Story

[Steel DarKnight]

I have always loved to read fictional stories of the nature of swords and sorcery. I had never attempted to write one. Please feel free to offer constructive critisism of pointers for us "newbs"

THE REUNION

Steel DarKnight rode quietly home. The night was late and the forces of nature were not being kind. In the distance He could hear the loud booming of thunder and the night was briefly lit with flashes of light, the smell of rain laid heavy in the night air.

It was not long before the rains started. Thick sheets of rain quickly overtook the soft sprinkles. The thunder and lightning were now coming more frequent and it was not long before Steel and his steed were completly drenched. Strangely he was barely aware of the sudden change in weather as his mind lay elsewhere.

His thoughts were of the events of the day. The  continuing training of new members to the Empire, many of who were untested and all of who had yet to fight as a unit. “We are young as young as we may have ever been” he spoke quietly to himself. Steel was concerned as usual that the forces of Lord Blackthorne were preparing for their next assault on the lands. His own reconisans of the areas, known to be controlled, by the Savages had shown that they had rebuilt and retrained since the battles with the Orcs and the citizens of the lands. The Juka still held the town of Mystra and were also becoming more brazen in their excursions from Lord Blackthorn’s abode. The empire is not yet ready to clean out these nests of evil, Steel thought. “ I just hope that they stay their hand until we are ready”.

Steels mind drifted to his home. With his recent appointment to the office of Decurion, Steel had refurbished the old log home. The downstairs formerly a meeting room had been transformed into a classroom of sorts. Shelves containing books the wisdom of military minds, tactics, and of military history now graced the walls for those whom seeked their wisdom. His bedroom was now replaced with the furniture of an office. Steel chuckled at this, "I never slept long anyways”. The only room remaining largely unchanged room was his brothers. This room of course was where the Legate of Smithy had mastered his craft and was where he could still be found most nights working over the forge.

A sudden sense of danger quickly washed over his him and Steel noticed for the first time the weather that surrounded him. A bright flash of light followed by a loud boom of thunder revealed the oncoming blade seeking his heart. He quickly moved to dodge the assault, but was only partially successful, and the blade nicked through his side slicing the tunic of chain he was wearing. The force of the attack and his sudden movement to avert the deathblow unbalanced him and he fell from his steed to the mud below. Cursing himself for his own lack of alertness Steel quickly leaped to his feet and drew his blade in one quick motion. His eyes quickly darting about to locate his assailant, his blade poised to parry the next attack. None were forthcoming. Steel quickly circled awaiting the attacker to press his advantage. The thick rain and the darkness of the night obscuring his vision.

Feelings of naseau and dizziness soon washed over him and he used his free hand to feel the wound left by the sudden attack. His quick movement had prevented the blade from doing much more than scratching him. “A flesh wound” he thought. Again he was hit was dizziness, so much so, that he almost fell to his knees. Poison he thought as he quickly reached for the pouch at his side to grab a curative potion within.  Lightning flashed and the resulting light revealed a darkly attired warrior slightly to his left. The assassin was clad in cloak and clothing of black and clad in a light mail of greenish metal. In is hand, he wielded, a golden strangely curved blade.  Quickly, the figure leaped to strike and Steel, in parrying the blow, dropped the potion he had been preparing to ingest. Silent and deadly the green clad attacker pressed his advantage looking for the opportunity to plunge his blade into Steel’s heart. Waves of nausea crashed through Steel making it more difficult to block the blows that seemed to be coming faster. He knew that he would, in his current condition, not stand long before either the poison, or the poisoner would find his heart.

In a move of desperation, Steel feigned a stumble and fell to one knee. The would be assassin seeing the opportunity to finish his grim work quickly leaped to skewer Steel on his blade. In his eagerness the green clad warrior overextended and Steel quickly bounced to balls of his feet and sidestepped the blow. Quickly changing his direction, Steel forcibly tackled his assailant and the would be assassin fell forward knocking him to the ground. In that brief moment of opportunity, Steel quickly reached into his pouch producing another curative potion and quaffed it down. Immediately the healing affects removed the nausea and dizziness from Steel and he dropped the empty vial and crouched into a fighting stance. His attacker having recovered his footing crouched only a few feet away.

“For Oath and Code(x)” yelled Steel as he moved in on his assailant. Clearly Steel now held the advantage, as the effects of poison no longer affected his ability. The attacker quickly was made the defender as he narrowly avoided Steel blade again and again. The deadly katana whistled through the air and the sounds of crashing metal as Katana and Kryss repeatedly met ringed through the forest. The combatants locked blades again and again struggling to gain an advantage.  Seeing that he was not a match for Steels swordmanship the assassin lunged forward with his Kryss then deftly bounded backwards separating himself from Steel. As he stepped backwards a pink vial flew from his hand landing at Steels feet. In that brief moment it took for Steels mind to recognize that liquid the vial exploded engulfing him in a ball of flame the force of which threw him backwards, knocking his helm several yards away.  Somewhat dazed but knowing a pause would mean his death Steel again leaped to his feet. His assailant had not moved and strangely had sheathed his blade. Chanting softly, with arms extended. Then suddenly the green warrior shrieked “Vas ort Flam!”. Steel recognized these words of magic and quickly leaped towards the assassin. Almost as if at the same time the green warrior shrieked “Corp Por”!  Both forces of magical energy hit Steel at the same time but, due to years of battle with mages of darkness and the resulting resistance to magical energy, both attacks only lightly fazed him and served to increase Steel rage. Blinded by the assault and raging with anger Steel charged through his assailant tackling the mage and, sending him flying, knocked him to the ground. The would be assassin’s helmet flying far from were he crumbled to the ground. Steel quickly approached, raising his blade to finish his foe. His mind, as it always did at moments like these, seemed to take everything into focus. The world seemed to slow. The rains,………….. lightning,…………… thunder,………………… The crumpled form of his attacker laying face down in the mud in front of him………………….. The body of his opponent struggling to rise,…………………… struggling to lift his face from the mud.

Flashes of lightning, almost continues, now ringed the sky in light.

Both warriors looked to each other. Their eyes showing determination to win,… to survive…. then  suddenly, through their eyes, a brief moment of reconition followed by looks of horror.

…………………………….

…………………………….

…………………………….

“Brother!”

Steel looked grimly upon his younger brother a sibling that, he had thought, been lost to him many years past. Staggering with shock, and the feelings that suddenly tugged at his heart he could only say one word.

“Why?”

His brother spoke while still laying on the ground “Brother?…….Steel ….I didn’t know it was you…. HE paid me well. HE always pays me well. How was I to know?……. To know?……That……. That this time…….  He never told me it was YOU! I would have never agreed….never…you have to believe me!

“Stop” shrieked Steel and he started to back away. He looked down at his brother. His light hair, his light blue eyes, his youthful features. “You are still cold as death brother. Does nothing but the promise of coin win your loyalty?  Have you no yearning for something more….something to fight for? Does only the feel of the blade, the fire of battle, and the hint of fortune warm your heart?

Verite DarKnight looked up from the ground at his brother. Looked up, as he had all his life to his elder sibling. Ever so gently he shook his head.  Steel had made his choice in life. I have made mine. They were the only logical choices at the time. That fork in the road had long ago been passed. There  was no going back. Or was their?

“Brother….I….” Verite spoke quietly.

“Brother”? Steel seemed to spit out the words. “I have no Brother named Verite”. “At least I don’t anymore” “He left along time ago and it seems he is never to return”. “I mourn his death.”

Know this you………. “Mercenary”. Next time I will not stay my hand. Next time………….

The raining had stopped the storm having swept by. The sun had just started to rise and it rays were just beginning to show over the mountains.

Steel knew very well who “HE” was and “HE” would pay for this cruel mockery, he thought to himself. This cruel twist that would face brother versus brother and, had fate not intervened, resulted in ones death at the hand of the other. “ He will pay….By my HONOR he will pay for this”

The only sounds that could be heard as Steel walked away was his own footsteps and the gentle sobs that seemed to come from the green clad warrior who still had not picked himself up from the blood stained, mud soaked, ground.

[Prometheus]

Very interesting. I enjoy reading fiction such as this and am also in the process of brainstorming some story ideas of my own to post here for the enjoyment of my guildmates. Good work Steel, I am looking forward to part 2 to find out who "HE" is