." She walked to it and reached forth.
As soon as her skin touched the smooth metal, darkness flooded her vision and her heart skipped a beat. What the..? Like shifting clouds, the black haze before her resolved into a scene. She seemed to be looking up, at a sword that towered over her. The sword in the cave—only it wasn't in the cave, as above it she beheld a purple sky streaked with sickly green. This must have happened in the other world, where the Night Emperor came from. Wait, the sword appeared to be around five times her height, rather than ten like in the present... so maybe she saw into the memory of something twice as tall as her? She might be a Shadow Child, or something akin to it in size anyway.
She found herself stepping forward against her will, gripping the flat sides of the blade with shadowy limbs to climb up it one small jump at a time. Reaching the top, she pulled herself up onto the crossguard and stood on it. She took hold of the hilt, and darkness swirled howling around her again. Within the chaos, she felt her body grow, expanding outward and up to fill more space. Her lower body especially widened, extra legs slamming into the earth as they extended down. The darkness seemed to be entering her, merging with her form. With a final rush the last of it disappeared into her open mouth—an elongated beak now—and she could see her surroundings again. She realized that before her stood
numerous other Shadow Children, gazing up at her in awe. They must be no more than one-fifth her height and comparatively puny in mass, reflecting how much she'd grown. Raising her sword which itself dwarfed them, she issued the kakakaka war cry of their race, and they mimicked her in unison. She was no longer a typical Shadow Child, but what would come to be known as the Night Emperor, and the world was hers to rule. Soon her tribe would sweep over the land under her guidance, and nothing would stop-
The vision ended abruptly, leaving her blinking at the giant blade stuck back in the ground in front of her. It had been so real, she looked at her hands to make sure she was still human. Small palms attached to short, stubby fingers which ended in tiny nails... she supposed being tall had been but a dream. She turned to Gavin. "I saw it."
"Was it the same as what I saw?"
"Yes if you became the Night Emperor." He nodded, and she explained for Patrick and Baxter, not expecting them to touch it themselves, "We saw into the memories of a Shadow Child, which climbed up the sword and seized its hilt. Upon doing so, it transformed, becoming much larger and growing additional limbs. In other words, the Night Emperor wasn't originally a separate type of being from the Shadow Children. The sword bonded with it, or so I gather since the blade couldn't similarly enhance more of its brethren, and warped its form."
Baxter eyed the artifact warily. "You're saying the power of that monster came from the sword, and not itself? Then who knows how much of the Night Emperor's aggression was even its own, and not from the weapon? This thing might still pose more of a threat than we thought."
"It hasn't harmed any people who touched it, though," Meg said. "Maybe the portion of its power that empowered the Night Emperor was lost with its death... it didn't change one of the other Shadow Children into a new Emperor, after all. But if not, I wonder what other type of creatures it could bond with."
"Should we climb up, touch the hilt and see if it works for a human?" Gavin asked.
She raised an eyebrow. "I know that was a joke, but definitely not. We should have it guarded better though, knowing what we do now."
"Yes," Baxter said. "When we get back, I'll tell Taryn and we can assign a squad to watch over this place until it's taken to Ostuh. Hopefully nothing happens before then."
As they exited the cave, they spotted four people approaching it—crude looking figures, wearing patchwork armor and war paint and dragging a cart laden with crates behind them. Meg recognized their extravagant weapons decorated with spikes and barbs and scowled. It was those monster hunters from before, the tall one of whom she had fought. What were they doing back here now, when they'd promised to stay away if she won?
"Are you not honorable enough warriors to even keep your word?" she snapped as they drew closer.
The wild-haired woman of the group—Beryl, was that her name?—started after her eyes focused on Meg. "You''re still around? Seems we always have bad luck when it comes to here."
"We've been away for a long time, but happened to stop by. So I guess it is rather bad luck."
"We haven't killed the cyclops, which is what we promised. And we haven't come to do that now, so our prior deal doesn't apply."
"If you aren't here for the cyclops," Patrick asked, "what do you intend? And what's in those boxes?"
The man with the saw-toothed sword drew it, perhaps anticipating this wouldn't be resolved peacefully or just trying to cow them. Meg and friends weren't exactly easy to intimidate, though. "Explosives are in them. We heard there was an ancient artifact here which attracts and creates strange monsters." Creates? The tale must've been embellished in the retelling, only to be ironically accurate. "Since those creatures don't seem to be kin to the Father, you won't stand in the way of us destroying it will you?"
Baxter met his gaze firmly. "We have our misgivings about its existence too, but we've been charged with insuring it makes it to Ostuh as Duke Malin agreed to. Thus, we cannot permit you to destroy it."
"Then we have no choice." He leveled his blade at them. "This time we will defeat you and accomplish our goals, even over your dead corpses."
Chapter 9
"You already mean to take it that far?" Patrick asked annoyedly. "Does destroying some object you've never seen matter so much to you?"
The tall man Stefan narrowed his eyes at Meg. "I've longed for a chance to redeem myself anyway. Today is the day."
"Redeem yourself against one of her companions," Beryl said. "You've already proven not to be her equal." He growled at her.
Meg regarded her coolly. "So you'll test my blade?"
The man with the saw-sword replied, "No, I think I will. Diamond Fang Meg, prepare to taste the blade of Iron Will!" He charged, and she ran to meet him while their allies paired up with opponents of their own.
"Iron Will?" she asked as they traded blows. His style was quite aggressive, ever pressing forward to stay closer than typical sword range harrying her with short strokes. So quick, they tested even her limits to keep up. But if she could slow him down a bit... After taking a slice to the arm that made her hiss, she knocked him back with a knee to the ribcage. He bent forward slightly favoring his ribs, while she ignored the pain and tickle of blood running down her arm as best she could to convey an image of strength. "Your nickname is so plain, couldn't you come up with anything more memorable than that?"
"My given name is Will, hence Iron Will!"
"That doesn't make it any more interesting. By the way, are you the leader of your little outfit? If so, I should defeat you first so your crew lose morale."
He dashed at her slashing away again, and found her defenses up to the challenge as she parried and countered. "We're all equal partners. But I do consider myself the most skilled."
She leaned aside from a thrust at her throat and snuck in a cut to his hip. "Oh? Makes me think the lot of you are lacking." He sneered and locked blades with her, trying to use his strength and weight against her. He pushed her back before him, then attempted to shove her down. She cartwheeled away to her feet and winked. "Very lacking."
They had more exchanges, both getting in minor hits and near misses but Meg feeling like she held the advantage as his breathing grew more ragged. Still he remained dangerous. He stunned her with a lunging uppercut, then whipped his sword at her neck. She ducked just in time, stabbed at his belly but missed as he twisted away. Spitting blood, she made as to look around for help. He sprang. She spun around him and chopped at his back, but he had pulled back on his thrust and turned in time to block. "I won't fall for a fake out from you as easily as Stefan did."
Having glimpsed her friends battling as she evaded his attack, her pulse pounded in her neck. Baxter and Patrick were doing fine, Baxter holding his own against Stefan while Patrick had Beryl on the ropes bleeding from a long wound across the chest. But Gavin had been knocked down by the huge hammer-wielding man and rolled desperately to avoid a fatal pounding. Somewhat shocking when he was the last of them she'd expect to see in trouble. She supposed anything could happen in a fight, and maybe he was out of practice from not training much while taking easy jobs. She yearned to aid him, and feared he'd be killed if she didn't soon.
"Distracted, little bitch?" Will asked. "What, is your friends' weakness showing?"
"Is that anything to gloat about when you're facing me and you're the one who's losing?"
"Tsk, our duel is hardly over yet."
But it might have to be soon, for Gavin's sake. She rushed him, pouring on the offense to try and overwhelm him heedless of her own safety. Seeing him off balance after a hasty backstep, she leapt in. He stabbed at her stomach, but she swatted the blade to the side with her own so it only grazed her flank. At the same time, her knuckles crushed his larynx. As he gagged, she drove her sword up to the hilt into his solar plexus. He slumped forward. She withdrew her weapon and he crumpled, dying.
Meg turned towards where she'd last seen Gavin. Before he came into view, she sensed something flying at her. At the edge of her vision, she saw a
flash and whipped her sword up to deflect it. But she was a split second slow. Her blade sheared through the shaft of a javelin—near the butt, cutting it off while the rest of it pierced into her chest. Agony like hot lava filled her upper torso. She fell backward, but didn't hit the ground as the large piece of spear that had burst out her back stuck into the dirt and halted her fall. She dangled there impaled, arms hanging down. Distantly, she realized one of Gavin's own javelins had struck her. Was he dead, were they all doomed even after she killed one of their foes?
Heavy footfalls reached her ears through her own gasping breaths and grew louder and louder. "Strong girl," a deep voice said, "managing to break Iron Will. You look like you're suffering so. Time to send you to the next world."
With great effort, she raised her head enough to look. The big man brought his hammer up to finish her. He left himself open raising it so high, no doubt assuming her helpless. Reasonable enough when she was being held up by a spear through her breast sticking into the earth. But...
"I'm not finished yet!" she shrieked, snapping her body forward and up so she ripped herself off the shaft. His eyes bulged, and he swung the maul. But having surprised him, she was already inside his reach and it came down behind her. Her sword slammed into his belly. She dragged it forward through flesh, tearing him open.
He sank to his knees, tried to hold his guts in. "Diamond Fang Meg," he whispered, "why are you so invincible?"
She drooled blood, barely able to stay on her feet. Her knees shook. "I'm not. But to protect those I care about, perhaps I could grasp invincibility for a moment." She plunged her blade through the base of his neck down into his torso, ending his misery. Immediately after striking the fatal blow, she fell forward on her face.
"Meg!" she heard Patrick's voice cry a vague amount of time later, her pain and wavering awareness making it hard to know how long had passed. "Meg, how are you?"
"How do you think, after having my bosom skewered?" She saw he bore wounds of his own, a bloody gash on the forehead and a red line from a close call along the side of his neck. "How's Gavin, is he..?"
