Only Stones Remain (Ballad of Frindoth Book 4)

by Rob Donovan

  "He is like me now. He does not have much left. You will have to finish him."

  Cody could not stop the laughter which burst from his mouth. "You want me to take on him?"

  "He will not be able to use magic. It will be like fighting another warrior."

  Cody watched the Glooms fly overhead; they continued to bombard the city walls despite the Custodian's best efforts to intervene. All around the battlefield men fought valiantly against the ground based Glooms. The fighting was fierce but it was clear the men were winning the contest now. Anytime a Gloom inflicted mass harm on men, more men rushed to their aid. He could not see any Lakisdorians, either they had been decimated or they had fled. Good riddance either way. Cody felt the witch's hand on his thigh and realised he had been breathing heavily as he scanned the war. Her touch calmed him and stilled his body.

  "He is dangerous, but you can defeat him. I've seen you fight."

  Cody stared into her emerald eyes and saw the sincerity there. "I don't have a sword." He realised it was a stupid thing to say. Scores of weapons littered the ground, discarded by men who would never be able to pick them up again.

  "What about Xandemon?" Cody asked, realising Marybeth's spell hinged on the leader of the Gloom's demise.

  "That is what we have a Prince of Frindoth for," Marybeth smiled. With that she kissed him on the cheek and got to her feet. Her lips were moist and it was the lightest of touches on his skin, but it sent tingles running up his spine. Cody spotted a decent broadsword on the ground less than five feet away. He took a deep breath and then scrambled to the blade before whirling towards Cordane. The trickster was no longer bent over; he was erect, although he swayed slightly. He spotted Cody and sneered.

  "It is always the nobodies that influence the war. History tomes might talk of Kings and Queens and warlords winning battles, but read between the lines and you can see it is always the inconsequential beings that have the greatest impact on the outcome of the battle."

  "I've never read a book in my life."

  "No, nor will you." Cordane bent down and picked up a sword. It was a jagged blade. He hefted it in one hand whilst he clenched his other into a claw. A blue mist formed in his palm and for a moment Cody's heart sank, however the mist came to nothing. Cordane screwed up his face and frowned at his hand before shrugging his disappointment away. Cody mocked his opponent’s action by forming his hand into a claw as well. He too gave an exaggerated shrug when no spell formed.

  "Guess it is just a good old-fashioned fight then," Cody said.

  "Fool. It will be a massacre."

  Cody did not wait for another invitation to attack. The time for talking was long gone. King Jacquard had shown faith in him by appointing him one of his Knights. He was the only one left as far as he knew and if his fate was to bring down the biggest enemy Frindoth faced, so be it.

  Cordane roared as Cody charged towards him. The Warlock might have appeared nonchalant in his attitude towards Cody but the Truth Knight could tell from the blazing eyes and the angry veins visible on the man's neck that he was furious at having to fight Cody. All his scheming, all his manipulating had unravelled and boiled down to facing a nobody on the battlefield; because the men he had recruited had either deserted him or switched sides.

  Cody smiled as they neared each other, for no other reason than to irritate the man further. A man possessed by rage might be stronger momentarily, but he was unfocused and sloppy. Cody was going to have to gain every advantage he could muster. Behind the warlock a Gloom and Custodian tangled in the sky before hurtling to the ground, landing on a group of men.

  Cody fell to his knees as he reached the Warlock. Cordane's blade narrowly missed the Truth Knight's head. Cody swivelled and aimed his own swing at Cordane's back but the warlock had already anticipated the attack and blocked it with lightning reflexes. The impact jarred Cody's arms and he bit his lip. Cordane might have diminished power when it came to magical abilities, but there was nothing wrong with the Warlock's strength. Cody sensed the raw power in the man even from that one strike. Cody bounced to his feet as the warlock pivoted on the spot and swung again. This time it was Cody who had to be quick to react. The swords clashed causing a small spark. Cody stumbled backwards and thrust again aiming for his opponent's midriff; his attack found nothing but air as Cordane shifted to the side. Cody tried to recover but failed to move in time to prevent Cordane's sword slicing his bicep. He winced as pain flared in his arm. He rotated his shoulder testing the pain as Cordane chuckled.

  "King Jacquard's selection process for his Knights has become rather relaxed it seems," Cordane said.

  "You didn't leave many people left to choose from."

  "Precisely."

  Cody had to restrain himself from lunging at the smug bastard. He knew it was exactly what the warlock wanted but that didn't make it any easier to resist.

  The next moment, a thunderous crash resounded across the field. Cody caught a glimpse of the makeshift wall of the White City before it tumbled to the ground. He looked back at Cordane and watched his smile broaden at the sight.

  "Frindoth will never be the same after this."

  "You think you are so cunning, yet you lack the intelligence to realise you've failed. You thought you were destroying Frindoth, yet all you have done is succeeding in uniting it. The people have rallied together like never before. They have a Prince on the throne that realises the mistakes his father has made and will make the land a better place to live in. You have not destroyed Frindoth, you've improved it."

  "Frindoth will be great under my rule. Those that deserve it will be elevated; the powerful will rise and strengthen the nation whilst the weak will learn their place in society. In all species, this is the model; it is only us humans who fail to conform. There would be no need for a hundred-year peace treaty with Lakisdorea; we would dominate them; we would annihilate them. My people would not live in fear, they would strut in confidence."

  "Until another dictator like you comes along."

  Throughout the conversation Cody had concentrated on getting his breath back and testing his wounded arm. It ached but he could still use it fine. Xandemon roared as several men hurtled through the air. Cody could have sworn some of them were split in two. He shuddered and then focused on Cordane. He realised the warlock had responded to him but he didn't have a clue what the man had said. Cody decided he did not care. He had no interest in exchanging words with the man. He knew he could not win that contest. He looked about for Marybeth but could not see the witch. He hoped he was stalling enough for the witch to carry out her plan.

  Cordane opened his mouth for another monologue and Cody took the opportunity to attack, hoping he would catch the man off-guard. He aimed low but Cordane anticipated the attack, angling his sword so that Cody's blade was deflected downwards and away from his body. Cody attempted a punch with his other hand but Cordane tilted his head back and dodged the blow. The warlock followed this with a swift knee, but Cody managed to avoid the knee connecting with his groin, and the swing connected with his thigh. Even through the armour, Cody's leg went numb. He hobbled backwards as he blocked the next strike, but the following one left the Truth Knight off balance.

  Cordane saw this and pressed his advantage, delivering several swift strikes which Cody struggled to parry. With each defence, he was becoming more and more unbalanced, until finally he was unable to remain upright and landed on his backside.

  He only just managed to block the next strike from the warlock, but it was weakly done and the sword went spinning out of his hand. Cordane smiled maliciously, relishing standing over his now exposed foe. Cody scrambled away on his hands, dragging his legs like some injured crab. Cordane merely laughed and closed the distance between them with a single stride.

  “You fought better than I imagined you would,” the trickster said. Cody snorted.

  “You fought worse.”

  Rather than irritate Cordane, Cody’s response invoked laughter. Cordane raised his sword
and brought it down swiftly. It was instinct rather than skill which helped Cody avoids the blow. The blade bit into the ground inches from his head. Cody lashed out with a kick hoping to catch his opponent off-guard but it was he who was surprised. Cordane avoided the kick and then raised his sword and swung it back down. Cody shifted his head to one side and again avoided certain death but in doing so leaving his arm as a target.

  He screamed as steel sliced into his wrist; pain lanced up his arm. Tears clouded his vision as he struggled to move his hand away from the pain. He felt skin and tendons rip and was dimly aware of Cordane’s mocking laughter.

  The trickster once again raised his weapon, sunlight catching the steel, which was the only warning Cody had that another attack was coming. Pushing the pain to the deepest recesses of his mind, his survival instincts once again kicked in. He rolled his body away. The pain in his wrist was unbearable and he cried out as it came in contact with the ground. Blood splattered his body - his own! He was not even sure if his hand was still attached as he continued to roll.

  He seemed to be rolling for ages, then there was a dull “thunk” and the sword missed him by a whisker and buried itself into the ground. He bent his knees and tried to push himself into a crouching position, forgetting his injured wrist. Pain engulfed him and his vision darkened as the limb betrayed him and he collapsed onto his side.

  He did not see the kick that took his breath away and cracked one of his ribs. The next one hurt so much he tasted bile in the back of his throat. For a moment he was disorientated, he had no idea where Cordane was or where the next attack might come from.

  Somewhere in the distance he heard another thunderous crash - the wall collapsing maybe or had Marybeth conjured up another spell? Cody could not tell. All he knew was the pain he was in and that if he didn’t do something to stop this trickster and fast, his life would end on this battlefield.

  He shuffled along the ground using his good arm and his legs. Every movement was an effort. His chest hurt with every breath and coloured dots swam before his eyes. He had no idea if he moved towards or away from Cordane. At the last moment, he registered the shadow coming towards him as Cordane’s boot connected with his temple; this time his world did go black momentarily and he fell to the side and then face down in the mud. The coolness felt good on his cheeks and all he wanted to do was lie on the ground and go to sleep.

  He spat out blood repulsed by the coppery taste. Less than a metre away, the corpse of a warrior faced him, showing the whites of his eyes. Cody was vaguely aware of Cordane speaking to him but his voice was seemed far away and unintelligible as if the warlock spoke under water. His injured wrist stung as did his ribs. He tried to wiggle the fingers on his injured hand which lay limply under his chest, but the act was met with more agony. Did that mean his hand was attached still or had it been severed? He had heard of soldiers who had lost limbs but swore they could still feel the sensation of them.

  A small voice within him screamed at him to do something; anything to defend himself. Cody struggled to heed the voice. What could he do? He hurt too much. He regarded the fallen warrior next to him and that galvanised a reaction. He did not want to end up like the man; eyes looking upwards into his skull.

  Next to the cadaver was a shield. It was battered and had splintered but it would have to suffice. Once again, out the corner of his eye, Cody registered a shadow approaching. He did not know whether it was another kick or a fatal sword blow but he knew he must do something to deflect it. With one last effort he reached for the shield and pulled it towards him. Pain flared in his injured wrist but he ignored it as he brought the shield in front of his face and forced himself to sit up and face his foe, screaming out with the exertion.

  The force of Cordane’s boot on the shield rocked the Truth Knight but he remained steadfast. Cordane howled in pain at the unexpected resistance. Cody seized the opportunity and turned the shield sideways and used the lip to ram it into the man’s shins. Again, Cordane cried out as Cody shakily got to his feet.

  He thrust the flat of the shield in Cordane’s face, hearing the satisfying crunch of bone and cartilage breaking as the man’s nose disintegrated. Cody brought down the shield on the man’s temple but the blow was not as powerful as Cody would have liked using only one hand. It was powerful enough, though for the warlock to drop his sword as he fell to one knee. The skin split and a trickle of blood seeped out of an already swelling bruise.

  Cody hit the warlock again with the shield in the same place. This time the skin burst apart and blood splattered in all directions. Cordane sank to both knees with a glazed expression of bewilderment. Cody dropped the shield and retrieved the sword. He glanced briefly down at his injured arm cradled to his chest and was relieved to see a bloody mess which definitely contained fingers.

  Anger immediately displaced the relief however at the thought of what he might have lost. Without a moment’s hesitation he thrust his sword towards Cordane’s heart. Instead of the satisfying feel of steel penetrating skin however, there was an orange flash of light and Cody found himself propelled backwards and landed in a heap. The pain was excruciating as if someone had rammed dozens of needles in to his ribs and wrists. There was a stench of burning and he realised his armour and jerkin had been singed by whatever Cordane had hit him with.

  This time however, Cody did not feel sorry for himself. He rose immediately, eager that Cordane did not regain the advantage. He knew the warlock was close to defeat before he cast the spell and the effort expended in conjuring the attack would have depleted him further.

  He scanned the field and saw Cordane on all fours less than fifteen feet away. The warlock breathed heavily, arching his back as he sucked in deep lungful’s of air. His face was a bloody mess. The trickster stretched one of his legs out to test it and Cody was satisfied to see the warlock wince with the effort. Adrenaline coursed through the Truth Knight, if he was going to put an end to this fight it would have to be now. He loped towards Cordane forcing himself to ignore the pain which screamed at him from different parts of his body.

  Cordane saw him and got shakily to his feet. He swayed slightly as he stood but there was no questioning the determination and anger in his eyes. He was as determined to kill Cody as Cody was to kill him. There was no finesse when the two collided; no special training or practiced manoeuvres. Cody simply lowered his head and shoulders and barrelled into Cordane spearing him to the ground again. Cordane let out a rather unmenacing "oof."

  The pair rolled on the ground together each clawing at each other's face. The difference was that Cordane had two functioning hands as opposed to Cody's one. Cody gave up trying to protect himself and concentrated on inflicting as much damage as he could to Cordane's face. He scratched at the man's cheeks and was satisfied to see lines of blood appear. They came to a halt with Cordane on top of him. Cody continued to pinch and scratch with all his might. He relished each wound he made on the bastard's face. Cordane retaliated by gripping Cody's cheeks and tearing at them as if he were trying to rip them from his face. The close proximity of the two men prevented them from doing anything else. The pain was agonising. One of Cordane's knuckles bore into the Truth Knight's eye and he screamed in pain. He wriggled and jerked his body in an attempt to throw the man off., but Cordane was too strong. Cody forgot about attacking and concentrated on trying to smash the trickster's elbows, anything to break the vice-like claws digging into his face. The first two punches were unsuccessful but the third saw the pressure ease. With a feral growl Cody used his injured arm to strike Cordane and knock him off his chest.

  A wrath Cody did not recognise overcame him. He leapt onto Cordane and began reigning punches on the usurper. As Cody had attempted earlier, Cordane tried to shift the weight off his body but Cody would not be budged. He barely registered the blows Cordane issued as he punched away at the man's face. He opened the cut wider on the man's temple and the next punch crunched Cordane's already broken nose spraying blood everywhere.

&nbs
p; Then suddenly, it wasn’t Cordane beneath him. Cody was looking at his daughter, bloodied and bruised and with a look of sheer terror on her face. Cody hesitated with the shock, but it took him only a few seconds to realise the trickster had transformed his own appearance to resemble that of his daughter. In those few seconds, Cordane seized upon the opportunity to put his hands together and club Cody’s injured ribs. Cody folded over and was easily thrown aside, landing on a dead warrior.

  He watched as his daughter got to her feet, the petrified expression altering to one of a sneer. "To fall for such a simple trick is the reason you will always be a nobody." A small silver glow appeared in his daughter's hand. She looked down at it and then back up at Cody. "Did you really think it would take me that long to recover my energy? I am Cordane. I will-"

  The dagger found his daughter's heart with an aim Tristan the arrow knight would have been proud of. Cody had felt the weapon underneath him and had thrown it out of instinct. He had hoped it would buy him some time so that he could find a proper weapon but from the way Cordane staggered back he was not sure he would need one. The usurper looked down at the hilt of the weapon sticking out of his chest and then back at Cody. The silver glow in his hand vanished and he instantly transformed back into the battered man Cody had pummelled seconds before. Cody did not want to take any chances; he stepped forward, grabbed the dagger and twisted it. He then pulled it free and rammed it into Cordane's neck, a spout of blood gushing from the impact. Cordane attempted to raise an arm to stop Cody but before he could move, his eyes rolled into the top of his head and he fell backwards and was still.

  Cody stared at the man for a few seconds before succumbing to exhaustion and collapsing in a heap. The world blurred in and out of focus but as pockets of the battle cleared he managed to take in distinct images: Xandemon roaring and clutching at his shoulder where his other arm had been severed. The leader of the Glooms was swarmed by men much like the snow leopard had been overcome by the snow piranha so many weeks ago. The monster staggered to his knees and was pierced with a dozen blades; each opening up a deep red gash as if the creature's skin had been covered in boils and were bursting simultaneously. Xandemon roared but it was clear the contest was over. Cody smiled; standing above all others; Prince Althalos launched himself into the air, golden locks trailing behind him as he brought down his sword and cleaved the Gloom's head in two.