“That took less time than I expected,” the Baron says, whirling around to redirect his spell at the champions. His attack soars through empty sky, the blast parting the clouds and silencing the surprised mortals waiting outside of the city. “Very curious, but pointless. Invisibility will not trick me, gypsy girl. Your attempt to hide yourself and the others will fail.”
Without a noise, the griffin swoops around the amphitheater at full speed and heads for the distracted Baron. Nothing more than a brown and tawny blur, the animal leaves billowing dust and debris in her wake. Curling into a ball, she transforms back into Luke, who slams feet first into the warlord’s glassy buckler. The ringing impact jars the half-elf’s legs, but delivers enough force to knock the man over the street and onto a nearby rooftop. Refusing to give the Baron any time to recover, the champion draws his sabers and leaps with a powerful burst of wind against his back. His initial flurry of attacks is blocked by the rapier, which seems to be everywhere at once. Luke rolls to the side and flips onto his hands to kick the Baron in the stomach, the man’s armor making it a pointless strike. The half-elf quickly drops one of his feet onto the immortal’s bent knee and uses the leverage to flip over a series of stabs that would have hit all of his vital organs. Twisting in midair, he rips his saber up his enemy’s spine, but the platemail instantly heals the minor damage.
“I take it you were sent to keep me busy,” the Baron says before spinning around with a wide sweep of his sword. His weapon misses and he is forced to leap away from Pike’s swinging body. The snake fiend turns back into Luke, who uses the motion of his body to plant his feet and lunge at the immortal. “Impressive transformation time and fluid continuation of movement, but I can tell that you are already getting tired. Just a hair slower than you were a few minutes ago. That does not bode well for you, especially if the other champions take much longer. They should have sent someone better suited to face me than the expendable fool.”
Leaping high enough to touch the top of the magical dome, the Baron creates an orb of swirling darkness that he hurls at Luke. The explosion wipes out several buildings and leaves a crater that gradually slumps into the sewers, which are on the very of collapse. Black smoke billows throughout the nearby streets, making it impossible to tell if the champion is alive or dead. With a wave of his hand, the warlord creates a gale to clear the area, but pauses when he senses that it is a little stronger than he intended. Without his influence, the smoke becomes a cloud that rises into the sky and acts as if something is inside. Remembering Luke’s previous trick, the Baron turns around and looks for the attack to come from another direction. Seconds of suspicious silence continue, so he cautiously sinks to the ground and keeps his eye on the lingering smoke.
The sound of paws and panting barely registers in his mind until he remembers that Luke can turn into a dog. Whirling around, the Baron feels a tight yank on his head as Stiletto leaps out of an open window and catches him by the hair. Frustrated by the beast’s frantic kicks to his back, he sends a charge of lightning through his tresses that curls his neatly trimmed beard and knocks the animal away. The dog growls and snarls while reverting back into Luke, the half-elf remaining on all fours. It takes the warlord a second to realize that his enemy is unarmed, but he is slow to react when the champion leaps away and throws back his arms. Pink energy ripples off the Ring of Uli and runs along the barely visible strings that are tied to the sabers. Bathed in the powerful magic, the keen blades free themselves from their hiding places and spin towards the Baron. He twists and stretches out of the way, but both of the weapons graze the armpit gaps in his armor. They slice through the leather and chainmail to cut the flesh beneath, but the shallow wounds are irritating instead painful. As Luke catches his sabers, the immortal attempts to erase the tiny injuries and finds that it takes more effort than he expected.
“You are an immortal killer,” the Baron whispers, his voice a serpentine hiss. Backing away from the half-elf, he smiles at the confusion etched on the young man’s face. “That might be an exaggeration, but one of your abilities is able to undermine my healing abilities. It does not feel like it would work for a death blow, but you can cut me. Seems it leaves a scar as well. Gabriel truly has outdone himself with all of you. Not a single champion can be underestimated, which means this battle is even more thrilling than I ever dreamed. Come at me and let us see if you can deliver more than a scratch.”
Luke is about to charge when he is struck by a wave of fatigue and his stomach rumbles in hunger. The momentary weakness is enough for the Baron to take the offensive and make a gliding lunge. When the tip of his rapier strikes the crossed sabers, the impact is enough to knock the half-elf back an entire block. Holding onto his rage, Luke races back and jumps with his swords spinning like hyperactive pinwheels. The two warriors parry and dodge, the clang of their weapons echoing across Gaia. Ducking under a thrust, the forest tracker comes back up with a knee to the Baron’s gut. The attack is caught by the man’s free hand and he is casually flipped through the door of a nearby house. Luke bursts through a second-floor window and comes down with both sabers, which are blocked by the rapier in one fluid movement. Hanging in the air, the champion is grabbed by the face and thrown to the ground. The Baron attempts to stomp on his stomach, but stops with his foot raised when he sees that the sabers are already moving to meet him. Before the immortal can think of another attack, Luke spins and kicks him in the leg while getting to his feet. A laugh slips from the man’s lips when he realizes that he has been driven to his knees and the champion is standing.
“Perhaps I have been playing too nice with you,” the Baron says, driving his sword into the earth. His body teleports a foot away from the incoming slashes, the burst of time magic physically warping the area. “As a swordsman, you appear to be my equal. I may have experience and power over you, but your speed and ingenuity make up for your considerable weaknesses. You have been awfully silent, young man. Is there anything that you want to say to me?”
“I’m going to kill you,” Luke replies, licking his lips. Gripping his sabers tightly, their blades erupt with the deadly energy of his ring. “There will be no mention of your power and magic in the tales I spread. People will only know that a monster returned from the past and died before he could even terrorize a fly. The legend of Baron Kernaghan will end on such a pathetic note that you will be remembered as a hollow threat instead of a true menace.”
“That is if you survive this.”
“I refuse to die before you.”
“Do you honestly think you have a choice in the matter?”
“Of course I do.”
“Destiny cannot be changed so easily.”
Luke grins and walks toward the Baron, batting the stabbing rapier out of his way. “I’ve done it before. One thing Gabriel can count on is that I’m anything, but predictable. Now, it’s time for me to stop playing nice with you too.”
Sprinting at the Baron, Luke swings with one saber to draw attention away from an underhand stab to the gut. Both attacks strike a shield spell that emanates from the armor, the black lightning bolts floating off the metal. Sensing danger, the forest tracker flips away as one of the symbols strikes the ground at his feet. He leaps and spins to avoid the blasts that narrowly miss, which kicks up a blinding screen of dust. Relying on his sound sight, he blocks the rapier whenever it flicks out of the smoke and tries to counter with no success. Spotting a stack of crates, Luke uses them to reach the rooftop and wait for the Baron to emerge. The dust clears to reveal that his enemy is gone, which leaves him feeling even more hunted and exposed than before. It is only luck that he notices the rapier’s reflection in one of his sabers, but it is enough of a warning for him to backflip over the incoming attack. The champion lands to find that the weapon is moving on its own and turns to receive an echoing punch to the chest. Even with his swords crossed to block the attack, it is enough to send him hurtling toward the southwestern mountain where the tamed griffins are kept.
; “That is an amusing tactic,” the Baron admits while watching Luke crash through the solid stone. He fixes his beard and calls his sword back to his hand, the weapon helping him repair his armor. “I really wish the others would hurry up. This youth is entertaining, but I doubt he will be much fun after that blow. Then again, he did claim to be unpredictable. Now, where is this Rainbow Tower that I have heard so many stories about?”
*****
Pulling himself out of the rubble, Luke is surprised that he is still alive and the worst of his injuries is an ache in his shoulder. Noticing strange dots on the side of the mountain, he tries to move towards them only for the spots to switch locations. Worried that he has suffered a concussion, it takes him a second to recognize the effect of sunlight bouncing off metal. He looks down in time to see metallic scales finish sinking beneath his skin, which leaves him naked, except for his belt and scuffed boots. Ducking into the mountain through a nearby hole, he pulls clothes out of his bottomless bag while listening to the Sword Dragon laugh inside his head. He lets the creature continue its revelry since it saved his life before giving a mental thank you that appeases its ego. Balancing on one of the long beams that the griffins usually perch on, Luke quickly gets dressed and plans his path to the ground.
“After all this time, you still can’t get through a fight without taking a beating,” a familiar voice says from outside the mountain. Wood shavings fall into the opening and draw Luke toward the crumbling gap. “Definitely not a smart idea for me to approach you from behind considering how we left things. Then again, I can’t say I’d be any safer coming at you from the front either. If it means anything, I helped Sari and Kira rescue you. Went with Trinity to get these crests too, but I wouldn’t thank me for that. Mind coming out here, so we can talk in person?”
“I’d rather you come in here, old friend,” Luke replies as he sheathes his sabers. Reaching into his bag, he pulls out a tiny carving of himself and Kira. “Part of me knew we’d meet again before this was over. Also that you weren’t as evil as the others said. I won’t say you trying to kill me back then didn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth, but I’ve really wanted to do nothing more than talk. This is getting ridiculous. One of us has to make a move. I promise I won’t try to kill you as long as you don’t try to kill me.”
“Can we consider that I’ve saved your life more than once?”
“You also put it in danger a few times.”
“Yeah, but my last rescue involved facing a former goddess.”
“Just get out in the open, Nimby!”
The halfling steps into the hole and keeps his hands up, his whittling knife falling to the distant floor. He wiggles his skeletal fingers before dropping onto the beam and taking a few steps forward. An awkwardness consumes the former friends, the only sound coming from a wind that howls as it passes the mountain. Satisfied that he will not be attacked, Nimby relaxes and wipes the dirt from his clothes while searching for his yo-yo. Finding an apple first, he tosses the fruit to Luke and smiles at the old memory that the action stirs. The thief sighs and scratches his head, which dislodges some twigs from his curly hair. Taking in his disheveled appearance, he realizes that he should have cleaned himself instead of staying underground and waiting for the half-elf to get knocked away from the Baron. Nimby shudders at the thought of getting noticed by the warlord, especially since the Lich is fast asleep in his bronze ring.
“You look like a mess,” Luke says while he breaks open the apple. Using Stiletto’s sense of smell, he sniffs at it to make sure it is not poisoned. “This probably isn’t a good time for us to discuss things. You have that necrocaster problem to figure out while I have a deadly immortal to fight. Although, it seems oddly quiet out there. I really expected him to start knocking over buildings and burning things to the ground.”
“Arthuru is probably exploring and waiting for the other champions to arrive,” Nimby explains with a shrug. Finding his toy, he does tricks with the yo-yo while gradually getting closer to his old friend. “Let’s get right into it. I never wanted to betray you, but I was raised to be a killer. Part of me was hoping that somebody else would do the job before I was called on to do it. Stupid reasoning since I was working to undo Trinity and the Lich’s plans. Everything became such a mess in Freedom. I planned to attack and get chased away, but Fritz figured me out. Then I made the mistake of trying to scare him off. No, that’s not entirely true. I was going to fight you and if you died then you died. I’d live the rest of my life with the guilt and seclude myself from the world because I did my job. You know, none of this is working. I’ve gone over it in my head so many times that I don’t remember what’s true and what are the lies that I kept telling myself.”
“I know I should care about all of that, but I don’t,” Luke admits, taking a small bite of the apple. He waits to see if Nimby reacts suspiciously before swallowing, the food quieting his rumbling stomach. “The whole thing plays through my head from time to time. My take on it was that you diluted the poison to give me a chance at survival. Nyx thinks you expected Aedyn to be there instead of him stumbling onto Fritz’s body. He could have healed me without a problem, but things didn’t work out that way. Every time I try to figure out what I’m feeling, I come up blank. To this day, the entire betrayal feels surreal and . . . fake.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” the halfling blurts out, trying not to laugh. Spinning the yo-yo at his side, he pulls an empty vial out of his pocket. “This is what the poison was in and I’ve kept it to remind myself of what I consider my greatest sin. Trust me when I say that I have many and it takes a lot to reach the top of the list. I’m not angry that you’re still unsure about the whole thing, but I’m very confused. Forget all of the details and at least accept that I tried to kill you. There’s no way you could have retained any level of naiveté after everything you’ve been through.”
“Well, it doesn’t help that you saved me from General Vile,” Luke mentions with a half-hearted smirk. He scratches his head and grinds his heel against the beam, letting his words hang in the air. “Sari didn’t tell me about it. She doesn’t even know that I was kind of awake during the attack. My sound sight was unreliable, but it would kick in every so often. One time was when you were talking to Sari and told her to keep things a secret. How am I supposed to keep hating you when you killed your own father to save me?”
Nimby laughs and nearly falls off the beam, but flips to regain his balance. “You would have made a decent thief, Luke, but only if you stopped being so nice and forgiving. All this time with me being afraid to reveal myself and you just wanting to talk. Fritz would have laughed his head off and Aedyn would openly regret knowing either us if they were here. Kind of wish they were, but I don’t deserve that kind of reunion. Nope, I made my mistakes and I’m paying for them. Just hanging around to try and make things right before the end.”
“Stop talking like you’re going to die tomorrow.”
“Probably not, but my fate is going to be worse than that.”
“The Lich will take your body.”
“Eventually, which is why I’m making the most of what time I have left.”
“Are you going to help us fight?”
“Conflict of interest there, but I have a deal with the parasite. Come with me.”
Nimby climbs back to the hole and waits for Luke to follow, the half-elf able to easily grab the edge and hoist himself up. The halfling walks along the narrow outer path and makes sure to avoid the bones and feathers left behind by the griffins. An itch on his arm forces him to stop and roll up his sleeve, revealing that the flesh is beginning to rot again. Worried that the Lich will awaken and cause trouble, the thief casts the spirit slumber spell he had stolen from the necrocaster’s mind. It takes a minute for it to take effect, his limited aura struggling against the more experienced creature. Once the decaying stops, Nimby hurries to the top of the mountain and rolls his eyes at how the forest tracker is already there waiting for him. Feeling a stiffness i
n his legs, the thief takes a seat on the cracked skull of a moose and calmly points at the sky. The dome makes it difficult to focus on anything above their heads, the effect causing Luke to suffer a bout of nausea.
“Feels like you’re about to vomit, right?” Nimby asks, tossing a pouch of ginger pills to the champion. He waits for Luke to swallow some of the medicine and settle down. “The Lich is still loyal to the Baron and he tricked Trinity into going after the crests. We put them into Gaia’s wall and they created this barrier, which prevents anyone from getting in or out of the city. I can’t go into the details because he won’t share, but the dome weakens the champions. All of this is about Tyler proving that he is Arthuru’s greatest servant since the others have either died or betrayed him. He had an old grudge to settle during our journey too, but you don’t have time to hear about that. Have to give the old corpse credit on loyalty and never giving up. Before you get angry at me, I didn’t have a choice since he would have taken over my mind or done something else to control me. Going along with the whole thing was the only way I could have some influence over what’s happening now.”
Angry and confused, Luke draws his sabers and points them at the halfling’s throat. “It looks like you didn’t stop anything!”
“Yes, but there’s still something I can do,” Nimby says, refusing to move away from the swords. Taking off the bronze ring, he juggles it along his knuckles and imagines the Lich’s snoring body getting jostling around. “The Lich and I made a deal. I wouldn’t get in his way in return for one chance to stop him after the crests were put in place. Erecting the barrier is good enough for him, so whatever happens next isn’t his concern. He’s asleep now, but he’ll know that I’ve made good on my part of the deal. Telling you that the crests were a trap is how I’m going to make sure the dome falls.”
Warlord of the Forgotten Age Page 28