Calvin saw a red marking approach him. He raised a shield to block and felt a weapon strike the other end. At this range, he was able to identify the figure as the Siren Commander. Jealousy swung a curved sword similar to a scimitar at Calvin. Jealousy spun around into his next attack, a horizontal strike. The second blow knocked the shield off of Calvin's arm. The Siren held his sword in both hands and followed with a flip that turned into a spinning diagonal chop. Calvin raised his sword to block the third strike. As they both recovered from the attack, Calvin looked down.
His side sword had been cloven in twain. Not just that, but the cut had grazed his left gauntlet. The plate had been sliced clean off, and the skin on his wrist had been brushed by the steel. Obviously, this man was not a normal soldier. He was something far more dangerous. "Who are you?"
"Commander of the Sirens. Yourself?"
"Calvin of Carlos, Aeon Field Captain. By what name are you called?" Calvin pulled on his shoulder strap. He would have no choice but to use Behemoth now. "Jealousy." He was not a man of many words on the battlefield. Jealousy took a deep breath in a peculiar manner. Calvin let out a low growl from deep within. The man he was fighting was meticulously trained. A storm was brewing, with Calvin in the midst.
Jealousy ran forward, moving the blade in a figure-eight pattern. Calvin reached under the cloth and grabbed Behemoth's hilt. The two weapons connected. Jealousy's scimitar was deflected by the hunk of metal that Calvin swung. The six foot long blade was one hundred pounds of raw Daylanian black steel. Calvin was the only man in Iltaz that could swing the brutal weapon.
Jealousy jumped back and readied his sword. Calvin swung full circle and rested the blade on his shoulder. The force of the swing cleared the fog away in a large radius. Now Calvin could see his mark clearly. Now, he could fight. Calvin ran full speed into the Siren, dropping the hulking blade at the last second. Jealousy rolled out of the way and the ground broke under Calvin's blow. The Siren swung and sliced Calvin's right arm around the wrist. Calvin swung again, this time horizontally. His adversary slid under the strike and caught Calvin again, this time along the right fore arm.
The shock from the blow dislodged Behemoth from his hands. It fell to his side and Jealousy stood facing him. "A pity that your sword arm is crippled. Prepare to die." Calvin smiled. "I'm not right handed." Calvin lunged forward, and swung the blade one handed. But, even still, Jealousy was faster. Calvin swung in vain, and Jealousy targeted his good arm. After three minutes of desperate swings, Calvin was on his knees. Jealousy walked up to him and pointed the scimitar at his throat.
"I'm done playing with you."
"As am I!" Calvin jumped to his feet in one last effort. Jealousy ducked under the first strike and lay a wide gash going from Calvin's right shoulder to his left side. His sword cleaved though Calvin's armour like it was paper. Calvin paused a moment in pain and swung a second time. Jealousy finished the 'X' he was drawing on Calvin's chest and watched the man. "You fight without concern for yourself or your surrounding. Had you assessed my speed during our first encounter, you may have survived." Calvin raised Behemoth one last time. Jealousy spun and struck a horizontal slash. This one was deep and wide; it slit through the center of the 'X' and sliced through the vitals in the torso.
Calvin froze. Behemoth slipped through his fingers for the last time and hit the ground, creating a mild tremor. His arms fell limp at his side. "I can't die yet...have so much...to live...for..." He fell to his knees, and finally crumbled to the ground with a thud. Jealousy looked up at the walls and grunted. "Sirens. I'm issuing an evacuation order. The mages have sealed the city. We don't have the magic to pierce through that barrier." He turned to look at the bloody Calvin as he lay there. "Well fought, Aeon Commander. May you find rest in the after life."
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As night fell, Calvin breathed in shallow breaths. I'm forgotten. They left me here...Footsteps approached him. A boot prodded his ribs, just below his wound, and rolled him over. Though his restricted vision, he made out a black siren mask with a curious marking. This design was an arrow that went through both eye slots and around to the right ear. "I think this is the one." Another joined him. Their design looked like tears falling from the eyes. "Hmmm...it may be. Brother said he carried a massive sword." The second one looked behind Calvin and pointed at Behemoth. "And there it is. This is him." The arrow-masked Siren motioned and two others appeared out of thin air. "You two, find others on the brink of death and bring them to Master Guile."
"And what of you sir?"
"Sorrow and I will take this one to the Master personally." A brief rush of air signaled the use of the teleportation spell Blink. This Shadow spell allowed the user to move instantaneously to anywhere in the users line of sight. Sorrow leaned over him and whimpered. "That wound looks bad, Doom. He may not make it."
"Master Guile assumed the worst when Jealousy said he fought him. In truth, I'm surprised he held on this long. The master will be pleased. You go on ahead and inform him, I wish to say a quick prayer." Sorrow cast Blink and disappeared. "You have fought well, Calvin of Carlos. I know you yet live, and I know you are conscious yet. Today, you opposed the Sirens. Soon, you will work for us. Yesterday, you stood for peace and unity." Doom chuckled as he lifted Calvin over his shoulders.
"Come dawn, you will be the firstborn of our rebellion."
I love this all! love the dialogue and the background, you might want to polish up the fight scene it seemed a bit muddled. I would try to make it even more distinct from the exposition. but even still it was brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI fixed. Thank you again! I removed most of the in-battle exposition, but it will be placed in a following chapter.
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