Two swords sliced through the air. They met edge to edge shattering the silence of the mountains. A flock of birds fled their perches in a patch of towering pine trees. Contrary to their name, the Dead Mountains were very much alive. Spring had transformed the landscape from a dreary brown and grey to a luscious green freckled with a variety of colored flowers. Then again the mountains didn't receive their title from what grew there. The mountain range was ruthless. In the winter the mountains were cold, dry, and a bitter wind swept through them from the southern sea. If the slippery slopes of the mountain didn't kill travelers, the extremely low temperatures definitely would. In the spring time, even though navigating the slopes is easier, fiends from the far northern parts of the mountains migrate south terrorizing the mountain range. However, none of this concerned the two swordsmen battling on the towering cliff overlooking the largest forest of the Dead Mountains.
"You do not know anything about it," the younger man yelled with every strike of his sword. His eyes glowed a bright green, deeply contrasting his dark red hair. His face was young but held the features of a person that had lived a difficult life. His maroon cloak flayed in the mountain wind exposing his bronze chest plate as he ferociously kept his attack moving forward.
The older of the two deflected each of the blows with ease and jumped back out from striking distance of his opponent. "I know more than you think, Dalamus." The older man stood at least half a foot taller then the younger man. He wore a thick grey beard on his face that only covered half of a large scar that ran down the right side of his face, but his eyes contained an eerie glow about them, something reminiscent of a child's eyes.
"You know nothing, Jahswa," Dalamus whispered under his breath. Surprising his opponent, he let out a deafening scream as he started charging, and raised his sword over his head preparing his attack.
Again the sound of clashing swords echoed through the mountains. At first Dalamus seemed to gain the upper hand with his fierce and surprising charge. He had Jahswa on his heels, struggling to block each consecutive blow. Dalamus had him beaten. Just a few more blows to the outside and an opening would be there.
Jahswa took two large steps back and to the side suddenly to create some distance between them. "Trajein," Jahswa whispered the ancient and magical words while slipping his right hand off his sword. Bringing his right hand vertical to the ground and in toward his hip he lowered his left shoulder. Pushing his hand forward, a light blue hue cloaked his hand and the once again charging Dalamus was blasted back ten feet, twisting through the air and skidding to a halt on his stomach. Jahswa walked over to Dalamus who was lying on his face. "I am sorry but Vyrul would have killed you by then."
Dalamus rolled over, grabbed Jahswa's extended hand, and pulled himself up to face his mentor. "If you were truly Vyrul, I would not have hesitated on the retreat you made."
Suddenly Jahswa grabbed him by the shoulders, threw his right leg behind Dalamus' legs and slammed him to the ground once again. "That is not even as fast as Vyrul would have stricken," Jahswa was so close to Dalamus' face that his beard was rubbing against him. "It wouldn't even have been him. It would have been his black knights. They never leave his side and are faithful to him until death," Jahswa stopped suddenly and stood up dragging Dalamus to his feet. "You must realize that Vyrul will never fight fair. He is evil and manipulative, and now that he possesses his families sword it will only get worse. The only thing that he wants is to destroy the grey and white swords, ending all opposition to his dream of conquering all of Alazar."
"But I though the swords where hidden away long ago," Dalamus looked at Jahswa in confusion.
"Yes, but he is connected to them through his black sword," Jahswa paused as he looked out over the cliff towards the setting sun. "If Vyrul were to succeed in this objective of destroying the grey and white swords, many would suffer the same fate as your family." Jahswa stood silently for what seemed like an eternity watching Dalamus, knowing he had struck a nerve. Jahswa finally broke the silence, "Come, it is getting dark. We should be on are way," Jahswa put a hand on Dalamus' shoulder and turned to head to camp.
Dalamus stood there for a second gazing south across the sea of tree tops towards the town he once called home. In his mind he could still smell the ashes. He could still hear the screams of the helpless as they were butchered by Vyrul's orc army. "I will avenge your deaths. Nothing will stop me from doing so either, not Jahswa, not orcs, or the Black Knights. Nothing. Vyrul Domous will die from my sword."
The next week went by quietly. The beginning of spring had been very calm. This seemed to worry Jahswa, though. "Not in twelve years have the Dead Mountains been so quiet during the first months of spring," Jahswa had said one evening during dinner.
Every day after breakfast Jahswa would disappear into the forest, the two had called home for the past year, while Dalamus stayed at camp practicing his fighting routines. Dalamus had no clue where Jahswa was going or what he was doing and he knew him well enough not to ask. Every day Jahswa would come back to camp with some rabbits or a small deer, but Dalamus knew that it was only a ploy, a trick so Dalamus would not ask any questions.
On the eight day after their fight on the cliff, Dalamus followed Jahswa out into the forest after breakfast. He knew that Jahswa was doing something out there and his young curiosity could no longer be contained. It was hard to keep up with Jahswa in the woods, he was quick and left very few signs of his path. Even though, Dalamus was trained by Jahswa and kept on his trail. Dalamus followed Jahswa over two creaks and up a steep hillside which led back to the mountainous part of the region. Upon reaching the top of the hill Dalamus stopped having lost trail he was following. As he searched the surrounding area for clues of which way Jahswa could have taken an arm wrapped tightly around his neck.
"And what may I ask are you doing around here?"
At first Dalamus froze being caught of guard and not knowing what to do but his training kicked in and he grabbed the arm around his neck, twisted out of his capturer's grasp and pulled his sword out all in one quick move. He brought his sword back for a killing blow when he finally looked at his opponent.
"I've taught you well, Dalamus," Jahswa smiled.
"I almost killed you, you know," Dalamus said as he slid his sword back into it's sheath.
"I think I could have survived, but you handled yourself well, and for that I am proud," Jahswa smiled once again as he thought about the progress Dalamus had made in his fighting skills. Dalamus was already a finely skilled swordsman even at sixteen, but his hand to hand skills and his ability to adapt were practically non-existent.
"Thanks," Dalamus paused, "you have taught me well."
"No need for thanks," Jahswa paused to look at Dalamus, "so, I guess you want to know what I have been doing out here."
"I knew you wouldn't tell me," Dalamus shook his head as he stared at the ground.
"You assume too much. What I am doing out here has more to do with you then you think." Jahswa patted Dalamus on the back and walked up the remaining part of the hill toward a large cliff face motioning for him to follow him.
"Wait. What," Dalamus said as he turned to follow Jahswa, "what do you mean 'have more to do with me?'"
"You will see soon enough." Jahswa continued toward the cliff face. When he reached his destination, he struggled to move a large boulder which revealed a small entrance into the cliff face.
"What's in there?" Dalamus said with enthusiasm.
"Follow me if you want to know," Jahswa stooped to his knees and disappeared into the opening.
Dalamus could only shrug off the odd feeling he had inside and follow. Once inside the opening Dalamus noticed that what he thought would be a dark, damp, and cramped cave turned out to be a large chamber with torches lining the walls. "What is this place," Dalamus barely could muster the words because of the agape expression covering his face.
"You will see soon enough, now keep up, this leads into a very complex maze and it is easy to get lost." Jahswa led the way through numerous right and left turns. To Dalamus it seemed as if they were going in circles, but he was still keeping track of all the turns in his mind.
What seemed like an hour passed before either one of them said anything. "It's right around this corner," Jahswa said as he turned back and glanced at Dalamus.
The two turned the corner to face a large rusted metal door. The door had a large emblem in the center of it that appeared to be shaped like an 'M'. There were no handles but a crack ran down through the center of it.
Dalamus looked at Jahswa with a greatly confused expression, "There are no handles. Can you open it."
Jahswa glanced at Dalamus quickly and back at the door, "Of course I can. In fact, I am the only one that knows how to open it." He reached his hand up and ran his hand over the emblem and whispered, "Maxi furo cius." A loud clang of a latch being undone echoed from behind the door, and the door cracked open. Jahswa inched his fingers in between the crack of the door and pulled one side open. Dalamus grabbed the other side of the door and swung it open likewise.
"What is this place?" Dalamus asked in amazement as he stared into the darkness of the chamber that was once hidden by the large rusty door.
"This is the place I vowed to protect many years ago. A place that has been protected for a century," Jahswa said as he walked through the threshold into the chamber. "Loriajein," Jahswa waved his hand and lights sparked to life throughout the chamber.
"I wish you would teach me that," Dalamus followed Jahswa into the chamber.
"One day you will know more magic than I," Jahswa paused and looked over at Dalamus who was now standing beside him. "Come, we have a lot to discuss."
The two walked side by side into the depths of the chamber. The chamber was oddly ornate for being under ground. Strange writing and symbols were scattered on the walls of the chamber. At the very back of the chamber sat a large rectangular shaped vault, which appeared to be made out of ice.
"What is that?" Dalamus asked with a puzzled look on his face, "is that ice?"
"No, it is not."
"What is it then?" Dalamus asked in frustration.
Jahswa looked at Dalamus, "Even at seventeen your curiosity still runs strong, doesn't it? Now have a seat, like I said, we have a lot to discuss."
Dalamus found the best seat that he could in the barren chamber as Jahswa leaned on the ice-like vault.
"Centuries ago there was a man named Maximus. He was one of the first with the ability to use magic. He was very powerful. He was a great man and succeeded in uniting all of Alazar under one protective government. He never wanted to rule over Alazar, though, so he created the Marswa, a council of seven representatives of the largest cities of Alazar. He had three sons, and created three swords for each of them to represent their personalities: a black sword for his hateful son, a white sword for his caring son, and a grey sword for his thoughtful son. This is the resting spot of the grey sword," Jahswa ran his hand across the smooth ice-like surface of the vault.
"What does all of this have to do with me?" Dalamus asked.
"Well, after Maximus died, his sons fought to control the Marswa. The hateful son established the Domous faction, and the caring son established the Loriazahn faction. The Domous and Loriazahn factions fought bitterly to control the Marswa."
"What about the thoughtful son?" Dalamus interrupted.
"He supported the Marswa. He was, of course, the closest in temperament to his father. He hated his brothers for defiling their father's legacy. In the end it was he who stopped the feud. He defeated each of his brothers, stripped their swords from their possession, and hid them away," Jahswa paused and looked down at Dalamus, "Of course all of this is legend."
"What do you mean, legend?" Dalamus asked in confusion, "The fact that we are here proves it, does it not?"
"Yes, somewhat."
"I still don't understand how all of this relates to me."
"Where did you get those green eyes of yours?"
"What do you mean?"
"Did either one of your parents have green eyes?"
Dalamus sat on the cold floor debating the question. "No, neither one of them did," he responded thoughtfully.
"What if I told you, that legend says that Maximus had brightly glowing green eyes just like yours?"
Dalamus could not respond. He sat there on the cold floor dumbfounded by Jahswa's statement. "What are you saying?"
"I am saying that your parents adopted you, and you are quite possibly the last descendant of the thoughtful son, who by the way inherited his fathers eyes."
"You're trying to stop me, aren't you?" Dalamus rose to his feet. "They were still my parents. They loved me and I still love them. Nothing can stop that." Dalamus turned his back on Jahswa and headed toward the door to the chamber.
"Wait, you'll never get out by yourself," Jahswa yelled at him.
"Watch me," Dalamus whispered under his breath. He was filled with anger and hate. He wanted to go back into the chamber and fight Jahswa he was so mad. To release some of those feelings he did what Jahswa had taught him to do. He ran.
Hours later, having made it out of the cave, Dalamus reached the top of the cliff that him and Jahswa always sparred on. He stood there on the top of the cliff again looking out across the sea of green. "Everyone is trying to stop me, but believe me, Adrianza, no one will stop me." He thought back to that fateful night. He had been waiting for his girlfriend, Adrianza, on the outskirts of the town when he heard the horns. It took him fifteen minutes to get back into town. Once there he saw the horror that was taking place. Orcs had invaded the city and where now destroying it. He had rushed straight to Adrianza's house, but he was too late. Adrianza lay on her doorstep bleeding profusely. She was dead. Enraged Dalamus pulled out his sword and killed many orcs, but eventually was out numbered. It was then that he first met Jahswa. "I will avenge your death." Tears started to roll down Dalamus' face as he spoke out loud to his lost love. He wiped away his tears as he took one last look at the horizon and spun around, sprinting towards the northern parts of the mountains.
Miles away Dalamus was making his way around one of the largest peaks of the Dead Mountains. Dalamus paused behind a group of isolated trees, which were rare in the northern parts of the Dead Mountains. Toward the bottom of the peak Dalamus could see movement. As he crept closer he could see a camp fire with a large number of figures stalking around it. Jahswa had told Dalamus about the orcs that ravaged the mountain range during spring, he had seen them when Adrianza was killed, but he couldn't remember what they looked like. He crept down closer to the camp to get a closer look at the orcs. Luckily the orcs were not very bright creatures and they had camped under a large overhang allowing Dalamus to creep right on top of the camp. He crept closer to the edge to finally laying eyes on the beast Jahswa had warned him so many times about, the beast that helped destroy his home town.
What he saw shocked him. In the place of grotesque beast he saw very human-ape like creatures. They had hair all of their body. They were hunched over and their arms almost drug on the ground. But it was their faces that so resembled a human's. Their faces were dark-skinned with large flat noses and protruding brows. The one thing that definitely was not human like about the orcs were the large canines that protruded from their bottom jaw.
Dalamus climbed back up the mountain a little way and found a route down that would avoid the orcs. Nothing was going to stand in his way. In his mind he told himself that he would be with his family once again soon, possibly. "If Vyrul is as powerful as Jahswa says, I will lose this battle," Dalamus thought to himself as he crossed the last creek until he reached his destination. His confrontation with Vyrul was at hand. He paused for a second looking up toward the cliffs in front of him. Suddenly the hum of a bowstring broke the silence followed by a thud and a shooting pain that burst through Dalamus' shoulder. He fell to the ground in excruciating pain. It had been exactly like Jahswa said. He never saw it coming.
While lying on the ground he could feel the vibration of approaching footsteps. He rolled over to see a pair of black boots in front of him. It was a black knight. The knight was big; at least a head taller then Jahswa and larger also. He was adorned in an all black suit of armor and a full faced black helmet.
"Who is it?" a voice from behind the knight asked.
"Looks to me like a peasant," the knight responded.
"Move," the voice said as he moved closer to Dalamus. "What is your name?"
Dalamus looked up to see what he thought was more of a monster then the orcs, his sworn enemy, Vyrul. He wore a black cloak that he had wrapped around him tightly. His skin was pasty, almost white. His eyes were black and penetrating. His hair was long black and greasy. There was nothing comforting or pleasant looking about him.
"What is your name?" Vyrul kicked Dalamus in the ribs.
Dalamus grunted as the rage he had kept bottled up for a year began to surge through his body. He looked into Vyrul's eyes, "I am Dalamus, son of Talaam."
Vyrul stepped back in shock. "No, you are not,. Do you think you could fool your own cousin?" Vyrul spat in Dalamus' face, "I have waited for this day for oh so long, cousin." Vyrul kicked Dalamus again and rolled him over. He reached down and grabbed Dalamus' sword. Dalamus tried to hit him but the arrow in his shoulder limited the use of his arm and he missed.
"Oh, cousin, so much anger. It's not becoming of you It's one of my better traits, but it doesn't suit you well," Vyrul laughed as he pulled the sword from its sheath. "What is this," Vyrul threw the sword to the ground. "Where is the sword, cousin? I know you know. After all, it is your sword."
"I am not your cousin. And I have no clue about any sword."
Vyrul burst into evil laughter. "No? Then you shall die," Vyrul pulled his own sword from his belt. The sword was all black except for the edge, which was blood red. Vyrul raised the sword above his head. He swung down quickly. A loud clang echoed through the mountains. Vyrul looked down to see Jahswa blocking his strike with his own sword.
"Hurry, up by the pine trees. Go now," Jahswa yelled at Dalamus.
"What and who do you think you are?" Vyrul hissed.
Dalamus crawled through the creek to the other side, up the hill, and under the closest group of trees. There laying on the ground was something long wrapped in cloth.
Before messing with the cloth Dalamus needed to do something about his shoulder. He grabbed a stick and bit down on it. He grabbed the protruding part of the arrow and snapped it. He bit down on the stick so hard it broke in his mouth, and he let out an agonizing scream. He quickly unwrapped the cloth to find a sleek grey sword. Dalamus looked down at it in confusion. "If Jahswa wanted to keep the sword from Vyrul, why would he bring it to him?" Dalamus thought to himself.
The sound of battle awoke him from his thoughts. He looked across the creek to see Jahswa fiercely battling Vyrul and two of his black knights. Dalamus grabbed the sword. Immediately after grabbing the sword a tingling sensation ran through his arm, and through his neck. His vision became foggy, and he fell once again to the ground.
The continued sound of battle startled Dalamus once again. He looked down, he still was clutching the sleek grey sword. He rubbed his shoulder which had completely healed. Just as he looked up he saw a black knight coming toward him quickly. Dalamus squeezed the handle of the sword and charged straight at the knight. The knight seemed to hesitate, having probably never been charged at. The hesitation gave Dalamus all the advantage he needed. Dalamus swung his sword clashing with the knight's sword, sending it out of his grasp. Dalamus brought his sword back straight under the knight's helmet slicing his throat. Dalamus didn't hesitate. He leaped over the creek and quickly joined the fight, slicing his sword across the back of the nearest knight's neck. The fight was now even, two on two, but before he could fully join the fight Dalamus heard Jahswa scream in agony. Dalamus looked over to see Vyrul's black sword, handle deep, in Jahswa's chest. Dalamus' heart dropped into his stomach; first his family and girlfriend, now Vyrul had taken away his only friend.
"No!" Dalamus screamed out while Vyrul kicked Jahswa off his sword.
Dalamus charged the last remaining knight, who hesitated just like the first knight. Dalamus brought his sword straight down on this one and the sword split straight through his raised arm, slicing straight through it hitting the knight's helmet splitting his skull in two. Now it was just Dalamus and Vyrul.
"So cousin," Vyrul hissed, "you think you can kill me."
"I don't think, I know," Dalamus stated flatly.
Vyrul laughed but not for long. Dalamus was charging with his sword raised above his head. Vyrul easily blocked the first blow sending it out to his left. Dalamus spun that way having expected such a move, and went for another strike. Vyrul brought his sword up just in time.
"Impressive," Vyrul sneered.
Dalamus had nothing to say. He charged once again, this time holding his sword out to his right side. He swung hard with his sword, but it was blocked once again. The follow through left him with his back turned to Vyrul, and he felt his armor give way to Vyrul's sword and cut his back. All at the same time Dalamus had planted his feet and brought his sword point first over his left shoulder. Silence once again ruled the mountain side. Dalamus slowly turned around to face Vyrul. His sword was lodged straight in his throat. Vyrul struggled grabbing at the sword as fear spread over his face. Slowly Vyrul fell to his knees staring into Dalamus' eyes, hissing, and spitting up blood. Still feeling nothing but hatred for Vyrul, Dalamus quickly jerked his sword out of Vyrul's neck.
Dalamus turned his back on Vyrul and walked away slowly as the sound of Vyrul's new fit faded away. Dalamus suddenly stopped where he was and looked back at Vyrul who had fallen on his face. Dalamus thought to himself "The sword is too dangerous to leave here. Something must be done with it." He grabbed the cloth that Jahswa had wrapped the grey sword in and walked back over to Vyrul. Using the cloth as protection, not knowing what the sword could do to him, he picked up the sword and quickly wrapped the sword in the cloth.
Dalamus walked across the creek that had led him to Vyrul, up the mountain that had led him to his fate, and south until he ended up on the cliff that him and his former mentor had dueled so many times on. He stood there once again, alone, looking out across the treetops wondering what he would do now. His mentor was dead and he had succeeded in his goal of avenging his parents' and his girlfriend's deaths. "First I must take care of this," looking down at the black sword wrapped in cloth. He knew immediately what he needed to do.
Hours later Dalamus reopened the chamber door that his mentor had opened only earlier that day. He walked into the chamber and down to the ice-like vault that was now opened. He placed the sword carefully in the setting for the sword, and suddenly the vault began to close in around Dalamus' hand. Quickly pulling his hand out of the vault he realized he did not know how to reopen it, but as far as he could imagine there would be no need for that. Dalamus walked out of the chamber, the large metal doors closing and locking automatically behind him.
17