Deathsworn Arc: 01 - The Last Dragon Slayer

by Martyn Stanley

  The helmet hid Ramon’s face utterly, when he spoke his voice simply echoed out from the dark slits in the helmet, “Well dragonslayer, I am surprised, here we are about to fight to the death and you appear to preparing to perform a beginners sword form, that is taught to elvish children to keep them out of mischief. Are you sure you are the one who dealt the killing blow to beloved Thrax?”

  Korhan instinctively dropped his sword to his traditional grip, vertical, at his side. Ramon raised his blade in an arc and stepped forwards slashing diagonally from Korhan’s neck to his feet. As he swung, Korhan shifted his weight and blocked the blow, as he blocked, Ramons blade sprung away and whipped around in the opposite direction attempting to slice Korhan’s leg off at the knee. Again, Korhan shifted his weight and whipped his sword around to meet it. This time though as the blades met, Ramon threw his weight forward, and released his right hand from his sword, swinging it into Korhan’s face.

  Korhan saw the blow too late, he’d started sliding back, but the armoured glove struck him with a modicum of force, not enough to bloody his face, but enough to sting. As he reeled, he felt Ramon’s mind probing, seeking, searching for a way in, a weakness. Vashni’s whisper had solidified and focused his mind to an edge though, and Ramon was forced to withdraw, clearly surprised at the failure of his mental attack. He squared up to Korhan again, “Impressive Northlander, perhaps you are not as unskilled and weak as you look?”

  “You strike with the ferocity of a handmaiden Hern, I slew your ‘prophet’ as I will slay you, and your god, if ever I should face him!”

  “Hah! I very much doubt that Northman. I have not even warmed up yet, I could have skewered you on my sword the moment you were in range - but what would be the fun in that? I wish to play with you, punish you, and punish you slowly.”

  As Ramon spoke he moved in with a flurry of blows, high, low, mid-riff, a back slash to catch Korhan off guard. Korhan blocked every shot, shifting his weight and giving ground as the blades clanged together in front of the watching crowd. As he blocked the back slash he changed stance and whipped around with a spinning neck-chop, perfectly placed to separate Hern’s head from his shoulders.

  As the blade whipped through the air Hern ducked, waited for it to pass then rose and slashed horizontally at Korhan’s belly. Korhan had expected to meet something, neck or block, and the carried momentum disrupted his balance, he felt the razor sharp blade of Ramon Hern carve into his flesh, and threw himself backwards with all his might.

  The last minute evasion had lessened the damage, but he was left with short, but deep bloody wound. He grunted as he felt warm liquid running from the burning cut in his belly.

  Hern was approaching again, but rather than cower or sag Korhan stood up tall and raised his blade to meet the challenge. Vashni had sagged when she saw him cut, now she was willing him, willing him to move faster and to use his cunning.

  Hern’s faceless, soulless helmet approached, he was chuckling to himself, “Your elf friend has taught you well, not well enough though it seems... You are a slow, lumbering oaf - you are no threat to me.”

  “Hah! We shall see...”

  This time Korhan went on the offence, using a series of diagonal slashes and chops, short and sharp, forcing Hern to give ground, as he did Korhan lunged forwards with more weight and followed through. He was overpowering the Dagon, their blades were locked together but Korhan was pushing Herns blade towards his own neck. Hern showed no sign of strain but was clearly losing the battle of strength, he dropped his shoulders and pushed harder, pushing Korhan’s blade back, sensing the change Korhan shifted his weight to the side and rolled Hern’s blade around his slamming the pommel of harbinger into Hern’s face, and smashing his helmet up and off his head.

  As Hern staggered back Korhan gasped at what he saw, a deformed, animalistic face with a snout like nose, deep sunken eyes and sharp jagged teeth, like those of a dragon.

  Seeing Korhan pause momentarily Hern took the offensive, a slice to the mid-riff, then an upward swing followed by an overhead chop. Korhan blocked all three shots but as his blade rose to meet the last Hern slammed his boot into Korhan’s already wounded belly, making him grunt, stagger backwards and sag to his knees for a second.

  Seeing Korhan down Hern leapt forwards, poised to skewer him with his black blade as he landed. Seeing the move Korhan threw his weight desperately to one side and into a roll, as he rolled he whipped harbinger around at knee height exactly where the Dagon would land. His timing was perfect, as Ramon Hern’s feet planted themselves Korhan’s blade struck cleanly just below the knee, however the armour held and the blow simply knocked his legs from under him, making him land awkwardly.

  The Dagon grunted as he hit the ground. As both warriors climbed slowly to their feet, Korhan felt Hern jabbing, probing at his mind, looking for a way in. It was strange, feeling such a strange force attacking one’s mind, trying to rip it’s way in. He was sure if not for Vashni’s whisper Ramon would have succeeded easily. As it stood the Dagon made several attempts, failing each time and becoming increasingly frustrated with every attempt.

  To the onlookers it seemed like a lull in the fighting as both warriors stood and squared up to each other. In reality Hern was throwing everything he had within his mental arsenal and seemed in disbelief that Korhan was withstanding it. Korhan couldn’t attack either, despite Vashni’s whisper, he could feel the Dagon trying to tear his way into his mind and was reeling mentally from each attempt.

  The clear stalemate eventually subsided as both began circling each other again, Hern made the attack this time, high to the left, then right, then the right mid-riff, then high to the left. Korhan gave ground and blocked every shot, as the last shot was met though, Hern changed his grip, grabbed harbinger, and span around swinging his opposite elbow at Korhan’s face. He moved like lightning. Korhan was losing blood from his earlier wound and couldn’t move fast enough - the elbow struck him square on the nose. It exploded in a gush of blood, forcing his head to roll back as he staggered from the impact.

  Hern was chuckling again now, Korhan’s front was covered in dark crimson blood and his steps were laboured. Still he held his sword up and wiped the blood from his eyes with his wrists. Hern’s deformed features twisted into a grin, “Not so cocky now barbarian? Have you lost your formidable wit as well as several pints of blood? Come now, surely you have something to say to me?”

  Korhan looked at the creature before him, he hated him, he wanted to lash out and slice him in two - yet somehow he knew it was not that simple. He’d faced orcs before, bandits, rival tribes, men of the south, and even a dragon, yet never had he felt so outmatched before.

  He grinned, and spat out a mouthful of blood, “We’re not done yet Dagon.”

  ”Hah! Good, I like your fighting spirit, I knew I would enjoy slaying you, I wish I could toy with you all night, but alas I have more pressing matters to attend to. Preparing the way for Thrax’s replacement! Ellen of course will have the honour of being our new prophet’s first sacrifice, so all the hardship you have faced will be in vain. All the deaths you are responsible for on your foolish quest will be for nothing, nothing will change, the people will see the truth and the message will spread. The one true, creator god will return to claim his kingdom and there is nothing you, or your lady elf can do about it - accept your fate northman, it is time for you to die.”

  Korhan grinned through his bloodied face, “I’m going to kill you Hern.”

  It was said in a matter of fact way, so casually that even Hern shuddered. Korhan lifted Harbinger and pointed it at Hern, approaching slowly. Hern slashed at Korhan one handedly, forcing a block, as Korhan blocked Hern threw a hooked punch at Korhan’s face with his spare hand. Korhan saw it coming this time and released one hand from harbinger, grabbing Hern’s approaching arm, then he slammed his forehead forwards into Hern’s face.

  The headbutt was brutal and delivered with weight and force. It caused Ramon’s face to errupt with blood an
d his knees to sag, as he dropped though he rolled away, whipping his black blade around at thigh height. The wild slash caught Korhan unawares and it sliced cleanly through his thigh, severing blood vessels and muscle tissue. He grunted with pain and Vashni turned away, unable to watch.

  ~To read more, download ‘The Deathsworn Arc 2 : The Verkreath Horror’