by Aaron Oster
“And you are avoiding the question. Yes, I do owe Morgan a debt that will likely never be repaid, and I was foolish not to accept Katherine’s pleas for help after the forces I sent were killed. However, this problem is larger than any one Kingdom, and I have a feeling that it will be getting worse before long. So, answer the question.”
Le’vine stubbornly closed her mouth and looked away.
“He lost by the bounds of the challenge, not an actual fight.”
Morgan was surprised when Hilda stepped forward, keeping her eyes fixed on him.
“And while it is true that he agreed to abide by those rules, we didn’t really give him much choice. The person overseeing the fight was also predisposed to ensuring he’d fail because she’s a stubborn bitch.”
“Hey!” Le’vine said, rounding on Hilda.
“Oh, come on, Le’vine, just give it rest!” Hilda exclaimed. “Can’t you stop being stubborn for just a second and see what we’re dealing with? Sure, we’ve never been on friendly terms with the North, but you can say that about the other Kingdoms as well? And did any of them send an emissary asking for help?
“Surely they all know by now what’s coming, and that they don’t stand a chance. You know Beatrice quite well. What do you think she would do in a situation like this?”
“Knowing that treacherous witch, she’d probably try and make an alliance with the enemy, anything to ensure she kept her position.”
“And it’s already been proved that our enemy is an intelligent and powerful one,” Herald said, cutting into the conversation. “I would not put it past him to send emissaries to both the West and South. The West, because they’ve seen what he can do, and the South because of their Queen’s greed. Shane is still quite young and can likely be easily swayed. If they haven’t gotten to him already, they will soon.”
“I’m sure we can still —”
“Still what?” Hilda cut in. “Still beat an army of over two million, as well as the combined might of both the South and West Kingdoms? Do you honestly believe that?”
Le’vine hesitated, and Hilda jumped on the opportunity.
“Think about it. If we join the North and move before the South and West can muster their forces, we’ll have a much better chance at winning.”
Morgan watched this unfold and had to wonder why Hilda was fighting so hard to get Le’vine to reconsider. Herald, he could understand. The man was, above all else, extremely practical. His temperament was steady, and he always carefully looked at all the options before choosing the best course of action.
In fact, Morgan knew that indebted to him or not, Herald wouldn’t join the North if he didn’t truly believe doing so was his best option. The fact that he was willing to throw in with them meant that he believed that defeating the Pinnacle King now was the only way to survive.
“Fine!” Le’vine snapped, breaking Morgan from his thoughts. “I’ll take it into consideration. Dependent on if he can defeat Hilda, and I don’t want you pulling your punches just because you want this to work out!”
“I can agree to that,” Hilda said, nodding her head. “King Herald, what do you believe would be a fair set of rules?”
Herald thought on that for a moment, his eyes sweeping over both Morgan and Hilda. Morgan was sure Herald knew of his true strength. The King of the Central Kingdom was better informed than anyone alive, the knowledge of the gods and the true history of the Five Kingdoms passed down through the generations. He noted the double rings around Hilda’s pupils and the lack thereof in Morgan’s.
“I honestly don’t know of any way this can be considered a fair fight. While I don’t know Hilda’s specific set of skills, I do know that Morgan’s lend themselves extremely well to melee combat. I have also yet to meet anyone as fast as him in all my years.”
Le’vine scoffed at that, waving a hand through the air.
“Hilda ran circles around him in their last fight. She’s way faster than him.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Herald said, keeping his eyes locked on Morgan.
“Fine then,” he said after a few moments of silence. “Here are the rules as I see them to be the fairest. The fight will last for sixty seconds. Both participants will be allowed the use of a single skill. This skill will be limited to a body enhancement, weapon, or protection. No ranged, explosive, or destructive skills will be allowed.
“The person who lands the highest number of attacks on the other at the end of this bout will be declared the winner. Furthermore, to keep this from getting dangerous, crippling or killing blows are not permitted. Strikes may only be delivered to areas where they would not cause any permanent harm.
“So, no attacks to the head, throat, spine, heart, groin, or joints. You may strike the abdomen, chest – so long as you avoid the heart – thighs, upper arms, and shoulders. Any other areas will immediately result in a forfeit of the fight. Does that sound agreeable to you, Morgan?”
Morgan thought on that for a few seconds before slowly nodding. A fight like this would favor speed, precision, and control, one of which the mystery god had said he was severely lacking. The control would be tricky, extremely so, but if he could avoid hitting too hard, then he should be able to win. Then again, there was another way he could do this…
“Le’vine?” Herald asked, snapping Morgan from his thoughts.
“Sounds good to me,” she replied, the grin on her face clearly showing what she thought of Morgan’s chances. “But if he loses this time, I expect him to keep his word.”
Morgan nodded, agreeing to the terms, then turned to face Hilda, who was rocking back and forth lightly, as though preparing for the fight.
“Then the terms are agreed upon,” Herald said. “I, as a neutral party, will oversee this fight and keep score. You have sixty seconds to prepare.”
Morgan felt a small thrill of fear as the guards all moved to flank them, and Hilda hopped down from the dais, swinging her arms up and around, loosening up for the fight ahead. He was about to face down the person who’d so handily defeated him last time and all he could do was hope he could win.
31
Sarah pressed her back to the wall, holding her breath and trying to keep her pounding heart from giving them away.
Funny how that works, she thought. She hadn’t had a real heart since she’d become a mage. Yet it still acted the same as a regular one would.
She chastised herself silently a moment later for thinking of something so random and pointless at a time like this. Katherine stood next to her, her back pressed to the wall as well, eyes peering around the corner to where a force of ten twisted monsters shuffled aimlessly around.
Had they had the option, they would have turned back and headed the other way. However, another force of monsters was coming up behind them. If they thought they’d been able to kill them and get away with it, they’d simply have bowled through them. However, they were fairly certain that the creatures shared some sort of link with their master, and if any were killed, it would most certainly grab his attention.
The problem was that if they were seen, the Pinnacle King would likely know as well, which only left them with the option of running, which they couldn’t do, or hiding. They were currently doing the latter, but in just a couple of minutes, the two groups would meet up and their little nook would be found out.
Neither of them could use their skills for fear of making any noise or attracting attention, and Katherine had no way of knowing whether there were any more monsters past the ones ahead of them, so she couldn’t safely create a portal.
We are so screwed! Sarah thought, listening to the shuffling footsteps of the approaching monsters. They had maybe another couple of minutes at best before they were found out and the worst part was that they couldn’t simply wait for the other patrol to come the portal back past them, because the tunnel was literally a completely straight shot all the way down.
There was a bend, and once the approaching patrol came around, they’
d be spotted immediately. A few more breathless moments passed before Katherine pulled back with a grim expression.
“We’re going to have to chance it,” she mouthed.
Not really having much of a choice, Sarah simply nodded, agreeing with her. It was their only real option, and though risky, it was better than just sitting here and waiting around to be found out. Katherine motioned back, and she and Sarah slunk back down the tunnel until about the halfway point.
The footfalls of the approaching patrol were now clearly audible, and their shadows were being thrown ahead of them, revealing their twisted and horribly disfigured forms. A portal sprang up before them, and Katherine took a couple of deep breaths, summoning her Reality Blade, a rainbow-colored sword made of pure chaos.
It could cut pretty much anything, and if she was charging into the unknown, it was probably the best weapon she could bring along. Still. Katherine needed to take a few quick breaths before dashing through, leaving Sarah alone in the corridor. For just an instant, she hesitated, but the low growl of one of the approaching monsters got her moving.
Summoning an Icicle Trident and gripping it tightly, Sarah dashed through the portal, immediately setting herself into a fighting stance and holding the weapon out before her. Instead of entering into a room filled with monsters, though, she found herself in a throne room.
The portal snapped closed behind her as Sarah lowered her trident. Katherine’s weapon had vanished as well, and she was looking around in interest. In the very center of the room stood a throne made of solid ice. It was massively proportioned, suited for a creature perhaps ten to twelve feet tall. The mere fact that there even was a throne meant that the Pinnacle King must have been somewhat humanoid.
“Looks like he’s not home at the moment,” Katherine commented, pulling her attention away from the oversized throne.
Sarah’s eyes continued sweeping over the room as Katherine moved about, as though looking for something.
“What are you looking for?” Sarah asked, just as her eyes landed on a massive slab of ice sitting on the far side of the room.
It was clear from the shattered remains of icy chains that that was where the Pinnacle King had been bound for all those years.
Well, he’s out now, she thought, finding herself oddly drawn to the oversized slab.
“Found it!” Katherine called out, causing Sarah to jump and look quickly back over her shoulder in case any of the monsters had heard.
When none of them came rushing into the room to apprehend the intruders, she whirled on Katherine, prepared to admonish her for being so careless. Instead, she started in surprise, as a section of the wall slid aside soundlessly to reveal yet another tunnel.
“How did you…?” Sarah began.
“I’ve lived in castles all my life,” Katherine replied. “I’m surprised you didn’t look for the obvious exit right away.”
Sarah had to admit that Katherine was right. No ruler in their right mind would have a throne room without another exit. Her father had actually had seven different escape tunnels, including one right beneath his throne, which would drop down a long shaft at the push of a button.
“What do you think he’s got back there?” she asked, peering down the tunnel.
“My guess is all the stuff he doesn’t want anyone else to know about,” Katherine replied. “Well, that, or just an exit.”
Sarah didn’t really have anything to say to that, nor could she argue with Katherine’s logic. Either they would find what they were looking for or a way out, in which case they’d simply come back and continue their search. She entered the tunnel, followed a moment later by Katherine, who flipped the hidden switch in the wall to close the door. It wouldn’t do to be discovered by accident.
This tunnel, unlike the others, was actually dark. The only illumination was coming from the opposite end. Not really knowing what they’d be facing, the two of them brandished their weapons once more and slunk silently down the tunnel. Their footsteps barely whispered on the slick ground, and more than once, Sarah found herself sliding along rather than walking.
She honestly had no idea how long they’d been in the glacier by now, but she was really eager to get out of here and back to the relative safety of City Eleven.
Well, maybe it’s not exactly safe, she admitted to herself, but definitely safer than here.
The light at the end of the tunnel grew ever-brighter until they reached the end. Most people may have rushed directly into the room, eager to escape the confines of the tunnel, but both Sarah and Katherine knew better, slowing to a near-crawl by the end and cautiously peering out into the room beyond.
“Holy shit!” Sarah exclaimed, letting out a slow whistle.
“Tell me about it,” Katherine replied, sounding equally as shocked and horrified.
Instead of a small cave or a way out of the glacier, the tunnel opened up into a massive cavern. The ceiling towered hundreds of feet above them, and a mass of glowing white crystal sat at the dome’s peak, illuminating the entire room. It must have been several hundred yards across, the floor richly decorated with animal pelts and at the very center, stood something she’d never seen in her entire life.
“What the hell is that thing?” she asked, slowly walking out into the open room, her eyes fixed to the object in question.
“Beats me,” Katherine replied, sounding equally as enthralled.
In the very center of the room stood a stone pedestal. Atop the pedestal was projected a very large, round, red, green, and blue sphere. It revolved slowly in place, revealing small flashes of purple every once in a while, lighting up in odd places. The sphere was perhaps a hundred feet across and took up most of the space in the room, so Sarah could understand why the cavern was so massive.
Clearly, this object was important if the Pinnacle King was hiding it here, but why?
“Sarah! Come quick! I think I’ve found something.”
Sarah reluctantly tore her gaze from the wonders of the sphere and turned to Katherine, who seemed to be able to stay focused on the mission, despite all the wonders they’d been discovering here. Sarah, as an avid reader and seeker of knowledge, couldn’t understand how she could resist the pull. She reminded herself why they were there and in whose house they were intruding, and that helped her regain some of her focus.
When she arrived, Katherine was standing by yet another seemingly-solid stretch of wall and feeling around for a hidden catch. Sarah, being the mage she was, had a much easier time, feeling the switch as soon as she pressed her hand to the wall. Another smaller section of the wall slid aside, revealing a small room.
It was dim inside, and it took Sarah’s eyes a few moments to adjust. They’d been hoping to find Gwendolyn down here and as the room came into focus, Sarah realized that they’d done just that. Except, the woman was not at all how she remembered.
“Gwendolyn!” Katherine yelled, dashing headlong into the room without any heed or care for herself.
Sarah quickly followed, watching their backs just in case. They’d managed to mostly avoid trouble up until now, and it would seriously suck if they were caught just as they found who they’d been looking for. The room contained just a single slab of ice, to which Gwendolyn was strapped. Racks lined the walls with all sorts of implements of torture, and a gleaming silvery-purple collar was affixed around the unconscious woman’s neck.
She was clearly in bad shape and missing one of her legs from the knee down. The other was badly mangled, as was her right arm. Most of her hair was missing in large patches, and judging by the blood around her mouth, they’d probably removed some of her teeth too. Sarah had seen worse injuries, so she managed not to throw up, but just barely.
“Help me!” Katherine hissed, tearing at the gleaming straps hold her down.
Sarah didn’t hesitate now, moving quickly to help free the poor woman. Deep down, she’d feared that Gwendolyn was dead, not because she had any feelings towards the woman, but simply because of what she meant
to Morgan. He’d lost so much in his life, and this was the closest thing he had to a mother.
She immediately pressed her hand to the woman’s chest and used Soothe, the skill she’d gotten when breaking through rank 49. It wouldn’t regrow limbs like Morgan’s healing would, but all of Gwendolyn’s injuries vanished, receding until all that was left was clear, healthy skin. The bruising vanished, and her arm and leg made some horrific popping noises as they twisted back into their correct shapes.
Sarah was very glad that Gwendolyn was out cold, because her healing up from injuries this bad would have been excruciating. Within a few more seconds, she was completely healed. The hair would grow back in time, but the teeth and leg were gone for good. Katherine had finished removing the bonds and now had an ear pressed to the woman’s chest.
After a few tense moments, she rose, obvious relief written across her face. She reached under the slight woman’s shoulders then and lifted her in her arms.
“She’s alive, though I doubt she’s eaten since she’s been brought here and is likely very weak. We need to get her out of here and back to City Eleven as soon as we can.”
Sarah nodded, in total agreement. They were still inside the Pinnacle King’s lair, and she really hoped that their escape would go smoothly. Thankfully, Katherine had their escape route memorized and opened a portal right there, getting them as far away from there as possible with a single jump.
Soon, they were rushing back through the tunnels, taking jumps whenever Katherine deemed it to be safe. Hopefully, they’d be out of here in the next few minutes, and by the time the sun was high in the sky tomorrow, they’d be back in City Eleven.
32
Morgan stood, balancing lightly on the balls of his feet as Herald counted down from ten. In truth, he was having a bit of a hard time deciding how to go about this fight. Should he play defensively or offensively, and what did ‘the use of one skill’ cover? Could he use his shield, and would that be considered as part of a skill?