Korgat slipped on the ice trying to stop his momentum, but managed to do so without falling, as the prince finished his acrobatic roll and knelt on the ground behind him.
Korgat immediately reacted as his years of training had taught him, and gave a vertical spinning slash, both turning him around and attacking the prince. Arius once again waited as long as he could, before rolling forward and passing just barely below the edge of Korgat’s sword as it fell upon him. The sword went straight into the ice, cracking it. But Korgat’s strength would not let it stay stuck for long; the Outsider pulled the sword with his savage strength, further cracking the ice, but releasing the sword in the process.
By the time the giant Outsider had managed to turn around and face his opponent, Arius had already stood up and was holding his glowing hammer with both hands over his head.
This did little to concern Korgat, as he knew that he could take a direct hit. So the Outsider prepared to raise his sword, as he saw Arius’s hammer falling down with great speed.
It was then when he realized that the prince’s attack was not meant for him and that he had fallen into a trap.
The head of Arius’s glowing hammer smashed against the cracked ice beneath the Outsider king’s feet, releasing its stored energy and breaking the thick ice layer beneath Korgat, just enough for the Outsider to fall into the freezing water beneath it.
Even Korgat’s tough skin felt the pain of a thousand needles, as the cold water made contact with it. But this was not what would finally bring the giant down, as an Outsider such as him, was accustomed to the cold weather and freezing waters.
Still the Outsider grabbed as much air as he could in his lungs, as his head entered the water. But he let go of his sword, as he tried to reach the surface again to get air.
It was then that Arius placed his hammer on his back and, with both palms pointed at the icy floor, he cast his holy shield, not to protect him, but to block the Outsider’s exit instead.
Korgat bashed as hard as he could against the holy shield that blocked his path. But it was not long before his great muscles needed more air to function. The Outsider then understood that there was no way of getting out of the water that way. So he considered swimming and smashing the ice in another place, but by the time he moved his head around looking for an opening, Arius’s holy shield had spread all over the lake’s surface, trapping him under water.
Arius was confident that his plan had worked, but a little concern remained, as his saw how the Outsider king stopped bashing the shield and looked at him through the floor of golden energy. Korgat opened his right hand as he pointed it towards the bottom of the lake and his sword came piercing through the cold water. It took a few second for his sword to reach his hand. But as soon as he got it, he pointed it upwards towards the sky and again the clouds began to swirl around as they became darker.
A fierce lightning storm began to form on top of the lake; Arius knew he could not take a direct lightning bolt without diverting energy from the shield he had placed over the lake. But just as he was about to forfeit his hold over the lake’s surface, the clouds began to return to normal, as Korgat finally let go of his sword.
Arius felt a sensation of relief, as he saw the expression on Korgat’s face still and the light from his eyes fade into the freezing water. But the prince knew he could not just let him die, for as monstrous as this man was, he needed him if he was to finish his task.
The prince then made his holy shield disappear and plunged his hand into the freezing water to retrieve Korgat’s body. And as he did, every Outsider in the village gathered around to see the one who had finally taken Korgat’s place as the King of the Outsiders.
Arius pulled with all his strength to lift Korgat out of the water and onto the frozen surface of the lake. The prince then looked up and noticed how all the Outsiders were looking at him; it was then that he understood the consequences of his victory.
The prince lifted his hammer with one hand and, making it glow, he said in a commanding voice.
“Behold your new king. From now on, you shall all do as I say. And if anyone wants to contradict me, he can step forward right now.”
And just as the prince expected, none of the Outsiders took the challenge on, as they all feared the man who had been able to best Korgat, so raising their hands in the air, every Outsider screamed at the top of their lungs, acknowledging Arius as their new King.
Arius then raised his hammer over his head with both hands, and smashed it against Korgat’s stomach just below his chest. The pressure expelled all the water that Korgat had swallowed through his mouth, and then the prince began to channel a healing spell onto Korgat’s chest, hoping that it was not too late for him to bring him back to life.
It took a few seconds for Korgat to gasp for air, but it surprised every Outsider when it happened.
A confused Korgat looked up at Arius, wondering what had happened.
“I saved you. And now your life belongs to me. I am king of the Outsiders now.”
Korgat did not like this, but Arius had earned his respect in a fight. So at least until he could figure out how to kill him for sure, he would play along.
The giant Outsider responded with a nod, acknowledging him as the rightful king…for now.
◆◆◆
Arius then returned to the tavern to look for his friends, as the other Outsiders helped Korgat back on his feet. Once in the back room of the tavern, Arius found Lizandra being treated by the woman that had been with Korgat, so he kneeled right next to her and began to heal her with a spell.
He then summoned Khall, Korgat, Lizandra and Licius to the tavern.
“What do you want now?” Korgat asked.
“I want us to work together,” Arius replied.
“And why the fuck should I work with you?” Korgat asked.
“Because if you don’t, there will be no places to raid, no food to eat and no women for you to lie with.”
“And why is that, exactly?”
“Could you shut up and listen?” Lizandra said.
Korgat looked at the druid.
“Shut the fuck up, woman. You’re lucky your friends here intervened, or you would be dead by now.”
“Because if we do not stop him a demon by the name of Xandraf will burn the entire world,” Arius said.
“Who is Xandraf and how do we kill him?” Korgat asked.
“He is a creature that came in contact with a powerful fire relic, and now he has imbued with fire powers an army of Orcs that obey his every thought. And with every passing moment, his forces grow and ours diminish, so if we don’t work together, he will win this war,” Licius explained.
“Yes, this is why we need to join forces to stop him,” Arius said.
“I don’t mind joining forces, especially with your red-haired friend,” Khall said, smiling as he looked at Lizandra.
Lizandra simply returned the look with one of disgust.
“But if he is using Orcs to do his dirty work, then we have nothing to fear. Orcs don’t come to the northlands, they don’t like the cold,” Korgat said.
“Actually, they do now,” Khall said.
“Bullshit, they have never come up here. Why would they start now?”
“Because the Fire Orcs are burning everything in their path and the regular Orcs are running out of food,” said Arius. “That means that unless you help us, your precious village will be attacked by Orcs soon. And after that, the Fire Orcs will soon follow,” Arius replied.
“It is your village… for now.”
“That is true and I intent to protect it, just as much as any other part of my kingdom. But if we are going to do that, we are going to need the Frozen Blade.”
“And what that fuck is a frozen blade? You make no sense to me.”
“I was hoping you could tell us. Or at least tell us, its location,” said Arius.
“Well, I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“It is a sword, a po
werful ice relic that conjures strong freezing winds from its blade. And it is said that is located deep down a cave in the northernmost part of the world, now could you stop swearing every three words? Please,” said Licius.
Korgat meditated for a second on Licius’s words.
“You are right.”
“You are going to stop swearing then?” Lizandra asked.
“Fuck no, but I do think I know which cave your friend is talking about.”
“So you know where the sword is then?” Arius asked.
“I don’t know about the sword, but I have seen a cave from which freezing wind comes out north of here.”
“Well, it is worth exploring,” said Licius.
“Can you take us there?” Arius asked.
“I can, but I will not go down into that cave.”
“Why?” asked Lizandra.
“Because I can’t breathe ice and I already almost died once trying to go down there.”
“Just take me there and I will go down myself,” Arius said.
“Now we just have to wait for Stundroff to arrive with the sword’s sheath and we will be ready to go,” Licius said.
“And when exactly is your friend coming?” Khall asked.
“I am not sure, a couple of days maybe,” Licius replied.
“And why do we have to wait for him?”
“We will wait because he brings the only sheath that can contain the sword’s winds,” Arius replied.
“Well, that presents a problem,” Korgat said.
“And why is that?” Lizandra asked.
“Well, you seem to be in a hurry to find this sword. But I’m not going to go up there during the night,” Korgat said.
“No one said anything about going at night,” said Arius.
“You southern folks don’t know anything. That far north, days and night are different than in the south. And the further north you go, the more different it is.”
“So what exactly does that mean?” Arius asked.
“It means that if we don’t go there and come back before the next nightfall, we will have to wait thirty days for the sun come up again.”
“Then we will go at night and use the stars to guide us,” Arius said.
“You have no idea how cold it gets up there at night, besides, have you ever tried to guide yourself using this stars through a thick snowstorm?”
Arius thought about what to do with the information he had just been given; he couldn’t afford to give Xandraf thirty days. But going for the sword without the swords sheath could be suicide.
The prince was uncertain about how to proceed. He thought about containing the sword and its winds within his holy shield. But how long could he withstand the force of those winds, and what would happen to him and the others around him if Stundroff didn’t made it in time with the sword’s sheath.
Arius remained quiet for several minutes, as he contemplated every option, until he made his choice.
“We go for the sword now.”
“And what about Stundroff and the sheath?” Licius asked.
“I will just have to hope that he gets here by the time I make it back with the sword.”
“That’s suicide,” Licius said.
“It might be, but it is the only option we have.”
“Well, I’m impressed. You may not be very strong, but you have some big balls, little prince,” Korgat said.
“Thank you, I think.”
“I do not like this plan,” Licius said.
“I know my friend, and that is why I am going to need to send messengers to every remaining settlement south of here to rally troops for the big battle at the Fire Mountains, just in case I don’t make it back.”
“Khall, you should take care of that,” Korgat suggested.
“And why the fuck would I want to do that?” Khall asked.
“Because you are good with words and shit, and we could use your talents.”
“Fine, I’ll do it, as long as I get to kill lots of these Fire Orcs when the fighting begins.”
“You can kill as many as you like,” Licius said.
“Oh! One more thing. If you happen to find our friend Stundroff, it is of the utmost importance that you tell him to hurry here,” Arius said to Khall.
“And how will I recognize him?”
“Well, he is a Dwarf with a big nose, silver hair and huge muscles.”
“You could have just said that he was a Dwarf, not that many running around the world now days,” Khall said.
“Well, I guess that settles it,” Korgat said, as he smashed his mug of ale with enough strength to break off a piece of the wooden table.
The piece of wood fell straight towards Licius’s left foot, and as the wood fell down, the most unexpected thing happened.
Licius, without really thinking about it, reacted and moved his foot out of the way. But he immediately let out a scream, as he felt an intense pain in his spine.
“What happened? Did you just move your foot?” Arius asked.
“Not me, the armor did it. I can feel how it moves inside my wound, manipulating my heart to continue beating and now moving my legs like puppets.”
“Well maybe one day we will figure out how to remove it, so I can heal you properly,” Arius said.
“I don’t know much about this armor, but I do know one thing. It is a part of me now. And I doubt it will come off, until I am dead.”
“Do not lose hope; I am sure we will find a way. But right now, we must focus on stopping Xandraf.”
“I know, and I shall try my best to get back on my feet by the time you return with that sword, so I can march with you to battle one last time.”
“Let’s just hope that Stundroff gets here in time,” Arius said.
“If there is one thing I envy you for, it is your faith, my friend.”
They said their goodbyes, as Khall and some other Outsiders marched south to rally the troops and Arius and Korgat went north in search of the Frozen Blade, leaving Licius and Lizandra at Blood Howl village to prepare for battle and await their return.
◆◆◆
By the time Arius and Korgat had walked about two miles, Korgat remembered he had left something behind. So he raised his right hand and with its palm pointing towards Blood Howl village he waited for a few seconds, as his sword burst through the frozen water on top of the lake and flew the entire distance without stopping until it landed, handle first, in Korgat’s hand.
“Now, we can continue.”
“I need to teach my hammer to do that.”
“It is not something you can teach, I’m afraid.”
“I believe that’s the first time I hear you say something without swearing, you must really love that sword.”
“I do, but I was not the one who choose it; it was the other way around.”
“So the sword, choose you? The sword is a relic of power?”
“Yes, I found it many years ago. And it is thanks to it, that I have been able to live so long; it also gave me my strength and endurance.”
“And what happens if someone else wields it?” Arius asked.
“Many have tried to steal it from me over the years, but none have ever managed to do so.”
“And why is that?”
“Because it is extremely heavy, and without the strength that the sword gave me, it is almost impossible to wield. Besides, it always returns to my hand when I command it to.”
“Would you mind if I try?” Arius asked.
“Only if you let me wield your hammer.”
Arius responded with a nod and they traded weapons, but as soon as Korgat placed his sword in Arius’s hand, the tip of the sword fell straight down into the floor, as Arius struggled to maintain his grip on the heavy handle.
Korgat carried Arius’s two handed hammer with ease.
“How do you make it glow?” Korgat asked.
“You can’t, that energy doesn’t come from the hammer. It comes from me, and I am the one that charges i
t.” Arius replied.
“So that means it’s just a regular hammer?”
“Yes, but it is very valuable to my family and very useful in combat.” Arius began to glow with holy energy, proving to Korgat that the power came from him and not the hammer.
“I see.” Korgat said.
“Your sword is so heavy,” said Arius. “How do you manage to wield this thing, and how do you make it shoot lightning?”
Korgat smiled and recalled the sword to his hand, taking it from Arius without warning. He then lifted it towards the sky and summoned a lightning bolt to the tip of the sword, but instead of shooting it away, the lightning remained in the sword as stored energy.
“Impressive, so the sword chose you and then it gave you all your powers?” Arius asked.
“Yes, and now I have both weapons. You should be more careful about who you trust.”
“As I said, that hammer is nothing without me.” His eyes began to glow with golden light.
“Fair enough,” Korgat said, as he recognized that this was not the time or the place for him to retake his throne.
“But I have been meaning to ask you - if the sword extended your life spam, then perhaps you are truly the same Korgat the Gore Blade that was expelled from Logrant’s city army and escaped from prison over a hundred years ago.”
Korgat lowered his eyes and meditated for a second, as painful memories from that era flooded his mind.
“We have wasted enough time talking, let’s move on.”
The two men walked for what it seemed three days without the sun ever setting. Arius was baffled by this, as he saw the sun moving, yet it never seemed to set.
But not even the constant daylight was enough to shield them from the bone-aching cold, for as the further north they traveled, the colder the air got.
Arius’s feet began to ache, as the freezing cold had managed to penetrate the thick leather skin of his boots and was now working its way up his leg. But Korgat seemed unaffected by the cold, as he continued walking without slowing down.
“Can we stop? I’m hungry,” Arius said.
“I thought you wanted to get your sword, little prince,” Korgat replied.
“I do, but it will not do me any good to reach it, if I am in no condition to carry it.” Arius kneeled down and began to channel a spell on his feet.
Scorched Kingdom Page 23