Seeing this, Bellestis panicked and created another lightning explosion, but this time Licius walked across the blast as if it was nothing and prepared his sword for the killing blow.
Terrified, Bellestis attacked the ceiling, so that Licius would have to avoid the falling rocks. This bought time for him to run up the stairs and into his private chambers, where he closed the wall passage and used his lightning to collapse it, trapping Licius inside the stairwell.
He then took a second to breathe until he saw how the Bronium blade from Licius’s armor cut through the granite like a hot knife through butter; it was then that the Supreme Chancellor knew he would meet his end and even when his instinct was to beg or try to bargain, he knew nothing he said would change Licius’s mind.
Bellestis kneeled and stared up at Licius as he waited for the blow that would end his life. Licius walked slowly and took his time, as he savored the moment he had been waiting for for over two thousand years. And as he raised his sword to take the final blow, an arrow hit him in the side of his head.
“Who are you?” Rallec demanded. “And what do you think you are doing?”
Licius, surprised by the hit and by how it had not affected him in the slightest, said,
“Rallec it is me, Licius, your brother.” And the armor over his face retracted so that Rallec could see his face.
“I knew it!” said Rallec. “As soon as you didn’t show up for dinner like you promised, I knew you could not let this go. And now you threaten the life of our rightful ruler. I am sorry my friend but, I cannot let you do this.”
Rallec was to stubborn and proud to even listen to Licius’ explanation.
Licius knew he would have to fight Rallec if he wanted to fulfill his plan and that his brother would not yield unless he took his life. This was something Licius hadn’t contemplated as a part of his plan, neither was he sure he could go through with it.
But before he could try and reason with his best friend, Rallec raised his sword and attacked him.
The armor closed instantly to protect Licius’s face from the attack.
Rallec’s attack was strong and certain; it found its mark at Licius’s neck. Yet it was completely ineffective, as Rallec’s steel sword shattered against the Bronium magic armor.
The Supreme Chancellor used the confusion to run out of the room as he ordered Rallec to kill Licius and then proceed to call every guard available.
Rallec was stupefied at the fact that his sword was broken and Licius had no idea of what to do. So they stood there for a few moments until twenty Elf guards reached the chamber doors.
Licius turned towards them.
“It is not my intention to harm you, but you seem to leave me with no other choice.”
Rallec knew that Licius would make quick work of him and the guards as long as he was wearing that armor. So he said the only thing he could think of that might let him come out on top of this situation.
Rallec knew his only option was to appeal to Licius’ sense of honor.
“Bagrada,” he said.
Invoking the sacred hand to hand battle between the two elves.
Licius knew this was a trap, since he knew there was nothing Rallec or the guards could do as long as he had the armor. But at the same time, this was the only way he could get out of this situation without killing his friend and the innocent Elves in the process.
“And why should I accept?” Licius asked. “It is clear I have the upper hand, my friend.”
“Because I know you are an honorable Elf,” Rallec replied. “And even when you may have been consumed by the madness of revenge towards the Supreme Chancellor, I know you are not one to win a fight by cheating.”
“And what happens if I win?”
“I will grant you a safe banishment from our city, but if you lose, you will spend the rest of your life in a dungeon, with no chance for trial.”
“You are not a great negotiator, my friend. But I will accept, as long as this prevents further bloodshed.” And just like that the armor retracted to a small plate a few inches wide on Licius’s back.
“Stand down!” Rallec ordered to the guards, as he disposed himself of his broken sword and armor.
The two Elves then took a step forward and bowed to each other.
Rallec quickly attacked, throwing a punch straight to Licius’s face, but Licius managed to dodge it just in time, only to be surprised by a quick knee to his face.
Licius took the hit and stepped backwards feeling a little dizzy, as Rallec took the opportunity to continue his attack, this time with a strong kick to Licius’s face, who was quick enough to block it and then, holding Rallec’s foot, he used his left leg to sweep him into the ground.
Licius immediately jumped on top of Rallec, who in return used his legs to create some distance between them. But Licius kept pressuring on, since he knew this might be the only chance he would have. Licius managed to punch Rallec in the face a few times, until he cut the skin on Rallec’s left eyebrow.
The sight of the blood and the apparent dominance of Licius in the fight worried the guards surrounding them. Yet none of them would dare to break the sacred pact of Bagrada.
Licius then managed to get himself between Rallec’s legs in order to get on top of him and punch him harder, but Rallec, catching one of Licius’s punches, used his legs and hips to apply pressure onto Licius’s left elbow. The grip Rallec had on Licius’s arm was tight and there was no way he would let go, so Licius took the only way out he could and, firmly placing his feet on the ground, he stood up, carrying Rallec with him. He then slammed Rallec against the ground as hard he could.
Rallec knew the hit to the back of his head could knock him unconscious, so using all his strength he pulled back and broke Licius’s arm.
Licius screamed in agony as they both fell to the ground.
Rallec took a hit in the fall, but he was able to remain conscious.
Licius, overwhelmed by the pain, stood up again, as he tried to calm his mind and compose himself. This gave Rallec the chance to stand and go for the finishing blow.
So he took a step forward and launched a powerful spinning kick straight into Licius’s jaw, but to all the soldiers’ surprise, Licius managed to block the kick with his right arm, and again tried to sweep Rallec’s leg to get him on the ground; but Rallec was ready this time. He jumped in the air, switching the weight balance of his body and, using his other leg; he managed to connect a powerful back kick to Licius’s jaw.
Licius fell to his knees, nearly unconscious and unable to defend himself. Rallec started to punch Licius in the face.
After a few punches with absolutely no response, Rallec took one look at his friend’s blood-covered face and said.
“It is over, you are finished, Licius. I hope whatever you were fighting for was worth spending the rest of eternity in a cell.”
He then turned around and said to the guards,
“Fix his arm and send him to the dungeon.”
But before he could take one step, Rallec fell to the ground, completely unconscious after receiving a strong blow to the back of the head.
“I am sorry, my friend.” Licius said, as he stood there in the golden armor. “There is no honor in this action and I deeply regret it, but I cannot allow this injustice to go unpunished. I will avenge my queen and afterwards I’ll come back to pay for my actions.”
All the guards were shocked by Licius’s uncharacteristic action, but they soon gathered themselves and attacked. But there was nothing they could do. Their swords shattered against the Bronium armor.
Licius was not trying to kill anyone so he kept his sword sheathed, but his Bronium-coated punches made quick work of the first few guards that attacked him. He then took a step back, turned around and broke through the wall to the outside of the tower.
As he fell, something in the back of his head told him to open his arms and a wing-like metal cloth joined his arms to his torso. He glided down, but as his left arm was broken, he c
ouldn’t maintain balance and he fell to the ground.
The pain in his arm was tremendous and the fall did Licius no favors; he had to act fast. He ran as fast he could towards the city walls.
Before reaching them he jumped over a carriage and then onto the rooftop of a small house. From there he ran from rooftop to rooftop until he found one that was connected to the city wall by some ropes.
Licius ran up the ropes onto the top of the city wall and from there he jumped outside. Deploying his wings again he glided as far as he could before collapsing against the desert sand.
He lay there for a few minutes, in pain from his arm and from lacerations on his body sustained in his escape. Suddenly the armor began to tighten around the broken limb, stretching and retracting, manipulating his bones back in place.
Licius knew the Elves would send searching parties for him and the cover of the night was his only ally if he was to get a head start on them.
So guided by the stars, he began his journey towards the Dwarf mountains.
It took several days for Licius to make it to the mountains; luckily for him the armor seemed impervious to temperature, protecting him from the burning heat of the desert and the cold winds of the mountains, but the pain from his many wounds was driving him insane.
He was hungry and he had a fever which was wearing him down. He knew he was going to die if he didn’t find help soon, which seemed unlikely on those mountains in the middle of a thick snowstorm.
And just as his sight started to fade, he saw the figure of an incredibly muscular Dwarf walking through the snowstorm; He smiled and tried to ask for help, then collapsed onto the ground.
Rallec was slowly regaining consciousness. He was surprised to find himself shackled in front of the Supreme Chancellor.
“What happened?”
“You let your guard down and let the traitorous Licius go. I wonder if this was your plan all along.”
“I feel insulted by the fact that you could even consider that a possibility.”
“Well then. You will be given a second chance to restore your honor and bring Licius to justice. But if you don’t return to me with Licius’s head, then I shall take yours instead.”
Chapter 3
The Human
Logrant City, the Human citadel spreading all across the valley of the west, was once a shining example of how society should be. But despite the best efforts of their rulers, the city had fallen to depravity.
The once beautiful trade markets near the entrance of the valley had all but disappeared, giving way to bunkers, barracks and trenches used to defend the city from the unrelenting Orc attacks. Consequently, the population migrated farther down the valley near the city’s center. This increased the population density, leaving people without much room to cultivate the land, creating hunger and unemployment. This made the once proud and law abiding citizens of Logrant city resort to stealing and whoring to survive; yes, the city little by little was drowning in its own filth and decadence.
And all of this could be seen with clarity from the great towers of White Knight Keep, once a shining beacon of beauty, honor and the power of the light. Now it was simply a big castle where the rich hid while the people suffered. Or at least that is how some felt.
But not all of the rich and powerful that inhabited the keep were afraid to fight for their city.
Prince Arius, at only twenty one years of age, had already fought against countless Orc raids. He was honorable, wise, just and strong. Yes, a great warrior whose skill with the two-handed hammer could only be matched by his strong connection to the light. Since he was by far the strongest paladin both physically and spiritually to have ever graced The Order, he was the perfect future king in the eyes of his father King Sabras White Knight and in the eyes of his people. But not in his own eyes, because those eyes saw the hardships, the pain and the suffering his people went through as he contemplated the city from the top of one of the keep’s towers.
“Lord Arius, your presence is required at the council meeting,” Khomod said.
“Yes, yes I know, Khomod; tell them I will join them shortly.”
“As you wish, my lord.”
Khomod, the most trustworthy royal servant, having served King Sabras and knowing Arius since birth, knew something was troubling the young prince.
“Is there something wrong, my prince? You seem distant.”
“There is plenty wrong with this city, Khomod, and as hard as I try to make it better, very little is accomplished. You can’t walk ten feet inside the city without risking getting robbed or stumbling on a whorehouse or tavern.”
“I doubt anyone would dare to rob you, my prince.”
“Yes, but that’s beside the point, Khomod. I’m not talking about me, but the people. The Human race has been reduced to a bunch of fearful mice by the Orcs.”
“I respectfully disagree, my prince. You alone have managed to discourage the Orcs from attacking our city, crime has seemed to drop steadily these past two years and the streets are cleaner than ever.”
“Oh please, Khomod, don’t feed me those lies the council tells to the people. We both know crime is still very much a part of this city and that it is just a matter of time until the Orcs get hungry and start attacking again. And that the cleaning of the streets is nothing more than a pathetic attempt of the council to win the people’s hearts, while we as a race stand divided. As we have done nothing to make the three clans stand together.”
“Oh please, Lord Arius, you must not torture yourself over the fantasy of the three clans. Those Elf worshiping druids want nothing to do with our city, for they care for nothing more than their beloved nature magic and their forest, living like the animals they are. And don’t even get me started with the Outsiders; we would have a better chance of befriending the Orcs than those savages. Or don’t you remember what happened to the last messenger we sent to negotiate?”
“Yes, yes they returned only his head in a basket. I just don’t think I’m ready to rule. I wish I could have more time with my father so he could teach me better.”
“I understand how you feel, my prince, but you know your father’s time on this earth is short now. Sadly that is just how the light works. The stronger you get, the weaker he becomes. And soon he will pass away, leaving you with the great responsibility that is the White Knight’s name.”
“You know, the fact that it is my growing powers that are killing my father does not comfort me.”
“Yes, I know young prince. And maybe if the people had more faith in the light this tragedy could be avoided, but sadly that is not the case.”
“Well then, maybe it is time for their faith to be restored.”
“What do you have in mind, my prince?” Khomod asked.
“An adventure,” the prince replied. “I won’t unite the clans or retake the world from the Orcs while I remain seated in council meetings. This means I must venture outside the city limits and travel the world, in a quest to unite the clans and vanquish the Orcs, only then will the people’s faith will be renewed.”
Khomod took a second to think and then said,
“I would advise against such an adventure, my prince; your father is weak and your coronation is at hand. Besides, your royal position makes you a high value target for the Outsiders and Orcs and in the event of your demise there would be no one left to carry your family’s legacy.”
“I am sorry, Khomod, but this is the only chance I have to become a worthy king, save my people and maybe even save my father. So my mind is set. Please tell the council I won’t be attending the meeting, for I have more important matters to address. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to talk to my father.”
Arius walked to his father’s chambers wearing his usual armor, an old armor of Dwarf craftsmanship which carried the marks of several battles.
The armor provided protection only over his right shoulder, leaving his left hand free to wield his hammer freely, a heavy and sturdy weapon with a wolf embossed on th
e head.
This was a weapon that had passed from one White Knight generation to the next.
For this hammer, used by paladins, and the magic staff used by the priests of the family were the only family relics. Sadly the staff was lost when King Varius failed to return from his meeting with Queen Alagossa of the Elves.
When the prince finally made it to the king’s chambers, he asked the priests and healers attending his father to give them a moment of privacy. He then approached his father’s bedside and kneeled.
“Father, I have done everything in my power to live up to your standards. And I know you are proud of me. Yet as I grow stronger in power, the light diminishes within you. And I cannot call myself a worthy king if I don’t do everything within my power to try and save you and our people; this is why I have chosen to leave the city in a quest to attempt both tasks. But this city needs its king while I am gone, this is why I must ask you to be strong and endure during my absence. Because if I die the power I possess may return to you, this is the only way to ensure the White Knight name lives on… even if I don’t.”
King Sabras was too weak to speak, but he knew this was a horrible idea. He struggled to move his body and speak, but nothing more than incoherent mumbles left his mouth. Yet he persisted, trying to prevent his son from leaving.
Arius knew his father was in opposition to his idea, but since he was not able to speak and only he had the power to prevent him from leaving, the prince decided to act unaware of his father’s opposition.
“I knew you would be happy with my plan. I can see how the idea has filled you with energy, but you must rest, Father, in case I don’t make it back.”
As Arius left the room, King Sabras began to wail. Arius knew he was breaking his father’s heart, but this was something only he could do.
He summoned Khomod and the paladin Argoth, who was second in command in The Order.
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