by Dante King
Immortal Swordslinger (Book 4)
Dante King
Copyright © 2019 by Dante King
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
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Chapter One
A fireball narrowly missed my left flank and transformed the sand into a razor-sharp patch of glass. I dived to the left as another red-hot burst of Untamed Torch shot toward me. I rolled to my feet, and a roar exploded from the crowd in the stands.
I adjusted my grip on the Demure Rebirth. It was the name I had recently chosen for the earth spirit weapon I had forged on our last mission. The warhammer’s weight had taken some getting used to, but after a few months of training in the halls of Radiant Dragon, the Immense Blade felt comfortable.
“What do you have in mind?” Choshi asked from within the spirit weapon. I had used her spirit to forge the Demure Rebirth after defeating the cultist Saruqin in Hyng’ohr City. Now, she was one of three spirit weapons I owned.
The skinny figure of Yo Hin flitted through the sky, borne aloft by his mastery of the Flight technique. Orange flame wreathed around his body as he raised his hands again. Another fireball exploded from his palm and raced toward me. I sidestepped the projectile, and it burst on the ground beside me.
“I’m going to use my new earth techniques,” I replied to Choshi. “The crowd will love them.”
I concentrated my Vigor through the familiar earth channels within my body and focused the raw magic into the Sandstorm technique. Choshi groaned softly in my mind as the power flowed through the warhammer and released a wide spray of sand into the air. Yo Hin somersaulted clear of the whirling dervish and countered with Untamed Torch. I leaped back to dodge the fireball, and Choshi cried out as it missed her haft by a few inches.
“I’m not ready,” she panted. “I’m an earth weapon. I’m not supposed to fight flaming birds in the sky. Can’t you hit him with something else?”
Yo Hin’s power had grown since I’d left Flametongue Valley, but he couldn’t keep up attacks like this forever. Flight was a difficult technique to master, and it burned through Vigor fast. Eventually, he would run out of juice.
“I’m working on it,” I assured Choshi. “Just stay calm.”
“I cannot wait to see what you have in mind,” she said.
Over the last few months, we had grown in power together, and she was now practically my own personal cheerleader inside the warhammer.
I spread a Sandstorm into a thin wall of tiny grains with a flick of my will. Yo Hin twirled his hands in an intricate pattern and shoved his palms outward to produce a fireball. The flaming projectile caught my grains of sand and turned them into brittle shards of glass.
“Come on, Effin!” Kegohr howled from the stands as the shards peppered the ground. “Bring him down!”
“He’s slowing!” Vesma added from beside him. “Wait for the right moment!”
Our journeys into the outer provinces and our battles against the forces of darkness had forged us into a team that could take down even the most skilled Augmenters.
I smiled at their encouragement before I dove clear of another flaming sphere. Vigor pooled within my internal channels, and I pushed it through my pathways of water and earth, using the condensation in the air to enhance my water technique. I smashed the Demure Rebirth into the ground and felt the warhammer tremble in my grip. The sand darkened, undulated, and surged upward into the Mud Geyser technique. Yo Hin gaped and flipped to avoid my attack, but he was too slow. Thick, wet mud splattered over his robes and instantly hardened into clay.
“Let’s see him stay in the air when he’s carrying all that extra weight,” I said.
Yo Hin clapped his hands together, and a spear of white-hot fire sped toward me. I pushed Vigor through my ash channels, activated Fire Immunity, and covered myself in charcoal-like armor. I wrapped my hands in a much thicker layer before I caught the fireball and tossed it back up into the air, almost like punching a volleyball. The crowd gasped before sighing as the flaming sphere disappeared into the heavens.
“Not bad,” I said to Yo Hin. “You’ve improved.”
“Thanks,” he said from above me. “But you haven’t seen everything yet.”
He tried to pin me with a Scorching Lance, a beam of white-hot energy, but I dove clear of it. Fire Immunity protected me from the worst of the heat as I hefted the Demure Rebirth up again.
Yo Hin narrowed his eyes and raised his hands to focus his power. I pounded the warhammer into the dirt, and another Mud Geyser discharged from the floor of the arena beneath him. I caught him halfway through casting his next technique and broke his focus. Clay baked itself around him in a thick shell, and the flames holding him aloft sputtered as they struggled to keep him up in the air.
Without the ability to focus and tap into his Vigor, Yo Hin couldn’t keep raining fire from above. I threw another Sandstorm at him. The sand crystallized around the last of the Flight flames and snuffed them out like a candle.
The crowd gasped as Yo Hin plummeted and landed awkwardly on the ground. Then, a crimson light burst from his chest, cracked the clay shell smothering him, and blasted it outward. I raised an arm to shield my eyes from the fragments and slammed the Demure Rebirth down again.
A Ground Strike shook the earth and flared out toward Yo Hin in a small shockwave. It shot him off his feet and into the wall of the arena. He recovered quickly, getting to his feet and summoning a fireball around his hand.
“Another Ground Strike?” Choshi asked me.
“I have something else in mind.”
I opened my water and earth channels, spun the warhammer in my hands, and slammed the handle into the ground, pouring Vigor into my Mud Entrapment pathway. The sand around Yo Hin’s feet congealed into mud and swallowed him up to his shins. Fire cascaded out from his body as he struggled to free himself, but dried mud turned to clay around his legs and fixed him in place.
“You’re amazing,” Choshi said. “How did you know that would work?”
“Single-element Augmenters don’t usually think about how their power affects the environment,” I pointed out. “It’s a small thing, but if you want to break a chain?”
“Then shatter its weakest link,” Choshi finished. “I remember, Master.”
I slung the Demure Rebirth over my shoulder and fixed it into the custom harness I’d had built for my Immense Blades. Yo Hin bowed his head to me in a sign of surrender. A gong echoed through the cacophony of the crowd to signal the end of the bout.
Yo Hin patted out his flaming robe and shook his head. “You always show me up, Swords
linger,” he said.
“Do you see me flying around the place?” I replied with a grin. “The crowd thought you were amazing. Don’t believe me? Look around you.”
Yo Hin looked over the surrounding arena. Every seat held a cheering member of Wysaro City, Radiant Dragon, and even travelers from the nearby province. The pounding of feet, rasp of raw throats, and deafening applause echoed through the guild house training grounds.
A rueful grin appeared on Yo Hin’s face. “Whoa.”
“It’s an exhibition match,” I said. “And we’ve left them thoroughly entertained.”
“Don’t flatter me, Ethan. You were pulling your punches.” Yo Hin struggled against the clay around his feet. “Mind getting me out of this?”
I took a deep breath, found my earth pathways, then stomped down on the hardened quicksand around his legs. Ground Strike technique was immensely powerful and had incredible destructive potential, so I had to control the extent of the blow. The restricting dirt fell away from Yo Hin’s legs, and I offered him a hand up. He took it, and I hauled him out of the sand.
“You should thank them for their applause.” I turned Yo Hin around and raised his arm up beside my own.
The crowd howled their approval as we faced each corner of the arena. We bowed to Guildmaster Xilarion, high up on the south side. I slapped Yo Hin on the shoulder as we returned to our seats in the stands.
“You honor me even in victory, Swordslinger,” Yo Hin said with a formal bow.
I smiled. “Go grab a drink. All that flying must have left you thirsty.”
Yo Hin’s awkward smile returned before he vaulted over the wall of the arena.
I basked in the applause for a moment, placed my hands up on the edge of the high barricade, and hauled myself over it in one smooth motion.
Kegohr, Vesma, Kumi, and Mahrai had vanished from where I had left them before the fight. I scanned the area but couldn’t see them in the thick of the crowd.
“Over here, Ethan!” Faryn called.
I followed the sound of her voice and joined Radiant Dragon’s most attractive tutor. The elf’s dark-brown hair was swept up into a neat bun decorated with local flowers. Her eyes twinkled merrily at me as I sat down beside her and kissed her cheek.
My two other Immense Blades sat sheathed at her sandaled feet. I let my eyes comb appreciatively over her generous curves as I made myself comfortable. Her ceremonial robes did little to hide just how jaw-droppingly gorgeous she looked in the morning sun. I leaned in to kiss her again, and she shoved me away with a laugh.
“Such displays of attachment to a Master will draw attention,” Faryn teased.
I raised an eyebrow as I recalled our last few months together. My travels had taken me far from Radiant Dragon, and although Faryn had been along for our fight against the corrupt Resplendent Tears Guild of the Diamond Coast, we hadn’t seen each other for a long time. I’d made sure to make up for that lost time since I’d arrived back in Flametongue Valley.
“You really think that it’s still a secret?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m sure there are rumors, but you needn’t give them any more fuel,” she said with a lilting laugh. “Save your fire for me later this evening.”
“I’ll make sure to. Where are the others?”
“I believe Guildmaster Xilarion wished to demonstrate the progress of Kegohr and Vesma. Mahrai was invited, too. And Veltai as well, I believe. They’re getting ready for a doubles bout in a few minutes.”
I nodded and looked over the crowd for Kumi. But the striking Qihin Princess wasn’t anywhere to be seen. The teeming masses of Wysaro City filled the wooden rows of seats around Radiant Dragon’s training ground. Men, women, and children cheered for more action as guild initiates drifted through them, bearing trays of food and water.
The proud red eagle of the Wysaro Clan swung from banners in a seating box to the north. Five high-ranking members of the clan sat above their colors, their shoulders squared, their chests lifted with pride. A dark-eyed girl with porcelain-pale skin caught my eye and winked at me. She beckoned to me with a subtle flick of her fingers. As much as I might have liked to talk with her, I was still somewhat cautious of her clan, even months after Jiven Wysaro had attacked the guild.
The clan woman was still looking at me, so I shook my head politely and bowed to her before returning my attention to Faryn.
“It still surprises me that the Wysaros have done so much for the guild, after everything that happened,” I said. “It wasn’t that long ago when Jiven was trying to take over Radiant Dragon. But here they are, sponsoring an exhibition and enjoying themselves.”
“They cast Jiven out,” Faryn reminded me. “He broke tradition, overstepped his bounds, and abused his power. And with Hamon gone and their best Augmenters slain, they needed to rebuild as badly as we did. I, for one, support Guildmaster Xilarion’s effort to help them rebuild their forces and train their initiates.”
“Maybe I’m just a cynic,” I said.
Faryn laid a hand on my arm. “You’ve seen naught but corruption, abuse, and death between the clans and guilds since you’ve arrived in the Seven Realms. It’s not surprising you reserve your trust. But Clan Wysaro have poured their resources into Radiant Dragon, so that way may be stronger and better than ever.”
Despite my reluctance to trust anyone with the name Wysaro, I had to admit that Faryn was right. I’d never seen the people of Flametongue Valley come together to enjoy a festival like this. My guild would profit from it, good relations would flourish, and eventually, the age-old trust between guild and clan would be restored.
The crowd lifted their voices into a deafening cry as figures emerged from the sides of the tournament arena.
“Oh, are the others fighting now?” Choshi asked excitedly.
I smiled and reached down to bring the other Immense Blades into my lap.
“You should be proud of your service, Choshi,” Yono murmured from her place within the Depthless Dream Trident. “You served him well, even using an element you’re not accustomed to.”
Nydarth snorted. “You flatter the girl too much, Yono. She’s but a child.”
I tapped the Sundered Heart sharply. “Behave.”
The fire spirit purred deeply at my reprimand. “Oh, Master. I do apologize for stepping out of line. Please, do feel free to punish me, should you feel the need.”
“I agree with Yono, Choshi,” I said, ignoring Nydarth. “You’re incredible. Don’t take Nydarth too seriously. She gets jealous when she doesn’t get all the action.”
“Perhaps. But that will never diminish the fact that I was your first,” Nydarth countered.
“Thank you, Master,” Choshi said quietly. “It is my pleasure to serve.”
Faryn’s fingers tightened around my arm. I let the friendly bickering between the Immense Blades fade into the back of my mind as I raised my eyes to the arena again.
My friends had emerged.
The next fight was about to begin.
Chapter Two
Kegohr, Vesma, and Mahrai drew my eye first. The huge half-ogre rested his massive stone mace over his shoulder, bared his short tusks in a grin, and waved to the crowd as he strode out into the center of the training grounds. Muscles shifted beneath his gray-blue fur as he bowed to Xilarion in the stands. The big guy had become one of my closest friends in the guild, and we had fought more monsters together than I could count.
Vesma glided across the arena beside him with her firm, athletic stride. Her pretty, girl-next-door features found mine and offered me a wink as she stood opposite Kegohr. Her tight tunic and trousers drew attention to her petite, energetic form as she spun her spear in a neat flourish and held it at the ready. Vesma’s quick thinking and finer application of fire Augmenting had always served her well, and I knew she was already planning ahead for the bout.
Mahrai joined Vesma’s side, lifted her chin, and offered Xilarion the slightest of nods. She had grown out her light-brown hair since she’d j
oined us at the Radiant Dragon, and it gave her an untidy, rebellious air. I knew just from her expression that she didn’t want to be on display before Xilarion, or the representatives of Clan Wysaro. Her knuckles whitened around her quarterstaff as she followed Vesma’s gaze and found me in the stands.
“She doesn’t want to be here,” Choshi said.
“Hatred still runs deep within her, despite our master’s best efforts,” Nydarth said. “It eats at her very soul, little one. She’s a furnace of passion, and not easily restrained.”
I smiled at Mahrai and mouthed the words “play nice.” A subtle smirk flitted over Mahrai’s features as she turned her attention to Veltai, who joined Kegohr’s side, bowed to Xilarion, and pulled her nunchucks free of her belt.
Veltai’s fierce strength, size, and lust for battle matched her perfectly with Kegohr. They had broken three beds together since we had arrived back at Radiant Dragon, and I had a feeling that they wouldn’t be the last.
Veltai bumped her shoulder playfully against her boyfriend’s massive flank as she settled into a fighting stance and faced Vesma and Mahrai.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen Mahrai fight before,” Faryn said excitedly.
“Then you’re in for a treat,” I said. “She doesn’t do subtle all that well.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll see.”
Veltai and Kegohr rushed Mahrai the moment the starting bell rang out over the stands. Mahrai lunged into a backward handspring as Vesma blurred past her. Vesma’s hands flared, and crackling fire blasted out in a 10-foot half-dome to slow down her opponents. Flame Shield technique.
