Now that brings me to how he turned insane.'
`Insane?'
`Yes. Well, sort of. He's not that insane. He's just unpredictable. Sometimes he snaps, and becomes a raving madman who is best avoided. Most of the time, he's rather stable. I'm surprised you haven't heard this about him.'
`Like I said, I barely even remembered that I had heard of him before.'
`Well, anyway, he has been a real ladies' man. He often got in trouble for laying with the wrong girl, but never quite as much as when he took Mel' in bed.'
Flora stares at me with disbelief.
`You... you're not serious... He slept with the Dragon Queen?'
`I don't think they slept at all. I think he banged her all night...'
`I don't believe this...'
`It's true. They were rivals for long, and got together on the battlefield after a battle between his golems and her dragons. I know it sounds crazy, but that's how it happened. They both liked it. They had a relationship of sorts. The shit thing is, that while for Mel' it was a flirt of sorts, for Danny Boy it was dead serious. Dead fucking serious... He actually fell in love with her, and he still loves her. Even after what she did to him.'
`What did she do?'
`Well, she exploited his feelings, and lured him into a trap. She wanted him to leave Draconia, and take his golems with him. But he didn't want to leave. He knew exactly what Mel' was looking out to achieve, and he wanted to stop her, talk her out of invading Ess'yer, convince her to leave the lessers in peace.
She told him she was disappointed with him, and left him locked in an abandoned dungeon full of undead. She pretty much left him for dead.
But he's a tough son of a bitch, an expert ass kicker. He somehow survived, and eventually fought his way out of the dungeon. But Mel's betrayal left him scarred within. He went insane because of it. He still loves her, and that's perhaps his biggest insanity to date.'
`I'm sorry...'
`Yeah, me too. And you know something? Most of the time, you wouldn't think he's nuts. He can stay stable for a long time. If you pay attention, you can see signs of his madness, but he's only dangerous when he snaps. It happens rarely, but when he does snap, he's really bad news. Fucking bad news...
Actually, I experienced a piece of his mad side the last time I met him. It was around two years ago. He borrowed a book from the Great Library of Re'Cas and used it to create a special enchantment on his new sword, and he invited me over to show it to me. I had no idea what he meant with showing it to me. But I really should have known. Yeah, I really fucking should have...'
Brotherly duel
Keehmor Keep, two years ago (2 years, 3 months, and 1 day before Twilightfall)
I entered his crazy little castle through magical means. He has wards all around the Keep against magical intrusion, but he made sure that the wards would recognize me and allow me entry, and so this is the way I usually enter. I arrived somewhere near his small library, one of the two places in the Keep where he often hangs out. You'd think the library is somewhere upstairs, but it's below ground level, in the extensive basement area. You gotta know something about his place. It looks like it's totally fucked up.
After he turned kind of insane, he had all sorts of crazy ideas about how his Keep would look better. He totally rearranged it. From the outside, it looks like it shouldn't even be standing, it has such a weird shape. Actually, his magic keeps the place together. If he died, the whole damn structure would collapse.
It's no better on the inside. He rearranged all the rooms. Everything is in a place where you wouldn't expect, and in a style that you wouldn't expect. But actually, it's kinda cool. It's unique, at the very least. There is no castle quite like it in the whole fucking Multiverse!
Anyway, I arrived in front of the library. I knocked on the door.
`Come in!' I heard, and I opened the door.
He was there, wearing one of his immensely enchanted plate armors. He was standing by one of the windows and watching the sunset.
Yes, you heard that right. The windows. The library is below ground level, but it has windows. Of course there's nothing but earth beyond the glass, but he placed a special kind of enchantment on it such that looking outside one sees what one would normally see from an upstairs room. Like I said, he may not be much of a powerful mage, but the one thing he's good at is something he's extremely good at, and that's enchanting. Those windows are a typical example of his insane genius as an enchanter!
`Hi there, Danny Boy!' I told him, as I slammed the door shut behind me. He turned towards me from the window and approached me.
`Hi Zack!' he exclaimed, as we shook hands. `I was starting to think you wouldn't show up.'
`You called. I had to come.' I told him, smiling.
`Well, how are you, old buddy? We haven't seen each other in a while. Guess what, I ran into Aaron Chraem a few days ago. I haven't seen him in... well, a long time. Anyway, Aaron still doesn't seem to like you much.'
`Yeah, and I really don't know why. I'm one of his best customers!' I told him, shrugging my shoulders.
`I'm sure of that! How are things in Coldrock?'
`Fine. The band is doing great!'
`That's good to hear.'
`And what's up with you?'
`Oh, all is going well here! I'm in a very good mood right now!' he said, with a gleam in his eye.
`Why? You said you wanted to show me something. I take it it's something that makes you proud?'
`Damn right it is! I picked up a handy little tome in Re'Cas three days ago. I haven't been able to take it back yet, there's some fuss in Gatestown. Or what's left of it, anyway. Well, whatever. What I was starting to say, is that there were some very interesting enchantment spells in that book. I used them for inspiration, and finally added the finishing touch to the sword I've been working on for the past six years! Now... it is done! Come, take look!'
He walked out of the library and motioned me to follow him. He lead me across a number of rooms and corridors until we arrived in one of the more hidden parts of his Keep. A private workroom of sorts. One I didn't even know about.
`Here we are! I made this special workroom just six years ago, specifically to be the womb where my new sword would be born. Step inside, Zack! And be honored! I don't let anyone in there, but myself. No-one who lives in the Keep is allowed to enter, but me!'
`I am honored, Danny Boy!' I told him, and didn't mention him the fact that he had lived alone in the Keep since he went insane. You see, when he started getting unpredictable, he not only redesigned the Keep, he also sent all his servants and guards away. They all moved into the nearby settlements. His only servants now are his golems, and they don't enter the Keep.
Anyway, I didn't bring that up, and I followed him into the room as he entered. It proved to be a rather small place. An old fashioned anvil was in the middle of the room, and a wooden chair next to it. Some tapestries were hanging from the walls, and a large chandelier was hanging from the ceiling. It actually had the impression of a delicately adorned study of the Lord of the Keep. But that big fucking anvil in the middle was really out of place there.
But the key element of the room was of course the sword. It was resting on the anvil.
`Here it is!' he said, pointing at the sword.
`Did you forge it here?'
`Nah. I had some dwarves forge it for me in Arudden. I just did the enchantments.'
`Then why the anvil?'
`I bought that from the dwarves who forged the sword. This is the anvil upon which it was crafted, I wanted to have it for myself!'
Yeah, the crazy motherfucker was really crazy about that sword, that much was clear from the start.
`It looks like a nice piece!' I told him.
`Yeah, but forget the anvil. Just look at the sword! Come on, pick it up!'
I picked the sword up and examined it. It was big. No, it was fucking big. No, it was even fucking bigger than that. It was pretty much like a claymore. The blade
shone like silver and there was a very faint white glow to it, evidencing the enchantments he had placed upon it. It was perfectly smooth, flawless, with not a scratch anywhere on it, and the edges of the sword were razor-sharp. The hilt was also coated in silver, and there were a number of runes etched into it. The damn thing was also pretty fucking heavy, for an enchanted sword especially. That made me wonder.
`It's impressive, Danny Boy! What's this thing made of? It feels pretty damn heavy for an enchanted sword.'
`It's made of an alloy composed of steel, and a special material. Something called plutonium.'
I blinked at him at least half a dozen times by the time I had the composure to reply to that...
`Plutonium?'
`Yes.'
`Are you fucking with me?!'
`No. It's like I said. The sword was forged from a metal composed of steel and plutonium.'
I slowly put the sword on the anvil, stepped away from it, and then looked at him.
`Do you have any fucking idea how fucking dangerous plutonium is?! It has a motherfucking natural aura around it! It's lethal! You stick around it for long enough, blisters start appearing on your skin, you start losing hair, and eventually, you end up pretty fucking dead! And you made a sword out of fucking plutonium?!'
`Calm down! I know all this. Don't worry, I took care of that.'
`You took care of it?! What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!'
`Why don't you examine the aura of the sword?'
I looked at him for a while, but he just nodded to me to do it. So I did. I used my magic to probe the aura of the sword, but there was nothing.
`Danny Boy, there's no plutonium in this thing.'
`Yes there is!'
`It doesn't have a fucking aura!'
`Of course it doesn't, because it's blocked by one of the enchantments!'
`Are you telling me, you managed to create an enchantment that completely blocks the aura of plutonium?'
`I told you I took care of it!' he told me, and he smiled and winked at me.
`Now that's motherfuckingly impressive, buddy!'
`Am I good?'
`No! You're fucking good!'
`I know!' he said, laughing. `Shame about the dwarves though... Anyway, there's more than that, of course. Lots of other enchantments. It's very powerful.'
`Yeah, I see all the runes on the hilt. You've really outdone yourself!'
`Do you know what I call it?'
`Keehmor's Plutonium Sword?'
`Nah, a name like that sucks. It also gives away the key aspect of it, which I don't want. I want this weapon to come as a surprise to those that face it.'
`A surprise, huh?'
`Yeah! That aura... sure, it's blocked, but it's still there. On touch, it still effects anyone who is not properly protected against it. When I cut into someone with this blade, they get a piece of that aura. I made some enchantments that actually enhance the effects of that aura. Upon contact, this weapon causes unimaginable pain. Much greater pain than a Riftblade.'
`Greater pain than a Riftblade? Now that is truly an achievement, my friend...' I told him, impressed by his work.
`Yes... Well, I gave it a name that fits to it well. The Sword of Pain!'
`Yeah, that sure fits. And it sounds fucking cool!'
`Yes it does! Now come on, let's try it out!'
He took the sword and left, and I went after him. I still didn't suspect what he was up to. I thought he intended us to go someplace and fight some creatures, maybe undead, but no. He had a quite different idea...
He lead me into one of the largest chambers of his Keep. Located atop the tallest of the towers. It is a large circular room covered by a dome full of large, wide, glass windows. It was largely empty. Perfect location for a duel.
Well, when we entered, I started to suspect what he was up to...
`Here we are!' he said, and closed the door behind us. `Have you seen this room yet?'
`No.'
`How do you like it?'
`Well, nice view!'
`Yeah. I was thinking of taking the room higher, and build a very narrow column of stairs leading to it, then make the floor out of glass, so I could look down as well. But I thought, you're afraid of heights, so you probably wouldn't be able to focus when we fight here, so I left it like this.'
`Fight?'
`Yeah! Just for fun of course. Like when we used to practice, when I taught you how to fight, while you were a beginner with those knives of yours. Remember that?'
`I suppose, you wanna use that sword, right?' I asked, pointing at his brand new weapon.
`Yeah, that's why I called you here. I want to test it, who better to test it on, than you?'
`You wanna test it on me?'
`You're the baddest motherfucker I ever met! If anyone can stand up against it, it's you! You and that wicked sword of yours...' he said.
I sighed, but he continued.
`That's what I had in mind. The Sword of Fury versus the Sword of Pain! This is going to be the duel of the century! In fact, the duel of the millennium! More, the duel of ten millennia! This will be bigger than the final fight at the end of the Great War, bigger than Kurt Aurach versus the Dragon Lords! Bigger than the separation of night elves and wood elves! Bigger than the legendary Th'Mesh versus Sark de Haro battle in the Hellish Planes three thousand years ago! In fact... It will be even bigger than a tavern fight between two drunk orcs! This will be the biggest duel ever! What do you say?'
`Danny Boy, are you cra... errr... serious?'
`Of course I am serious! What, are you chicken?'
Yeah, he was serious. Dead fucking serious... By then, I knew there was no talking him out of it. So I went along with it.
`Do I fucking look like I have feathers?' I asked.
`So, are you ready?'
`I didn't hear you!'
`I said, are you ready?' he exclaimed, and he swung his sword in a circle above his head.
`I was fucking born ready!' I told him, and I reached out my arm and called forth my sword, the Sword of Fury. The black blade slowly materialized in my hand, and I swung it above my head in a similar fashion as Danny Boy did with his own sword.
`Then it's time to kick some ass!' he screamed, and he charged at me.
*
He grabbed his sword with both hands, raised it high above his head and gave it all he could to strike towards my head. I was barely able to parry, and he already swung his massive sword towards my left side. I jumped backwards and watched in awe as the blade of his sword missed me by but an inch. His sword swung by fast, but instead of slowing it down and turning it back, he used the momentum to swing around and accelerate it even more. This gave me the chance to quickly attack him and strike towards his back, but I decided not to. Like this, when he fully turned around he came at me with enormous speed, and there was no way to block or parry. I quickly jumped to the right, and he moved past me.
He was able to stop before he ran into the wall, and he turned towards me. He raised his sword high again and charged at me with a fierce battlecry. I knew I had to do something if I wanted to survive this, so I reached down to my magic reserves and cast some strength enhancing spells on myself. When he reached me and struck towards my head, I blocked his attack with my sword.
Despite my spell, he was slowly able to force his blade closer and closer to my face. When it was just an inch away, I jumped aside. He immediately turned back towards me and attacked again. This time I tried to intercept him before he could give too much momentum to his sword. I struck with my sword towards his as strong as I could as he was swinging it, and I managed to knock it aside. Immediately, he started attacking again. I knocked his sword aside in the same fashion once more, and then I quickly swung my sword towards his face.
He was forced to block, which he did. It was a tremendous impact as my sword struck into his, and my sword was just inches from his face. I didn't even try to overpower him. I knew it was useless. So I just pulled my swor
d back and tried to strike towards his leg. He managed to parry the blow, moving his gigantic sword with unbelievable speed. A feat that truly showed off his strength. He had always been tremendously strong. I knew I had to rely on my speed, my magic, and my cunning in our duel.
I pulled my sword back and made a few steps backwards. I waited for him to charge me again, and just as he came towards me trying to impale me on his sword, I teleported behind him. He couldn't slow down and he ran straight into the wall. I rushed after him and struck with my sword towards his back with all my strength. His armor protected him, of course, but the blow was enough for him to lose his balance for a second. Then I struck with my sword towards his right foot. While his plate boots protected him from the blade, I was able to make him fall.
He landed flat on his back, and I swear I felt the whole Keep shaking. I raised my sword high above and struck towards him as he lay on the ground. He was able to parry with his sword just in time. He stared at me from down below with a vicious, bloodthirsty look in his eyes, and he slowly pushed my sword away with his. Once my sword was far enough, he quickly rolled aside and stood up. I rushed in to strike at his chest, and he failed to parry. My sword slid across his breastplate. Then I swung the sword towards his head from above, but he parried. Before I could pull my sword back, he forcefully pushed it away with his, forcing me to jump back to avoid falling.
As I jumped back, he already swung his sword towards my head. I moved my sword in position to parry, but I didn't wait for the swords to meet. I teleported away, appearing a good ten feet away, to the right of him. When he spotted me, he charged towards me in the same fashion as earlier, as if he was trying to impale me on his sword. He stopped surprisingly fast when he was just two feet away. I instinctively stepped back, and this made him laugh. Then he swung his sword in a circle above his head, and then lunged towards me and tried to cut into my arm.
Not waiting for the impact, I teleported behind him and struck towards his back. He spun around swiftly and he parried my blow, much to my surprise. Immediately, he initiated a counterattack, right towards my neck. I was barely able to duck, but I managed it.
Twilightfall Page 17