Before he had time to rise, Traven sent several more bolts in quick succession and took a mighty swipe at his opponent’s shield. Several tears opened in the shield just as Traven followed with a raging fireball. It exploded against the shield, splashing flames inside. The galdak wielder had regained his footing, and threw up his bony arms to shield his face from the flames. His cloak caught fire but was snuffed out quickly. Traven sent another large fireball at his opponent, but the shield was completely solid once again.
The galdak wielder leveled a withering glare full of hate at him. A thunderous bolt of lightning came crashing down on Traven’s shield. Before its light had disappeared, another powerful bolt struck directly from in front, knocking his shield back. Traven leaped backward quickly and maintained a firm hold on his shield.
The ancient wielder began taking massive swipes at the protective barrier. Each swipe seemed to open another small tear in his shield, but Traven managed to quickly repair the gaps. The galdak wielder had more strength left than he had expected. He was surprised by the galdak’s furor and tenacity, but also hopeful. The furious and rapid barrage of attacks from the ancient wielder reminded him of a wild animal that had been cornered and was fighting for its life.
Suddenly, a gap opened in the top of his shield just as a lightning bolt came slamming down on him. He quickly repaired the tear. Most of the bolt was repelled, but a thin line of blindingly bright light arced inside the shield and slammed into the ground. Traven bit back a scream as he felt a stinging pain on the back of his left arm. The smell of smoke and burnt flesh assaulted his nostrils. With his ears still ringing, he concentrated harder on maintaining the solidity of his shield.
He needed to end the fight before the galdak wielder got lucky again. As he focused all his mental energy on keeping his shield firm, he began walking slowly towards his attacker. Traven had an idea that he hoped would surprise his enemy and allow him to end the fight. The galdak blasted his shield with lightning several times, stopping his progress momentarily. However, the wielder didn’t manage to rip any more holes in his shield. After each blast, Traven began forward once again at a quicker pace.
The galdak wielder’s attempts to shred his shield became noticeably weaker. His opponent was tiring. The attack would be incredibly risky, but the result would be worth it. Traven’s breathing quickened as his heart began racing even faster. This was it. The time to strike was now.
Immediately following the impact of another lightning bolt, Traven took two running steps and launched himself forward, directly at the gnarled galdak wielder. As he flew through the air, he simultaneously dropped his own shield and threw all of his strength into ripping apart the shield of his opponent. The shield began to give way just as he reached it. His momentum carried his body forward, crashing through the shredded shield. His sword leapt to his hand and flashed out in front of him as he slammed into the ancient galdak and fell to the ground.
The deafening sound of the continual blasts of lightning was suddenly replaced by a deathly silence. Traven looked up to find the gnarled galdak wielder staring down at him with wide eyes that were glowing abnormally bright in the darkness. The ancient wielder’s mouth hung open, but no sound escaped. Traven’s sword was buried up to its hilt in the galdak’s bony chest. The light in the ancient wielder’s eyes dimmed and vanished as he slumped backwards, devoid of life.
40
Traven climbed to his feet as the rapid beating of his heart began to slow to a normal pace. He looked down at the lifeless body of the powerful galdak wielder and let out a sigh of relief. His attempt to shred the galdak’s shield had been successful. He didn’t want to think of what the outcome would have been if his attempt had failed.
He leaned down and carefully retrieved his sword. As he bent over the creature’s motionless body, he looked at the collection of precious stones and skulls on display. Many of the stones were stunningly beautiful, but he wasn’t sure which of them was the stone of deceit. He began carefully touching all of them until he found one that felt distinctly different from all the others. It looked like any of the other precious stones but was as cold as ice. He cut it free from the ancient galdak’s necklace and deposited it in his pocket.
An angry yell from nearby brought his attention back to the battlefield. Rushing towards him were the galdak warriors who had escorted the wielder onto the plain. During the duel, Traven had noticed them watching from a safe distance. They had remained motionless until now. Apparently, they had witnessed the death of the ancient wielder and weren’t pleased about it.
He shook his head tiredly as he turned to face the onrushing warriors. Even with the help of the armband of endurance, he felt exhausted. All ten of the warriors appeared larger and stronger than the average galdak. He stretched forth his left hand and sent a gigantic fireball blazing in their direction. The majority evaded it, but two fell to the ground. Traven concentrated and sent several ice spears flashing through the air. Three more galdaks crashed to the ground. Of the five remaining warriors, two of them decided they didn’t like their chances and turned back towards the galdak camp at a swift run.
Traven ignored the two and focused on the three others that were nearing him. He was mentally tired of wielding the ambience and decided to finish the last three the old fashioned way. He waited until they were almost upon him and then leapt forward to meet them. His sword flashed as he dodged the blade of the first to reach him. Metal then met bone and the large galdak collapsed with a cry. Traven jumped to the side and finished another warrior off with two quick strokes. He then dodged the final swipe of the third before swinging his own sword and restoring silence to the plain once again.
He slowly cleaned his blade and sheathed it before taking one last look at the galdak wielder’s corpse. It still amazed him to think that the shriveled body of the elderly galdak had possessed so much strength in the ambience. Traven recognized how lucky he was to have survived the duel. The ancient wielder had been a daunting opponent.
He turned from the lifeless body and glanced towards Kavar. Two riders were already rushing across the plain. He sat down on the already matted grass and waited for Darian and Giselle to reach him. He realized with surprise that the darkly clouded sky was already beginning to lighten slightly with the coming of day. It was hard to believe he had battled the galdak wielder for so long. Then again, the exhaustion he felt testified that he hadn’t slept for an entire day and night.
It wasn’t long before his two devoted servants pulled up in front of him. Darian was riding Pennon, and Giselle was on her own mount. The two leapt from the horses and rushed to his side. Giselle kneeled down next to him while Darian stood nearby surveying the vicinity.
“Thank goodness you’re still alive. Are you injured?” she asked worriedly as she began inspecting him.
“I’m fine,” he replied. “Just tired.”
He was too exhausted to resist her prodding and poking at his body. She finally made her way around to the back of his left arm, and he let out a yelp.
“What happened?” she exclaimed.
“A little bit of lightening,” he replied. “It stings, but it will be fine.
Giselle jumped up and hurried to the saddlebags on her mount. She began rummaging through them while Darian, having determined there weren’t any more threats nearby, squatted down next to Traven.
“You were masterful,” the elf stated. “Your patience paid off and gave all of us watching a grand show. Some of the soldiers were wondering if the duel would ever end.”
“I felt that way too,” he replied.
“Congratulations,” Darian continued. “You have now defeated two wielders. If you were not already a legend, you are now.”
Traven clenched his teeth as Giselle returned and began smearing some ointment on the burn. He wasn’t sure what the medicine was, but it stung. After a few moments, the pain began to subside until it almost completely disappeared. He thanked her and allowed Darian to help him to his feet. He di
dn’t care if he was a legend or not. All he cared about at the moment was finding somewhere to sleep.
They mounted the two horses and headed back to Kavar. A thunderous crowd awaited his arrival. The cheering and applauding eclipsed the welcome he had received earlier that night. Traven nodded to the cheering soldiers and the smaller group of citizens who had joined the back of the crowd. He quickly passed through them without really seeing anyone. The sky was continuing to grow lighter, reminding him of just how long he had been awake.
One of the generals met him and learned that his only desire at the moment was to sleep. He laughed and directed him to one of the dwellings that had been evacuated. It was just beyond the section of buildings that had been destroyed. Traven thanked him and headed directly for the small home. When they arrived, Darian took care of the horses while Giselle followed him inside. She forced him to drink some water and eat a little food before he stumbled into a bedroom and collapsed on a simple bed. He could rest at last.
41
He wasn’t sure how long he slept, but he awoke feeling much better. His sleep had been solid and deep without any dreams or visions. It took him a moment to get his bearings straight and realize where he was. He didn’t really remember entering the room he found himself in, but he did vaguely remember being directed to the modest home.
Traven sat up and stretched. He noticed that the burn on his arm was now bandaged. He left the small bedroom and found Darian and Giselle both asleep in the front room. Darian was slumped in front of the door while Giselle slept in a chair. They both stirred and opened their eyes at the sound of his footfalls. He was sure they needed more sleep. They had been awake as long as he had and didn’t have the extra benefit of the armband of endurance.
“Don’t get up,” he said. “I’m sure you both are still very tired.”
“You are correct about that,” Darian said with a yawn, “but we will be fine. We have slept most of the day.”
“Really?” Traven asked as he walked over to a shuttered window and pushed it open.
It was hard to tell exactly what time of day it was with all of the cloud cover, but it did seem as if the sun was low in the sky. No wonder he felt rested.
“Let us sit and have a proper meal,” Giselle said as she rose and walked over to a small table with four chairs. “You will need your strength for the battle tonight.”
Traven groaned as he was reminded that there were still over two hundred thousand galdaks camped near the city. The death of the ancient wielder would not cause the horde to turn around. In fact, the attack might be even more ferocious in retaliation for his death. The thought of a full night defending the city caused his stomach to rumble. He did need a good meal. He joined Giselle at the table as Darian walked over as well.
There were several small loafs of bread, cheese, fruit, and dried meat. The food wasn’t anything exciting, but there was plenty of it. Traven eagerly dug in. While he was eating, he suddenly remembered that his elven army should have already arrived. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten about them. He asked Darian if any word had been sent.
“I took care of it,” Darian responded. “They arrived early this afternoon and set up camp on the north side of the city. They are currently resting and preparing for the night’s battle. I think the elves and humans are uneasy about fighting together. I doubt we will be able to mix their ranks, but they will each do fine if they are kept separate. Blaize is currently working out the details with some of the elven leaders.”
“He is feeling better then?” Traven asked.
“Well enough to be back in charge,” the elf responded.
That was encouraging news. With Blaize leading the army and the addition of the fifty thousand elven warriors, the soldiers defending the city should be able to easily repel the galdak horde, especially with Traven’s help.
“Did I miss anything else while I slept?”
The two elves shared a quick glance.
“What?” he asked.
Darian turned to him with a big smile.
“Gavin showed up demanding to speak with you,” the elf said. “He did not appear to be in the best of moods.”
“What did he say?”
“Nothing else,” Darian replied. “He just said he had to speak to you. I told him you were sleeping and could not be disturbed. He demanded I wake you, but I refused. I finally convinced him that you needed to sleep if he wanted your help in defending the city tonight. He had to agree and stormed off saying that he would speak with you tonight.”
“He didn’t storm off,” Giselle said as she rolled her eyes.
“Well, he definitely wasn’t happy.”
“What do you think he wants to talk to me about?” Traven asked worriedly. “Do you think he found out about my meeting with the princess?”
“You’ll find out tonight,” Darian said with a laugh.
Traven continued eating his meal in silence. As if battling a couple hundred thousand galdaks wasn’t enough to look forward to, now he had to worry about Gavin as well. He supposed it really shouldn’t worry him. He hadn’t done anything to be ashamed of.
By the time they finished eating, the sky was noticeably darker. He needed to report to the battlefield. They left the modest home and mounted their horses. Traven was pleased to see that Darian’s horse had been returned. It didn’t take them long to reach the edge of the city. The soldiers of the Royal Army and the elven warriors were already assembled. The elves were positioned to the north and the humans to the south. There was a gap of several arm spans between the two groups. It was there that he located Blaize, Gavin, and the other generals of the army.
“I’m glad to see you decided to join us,” Blaize said with a smile as Traven approached.
“I’m glad to see you’re up and about,” he replied.
“Thanks to you, I’m told. It’s about time you paid me back for saving your life.”
Traven smiled as he reached out and clasped arms with his friend and mentor.
“Of course,” Blaize continued, “you could have done a better job of healing me. My back is still a little sore, and I’m going to have some new scars.”
“I thought you needed some souvenirs of your glorious stand alone against hundreds of galdaks,” he replied as he shrugged his shoulders. “I can heal them now if you want. I’m rested.”
“Save your energy for tonight,” Blaize said with a chuckle. “My sore back will help remind me to stay out of the fighting.”
After their exchange, the other generals welcomed Traven as well and expressed their joy at having him and his elven army present to help. Gavin nodded to him but didn’t say anything. It was apparent the vice baron had something on his mind but was not anxious to discuss it in front of an audience.
“What is the battle plan,” Traven asked once all of the formalities were out of the way.
“Now that the galdak wielder has been disposed of,” Blaize said with a wink for Traven, “we have positioned extra archers all along the crumbled wall. They will continuously rain arrows down on the galdaks throughout the entire night. Your elves have been positioned to guard the north while my soldiers will guard the south. The cavalry will be sent to attack the flanks of the galdak horde periodically throughout the battle.”
“What do you want me to do?” he asked.
“Kill as many galdaks as you can.”
“Is there anything specific you’d like?” Traven asked with a smile.
“Actually, there is something we were hoping you could help with,” Blaize said. “One of the advantages of the galdaks is the darkness. Can you do something to make it lighter for our troops?”
Traven thought about it for several moments. He could easily use fire but thought he could probably do something even better.
“Sure,” he replied. “Anything else?”
“I would also appreciate it if you could keep an eye on the battle and report to me where extra reinforcements are needed throughout the night or if the
galdaks are preparing to strike in a certain area.”
“Okay,” Traven said as he nodded. “Now, if you will excuse me, I would like to speak with the elves before the battle begins.”
Blaize dismissed him, and he rode out in front of the ranks of elven warriors. The sky was rapidly darkening, and the horde had begun to assemble in front of their camp in the distance. Traven wanted to make sure to address his army before the battle began. The elven warriors had followed him without question all the way to Kavar to fight in a war that they weren’t even obligated to participate in. He wanted them to know of his gratitude, his faith in their fighting ability, and his promise to aid them in the fight. He made his way down the ranks until he was near the center and turned to face the large army. It was comforting to have Darian and Giselle close on each side as he delivered his speech.
“Brave elven warriors,” he began in a loud and steady voice. “I want to thank you for your loyalty and courage in following me here to aid the humans in defending this city. Your willingness to leave your woods and stand and fight against a ferocious horde of galdaks speaks highly of your characters and the courage you possess.
“I will not pretend that there will be no casualties among us, but I do have confidence in your prowess in the arts of war. The galdaks are daunting physically, but their size makes them cumbersome. You will have the advantage with your quickness and superior skill. I have no doubt the galdaks will soon learn that they would rather attack the human soldiers than the elven ones.”
A chuckle of agreement rippled through the ranks.
“I want you all to know that I will be fighting with you. I will employ all of my skills and power in helping to make sure that as many of you as possible return safely and gloriously to your beloved havens. Tonight, you will make your race proud and earn the respect of the human race once again. We will stand firm, and we will win a resounding victory!”
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