The Darkslayer: Book 02 - Blades in the Night

by Craig Halloran

  Then he saw the Darkslayer heading toward the crater. Magic spread like an inferno inside Catten as he let loose.

  CHAPTER 90

  “Oh my!” was all Fogle Boon could say as he watched one of the underling magi in the distance fall from the sky. My plan worked!

  After telling Ox to dismount from his steed, Fogle took his enchanted metal rod in hand and slipped it under the saddle of Ox’s horse. Fogle then had the mintaur hop up behind him on Fogle’s horse. A second later, Fogle reached over and slapped Ox’s horse in the rear. It galloped ahead, stopping behind Venir and Chongo. From behind, Fogle and Ox spurred his own horse forward.

  Fogle wondered if he’d killed the underling. There was still the other one, he could see. He held close to the mintaur as he looked ahead. The sky far away and above brightened. Oh no! His heart sank as cords of lightning wrapped around the dark silhouettes like serpents. His hair stood up on his head from the energy. This better work! He saw their arms lash out before them.

  Szzwham! Szzwham! Szzwham!

  White bolts of blinding energy bore down on Venir. Fogle squinted in the brilliant light. The streaks curved away from Venir, then toward Fogle himself. He heard Ox yell as the lightning came their way. He hung on as he closed his eyes.

  Ka-poom! Ka-poom! Ka-poom!

  In front of them, Ox’s horse was blown into chunks of charred flesh. Fogle lost his grip and fell hard to the ground. He could hear the sound of simmering flesh raining down around him. He’d lived. It worked. The display of power Fogle Boon witnessed was more than anything he’d ever beheld or heard. He didn’t have any plans left. He was down to nothing. Certainly those underlings don’t have more.

  In the distance, he swore he could hear the underlings scream as they dug their nails into their skulls.

  CHAPTER 91

  Venir didn’t notice as the lightning seared passed his head. He was somewhere else. He was someone else. He was the Darkslayer.

  Ahead of him were several figures stepping forward from the smoking ground. He could feel their evil presence. He despised them. He reined in Chongo and hopped off.

  He slapped Brool’s blade against the palm of his hand. “Come on, you black-metal Juegen dogs! Let me skin that scale from you and rip out the worm inside! Who is going down first then?”

  He was confident. Strong. Ready. The ringing in his head was replaced with a rush of adrenaline.

  The two black-plated Juegen underlings flanked him as the white muscled urchlings pursued Chongo. Venir waited, flexing his muscles and feeling them bulge beneath his thick scale mail. He could see their colorful eyes underneath their black-helmeted heads. Their curved swords glinted in the red moons’ light. He looked down at them. His grip was white knuckled. The Juegen paced around him.

  The first Juegen came in swinging. Venir caught the blows on this axe blade. Then he jabbed Brool’s spike toward the Juegen’s maw. It ducked under and slashed him across the belly, then rolled away just as Brool bit into the ground where it had once stood. Mood’s scale mail saved Venir’s belly from being cut wide open, but it was cut. He groaned. The underling was faster than he figured.

  He felt something at his back, and whirled in time to swat at the other underling warrior. It rolled away with ease, but not before clipping his calf. One at a time, they came, darting like dragon flies, as fluid as gazelles. Brool pulsed in his hands, wanting blood. He wanted it too.

  His own blood dripped to the ground. The tiny lacerations burned like poison. He could hear Chongo yelping and barking nearby. He couldn’t let that distract him. He felt an underling lunge for him from behind. He turned just as something painful stabbed his back. He felt the underling spring away when he struck.

  Clang!

  Venir clipped it upside its helmet, knocking it to the ground. The axe was alive in his hand as the other Juegen came in a headlong rush. He anticipated its move, swinging Brool full force into its side. He felt its bones crushing inside it. Its black-plated armor saved it from being cut in two. The blow knocked the fiend off its feet and breathless to the ground. He figured it had to be dead, but it chittered as it regained its feet. The other came along its side. Neither underling seemed to be harmed. Now they mocked him.

  Venir wiped the sweat from his brow with his bloody forearm. He missed his shield. They came at him again. It took all he had to block their blades. The sound rang back and forth as he battled their blades away. Sparks flew as the magic metals clashed. He felt a deep gash open in his thigh. He lunged at his attacker.

  He missed, overswinging the mark, as the underling blades cut across his armor. He backpedaled as the next blows rained in like a swarm. Using his axe’s shaft to parry and its bottom shod to counter was all he could do so save himself from getting cut to ribbons. The Juegen stayed in close to the bigger warrior, pressing their advantage, and getting a slice of the Darkslayer here and there, drawing blood down to the soil.

  Blocking out the pain, Venir focused on what he needed to do: destroy the little underlings. Parrying and side-stepping blow after blow, the Juegen finally seemed to slow from his efforts. One stepped back, too far from inside.

  Bang!

  The sound resounded as metal clashed on metal. The massive axe’s edge put a deep dent in the underling warrior’s helmet, almost knocking it down.

  Bang!

  He swung into it again, this time turning the Juegen’s helmet sideways. It backed away, trying to remove its helmet. Venir could feel it now. He turned as he felt the remaining Juegen jabbing his way. Venir raised his arms up high. It raised its swords in defense. Brool crashed downward, shattering the blades and glancing off the Juegen’s armored skull. Weaponless, it tried to pull out a dagger, only to have its hand sliced off for the effort. Venir then chopped into the foul thing over and over. Its armor held, but its body did not. It was a mutilated mess of black flesh and metal.

  He heard the other one howl. The remaining Juegen had managed to remove its helmet, ripping its face half open in the process. Its black visage was torn, teeth filed, eyes black as coal, and it chattered in final fury. It charged with its dripping blades. It sprang high into the air, arms wide, cutting at his head. Venir’s powerful arms jabbed Brool’s spike straight through to the back of its head.

  Crunch! Rip!

  “Now that’s more like it,” Venir said as he twisted it out in satisfaction.

  It wasn’t over, though. Chongo barked and yelped still. The massive dog had guarded his backside all along, fighting off the albino urchlings along with Ox. Venir saw one crumpled white corpse in Chongo’s maw. Two other mangled corpses lay on the ground not far from the big dog. One urchling, though, was trying to rend Chongo’s second head to pieces. Ox, meanwhile, was in the midst of fighting off the remaining albino.

  Then Venir saw the white fiend bite deep into Chongo’s jugular.

  “No!” Venir yelled.

  Blood flowed from the dog’s neck. The urchling fighting Ox heard Venir roar. It jumped over Ox’s swinging axe and charged at Venir, its bloody claws ready to rend his flesh. He was furious as it came at him. He sliced the foul urchling clean through the torso. Two halves fell to the ground. Red blood thickened on the dirt beneath his feet.

  Venir stuck Brool in the ground as he watched Ox chop at the urchling sucking on his dog’s neck. But the mintaur’s axes had no effect on the creature. Venir limped over and grabbed the smaller urchling creature by the nape of his neck. Its jaws opened wide, freeing Chongo.

  He felt the creature’s claws tear deep into his skin. It had hurt his dog. He would kill it. He wrapped both of his bloodied hands around its muscled neck. He squeezed. His arms bulged in strain. The screaming urchling’s pink eyes seemed to burst from its head.

  “Rrrrrrrr!” Venir gave it more effort. Its neck felt like tree roots. He squeezed harder. He felt his strength grow. It had hurt Chongo. Then in one final squeeze … Snap! Its neck broke.

  Venir tossed the urchling away and collapsed to the ground. He crawl
ed over to where Chongo lay.

  The big dog was bleeding heavily now, the gash in his neck severe. Chongo had sacrificed himself to protect his owner but there was little Venir could do now.

  Venir grabbed his beloved pet by the neck. “Chongo …”

  Then he thought he heard one of the underlings cackling above.

  CHAPTER 92

  The night seemed to come to a stop as Catten studied the carnage below. Verbard’s chest heaved. All of their bodyguards were dead. He thought they’d had him, but the Darkslayer got faster as the battle went on. Catten felt helpless as he watched his Juegen get pounded into the dirt and sand. The man seemed stronger and more elusive than ever.

  The Juegen and albino urchlings were more than a match for twenty men, but one warrior had destroyed them all. Catten rubbed his hands together. His busted shoulder felt more painful than before. He watched as the wounded Darkslayer beckoned toward him and his brother over and over from below. He wanted to throw everything he had left at him, but not just yet. Verbard hovered by his side, running his hands through his thick black hair.

  Then there was the formidable wizard below, hanging back and waiting for his chance. It wasn’t something Catten had expected. He had no reason to. He could feel the wizard’s power. How much power the mage had, he could not know.

  Catten rubbed his ailing chest. Should they focus their attacks on one or both? He shared his thoughts with Verbard. It was worth a shot to go after both, Catten thought. His silver-eyed brother only shook his head and sighed.

  CHAPTER 93

  Venir’s temples throbbed as he stared at the two underlings high above. He didn’t know if the pain was because of helmet or all the yelling that he did. He watched as their heavy black robes billowed in the wind. Then something shimmered before the underlings, he noticed, as one floated before the other. The underling magi were black in the night, but he could make out their faces now. The weight of their gold and silver eyes was on him.

  He didn’t know how, but he felt hesitation from them above. He checked on Chongo and Ox. Ox’s body looked like he had fallen in a den of wolverines. The mintaur had suffered deep wounds from the urchlings, but his had efforts saved Chongo. The mintaur finished stitching the gash in the large dog’s neck. Somehow Ox got the bleeding to stop. One dog head licked the other that hung down, almost lifeless on the ground.

  Venir stroked the wounded panting head. “Your gonna make it, boy.”

  He looked over at Fogle Boon. The mage still sat on horseback, eyes trying to make out the underlings above. He saw the staff in Fogle’s grip as the man mumbled something. He noticed the smell of burnt flesh in the air when he realized Ox’s horse was gone. He had no idea how that happened. He went over to ask.

  The illusionist had a whimsical look on his round face when he turned to look at him.

  “I’m out of ideas,” Fogle said.

  Venir was too.

  “At least you live,” Venir said.

  The mage didn’t have a scratch, but he slumped in his saddle.

  “Now what?” Fogle asked.

  Venir shrugged.

  Long quiet moments passed. It was possible that more underlings were coming. He did not know. But he wouldn’t let the two above out of his sight. Frustration was setting in. Venir’s head throbbed and his body ached. He started gathering stones. He emptied all their packs on the ground. He looked for anything he might find to hurl at the underlings.

  He pulled out a sling from his backpack. It was one of Georgio’s. He hadn’t put it there. There were smooth sling bullets as well. He loaded one and drew back his arm. The sling whirled away, whistling in his ears. He let it loose. The sling bullet flew straight and true then bounced away before colliding with the underling’s face. It didn’t even flinch.

  Fogle saw a scroll fall from his pack. He said with excitement, “Venir, bring me that scroll.”

  Venir picked it up and came his way. “Now’s not a good time to read,” he said, handing over the scroll.

  Fogle Boon got off his horse and piled up the stones and bullets. Venir watched the wizard sit down and unravel the scroll. The wizard began to read aloud, then he saw the man’s eyes roll up in his head. Something was wrong. Fogle Boon pitched face forward into the pile of stones. The scroll withered away.

  “What is it, Ox?” Venir asked.

  But the mintaur had no words.

  CHAPTER 94

  Fogle Boon’s mind was under assault. Everything turned dark. Someone ancient, evil, powerful, and mysterious began crushing the light of his conscience. He was locked in a mind grumble with an underling. It was killing him. He fought back. Light deep inside his mind still burned. He had to keep going. He protected the tiny bit of light and fueled it with his thoughts.

  He was standing in a black room, a lone candle flame wavering before him. He felt nails being driven into his head. A dark shadow prompted him to blow out the flame. It would ease his pain. It would be easy. His will waned, the candle dimmed. The pain started to ease.

  Fogle struck back, and the flame brightened again as he felt something recoil in rage. His relief was temporary. Assault after assault came. He watched as the ones he knew or cared for were tormented and destroyed over and over again. He witnessed himself being cut to pieces, limb by limb, and tossed into burning fires.

  His brilliant mind was being twisted inside out, trapped in a maze of endless terror. He fought his way out time and again. It went on for days, it seemed. He had no idea of time or reality. He had to break free. He defended his very life. Everything felt real. His skin was being flayed from his back. Urchlings were devouring his flesh. It wasn’t real, he had to tell himself again and again. He had to fight back. He had to believe in himself or die. The overwhelming challenge ignited the warrior deep inside his mind. He fought back with his own tricks and crafty ideas.

  CHAPTER 95

  Venir stayed busy throwing whatever he could at the underling magi. Everything bounced away, though. He wanted a straight fight, but he’d never encountered two powerful wizards at the same time. It was alien to him. The underlings were a patient race who could wear him down. All the power in his grip would serve him little good if he could not take the fight to them on the ground. He was crafty when he needed to be—and he needed to be now. But what could he do to an enemy that would not come down to fight him?

  Hours passed as a fog rolled in from the mist. Fogle Boon was sweating in a trance, and Ox soon covered the man with a blanket. The bookish mage seemed as if he was about to die at any moment. Venir watched his body shudder and convulse now and then. He could still see the underlings through the thick of the fog with the magic of the helm, but his head ached. Still, he feared to take it off as he would lose sight of them.

  “Uhhhh!” Fogle gasped.

  Venir and Ox jumped as Fogle lurched forward.

  “Uhhhh!”

  It was well past midnight when Fogle Boon’s eyes finally snapped open. Venir could see blood trickle from his nose and a bitten lip, too. The man’s eyes were sunken and milky.

  “Shades of the dungeons,” he heard the mage say. “I was not going to give in, not again.”

  Then Fogle slumped over into a deep sleep.

  CHAPTER 96

  Verbard was concerned now as his brother had failed to take over the human with his mind. He should have done it. It should have been over the moment it started, and he contemplated helping out, but that would have left them defenseless. He waited, unable to see the Darkslayer below, but he could still sense him and his power. He couldn’t risk lowering his shield for a moment as the warrior below was deadly accurate with every weapon and rock he threw. There were other things Verbard could do, but not without leaving Catten unprotected. The standoff was truly one of a kind on Bish. The moments of silence were deafening, other than an occasional cackle from Verbard and the thunderous croak of the balfrog in the distance.

  Catten snapped up at his side. Verbard grabbed him before he fell from the
air.

  “Verbard … brother … get us away from here … now,” was all Catten could say.

  Up they went, higher in the air, far from harm’s way.

  “What happened, Catten? You could not take this man!” Verbard said.

  Catten held his hands over his eyes. “He has faced the same man we now do—the Darkslayer. He survived it, absorbed it, then turned it on me. One moment, I was ready to crush him, and in the next, the Darkslayer was bearing down on me. I had no choice but to break it. A few more moments, and I would have been through.”

  “Now what?” Verbard said. “Certainly we can take this man by other magical means! Let’s let loose again.”

  CHAPTER 97

  Venir could see the two figures high in the air, distant specks. He didn’t know if they were worried or waiting. He needed Fogle Boon to bring them down. He needed to get help for Chongo. It was late in the morning when the mage recovered and babbled for an hour.

  “How much time has passed?” Fogle asked.

  “It’s the next morning,” Venir said.

  “Great Bish! That’s all! That was forever, it seemed. Where is he?”

  “Up there, way high. Both of them. Got anything we can use? We need to get them down.”

  “I know this: they want you dead … period. It’s why they are here. Kill you and go home. It was at the forefront of his mind. They won’t go away, and I assume you won’t, either. Oooh … Give me some food, Ox? I am starving.”

  Ox fed Fogle, who seemed to regain his strength. Then Fogle offered a plan. Venir was all ears.