by R A Oakes
Glancing around, Chen noticed the oppressive darkness was leaving the room, and she could feel the heat of the fire once more. Looking over at Crystal, the warrior woman noticed the dark sword was back in her scabbard hanging from the mantle of the fireplace.
Focus and remember what it is you’re after, Chen thought. So, ignoring the throbbing in her thigh, she made for the sword. Passing Glenitant, Chen punched her aunt in her wounded shoulder feeling quite gratified when she dropped to her knees howling in agony.
But ignoring her aunt, Chen ran to the fireplace and reached for her prize.
“Not so quick, this isn’t over,” Crystal said. “Hmmm, is it just my imagination or is the room beginning to rotate?”
Trying to keep her balance, Chen shifted her feet as the floor tilted sharply to the right. The black leather panther watched as the fireplace and dark sword shot up towards the ceiling turning the room onto a corner like a square diamond balancing on its tip. Picking up speed, the floor was now where the left wall had once been, the left wall was on the ceiling, and the right wall became the new floor. Chen quickly began walking to the right keeping pace with the turning room as if walking inside the spinning waterwheel of a gristmill.
I have to get Crystal! the warrior woman thought as the dark sword hung invitingly from the mantle, though way out of reach, and the room continued turning like a windmill.
Seeing Glenitant making a grab for the dark sword, Chen took a crossbow from a weapons display at her feet aiming for her aunt while clutching her wounded thigh. Glenitant, for her part, took hold of a large shield covering herself with it while desperately trying to keep her balance.
Sitting at a table as the actual floor rotated back under her, Chen braced herself, steadied the crossbow and pulled the trigger. Grazing Glenitant’s ankle, the arrow opened a flesh wound and chipped a bone causing her to cry out once more.
As pain shot up her leg, Glenitant lost her balance and rolled down onto what now passed for the floor. But continuing to rotate, the floor again tilted at a 45-degree angle jamming Glenitant into the corner at the lowest point of the diamond.
Wedged into the corner with her body on one side and her neck bent at a sharp angle, Chen’s aunt was more exhausted, shaken up and frightened than anything.
Growing tired of seeing the room moving ‘round and ‘round, Crystal noticed how exhausted Glenitant was and realized Chen was a much superior warrior. Still, the dark sword wanted more entertainment, especially since all this mayhem was at someone else’s expense. The dark sword thought, Using and abusing Chen over the years will be satisfying, but for now I have them both.
Once the floor returned to where it should be, Crystal stopped the room and asked, “So, what’s next?” Miffed that neither Chen nor Glenitant were forthcoming with any suggestions, Crystal asked, “Am I the only one enjoying this?”
Met with more silence, the dark sword brooded, feeling underappreciated. With her temper beginning to flare, Crystal thought, No wonder I hate them. They’re so ungrateful. If it wasn’t for me, their lives would be so dull.
Glaring at the exhausted Glenitant and the ever-alert panther dressed in black leather, Crystal was still not ready to bring all this fun to an end. And so, sighing in frustration, feeling the burden of always being the one having to instigate everything, Crystal asked, “Glenitant, would you like some help?”
“Jewel, I want Jewel,” Glenitant wheezed though relieved that Crystal was finally providing some assistance. Eyeing Chen, she grinned wickedly.
And on cue, Jewel made her appearance.
Walking right out of a black crystal wall, she was strikingly beautiful. Jewel was a tall, slender woman with long legs, a trim waist, full breasts and long, slender arms. Her hair was short and brushed back close against her skull. Her face looked as if she’d been sculpted from marble having a firm, chiseled look and appearing very aristocratic. She was attractive. She was desirable. She was awesome. She was not human.
Befitting her name, Jewel was ruby-red from head to toe. A deep, rich, luxurious red, which was enhanced by the light from the roaring fire in the enormous fireplace. She was literally a gem of a woman. Her skin was smooth as glass, and her eyes glittered in the light.
However, Chen was focusing on the weapon Jewel was holding. She was gripping a long, sparkling, ruby-red sword, and Chen asked herself, I wonder if this red devil can fight?
But then, Chen realized she didn’t really care. Fighting a woman made of rubies would be a new, exciting experience, and that’s what mattered. The warrior woman’s dark mood evaporated, and she felt whole, fresh, and ready for anything.
The black leather panther walked over to a wall display and selected a sword. She also picked up a knife and tossed it at Jewel to test her reaction time. The sparkling creature easily deflected the weapon. Chen was pleased and thought, She has excellent reflexes. The black leather panther admired women who could fight.
Chen and Jewel both headed towards the center of the great hall. It was free of furniture and other obstacles that might get in the way of a duel. The women began circling each other. Jewel twirled her sword in her hand. Chen smiled at her ruby-red opponent and found herself liking her.
What is it about this woman that appeals to me? Chen wondered. Oh, I know. She’s relaxed, confident and focused. Maybe even dangerous.
Now the dark sword, Crystal, who had instigated this, wasn’t the only one having fun. Chen experienced a sense of exhilaration, and her whole body responded. The warrior woman felt sensuous, languid and moved with relaxed elegance. She was ready.
Drifting into sword range, Chen didn’t even raise her weapon. The black leather panther held Jewel in contempt, and the ruby-red creature did the same to her. Neither underestimated the other. It was more like issuing a mutual challenge and sending the message, I’m approaching you unafraid. Looking into each other’s eyes, the two women sensed their opponent’s energy searching for weakness but found none.
They stopped circling one another and stood still.
Slowly and silently, each raised her sword and waited for the other to lose her concentration or focus. It didn’t happen. Neither woman flinched.
Glenitant stumbled over a wooden bench while backing away from the warriors. There was a loud crash as the bench tipped over, and she went sprawling. Then, having landed on her wounded shoulder, Glenitant gasped from the pain and started screaming.
For just an instant, Jewel shifted her attention to the woman she’d been charged with defending. It was an opening, and Chen took it.
The black leather panther’s sword slammed down on Jewel with such lighting speed that the ruby-red woman couldn’t deflect the blow. The blade of Chen’s sword found its mark slashing Jewel’s right thigh. Had the ruby-red woman been human, the fight would have virtually been over. The vicious blow would have made a long, deep gash crippling any other opponent. But gems are made of sterner stuff. As it was, Chen’s sword slipped along Jewel’s smooth, glass-like surface and struck the crystalline floor without so much as scratching her.
The black leather panther and the ruby-red woman stopped and looked at each other. Before the fight had even started, Jewel knew about her physical advantage, but it came as quite a surprise to Chen. Jewel started laughing, and Chen joined her.
Shrugging her shoulders, the black leather panther sighed and smiled disarmingly. Then, without warning, she struck Jewel’s face with the side of her sword, the blow landing with the impact of a sledgehammer. Jewel’s face exploded in a shower of rubies that cascaded onto the floor. After keeping its balance for a few moments, her body collapsed into a heap at Chen’s feet. Even in death, Jewel was radiant as the solid rubies inside her skull sparkled in the firelight. Jewel was a real gem, a beauty through and through.
As flames from the fireplace reflected on the black crystal great hall, on the rubies scattered across the floor and on Jewel herself, the room was bathed in yellow, orange and red light. Looking out a window at the r
est of the castle, the warrior woman saw subdued, white lighting covering the base of the walls and filtering halfway to the top providing a striking contrast to the black crystal.
Chen thought, This is one gorgeous, classy place! I want it!
The black leather panther turned toward the only person standing between her and ownership of the magnificent castle. She looked at a spent, frightened Glenitant and was filled with disdain. The warrior woman almost didn’t want to soil her sword with her aunt’s blood.
Chen strode towards Glenitant with firelight shimmering on her black leather outfit making her appear even more a part of the castle than her aunt. But Chen stopped in her tracks when Crystal called out a name.
“Flame!” the dark sword shouted.
Chen looked on wide-eyed as a humanoid woman stepped out of the fireplace. She was covered in flames, or more accurately, she was made of fire. The humanoid woman was composed of red-hot coals with flames pouring off of them. Prior to this, Chen had always taken comfort in watching the coals of a fire as the flames began fading at the end of the day. The shimmering black and red embers had seemed alive. How right she was, at least in this instance.
Tonight, however, as the red-hot coals began walking towards her, Chen took no comfort in them. Before reaching the black leather panther, Flame paused near Jewel’s crumpled figure, gathered up all the rubies scattered on the floor, turned Jewel on her side and piled the rubies onto the shattered side of her face. Stepping over Jewel, Flame lay down on the floor behind her. This bundle of red-hot fire pressed her body against Jewel’s and things really began heating up, literally.
Flame turned herself into an inferno making Jewel’s body white-hot and flooding the room with a blinding glare so intense, it was like looking directly into the noonday sun. Gradually, the light subsided, the nighttime darkness returned, and the fireplace gave off the only illumination. It’s flickering firelight and dark shadows filled the room once more.
Jewel and Flame were still lying on the floor, the woman of fire having her arm wrapped around the ruby-red body pressed against her own. Chen looked at Jewel’s face, and it appeared whole once more.
Suddenly, both humanoid women opened their eyes and sat up. Flame stood and offered Jewel a hand pulling her to her feet. As they turned towards Chen, she saw the anger in their eyes and felt her life expectancy shorten dramatically.
The black leather panther’s life flashed before her eyes, and she thought about the failings of her own selfish nature. If she could start over, would she change anything?
“Naw!” Chen said out loud and reached for her sword.
As it was, being self-centered and controlling may have been what saved her. Chen remembered that the dark sword was what she really wanted, and Glenitant stood in the way of her getting it. So the black leather panther ignored the two humanoid women who wanted to kill her and, instead, took the initiative by focusing on the person she wanted to kill.
She ran, or hobbled quickly, towards Glenitant who gave her little resistance. Dragging her aunt off a wooden bench, Chen lifted the woman to her feet, placed a hand against her aunt’s back and shoved Glenitant away from her.
Aware of the danger behind her, as much as Chen tried to ignore it, she charged at her aunt who only avoided death by throwing herself to the floor to escape the vicious thrust of Chen’s sword. As Glenitant got to her feet, Jewel and Flame were so close Chen could feel heat on the back of her neck.
But the black leather panther smiled upon realizing Glenitant was standing in front of an open window. Chen made her move pivoting on one foot and kicking her aunt in the chest as hard as she could. Glenitant was knocked backwards stumbling and falling over the window ledge. Hanging onto the ledge by her fingertips, Glenitant knew she was doomed. She’d known it ever since Chen first showed up.
“So, you’ve won. The sword is yours,” Glenitant said almost relieved at having the burden taken from her. And a malignant gleam entered her eyes at the thought of Chen having to endure Crystal’s insatiable evil. Years ago, seduced by the promise of power, Glenitant had eventually embraced the dark sword only to discover, all too late, its corrosive effects on her. By the time she realized the price of power, her own identity had been worn away. Her own sense of self-worth had been destroyed. All she had left was the dark sword. Without it, she was nothing, or at least that’s what Crystal kept telling her.
But now, in the present, upon hearing Glenitant forfeit the dark sword, Jewel and Flame stopped in their tracks. There was about to be a transfer of power, and they didn’t want to end up on the wrong side of things. It had been their duty to defend Glenitant, but now their master’s life was hanging by a thread, and a very thin one at that.
“Well, Chen, let me give you a hint of what you’re in for,” Glenitant said wearing a twisted smile. “I killed my own father to satisfy Crystal’s lust for evil, but that turned out to be only the beginning. Now, you’ll be living with that cruel, deranged weapon, and best of luck, you’ll need it. Oh, and one other thing, your father’s here at Crystal Castle visiting for a spell.”
“He’s alive?” Chen asked in amazement. “Where has he been for all these years?”
“Oh, roaming around and visiting far-off countries,” Glenitant said lying effortlessly. “You know, diplomatic sort of stuff.”
Spinning her own web of evil, she added to the lie and said, “Back then, your father couldn’t exactly be carting a young girl around with him, could he? Travel is wearisome enough without having a child tagging along. And who would have looked after you when he was on official business? Having such a hot temper, you’d have always been in trouble. You’d have ended up being a constant source of embarrassment.
“Your father did the right thing leaving you behind. He said so himself many times. And who could blame him?” Glenitant asked making the story up as she went along.
“Go see him, he’s right upstairs. But I suspect your father’s packing already. He never stays long in the same place. I told him you were here, but your father said he didn’t want to see you. Kind of lost interest in you over the years, I suppose,” Glenitant said grinding salt into the wound.
“You ought to kill him for what he did. Deserting a young girl like that, it’s disgraceful! I don’t see how he can even call himself a man! He chose a career as an emissary for Lord Daegal over you. Just like so many other men who choose their work over their loved ones. I wonder what Lord Daegal offered your father for him to sell you out so easily?” Glenitant asked taunting her.
“Stop it!” Chen screamed. “Stop it! My father loved me. He would never have valued anything over me. Never!”
“Well, who can understand men, huh?” Glenitant said with a sympathetic tone. “Give your auntie a hand. Come on, pull me up and we’ll confront him together. He never loved you. Not really.”
Chen was almost wild with mental and emotional confusion! Her head was pounding and she felt like she wanted to cry, which for Chen was nothing short of astonishing!
“Jewel, Flame,” Glenitant called to the humanoid women now standing close to the window. “Give me a hand, pull me back in. We’re done for the day. We can talk more about this tomorrow.”
Jewel came to the window, stood next to Chen and offered Glenitant, whom she now considered her former master, a hand. Glaring at Jewel, Chen bumped her aside with a hip. Then, the black leather panther took the hilt of her sword in both hands, pointed the blade downward and prepared to ram it through her aunt. But with a mocking laugh, Glenitant let go of the window ledge denying her niece the pleasure of killing her.
Being a long way to the castle courtyard below, Glenitant quickly disappeared into the darkness, once more taking the form of a cold, vicious old hag. With her last breath, Glenitant cursed Crystal for ruining her life. Her body struck the courtyard floor with a barely discernable thud, and a lifetime of evil was over.
Turning around, Chen found Jewel and Flame on their knees bowing their heads to the floor. Fumin
g, the black leather panther said, “I’ll deal with you two later.”
Chen strode towards Crystal who hung invitingly from the fireplace mantle. Tingling with anticipation, the dark sword thought, Yes, I’ll admit, I almost killed Chen. But that was in a moment of excess. I want Chen to hold me, to feel her touch.
But as the dark sword dreamed of yielding herself body and soul to the approaching warrior woman, total chaos suddenly broke loose all around her.
Having immobilized Chen’s wolfhounds during the fight, Crystal had released them as the black leather panther came closer. With Zenkak in the lead, the wolfhounds bounded toward the stairwell, the source of all the commotion.
Zenkak leapt towards the first person reaching the top of the stairs opening his jaws to crush the neck of a blond-haired girl carrying a magnificent sword.
“Get back!” Baelfire shouted as two-dozen stunned wolfhounds were thrown forcefully to the other side of the room.
Baelfire leapt out of her scabbard throwing herself at Crystal who had unsheathed herself as well. The titans of good and evil crashed against each other in a shower of sparks, smoke, and flame. Chen, Aerylln, and those who were running up the castle steps were knocked onto their backs from the force of the collision. The energy flowing from the conflict was so intense that Aerylln felt like a ton of rocks was piled on her chest.
Baelfire realized the fight had to be taken outside, or the humans would be destroyed by the energy crashing against them like a churning whitewater river pounding the sides of a narrow canyon. The good sword flew out the nearest window shooting straight up into the sky. Crystal was hot on her heels seething with sibling rivalry.
In a way, the magic swords were sisters. Centuries ago, they had been created by a master craftsman who was a wizard of great renown. Baelfire had been forged first and was created from megentum, a metal so rare it took 100 years to collect enough to craft a single sword. At the same time, Baelfire had been infused with a woman’s spirit to help the good sword anticipate the motives and actions of a dangerous, demonic evil spirit who was also a woman.