Crossing Swords.



The silence was as cold as was the air itself, as boot crossed sideways over boot. Blades drawn, the path of each footstep, drawing a circle, on the left was Felstus Crowe, braggart, infidel, coward. On the right was Chelti Demio, son of the man he now believed murdered by the swine Felstus Crowe. Each man paced in a circle around one another, studying his opponent carefully through the plumes of icy cold breath. Falco leaned to Asa’s head but said nothing at first, the dragon cocked his head and nodded already seeing Falco’s observation. While Felstus Crowe seem anxious and uncertain, the much younger man kept his blade out in front of him, loose relaxed, his free hand outstretched behind him, focused on the task at hand.. Confident. Falco could see much of Modo Demio in his young son, and when the coward Felstus Crowe attacked, Falco could already see that his fate was certain. His first thrust was met by a parry by young Chelti, which spun the older man right past him, sending him flailing into the mud.
“Come now Felstus Crowe!” Chelti taunted. “Surely a murderer of your caliber can do better than that!”
He rose from the mud becoming more angry than hurt, he attacked this time with a broad sweeping stroke each time meeting only Chelti Demio’s own blade instead of flesh and bone. His father taught him very well indeed, as each time the scoundrel attacked, every thrust, every lunge, every movement, Chelti Demio’s skilled blade was there to meet it with a counter attack. Again he tried a thrust, this time however the younger man found flesh and bone, as he swept his blade directly across Felstus’s free wrist, removing his left hand. He fell to the ground, screaming and flailing about like a wounded bear, but did not completely relent, Felstus, in his blinding anger as he rose, it was Chelti Demio that dealt the final blow, with his blade sweeping down across Felstus Crowe’s blade hand, removing it as well. now he was completely defenseless. And as he lay on the ground the much younger victor, now towered above him. Felstus Crowe’s henchmen slowly moved forward, but when Asa’s head slowly turned in their direction they thought better of it.
“So what now Felstus Crowe?” Chelti enquired “Do you have a Healer in your band of toadies?” He Paused, the anger slowly returning in his voice.
“Or do I take your life as you claim to have taken my father’s?”


A Dragon's Legacy.



He really didn’t have to consider it for long when in the end, Chelti had decided to return his blade to quarters, and let it rest for a bit.. He looked down at his defeated enemy, and then up at the men who had followed him.
“Hear me now!” he said. “Let every man here know, that Felstus Crowe yet lives. But any man that follows his lead, follows it to their own end! Prey not on the living, nor live to plunder the lives of others, for let any man here who raises their blade to commit such crimes as rape or murder, suffer the fate of Felstus Crowe!”
He turned and lifted himself back on top of his animal, and turned to ride towards the village of Goyth only to find himself looking into the eyes of a smiling Asa, who simply winked at him. Chelti, Falco and Sylvie all three began their ride into Goyth with the king of Gosia casting a watchful eye over them as they traveled, and for a time rarely was a word spoken until finally Falco pulled rein and turned to face his young friend.
“Young Chelti.” he said. “While I fully suspect the answer, I must ask why YOU think you spared Felstus Crowe the fate of your blade?”
Asa landed beside of him, Chelti’s answer was also of great interest to him, He turned to face them.
“Do you remember the dream I spoke of Falco?”
“Yes Chelti”
“And do you remember the medallion that my father had from the kings guard?”
“Yes young sir, we all wore one.”
“In the dream, my father produced his medallion with no necklace around it, and after we began our ride to meet with Felstus this morning I found This In my pocket.”
He produced the broken necklace that belonged to Modo Demio.
“I believe that my father was telling me that he is alive somewhere and he needs me to find him. Hence the necklace.. And find him I will.”
He looked up at Asa
“And as for Felstus Crowe..”
Asa lowered his head to look Chelti square in the eye.
“Yes Chelti.. Tell us how you’ve punished him.”
He pondered Asa’s request for a moment before answering.
“King of Gosia?”
“Yes Chelti?”
“ For a man such as Felstus Crowe, whose heart knows nothing of forgiveness, nor love, nor compassion, is life not a more fitting punishment than death?”
The Dragon smiled, and as he turned to look behind him, the sun broke free of the mist and fog and cast it rays in their path. They all continued on to the village of Goyth.

Scratch A.B.T Copyright © 2007.

Ruse.



He opened his eyes slowly taking in everything around him, Sylvie lay still directly across from him as Falco stood at the edge of the early morning mist, hunched over he was, spreading the coals and ashes of the past evenings fire. And as his eyes began to focus, he knew somehow that something was out of place, what was right before was somehow now wrong, but he couldn’t put a finger to it. Then it struck him.. Where had Modo Demio taken off to? He rose to his feet suddenly checking the entire encampment with but a single glance.
“Falco?” he called out inquisitively.
He slowly turned to face him.
“Falco.. To where has my father taken off this morning?”
Falco gave him a look as though his sanity had suddenly taken its leave.
“Your father young sir?”
Chelti Demio was becoming impatient.
“Yes.. My father.. Modo Demio.. He was here with us on the valley floor beneath Heaven’s Helm.”
“Young sir.. We are still IN Heavens Helm.”
“This c… can not be Falco!.. he was… right here with us.. We all talked to him he was-”
But when Chelti Demio looked around he knew that Falco spoke the truth, as on each side of him he could look for leagues, up the steep cliffs of Heavens Helm. Indeed.. They hadn’t yet pulled free from the passes of the giant mountain. He slowly sat back down on his blanket, his eyes swelling with tears.. For he realized that the entire episode with his father had been nothing more than a beautiful dream.
“A dream Falco.. It was all… a… terrible dream.”
He sat down next to Chelti and folded his arms around his own knees staring patiently at the confused, frustrated young man.
“Terrible how Chelti?’
“Terrible because he is still dead Falco. terrible because now I want to kill Felstus more than ever!”
He rested his hand on Chelti’s shoulder
“My friend.. Is it terrible that you saw your Father again?.. Is it terrible that even if only in the world of your dreams you saw his face? Or that you rode beside him or spoke his name.. Is it terrible that you remember him this way?, or do these things not remind of the kind of man that he was?”
Chelti could not answer.
“Young sir.. As long as your hold him dear, as long as your keep him in your beating heart, as long as his memory lingers in your very own, in these ways Chelti Demio.. In this way.. Will your father live forever.”
He raised his eyes to look at Falco, and slowly nodded.
“Come my friend.. Felstus and his swine are bearing down on Goyth, we have a full mornings ride before we are in his path.. We should go now.”
Sylvie had already rose and taken to loading her animal, when Falco and Chelti rose to begin the mornings ride.
“Bread will have to keep you bellies rumblings at bay, until the task at hand is completed Chelti Demio.” he handed him some, which Chelti happily accepted. They all mounted up and began the mornings ride

Dragon's blade.



They couldn’t rely on the sun to tell them what time of day it was, the mist and fog that hung in in the air in and around Heavens Helm was much too thick to allow sunshine. Halfway down the northern slope, Falco didn’t need sunshine to tell him who was riding off in the distance, to the west of them. It was indeed Felstus, and his merry band of toadies, Falco peered through the spyglass as Chelti and Sylvie both looked on with growing interest.
“They are about two maybe three leagues from us.” he told them. “We should meet up with them almost at the same time as we reach the valley floor.” He gave a slight look of concern to Chelti.
“And it would appear as though he’s picked up a few more bodies along the way.”
“How many more?” Chelti asked
“It looks as though there are twenty perhaps twenty five men.”
Without a second thought the three riders continued down the northern slope of Heavens Helm within two hours they were directly in the path of Felstus, who had already spotted them and slowed the pace to greet the man he recognized as Falco.
“My.. But you are a long way from the protection of Gosia Falco! are you not??” Felstus Taunted.
Falco didn’t offer him a smile
“Know your place coward, you do not intimidate me! Your dreams of plunder end here and now Felstus!”
He sat upright in his saddle confidently smiling at Falco.
“Twenty five men against a man, a boy and a girl, and a lovely wench indeed!” he laughed. “My chances of survival, brave Falco, are greater than yours.. You are greatly outnumbered!”
Falco stared strait ahead and watched Felstus’s evil little smile slowly fade as the king of Gosia slowly descended behind them.
“Felstus.” Falco smiled broadly.. “I believe you know my friend Asa?.. So tell me now how you like your odds of survival?”
Felstus studied them for a moment .
“ So you have the upper hand now Falco.. for now I shall relent.”
He shook his head.
“No. Felstus.. It will not be that easy.. For you see.. Young Chelti Demio would like a word with you… about his father.”
Felstus dismounted slowly and began walking towards them drawing his sword.
“So boy.. You have realized the truth ay?.. And now you wish me dead?
Well then.. Remove yourself from that animal.. And come join your father.”

Scratch.. A.B.T Copyright © 2007



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