by F. P. Spirit
Down the road and closing fast was a rider dressed in red armor, yelling something that sounded like Pen-ick. The warrior repeated the cry as he closed in on them, and Seth heard it clearly this time—Penwick. More orcs appeared at the head of the caravan, but they now turned toward the approaching rider with startled grunts and noisy growls.
Seth turned back toward the monstrous orc, but to his surprise, the beast had pulled up short. It had turned toward the approaching challenger, curiosity written on his hideous face. Luckily, Seth’s reflexes kept him from falling. Otherwise, he would have ended up landing on the beast’s face—not the most ideal place to be.
The crowd of orcs stared all around, as if unsure what to make of the lone rider. Finally, they mustered up their courage and charged to meet him—all except for the huge one. It seemed to have forgotten all about Glo and was now glaring at this brazen newcomer.
Seth glanced over at his elven friend. He was white as a sheet, still frozen in place. A smirk crossed Seth’s lips as he turned back toward the coming battle. The rider had nearly reached the caravan and now stood in his saddle. A second later, the figure launched himself off his horse, unsheathing two large swords as he arced through the air. The red-armored rider landed in the midst of the orcs that had charged to meet him. Before any of them could touch the man, his blades began to swing around.
This guy is huge! Seth thought. He was a head taller than the monsters, easily as large as the huge orc standing below him. Despite his great size, his moves were swift, weightless. He twisted and twirled, dancing through the attackers, blades darting in and out. One orc after another fell. The big man mowed down their enemies like a scythe cutting through weeds.
Seth glanced back at the wagon and saw Aksel standing next to Glo, trying to snap the wizard out of his fear-induced trance. Below him, the monstrous orc had not moved. It stared intently at the warrior, seemingly oblivious to everything else.
The fight continued on, orc after orc falling. Some of them pulled back from battle and drew their bows. Abruptly, four of them fell to the ground, motionless. The two remaining orcs jumped back in fright, glancing around to see what had felled their comrades.
Seth smirked. Aksel must have finally gotten through to Glo and the wizard was back to work. Seth reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out two thin black knives. In one swift motion, he flicked his wrists, letting the knives fly from his fingertips. The triangular projectiles covered the distance to the two orcs in less than a second and stuck with a soft thwack. Both creatures fell to the ground, a thin black dagger between their eyes.
Seth glanced over his shoulder, but the huge orc remained motionless, its attention on the large man mowing down its brethren. Seth turned back toward the fight just as the red-clad warrior felled his last opponent. The man stood alone now, orc bodies strewn all around him. His face was covered in sweat from exertion, but did not seem to be breathing heavily at all. The forest had gone quiet; the rest of the orcs were either dead or asleep. Some heads popped out of the other wagons, cautiously peering up and down the trail.
Abruptly, a bone-clattering scream shattered the silence. All of those heads quickly disappeared back into the wagons. The huge orc’s head was reared toward the sky, its maw still hanging open from that unearthly cry. It slowly dropped its head and glared balefully at the warrior. The orc stood there for a few moments, then charged its new foe, its heavy footsteps causing the wagon to shake underneath Seth.
“Look out!” Seth did his best to hold on. The warrior glanced up and gave him a brief smile, then rushed forward to meet the charging orc. Large as he was, he somehow managed to move with incredible speed. He hurtled toward the monster, his two great swords spread out on either side.
Man and orc collided head on; two titans locked in combat. Their muscles heaved in testament to the ferocity of the struggle. Yet the warrior turned aside the fierce slashes from the monster’s huge blade. The creature swung at him again and again, grunting and heaving as it tried to cleave the man in two. Instead of dancing around this opponent, the large man stood his ground. He deftly parried those tremendous blows with one sword then the other, all the while slicing away at the vicious beast’s hide.
The monster had no real skill with its sword—most likely relying on its strength to overwhelm opponents. Soon the orc’s thick skin was deeply gashed, its greasy, green body streaked with trails of blood.
Seth took advantage of the distraction and dropped down off the top of the wagon. He crept forward to the last remaining sleeping orcs and silently dispatched the rest of them. When he looked back up, the two titans were still locked in combat.
The beast suddenly changed its tactics. Instead of another huge overhand swing, it pulled back and slashed at its opponent’s torso. If the blow had landed, it would have chopped the man’s arm off and cleaved him halfway through. The warrior swiftly blocked with a downward parry that sent the monster’s blade flying in an upward arc. As the wicked blade slid off the man’s sword, it caught him in the upper left arm.
That’s not good, Seth thought. Skilled as the warrior was, there was no way he could fend off the monster with one arm. It looked like they would have to jump in to help him after all. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Glo and Aksel had climbed out of the wagon and were watching the battle.
Seth motioned to the wizard. “Can you put it to sleep?”
Glo stared back at him, his face haggard and drawn. “I can’t! My concentration is... gone.”
Double not good. Spell-casting was draining, every spell taking a toll on the caster’s mental reserves. Glo, still a novice, was mentally exhausted and could not cast a spell without a long rest. Seth turned his attention back to the battle. To his surprise, both man and beast had stopped fighting. The warrior had stepped back and was examining his arm, one eye still on the orc.
At the same time, the monster glowered at the man, its barrel chest heaving from exertion. The beast abruptly laughed, a deep guttural sound that raked its entire body. The noise sent chills through the halfling. He recognized what that meant. The monster was gloating before its final kill.
The large man did not seem intimidated at all. In fact, a grin spread across his face. “Good one!”
Seth stared incredulously at the man. Is he nuts? Then it dawned on him—this was only a young human, in his late teens at best. Appearance wise, he looked the same age as Glo, Aksel and Seth, but that was still relatively young for a human. Perhaps he didn’t realize the danger he was in.
The beast had stopped laughing. It watched the man carefully, its expression uncertain.
The young warrior’s smile faded, replaced with a tranquil expression. He held his blades out to either side, fanned away from his body. A second later, those blades began to glow. The light from the swords flared, and then burst into flame.
Seth raised an eyebrow. He had seen many things in his short life, but he had never seen anything like that.
The flaming blades must have unsettled the huge orc. The creature took a step back and muttered something unintelligible in its guttural tongue.
Without warning, the young human leapt forward and began a blinding offense that sent the orc backpedaling. The flaming swords burned brightly, sparking as they met the monster’s huge blade. Any blow that touched the creature’s skin caused the flesh to smoke and sizzle.
As the warrior continued his relentless assault, the smell of burning orc filled the air. The monster was driven backwards, cursing and screaming until the warrior landed a blow that jarred the creature’s huge sword loose. The wicked blade arced through the air, landing a few yards away, well out of the orc’s reach.
The beast screamed in frustration, rearing back from the twin fiery blades, bellowing into the sky. With almost no warning, the creature lunged at the young man, trying to crush him under its great weight. Seth thought the man wou
ld be flattened, but instead the warrior braced himself, pointing his two swords forward.
The monster realized its peril too late. It could not stop itself and neatly skewered its body on the young man’s burning blades. Time froze as the creature hung there for a moment, the back of the twin swords protruding from its massive body. The beast shuddered once, fell backward, and landed with a loud thud, a final grunt escaping its lips.
The warrior stood over the brute, dripping with sweat, his chest heaving as he took in long deep breaths. The orc lay there, its massive limbs still twitching in the dirt. Finally the spasms subsided, and the beast lay completely still.
A Strange Alliance
Human, elf, gnome, and halfling—a very unlikely union
The red warrior stepped over the monster, the fiery blades now cold as they protruded from the orc’s carcass. He reached down and yanked out each blade, blood covering them up to their hilts. The warrior stepped back, took a deep breath, and sat down on a nearby rock.
Seth heaved a sigh of relief, scratched his dark hair, and cast a look at the mass of dead surrounding them. He rose from his crouched position and strode over to the big man. Glo and Aksel were only a few steps behind him, each wearing expressions of amazement. As he approached the man, he noted as heads popped out of the other wagons once again, cautiously peering up and down the trail.
Seth returned his attention to the warrior. This man was definitely tall, probably over six feet, with broad shoulders and muscular all over, but not overly so. Brown tousled hair capped his youthful features, his deep blue eyes watching with interest as the halfling approached.
“Nice job with those throwing knives.” The warrior wiped the blood from one of his blades. Seth smirked at the man.
“Not so bad yourself with those giant pig stickers.”
The big man laughed. “Thanks! My name’s Lloyd. What’s yours?”
“Seth.”
Lloyd extended his hand. “Well met, Seth.”
Seth reached up and grasped the large hand, his own dwarfed by it. This Lloyd had a very strong grip.
“That was a neat trick with those flaming swords.”
Lloyd shrugged. “Oh, that? That was nothing. Just a little something my father taught me.”
Glo’s voice rang out from behind him. “Well, I thought that was amazing.”
Seth glanced over his shoulder as Glo and Aksel joined them. The wizard appeared quite impressed. “I’ve never seen anything like it. How did you do it?”
“I’m a spiritblade,” Lloyd replied, as if that explained everything.
“A spirit—blade?” Glo looked slightly puzzled. “Is that some sort of martial art?”
“Sort of. A spiritblade is kind of a martial disciple of the sword. We learn to use our minds and spirits as well as our bodies to wield our weapons. The spiritual energy enhances what we do, and sometimes makes it look like, well, magic.”
Seth whistled low. “That’s very interesting. Where’d you study?”
“With my father. He’s one of the best in the world.”
Glo smiled. “He must be very proud of you.” His smile suddenly faded, replaced with an embarrassed expression. “Oh, where are my manners? I’m Glolindir. And this is Aksel.”
Lloyd stood up and extended a hand to Glo. As he shook the elf’s hand, Seth noticed as Glo winced a bit. The big man then reached down and shook Aksel’s hand. When he was done, the gnome drew his hand back and rubbed it gingerly.
“How’s your arm feeling?” Aksel asked, still massaging his hand.
“It’s fine.” Lloyd moved his left arm around to support his claim. “As a spiritblade, you learn to ignore pain.”
“Pain is one thing, but it won’t do you any good if it gets infected.”
A look of doubt crossed Lloyd’s face. “That’s a good point.”
“I can take a look at it for you if you like.” Aksel’s concern was clear, but he was trying to be polite nevertheless.
“Are you a healer?”
Aksel nodded. “A cleric.”
“Okay.” Lloyd sat down on the boulder and sighed. Aksel sat down next to him.
Lloyd removed the twin sword sheaths that were strapped over his back and then peeled off what turned out to be an armored red leather shirt. His left arm had a gash along the upper part, but was also black and blue around the cut.
Aksel examined it closely. “Ah, we’ll have that fixed in no time.” He placed his hands on the arm, and a white glow began to emanate from them. The light moved its way along Lloyd’s arm, and the wound itself began to glow; the cut closed before their eyes, and the skin took on its normal color.
Glolindir had seen healers at work before, but divine magic always amazed him. He knew that clerics manipulated mana much like wizards, but while arcane casters used intellect to concentrate their will, divine casters relied on faith. Almost any injury or ailment could be cured via this divine intervention. In fact, a cleric with enough experience could even resurrect the dead.
As Glo watched Aksel in action, he realized that his friend was particularly good at what he did. It was not just the healing power he displayed, but Aksel genuinely cared about the person he was healing. He showed concern for his patient’s mental and emotional state as well as the physical, talking gently with Lloyd and assuring him as he applied his divine power. While Aksel continued to heal Lloyd, Glo’s mind wandered back to the battle.
“Sorry I wasn’t of much help back there. I only stepped out from behind my books a few weeks ago, and I guess I’m not quite as battle-ready as I thought.” Glo was furious with himself for freezing up the way he did.
Seth snorted. “Heh, battle-ready. Is that even a thing for a wizard?”
Glo glared at the halfling. Seth folded his arms and smirked back.
Aksel interrupted the staring contest. “Don’t sell yourself short. By my count, you put eight of those creatures to sleep.”
Glo smiled wanly at the gnome. “Maybe, but I froze when it came to taking care of that huge one.”
Lloyd’s expression was one of understanding. “Ah, that can happen to anyone. You should have seen how green I was the first time I went hunting bandits. Good thing my dad was with me.” An embarrassing smile spread across the young man’s face. “Anyway, I agree with Aksel. I am good with swords, but not quite adept at dodging arrows. You and Seth took out those archers mighty handily, and I, for one, am grateful.”
Glo began to feel a bit better about the whole thing. At that point, the rest of the wagoneers joined them. They gathered around and thanked all four of them for fending off the vicious assault. A tall, graying man addressed the foursome.
“Lucky you were all here, or we would have all been goners for sure.” He introduced himself as the caravan leader, Reise. He asked Lloyd if he would travel with them on the rest of their journey to the seacoast town of Ravenford.
Lloyd gave a boyish grin. “Sure, but after that I am heading out to Tarrsmorr.”
Aksel stared at him for a moment. “What are you headed there for?”
“I’m looking for work, of course. I want to use my skill with the sword to help others.” Lloyd paused, searching for the right words. “Things have kind of quieted down in my hometown. I could have joined the navy, but I wanted to travel a bit and lend my blades where they would be most needed.”
Seth snorted. “Well, you might want to rethink your decision about Tarrsmorr.”
“Why’s that?”
Glo explained further. “The three of us were just there looking for work. Unfortunately, the town is pretty quiet. Not much work to be had for adventurers. So we decided to try our luck on the east coast.”
“Rumor has it there’s some strange happenings out there,” Seth added.
Lloyd swept his gaze over them. “So
where exactly are you headed?”
Aksel answered this time. “We were actually thinking of traveling to Penwick…”
Lloyd’s expression grew incredulous. “Penwick? Why, that’s where I’m from! Trust me, there’s no work in Penwick, either.” He proceeded to tell them how he, his father, brother, and sister had assisted the army in chasing the last bandits out of the Penwick area. It seemed that the entire family was as skilled as the young man.
Aksel spoke tentatively as he finished healing Lloyd’s arm. “You could travel with us. Like you, we want to lend our skills where they are most needed. You would be a welcome addition to our little group.”
Lloyd stood up, waved it around a few times, and smiled down at Aksel. “Thanks. My sister’s the healer at home. She’s always patching us up, even though we give her a hard time. Guess I never realized just how lucky we were.” Lloyd glanced at Seth and Glo. “And as for you two, you both covered my back pretty well in that fight. All in all, I’d say we make a pretty good team.”
“Then, it’s official.” Aksel put his hand out. Lloyd stared at it for a moment then bent down and placed his hand over Aksel’s. The trace of a smile crossed Glo’s lips as he looked at the large human hand dwarfing the gnome’s. The entire thing seemed a bit overdramatic, but Aksel and Lloyd both had serious expressions, so the wizard decided to follow suit. He bent down and placed his hand solemnly over the others.
All eyes turned to Seth. The halfling stood there for a moment, then rolled his eyes toward the heavens.
“Well, if it will make you happy.” He stepped forward and put his hand on top of the others.
The four of them stood there for a moment at the edge of the forest, hands joined. Human, elf, gnome, and halfling—a very unlikely union of races.
Finally, Seth stepped back. “Okay, enough with the picture-perfect moment. Now what do we do?”
