Maiden's Saber

by Marion Faith St. James

  While Dian is busy sending ice bolts into their attackers in front of them, the dwarf summons a great wind which batters the dragon. The force of the wind is so sudden the dragon spins upside down and spills the riders from its back.

  The great beast manages to right itself, but without its rider, it flies off toward the horizon.

  Still more arrows fired from the Shadow Clan streak toward Truk and Dian.

  The woman warrior quickly puts up a thick wall of ice between themselves and the attackers. Most of the arrows bounce off the frozen barrier, but she was not fast enough to stop them all. Several arrows strike the warriors’ armor and fall to the ground.

  One splintered shaft finds a chink in Truk’s leg armor and penetrates his flesh below the knee. He falters, but rises back up just in time to see more Shadow Clan rush down a hill toward them. He grasps the shaft in is leg and breaks it off; leaving the arrowhead in his leg.

  In front are hooded Druids leading the clan. Truk calls forth from the skies a hail storm. The ice balls larger than a man’s fist beat down on the enemy. Unprotected heads are split from the rock-hard hail.

  One of the Druids raises his sword, and flames issue from the blade and impact the still falling ice. White steam is produced when fire meets ice. What once was rock-hard hail is now only water pelting the attacking Horde.

  “Dian, we need to flee. The Blood Druids have arrived, and one commands a magic sword. We cannot divide our attention between the minions and the new attackers wielding magic.”

  She turns toward the new threat while Truk creates small tornadoes which throw the Shadow Clan about like rag dolls in the wind. She sends ice bolts toward the new threat surging down the hills. Some manage to strike her targets and they fall. The Druid wielding the ebony blade neatly cleaves those ice bolts that speed at him.

  “Dian take my arm and I will have the winds take us to safety.”

  Backing toward Truk, she keeps shooting her ice bolts. “There are just too many of them brother!”

  “I know…hang on!”

  A powerful wind-driven tornado surrounds them and lifts the two warriors into the air.

  The Horde continues to fire arrows at the Maiden’s warriors as they rise from the ground. The force of the wind pushes the arrows away from the intended target.

  As they go higher, Truk can see a red line of fire coming from the Druid with the black sword. Before he could spin them around and out of its path, it strikes Dian in the back.

  “Truk…brother?” Her body sags in his arms, and she drops Hydrosin, which loses form and turns to water.

  Truk increases the power of the tornado, and they are quickly beyond the reach of any that is below. A few of the enemy still shoot arrows at them, but fall short.

  Truk holds Dian close. With the powerful wind storm keeping them aloft, heads east to the Maiden and the others. Inside his heart, he knows the woman in his arms is no longer with him.

  The whirlwind moves them quickly over the countryside. Truk looks down and watches as the ground is scored where the tornado touches the earth.

  Just then, an arrow clanks against his helmet. Looking behind he sees another dragon with two riders. The archer behind the beast’s driver is shooting arrows at him. The force of Truk’s tornado spoils the aim of most shafts. Another arrow manages to strike Truk’s back armor and bounces off.

  Below as the wind swirls around him and Dian, he can see a sea of Shadow Clan, Druids and the Horde pushing Amari and Holl-tu against a mountain where they can retreat no further. In the middle of that mass are Gareth and Mimna moving like farmers swinging their sickles like they were chopping at corn stalks. They are clearing a path trying to join with Amari.

  Truk lands just above and behind them on a small plateau. He gently lays Dian upon the ground. Sliding down the embankment, he joins his brethren.

  Amari sends a bolt of light which passes through a dozen men. She sees Truk now standing beside her. She looks up to where Dian lies, and back to him.

  All he could do was shake a helmeted head.

  As Gareth and Mimna come closer, Truk pushes back the Horde with a screaming gale, which allows his brethren to join the warriors.

  Gareth notices the absence of Dian, who was with Truk. “Where is our sister?”

  “Her battles are over brother. She rests with the Goddess now; only her earthly body remains.”

  The big man jams Helixx into the ground sending a powerful quake into the midst of their attackers. Many cannot keep their legs and fall. He opens great fissures swallowing hundreds. He seals the ground, crushing all those that have fallen into the earth.

  Still more come without end from three directions in a sea of men and weapons.

  Amari stands next to him. “Gareth, do not lend yourself to great anger. I feel as you for Dian, but the force of your strikes will rob you of more energy than you possess. In weakness the dark can claim your body and mind.”

  With tears unseen behind his battle helmet, Gareth using the Earth Sword causes rocks and stones to roll at their enemy with great speed, splintering legs and crushing feet. Those attackers drop to the ground in pain, no longer able to fight.

  Mimna on hearing the death of Dian drops to her knees. Her body shakes as her sobs are deep. A bloody sword falls from her grasp.

  Amari lays a hand on Mimna’s shoulder while sending another bolt of searing light into the midst of those moving ever closer. “Sister, there will be time for mourning later. We need you in the battle!”

  Mimna looks up at the Maiden. Suddenly her eyes take on a calmness. She slowly stands and yells to Truk. “Brother, make it rain upon us.”

  “What?”

  “Make it rain—and quickly!”

  The Dwarf warrior raises the Mystic Wind, and thick clouds gather over the warrior’s heads. A downpour of blinding rain ensues.

  Mimna lifts her hands to the sky. “Goddess, bestow upon me the power of Hydrosin. Let me avenge my sister Dian.”

  For a few moments, nothing happens…then within her outstretched hands appears two identical water swords. Mimna’s armor changes from green to blue.

  All the knowledge of the Kcaj blade flows unchecked into her mind and soul. She crosses the two swords in front of her and the falling rain turns to ice and builds a thick frozen shield several meters wide between the warriors and their enemy. Swords, spears or arrows cannot penetrate the thick ice wall.

  Mimna still holding the Water Swords crossed over her head looks over her shoulder. “Rest while you can my friends. I do not know how long I can hold this barrier.”

  “Mimna,” Amari asks. “How is it possible you can call upon Hydrosin?”

  Mimna, her eyes shedding a great many tears at the passing of her friend gasps out the words. “Dian shared the Water Sword with me. She was sore worried that one of these battles would be her last. Hydrosin willingly chose me if that were ever to transpire. By the Goddess, I did not wish for this to happen.”

  Before Mimna could say another word, a ball of fire strikes the ice wall on their side…weakening it. She uncrosses the blades and re-crosses them again, adding thickness to the barrier.

  Looking up they see a large dragon circling overhead in the driving rain. Upon its back, is a hooded form holding the reins with one hand, and swinging a black sword. He stabs at those below and a series of fire balls streak down at them.

  Truk raises a strong wind that slows the magic spheres, but the fire drops among them, as the warriors move from the flames impact with the ground. The great dragon with a powerful beat of leathery wings flies over the ice wall and banks in a tight circle returns. It spews fire from his mouth; at the same time, the Druid shoots more fire at them from his sword.

  Mimna turns her attention from the ice wall and sends dozens of ice bolts at the dropping fire. Enchanted water cancels enchanted fire.

  The Druid is enraged that his fire is so easily stopped. He calls upon the sword magic of his blade. A gigantic ball of fire grows above his h
ead.

  Before the evil one could hurl it down, a dark shape streaking through the sky, attacks the dragon the Druid is riding. Steel sharp talons rake across the winged beast’s back, and along the neck spilling great amounts of green blood. The now lifeless dragon plummets to earth dropping the Druid from its back.

  Dragon and man falling from the sky, land on top of those Shadow Clan and Druids pushing and hacking against the other side of the ice wall. The bodies of the minions help in cushioning the Druid’s fall.

  All at once, the ice wall develops cracks and breaks apart in several places, as Mimna is not able to maintain the strength and magic to sustain it.

  Truk causes a wind to topple the broken wall toward their enemies killing many under its weight.

  Through the turmoil, the warriors could see the Druid now devoid of his hooded robe running to escape. He goes a short distance away and masses what is left of his Shadow Clan and Druids. The Horde has lost their will to fight any longer and leave in droves. Still, there are hundreds of Druids and their slaves, the Shadow Clan.

  With a rush of great wings, the warriors turn to see a dragon landing upon the short plateau behind them. The beast is Tybalt the dragon they saved. It gently nuzzles Dian’s body with its head and looks to the warriors.

  The young dragon touches Amari’s mind. “She was a great warrior. My heart pains for you.”

  “Our gratitude to you Tybalt,” Amari says with her thoughts.

  He bows to the maiden. “My oath replayed you for sparing me, is fulfilled. I will have no more dealings with men, as I have killed one of my own kind defending you and your companions. Farewell Maiden!”

  With a great leap, the dragon soars into the sky. It circles twice over the enemy and disappears into the clouds.

  Gareth watches the dragon until it is gone. “Why did it leave?”

  Amari touches her head with fingertips and moves her hand toward where the dragon disappeared. “It swore an oath…and since it saved us from the other dragon…it has been repaid.”

  “A shame” he says. “That beast would have scattered those who stand before us. I fear we are still in for more of this battle. See there in the stand of trees. They are massing for a full-on assault.”

  Gareth called it, as the enemy let out a blood-curdling yell and charged. The Druid who should be in the forefront of the advance is running toward the back of the charge.

  “Some leader,” Holl-tu says. He is hiding at the rear while sending his minions to be cut down like cattle.

  Amari and the warriors brace themselves for the mass of human flesh charging at them. The hours of fighting has taxed their collective strength. The constant calling of magic has sapped their energies. Truk winds and Mimna’s ice bolts are not as effective as before. Gareth cannot call upon the earth sword to cause even a pebble to move.

  The Maiden looks at the advancing men and then to her warriors as they step back. “This may be our last battle my friends. May we all die well?”

  Above the din of the enemy’s blood-curling yells, comes another sound. It is a high-pitched whine. Then the warriors see the cause. Uncountable balls of fire rain down into the tight ranks of the advancing enemy. The fire balls keep descending almost without end scattering the advancing druids and weakening their attack. A few still continue toward the warriors, but die from the slashes of the Kcaj swords when they are near.

  Running around their left flank is Natsha. She continues to bring fire from the skies. When she reaches her friends, Natsha brings that familiar wall of protective fire all about them. She immediately notices that someone is missing.

  “What of our sister Dian?”

  Truk is first to answer. “She lies just above, killed by that one Druid that waves a black sword.”

  “Then he will feel my fire consume his flesh,” Natsha says as she sends a large ball of fire at the Druid leader.

  The Druid with tattooed skull lifts his black blade and chops at the fire ball, neatly cleaving it. It dissipates into the air.

  Natsha sends another and another; none of the fiery orbs seems to be effective against him.

  It is Holl-tu, who supplies the answer. “The blade which he holds can only be Spirit Eater. It may even have the power to overwhelm the Kcaj.”

  “Not my Kcaj,” says Gareth. Summoning a final bit of strength, he brings the blade up and drives the point deep within the ground. A long trench opens from the sword and out into the field of the enemy. It quickly widens the further it travels until it becomes a large hole that swallows all those in its path. Only a handful of their attackers were able to escape—one being the evil Druid.”

  “Brother,” says Amari. “You must not think we are all powerful. Those thoughts will lead one to fall under the spells of the dark followers. This world may hold many enchanted swords and weapons we know little about. Already I can feel you aura darkening. Stay within the light.”

  Gareth’s mind and heart relax as he returns to a pure warrior once again. “That was close; I see what you mean Maiden. It is so easy to fall into the darkness.”

  She turns to Holl-tu. “Wizard—what is this Spirit Eater?”

  “I only know of its legend passed down among the wizards and sorcerers of old. Suffice to say; it was spawned from hell and has a great power.”

  They watch the Druid flex his arms and walk toward the warriors. He is alone, as his followers…those that could be counted on two hands have run off.

  Amari takes a step toward him. “My warriors, this fight I must do alone.”

  “Maiden,” says Gareth getting to his wobbly feet. I swore to protect you. Let me strike this foe down.”

  “No my friend; you are too weak to battle such strong magic. Stay with the others and protect them should this evil one defeat me.”

  Amari raises her saber, as she approaches the snarling Druid.

  His face contorted with evil smiles at her. “So Witch, it will be I Edalvin, who has the honor of finally defeating you in the name of the Blood Druids.”

  Amari stands tall as she nears her mortal enemy. “There are no more Blood Druids dark one. Your Shadow Clan is but a handful. The Horde you called from beyond the mountains ceases to exist.” She points Katana at him. “It is only you, who stands in the way of light shining upon this land again. You and your evil ancestors rule will end here and now at this place and time. Know this; I fight for the Goddess Aurelia. Her strength flows from this blade.”

  The Druid lifts his own blade and swings it about. “Where your saber is light—this is darkness. The shade devours light!” He takes several swings at the Maiden who does not flinch.

  She smiles at him. “If that is meant to instill fear…you are failing.”

  The Druid brings his blade up and down at her head in a blazing speed. He never sees her move, but her sword is there knocking his aside. He tries other swings, jabs and thrusts…all fail to get near Amari.

  “You have skills woman, but you cannot defeat me.”

  “I don’t mean to just defeat you evil one, but to drive you back to the fires of darkness below. Your sword cannot destroy my Kcaj saber. This is a construct of the Goddess herself. Though yours is cast from an evil god you serve—it is weaker.”

  With anger welling up in the Druid, he makes several thrusts at the Maiden, only to be pushed back. He sees she is not attacking, but only defending herself. She is conserving her strength. A weakness he sees. Looking beyond, he can see her companion’s watching. Smiling he sends a large ball of fire at them.

  Too late, they realize it was directed at them. As it crashes down, Mimna has but moments to create a shell of ice to cover them. It is not strong enough to deflect the force and heat of the fireball, but it does weaken the sphere and reduces its strength. The ice shield explodes, and they are covered with fire; but only briefly as a great torrent of rain crashes upon them called by the hand of Truk. Their armor protects them. Natsha raises her sword to return the fire, but cannot with Amari between Natsha and her fo
e. It will never reach the Druid.

  Edalvin is wearing Amari down. Her strength is fading as she repels strike after strike. He manages to nick her arm with a wild swing. A small section of armor covering Amari’s arm where he struck turns black and falls away as ash from her body. Her white tunic underneath is revealed.

  Edalvin knows that he is winning and soon this one will be dead, never to rise up to threaten the Blood Druids again. He may be the last of his kind, but he will rebuild the fiercest bards who will walk the earth once more. He strikes again driving her to the ground in several powerful blows. She is at her knees with sword and arm raised to defend.

  Now Amari is low, Natsha shoots a ball of fire at the Druid. He easily parries it out of the way and it burst upon a tree…setting it afire.

  “Soon now,” he says while standing over her, mocking. “The spirit will leave your body. I will have the blade you hold. Those who serve you will die as well.”

  Slowly the Maiden rises unsteady to her feet. Her sword still raised—her hand shakes, so much that she has to grasp Katana with both hands.

  As the Druid stands there savoring his victory, the warriors fearing Amari will die, gather whatever strength they have left, even if it means to perish, and bring their sabers together—all points aimed at Amari. The four elements of the Kcaj within the enchanted sabers glow and seem to become one blade.

  A powerful light builds about them and the sabers, swirling with many colors. As the swords touch each other, the light shoots from where the blades meet…travels the distance and strike Amari at her back. The energy flows over and into her body. She rises into the air with her feet just a few inches above the ground. Her body slowly turns as the power builds within her.

  The Druid tries to strike at her.

  A ring of lightening surrounds her and stops the Druid’s blade from reaching her.

  The Druid steps back at this new magic. He tries one desperate move to win this battle. “You are defeated, give in to evil Maiden, and I will spare you.”