by Seth Ring
“Earl Greymane, no, my liege.”
“Father…” Drada’s face paled when she heard how Kavalas addressed Thorn, but the golden-armored Dwarf gestured for her to be quiet.
“The truth is that we are here to pledge our service to you.”
“Huh, you have a curious way of doing that.” Thorn spoke without turning around, as if he was still about to walk out of the tent.
“If you would spare a few moments of your time, I will give you a proper explanation.”
Though Legion Commander Kavalas continued to speak in the same emotionless voice, his quieter tone and bowed head clearly showed his change in demeanor. Turning around to give the Dwarven commander a careful look, Thorn seriously considered sticking with his original plan of leaving. Apart from not wanting to get involved in a contest of egos with the Stone Legion, he had a strong suspicion that accepting the remnants of the Stone Legion would bring its own troubles, and he had no desire to get involved in anything else at this point.
“You have five minutes.” Against his better judgement, Thorn returned to his chair and sat down.
“Thank you, my liege.”
“Hold up.” Thorn lifted his hand. “I have not accepted you, so you don’t get to call me that. You may call me Earl Greymane.”
“As you wish, Earl Greymane. Thank you for being willing to listen to me. I know we have not made the best impression on you, and for that I apologize. It has been many years since we have been conscious, and much has changed in that time. There was a time when we, the Stone Legion, were considered the strongest and most fearsome army in Angoril. Where we walked, the land trembled, and where we stood, nothing passed. Our shields held back the devils that sought to overrun the land, and our axes demanded such a toll of their blood that they were forced to flee.
“Yet, due to the actions of our former ruler, we, the greatest warriors of Angoril, were bent to an evil end against our will. When Courdum fell we found ourselves few, the rest of our brothers and sisters locked in stone, an eternal testament to our steadfast commitment. As you can understand, this situation has been a shock to us, causing us to be confused. In our over eagerness to save our brothers and sisters, we have allowed our haste to overrule our reason.”
Pausing for a moment, Kavalas thumped his chest with his fist and fell to one knee.
“We are pledged to guard the Bearer of the Stone Heart until we fall. We have come to honor that pledge by offering our service to Earl Greymane, Bearer of the Stone Heart.”
For the sixth time since Thorn had entered the tent, a deep silence covered the space. Legion Commander Kavalas maintained his kneeling position, his fist on his chest and his head bowed. After a few seconds, Drada and Felph knelt as well, copying the golden-armored Dwarf’s motion. With a sigh Thorn looked down at the three Dwarves in front of him before glancing at a notification that had popped up when Kavalas first knelt.
Holding off on accepting or rejecting the quest, Thorn’s mind spun as he tried to understand the ramifications of what was going on. It was in times like these that he really missed having Velin or Corvo around. It had taken him quite a while to understand that few things in Nova Terra were as simple as they seemed on the surface, and this was no different. There were too many incongruities for Thorn’s liking, especially since he was about to leave the valley for an extended time.
“Tell me, Commander, where were you before you came here?” Thorn asked, continuing to tap on his armrest.
“We woke in Rakkam and came here as soon as we sensed the Stone Heart.”
“Huh. I take it you were not overly welcome there? Is anyone chasing you? Am I inviting disaster by taking you in?”
Again, a small flash of shock appeared in Drada’s eyes, disappearing almost as fast as it arrived. If Thorn had not been specifically watching her he would have completely missed it.
“No, no one is chasing us. Though it is true that we are not welcome in Rakkam due to our, uh, history.” For the first time since he had started speaking the Legion Commander hesitated.
“Makes sense. Enslaving your entire race might engender bad feelings.” Thorn smiled mirthlessly. “You’ve mentioned a number of times that you are committed to guarding me, but honestly, I’m not sure that I actually need you. I mean, you’ve been statues for thousands and thousands of years and have probably lost much of your combat ability. Will you really be helpful if I get attacked?”
“Hah! We are the Stone Legion!” Felph burst out, jumping to his feet and slapping his hands against the handles of his two war hammers. “Though our prowess cannot match the height of our might, we are more than enough to crush any of the pathetic warriors in this camp!”
“Is that right? Why do I feel like you’re boasting?” Thorn chuckled at the obvious look of annoyance that crossed Drada’s face when Felph spoke. He had to admit, he rather liked the impetuous warhammer wielding Dwarf - at least Felph had not been trying to lie to him.
“If you doubt our might then all you have to do is test us!” A bloodthirsty grin spread across the big Dwarf’s face as he glanced provocatively at Commander Del’har who was standing behind Thorn. “Send your best soldiers and our legionnaires will crush them to a man. Or woman.”
“That is a great idea.” Acting like he had been struck with sudden inspiration, Thorn snapped his fingers. “Commander Del’har, who is the strongest warrior in the camp right now?”
“That would be you, my lord,” The tall Wolfkin answered calmly. “But that would not be a fair fight.”
“True, true, that would hardly be fair, would it? I mean, I’m like twice their size and might accidently break them. Hmmm. But you could probably test them, right?”
“If that is your wish, my lord.”
Taking a small step forward as he spoke, Commander Del’har slid his sword up an inch, exposing a small flash of the blade. A sharp aura rose around him, like a sword that had just been unleashed and was about to strike down. Both Felph and Drada paled as they were forced to retreat in the face of the Wolfkin commander’s strong presence.
Seeing his subordinates falling back, Commander Kavalas stood up, his own aura surging up to block the pressure that Commander Del’har was exuding. Looking innocently at Legion Commander Kavalas who was staring down Commander Del’har, Thorn spoke casually.
“What do you say, Commander Kavalas? Would you give us a demonstration of your abilities? How about going for a couple rounds against Commander Del’har? You can show off how strong you are. Who knows, maybe you’ll convince me to let you stay.”
“If that is what you wish, my lord.” Kavalas’ gruff voice was loud in the tent, and without waiting for a response he turned and strode out, Drada and Felph following close behind.
Watching his back as he walked away, Thorn could not help but shake his head. The Dwarven commander was undoubtedly powerful simply based on his ability to stand up to Commander Del’har’s aura, but what gave Thorn pause was how calculated his actions were. It had not escaped Thorn’s notice how quickly Kavalas had changed his tone and objective when he had realized that Thorn was not going to compromise.
All good generals needed an intimate understanding of when to advance and when to retreat, and Kavalas had just demonstrated a masterful grasp of the concept. Allowing his subordinate to gauge Thorn’s attitude before stepping in to smooth over the situation, he had quickly seized where Thorn’s bottom line was and did his best to present himself and his subordinates in the best possible light. Even Felph’s outburst was likely planned as a way to recover some of the status that Kavalas had given away. After all, what lord would turn down strong subordinates?
Still puzzling over everything that had been happening, Thorn accepted the quest and followed the Dwarves out of the tent. Something seemed to be missing, a piece that would bring the different parts of the situation into clear focus.
Outside of the tent the ten legionnaires saluted as Legion Commander Kavalas appeared. At his command they moved to the
side, clearing a large space for him and Commander Del’har to fight. Word swiftly spread among the soldiers in the camp, and soon a massive crowd had gathered to watch the two commanders spar. Taking a look at the crowd, Thorn glanced at Commander Del’har.
“What do you think? Do you think you can win?”
“As much as I would like to say that it is a sure thing,” the Wolfkin Warrior paused to let out a deep breath, his eyes never leaving Legion Commander Kavalas. “I don’t think my chances are much better than thirty percent, my lord. I’m sorry.”
“Hm. Well, we can’t have that, can we?” Scratching his chin, Thorn searched through his inventory and pulled out a piece of armor. “I was going to wait to give this to you, but now seems like the best time, so here.”
Staring at the smooth black pair of arm guards, Del’har’s eyes went wide.
“I’ve had people keeping an eye out for pieces, and someone picked these arm guards up a few weeks ago.”
“Thank you, my lord.” Commander Del’har spoke gruffly as he replaced his arm guards with the smooth black ones that matched his vambrace, greaves, and boots.
As soon as he had equipped [Asha’s Arm Guards], Commander Del’har’s presence solidified even further. Though the real benefit of Asha’s armor set would not manifest in single combat, acquiring a fourth piece of the set had activated two constitution boosts, drastically increasing the Wolfkin warrior’s health pool.
With a fighting style that relied on speed, Commander Del’har’s primary weakness was his lack of defense and his smaller health pool, a weakness that Asha’s armor set covered perfectly. Thorn could not wait to see how strong his retainer would become once the full six-piece set had been acquired. Glancing across the open space to where Legion Commander Kavalas stood, Thorn saw that Drada was helping him adjust his armor. At some point a large stone axe had appeared by the commander’s side.
“How are your chances now?” Thorn asked Commander Del’har under his breath.
“At least fifty percent, my lord.” Flexing his claw tipped fingers, Commander Del’har smiled coldly, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
“Good enough. Just don’t lose,” Thorn said with a chuckle as he walked to the side.
As if by command, both fighters stepped forward to face each other across the empty grass. Legion Commander Kavalas held his large axe in one hand, resting it on his shoulder. Commander Del’har spoke quietly as he slowly drew his sword
“As you will it, my lord.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Remember, this is a friendly bout.” Thorn’s voice was deep and clear and brought the murmurs of the crowd to silence. “Let’s make sure that when we leave here we do so as friends. Today we’ll witness two accomplished combatants trading blows. If both of you are ready?”
“Yes, my lord.” Commander Del’har’s voice was calm on the surface as if his sharp focus held back a dangerous storm.
“I am.” Legion Commander Kavalas reminded Thorn of a solid mountain.
“You may begin.”
Barely had Thorn’s words settled into the ears of the crowd when Commander Del’har disappeared from where he stood and appeared in front of the Dwarven Legion Commander, his sword stabbing toward a small opening between Kavalas’ helmet and vambrace. So swift and sharp was his attack that even Thorn twitched. Had he been on the receiving end of Del’har’s attack he was not sure that he would have been able to block it.
Despite the speed of the thrust, Kavalas proved his skill by deflecting it with the handle of his axe. Making it look like a simple motion, the Dwarf twisted his upper body to the side, putting the handle of his axe right in the path of Del’har’s sword. With a clang the blade gouged a piece of the metal axe handle and deflected into the Legion Commander’s stone armor. Commander Del’har disappeared in the shower of sparks his sword left as it skittered across Kavalas’ armor, reappearing just out of the range of the Dwarf’s axe. Letting out his breath, Del’har examined the point of his sword which had been deformed by the golden Stone Legion armor.
“Hmm. If that is all you have you will have no chance of breaching my defenses.” Though Kavalas kept his even tone, everyone could hear the mocking undertone his gravelly voice carried.
“Hahaha, a turtle is a turtle. Maybe I should bring a pot. You look big enough to feed the whole camp.” Commander Del’har replied lightly.
“Careful, this turtle snaps.”
Taking a deliberate step forward, Kavalas held his axe over his shoulder with both hands. One arm protected his neck while the other was raised above his shoulder. With this odd stance he began to advance toward Commander Del’har, who was forced to take a step back. Despite the odd stance, Commander Kavalas had no trouble keeping up with his Wolfkin opponent when Commander Del’har began to rotate around him.
The large Dwarf ignored the testing strikes that Commander Del’har launched, letting them slide off of his armor as he continued to take small steps forward, slowly cornering his opponent. Without the ability to get through his armor, Commander Del’har could not help but continue to back up.
Booing began to echo from the crowd of soldiers watching. They had been expecting an exciting fight, but what they were getting instead was a boring lesson in how to maximize the use of advantages. Though Legion Commander Kavalas’ style of fighting was undoubtedly effective, it was terribly anti-climactic. Thorn could not blame the Dwarf, however. Commander Del’har’s attack had simply been too fast. Attacking wildly would expose Kavalas’ weak spots to the Wolfkin commander’s lightning fast stabs.
Though he looked relaxed, Thorn could tell that Commander Del’har was under just as much pressure as the golden-armored Dwarf who was inching toward him. Without the ability to get through his opponent’s armor, Commander Del’har was forced into a passive position, skirting the line between falling to a powerful attack and being able to take advantage of an opening.
As the boos rose in volume, the moment came suddenly. The Legion Commander shifted slightly and the twelve Dwarves behind him suddenly slammed the flat part of their axes into their armor, creating a loud crash that silenced the boos. In that brief lull, Kavalas struck. Taking a big step forward, he struck out with both hands before releasing the top of the axe and slashing out with a one handed grip.
Commander Del’har sensed that this was his opportunity and dashed to the side, his sword cutting toward his opponent’s head. In mid swing the slash turned into a stab aimed at Kavalas’ armpit where his armor was the weakest. The point of his blade darted forward only to meet the head of the axe that had suddenly twisted into the sword’s path.
*CLANG*
Borrowing the force of Commander Del’har’s stab, Legion Commander Kavalas spun around, switching hands as he turned and bringing his axe sweeping down from over his head like a windmill. Commander Del’har tried to step back to get out of the range of the attack but quickly realized that the hand switch the Legion Commander executed had extended his range substantially. Clenching his teeth, Commander Del’har raised his sword to his shoulder, holding it at an angle to deflect the blade.
Seeing his opponent’s response, Legion Commander Kavalas twisted his wrist slightly, changing the angle of his chop so that it was perpendicular to the blocking sword, intending to use his power to break the sword in half. Just as the two weapons were about to collide, Commander Del’har threw himself to the other side, somehow managing to duck under the axe and align his blade with the angle of the attack.
The residual force of the blow sent him staggering, his whole shoulder badly bruised, but not before his sword flicked out toward Legion Commander Kavalas’ eyes. Barely getting his hand up to block the tip of the sword, the Dwarven commander could feel it punch into the softer part of his gauntlet, leaving a gash on his palm.
Both fighters reeled from the exchange before driving back toward each other, their minds consumed by the fight. Mustering all of his strength, Legion Commander Kavalas slashed down with his
axe. Facing him, Commander Del’har abandoned any attempt at defense and dashed forward, thrusting his sword out toward his opponent’s throat.
*BANG*
With a thunderous noise both of them were halted in their tracks as a massive figure stepped between them. In one hand he held the Legion Commander’s axe, in the other he gripped the Wolfkin commander’s blade. The shock of seeing someone catch their weapons shook both fighters out of their battle craze, and their deadly auras quickly withdrew.
“What a powerful display of skill!” Giving them a moment to gather themselves, Thorn turned to the crowd of soldiers. “Good thing they’re on our side, huh?”
Though the joke was not funny, it successfully dispelled the thick tension that had blanketed the crowd, as a smattering of laughter and cheers rang out. Glancing at the Dwarves from the Stone Legion who did not look too happy that Thorn had stopped the fight, Thorn gave a small smile.
“Commander Del’har, I am very pleased with your performance and feel completely at ease leaving you in charge of the valley’s defense. I know you will not disappoint me.”
“Thank you, my lord.” With a gratified look, Commander Del’har dropped to one knee, his sword planted in the ground in front of him.
Seeing that Del’har’s shoulder was badly wounded from Legion Commander Kavalas’ attack, Thorn activated [Improved Rallying Cry] and [Call the Pack], granting the Commander a large boost in health regeneration. Once he was sure that Commander Del’har was healing, Thorn turned to look at Legion Commander Kavalas.
The golden-armored Dwarf was examining his damaged gauntlet impassively, though Thorn’s extra sharp senses could detect a hint of sorrow buried deep in Kavalas’ stony face. Walking over, Thorn stretched his hand out. After hesitating slightly, the Legion Commander handed the damaged gauntlet over.
As soon as it touched his hand, Thorn could sense the thick earth element that ran through it. Just as he suspected, the golden sheen on Legion Commander Kavalas’ armor was made up of earth element, granting its wearer a nearly impenetrable defense. Thorn could feel the energy flowing through the gauntlet and knew that if he reached for it he could absorb it completely, though that would undoubtedly destroy the gauntlet.