Malith almost turned tail and fled, leaving the field to others to accomplish his mission. He didn’t need to be present at the destruction of the final Ash’Ailant. He’d half convinced himself to retreat when he realized that if Kaelus was truly in ascension in the enemy Malith now faced, he would have long since shown his power and killed Malith. Mayhap the demon was aiding Birch and granting him power, but there were obviously limitations to that power.
Malith’s confidence returned, and he redoubled his assault on Birch.
Gray withstood Black for several long seconds that stretched into minutes. The two warriors moved so quickly that for them, in the heat of battle a second was a minute, and they lunged and parried back and forth in a quick-footed dance that carried them all about the field of battle. Malith was aware that Birch’s gray dakkan was wreaking havoc among his chosen seven warriors, and at least two more of the Black paladins were dead. But there were more where they came from, and Malith wasted no further thoughts on them.
Birch’s strength caused Malith to overreach several attacks, as Birch parried a blow with enough force to throw Malith off balance. He recovered quickly each time and prevented Birch from capitalizing on the mistake, but during one such interchange, Birch scored a deep hit on Malith’s leg that sheared off part of his armor and left a wide cut down his calf. The injury was minor, but it enraged Malith, and he threw everything he had into one final barrage, intending to finish the attack quickly.
Malith forced Birch back further and further and saw the Gray paladin’s frustration as he was unable to stop Malith’s attacks. The Black paladin smiled a twisted smile behind his faceplate and knew victory was his.
Birch finally parried one of Malith’s blows and threw it back with his enhanced strength, and he saw Malith struggle to regain his balance. Birch lashed out with his sword, which hummed in the air as it descended on Malith’s neck…
Which suddenly wasn’t there anymore. Malith shifted ever so slightly and avoided the attack, counting on Birch to go for the obvious opening Malith had left him. Birch had always been so predictable, even in his training days. Malith had baited him, and now it was time for his prey to fall.
With a profound sense of satisfaction, Malith knocked Birch’s sword from his hand, spun in the same motion, and buried his black blade in the Gray paladin’s heart.
Birch stared at him a moment, not comprehending the triumphant look on Malith’s face. He looked down and saw the black sword, and he followed it with his eyes to his chest with a numb expression on his face. Then he looked back at Malith, and the fire in his eyes flickered and faded.
Birch slid backwards off Malith’s sword and lay motionless at his feet.
Chapter 42
The measure of a warrior is how he will act at the moment of imminent death.
- Garnet jo’Garet,
“The Warrior Mythos” (1030 AM)
- 1 -
Garnet arrived at the rear gates to the white courtyard as the battering ram lumbered to a halt, and he immediately ordered Shadow Company to attack. Marc and Michael rushed forward and, when they couldn’t strike directly at the demons, dropped to their bellies and sliced the demons’ feet out from beneath them. The drolkuls howled as the paladins’ blades lopped the clawed feet off at the ankle, and those who hadn’t been immediately attacked burrowed into the ground and disappeared.
Flasch and Guilian rushed up the stairs and lent their support against the demons and damned souls still assaulting the Barrier. With a worried glance, Garnet looked to where he’d last seen the childris and saw only an empty wall. Either the childris had moved on, or else the elves had overcome them and had themselves moved on to another enemy. Garnet sent with them a prayer for God’s blessings, then put them out of his mind.
Across the courtyard, he saw Birch’s dakkan roaring and tearing into a group of Black paladins and the demons accompanying them, and Garnet knew that was where he would next be needed. He left Marc to deal with the immediate area and took Michael and his platoon with him across the courtyard. They broke against the Black paladins like a tidal wave against an unsuspecting shore.
A mass of demons and damned souls had joined the fray in the wake of the Black paladins, and it was here Garnet had Michael concentrate his forces. A quick thought brought Flasch’s platoon down from the wall and in behind the demons. They opened a breach, into which Guilian’s platoon poured to seal up and hold the entryway to the courtyard where the gates had once stood. Shadow Company took control of the courtyard, but they were held in their places by the press of battle.
Garnet looked about quickly, seeking sources of danger, and his eyes fell on Malith and the crumpled body of Birch. The Black paladin was standing triumphantly over the fallen Gray, and his sword was poised to strike again.
“Selti!” Garnet screamed at the dakkan, who had already turned towards Birch when the Gray paladin fell. Selti screamed in rage and struck Malith a crushing blow with his tail, knocking the Black paladin halfway across the courtyard before he fell to the ground. Garnet was already in motion to intercept him as Malith got irritably to his feet, apparently unharmed by the blow.
Selti crouched protectively over Birch’s body, his teeth bared viciously as he dared any puny human or demon to approach the fallen paladin. A wall of struggling denarae and damned souls crossed in front of Garnet, blocking him from Malith. He looked at the fray and screamed in his mind, “Davin! Jesop!”
The two denarae immediately turned and, reading Garnet’s intentions, knelt and entwined their hands. Garnet planted his foot in the net of their fingers and pumped his leg even as they threw him into the air. He sailed over the heads of the damned souls and glided swiftly down to land only a few feet behind Malith, who spun to face this new foe.
“Now there is come one who will take your measure,” Garnet said in a grim voice.
Malith regarded him silently, sizing him up as an opponent. Garnet was larger than even his mountainous father, a fact which usually caused people to underestimate his speed and agility. He might not be as quick as Flasch and Danner were with their hands, but with a sword, even his own massive weapon, he was still faster than all but the fastest of warriors. It wasn’t just about speed, it was knowing what to do with the weapon once it was in motion.
In the bare seconds it took Garnet to stand and gather himself, and for Malith to come to whatever conclusions he had about his opponent, the two found themselves ready to fight. They did not rush together as had Malith and Birch, but rather they circled each other warily. Garnet knew of Malith’s skill, both from Gerard’s living testimony and the evidence of his death. Malith, however, knew nothing of Garnet’s abilities, and so he probed Garnet and tested him before committing to a serious attack.
Garnet resisted the temptation to lose himself in hatred for this man, who had slain not only Garnet’s mentor and second father, Gerard, but had also killed the man who represented all that was possible in mortals - the only man to have returned from Hell by his own strength and will. Instead of fiery rage, Garnet turned his fury ice-cold and refused to let it consume and control him. He remembered Gerard coaching him on just this point, and suddenly it was as if his slain commander and mentor was in Garnet’s head, directing him and teaching him the way of the sword.
“Don’t wait for him to let his guard down, that’s a wholly defensive way of fighting. Understand the man and the spirit of his attack, and then you’ll know how to defeat him.”
Malith attacked fiercely, testing Garnet’s speed and agility. Garnet watched the initial pattern of Malith’s attacks and knew exactly where the Black paladin was going to strike. He parried where necessary, matching the speed and placement of the blows perfectly. Halfway through the attack sequence, Garnet stepped to the side and tripped Malith, much as he’d done to Gerard during the early days of his training. Malith sprawled in the dirt for the space of a heartbeat before he was back on his feet and facing Garnet. He’d lost his helmet in the tumble, and how his
abyss-like eyes stared with naked hatred at Garnet.
“Understand your enemy. Become one with him and you can know his every thought and move.”
Garnet moved in the instant Malith shifted to the side, preparing to counter an attack he already knew was coming. Malith would feel the need to assault Garnet quickly, to recover face and prevent Garnet from gaining the advantage of confidence. Malith would try to break that down before it had a chance to build: his arrogance would demand it. When the Black paladin swung his sword, Garnet’s blade was already in place to block it.
“Break his rhythm. Destroy his timing before he has a chance to feel it himself.”
Malith swung again, reacting a split-second after Garnet’s parry to launch another attack. Garnet watched carefully, and saw within three swings what combination Malith was using. He didn’t parry, nor did he avoid the attacks as he’d done before. Instead, Garnet shifted his weight forward and tilted his sword slightly, an obvious indication he was about to attack. Malith immediately broke off his attack to defend against a blow that never began. Garnet smiled at the Black paladin, who sneered in derision at the ploy.
“Control your enemy, Garnet! If he’s going to attack, stop him at the syllable ‘at…’ If he’s going to lunge, stop him at ‘lu…’”
Malith shifted his sword to attack, and Garnet smacked the blade out of the way. He did not make an attack of his own, for Malith would expect that. The Black paladin recovered and shifted his weight ever so slightly in one foot, so Garnet lunged forward to forestall the motion. Malith immediately shifted back in reaction, but yet again Garnet withheld his attack.
“Let him expend motion on useless things, but suppress the important ones. Command his actions, and you will control the battle.”
Malith feinted an attack, and Garnet moved only enough to compensate in case the Black paladin made it a real strike. Malith circled to the side, and Garnet turned just enough to keep Malith where he wanted him. Malith attacked again, but Garnet led him into a wasted series of attacks that expended far more of the Black paladin’s energy than Garnet’s own. When the rhythm of the attack faltered, Garnet smashed it apart and sent his opponent reeling.
“An attack is a constant crushing action, start to finish, not necessarily of his body, but of his will and his spirit.”
Malith was now frustrated and acting rashly, and Garnet knew it was his time to strike. He allowed Malith to make one more attack, and Garnet threw himself forward with his sword at the exact same time. Malith withdrew and parried Garnet’s attack, but was almost too slow for the second swing. Garnet had not, until then, done much more than disrupt Malith’s fighting, and the other warrior was thrown off balance by his sudden willingness to attack.
Garnet did not aim to injure and wear down his opponent, nor did he intend to allow Malith the opportunity to recover his wits. Instead, Garnet kept up a constant barrage of attacks that left the Black paladin guessing from which angle the next blow would come. Garnet began one obvious pattern of attack only to shift it in mid-swing and move on to something completely different. Malith adapted quickly, but now there was fear in his eyes as he realized for the first time he faced someone who was not only better than him, but who also knew how to control Malith’s every action. Garnet was scripting the duel a bare instant before he enacted the play, and Malith filled his role as Garnet knew he would… he had no choice.
Malith charged forward, intending to put Garnet off-balance with an unexpected attack.
“If he’s coming on strong, join with his motion. Use it for yourself and crush him.”
Malith’s sword swept down, then reversed direction, trying to confuse Garnet. The Red paladin matched the motions of his body to the attack in perfect timing and stepped inside the swings, spinning so his back was to Malith. In the same motion, before the Black paladin could react, Garnet grabbed one of Malith’s hands, bent at the waist, and threw Malith over his shoulder. Even as the Black paladin struck the ground, Garnet’s sword swung around and swept down. Sparks flew as the tip of his blade carved a deep gouge in the stone.
Malith’s black, bottomless eyes stared lifelessly, wide in shock and disbelief. His head was still positioned beside his shoulders, but it was turned at ninety degrees and no longer connected to the rest of his body. His mouth was opened in the beginning stages of a scream, the last sound he would never utter.
“For you, Gerard.”
- 2 -
Michael watched in amazement as Garnet systematically destroyed Malith. He’d seen some of the duels between Garnet and Gerard during his friend’s training, but nothing he’d seen could have prepared him for the sheer ferocity. No, that wasn’t right, because Garnet fought with perfect control and a command of himself Michael had never before seen.
The outcome was obvious to anyone who saw the duel, and when Garnet hurled Malith to the ground and decapitated him, Michael couldn’t help but scream in exuberance. Gerard was avenged.
Michael’s elation was short-lived, however, as he turned his attention to the ground where Birch lay slain, and then immediately to the white Ash’Ailant. Three childris were charging toward the pillar of glittering white rock, cutting down everyone in their path. Michael sent a mental command to his entire platoon to shift their attack and move toward the Stone, but he knew they would never get there in time. The childris were just too damn fast!
Then one of the insectoid demons stopped and reared back with a mind-piercing shriek. A blood-drenched elf was straddling the monster like a horse, and his twin-bladed weapon spun in an invisible blur, tearing the childris in two at the joint between its torso and thorax. The childris screeched a second longer before its head was cut free, but by the time the severed head struck the ground, the elf was already gone.
It was several long seconds before Michael was able to recognize the elf, and he realized with a shock that it was Siran. The elf captain was obviously mortally wounded, but he continued to attack as if his trauma was of no importance. He leapt agilely to the back of the next nearest childris and landed nimbly on his feet. With an acrobatic flip only slightly hampered by his injuries, Siran sprang over the childris’s head, his weapon flashing. The second childris’s head was split in two from crown to chin, and Siran landed on the back of the last childris just as it reached the white Stone.
“He’s going to make it!” Michael cried hopefully.
But whatever energy had buoyed the elven warrior suddenly betrayed him, and he lost his grip on his weapon. The two blades of the halven rattled on the courtyard loudly, and for a moment Michael’s world slowed to a crawl and went silent as metal rang on stone. Michael opened his mouth to shout, and the childris reared back and brought both of its sword-like arms crashing down on the white pillar of angelstone.
And then the rest of the world did go silent. All fighting ceased in an instant, and every eye turned toward the Ash’Ailant. A loud crack split the dead silence, and a thin black line marred the pure, smooth surface of the white Stone. Before the childris could even rear back to attack again, the Stone abruptly split down the center and collapsed into two halves.
Siran was thrown from the childris’s back and lay helpless on the ground, his energy depleted. The childris spun and reared back to strike the fallen elf, then inexplicably stopped.
A red glow filled the courtyard, and Michael finally identified the source. It was Birch’s body.
A red mist seeped from his eyes and nose, and once more the demonic form of Kaelus manifested before them. His eyes burned now with a radiant crimson fire more piercing and brilliant than his already blood-colored flesh. For a moment, it seemed as though he might have completely appeared in a corporeal form, so solid and real did he seem, but then Michael realized he could still see the ground through the demon’s body, however indistinctly.
Kaelus stared down at Birch’s body for a long moment of silence. After the crack of the Stone, no one had dared make a sound except for the childris throwing Siran free. Not even th
e wind blew.
Then Kaelus leaned down and touched Birch’s heart, and a drop of pure red fire fell from his eyes into the wound where Malith’s sword had pierced his chest. A shaft of crimson light shot up from the wound and broke into the clouds, then vanished a second later. Kaelus straightened and suddenly started to waver. His shape became less distinct, and he faded from view to be replaced by a red mist, which hovered over Birch’s body.
Birch’s back arched upward as though in shock, and he gasped in a deep breath. The red mist of Kaelus rushed into his lungs and disappeared.
Michael watched in awe as Birch got slowly to his feet. No one came near him. No one said a word. He paused long enough to lift his sword from the ground, then he looked around him.
The ground trembled violently, but still there was no noise. No stones fell from their place, no pebbles stirred in motion, and not a single blade of grass twitched, yet the very foundations of the world shook as a nameless force and power aligned itself with the world. Or perhaps it was not nameless, for Michael knew exactly what was coming.
Hell.
They had failed, and now Hell would align entirely with Lokka, and there would be no stopping the demons then. There would be no Merging. No strip of land to hold them to, no Barrier of stone or power to hold it in check. Hell was infinitely large, and no corner of the world would escape its presence.
Michael had the impression of endless plains overlapping the scene before him. Dry, cracked earth superimposed itself over the stones of the courtyard, and a white, stone temple slid by his vision. The columns had been toppled long ago and its holy symbols defaced, and it was barely recognizable as having once been a magnificent structure.
The Devil's Deuce (The Barrier War) Page 58