by Thomas Green
Salazar walked to the beheaded body of Mark. “I am sorry I dragged you into this, and I will make sure your debts are cleared.”
Tears filled Katherine’s eyes as she stood above the remainders of who was once Linda. “Farewell, you were so nice… you didn’t deserve this.”
He knelt above the corpse of the oldest serving member of the royal guard to shut his eyes closed. “You were my best swordsman, Tobyn. For your loyalty, I will compensate your family. I promise.”
“Here!” Katherine shouted and raised Yvonne in her arms. “She is still breathing.”
Salazar dashed to her, tossed a seed into the air and made it grow. The plant wrapped around Yvonne’s body, filled the wounds and started pouring a blue substance out of its blossoms into the wounds.
“This will keep her stabilized and help her recover,” he said, “I am sorry… this is all my fault.”
Katherine hugged him. “It’s not your fault, Sal. You couldn’t have known.”
Her words drowned in the emptiness that reigned his insides. “I should have listened to you. I should have known. I made you all drunk with my power, but I was not there when I was needed. I failed you all.”
“You can’t save everyone.”
“I saved no one. I thought I could do better. I believed it, but I couldn’t deliver upon my own promises.”
“We are still here,” Katherine whispered into his ear. They stood motionless for a long while.
As his tears dried on his face, Salazar was the first to break the silence. “Please tell me what killed them… I need to know.”
She glanced over the carnage once more. “Half of the wounds don’t match the demons at all. They are insect-like, yet some injuries are from massive claws and others from a mouth much larger than the largest beetle demon has. The wounds on the demons tell the same story, and I don’t see a single one being killed by a human weapon or a spell that someone from our team would use.”
Salazar focused, stretching his power around himself to inspect the surrounding air. “Powerful residual aether… whatever murdered everyone released an ungodly amount of aether at some point.”
“Like during a swift, complete shape-shifting?”
“Yes, but it had to something massive.”
“Looking at the scene, I estimate the creature’s size to be somewhere around sixteen and seventeen feet tall.” Katherine walked over the corpses, judging by the broken stone of the ground. “And at least a ton and a half heavy. Plus, there is one strange thing.”
Salazar squinted. “Which one?”
“Yvonne would have been dead if the perpetrator didn’t kill the demons before knocking her out. Everything looks as if it was a rescue attempt gone wrong.” She ducked above Yvonne, examining every inch of her body. “Why doesn’t she have earrings?”
Salazar shrugged. He stood lost at the scene, more helpless than he ever remembered being. He couldn’t help the dead, heal Yvonne or assist her investigation of what happened. All the nineteen thousand seeds of plants he carried within his robes were useless, his lifetime of work on his aether manipulation pointless.
Katherine roamed through the carnage, watching hints and traces he could see, but not interpret. She ducked above a pool of blood and fished out a pair of silver earrings. Yvonne’s earrings. “Mark had silvered swords, Ludwig necklace, Linda earrings, Zacharias bracelet and my men each had a silvered dagger. Whatever killed them hated silver.”
Salazar sneered, barely keeping in the rage seeping within him. He remembered who he saw grab a bottle instead of a silver goblet at his party. Who ate with her bare hands while ignoring the silverware. “I think I have the suspect.” Salazar attached the flower holding Yvonne to himself and spun on his heel. “We need to find shelter.”
Katherine sighed. “Yes, we do.”
“Not going to tell me that tomorrow’s fight is a borderline suicidal idea?”
“I know I should…” Katherine said. “But I can’t. Neither can I tell you avenging them would solve nothing.”
“Oh, I will avenge them. Even if it is the last thing I do in my life, I will put their souls to rest.”
36
Raven vs. Salazar
Salazar was the first to wake up. He dug two seeds out of his robes and made the plants grow. They wrapped around the room of the abandoned house they seized, sealing it from all sides. Another flower sprouted from the second seed, blossoming in front of Katherine’s and Yvonne’s faces.
This should keep them asleep until my return. I am sorry, Katherine, but I am doing this alone. Salazar made his plants encase his body, donned his robes, drank the potion from Sibyl, and left for the arena, filled with ice-cold rage.
***
Raven woke up early. The cell around him lay barren, save for Nibbles.
He had ham and bread for breakfast, fed his friend a glorious piece of the best cheese he found and dressed in his armor.
“I will be back later.” He petted Nibbles, used his sword to cut his midnight hair short, covered his face by the image of heavenly beauty, and left for the preparation room.
Inside, the Rapacious Reavers stood armed and ready. The match was soon to start.
Finubar turned to Raven. “Is Luna coming?”
“Don’t know,” he said. “Finubar, I must go into the arena alone. Need to ask you and your men to stay out of this one.”
He smiled. “Come on, Raven, we can handle ourselves.”
“Not against Salazar. Will kill you and use you as shields against me.”
“Have no worry, for we are prepared.”
Raven formed a sad smile. “Was hoping you wouldn’t say that.” His fist pierced the air, hitting Finubar onto the chin, sending him to the floor, unconscious.
“What the hell are you—?” One of the Reavers shouted before Raven’s fist found his face and knocked him out.
“Raven, don’t!” more Reavers yelled.
He did not listen. In a matter of seconds, all Rapacious Reavers lay on the ground, motionless.
Luna burst into the room, her skin light blue. “Phew! Almost missed… what the hell happened here?”
Raven studied her with a stare. “Wanted to save their lives, but they resisted. What about you?”
“Long story. I need have to talk to Salazar!”
He raised his chin, peering down at her. “No way you can enter the arena like this. Your lips are still blue from the backlash, so you are out of strength, and would die there.”
“That doesn’t matter! I must speak with Salazar!”
Raven arched his eyebrow. “About?”
“His team. Last night, they were ambushed by demons, and I tried to help them but… it got out of hand, and I only saved Yvonne. I have to explain this to him and apologize.”
Raven shook his head. “Will kill you the second he sees you.”
“He has the right to. I need to tell him what happened and how sorry I am about it… I tried,” Luna whispered as her eyes glistened. “And I can’t afford to become a wanted criminal in Xona, because I have nowhere else to go.”
He sighed. “Will tell him myself, but you aren’t going anywhere.”
She frowned. “Raven, I have to go there.”
He grabbed her by the shoulder and rammed her into the door. Luna shrieked in pain as her breath left her body. Raven pushed his aether into the metal, gripped the frame and bent the inch-thick steel as if it was paper, wrapping Luna so she couldn’t move.
She struggled and screamed. “What the hell are you doing, Raven?”
He picked up a throwing spear and headed to the arena. “Saving your life.”
“I must go there! You have no right to stop me from doing it!” Luna shouted while trying to get out of the metal trap, in vain.
“Know I have no right to do this.” He smiled. “But I can.”
“Raven! I will tear your fucking head off! Raveeen!” Luna kept screaming as he closed the gate behind him and walked up to the arena.
&
nbsp; ***
Salazar stood at the edge of the stadium, rage and hatred searing his soul. The arena was but a top of a massive column covered by sand with two bridges, one from each side, leading to the center over a ring of an abyss. The crowd at the tribunes cheered and an uncontrolled mixture of Raven and Salazar in deafening loudness.
Once Raven entered the battleground from his side, the announcer waved his hands to silence the fans. Once it did, he spoke. “I see only one combatant from each team—”
“As the chairman of the tournament, I approve any necessary exception,” Salazar shouted. “Proceed.”
The announcer cleared his throat. “From both teams came a single man, so the match shall be a duel!”
The thundering applause of the tribunes was his answer.
He continued, “The rules for the fight are simple. Two men enter, and one wins! Either death, unconsciousness or a contestant getting out of the bounds of the ring marks the victory. The limits are the edges of the arena ground itself. Now, without further ado, please allow me to introduce the combatants themselves.
“The man in the green corner needs no introduction. Behold the ruler of Xona and all her holdings, the most powerful ruler on the continent, the descendant of the gods of nature, last credible count of the Old Kingdom. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the lord of life,
“Salazar d’Ielle!
“In the white corner stands the champion above all others. From the arena of Illysaeas with a standing record of 3847 wins, 0 draws, and 0 losses, all backed up by over twenty thousand confirmed kills. The death incarnate, the greatest warrior to bless our sands, the deadliest man in the world… ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Child of God, Raven!
“Both combatants please come to touch blades!”
Salazar dropped a dozen of seeds beneath himself before he walked to the center of the ring, meeting Raven’s gaze with his own. “Where is Luna?”
“None of your business.”
They touched hands, and both returned to their sides of the stadium. Salazar stepped onto the seeds and filled them with his aether. The announcer started the countdown.
3!
2!
1!
With the end of the countdown, Salazar commanded the seeds beneath his feet to grow. Raven stepped in and threw his spear. The air boomed around the tip before it dug under Salazar’s left collarbone, sending an explosion of pain through his body. It pierced him, exiting through his back, hitting arena wall behind him. Before Salazar could blink, Raven stood before him and slashed him across the chest and started a spin.
Salazar bit back the bursting pain and made the plants under his feet grow, shooting himself into the air. Split second later, Raven finished his spin and hit where Salazar stood with his shield, slamming it into the trunk. The plant exploded into shreds, but Salazar caught himself in mid-air with two more plants.
His shoulder was a mess, but he could move, so the cut across the chest didn’t sever his bones. Whatever Raven used to cross the distance between them in an instant stopped him from using the spell that allowed him to slash steel plates. Salazar filled his wounds with his plants while he dropped half a dozen more seeds.
His aether entered the seeds, making plants burst out. The thorny vine shot across the arena, grabbing after Raven.
He dodged, but Salazar made the vines hunt him. Salazar observed Raven as he kept avoiding while making his way to the trunks of the plants that held Salazar in the air.
Despite his reinforcing plants and the blood-replenishing potion from Sibyl, aether was leaking out through Salazar’s wounds. He stretched out a thin vine to spread hundred more seeds over the arena.
The plants surrounded Raven. Salazar had two waves of them spreading across the arena circle. One was relentlessly attacking Raven, forcing him to move while the second one circled around, setting the trap.
The snare sprung a few seconds later with plants bursting from all sides of Raven. He dashed forward and cut through the wave of plants in front of him to dodge the thorn wines trying to catch him from behind.
With a frown, Salazar spent the next couple of minutes chasing Raven with the vines, repeating the same trap three more times. His plants would pin down Raven, and he would slash through them at the last second.
Salazar made a red tree sprout and blossom in an instant, revealing long spikes that shot at Raven in the next second. He deflected them with his shield.
The next tree sprung up like a sharp blade from under Raven. He dodged sideways.
Salazar grew a plant with a huge purple blossom, which decayed in but a moment to release a giant pink bubble toward Raven. He leapt away from the bubble, cut the thorn wine beneath him and kicked it at the bubble to burst it. He evaded the spraying acid with ease.
Finally, Salazar sprouted a bright orange flower under Raven, which exploded into flames. Raven weaved from the explosion, unscathed.
Over the next minutes, Salazar repeated the sequence of strikes in all combinations of their order. Raven avoided all attacks aside from the shooting spikes. No matter the angle or the order, the spikes were the only move he had to block rather than dodge.
Salazar changed the pattern and used his plants to throw themselves at Raven while he would withdraw his aether the second the strike is made. Raven was evading, but once upon a time, something hit him. He held the strategy, knowing he will win if he keeps landing hits.
Raven kept dodging and blocking the sprouting plants, but one dug into his side. He grunted and spat blood.
One more hit like this and it’s over. Salazar pressed his attack, forcing him to dodge to the middle of the arena.
Raven stabbed his sword into the trunk of the plant supporting the count. Salazar’s world spun. The plant moved as if in a spasm and slammed Salazar into the ground. As he looked up, Raven stood above him swinging his sword. Salazar made a flower throw him backward. The tip of Raven’s blade slashed the wound in his chest reopen. Raven stepped forward and swung upward. Salazar reinforced his left hand and blocked. The blade cut his arm off without slowing down, releasing a fountain of blood, sending blinding pain into Salazar’s mind.
He stared at his arm flying away from him. He used a quick sprouting plant to throw himself into the air. Raven severed the plant, caught it with his shield and slammed it into the ground. The impact dazed Salazar. He watched Raven charge at him at lightning speed.
Before Salazar managed to form a spell, Raven reached him and chopped off his head with a single swing.
The arena fell silent.
From Salazar’s headless body sprouted a tree, consuming the corpse.
Raven leapt back to avoid, but the sudden outburst still threw him to the side.
The tree sprouted up into the air and clenched into itself like a ball of yarn. In an instant, it withered and within stood Salazar. His clothes were torn where he was wounded, but his body was otherwise unharmed while his face was twenty years younger.
Raven charged forward, but Salazar sprouted an ashen tree from beneath himself and five other places in the arena. Raven cut the tree where Salazar stood, but the trunk was empty as the growing trees threw off his sense of space. The five remaining trees twisted and coiled, filling the whole space within the arena barrier.
Salazar encased himself into a protective tree, losing sight of the arena.
Red blossoms covered the ashen tree. They all exploded, consuming the arena in an inferno. Salazar waited for the heat to subside over the next minute before he stepped out of the tree shell. He gazed upon the scorched arena. Where is Raven?
The trunk of the ashen tree next to him split open, and Raven’s blade flashed through the air, cutting Salazar’s chest, shooting blinding pain through his body.
Salazar conjured a plant shield. His world went black before he managed. An impact made his right hand explode in pain, sending him flying backward. Salazar stabilized himself midair with a quick-sprouting plant. He watched Raven wobble and then fall to his knees
.
Raven vomited blood as he let go of his sword to support himself on all fours.
Salazar gazed at the roots that supported his feet, staring at the water beneath. He hid in the trunk of the End Tree before the blossoms exploded… incredible.
The announcer’s voice cut through the silence. “Due to Salazar being forced out of bounds, the winner is Raven!”
***
Raven heard Luna’s screaming as he limped back down into the preparation room, holding himself by the wall. Everything hurt, his ears rang, and he didn’t want to think of all the spots from which he was bleeding. She was trapped in the steel door, kicking and shouting, imprisoned due to being unable to use aether as she was still backlashed.
If she was tired, her rage was searing and endless enough to power her screams. Luna glowered at him. “Get over here so I can fucking murder you!”
Samantha burst into the room, walking over the unconscious bodies of the Rapacious Reavers to rush toward Raven. She fried Luna with a stare as she dashed past her. “Oh, don’t say that!” She took him over her shoulder and helped him move. He still had to lean on the wall because Samantha wasn’t strong enough to carry him.
“You fucking piece of shit!” Luna screeched.
Raven limped all the way to her. “I… am… sorry.” He moved his hand over the metal holding Luna, and it crumbled as if it was made of sand.
She drew a deep breath. “I hate you.” She took Raven from under his other shoulder to help Samantha support him. They started dragging him to the infirmary.
Raven grunted in pain, trying to speak, failing. “… backlash… cell.”
“What does he mean?” Samantha asked.
“That you can’t heal him because he will backlash soon. Any aether entering his body would overload it and make things worse,” Luna said.
Her eyes widened. “I know what the backlash is. I have it all the time, but Raven has never had it in his life.”