Dragon Hero II: Bounty of the Blood Witch

by C Woodward

  By day ten, I was sweating more than anyone here. Jerak decided he wanted to go back to Vunash and speak with his brother and Teltar. He talked with Kelv about it, and then came to Torkuhl and I. “I am sorry Blake, but I am not one to stay cooped up in a place for very long without going a bit crazy. I am also worried about my brother and want to know for sure that he is fine.”

  I nodded, “I am not upset Jerak. Thank you for all your help.”

  He grinned, “You keep getting stronger, and maybe you can best me in battle.”

  I laughed, “We’ll see. Hey, tell the guys Hello from me and maybe check to see if Bolam is back.” Jerak’s eyes lit up, “Oh yeah! I will see if Bolam is back! Thanks for reminding me.” I laughed. I wondered if Jerak would remember how to get back to Vunash.

  After Jerak packed up and left, Torkuhl continued the training, without speaking much except a few taunts or words of encouragement, until dinnertime. At dinner, Torkuhl and I were deep in conversation. “So, you miss her?” he asked.

  I finished a big spoonful of soup, “What? Oh, you mean Talestria!”

  He nodded, “You seem to care about her. It must be nice to have someone to care for.”

  I smiled, “Yeah, I do care about her and miss her a ton. Do you have someone you feel strongly about?”

  He froze for a moment and shrugged, “Back in my village, there was one I liked while growing up but.” He sighed, “She was courted by another male.”

  I frowned, “Oh that must have sucked.” He nodded, “We are not known for showing feelings, but I was hurt inside. I would have challenged him, but he had some rank in the village and it wouldn’t matter.”

  I stared at my soup, “So, you left the village?”

  Torkuhl looked at me, “Oh, did I tell this story?”

  I chuckled, “No I guessed that you would leave.” He chuckled back, “Oh, you are clever!” He lifted his bowl and started to chug it like a drink. After letting out a healthy burp which echoed throughout the place, he continued, “So, I traveled here seeking adventure. But, you already know that part.”

  After dinner, we fought a little longer. By bedtime, Torkuhl was a bit too preoccupied to come straight to bed. I looked around for him. He was sitting on the bench, staring at the ceiling. I was surprised to see that he was actually feeling sad. My sympathy overcame my weariness. I walked over to him. He looked at me and let out a sigh.

  I sat down next to him, “Reopening old wounds?”

  He looked at me with a puzzled look, then finally got what I was implying, “Yes, no matter how much you try to forget, it still comes back.”

  I sighed, “Yeah, I know what you mean. Painful memories will always come back to haunt you.” He nodded, “It’s stupid, but it always does.” He stood up and slapped me on the back, “Thanks for the chat, it really helped! I should sleep easier tonight!” He grinned and walked toward the beds. I sat there puzzled. I would have guessed that he was just trying to act tough, but I guess Minotaurs are tough emotionally, too.

  We reached day fourteen and I was curious how much longer it will take now. Two weeks of pushing myself more than any sane person should, I lost count of how many bruises I had and how many times my muscles had been pulled and torn. A normal person would have been worn out after the first day and their body would have demanded rest. Even as my body healed, I went and damaged it again the next day.

  Master Kelv even took over to give Torkuhl a rest. I learned one of Master Kelv’s moves, which was how to aim for the weapon to take it out of the enemy’s hands. The tricky part was becoming quick and strong enough to do it. Kelv used it on me a few times. I eventually found a way to counter it, but that was tough to do being so weighed down. It had gotten to the point where simply taking a step was a workout. I was sick of the same meals every day, but was grateful just to be sitting down. Each day Master Kelv push me harder, to the point of constant, dull pain. If it wasn’t for the reminder that he was doing this for my benefit, I could have hated the man. At times, I felt like a guinea pig perfecting future training methods for other lucky apprentices.

  At dinner, Master Kelv and I had a chat. He sat down across of me, “I know you feel like you haven’t made any improvement since you got here.” I shoveled in a spoonful of soup and nodded. He smiled, “You are making great improvements! You are now fighting just as badly as you did on day one.”

  I stopped and stared at him and then took another spoonful of food. He laughed, “But, you haven’t gotten worse! I have been pushing you with more weights and making you work harder each day. The fact that you keep up the same pace means a lot!” He reached across the table and smacked me on the shoulder.

  He grinned a bit, “By the way, I got a message from your friends.” He looked at the ceiling, trying to remember what it was. He looked back at me and said, “Yes. Kalus, or something like that, wanted to let you know that the others have decided to travel to Halatross for something and will come back in a few days. There was something about checking out some old ruins. There was something else, but I forgot.”

  I sighed, “So, I guess I am going to stay here a bit longer.”

  Kelv laughed, “Hey, consider it more time to get even stronger!” It was now day seventeen. Torkuhl was actually liking the place more. I, on the other hand, was sick of it. “You know, maybe I should have my own battle arena! I could make it could bigger with more open area!” he said between rounds. I was too tired and sore to reply. He smiled, “Yeah! I could have stronger people to fight. They wouldn’t use real weapons, so it might make it harder to get men willing to fight. But, wooden ones like these would do just fine. People might be willing to pay to watch it! That could fund it!”

  I laughed, “You mean people buy tickets to watch big guys fight until one of them is knocked down? We had something like that in my world.”

  His eye lit up, “Really? How did that work in your world?”

  I smiled, “Oh, it’s very successful, but they often fight with padded gloves and punch each other.” Torkuhl felt very excited, “Wow, punching would be fun too! Though, I would like some weapon combat as well.” Torkuhl kept going on with his plans and I threw in a few ideas which got him more excited.

  As Torkuhl talked on during dinner, I tried to figure the math of when I should hear from Jerak and the others and how long until I might hear from Talestria. I had been knocked around a bit too much today to be quick with math. I received a good blow to the face earlier which left a black eye. I figured it would take sixteen days for my letter to Talestria to reach her if we walked and to get a letter back. That’s if she wrote me back the same day. I felt too dizzy to even recall what day it was I sent my letter. I knew I had been there for seventeen days. So, I shouldn’t hear from her for awhile. Torkuhl was still talking about his arena idea, but my head was in the clouds. He didn’t notice.

  On day nineteen, I got news that my armor was ready, but the other guys weren’t back yet. So, I might as well keep training until I heard from someone. I was happy when I could actually parry a move with the weights holding me back. Kelv made me a harness with straps buckled together to cover both shoulders. I didn’t bother using protective gear anymore except for the helmet. It breathed a bit more and I felt a little cooler. I often wondered if, at the end of the day, I would be nothing but leather straps and thick plates of iron. After lunch, I walked over to the pit but didn’t see Torkuhl. But, was surprised to see Clagmir.

  He stared at me and laughed, “I don’t think a dragon could even carry you away with all that weight!”

  I smiled, “Hey!” He smiled back, “I got some news for you but it can wait until dinnertime.” He lifted a sword and waited for me to attack. I didn’t expect him to be my sparring partner. He didn’t hit as hard as Torkuhl but was much more skilled. I couldn’t tell if he was better than Master Kelv or at the same level. I was too tired to really take notice. He seemed surprised that I could still move around while carrying all the weight.

  It was tim
e for dinner and we walked into the mess hall. I was still calling it a kitchen. It took a while to see a small sign above of the door that read mess hall. Clagmir and I sat at a table far away from the rest of the group. Usually, I waited in line to get my food, but we pretty much walked in and were handed our food. Clagmir thanked the priest who gave us our meal, and then said at me, “I remember my twelve weeks here. By the end, I still didn’t look half as bad as you!”

  I laughed and replied in a sarcastic tone, “Oh, thanks!” He broke off a piece of bread, dipped it in his soup and took a bite. He pulled out a rolled paper tied with a ribbon and handed it to me. My heart skipped a beat. He grabbed his bowl and bread and walked over to where Kelv was sitting.

  I untied the rolled-up paper. There were several pages. I instantly knew the handwriting. I almost cried, just seeing Talestria’s handwriting. I turned away from everyone in the room to read it: “Dear Blake, I am so happy that you are fine. I do admit that I was upset when you left without me but understand the reasons why. It might make you happy to know, I have been learning a great deal here. I can’t explain what I have been learning. I have discovered something really great, but, I shouldn’t write that down. I will tell you more about it when you come back.”

  “So, you are enchanting your armor. I never got around to doing that and it would have taken me a long time. But, if there is a team enchanting it, it would greatly cut down the time! Light element? That is a hard element to enchant, unless you got a hold of priests to do it for you. I haven’t helped much, no, I can’t write anymore about that! Maybe I should write this letter in your language but I forgot how a few of your letters go so it would take me forever. Oh, well! I will say this, I might have figured a way. I can’t write that either, but you will be excited when I tell you.”

  “I miss you too! I worry about you every day but I am happy that you are fine. What about Exile Isles? It would be so wonderful to travel there; I would love to see the draykens too! I would just love to see you again. I love you, Blakey Poo!” There were a few parts of the letter that had a line across but I read them anyway. She was afraid of someone else reading the letter and finding the secret of the dwarves. She got really excited about something. Below the letter and next to her signature were faint marks of her lip prints. I felt really warm and so happy to hear from her. I looked upward and wiped a few tears from my face.

  I reread the letter a few times before carefully rolling it back up and tying it. I then turned my attention back to my dinner. A couple minutes later, Clagmir came back. “I take it, you got good news?” he said as he sat down across from me. I smiled a little and nodded. He laughed, “I still can’t believe you and her. I guess since Trawlast is still standing, that things are fine there.” I laughed. I wanted to mention what Talestria was doing, but I wasn’t sure if Clagmir even knew, so I kept my mouth shut. I think he understood and he laughed a little too.

  He took a sip from a wooden cup, “Your friends should be back soon. I was speaking with Master Kelv over there and he wants you to stay for at least one more day. Just to make it an even twenty.”

  That night I dreamed about Talestria. I was roused awake before I got to the good part because it was morning. I groaned as I put everything back on and walked again to the back of the line. After breakfast, I walked over to my usual spot. Clagmir and Torkuhl both were there. I was surprised to see Clagmir still around. I thought he would have left last night, but I guess he is staying around until I leave. He and Torkuhl took turns sparring with me. Master Kelv walked over to see how things were going. He grinned, “Make the most of it! Today is your last day of training!”

  By noon, I couldn’t help but feel excited. Soon I will be done with this! The thought of a bath sounded so nice. When I get back to Vunash that will be the first thing I do. After that, I am going to get a good meal that isn’t soup and bread! After that, I am going take the next day to sleep in a soft bed.

  After lunch, I once again sparred against one of my friends. Just before dinner time, Master Kelv came in, bringing all the trainees. He waited for them to stand at attention and then he announced, “Tomorrow, our friend here, is leaving.” He paused and glanced at me, “Tomorrow morning, I am going to change some rules.”

  He then said with full confidence, “After breakfast tomorrow, I am going to have him face each and everyone one of you!” They all looked at each other and whispered to one another. Master Kelv yelled at them to be quiet, “But, he will not wear his weights! If any of you beat him, then I will allow you to head back with a full completion of training! If he wins, then you stay here until you finish my training!” We heard cheering after the announcement. Master Kelv dismissed them to dinner. He walked over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. Giving me a cocky grin, he said, “I want you to beat them tomorrow.”

  My last morning arrived. I felt so happy that I wouldn’t be using the weights and that I stayed in my cot a little longer. I nearly fell back asleep until breakfast was over and others were done with morning exercise. I sat up and popped my back. I felt happy to just put my shoes on. I walked out and saw each trainee with protective gear on and holding a sword. The thought of fighting them all at once worried me, but was relieved when they lined up in single file. Kelv threw me a sparring sword and then turned to his students, “Now you will see why this man is considered a hero in Talamyr!”

  His words gave a big boost of confidence as I stood in the ring. I only bothered putting on my helmet. I was feeling so free right now without all the weights. I felt so light that I thought I could jump up and hit the top of the tall ceiling.

  The first trainee entered the ring. I stared him in the eyes and could tell he was a bit nervous. He took a deep breath and came at me. His movements looked as if he was intentionally trying to be slow. I found myself reacting in time without much effort. I side-stepped to avoid his swing and smacked the back of his head with my weapon. He stumbled forward and looked back. Master Kelv yelled, “Next!”

  I went through five of them without much of an effort. I was amazed how easy this felt. The sixth one came in and it didn’t feel like he was going to be any different. I parried his hit and shoved him to the ground. Most of these guys were somewhat younger than me, but it felt like I was fighting with children. I poked him in the belly with my weapon and stepped back. Kelv chuckled a little and yelled for the next one.

  Finally, the last one came up to me. He let out a big sigh and started to swing. I just stepped back so he hit nothing but air. I thrust the weapon at his head. His head tilted back after the I impact. I took a few deep breaths, took off my helmet and wiped the sweat from my forehead.

  Master Kelv clapped, “Well done!” He looked over at his students, “I was hoping you would provide a harder fight! You guys need more training!” All at once, they began yelling, “I’m sorry, Master Kelv!” He nodded and went on, “Now Blake, I don’t want you to leave here without some kind of challenge.” He looked over and pointed at Torkuhl, “You! Come show my cadets the proper way of fighting!” Torkuhl smiled, grabbed two sparring swords and stepped into the ring. I was used to facing him so I didn’t feel too intimidated. I wished that I grabbed the rest of the protective gear, but since I was no longer encumbered, I might last a bit longer. Everyone was standing around. Torkuhl smiled and said, “Now, this will be fun!”

  Torkuhl and I stared at each other and circled. He came in with a war cry and swung both weapons. I lifted my weapon and blocked both hits with out too much strain. He stepped back and then came at me again. I moved around him and swung. He blocked it and made a wild swing with his other weapon. I leaned back to avoid getting hit in the face and charged him. He blocked with both weapons. I gritted my teeth but kept pushing forward. It might have been a dumb idea, but I wanted to test myself. He stepped in and pushed. I could feel my boots dragging as he showed his strength. I heard the wooden weapons cracking as they were being stressed from the pressure. I exhaled and tilted upward. Something broke as we st
umbled.

  We both got to our feet and faced each other again. I was sweating and breathing heavily. My sword was ready to break, but now Torkuhl only had one weapon. The other one had flown out of the ring. I heard everyone cheering and knew everyone was staring at us. Torkuhl glared at me and spit on the ground. He was focused and held his weapon with his left hand. Right now, it was his better hand.

  There was a bit of tension as we waited for the other to move. I decided it was my turn to be the aggressor. He grinned and came at me as well. I saw his left arm coming right at me. I leaned back and barely avoided it. I felt the breeze of it buzzing by me. I gripped my weapon with both hands and swung hard and heavy. My weapon shattered right on his head. The fight was over.

  Torkuhl covered his face with one hand, breathing heavily. I leaned over and tried to catch my breath, my hand still holding the broken hilt of the sword. Everyone was cheering and clapping. Torkuhl stood up and flexed his hand. His large snout was bleeding a good deal and he stared at me. He looked completely shocked at what happened. There was silence and I was a tad afraid that he was angry. He glanced at the blood on his hand and starting laughing. He dropped his weapon and laughed, “Now that was a fight!”

  I was surprised that I actually beat Torkuhl! We shook each other’s hand and had a good laugh. He slapped me hard on the back which caused me to stagger a bit. Everyone was amazed and cheering enthusiastically.

  Master Kelv raised his hands, “Quiet!” He nodded to Clagmir who reached down to grab something on the ground. Kelv stared at his students who were all lined up in an orderly fashion, “We have been honored to have such a hero here. Nay, a legend! He and his honorable friends came here to teach and inspire us!”

  Torkuhl and I stood proudly by and listened to his speech. Kelv paused to look at each of his students, “I hope someday that you men will become heroes and prove your worth! I know your training is not yet completed. But, I have confidence that what you have seen today will inspire you to work extra hard so that someday you can become a great servant for your cause!” Clagmir walked up to me with a wooden sword. The sword was more decorative and displayed an engraving that said, “Honorary Warrior of the Light”