by Corey Soreff
Eucibous’s vision went dark and searing pain shot through his shoulder as confusion swept over him like a tidal wave. A moment later, his vision returning, he looked down to see the knight’s sword plunged into his left shoulder. Blood poured down his arms and his hand shook involuntarily. Brianth pulled the sword out and sank back into his stance, and Eucibous knew he was in trouble. He was losing too much blood. His gaze focused on the knight’s sword, and Eucibous realized all too late his deadly mistake. The rubies. “An enchanted sword…”
What is this kid’s problem? Thought the knight. He didn’t even try to defend himself. He held his stance and shook off a brief pain that he had felt when he had attacked the boy. A vibration had caused him slight resistance as he struck skin, a vibration that didn’t make much sense since the boy was wearing leather. Brianth poised for another attack as he saw the boy raise his sword with no intent on giving up. The fool.
He had been stupid. He had planned to absorb the first attack, and counter with a deadly blow. He should have sensed the magic emanating from that hilt. Now he was low on time, he was getting dizzy from loss of blood. Now he was mad.
Eucibous charged forward, swinging as hard and fast as he could with his injured arm. The knight easily parried each blow.
I can’t believe this kid entered. I thought he would at least have some skill if the thought he had a chance. He blocked each wild swing the boy threw at him, and almost felt bad that he was going to have the take the kid’s life. Almost. He was about to counter attack when his gaze passed over the boy’s face for a moment and it looked like he was saying something. But there was no way he was talking to him, the boy was whispering to himself. That’s odd. Maybe he’s praying to his God.
The husband could not hold back his excitement. He jumped up and down in the air, screaming the name of the knight who was about to win him gold. He nudged his wife and smiled wide. “What did I tell you? And you were worried! This is too easy!” He laughed cheerily and returned his eyes to the arena…just in time to see a gigantic fireball envelop his hero. Only a pile of dust remained, and the young child with his crimson hair blowing in the winds created by the explosion picked up the knight’s enchanted sword and walked casually back to the gate.
That child went on to become the youngest ever to win the Combat Tournament.
“Euc. Hey Euc, you heard me, right? Dal…I mean Kuldric will be at the Combat Tournament this year. He is expected to win.” Lok told his friend as they sat in ‘The Warrior’s Retreat’. Eucibous had sarcastically promised the owner not to kill any patrons this time.
Eucibous returned to reality and acknowledged his good friend. “I heard you Lok, I was just recalling some old memories. Darnath, eh? I’ll attend, of course. But they won’t be happy. They won’t have much of a choice though. He is their only hope to defeat me so they might as well just let me enter the tournament and fight him. If they try to stop me they’ll have many more casualties on their hands.” Eucibous scratched his chin in thought. “Actually, I suppose I can just cast an illusion and use a false name. I’d prefer to not have to kill any innocent bystanders.”
Lok nodded at him as he rubbed his shoulder, still sore from the blow by Kuldric. “You’re going to be pleased, Euc. He’s good.”
Eucibous smiled. “He must be, to defeat you. It’s a good thing he let you live too, for I will now do the same for him upon his defeat. Although I think you could have won, friend, had you fought like you meant it and not like you were testing him. You’re going to give us a bad name!” He laughed.
Lok grinned. “I could have done better, no doubt. But I fear I still would have lost.” His eyes then wandered the room nervously as if making a hard decision.
“What’s on your mind friend?” Eucibous inquired.
Lok crossed his hands in front of him and looked his greatest friend in the eye. “I know you want a good fight, and I do not want to ruin that. But…about his hammer…” Lok began to say as he was cut off by Eucibous.
“STOP! Tell me nothing about him!” Eucibous yelled as he grabbed his friend’s hands in front of him. “I understand your concern my friend, but whatever it is you are worried about, remember that all is fair in battle.”
Lok smiled and nodded, expecting that as an answer. “I figured you’d say that. Just be careful, eh? We’ve all heard about the mistake you made last time you were there!” He laughed while pointing at Eucibous, teasing him.
“We learn from our mistakes, and I plan to make many more!” Eucibous said happily. “One month. One month, and I fight one of the men I have waited twenty years for.” He stared past Lok at nothing, daydreaming of the fight that lay ahead.
As he was lost in thought, a hand came to rest upon his shoulder. He glanced up and grinned. “Ginin!” Nobody had even seen the stealthy rogue enter the establishment.
Ginin smirked at his leader. “I know I said I would be gone longer, but I came across the drow earlier than I expected. They are here already, and making their way across Adanantus.
Eucibous raised an eyebrow at the news. “They are moving fast.”
Ginin nodded. “Not only do they move fast, but they slaughter any that happen to see them on the way. It seems as if they plan a surprise attack. I also thought I should return and tell you about their King…”
“Kol’thakal? The drow King himself has joined the liche? Unexpected, but interesting.” Eucibous pondered.
“Not only that Euc, he is strong. Very strong. His speed is incredible, he seems to attack as fast as yourself when you cast a speed enhancement, yet I saw him cast nothing. I watched him unsheathe his twin blades, cut a man to pieces, and return his swords to their sheathes all within about a second.” Ginin’s voice seemed to slightly tremble as he spoke, and not much fazed the rogue. “I felt like they knew I was there, too.”
Eucibous stood from his chair and stretched out his arms. “Ginin, you will take me to wherever you think they would be by now, judging by their direction and speed of travel.”
Ginin acknowledged his lord. “Of course, Euc, but don’t you think they might have let me escape for that sole purpose?”
Eucibous laughed heartily. “I don’t care. If he wants my attention, he has it. If it’s a trap, it will only be more fun.”
Ginin laughed along with his friend and leader. Nothing ever made Eucibous nervous, the stronger his opponent; the more excited he’d be to meet them.
Eucibous cracked his knuckles and turned his head to his oldest friend. “Lok, you remain here in Caldar and listen for any news of the liche’s movements. I want to know if he is meeting the drow army somewhere or if the drow are traveling to Nelthak.”
Lok sighed. “I sit here and talk to drunk soldiers while you fight an army of drow? Bah!”
Eucibous chuckled. “I anticipate much fighting ahead, my friend. Be patient. Now, I have a drow to kill.” He and Ginin exited the tavern, to the relief of the owner.
Chapter Five
Strength of a King
Kuldric trekked through the dense forest, heading back to Darnath to report on the ogre hunt. Frustration gripped him as he anticipated his retelling of the story. He defeated one man, instead of scores of ogre scum. Kuldric had walked to the ogre encampment and was walking back home. He could have brought his horse, but this was his first time out of the city, and he meant to savor the rest of the world. He was admiring the infinite amount of trees that seemed to stretch forever when a voice entered his head.
“My son.” The voice boomed through Kuldric’s mind.
“My Lord!” Kuldric immediately dropped to one knee, even though the God was not in his presence. The mere voice of Darnillus demanded respect.
“My champion, I come to you with a warning. I urge you to travel north for some time, and then cut back west to Darnath. A vast army travels nearby, a dangerous army. We cannot risk your death or capture.” Darnillus sounded genuinely concerned.
Kuldric was torn from within by curiosity. “An army trave
ling across Adanantus so close to Darnath? Whose army?”
The voice answered. “Drow have landed on our continent. It seems they will join the forces of Sargath.”
Kuldric’s eyes went wide in surprise. He had only known of drow what he had read in books or was taught regarding the liche, his enemy. “Drow! Drow, so close to home! You cannot possibly expect me to ignore this!”
Silence was his answer. Kuldric realized he had raised his voice to his God, and sank to the ground in a show of reverence. “I meant no disrespect, my Lord! I just wish to keep our lands safe.”
“I know you do, my child. If it was only the army, I would let you put them in disarray. But their King is with them, a drow of much power.” Darnillus told his champion.
Kuldric rose again to one knee. “Please, allow me to challenge this King. If it seems I might lose, I will retreat with the gift you have so generously given me.”
Ten seconds passed while Darnillus contemplated his response. “Very well. But be very careful! Don’t let your guard down for one moment. His speed in battle is unmatched, and he has no mercy to be spoken of.”
Kuldric smiled in excitement. My chance to return home with more impressive news! “Thank you, my Lord! I will do my best!”
Kol’thakal sat atop a large wingless black dragon as he led his army forward through the forests of Adanantus. Such beasts without wings were rare and revered in drow society. “So many trees on this damn continent. This place reeks of….life.”
Lithak rode aside his King as always, atop a fine black horse. “It won’t when we are done with it, my King.”
The King grinned. “No, it won’t. I had plans to establish some bases here, but I think I have changed my mind. We will play along with Sargath for now, and then destroy all of Adanantus when we are done with the knights. Sargath will know that he picked the wrong drow to favor with his gifts.”
He entertained himself with visions of burning forests and a dying liche, and then his dragon came to a halt. The King lifted his head and peered forward, to see one man blocking the road. One knight. Kol’thakal laughed aloud in amusement and jumped off his gigantic steed. Landing on the road, he walked forward and stopped at a fair distance from the knight that blocked his way. “Hello there, human. It seems your sense of honor has led you to your death this day.
Kuldric stood proudly, unafraid of the drow leader. “From what I hear about your kind, you would know nothing of honor.” His hand went to his back and gripped the handle of his hammer.
Kol’thakal took a few steps forward. “Maybe not what you consider honor, but we have our own ways. It matters not, for you will die now.”
The moment he had finished his sentence he had disappeared, appearing only a moment later directly in front of Kuldric with both blades drawn and coming down to reduce the human to pieces. Only he didn’t cut the man to pieces, instead he found his blades held in place by a large hammer above the knight’s head. A grin flashed on the drow’s face. “Impressive, for a human.”
Kuldric’s face showed no emotion, only a calm resolution to emerge victorious. “Impressive, for a monster.” He kicked forward, connecting with the King’s swords sending him slightly backwards. He prepared for any change in the fight, noticing a robed drow sliding across the ground towards the King.
Lithak casually walked over to the vicinity of his King and whispered. “A God watches this one.”
Kol’thakal shrugged. “It matters not. Likely one of those cowardly Gods of light.” Gripping his blades, he lunged forward. A flurry of attacks bombarded the knight, to no avail. The knight was blocking each attack with rare concentration. He was parrying…with two hammers.
Kuldric remained calm but acknowledged he could not expend this much energy forever. He had already been forced to snap apart his hammer to use the two-handed technique to block these swift attacks coming from two different angles. He uttered a few words to his deity and a flash of light enveloped the area, temporarily blinding the drow. Circling around to the drow’s back, he attacked from behind with both hammers at opposite sides of the drow’s ribs. He was surprised to see the drow facing him, with both attacks blocked.
The King laughed in his face. “Did you really think blinding me would create an opening? Drow live in the darkness, fool!” He kicked Kuldric in the chest, and pain shot through the knight’s sternum in surprise. Immediately following the kick, the drow jumped onto the top of the hammers he was holding in place with his blades, and propelled himself into the air about ten feet. As he reached the limit of his jump, he began to fall back to the ground, if you could call it falling. He began performing a series of flips and spins while swinging his blades in all directions. To all onlookers, it looked like a big sphere of dark wind.
Kuldric tensed, seeing the attack coming from above. How can I dodge that? Thinking he had at least a few seconds to respond, he was surprised when the sphere that was Kol’thakal vanished and reappeared right on top of him, still spinning and slashing. Too late, he spit out the words that would grant him temporary protection from his God. The impenetrable shield began to form, but was only halfway through its formation when the drow made contact. Sharp pains seared throughout Kuldric’s entire body as slashes and wounds began appearing all over his skin. Blood trickled down his arms and legs, coming from deep wounds that covered him from head to toe.
Kuldric knew he didn’t have much time. The shield lasted about thirty seconds…but he was injured. He had to use those thirty seconds to escape, like he promised his God he would. He was prepared to make a run for it, but when he took his first step, he collapsed to the ground.
“A good thing we were in Caldar, it seems we arrived just in time.” Eucibous said to Ginin. Caldar was on the southern coast of Adanantus, while Darnath lay to the north in the middle of the continent.
Ginin didn’t even answer, so much was he emerged in the viewing of the fight before him.
Eucibous watched as the drow King came down, hacking apart the knight. Those blows would have severed the limbs off the man had he not been in the process of creating a holy shield. Memories of Dalin flashed through his mind as he watched the encounter. “That shield, I’ve seen it before. That must be our knight. He defeated Lok and is now being made an example of by this drow…you weren’t kidding, Ginin.”
Ginin shook his head. “He is skilled. But now he will face the strongest.” He turned to Eucibous in admiration. He had never seen Eucibous lose a fight, hell, Eucibous has never lost a fight that he knew of. Nobody has even presented a challenge since he joined the Crimson Blade. The drow was powerful. But Eucibous was a God among men.
“I had heard Kol’thakal was strong, but I never thought he was this strong. Otherwise I would have made the journey to the isle of drow to fight him earlier.” Eucibous scratched his chin in thought. “In fact, nothing this big should have eluded me. Something tells me this power is newly found, even if the skill was there before.” He watched as Kuldric lay on the ground before the King, running out of time as the drow stood over him waiting to finish off his prey. “This experience will make our knight stronger. But we can’t have him getting killed here now, can we?”
Ginin smiled and shook his head, and they both rose to their feet and left their hiding place. They began walking towards the scene of the battle, and Ginin faded away, ready to surprise anyone who might threaten his friend.
Eucibous strode forward confidently, what little amount of sunlight that made it through the trees reflecting off his magnificent crimson plate mail. He could not see his friend walking beside him, but he felt him and knew he was not alone.
Lithak coughed purposely, gaining the attention of his master. “He’s here.”
Kol’thakal turned to the south, seeing a huge man walking right towards him. “That’s the crimson warrior I’ve heard so much about? The man responsible for the unrest among the Gods?” Kol’thakal grinned in anticipation. “I knew that little rat would tell his master.”
“Y
ou are wise as always, my lord.” Lithak replied. “The rat is with him as well, stealthed like before.” His stealth detection spell could notify him of the general area in which a stealthed rogue might be, but he could not pinpoint the exact spot. He whispered words of arcane magic that would protect him from a dagger in the back.
Kol’thakal turned his attention away from the knight and met glances with Eucibous, who was still walking impassively towards him. The drow King did not know the meaning of fear; he had always destroyed anything and everything that threatened him. Yet for some reason the confident stride of this human unnerved him. The knight had fought confidently due to his honor, but this man…this man looked as if he already knew the outcome. Gripping his dual blades tightly, he clenched his teeth and prepared for the most dangerous fight of his life.
Eucibous stopped ten feet away from the King before him. “I got your message, drow.”
Kol’thakal quirked an eyebrow. “Ah, so your little pet knew we were aware of him, eh? We know he’s here now, too.”
Eucibous’s eyes narrowed. “Challenging me is one thing, drow. But mind your tongue when speaking of my friends. My warriors are my comrades, not my servants.”
The King chuckled quietly. “That’s what makes you humans weak.”
Without a word from his master, Ginin already knew his place in this encounter. The fight with the King belonged to Eucibous alone. He was to save the knight. He began making his way over to the unconscious would-be hero.
Eucibous cracked his neck. “Agree to disagree. You have your warning. I have come to fight you, like you wanted. If you don’t piss me off, you might not lose your life. One more thing, the knight is to live.”
No longer unnerved and adrenaline rushing throughout his body, the King laughed loudly, causing those nearby in his army to erupt in laughter as well. “You are a peasant, human. Yet you make demands of a King.”
