by Wolfe Locke
Even though I’d already defeated an Imp, the sight of the two of the monsters heading directly my way set my nerves on edge. Never, not even once, have I fought two on one before, not in battle, and not even in training.
That primal animal fear was a rational response. Just a few minutes prior, I had never seen an Imp in person, let alone fought against one. All that I knew of the small monsters came second hand from lectures and textbooks during classes at the academy.
How am I supposed to fight both of them? In a flash of panic, I realized that I had no practical knowledge of fighting monsters. Aside from my drills and the exercises, I’d never fought with something like my life on the line before. I had never gone toe to toe with a monster like this. My first time and it’s the real deal. To lose is death, this isn’t a game, it’s nothing like the duels I’ve done before.
Heat rose in my cheeks; I felt the doubt and the fear that was rising up within me and worked to quell it. I must have faith in the skills I’ve worked to hone and the Valdanes legacy that I’ve inherited. All of my training has led to this moment, and I always knew it would end like this on some level. I just hadn’t expected my first time to come so soon. I settled myself and gripped my Katana tightly. I refuse to die today.
The two Imps streaked through the air toward me, their claws raised to try and rake my face and slice into my chest like the first had done. Though I felt fear, I pushed it out of my thoughts and focused my mind on the two threats in front of me. If I can take one of them out quickly, this will be over.
Seeing the upraised Katana and how I had readied myself to block their attacks, one of the Imps broke off at the last moment, but the other imp shifted its body slightly and darted with a quickness that surprised me in the opening left in the first imp’s wake. I was forced to dodge to avoid the monster, but I was quick with a counter in response. I tried to bring my Katana down on the imps’s exposed back. I tried, but the other imp slammed into me.
For being so small, they were remarkably strong and backed a lot of force. Don’t let go of the blade. The air went out of my lungs, but the discipline that had been trained into me came fully into effect. Though I lost my breath, I never lessened the hold on my weapon. In the confusion that followed, the first imp tried to catch me off guard with a savage cutting swipe, but I saw it coming and was not unprepared. If I can take a hit from Markus, I can take a hit from an imp. It’ll take more than that to knock me down.
A brief look of what I thought might have been surprise spread across the charging imp’s face as I brought my blade up to meet it. In a flash of steel, the imp fell to the floor dead while the other howled in outrage.
Now that the odds are even finishing, this will be a breeze. I should have known better. One of the lessons I had learned all the way back as a Bronze ranker had been never to underestimate an opponent.
A dark aura surrounded the slain imp as its power condensed into a Sol that was instantly absorbed into the surviving imp. That can’t be good. The mist around the monster started to swirl as the imp grew in statue and launched itself forward through the air like an arrow.
I could barely see the monster through the mist and with how fast it was moving, the imp was nearly imperceptible to the naked eye. Before I could pin down its location, the imp tore past my guard and did an abrupt switch in directions, a maneuver that allowed it to attack my exposed back. I tried not to scream as its sharp claws cut into my skin.
The shock of being injured was almost worse than the pain itself. I could feel the talons cut deep as blood began to flow freely down my back. I made a mistake. I should have been faster.
I gritted my teeth and ignored the pain. It’s not that deep. It won’t kill me. It might slow me down, but it won’t kill me. I’ve taken worse wits during training. I know this is different, but I can do it. I can win
During those times when I’d fought with the other Cadets, there had always been that understanding that if anyone was badly hurt, the fight would get called and a cleric or medic would be sent in to help with the recover. But that’s not the case here. This imp is out to kill. If I’m not careful, I’ll never see the rank of Silver let alone Gold, or Platinum. I’m a Valdanes. I need to live up to it.
I refuse to let myself fall here, not like this. From the sounds of things, other cadets were engaging in similar battles. It seemed as if there was a full-scale attack underway at the academy. I didn’t know what had happened, but there were other people out there who could use my help. Time to prove I’m worthy of my name, and worthy of becoming a Magic Knight.
If I couldn’t land a hit on my enemy, I’d have to change tactics and use something the imp couldn’t dodge. A breakthrough. I reached down into myself and felt that undercurrent of magic that was always there, the reason I had spent so many hours training after dark. I held my Katana out before me and called that power forth.
Over the years, the Valdanes clan had become known for a particular technique of Swordcraft. They had passed that technique down through their lineage until every member could perform it.
Overhead, the sky was clear, but as I called my magic forth, the air was split with the crack of thunder. From above, a bolt of lightning streaked down, imbuing itself into my outstretched Katana. The blade began to glow.
This was one of the secret Swordcraft techniques of the Valdanes clan. The Lightning Blade.
The current of power made its way through my body, the technique was a double edged sword that damaged me too. Don’t focus on that. I’ll get used to the pain in time. It’s all part of mastering the technique. It’ll come. Time to get serious.
The light cast from the enchanted Katana pushed back the mist and revealed the imp clearly. Whereas before the monster had met me with a look of pure hostility, it now looked at me with open-mouthed shock and I think… fear.
"Bet you weren't expecting something like this from a cadet, huh?" I muttered as I raised my Katana. I didn't know if the imp could understand me or not, but the jab sent a thrill through me. Now that I had the upper hand, I was a lot more comfortable with the situation.
To its credit, the imp did not run. The monster steeled itself against its own evident fear and redoubled its efforts to take me down. Maybe it believed that it could earn glory by slaying a cadet like me. Maybe it believed it would take my power for itself. Only one of us will be doing the slaying. I’ll take your power instead.
The imp reengaged, trying once again to use its speed in an attempt to outmaneuver me. With the monster damaged, I was able to easily keep my eye on it as it bobbed and weaved through the air.
The imp tried darting in several times in an effort to test my defenses, only to break off at the last minute before I could land a hit with my Katana. It was also possible that the imp thought he could wear me down in an effort to do away with the power of my glowing blade.
But the monster was wrong, I’d trained for this. All of the fatigue that I had felt before was now absent. One of the secrets of the Valdanes bloodline was the use of Sword techniques helped to revitalize us on the battlefield with a short burst of energy.
With my resolve hardened and my fear gone, all that remained was my desire to see the monster slain so that I could go to the aid of my fellow cadets. The imp saw that I would not be worn down so easily and finally decided it was time to commit. The monster streaked straight towards me. The imp kept low to the ground as it came on, trying to find another hole in my guard.
My first slash left an ambient trail of light in its wake and nearly took the creature's head off, but only nearly. The monster was still fast. Instead, I sliced through one of the Imps horns and the area was filled with the stench of burning flesh.
The Lightning Blade functioned much like the Crimson Blade, which had been my primary reason for wanting to learn the other technique. The heat the collected energy gave off was immense, and it had a similar cauterizing effect when i
t cut through an enemy.
The primary difference between the Sword techniques was the amount of energy it took to execute the Lightning Blade. The stored energy actually burned a lot hotter than the Crimson Blade, and part of that energy recoiled back on the user, making it more difficult to maintain over a span of time. The imp had had the right idea trying to draw out the fight. If the monster had taken more time, maybe a lot more time, the powered-up ability would have started to waiver. My limited mastery would only last for so long.
Regardless, its best to end this quickly. I need to conserve energy even with the Valdanes boost. This won’t be the only time I fight tonight, I’m sure of it. I’ll need to use this technique again. The imp yelled in pain as the monster tore at its burning skin. The imps anger was palpable, that anger also was its undoing.
Rather than try the same evasive and offensive tactics that it had before and rely on cautious tear down, the imp came at me directly, hungry for blood and full of rage. I slashed out with my glowing blade in a blow that was not to be denied and brought the imp down in a precise slash that cut the monster diagonally. The imp died in much the same way as its companions.
Once it lay dead on the ground, I saw a larger Sol drop from the imp’s body, I dismissed the magic from the blade and recoiled in pain at the feedback of the stored energy. It hurt but was nothing I couldn’t handle. I was a Valdanes, and this was part of my legacy, a legacy I proudly bore.
I surveyed my surroundings and saw more of the glowing orbs from before had spread out around me, seemingly as a bonus for killing all three imps. Those, too, were pulled to my body and absorbed, making me feel stronger than I had before.
It was an odd occurrence, but I did not have time to think about it now. Although I did feel stronger, the fatigue had returned and there was no more information provided by Saturn’s Crest. I just know I can’t rest right now. The fight continues elsewhere, and there is still what I saw in the dream to figure out.
Steeling myself against the long night to come, I ran to help where I was needed. The academy grounds and prepared myself for battle.
Chapter 6: From the Front
* * *
As I headed down the path towards the academy grounds, time slowed once again and came to a stop as information was relayed into my thoughts, projected from within the mark on my arm.
♄ Saturn’s Crest ♄
Three imps you’ve slain. Do not rest on this, but know your power is increasing with each slain enemy. Once you become engaged in battle, you will not be able to absorb and increase your power until the battle is over. As you can see, your strength has already increased, but so has your endurance.
Strength – 5.09
Your strength is that of an average man.
Agility – 7.09
Your agility is slightly better than the average man.
Endurance – 5.06
Your endurance is that of an average man.
This message will now fade, and time will return to normal.
I do feel a little bit stronger, faster too. The sound of fighting intensified and I deeper into the thickening mist, by heading down the hill leading away from the horse stables. Even with the low visibility, it was a route I could have navigated in the dark.
The Academy had more than one school of learning, but the single most defining landmark was the training field in the center of the Academy that separated the individual schools, and towards one of those schools the sounds of fighting seemed to be loudest.
The ritualist college. It was a large building that housed students who sought proficiency in the arcane arts, and while they went on to also become Magic Knights, there was a natural friction between them and the cadets of the academy. While we cadets trained and honed our bodies, the ritualists would spend their day inscribing or drawing arcane images.
Although the ritualists were allowed to practice openly on the grounds, there had been long standing speculation that the ritualists performed other, darker rituals behind closed doors. Maybe that’s what happened. They messed up.
As I ran towards the sounds of battle, the mist began to clear out in front of me. As it cleared, it become more apparent that my suspicion was true. The ritualist college was gone. All around the field, I saw smoking pieces of debris and monsters climbing over them. Boards, bricks, and glass were strewn about everywhere. The explosion, the smoke. Looks like I found the source, and these monsters are involved somehow.
Where the building had been before, was now a thick crater, and at the center of that crater was a massive stone archway. Yeah, I’m sure of it. That wasn’t there before. The screaming continued as did panicked yells for help, but though the mist had partially cleared, I still couldn’t see anyone or the source of the sounds.
But I could see the arch, and something about it looked wrong. The very sight of it made my skin crawl and the hairs on my arms stood on edge. The arch was made of solid black stone that had a gleam to it, much like obsidian, but not quite. Carved into the arch were runes that I could not read, and they were glowing like fire.
As I watched, a portal that looked like a glossy film of red opened within the archway and from out of the portal came the same black fog that I had encountered at the stables. The black fog was less prominent now, and only extended a few feet outward from the portal, it seemed to cling to the grounds around it. All sounds stopped.
The portal rippled and from within the archway hordes of monsters began pouring forth. Most of which I recognized, but there were a few I didn’t. Goatmen, Spiders, Giants, Imps, and undead looking things. I watched unmoving as the monstrous parade came out of the portal. It was then I realized why the sounds of battle had stopped, a sense of panic and fear came over me. They’re dead. Everyone who was fighting over there is dead.
For a moment I was frozen in shock. I had a hard enough time taking down the three imps that I ran into. How am I going to do anything about this? There were dozens of imps more, along with monsters that a single glance let me know were much stronger than the imps. These were beyond the monsters I and the other cadets typically trained to take down. My arm flared up, and I saw the scar began to pulse, reminding me of the power I’d received. A power to absorb the strength of slain enemies. Kill them all, one at a time. If I have to, that’s how I’ll do it.
A hand tore up from the ground underneath me and grabbed onto to my leg and started to pull down. I quickly slashed out with my Katana, and the grasping hand was severed and immediately turned into black smoke. Much like the imps, I had never encountered any of these monsters face to face. I had learned about some of them in my studies. I knew their weaknesses. But knowing a monster’s weakness and taking it down were another thing entirely. I had prior training and practice, yes. I even had access to a Swordcraft technique. But I was still an Iron ranker. I was supposed to have a long way to go in my training before I faced challenges such as this. This was an army. This was the end of the world.
Think like a Valdanes. Even in the face of the impossible, there is always the sword, and I am an extension of the blade.
The fog began to lift, and I saw I had been wrong, while dead cadets and monsters littered the training field and area around the destroyed ritualists college, the fight wasn’t over, and many cadets started to storm out of their dorms toward the field. With most of the Cadre off at the capital, the defense of the academy fell to all of us cadets. I wasn’t alone either. The others joined us. Rather than cower in fear, all the cadets had joined the fray to bring the fight to the enemy. They were not ready; I wasn’t ready, but that didn’t matter. We had to be.
I watched the battlefield in awe and saw nearby the hulking form of my friend Markus as he sheared through an Imp with his massive sword. Blades and talons clashed as monsters roared. It was violence absolute.
I will not stand idly by. If the others are brave enough, then I must be too. My time of just watching was over.
&n
bsp; I held my Katana out to the side in a one handed grip and dashed straight into the fray. The time of fear and doubt is over. I almost tripped over the first body soon after. A Bronze ranker who had his chest shredded in deep gouges. I had to ignore the endless look in his unblinking eyes.
It’s not supposed to be like this. Bronze rankers were rarely allowed the use of a sword much less combat training. Most were so green; they barely knew how to hold a sword correctly. This one had gone down fighting at least. His Shortsword lay next to him, gleaming with black blood. He didn’t die in vain.
Upon seeing the slain younger cadet, I ran double time and arrived to the front of the battle just as Markus engaged a small group of undead skeletons. The giant Gold ranker was sowing destruction on the field with his claymore scattering bones to the wind while he screamed a deep and sonorous battle cry.
Markus was so lost in the frenzy of battle that he did not see the imp streaking toward him through the air towards his exposed back. But I did. I moved fast and cut off the black skinned beast with my Katana, the thin sharp blade slicing through skin and bone.
Markus whirled around and nearly brought my sword down on me before registering that I was there, and that I had saved him. “Valdanes! Am I glad to see you!” said the towering cadet said with a manic laugh. “You’ve come to join the activities, right? My father would love this.”
“What the hell happened?” I shouted ignoring the last part.
Markus shrugged and laughed again as he swung his claymore and cut a Goatman in half. “I don’t know. I heard the explosion as I was about to bunk down for the night. I didn’t even think twice. I suited back up and jumped into action. When I got here this was what was waiting. This is what we’ve been training for Valdanes. This is it, can’t you feel it? Amazing” Markus swung again and again dispatching smaller monsters.