Thanks, mythago.
Here, then, is my entry.
Round 2: SteelDraco vs. tadk vs. Aris Dragonborn
The Justicar
Daniel pulled into the parking lot of the convenience store, thoroughly exhausted and needing both a strong cup of coffee and a visit to the bathroom. He walked in and took a good look around. Everything looked normal. Not a soul in the place other than the old man behind the counter. Daniel approached him.
“Excuse me sir, but do you have a bathroom I could use? And fresh coffee?” he asked.
“Yes to both,” the old man replied. “The john’s at the back of the store, and the coffee’s over by the beer case.”
“Thanks. You just saved my life,” Daniel said, walking quickly to the back of the store and into the bathroom.
He closed the door, stood before the urinal, and got down to business. Letting out a gusty sigh, he zipped himself up after he finished, then went to the sink to wash his hands.
“Hello Daniel.”
Jumping about a foot into the air and stumbling back from the sink, Daniel barely managed to choke off the scream that threatened to erupt from his throat. In the mirror was the image a
young, red-haired girl. She was wearing a blue-striped turtleneck, and each cheek bore a small red circle; one was on her lips as well. She smiled openly, and covered her mouth with her hands to stifle a giggle.
“Hello Lilith. Didn’t your uncle ever teach you it’s bad manners to surprise people like that?” he asked. “I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest.” He walked back to the sink, and began washing his hands.
“Actually, he did. But I decided it would be more fun to do it this way. As a matter of fact, my uncle is the one who sent me to find you,” she said, still grinning.
“Oh? What does Nicodemus want with me?” he asked, not looking up.
Lilith’s voice dropped to a whisper, and she leaned forward. “Not here,” she said. “We need to talk somewhere more private…somewhere safe.” Daniel looked up, and was surprised to see a hint of fear in her eyes.
“Got anywhere in mind?” he asked.
Lilith nodded. “Get your coffee, then meet me around the back of the store. There’s one of those old Color Photo booths out back. The old man has almost forgotten it’s there, so I doubt he’ll notice us if we use it – or care,” she replied.
Daniel ripped off several sheets of paper towels. “Sounds good to me. Be there in a few,” he said as he dried his hands.
A few minutes later, cup off coffee in hand, Daniel made his way to the back of the store. There, just as Lilith had said, was the photo booth. A large sign with the word
“Color” in large print still retained much of its luster, though the light fixtures had ceased to function long since. He took a quick look around, making sure there were no unfriendly eyes, and entered.
Lilith sat on the bench, arms wrapped around her knees and a serious look in her eyes. She watched Daniel sit down, but said nothing.
Daniel let the silence stretch for a few minutes, then finally asked, “What’s the story?”
Lilith continued to stare at him, and Daniel began to feel a vague sense of unease growing in his gut. Finally, Lilith whispered, “One of the Ashan’gar has been sighted. Close by.”
Daniel felt the coffee turn to acid as his stomach began to churn. “And?” he asked, knowing the answer.
Her eyes bright and a tremor in her voice, Lilith replied, “And he’s after you.”
Daniel said nothing; he just sipped at his coffee, not tasting it. He tried to keep his voice steady as he asked his next question. “Is it someone we know, or someone new?”
Lilith’s voice finally cracked as she said, “It’s Mordred.”
Daniel’s heart sank to his toes.
Lilith regained some measure of control, wiped her eyes, and said, “My uncle wants you to come home for a while; just until Mordred gives up his search. He believes that Mordred would even dare consider attacking one of the Justicar’s strongholds without giving it some serious thought,” she said. A pleading look came into her eyes as she said, “Come home, Daniel. Please.”
Daniel could not meet her eyes. Part of him wanted to leave just as fast as he could. Memories of his last encounter with Mordred surfaced in his mind, memories that he had no wish to relive. He had almost died in that battle, and though he had defeated Mordred that day, causing him to flee, he had no desire to fight him again.
And yet the other part of him would not let him run. He was a Justicar; for what other purpose did he serve if not to fight the Ashan’gar? For over 1000 years the Justicars and the Magi had been all that stood between the earth and the Ashan’gar. If he left now, and Mordred appeared, he would slaughter the old man in the store. Daniel realized that he couldn’t run. Sooner or later, he would have to face Mordred again. It would be better to choose to stand to fight rather than be forced to fight when Mordred finally ran him down.
Daniel’s thought were interrupted by the realization that it had grown cold. He looked at Lilith, whose teeth had begun to chatter. A look of naked fear crossed her face, and she rose quickly from the bench.
“Daniel, come on! We have no time! He’s close by, can’t you feel him?” her voice was raw; she was, Daniel realized, on the edge of panicking.
It was time to calm her down. “Relax, Lilith. Let’s go outside and take a look. We’re on the coast, and it being late fall, it could be nothing more than a fog rolling in.” Daniel took her hand, and led her outside.
A fog bank had indeed rolled in, but it was weak and wispy and didn’t obscure visibility hardly at all. But it was still cold out, so he began to take Lilith to his car.
She stopped him with a claw-like grip on his arm. “D-Daniel. L-Look.” Her shaking hand pointed at the lookout point on the other side of the road.
“Stay by the car. I’ll be right back,” he said, and moved off towards the street.
As he crossed the highway, he called upon one of his Justicar powers and summoned his sword from the trunk of his car. The blade was long and broad, and the hilt extended to accommodate a two-handed grip. It was plain, unadorned by any jewels or gilding, but shone with a cold light even through the fog.
He approached the lookout point cautiously, slowly, eyes constantly scanning for any threat. His eyes fell upon on of the viewers people used to watch the whale migrations, and he stopped.
The viewer was rimed with a thick layer of frost; icicles hung almost a full foot from it.
Daniel stared at the viewer as if it heralded the end of the world.
Lilith saw Daniel stop before the viewer, and watched in mounting fear as he stood and stared at it. She saw the fog swirl ten paces behind Daniel, saw the tall, black clad figure step out of the fog, sword in hand.
“Daniel! Behind you!”
Daniel was moving even before Lilith finished her warning. His blade came up into guard position just in time to block the downward strike of an ash-grey sword. His eyes met those of his attacker; fear and uncertainty began gnawing at his belly.
“Hello Daniel,” Mordred rasped.
Lilith stood shivering in fear by the car, unable to do anything but watch. Daniel was one of the best swordsmen among the Justicars, and she held onto the hope that his skill would serve him now.
“Hello Mordred,” Daniel replied, never taking his eyes from his opponent, his sword never wavering.
“I thought you would have run with your tail between your legs when you heard I was looking for you,” Mordred said. “This time, you will die.”
Mordred brought his sword around in a sweeping cut at Daniel’s head; his blade rang as Daniel first parried then riposted with a slash of his own. Mordred danced back out of harms way, viper-quick.
They stared at each other for a long moment, neither moving a muscle. Then they came together in a rush, blades singing through the air. Blade met blade in a ringing shower of sparks as the two adversaries fought, neither giving and inch of ground. Each was highly skilled with a blade; the slightest mistake could mean death.
Mordred, images of his defeat at Daniels hands still fresh in his mind, fought with a savage fury. His teeth were bared in a rictus of hatred, and his eyes burned with a hot flame; every swing of his blade cried out for his enemy’s blood. With every parried attack, his rage grew, until it seemed that he would be consumed by it.
This Justicar would not humiliate him again.
He pressed Daniel harder.
Daniel fought coldly, pushing his fear down until it no longer screamed at him. He never faltered, and smoothly parried every one of Mordred’s attacks. But his fear would not be silent, and screamed at him that Mordred was stronger, and tireless; it was only a matter of time until Mordred’s blade found its mark, and struck him down.
Daniel fought to ignore this. He would not give in to his fear.
He pressed Mordred harder.
Lilith watched, horrified, as Mordred finally caught Daniel’s blade in a bind, a sent it spinning off into the darkness. His boot caught Daniel flush on the jaw, and knocked him to the ground, where lay dazed.
Unthinking, she spun a silver dagger from the ether and charged into the battle.
“And so it ends, Justicar. This time, I win.” Mordred crowed. “This night, you will die by my hand!”
Daniel watched half-aware as Mordred swept his blade back for the killing blow…
Lilith caught Mordred off guard, and planted her dagger square between the shoulder blades. He stumbled away to the side, screaming in pain and anger. She moved quickly to Daniel’s side, trying to get him on his feet.
“Come on, Daniel, move! That won’t stop him for long, we’ve got to get out of here!” She pulled at Daniel’s arm, urging him to move faster.
Then she felt herself pulled to her feet by her hair, and turned to see Mordred’s burning eyes searing into her soul.
“Little girl, you should have run while you had the chance,” he said, smiling.
Lilith saw his arm sweep back, then surge forward. She felt herself flying through air, then felt searing pain as her body shattered the rear window of Daniel’s car.
All went dark, and she knew no more.
Mordred, laughing, moved toward Lilith’s still form, to finish the job.
Daniel watched transfixed as first Lilith attacked Mordred, and was hurled through the air like a rag doll. He saw her go through the rear window of his car; saw Mordred stalking toward her unmoving body, blade in hand, and his intentions clear.
Somewhere in Daniel’s mind, a dam burst, and he was filled with a hot rage. It burst forth even as he called his blade to his hand; and when it appeared, it blazed with silver fire.
“MORDRED!!!”
Mordred stopped and turned around slowly. Daniel could clearly see the disbelief on his face as the Ashan’gar’s gaze fell upon a Justicar’s wrath unleashed. He took one look at the silver fire burning in Daniel’s eyes, a fire to match his own, and he saw his own death.
Mordred fled.
Daniel sprinted after him, stopping only long enough to check on Lilith. She appeared to be gravely wounded, but even as he examined her, she came around.
“What are you waiting for? Don’t let him get away,” she said in a weak voice.
“I have to get you help first. Then I'll hunt him down,” he replied.
“Help is on the way. I’ve already spoken with my uncle, and he should be here anytime,” she said. She began to rise from the car, and when Daniel moved to stop her, she batted his hands away. “It looks worse than it is. I’m Magi, remember?”
She could see the hesitation on his face. “Go. And this time,” she added with a grin, “make sure you finish him.”
Daniel smiled in return, and then he was gone.
Mordred did not go far. He ran down a forest path behind the store, and did not stop until he entered a clearing 100 yards away. A
stone chair stood in the center, covered in dirt and moss and worn with age. He spared it a fleeting glance, and then moved off into the trees.
Daniel arrived in the clearing moment later. He looked to the stone chair, approached it warily, and checked behind it. Nothing.
He stood next to the seat, looking around at the trees. He could see no sign of his quarry, yet he could feel his presence.
“Mordred! I can feel you, Ashan’gar! Come out and face me!”
Mordred, standing silent behind a large oak, heard Daniel’s challenge. His eyes smoldered with rage at having to flee once again from this Justicar.
In answer, he stepped from the trees, his blade at the ready.
“I am here, Justicar. It is time to end this!”
Daniel turned at the sound of Mordred’s voice. Calmly, he watched his enemy approach from the other side of the clearing, and come to a stop on the opposite side of the chair. Their eyes met, silver fire and red flame dancing.
“Yes,” Daniel agreed. “Let there be an end to this.”
They eyed each other, then stepped out from behind the chair.
Swords rose to the ready, and then flashed as the last battle began.
From the start, Daniel could feel a difference in the way he moved. In finding the strength to unleash the Justicar’s silver fire, he found the way to defeat Mordred. The Ashan’gar still move like a serpent, his blade flickering almost faster than the eye could see. But Daniel no longer found it difficult to keep up with Mordred’s blows; rather, he sensed that Mordred was having difficulty keeping up with him.
Mordred knew that he had lost. And this time, there would be no flight to safety. If he turned and fled now, the Justicar would have his sword in his back before he took two steps. Never had he faced an opponent who moved so fluidly! Daniel had somehow found a source of strength, of speed, of sheer will to prevail. Mordred had never seen it’s like.
The thought of imminent death brought a feeling of impotent rage to the Ashan’gar. So be it, he thought. If I must die, then he will die with me!
Back and forth the fight raged, and indeed Mordred found it increasingly difficult to keep up with Daniel’s flashing blade. Too many times, Mordred had to swing his blade into a parry at the last instant, with the result that he fully deflected the blow too few times, and took too many hits.
At last, Mordred could keep up with Daniel no longer, and the Justicar’s blade struck home. It plunged through his chest and emerged from his back. He raised his own blade for a killing blow, but found it too heavy to lift. He met Daniel’s eyes one last time, and then he was gone.
Daniel watched the light leave Mordred’s eyes, and knew the fight was over. He took a deep breath to calm down and clear his head. He stood staring at the Ashan’gar’s body for what seemed like an eternity, when Lilith and Nicodemus arrived. He looked first at Nicodemus, and then at Lilith, and then he smiled.
“It is finished,” he said. He willed his sword back into his car, just before Lilith slammed into him with a hug.
He held her shaking, weeping form, and looked up at Nicodemus, the Justicar who had trained him. “Well met, my lord,” he said in greeting.
Nicodemus smiled, and replied, “Well met, Justicar. And congratulations on a job well did. Well done indeed.” He regarded his niece; her storm of weeping now passed, he said, “Let’s go home.”
“Yes,” Daniel replied.
“Home.”
