Mighty Hammer Down

by David J Guyton

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  The Medoran Legions took the display as a sign from the heavens. Even with the constant barrage from the Thrahks, they fell into lines again and let out a battle cry that stole the confidence of the Bhoors and put fear in their hearts. Rommus was amazed that the Legions were so inspired by what they had seen, and took the opportunity to charge into the enemy. They were still greatly outnumbered, but the soldiers now had a mystical inspiration burning inside them; a gift given to them by the god of war.

  "How did you do that?" Tannis asked as he tore through the front line next to his son.

  "I have no idea. It kind of just happened on its own. There's a lot to explain but right now isn't the time."

  "Yes I guess what matters now is killing those beasts."

  Rommus chopped an arm off of a Bhoor, killing him instantly with the sword's magic. "Yes they are more dangerous than the men, but all these men stand between us and them."

  One of the Thrahks picked up a soldier and tore him in half. His screams were accented by the horrid sounds of tendons ripping and the wet snap of bone. The other beasts seemed to like the idea and began picking up soldiers; maiming them and throwing their crippled bodies into the oncoming Medorans. It was a frightening sight, and even the bravest of men seemed to doubt their courage.

  Suddenly the noise came again. Men all over cringed and waited to be cooked alive by the terrible beams that came from the monsters in the field. Even Rommus closed his eyes and waited for death, but to his amazement, it was the Bhoors who received the deadly blow. The smaller of the monsters had turned around and was devastating the Bhoor army. The other beasts turned around too, crisscrossing the enemy army with deadly rays of incredible power. The rotting meat smell that had been in the air was overpowered by the sickening stench of burnt human flesh. Even the swords and shields were melted in the intense heat, burning and boiling in bright orange pools on the battlefield.

  "I guess Vohl got to one of those things," Alana yelled as she stabbed yet another Bhoor.

  "Yeah but why are the other ones attacking the Bhoors too?"

  "You're asking me? How should I know?"

  "What are you two talking about?" Tannis asked as he swung his sword.

  Alana answered. "We have a friend who claims he is able to control beasts like that. He must have reached one."

  As the Thrahks continued to devastate the Bhoors, more and more of them panicked and ran for their lives. The fight in them was gone, and now they wanted nothing but to escape the horrible destruction that was crashing down upon them from all angles. The whole scene was a fiery nightmare, and the Medorans eventually slowed their attack when they saw the doom raining down on their enemy. At one point the Bhoors made an attempt to regain control of the Thrahks by sounding the horns again, but this just seemed to enrage them. They continued their rampage, chasing the multitudes of men as they retreated in horror.

  "Rommus look out!" Tannis yelled.

  It was too late. A wild flash of purple flame filled his vision. There was a hot feeling all over his body, but as he flexed his muscles to check his injuries he could not detect any. He had been knocked to the ground, and above him stood a dark figure, cloaked in tattered black robes. His face was hidden like any Mage, but this man was different than any Mage he had seen before. Aside from the feeling he felt tugging at his soul, the Mage was different because he could obviously use magic.

  Tannis lunged at the man before Rommus could stand. He could hear his sword ripping through the black fabric, and he even saw the black blade coming out through the chest, but the Mage just laughed. It didn't seem like the blade was piercing any flesh at all.

  "I'll deal with you later," the Mage said as he held out a hand to Tannis. A dark cord of magic flowed from his hand and into Tannis, causing his muscles to seize and his body to fall like a statue in an earthquake. Alana immediately bent and began pulling him away from danger.

  Rommus was on his feet before he realized it, swinging his sword at the Mage. The man brought a sword up to block the swing, stinging Rommus's hand with the vibration. Many blows were exchanged, and the clash of swords caught the ears of everyone around. With the battle essentially over, the Medorans formed a wide circle to watch as the god of war fought this Mage; or perhaps Inshae himself.

  There were several times when the Mage attempted to use magic on Rommus, and each time he could feel the uncomfortable buzz of discomfort it created. At first it greatly concerned him, but he soon realized that it did him no harm. Unfortunately the Mage also seemed unaffected by the golden sword, as Rommus could feel it slice deeply into the robes without even making the man flinch. His muscles were burning, and he was beginning to think that there would be no end to this battle.

  Suddenly Rommus remembered fighting with the man who wore the armor of Arius. Perhaps the man was granted some magical power that protected him against weapons, but maybe Rommus could kill him with his bare hands like the other man. He threw his sword, its point sticking into the blood-stained soil, and dove for the man. The Mage swung his sword wildly, hitting the armor in various places but doing no harm.

  Rommus wrestled the man to the ground. He was surprised to see that his face was covered in shadow even in the bright rays of the sun, but he still reached into the hood to find the man's throat. What he felt inside was strange and disorienting, and he had a hard time determining where the man's head was. He struggled, but no matter what Rommus did he could not choke the man. His plan was disintegrating and he could not think of what to do.

  Then he felt something. It wasn't a face or a neck, but something else. He grabbed hold of the thing and yanked it from the hood. In his palm was a small piece of gold, carved to look like the rays of the sun over the rock that he and Mirra called their own. At first he was confused how someone else could have possessed such a similar item to the one he made for her, but then waves of understanding began flooding his mind. This was the very same pendant he made. He knew the man who struggled beneath him.

  The strange, comforting feeling began to rise in his blood and a forgotten memory returned to him. He suddenly remembered the day when he thought he was going to die in the woods and somehow he overcame the horror; the day when the sky went black and seemed to laugh at his pain. He felt the power boiling inside him, and he knew that he could crush this man. His eyes widened with rage, and the squirming Mage finally showed genuine fear in his movements.

  There was a purple flash that blinded him. He shook his head to clear his vision, only to see that the man was gone. He heard the soldiers surrounding him cheering for a moment, thinking that he had killed the Mage. It took a few seconds for him to see the black robes in the crowd, mounting a horse and heading towards Burnhamheade.

  Rommus stood and pointed. "Stop him!"

  The men did not hesitate, but rushed in around the man. It did them no good however, for anyone who came close fell dead instantly. Rommus thought to chase him, but he was too far away, and his thoughts turned to his father when he saw Alana hovering over him.

  "Is he all right?"

  Alana looked up at him. "He has been moving some, but he hasn't said anything yet. I think he's coming out of it; whatever it was. Who was that man? I have never seen a Black Mage in Vindyrion."

  Rommus looked at the pendant in his hand and showed it to Alana. Her eyes showed him that she knew exactly who the man was too. Her jaw went slack, and her eyes took on a look of sadness and sympathy for him. Rommus didn't feel a need to even say the name, and instead he just shook his head at the ground.

  "This man is your father," came a voice from behind him.

  Rommus turned and met the eyes of Vohl. "Yes he is. I suppose we do look a little alike. I see that you got to one of those Thrahks."

  "Yes. I got to the male. The females follow the males, so I knew that the others would turn on the army if I could reach him. I was very lucky," he said as he brushed some dirt from his black
overcoat.

  "We were all very lucky," Alana said. I'd say about half of the Medorans have been killed in this battle."

  "Yes it's a shame. The Bhoors took a great loss as well, but they are still a formidable force. I am amazed that they retreated."

  "I'm not amazed," came a groggy voice. Tannis attempted to stand, and did so with Alana's help. "You took their beliefs and cast them into the wind. They saw another god on the field that was not their own, and that struck them at their hearts. Then those monsters started to destroy them. Any man would run from such a thing.

  "However, I am very displeased with you Rommus. I do not agree with pretending you are a god; even if it did win this battle. Look at all these soldiers on their knees bowing to you, thinking you are Arius."

  Rommus looked out at the thousands of men surrounding him, falling to their knees in respect. "I don't agree with that sort of thing either, father. Let's go into the city. I have something to show you."