The Dark Crown

by S C Gowland

  Tren pounced, like a cat onto a mouse, landing on their chest, with a sickening crack the armour underneath shattered giving way to the mighty pressure placed upon it. The figure lolled, arms flopping lifeless pink light and another spectre heading toward the Abyss.

  There was a noise, echoing.

  Applause.

  To his surprise, Kaoldan heard applause.

  Soft leathery pats.

  ‘Well done.’ came the voice from within the hood. ‘’Well done. Not some of my better pupils.’ It inclined its head towards the headless body behind Kaoldan. ‘Definitely not one of my better students, but I had hoped that they would give a better account of themselves.’ it said with an air of resignation.

  They stared at each other.

  Nobody moved.

  The leader took a step forward pulling back a long thick velvety hood to reveal a dark chiselled face, with a strong jaw and short iron grey hair.

  He stood tall, appearing to be limbering himself up.

  Kaoldan paused.

  Why had he paused?

  Why had any of them paused?

  The leader shook the dark cloak from his shoulders, it dropped to the floor revealing powerful muscles and a sturdy frame.

  He looked to his left and right, the four remaining warriors changed their swords for long bladed spears, and they began fanning out separating Kaoldan from Kubrean and the pantheras.

  Kaoldan tried to move, to counter it, but it was no good they shifted their positions to complete the curtain.

  The leader wrinkled his nose and slowly shook his head.

  ‘Just me and you, I think’ he said licking his lips, and he smiled.

  They began to circle each other, slowly but surely, eyes fixed. Even at this distance Kaoldan could see the green eyes of the man who was his opponent.

  ‘It is so rare nowadays,’ said the man.

  ‘So very rare.’ he said shaking his head, almost in disbelief. ‘I never thought I would meet more of you.’ opening his right hand, ‘But the fates have decided that today is a glorious day.’ He said raising his open hand to the skies.

  He sighed and shook his head.

  ‘You.’ He pointed towards Kaoldan. ‘You have been chosen.’ he said ‘You, above all others.’ he nodded in agreement with a smile growing across his face. ‘You have been chosen for a great honour. It has been a very long time since I killed a red Walker.’ said the man, clearly enjoying the occasion. ‘Reds are my favourites; experienced, assured, not reckless like the younger ones.’ he gestured towards the two dead warriors.

  ‘Enough of this.’ said Kaoldan softly.

  ‘If you insist,’ offered the man with a cool smile. He pulled out a dull rod with his left hand it flashed purple into the same weapon that Kaoldan held in his hands, a double ended glaive.

  The man looked at the weapon in his hand, hefting it as if seeing the weapon for the first time.

  ‘Such a treat.’ he grinned. ‘ I haven't used one of these for many, many years,’ the smile slowly dissolved as he turned and locked his stare on Kaoldan.

  Kaoldan took the first steps forward, swinging his Walkerblade in a wide arc, it was met in mid-air by the blade of his opponent.

  Several quick slashes by Kaoldan were countered by his opponent who launched several offensive strikes towards Kaoldan. Kaoldan pulled the Fajin energy into his body. He felt it flow through him, warm and reassuring.

  ‘No, no, no…’ tutted the man. ‘That won't do you any good at all.’ he said shaking his head from side to side.

  ‘You can give it a try. If you'd like.’ he said cocking his head to one side. ‘But I think you'll find that I can do the same.’ He flew forwards a fierce expression on his face.

  Kaoldan parried instinctively. If he had not pulled Fajin energy into his body, the blows that hit his weapon would have crushed him; jolting, bone jarring blows. He had to take several paces back, countering strike after strike that rained down towards him. He felt the Fajin energy inside him deplete, blow after blow sapping it away.

  Then the onslaught stopped.

  The man in black observed Kaoldan, a look of immense pleasure upon his face.

  ‘As you can see.’ He nodded, turning and walking away from Kaoldan.

  ‘You are not the only one who can do this type of thing.’ he said.

  A smile grew on his face.

  ‘Disappointed are we.’ he said mockingly. ‘Don’t be. Life is full of disappointments. Just know this, I am Ormrik of the Otan, and that is the last time you shall ever be disappointed.’

  Kaoldan's eyes darted to the right towards the forest his daughters had disappeared towards moments before, he gritted his teeth, his face contorted in concentration.

  He charged forwards warmth having returned to his aching muscles, launching blow after blow after blow at the body, legs, head, aiming high, low, jarring, jolting skittering clanging.

  Ormrik took several steps back taken aback by the ferocity and the speed of Kaoldan's blows.

  In the background the beetle just stood. Like a giant black statue doing nothing, other than guarding the way to the forest and the girls.

  Kaoldan glanced to his left and saw Kubrean, Tren and Max dealing with the other four Otan warriors.

  This was proving to be too much hard work. The four Otan were more than holding their own. Spears were helping to keep the large Panthera at bay as they snarled, showing their teeth, looking for a gap to exploit.

  Kubrean was fighting with an Otan also armed with a long spear. His heavy maces banging, clanging making slow, measured progress forwards.

  Kaoldan turned his attention to Ormrik who stood in front of him, as if he had all the time in the world; a sneer plastered all over his face

  A slow panic began to rise within Kaoldan's stomach, cold and creeping.

  Too long.

  This was all taking too long.

  The countryside flashed by as Romina's heart raced.

  She turned left and right, desperate to see behind her. The dark comets fizzed just overhead.

  She saw the flashes of green blades in the distance, bouncing and juddering as she sat helpless on top of the Panthera's back. They entered the woods, and she lost sight of them as the branches and leaves clouded her view. She had to tried to shout, but it just came out a breathy wheeze.

  She heard a yell from behind her, Zahara was not far behind.

  Essa still trying her best to get as much distance between herself and the black vortex as possible.

  The surroundings of the trees, the silence and her pace eased slightly. Slowly, slowly they began to calm the big cat.

  Romina pulled back on the reins, as hard as she could, locking her legs. She gritted her teeth, straining every muscle in her body. She pulled and shouted Essa slowed, coming to a halt in a small clearing of trees.

  Romina turned around, looking in every direction for any sign of danger her breath ragged.

  Nothing.

  Romina relaxed in her saddle. Her heart was pounding, her body flowed with adrenaline. She heard shouting echoing through the trees.

  Zahara.

  ‘I'm over here.’ she shouted, standing in the saddle and waving.

  Zahara appeared from behind a cluster of trees, half caught in the shadow of the foliage.

  ‘What’s got into you?’ she screamed. ‘We got to go back and help.’

  ‘Don't blame me.’ yelled back Romina ‘Blame this on my big scared cat.‘ She gestured to Essa, turning the Panthera towards her sister. Essa was beginning to regain her senses, body relaxing; she turned and looked at her rider half embarrassed, half relieved.

  ‘We've got to get back, we’ve got to help okay,’ Zahara shouted back at her.

  Romina raised her hand. ‘A moment.’ she yelled back.

  She paused calming herself back down. She slowly dismounted from the Panthera, legs slightly wobbly, walked around to face the front of the cat.

  ‘What got into you?’ she questioned ruffli
ng behind Essa‘s ears.

  Essa just looked back at her blue eyes wide.

  She pursed her lips.

  Essa had never done this before, she had always been reliable, brave never a panthera to suffer anxiety or in this case blind panic. It was not uncommon for Pantheras to react like this. They are living breathing things after all and anything that threatens that was bound to cause such a reaction of some kind. And yet she found this reaction worrying. Romina lightly held each side of the big cat’s head, carefully cradling it.

  ‘We have to go back.’ She said calmly and yet in a tone that left no room for negotiation as she moved over towards her sister.

  Essa tried to turn her head away. Romina ruffled behind each ears while struggling to hold the head. The tickling slowly did the trick. Essa’s eyes flickered back up to meet Romina’s, and the wriggling stopped.

  ‘That’s better.’ she smiled. ‘But we still have to go back. We have to help. People are in danger.’ Besides us thought Romina.

  Essa responses was a sheepish lowering of the eyes.

  ‘We can do this. I take care of you; you take care of me. Remember?’

  Essa’s head rose, alert. She looked behind Romina over her shoulder, eyes narrowing, a low growl rose in her throat.

  She heard the fizzing first, soft then louder vibrating outwards like a fly trapped in her ear.

  Romina turned to see a handful of dark comets drunkenly zigzagging downwards through the branches into the clearing. They hit the ground with a crackle and a loud pop, bursting like bubbles to release dark grey mist. A group of them burst in close proximity to each other creating a vast haze.

  Dark shapes began to be visible as the mist cleared. Crouched down they slowly stood up, stretching as they did so. One by one they emerged from the mist, robes billowing outwards.

  Romina head darted towards her sister on the other side of the clearing, their eyes met, and a coldness began to rise within her stomach.

  They moved slowly, deliberately around the edge of the clearing. Sidestepping moving diagonally spreading on into a long thin line.

  Another three emerged to the left, as Zahara yelled something.

  Romina didn’t catch what she said the words muffled as her head pounded, but the rising panic in her voice was clear. Zahara dismounted from Shara, clutching her Walkerblade whilst moving closer to her sister. The blade flashed green and morphed into a large longsword, she set herself grasping the handle with both hands, flexing her fingers, legs shoulder width apart, settling into the ground. She looked at her sister.

  Romina reached for her Walkerblade, it flashed green morphing into a long double ended glaive. She crept carefully to the side of her sister, turning they were now back to back, as they faced the now nine individuals that had almost surrounded them.

  Essa looked left and right, as did Shara. The big cats standing at the side of their Walker Masters, a low growl emerged from both.

  The figures stopped moving. They had now completely encircled the sisters.

  Romina swallowed her throat and mouth dry, the figures that surrounded them simply waited, then in perfect unison each reached inside their robes producing a dull short rod of metal. There was a flash and purple weapons appeared in their hands, swords, axes and long curved blades.

  Time seemed to stand still.

  Romina's heart hammered within her chest, she nervously looked left and right attempted to lick her lips with her dry tongue; then the calm was shattered.

  Half the figures charged forwards, cloaks billowing their faces hidden. Shara and Essa roared and bounded forward, leaping straight into the dark figures, that screamed in muffled terror as the Pantheras crashed down on top of them.

  Romina looked towards three individuals were walking towards her now. One sprang forwards. She instinctively jabbed the glaive forwards the longsword of her opponent parried it away.

  She took a step sideways and moved forward again all the time, gathering Fajin energy inside her body. She felt it, a tingle moving up through her feet through her torso into her arms gradually reaching her head. She swung the glaive in wide arcs; once, twice, three times towards the lead opponent who parried each effort with increasing desperation. She took a sideways step and sprang forward, extending her thrust this time her opponent was unable to completely parried the blow. It caught them deep and high in the chest with a sickening crack and squelch, the opponent screamed and folded around the point as it entered the body.

  She twisted the blade, jerking it backwards the body crumpled into a heap on the floor. Slowly a green image of the crumpled heap slowly began to emerge from the body. Ghostlike shimmering slowly rising up towards the branches through the trees and the upper canopy towards the sky.

  Romina looked open-mouthed in amazement, then shook her head back into the reality of the situation. She looked left and right to the cloaked figures were making their way forwards with deadly intent.

  ***

  ‘Not bad.’ nodded Ormrik pursing his lips, ‘Not bad at all.’

  Kaoldan snorted, struggling to catch his breath.

  ‘You have seen some action my friend. That much is clear to me. You are unpredictable, you have almost caught me a few times. Almost.’ He wagged his finger as if telling off a disobedient dog. ‘But not quite.’

  ‘Do you always talk so much?’ asked Kaoldan through clenched teeth.

  ‘Sometimes,’ he nodded in reply. ‘It is one of my shortcomings. Occasions like this are so few and far between, I tend to try to make the most of them. Making them last as long as I can.’ He raised his hand grasping his fingers together into a fist. ‘I like to try to enjoy my work. It is a matter of etiquette you understand.’

  Kaoldan said nothing, his eyes fixed on Ormrik.

  Ormrik sniffed and stretched out his neck. ‘Seems my words are wasted on you.’ his eyes narrowed. ‘So, I shall try to make your suffer short.’ He spun around and leapt forward blade raised high above his head.

  ***

  She heard the clang of metal and steel behind her, mixed with the grunts of effort from Zahara. She considered turning to help but then thought better of it. Her sister had always been a good fighter. She was about to strike at the figure on her left when Essa appeared out of nowhere, growling and snarling, landed with a crunch on top of a screaming victim. A small wave of relief swept over her, good to see her panthera had found the fight inside of her. How she had been able to do it she had no idea. If Essa felt half as scared as Romina did at that moment.

  She turned to her right, readjusting her feet, rustling in the grass as she did so. She moved forward jabbing, constantly jabbing the figure in front of her falling back, parrying blows.

  Taking a much larger step forwards she thrust her glaive forwards.

  It missed the stomach of her opponent by inches.

  She flicked the blade upwards with a twist of her wrist. The tip of the blade caught the edge of the hood of her opponent, there was a ripping sound and a burst of bright red blood upwards like a blossoming flower and a sharp scream; it revealed the face of a young woman.

  She paused, looking at the identity of the person revealed in front of. Her eyes flickered around catching small details, blue eyes, dimples, crooked teeth. The woman was young, almost as young as Romina.

  The top of her head was cut, blood slowly leaking out over her forehead like a spider's web, face contorted, she roared at Romina charging forwards.

  Romina stepped backwards uncertain of herself. She hesitated and jabbed forwards on instinct. Whether the strike was pure luck or utter skill, she would never know - but it hit where it needed and caught the young woman in the stomach. Romina gathered the Fajin energy inside her twisted the blade sharply, but nothing happened other than a sickening squelch.

  The woman snarled, eyes wide, spraying spittle from her mouth. She attempted to swing her sword towards Romina. It missed but only just, causing Romina to take half a step backwards. She shoved the blade, pushing the blade of the
glaive forwards again.

  This time she gritted her teeth as she did so, and there was a sickening crack, then a whizz followed by a dull thud.

  An arrow appeared straight through the side of young woman’s head. The woman’s body flopped as Romina jerked the glaive loose. The dead body collapsed on the floor and a small purple imprint of her body rose. The Soros orb glimmered and sparkled as it rose up towards the heavens.

  Another dull thud, an arrow protruding from the chest of the other warrior, who flopped to the floor. Yellow light shimmered and rose from the corpse.

  A shout to her left, cause Romina to look. There stood her father and Kubrean bows and arrows in hand. He shouted something unintelligible towards her. She couldn't make out the words clearly, so he shouted again.

  ‘Are you okay?’ he shouted as he ran towards her, arrow notched to his bow as he surveyed the surroundings.

  ‘Yes, yes.’ she spluttered raising a hand.

  ‘You sure?’ Kaoldan asked, concern etched all over his face.

  ‘I am fine.’ she said with a weak smile.

  In truth, she felt anything but.

  Chapter 16 – Lucky Man

  Kaoldan gnawed at his fingernail. He winced then saw there was no nail left to nibble at. He snorted the only gnawing now would be in his guts, he rolled his shoulder trying to shake the feeling away.

  The attack had come swift and merciless.

  The four of them had been lucky to survive such overwhelming odds.

  Sixteen enemies.

  Sixteen.

  The number stuck in his head like a bad thought.

  Romina’s panthera had bolted, why he was not sure, but she had bolted all the same and Zahara had followed. Both disappeared from his view, disappeared from his sight, disappeared from his protection.

  He bit his lip, his guts felt like water.

  They had been very lucky.

  Or more accurately he had been lucky.

  He had fought Ormrik with everything he had, every trick he knew and had still been lucky to escape with his life.

  It was like the old bastard knew what Kaoldan was about to do before he did it. A telepathic ability to deflect, evade and dodge every attack he made.