The Paladin Archives Book Two The Withering Falseblade

by Jason Psilopoulos

  “What happened to you anyway?” Jack asked.

  “I had an assignment.” Ellis shook himself. “Where’s Sir Kasidyne?” he requested. Ian looked up, surprised at the respectful address he gave to his mentor.

  “I’m right here,” Marcus said, walking up from behind. “You were supposed to go and stand watch outside Rebekah’s door.” Ellis sagged a little.

  “That’s just it. She’s gone.” Marcus had been ready with a rebuke, until Ellis said that. “I stood outside the door like a dummy for a while. Then I thought she might not like me hovering around without an explanation. So I knocked. The door was already open so I went in and found this.” Ellis handed Marcus the scribbled note that Rebekah had left on her nightstand.

  “Marcus. I left for Norik by the old route. I have to go. Don’t follow. I love you. Rebekah.” Marcus crushed the note in his hand and frowned. "I saw her a few hours ago," he mumbled.

  “She’s way off campus by now,” Jack said knowingly, looking at his watch.

  “She said the old route. That means she’s walking down near the old highway.”, Marcus said absently, worry on his brow.

  “In this weather?” Ian asked from the side. Marcus grimaced. “Right. Look who we’re talking about.”

  "I don't think she'd be in Norik yet if she’s walking," Mary offered. Marcus looked down at the Falseblade in his hand and tried to decide what to do.

  “She is not far. I can sense her from here still. She is close.” Uther said quietly, his eyes closed.

  “What’s your range limit anyway?” Jack wondered.

  “I have never tested it. But I did sense my father once almost seven miles away.” Marcus wasn’t interested in any of that.

  “Is she all right?” he asked straightly. Uther closed his eyes again, concentrating harder.

  “I would say not,” he said with regret. “She is in distress. I fear she is in battle.” Marcus decided right then. He turned to Jack and handed him the Falseblade.

  “What’re you doing? I don't want this.” Jack blurted, not wanting to touch the thing. Marcus pressed it into his hands and clapped him on the shoulders.

  “I’ll explain it all later. Just get this thing out of sight. And don't touch the hilt. Ian! Donavan! Let’s go!” Both men jumped up, leaving their pains behind. The three headed for the door, Marcus in the lead.

  “You know where she is?” Ian asked. Marcus nodded stiffly.

  “The old road runs past Grant’s Foundry. And since Rebekah would want to avoid notice, she would be walking. That puts her at the edge of Stanton’s Wood. About a mile outside of the Foundry. Six miles from here.” Marcus grimaced as he said it. Rebekah’s impetuous nature had taken hold once again.

  “You sure?” Marcus looked at the note again.

  “If she didn’t want help, she wouldn’t have left this. She said don’t follow. I know Rebekah. She means for me to follow. She’s on her way to Norik. That’s where she is.” Donavan started pulling cotton from his nose.

  “She’s gonna get herself killed,” he grumbled. Marcus didn’t want to allow that yet.

  “That’s nothing new,” he said. They didn’t stop as they passed through the damaged engine room doors, but Marcus slowed slightly. He could feel someone following.

  “Back off Sage!” Marcus growled. “This isn’t time to test one of your theories about science and faith. Rebekah’s life is on the line here.” Sage was following behind them, leaving his damaged engine behind.

  “I want to help. I messed up and I want to help.” Marcus glanced over his shoulder at the elf, trying to get a gauge on what it was the man intended. Sage’s face was set and determined.

  “You’ve been a steaming pile of help so far!” Ian snapped.

  “I made a huge mistake. I know. But I can get us all to Rebekah faster than that horse of yours.” Marcus stopped, turning to face Sage.

  “How?”

  “This is useless Rebekah,” Darius mused, allowing Rebekah’s fists to slap harmlessly on his body. He didn’t even bother to defend himself.

  “I will not go willingly!” she spat, punching Darius full in the face. Her fists were starting to ache from the impacts. Her arms were sagging with fatigue.

  “You’ll go. Your willingness is irrelevant.” Rebekah sidestepped a grasping hand and tried to roll away. Her knees buckled and she dropped onto her face. Her spine shocked her again, numbing her right hand. She almost welcomed it. Her hands were thundering with pain. Her left almost felt broken.

  “What’s your stake?” she asked, forcing herself to stand. Darius’s face formed into a vile smirk.

  “The Darkness has promised me your firstborn daughter to wife.” Rebekah felt a shudder of revulsion pass through her. “We are destined to sire a generation of Divine Dragoons. I’ve already picked out a few names. Would you like to hear them?” Rebekah pulled herself to standing, her legs quaking beneath her. The man had the gall to be flippant about this.

  “You’re really sick, you know that?” Darius shrugged, not seeming to care. Rebekah reached down for one of the fallen Absolute weapons. She brandished it like an extension of her arm. Darius folded his arms across his tattooed chest in an almost bored gesture. Rebekah shook her right hand until she could get some feeling and gritted her teeth.

  “Take your best shot,” he goaded. Rebekah mustered her strength, flying into a frenzy of motion. The lancet fell on Darius, cutting and gouging into his skin, denting it with every blow. But every wound bubbled back out to normal, leaving Darius to chuckle at her. After a full minute, Rebekah fell to one knee, her breath burning in her chest. Her back was throbbing now, her entire body screaming for her to stop. Darius stood there, his body misshapen and strange. His arms were bent and twisted from the hammering and his head looked as though it was nearly twisted off. It hung sideways like a broken lamp. The blows Rebekah had laid into him would have dismembered anyone else. But Darius just shrugged a little as his body slipped quietly back into its form.

  “I told you.” Rebekah lunged again, and Darius caught the spear point with his palm. The skin on the back of his hand stretched outward like rubber. “Useless.” Rebekah pushed forward as hard as she could, trying to break Darius’s skin. The spear broke at the shaft, and Darius simply discarded the remnant. Rebekah turned the lancet over, hefting the bladed end like a sword. Darius continued forward.

  “You’re still not getting me.” Darius shook his head. “I’ll take you in pieces if I must.” Rebekah moved to strike, and Darius simply let the blow bounce off him. The blade skittered across his chest, leaving a brief perforation on his skin. Rebekah’s momentum carried her into an off-balance twirl. She felt her footing start to go before one of Darius’s massive paws clamped onto her shoulder.

  “You don’t get it, do you?” Darius punched, his fist landing on Rebekah’s back with a muffled crack. Rebekah staggered, trying to hold her footing.

  “The paladins are finished. Their pride is going to be their undoing.” Darius punched again, and Rebekah felt her consciousness slipping. Her body tingled all over. She couldn’t tell what she was feeling anymore.

  “Your faith in them is useless. Your faith in HIM is useless.” Another blow, and Rebekah could feel the tears on her face. She could barely see, barely hear over the thundering pulse in her ears. The agony of his fists was the only sensation she knew. The only world she could conceive. Rebekah struggled to take in air. She felt constricted. Her body was refusing to function properly.

  Darius spun her to face him, smashing another fist across her cheek. The visor of her helmet shattered, and the ruby of the dragon’s eye crushed in against her face. Darius’s hand closed on her throat, lifting her to him.

  “Marcus is going to flay you alive," she gasped, her voice barely a whisper.

  "You have such a belief in your boyfriend. Where is he now?” Rebekah couldn’t answer. She was trying to get feeling in her legs. She couldn’t feel her feet at all. Not even pain.

  “He’
ll be here,” she managed.

  “He’ll be too late.” Darius hoisted her over his head, almost ceremonially. He stepped forward a bit, setting his weight on his front foot. Rebekah could feel the rain on her face. It was the only pleasant thing she could feel. She knew what he was going to do. Her back was about to break against his knee.

  “You’re not supposed to hurt me,” she choked out as Darius lifted her into the air.

  “Not true. I’m not supposed to kill you. We decided you’d be less trouble if you couldn’t walk.” Rebekah tried to wrench herself free, but her body lacked strength. She looked about for some sign, any sign that she had help. But only the growing hum in the air greeted her. She almost couldn’t hear the rain anymore.

  “What’s your plan?” Donavan asked as the Ironhorse barreled down the old highway towards Norik. Stanton’s Wood was ahead of them, but with all the rain they could barely see it. Marcus already had his sword at the ready, watching the road ahead. The rain was making it impossible to spot anyone ahead of them. Sage was doing his best to weave through the slow-moving traffic, going off road more than he had intended. They waited for another lightning strike, in hopes of seeing a silhouette or two.

  “I don’t have one. But get your guns ready. We’ll need them.” Donavan loaded the pistols dutifully. Ian checked his fist daggers absently as he watched the road.

  “Dreads, you think?” he asked from the backseat. Marcus nodded.

  “Number one suspects.” That was all he would offer. He was doing his best to concentrate. He could feel the worry creeping in around his confidence. Rebekah was in trouble.

  Another bolt of lightning cut the sky, and Marcus could almost swear he saw a man holding someone in the air. Marcus blinked for a second, seeing the shadow on his retina as he did. He wasn’t sure if what he saw was real, or if he wanted it to be. Lightning struck again.

  “There she is!” Ian blurted. Marcus rolled down the window and started pulling himself out.

  “What’re you doing?” Sage cried, trying to watch the road as the rain poured in.

  “Something crazy and stupid by your definition! You just watch the road!” Donavan lowered his window and aimed his pistol. Ian fastened his restraints and said a short desperate prayer.

  “FLOOR IT SAGE!” Marcus screamed, leaning out the window of the Ironhorse, his blade brandished high over his head. He couldn’t see well through the rain, but he knew what he was doing. The Ironhorse lurched forward, kicking more mud and water into the air. Sage did his best to steer close to their intended target. He had a feeling he knew what Marcus was thinking.

  “You should have taken Remec’s advice. You’d be so much better off beneath a man. Now, you’ll be beneath everyone,” Darius droned, lifting Rebekah just a little higher over his head. She struggled more, finding no escape. That’s when the light suddenly blinded her. A gunshot rang out, and Darius turned.

  "FREEZE!" Donavan's voice echoed. Darius turned in surprise to see and ATV careening toward him, a paladin hanging out the window.

  “What blasphemy is this?” Marcus waited for only a second, then swung, catching Rebekah’s attacker in the back with the sword. Rebekah fell in a heap and Marcus used the embedded sword to press the man into the earth. Sage gunned the engine, dragging Darius along with them. Darius tried to roar in his surprise and rage, but the mud muffled his screams. He reached up, clamping one of his gnarled hands on the fender and started to twist. He began to pull himself from the mud, mangling the ATV as he did. The Ironhorse dragged the man for several yards before Sage braked and turned. The Ironhorse bucked once as it drove over Darius March before Sage brought it to a stop.

  “Did you kill him?” Ian asked as Sage shut off the engine. "Tell me you killed him."

  “God I hope so,” Donavan moaned. “What is it with you and ramming people with your car?” Donavan asked. Sage shrugged as he got out.

  “I’m not good with regular weapons.” Marcus jumped out of the Ironhorse immediately.

  "He did that to Mordred last year," Marcus droned. "Didn't work then either." Darius wasn’t dead. “He couldn’t be that easy.” Marcus glanced in Rebekah’s direction, she was face up, and he could see her breathing. He wanted to run to her. But he knew his duty. He needed to make sure Darius was down. He knew if he didn’t do his duty, they could all be in real danger. It was the best way to keep Rebekah safe. “Ian, check on Rebekah,” he said painfully. Ian bounded in her direction. The moment he said it, Darius pulled his head out of the mud.

  “Typical. We get a moment alone, and you show up,” Darius said, pulling himself from the sludge, spitting mud as he went. Marcus grimaced at what he saw on the man’s body.

  “A hollow mark,” he muttered. “I should’ve known. You’re a Manticore.” Darius nodded. “You did this to get Rebekah.”

  “Had to kill an old friend to do it, but it worked. The Hollowing is now permanent. Highmaster Troius’s blood has sealed this . . . anointing.” Marcus’s frown deepened. Darius had killed Highmaster Troius. “Now I get the chance to kill you too.” Darius ran at Marcus. Marcus ducked and struck, flipping Darius over and driving the blade through his chest.

  "Many have tried. They’ve all ended the same way." Darius looked up and laughed. No blood poured from the man as he chuckled. The blade seemed to want to push free of Darius's chest. Marcus twisted it once for good measure, and Darius sighed in what looked like pleasure.

  "That almost stings Boy." Marcus wrenched the blade free, adopting a defensive stance. Darius rose again from the mud, wiping muck from his eyes. “I heard you were good,” he mocked. He reached out to grab Marcus, but the paladin shifted away from his grip. “I admit you’re faster than me.” Marcus watched as the dent in Darius's chest simply filled back out as though it hadn’t been.

  “You’re not getting Rebekah!” Darius kicked out, knocking Marcus back against a tree. Marcus shook his head, his vision suddenly blurred.

  “I already have Rebekah. She is mine. Forever.” Darius grabbed Marcus by the face, his massive paw covering over the paladin’s mouth. “You aren’t as fearsome as they say.” Darius started to squeeze his fist shut, intent on finishing the job.

  “Hey Rebekah. How’re you feeling?” Ian said flippantly. Rebekah shivered slightly as a wave of pain washed through her.

  “Oh, I’m having a great night,” she stammered. “How about you?” Ian groaned.

  “My girlfriend’s a Dread.” Rebekah smirked a little.

  “Yeah. You win,” she said, before crying out in pain. Ian took his cloak and covered her.

  “Okay. That’s enough talking from you.” Rebekah clenched her jaw shut. Another wave of pain surged down her back.

  “Stand down March!” Darius didn’t even glance back at the captain. Donavan fired off twenty rounds from his pistols. The impacts knocked Darius off balance for a second. But all the bullets seemed to just sink into the man’s skin. After a second, Darius turned with a smirk, dropping Marcus into the mud.

  “You know what Captain? I don't particularly like you. But more than that-" Donavan was changing clips behind the Ironhorse. He straightened up and trained his pistols on the man. Darius grinned cruelly. "I hate guns.” The bullet marks receded suddenly, and a hail of gunfire flew back at Donavan, causing him and Sage to dive for cover. 9mm rounds ricocheted off the Ironhorse's armored hide. Sage pulled himself out of the mud and up against one of the tires. Donavan checked himself for bullet holes and sighed when he found none.

  “You got anything we can use against this guy?” Donavan asked as Sage opened the door and began digging around the Ironhorse for a weapon. All he found was a half-rusted tire iron.

  “Nothing conventional,” he admitted, dropping the iron in the mud. Donavan frowned as he loaded his pistols again. “I ran him over with my car. What do you want from me?”

  “More than a flimsy excuse Cortez!” Donavan spat. “Look, you’d better come up with something unconventional. And it’d better be fast.” Sa
ge popped the hood of the ATV, an idea sparking in his mind.

  “Buy me a minute, Captain.” Donavan nodded, rising to fire again.

  “We’re not finished,” Marcus said, coming in hard and fast. Darius let the paladin blade slice at him. Marcus’s blows were powerful, nearly knocking Darius off his feet. But Marcus wasn’t doing any real damage. Darius's left arm looked almost as though it would fall off. But within a second, the skin recoiled. Marcus stepped back cautiously.

  “How are you powerful?” Darius batted Marcus aside again, knocking the paladin to the earth with one swing. Marcus shook his head. He hadn’t been hit that hard in a long time. Ian dove in next, his daggers blazing in the lightning. After a few well-placed strikes, Ian pulled back, wiping the rain from his eyes.

  “And Aionios the Undying makes a play. Such as it is,” he said with a shrug. Darius didn’t wait for his moment. He simply reached out and grabbed Ian by the arm, snapping his wrist and tossing him aside. Ian grunted in pain, holding his broken wrist in his good hand. “You are not my charge. There is another prepared for you. Your time will come.”

  Darius looked around as Donavan fired a few more rounds at him. The bullets kept sinking into his skin, then firing back. Donavan aimed high, hitting Darius in the face. The man twisted his head aside as a bullet hit him. He turned around again, showing Donavan the bullet between his teeth.

  "This isn't working." Darius spit the bullet back with almost as much force as it had arrived with. "How're you doing?" Donavan asked, hoping for good news.

  "I'd be better if you stopped asking." Donavan fired another few rounds and scowled.

  "Cortez!" He barked.

  "I need a few more seconds," Sage requested. Donavan fired a few more rounds and returned to cover.

  "We don't have a few more seconds!" he bit out. "If you hadn't fouled up my airship, I could've called in an air strike." Sage didn't react well to the accusation.

  "I promise I had a good reason. Now just buy me some more time." Donavan fired a few more rounds at the advancing Manticore. Darius just shook it off. Marcus rose and sliced him down his back again, stunning the giant for a second. Darius turned in disgust, almost looking annoyed.