Bladeborn

by Clayton Schonberger

  Bladeborn had grown as much as he could, and in the Rhinolon Language as loud as a peal of thunder he said, “WHICH ONE OF YOU IS NEXT?” Arrows and spears from above clattered against his armor and shield.

  Bladeborn knew there was only a moment before he would succumb to pelting by the archers and spearmen. Because of his current size, he could pick up the bodies of the slain ogres and heave them away from the base of the gate door where they fell. He sheathed Nightslayer and dropped his shield for a moment while bending down to move the two huge ogres.

  A javelin hit him on the back of the neck as well as several arrows. The wounds would have been fatal were he not so large. He struggled to remove the timber braces—no easy task, even with his increased bulk. All the strength Bladeborn could muster was needed, and he saw that there would be no time to smash the block and tackle that held the portcullis down; Bladeborn hoped the ram could break through once the gate was no longer braced.

  The Rhinolon were pouring into the courtyard in vast numbers and groups of them were coming down from the walls. Bladeborn unleased two more scathing psychic Essence attacks on them, and twenty more dropped over, dead. Yet he knew that in despite his best efforts, in seconds he would be overwhelmed.

  Suddenly, with a huge CRASH the ram broke through and the first wave of the Army of the Sun entered the city. Seeing this, the Rhinolon soldiers turned again to flee. Bladeborn returned to his normal height and sat for a moment to rest, even as a second wave of his troops, made up of Knights and cavalry, entered Onager through the destroyed gate.

  Many humans and Drommu fell to the Rhinolon bowmen in the towers of the main gate, but in moments the tower-defenders were overrun by Bladeborn’s forces. Sir Drak Lomazi and several other Knights had entered and rushed the towers, followed by their men. The main gatehouse was captured along with the surrounding guard houses, and the bulk of Bladeborn’s army charged forward with the collective war cry, “FOR DEOCARLA AND THE SIX REALMS!”

  Joining up with General Bladeborn, Sir Rodon Thell asked, “By the gods, Bladeborn, we have made it in and it seems we are faring well. Hope that they don’t have the numbers to hold the city!”

  As their warriors flowed into the streets about the courtyard Sir Rodon didn’t even bother asking about the maneuver that had brought Bladeborn inside.

  Bladeborn arose to greet Rodon, “You are injured, my friend,” Bladeborn said still tired from his exertion.

  Rodon replied, “I was outside the gate, leading the men on the ram, and a rock hit my head. But I will survive. You are also bleeding! Are you all right?”

  “I am fine,” Bladeborn said, finally catching his breath.

  “We must find Durg the Despicable and kill him before he escapes,” Rodon said. “His palace is on the hill. We took many casualties getting in, Bladeborn, do you think we have the strength to finish this job?”

  “There’s plenty of strength in us if it involves killing Durg!” Bladeborn called back. “Divide into teams like we planned and hunt the beasts down street by street!”

  “All units!” Sir Rodon shouted with a smile. “Divide up! Warriors of the Six Valleys, this is OUR night!”

  Losing no further time, Sir Drak Lomazi and the other Knights called to their warriors, “CHARRRGE!”

  There had long been a secret resistance effort among the servants in Onager. These brave humans, Drommu, and Lizardmen broke into open rebellion as the attack began. The members of the resistance picked up what tools they could to kill the Rhinolon. With a foothold established by the Army of the Sun, Moon, and Dawn and the full servant rebellion, the slaughter of Onager’s Rhinolon began.

  For hours, the fighting went continued; the Rhinolon garrison that guarded the city did not surrender. However, the beastly citizens realized they were overwhelmed by their attackers. Many of the females took their young out the south gate, fleeing into the night. Those Rhinolon who stood and fought…died.

  The Six Realms Army killed, looted, and burned across every block of the sprawling Northern capital of the Rhinolon. The merchants of the Rhinolon in the city were far too fat and out of shape to fight back. Their decadence was immense and vast numbers of them fell in the mucky streets, trampled to death by their own kind as they ran about in a panic.

  The mud-walled palaces of Onager had their doors smashed in. The Rhinolon inside were struck down. The two richest Rhinolon servant traders, who lived on high hills of the city were ripped apart by vengeful Drommu and Lizardmen, former servants whom they had long abused.

  Centuries of oppression were paid back that night. Hundreds of Drommu, whom the Rhinolon had meant to use as food, were liberated from the massive prisons in Onager. Those who were healthy enough to do so fought for the Drommu of the Dawn, some using their bare hands and teeth on their oppressors.

  The combined force of the Six Valley Army, with the help of the former servants, burned or pulled down the guardhouses, barracks, guildhalls, and palaces. They looted the granaries and burned warehouses and ships. They burned all ten of the Rhinolon “warbarges” in the harbor after liberating the oarsmen. The galley oarsmen on these dreadnaughts could not believe they were gaining their freedom.

  After a long night of fighting, Bladeborn and Sir Rodon ran across each other on the approach to Durg’s palace. Rodon Thell was followed by several of his key archers; Bladeborn’s surviving heavy footmen, a force of Drommu from the Cliffwalker tribe, and Jonax were with him. Dense smoke from the burning city below stung their eyes. Some Knights must have already rushed Durg’s palace because it was also smoldering.

  “The battle is ours, Bladeborn!” declared Sir Rodon with a rousing cheer. “All this in only three years!”

  The men raised a victory cheer and the Drommu with them spontaneously howled. Yet Bladeborn knew it wasn’t quite over.

  “There is still one thing we must do!” Bladeborn called out. “A half hour ago, a runner informed me that Durg the Despicable is holed up beneath his palace.”

  “We have a score to settle with that one,” Sir Rodon said solemnly. Can we get through the fire there? It is aflame!”

  “We must do so quickly, I don’t want to hear that he has escaped!” Bladeborn declared. “Take a few of your best archers! Jonax come with me! Sergeant, you and the men stay here and protect our flank. Durg may have a few surprises for us! Still, we shall run through the Hells to get him, if we have to!”

  When Bladeborn arrived at Durg’s palace that night, all the human warriors who arrived earlier lay dead. Inside Durg’s infernal palace, Bladeborn’s soldiers were interspersed with servants of the Rhinolon commander—bodies of Durg’s servants were everywhere, their throats unceremoniously cut. In a hall filled with grotesque sculptures were the mangled bodies of two Knights who had apparently gone in together to kill Durg. Bladeborn paused to say a prayer to Morth over them, and then with new resolve, he and the others pressed onward through the fire and smoke.

  After cautiously descending several staircases, Bladeborn, Rodon, Jonax, and a handful of archers of the Moon found Durg the Despicable surrounded by bodies of his former servants that he had mercilessly killed. He was in an exercise hall, and another one of Bladeborn’s trusted Knights lay dying at Durg’s feet.

  Sir Rodon saw the look on Bladeborn’s face and quickly said, “Don’t do this! Let the archers kill this one!”

  ~~He is twice you size, and the most skilled Rhinolon warrior in the north, Bladeborn. My lightning power is exhausted, and you have been wounded several times today in previous clashes! Earlier battles have left Durg unscathed! It would be foolish for you to face him at this time!~~

  When Durg saw Bladeborn, Sir Rodon Thell, Jonax, and archers enter the room he snorted heavily and rolled his tiny eyes.

  Bladeborn extended his arm, pointed the tip of Nightslayer at the Rhinolon Leader, and said in the Rhinolon Language, “Durg the Despicable, justice comes to you now, delivered by ME, the Accursed One of the North…BLADEBORN!”

  Durg laughed l
oudly and hocked up a huge spit wad, then declared, “I hoped you would come join my party, wielder of the Sword. Now, I call you out! YOU shall be as these others were—fodder for my axe! *SNORT!* When we are done I shall be remembered for killing you!”

  Bladeborn responded, “All of your banter is meaningless when your city lies in flames, your people are fleeing, and your garrison has been slaughtered!”

  “Come then, Accursed One, if you dare! Let us meet in single combat! My shield and axe are indestructible, and even your Sword will find no play in my adamantine armor. All are gifts from the Rhinolon Emperor, who has ruled since time immemorial! My helm will protect me from any brain-trickery you attempt! You cannot kill me!”

  “Kill you?” Bladeborn retorted. “I don’t think you understand how this will go, Durg! After I tear you down I am going to bring what’s left of you BACK to the First Realm IN CHAINS! Then, perhaps WE will allow a ransom for YOU!”

  Durg realized that with thirty bowmen behind Bladeborn, something like that could take place. The prospect appeared to infuriate him, so he screamed and charged!

  Bladeborn grew until he was same height as the massive Rhinolon commander. When they first crossed weapons, Bladeborn learned of the power of his opponent. Durg’s hammering blows bent Bladeborn’s sunrise-over-mountains shield around his arm like it was made of bronze rather than steel. Bladeborn felt pain in his off-hand, like a fracture in his wrist had occurred.

  ~~The strength of his strikes is almost unnatural, Swordsman. Call in your archers to shoot him with their bows!~~

  “I will not do it, Nightslayer!” Bladeborn responded, throwing away the smashed shield.

  ~~Foolish Swordsman! Keep out of his reach, then!~~

  Yet it was already too late. Durg had hooked the inner edge of his long axe behind Bladeborn’s knee, piercing the flesh of the back of his leg. The Rhinolon leader yanked his axe back, and smashed downward with his shield, up-ending Bladeborn. Stunned for a split second and now prone, Bladeborn realized he had misjudged the speed of the giant Rhinolon commander.

  Durg quickly brought his axe head down, but Bladeborn rolled away, a hair’s breadth from being chopped down the middle. As the axe hit the stone floor of the room, bright sparks flew from the point of impact, and there followed a loud “CLANG!” Durg, frustrated, raised the axe again to finish his hated foe.

  Seeing an opening, Bladeborn jabbed upward at Durg from the floor, but the Rhinolon Commander was there to block with the shield he held. Bladeborn had to roll father away, toward the exercise hall’s target mannequins.

  Quickly, Durg swung wildly. When Bladeborn got to the wooden mannequins, he knocked them over with his feet and Durg cut at one.

  “SNORRT!” Durg howled, foiled for the time being. “Hold STILL, wiggle wormfish!” The soft wood stuck on the edge of Durg’s axe, and it took the Rhinolon leader a moment to remove it.

  “GARRGH!” Durg screamed in frustration.

  Bladeborn managed to scramble to his feet. Nightslayer repeated, ~~Swordsman, your hubris will be your undoing! Have your archers slay this Rhinolon and be done with it!~~

  Instead of responding to Nightslayer, Bladeborn shouted to Durg, “I am not so easy to kill as you might think, Durg!”

  “You are a TRIFLE; that is all. I shall soon have my satisfaction!” Durg said, charging again. The sweat flew from the Rhinolon Leader, who smelled so bad that whenever he got close, Bladeborn nearly retched.

  Bladeborn dodged the charge of Durg, and the Rhinolon turned rapidly and charged again, calling out, “I have yet to be scratched today! But your leg, Accursed One! It BLEEDS! Just wait now, General of the Six Realms, and you shall feel the strength of the Rhinolon Empire!!”

  Bladeborn’s leg had been overtaken by Rhinolon poison, which severely hampered him. The prickling pain he could sense would kill him soon, if not treated.

  “Poison, Durg?” Bladeborn asked, in the human tongue. “Is that how you defeated the hydra all those years ago?”

  Outraged, Durg let forth an ear-splitting squeal, attacking with renewed force.

  Bladeborn was hobbled in one leg, limping, doing all he could to stay alive against the onslaught of Durg’s well-placed, furious hacks. Bladeborn dodged and dodged again, even as Drug’s axe sliced ever so slightly through Bladeborn’s armored breastplate, and pauldrons.

  Bladeborn realized that although he could hit harder when his form was enlarged, his increased size was hindering him. With a bit of conscious effort, Bladeborn returned to his natural man-size, and he found it slightly easier to avoid the Rhinolon leader’s weapon. Durg was breathing heavily, tiring. Bladeborn was gasping for air, bathed in sweat, the poison creeping into his system, Bladeborn knew his leg would soon give out completely—or he would pass out.

  “Where are your brain-tricks now, human?” Durg snarled. “Large or small, you cannot defeat me!”

  Desperate to finish the fight, Bladeborn tried to use his Essence-based psychic attack on his giant opponent, who was clearly winning the duel. The psychic attack, aimed at the Rhinolon Commander, made no difference; as Durg had claimed, it seemed his helmet protected him from such energy. Bladeborn again had to scramble to avoid Durg’s axe right after his attempted use of Essence-based power

  A moment later, Durg knocked Bladeborn down once again, as his axe connected with the shoulder joint of his steel armor. The modifications that Bladeborn had made to the pauldron kept even Durg from penetrating it, yet Bladeborn again lay at his feet.

  “NOW, FOR GLORY!” Durg shouted in Rhinolon. Standing astride Bladeborn. Durg raised his weapon up for a deathblow.

  But Bladeborn kicked upwards with both his feet into Durg’s groin. Durg sucked in a huge breath and took three staggering steps backward, giving Bladeborn enough time to get away. Bladeborn, struggling to his feet, came in to press the advantage.

  The Rhinolon Commander was blurry-eyed for only a moment. In that time, Bladeborn tried to find an opening in Durg’s defenses, knowing that even the tip of Nightslayer would be a start—if he could get in, past Durg’s shield. Yet, through the pain, Durg could defend well. The Rhinolon Commander was so assured with his shield that there seemed to be no way to get in.

  Moments later, Durg began pressing again, cutting at Bladeborn with massive force. Bladeborn managed to get Nightslayer inside Durg’s guard with two quick exchanges…A cut over Durg’s eye, and a stab to his right armpit that drew blood. These attacks only left minor wounds, and Bladeborn knew he would be dead before such small injuries brought Durg down. Durg had indeed begun to grow tired… but he was far and away the most accomplished fighter Bladeborn had ever faced.

  ~~Fight this beast with all you have, Swordsman, or you will certainly lose! Use your dimension-shifting ability!~~

  “I will need a clear, straight shot at Durg,” Bladeborn thought to the Sword. As if on cue, Durg charged again.

  To set Durg up, Bladeborn put a look of dumb panic on his face. Bladeborn calculated that if Durg thought he was close to winning, he would not see what was coming next.

  “GRUNT! NO WEAKLING HUMAN SHALL EVER BEST ME!” Durg bellowed, preparing to gore Bladeborn on his horn.

  The stinking, beastly, Rhinolon Commander called out a snorting howl of triumph, but Bladeborn—shifted—out of phase, stepping through Durg, who had missed him completely. Bladeborn quickly spun about just as Durg the Despicable glanced over his shoulder with a look of terror in his eye.

  With all the force he could muster, Bladeborn drove Nightslayer into Durg’s back. The length of the weapon passed through the adamantine plate covering Durg, between the ribs, and into the chest cavity where his heart beat. With an agonized scream, the Rhinolon Commander crumpled, face down, onto the floor.

  Bladeborn powerfully ripped the Sword of the Ancients free from Durg’s back and then turned him over to watch him die. As life ebbed from Durg, he wheezed: “You… May have beaten me… But the Rhinolon Emperor will hunt you forever. This is…not finished…”


  “You are wrong, Durg…It IS finished,” Bladeborn said, tottering on his feet, exhausted.

  Final breath spent, Durg the Despicable died.

  ~~He was a magnificent warrior, Bladeborn, almost your equal~~

  Rodon and Jonax ran over to Bladeborn, bracing him to keep him from falling over. Sheathing Nightslayer, Bladeborn gasped, “Jonax…collect the armor and shield of Durg… As a trophy for the Queen.

  Rodon insisted, “Quickly, sit down and rest! You have severe wounds that need attending to!”

  Jonax exclaimed, “I knew you could do it, Bladeborn! You are the greatest warrior in the world!”

  With great difficulty, Bladeborn entered the healing trance to heal his wounds and try to cure the deadly poison that he was afflicted with. Jonax and Rodon watched Bladeborn recovering before their eyes—surviving.

  Less than an hour later, Bladeborn and the others emerged from the remains of the complex that had made up Durg’s infernal palace.

  At the lead of several Knights, Sir Drak Lomazi rode up to them on his mount, “Nephew! General! We feared the worst!”

  “Bladeborn single-handedly killed Durg!” Jonax declared.

  “Aye, ‘tis true, Uncle!” Sir Rodon declared. “Durg lies buried beneath his burning palace. General Bladeborn was injured in the duel and it took time for him to heal afterward. We barely managed to escape the fires that were set earlier. Several other Knight lost their lives fighting with Durg. We were unable to retrieve their bodies.”

  “Sir Rodon’s archers bear trophies from the fight,” Jonax said. “Durg’s armor and weapon, plus a strong box brimming with gold!”

  “We have found other stores of treasure during tonight’s mop-up of the city,” Sir Drak Lomazi said. “All the Rhinolon are either dead, locked in their temples, or fleeing southward… General, you are bleeding. Let us get you a stretcher!”

  “My leg gives me pain, but I will live,” Bladeborn said. “The poison on Durg’s axe nearly had me, but I was able to heal through it. The wound is closed. Bring me a mount so that I may go to the injured who can be saved.”