The Man stood, frozen in place, torn about what to do. He looked back and forth at each person and debated whom he should kill, if necessary. Smoke started to shoot out of Gamelda’s ears like steam from a tea kettle, and tears formed in The Man’s eyes. He shook like a leaf, sword in hand, as he watched the woman he loved dying slowly. Tears cascaded down The Man’s scarred face and he couldn’t stand by idly any longer.
“AAAHHHH,” screamed The Man as he delivered an overhand stroke by which the golden blade ripped into the Crippler’s right shoulder and ran down to the small of his back. The dead man collapsed to the ground and turned into a black puddle. The pool of demon blood moved around the room and looked for a spot to sink into but couldn’t find any cracks in the stone floor. The ebony liquid ebbed across the floor, up the wall and flowed out an open window before drizzling down into the grass and retreating into the earth. The Man ran over to Gamelda. He hugged her smoking body and could feel the intense heat. He quickly wiped away the tears as his disoriented paramour regained her wits and sat up.
“Are you alright, my love?” he asked as the dulled green emerald on Gamelda’s forehead returned to its normal brilliance.
She answered in a whisper of a voice, “I will be. I’m sorry you had to kill your friend. I know he meant a lot to you.”
The Man told her, “Forget that, you were right. He was a demon. He tried to kill you. No one will ever kill the woman I love.” He didn’t even realize that he was admitting his love for her. He wouldn’t admit it to her, but the situation bothered him greatly. How could I have never known the man was a demon? Maybe I’m not fit to be king?
“He was strong, but full of demonic energy. I think we found your black cloud. Maybe now we will see better visions,” Gamelda said with a smile that appeared to cause her pain.
The Man carried her over to the soft bed and set her down gently. She started to shake and her body turned cold. The Man used every blanket in the room to cover his lover and the twitching finally stopped. Gamelda quickly slipped into sleep and The Man paced around the room. After this incident, The Man had no clue as to whom he could really trust.
Two days later, he sat at the table in his quarters with Gamelda.
“Are you still broken up over the Crippler?” she asked.
He tried to sound tough as he answered, “I’m much more upset over the death of Benroy than that demon. Benroy was like a…a…a really good friend.”
Gamelda hinted, “Like a brother?”
The Man shrugged his shoulders and said, “I wouldn’t know precisely, but from what I’ve heard, yes, something like that. A lot of men respect and look up to me like a father. The Crippler tried to be like a father to me so I guess Benroy was my brother. I don’t know, maybe it’s just because I never had any real friends until he came along. I used to look out for that little guy. He wasn’t the best swordsman, but I made sure he never died on the battlefield. I saved his life a countless number of times, and for what? To watch him die because I couldn’t protect our water?”
Gamelda suggested, “Maybe we should choose another man to fight the duel considering your current mental state. Mad Dog would represent you well in a duel. Let him have the chance.”
The Man laughed snidely and said, “No way. I want to kill Ali-Samuel myself. Revenge will set my head straight and motivate me plenty.”
Gamelda informed him, “I haven’t seen you fighting a red-headed man in the duel, only you saw that. You are fighting a massive man with long black braids and an unorthodox fighting style.”
The Man shook his head and couldn’t believe her as he responded, “There’s no chance Ali-Samuel would let another man fight his battles.”
She rubbed his blond whiskered chin and said, “You lose to the foreign man in the visions.”
“What?” The Man asked sharply as he pulled his face away.
She peered into his eyes. “You heard what I said. You die. Don’t do this. You saved my life and I am trying to return the favor. Head for the mountains and they won’t catch you. They hardly have a cavalry unit. Don’t fight. And if you will stay, let Mad Dog fight, please.”
The Man laughed through his nose and said, “I am going to fight. You probably saw those visions because of the Crippler’s bad aura being too close to me.”
She shook her head and replied, “No, I just saw them this morning.”
The Man knew he would never be able to face his men if he backed out. He said, “That’s a great shame that you think you saw me lose, but I am fighting for my kingdom. I am fine to fight; in fact, I can’t wait to kill that barbarian. Get ready to see him die in real life, not with some flames in some stupid skull. We leave in one hour.” The Man got up and left the room to be fitted into his dueling armor.
The lighter suit consisted of overlapping plates of thin ovals of gilded metal and allowed more movement than his full battle gear. Tucker handed him the golden battle helm after the squire helped slide the gauntlets on both of The Man’s hands. He went to meet Gamelda at the stables. She waited for him on a tan palfrey with white spots and he jumped onto his barded destrier. The war horse snorted and reared back before The Man could get his left foot in the stirrup. He almost fell, but secured his footing and sat firmly on the horse. Gamelda looked at him and shook her head but he tried to ignore it. He knew she would try to make it seem like a reason to back out of the duel.
The destrier calmed down enough to trot slowly out of the stable and head south as they started toward the Gates of Elkridge. They rode in silence up to a full gallop and tasted the breezy autumn air.
There’s no way I can lose this fight, not to Ali-Samuel or some savage from Histomanji. But I’d rather kill Ali-Samuel.
The two arrived at the designated fighting location in the late afternoon and his guard, Lennix, approached.
The tall, thin man said, “There’s about two or three hundred of them out there saying they want to come in for the duel.”
The Man contemplated for a moment and answered, “Let’s head for the gates and give the message ourselves.”
He stared at Gamelda’s green eyes as he heeled his horse and rode toward the Southern Gates.
A-EMILIA
“The king said fifty of you can come in. The only person who is allowed to be armed is your champion. Everyone else must leave their weapons outside these walls. King’s orders,” shouted a stout man from about fifteen feet away.
Emilia looked at the huge wall of Elkridge, and Ali-Samuel commented to the guard as they passed, “Don’t worry about our weapons. We aren’t cowards who loose blazing arrows at women and children.”
The stout man replied, “No, your side only poisons water so everyone can die. By everyone, I mean true citizens of Donegal, not a bunch of barbarians invading our kingdom.”
Ali-Steven sorted out who would go in, and they walked up to the main gate. A huge wooden door with rusted brass overlay creaked as several men helped push it open. One of the guards noticed Cobra’s wood and chain weapon and his short curved sword.
The toothless man chided, “He’s allowed to wear armor, you know. Once he gets in, there’s no running out to get more protection. Don’t want to hear no complaining if he loses like that.”
Ali-Steven said, “Just open the gate. I’m quite certain your primary task isn’t to give your unqualified opinion.”
The door stopped opening and they entered the city of Elkridge. Emilia sensed a trap as armed guards lined their walking path to the dueling area. A small patch of flat, green grass had been designated as the fighting grounds. She followed a small group that was escorted up front with Cobra. Emilia looked at the gold tinted armor of the opponent and began to worry that her champion only wore a loincloth.
She could see the residents snickering and chuckling at the strange-looking foreigner. The enemy’s horned helm looked more intimidating than the tattoos and scars on Cobra. The Wamhoff men walked to the center with Cobra and Emilia instinctually followed right behind. Th
e Man ripped off his helm and his blond hair became exposed.
He looked directly at Ali-Samuel and spoke, “I didn’t think it could be true. A man is not a man if he doesn’t fight his own battles. This is between you and me. Let’s finish it right here, like real men.”
Ali-Samuel calmly responded, “Perhaps had I been able to bring in my sword, we would have the option to fight. Do you think you have enough guards around?”
The Man with the Golden Sword smiled and said, “You’d be wise to swallow that tongue of yours. Look around, you are at my mercy. Don’t be stupid. I am a man of honor. I will fight your champion. I will kill him and then your party shall leave in disgrace…again.”
Emilia looked behind The Man at a mysterious looking woman in a glowing purple dress. She disappeared as everyone retreated to their respective sides except for The Man and Cobra. Emilia still worried about the armor which not only acted as protection but also reflected the sun’s rays and was nearly blinding. The Man was a tall thick warrior but her champion towered over him. Cobra held his scimitar in his right hand and whirled his chain and wood around in his left, whistling through the air. The Histoman leader stopped as he and The Man stood face to face.
The Man backed away and pulled his golden sword. He definitely has the better-looking armor and weapon. This could end badly.
A bugle tore through the afternoon air, silencing the buzz of onlookers but neither man rushed the other. They both slowly maneuvered around in circles to counter each other. The Man unleashed the first attack, but Cobra easily fended off the advances. Cobra used his whirling shaft of wood to pepper The Man’s armor, but the wood only rang like a drum stick as it struck The Man over and over. The man in gold tried to counter after Cobra went low with his weapon but the nimble foreigner dodged the lunging attempt. The two men continued to parry attacks back and forth as neither man could gain an advantage. Cobra returned with a quick move and used his flying rod of wood to smack The Man on both earholes. The Man ducked to avoid the attack and staggered back, almost falling, but held his ground. Cobra moved in close and struck the dazed man with an uppercut punch that knocked his golden helm to the ground. Cobra thrust a barefoot into The Man’s midsection and knocked him back. The Man lost his sword and Cobra quickly wound up the scimitar and stroked down at The Man who put his gloved hands up in defense. The curved blade sliced through the soft leather underside of the gauntlets and into the palms of the enemy. Cobra relentlessly kept slashing downward onto the arms of The Man with the Golden Sword. The protection seemed to help at first but Emilia noticed the blood spurting out of the armor on The Man’s arms as her champion continued.
Cobra kicked The Man in the face and blood spurted out of his nose as he fell onto his back. Cobra closed in to deliver the death blow. He raised his short sword high above his head. Finish him off already. What are you waiting for? Wait, what is going on? There’s that woman in the purple dress again.
Cobra remained as still as a well-crafted statue. It seemed as if some magical spirit held Cobra’s body frozen in place. He didn’t even blink. Emilia started to panic as the discombobulated opponent began to stir and got to his knees. The Man finally regained his energy and rushed over to his sword. He grabbed the grip with his red hands and grimaced. With blood running down his mangled arm protection and dripping from his wrists, The Man with the Golden Sword delivered a cross-stroke with just enough strength to separate Cobra in two at the midsection. The loser’s insides spilled all over the feet of the victor who quickly rushed behind a horde of his guards. The forty-nine remaining supporters were irate with the shady circumstances of the fight.
They marched toward The Man, and Ali-Samuel shouted, “What was that? I don’t know what you did, but you cheated.”
The Man screamed back from behind his wall of guards, “I did not cheat. The Gods obviously don’t want a barbarian to win a duel in Donegal.”
His nose still bled and he gasped to catch his breath. Emilia noticed the woman in the shimmering dress running away. I had heard the rumors that he had taken a sorceress as his lover, perhaps that’s her. She must have cast that spell on Cobra to stop all his movement.
The venomous yelling back and forth continued until Ali-Steven bellowed over everyone, “Stop this now.”
To Emilia’s surprise, everyone quieted down to listen.
He said, “I don’t know what just happened here, I really don’t, but I know our champion lost somehow. Now we leave, just as promised.”
The Histoman grabbed both pieces of Cobra and walked back out the southern door. They met with the rest of their party for what Emilia had hoped would be a victory parade. The dejected group began the long walk to their desolate campsite.
Ali-Samuel asked his father, “We’re not really leaving Donegal, are we?”
Ali-Steven answered, “Yes. I don’t agree with that black magic or witchcraft we just witnessed, but we gave our word. A man is only as good as his word. We leave, yet we shall return to Donegal once again under a better circumstance. As for the two of you,” he pointed at Emilia and Ali-Samuel, and said, “Because of your size, you will be instrumental in our plan to get to the Capitol once and for all.”
Emilia could tell Ali-Samuel was steaming mad about the decision to leave and refused to try to engage him in conversation. He had a horrible temper that seemed to rear its ugly head more and more often recently.
They made it back to the beach by sundown and word started to spread about the evacuation. The Histoman were very happy to be going home. Emilia didn’t want to break the news that they would probably be landing just down the coastline for another attack. Everyone started to pack away their few remaining belongings and got ready to hit the sea again. Ali-Steven decided they would leave at sunrise so they would have one last night on firm ground.
“Why are they putting riches back inside that wooden fox?” asked Ali-Samuel as he pointed at the activity.
Ali-Steven said, “Because we are returning all that treasure back to them.”
An incredulous look came over Ali-Samuel’s face as he asked, “And why would that be?”
His father answered, “We need to give it back. We have much more gold that we pulled out of the mountainside. We may need allies at some point in time.”
Ali-Samuel shook his head and said, “We will never ally with a cheat like that.”
Ali-Steven tried to calm his son down and said, “Trust me with this. Do you think I would let all of this occur if I didn’t have a sound plan? Would I be this calm after seeing that atrocity of a duel back there? I’m not worried at all; in fact, I think this may help our cause. He likes to use tricks. I guess we need to use some tricks of our own. We will use them to get right back into Donegal again. I know what to do and how to do it, so worry not, my son.”
SUNNY
Sunny wiped the sweat from his bright orange brow with a roughened palm. Winter was setting in for most of the world, but Gama Traka remained warm and sunny all year round. Seven other students had joined Sunny in the expedition to find Riceros Colbert. For several days, they had been trudging blindly through the sand and Sunny was getting demoralized. He also wanted to find Kazu because he couldn’t believe that his mentor, who had graciously accepted him into the School, could be an evil man.
Kazu has been acting strange for the past few weeks. He had me beaten and ordered me to stay away from Ollor. I still can’t believe that he kidnapped Riceros. I think both of them are in trouble. They have to be. However, they both have special powers that would make it nearly impossible for them to be captured. Dolpho did warn me about a dark spirit in the School. Could it be the golden boy and not Kazu?
They combed the surrounding areas, looking for buried entrances and cave openings in the hills. There were thousands of little cracks in the mountains that would take years to search. The people who had disappeared were tiny and it seemed unlikely that they would be found in the sand pit of pink and gray pebbles or the burnt orange and beige mountain
s. Even the cacti were few and far between in this drab landscape. Sunny had a sinking feeling that the missing men had gone up to the Sea of Green and boarded a boat that could have gone anywhere in the world. He knew if that had happened, they would never see the two again. Sunny didn’t actually believe that they needed Riceros to defeat the demons, but Dragon-Eyes made everyone feel that it would be a lost cause without the little boy. Sunny hadn’t been very impressed with the half-man either. He could barely even walk at a normal speed and thought the Imp would only get in the way during a real brawl. He even thought the wizard could be the dark spirit.
They searched for the rest of the morn until a shadow appeared on the horizon, a great distance away. The sounds of marching were muffled by the deep sand, but it was evident that an army was coming straight at them. Every one of the students pulled their weapons in vain and Sunny smelled fear in the air. Hundreds of men were walking directly at Sunny and his friends. As they got close enough to identify, Sunny told his schoolmates not to be scared and that they should put away their weapons before they made the approaching men angry. Ali-Ster Wamhoff led the Noble Army of Undead Kings right up to the students before they came to a uniform stop.
The former King of Donegal looked at Sunny as he spoke, “The time has come. The fleet of demons has broken through the circular pool created by the water dragons. They will soon be back on track to land on the northern shores. The water dragons will continue to slow their progress but Damian Doome and all the rest should be landing in the next ten days, if not much sooner. What are you doing out here?”
Sunny hesitated for a moment before answering, “We have a slight problem. The Riceros boy has disappeared.”
Ali-Ster’s eyes opened wider and he asked, “Whaaaat? Disappeared, did you say?”
Sunny swallowed the lump in his throat and replied in a meek tone, “Yes. He left the School to go outside for a bit and never returned.”
Six Heads One Crown (The Pearl of Wisdom Saga Book 3) Page 29