The Reversed Blade Sword
Disclaimer: Same as before...FireStar, sorry this one's so late. Also I don't know the name of the family in the Horizon's pavilion so I'll refer to them as the Maitlands.
"Rest in peace, Morerro, for you know that you and your brother are now united in the sight of Heaven." Halb intoned reverently as he closed the boy's eyes, crossed his arms and spread a tarp over his form.
Miranda and Bonkers showed similar respect, and in the Miranda's case a newfound respect for Halb. He was willing to trade his own life, rather than take the life of another. Halb, a veteran soldier, obviously had seen much death in the war that ravaged his homeworld, but it seemed that every death took something out of him.
Halb closed his eyes, now the closest friends he had in long memory knew his dark secret. He was the Butcher of Steinchroe, no matter what he professed, for buried deep within his heart the dark beast lurked. He could not permit anything to free this beast, but he remembered the savage elation felt in battles past where he fought through the ranks of the enemies of Parmas. He recalled the copper scent of blood as his blade slashed through bodies. No matter that the warrior nobleman had reversed his sword's blade, it appeared that through Merlin's prophesy, the blade would be inevitably turned the right way.
Come to me, Swordsman of Parmas. The seductive voice intoned, speaking straight to Halb's heart. It has been a long time since you have killed. Those Heartless are not beings like you, reverse your blade and kill them. Feel the blade slash their flesh, smell the scent of blood, you are not a man Halb of Parmas, you are he, the Butcher of Steinchroe.
"Halb?" Miranda said. It seemed Halb had gone into a trance of some kind, for he simply stood, breathing evenly. She touched him gently, feeling the hard muscle beneath the well worn, simple homespun tunic Halb wore. Halb did not flinch; he slowly extracted the sword, holding it, blade upward, in front of his face, his left hand on the dial to reverse the blade.
"Milady?" Halb asked.
"Are you OK? You kind of spaced out over there." Miranda asked.
"Twas nothing of consequence, Miranda." Halb replied.
"Look, Halb, I..." Miranda began, concern etching her features.
"Halb, wait! I found something." Bonkers said, interrupting them. He held up a crest with a tree etched upon it.
There's something Halb isn't telling me. Miranda thought. Come on, you know you can trust me. Please, tell me what's wrong. If you're doubting yourself, let me help you. You aren't the Butcher of Steinchroe anymore, you're just Halb of Parmas, a man far more honorable than any I've known.
"Milady!" a courier said, "Reinforcements from Parmas have arrived to bolster our force. The Prince of Parmas sends his greetings and wishes Prince Nupraptor and yourself health and fair time of day."
"Hath thou located Sir Fergusson, since his inspection of our positions at the North Bastion?" Arial asked.
"Nay milady, the skirmishers bring reports that his entourage was found slain, but no sign of him was discovered." The courier said.
"Good, you guys got the land and sea crests. You need to go to the Horizon's pavilion next." Cobra said, over the radio.
"David, can you keep working with that puzzle in your head, I need to tell Halb, Miranda and Bonkers where to go next." Cobra continued as a laser beam shot past his head, spearing a Heartless through the midsection.
Outside the militia was fighting the relentless band of Heartless charging for Spaceship Earth. Johann's sniping was taking it's toll as well, each shot killing or severely wounding an enemy. "I'm kinda busy right now!" David shouted, pushing his shock stick into a Heartless, zapping it with a fatal current.
A Bandit Heartless raised it's sword to cleave Cobra Bubbles in half, only to fall, decapitated, next to him. "Perhaps thou might needst assistance."
Rezeen of Parmas, son of Moebius, strode forth, his rapier drawn in his right hand and a shorter sword about half as long in the other. Five Bandit Heartless charged through the end of the attraction, towards the keyhole. One of them swung at Rezeen, who deflected the blow with his rapier and stabbed the Bandit through the chest. Without even extracting his shorter sword, Rezeen swung his blade and slashed the belly of the second Bandit open. He drew out the shorter sword and charged, both blades whirling in a deadly dance of steel clashing against the bandit swords. Within two or three swings, each Bandit was dispatched, the last being swiftly decapitated with both blades.
David felt chilled. This guy fought like almost as well as Halb, and supposedly was an apprentice. David could only imagine the carnage that would result if Halb reversed his blade and drew out the small but razor sharp dagger at his side. The Heartless would fall like wheat before a reaper if Halb were to reverse his blade.
The militia outside was clearly killing of several Heartless, but still several made it past their cordon into David, Cobra, and Rezeen's position. Johann's sniping was doing damage as well, but what was needed for Halb and the others to return, quickly, and seal the door to the Heart of Darkness via the reversed blade sword.
"Halb of Parmas, the Butcher of Steinchroe who has turned over a new leaf..." came a voice.
Halb, Bonkers, and Miranda turned. "Who art thou? I know not who you are, stranger?" Halb asked.
"I am Dreamfinder." The man said. He was a short, bearded, slightly portly fellow in a nineteenth century style suit with a top hat, carrying a pocket watch of gold, "The prophesy told of a swordsman with the reversed blade sword, but the names Butcher of Steinchroe and Halb of Parmas, have been spoken synonymously since the Heartless invasion."
"Where must we go to find the third crest?" Miranda asked.
"I cannot say, for they are hidden carefully." Dreamfinder said, "The Heartless have many spies...But what you seek lies over the Horizon."
There was a mysterious contraption that Dreamfinder sat on. It looked like a bizarre combination of nineteenth century machinery with twenty-first century digital technology. He pushed a lever on the machine and vanished.
"But what we seek lies over the Horizon?" Halb said, "Which horizon, east or west...Either way it means a trip of many days."
"Halb, no it doesn't." Miranda said, holding up an EPCOT guide map she'd found, "The pavilion, Horizons, it's where the next crest is."
"Then that is where we'd best go." Halb replied.
"Milady." A boy, scarcely nine years of age, with brown hair said, to a raven haired young woman, "The Butcher of Steinchroe approaches."
"It is no consequence." The woman said, her tunic flowed loosely over her lean, athletic frame. Over it she wore a simple black vest, well fitted trousers, and a comfortable but durable pair of boots completed her simple garb. Hanging at her side was a rapier, a slim bladed and elegant sword similar to Halb's. She was maybe twenty-one years of age, her black hair pulled in a simple ponytail behind her head.
"The prophesy declared the Butcher of Steinchroe would draw near." She mulled to herself, "But as friend or foe, I know not. But if the latter he must be killed and I must do the deed. Perhaps my days of defending this Horizon are through, for the Butcher of Steinchroe is the best swordsman in the land. The swordswomen of Ucschtenheim have long protected those we deem worthy, and many have lain down their lives to do so. Perhaps to lay my life before the Butcher of Steinchroe is my destiny. But handicapped as I am, my skill with the sword is but a shadow of its former nature. I will challenge and fight the Butcher of Steinchroe and let God decide the outcome."
A single silent tear flowed down the maiden's cheek, starting in her ice blue eyes. It was her single greatest honor to defend the Maitland family from the harm the Heartless posed them. The Maitlands had escaped destruction at the hand of Lilith Duprave, Blacknbloo, and Al Vermin's forces. She had defended, with great courage and skill, but now it might well end, facing the infamous Butcher of Steinchroe, a man who showed no mercy to any foe, much less one handicapped as she.
She remembered that horrible night that the villains attacked, six days prior. She had wounded, severely, many of Al Vermin's henchmen, they had lost limbs to the sharpened steel of her rapier. Then Sir Ferguson appeared. The noble courtier of Vasserbunde, long a protector of Ucschtenheim, feigned concern for her. It was then she realized he was a traitor, for in tow were Al Vermin, Lilith Duprave, and Blacknbloo. After subduing her in a battle where a dozen of their retinue of Heartless were slain, they tied her down and broke her right arm. She could still use her left to fight, but it was her weaker sword arm, and she often would lose her grip on her sword. Her right hand could just about close around the hilt, but all it would take would be a simple swing from an opponent to dislodge the sword.
"Hark, tis my death approaching." The swordswoman said to herself, to the young boy she shouted, "Be off boy, tis best you not watch your sister killed."
"But sister, I will stand at thy side, come what may." The child sputtered.
The woman said, "Begone child for I can defend thee no longer."
The little boy, with tears in his eyes, rushed off as his sister commanded. The woman noticed a trio heading her way. One was instantly recognized as the infamous Butcher, an athletic blonde woman, and a strange orange cat. The Butcher had a different air about him, when he sighted her, he didn't draw his sword.
"Halt! Thou art intruders, tis my duty as defender of this realm to stop thine advance!" she shouted, with more bravado than she felt.
"Peace unto thee, guardswoman." Halb began, "I am Halb of Parmas. We mean thy masters no harm, we are merely passing through."
"Thou art the Butcher of Steinchroe. I am Tara, the Maiden Swordswoman of Uchstenheim. The family living here are those I serve to my dying day. Defend thyself, Butcher of Steinchroe, for you will advance no further."
"Halb, do something, this woman wants to kill you." Miranda urged.
"Here me, Maiden of Uchstenheim, I am no longer he whom you seek to kill. I am simply Halb of Parmas!"
"The prophesy fortells you will come to do me harm or good, I know not. But I suspect the former." Tara replied, drawing her sword with her left hand. She swung the blade towards Halb as he was extracting his sword. The blade of her rapier sliced across Halb's chest, drawing blood from a shallow wound.
Hark, I have missed his throat, and so to my decisive blow. I will face this defeat with valor, but alas I am done. Tara thought as the Butcher of Steinchroe extracted his sword.
"What trickery is this?" Tara demanded, when she noticed the reversed blade of the sword, "Thou canst be the Butcher of Steinchroe, thy blade tis reversed."
"Tis reversed for I have vowed to never kill again." Halb replied.
Tara swung the blade in a quick slice for Halb's jugular. Easily Halb blocked the attack, but did not press on. He deflected seven more attacks with practiced ease before he knocked her sword away. "I seek to do thee no harm." Halb said.
"And what of my charges?" Tara asked.
"You have my word I shall defend them with my blade." Halb replied.
"The prophesy is fulfilled. You seek to do me no harm. I will aid thee in your quest, Halb of Parmas."
"Thou art in no shape to do so, Maiden." Halb replied, "Thy left arm tis not thy sword arm."
"Aye, tis true. Lilith Duprave had my right arm disabled by the hand of the traitor Sir Ferguson." Tara replied.
"Sir Ferguson," Halb said, "He is the traitor of Vasserbunde's court?"
"Aye, tis true." Tara replied, "I know not why, but I vow to aid thee, Halb of Parmas."
"Stand down, thou art not in any state to fight." Halb said, "Thou hast performed thy labor with zeal and skill, but now thou must be helped."
"We have a doctor on our ship." Miranda said, "He can heal your arm."
"We'll need someone to take her there." Bonkers said, "It's not safe in the park."
Offended, Tara said, "I can help myself, orange one. Even wounded I have slain many a Heartless."
"Be not wronged, fair maiden." Halb said, "Many more dangers other than Heartless exist here."
Over their radio-link Miranda heard Johann say, "Curses! I am almost out of shot. I must return to the ship."
"Johann, do you know where Horizons is?" Miranda asked, talking on her radio.
"Aye, I do milady." Johann replied.
"We have someone who needs medical attention here. Can you and Nani get to the pavilion?"
"Yes." Johann replied, "We will be there."
"Johann, can you go to Horizons by yourself? Cobra sounds like he needs help in Spaceship Earth." Nani said.
"Aye, I will do so, milady." Johann replied.
In both his rifles, Johann had a single shot remaining. Both were loaded, all he had to do was cock back the hammers and take aim and fire. Time to use the sword. Johann thought grimly.
He drew forth his short sword, a harquebusier's blade suitable for close quarter fighting. He began hacking his way through the Heartless that impeded his path. He didn't fight them as smoothly as Halb might have, but he fought them well, hacking his way through the attacking Heartless, thanking God that Halb had taught him to fight with a blade. He finally reached Horizons with about a dozen dead Heartless left in his wake.
"Johann." Halb said, "Go take this woman to our ship."
"Aye, milord." Johann replied.
Tara looked up to see a young man, about her own age, with brown hair and a huntsman's air. He was obviously a skirmisher, and if his accent was any indication, it placed him in one of the outer settlements within the boundaries of Vasserbunde.
"Who art thou?" Tara asked, as she went out the door to join him.
"I am Johann of Feldstatden. Tis my duty to see you safely to our ship." Johann replied.
"I need not an escort." Tara said, "Helpless I am not."
The woman drew a rapier from its sheath, using her left hand and Johann instantly recognized the sword as the steel of the Serioli, the great weapon smiths of Memel. The designs etched on the hilt and blade revealed its owner to be one of the Amazonian swordswomen that guarded the town of Ucschtenheim and the surrounding countryside.
"Thou art wounded, sayeth Halb." Johann replied.
Tara didn't reply but instantly set upon a Shadow Heartless that would have snuck up on Johann. She slashed it across the throat with one swift arc. Johann's eyes widened, "Who art thou?"
"I am Tara, the Maiden Swordswoman of Ucschtenheim." Tara replied, "The traitor Sir Ferguson hath wounded me."
"How so, milady, for thy skill with the blade tis impressive?" Johann asked.
Tara removed one of her elegant leather gloves and rolled up a sleeve, revealing evidence of an ugly fracture. "He hath disabled my best sword arm."
Johann was incensed, "Milord Sir Ferguson, a traitor?"
"Aye." Tara replied.
"Twas the captain I served under." Johann replied. He was also awed by the skill of the swordswoman. For years of his boyhood his father told tales of these awesome warriors of the mountains surrounding the valley of Ucschtenheim. These women were attributed to great deeds, and indeed their champion Andromache had formed a peace with Vasserbunde when she defeated the Prince almost three hundred years ago.
They moved through EPCOT's streets, avoiding large groups of Heartless and hearing the sounds of Seabase Alpha's militia fighting with the foe as they approached Cobra Bubbles' position.
A Soldier Heartless swiped its claws toward Johann and he swung his own sword in reply, cleaving off the creature's arm in a single swipe. Tara finished the creature off, stabbing it through the chest with the rapier.
"Come, we must reach your ship and see this wonderful man of medicine you speak of." Tara said.
"Halb of Parmas." Came a voice, from around a corner, near the area where the pavilions cars met, "We meet again."
"Al Vermin." Miranda remarked in reply.
"Show thyself, creature." Halb replied. The Voice again spoke, Turn thy blade, swordsman of Parmas. Feel it's razor edge on the right side as it hacks this insect from sternum to crotch.
"I admit, Sir Ferguson was brilliant to injure the Maiden Swordswoman. She was quite a bother to our plans." Al Vermin said.
Al Vermin came around the corner, and so did four of his henchmen. "We held her down with our remaining arms. She fought with great skill..."
Halb could see the roach-like toon was missing an eye. The other henchmen as well, showed evidence of newly regenerated limbs, "This is her work."
"She was a noble lady, a protector and you dishonored her." Halb said, his voice taking on a menacing tone that frightened all who heard it. Never once had Miranda heard Halb speak in anger.
Feed my lust, Butcher of Steinchroe. Slay these vermin, spill their blood upon the earth. The Voice said. Halb continued, his voice rising with each word, "You did not even permit her the right to die honorably! Instead you committed vile torture not fit for the lowest of men to endure!"
A fierce light, like the light of the flames of Hell, flashed in Halb's eyes. Al Vermin swallowed nervously; it appeared that he had found a boundary he shouldn't have crossed. For the first time, he was truly afraid, for in times past this swordsman had not chosen to kill anything. Now, however, he could see the infamous Butcher of Steinchroe that Sir Ferguson told him of. He splayed one of his hands out, to summon the Heartless, but to his horror saw none appear.
What Al Vermin did not know was that to turn Halb to the side of evil a sacrifice of blood was needed. Maleficent considered him to be expendable at this point, so revoked his power to summon the Heartless. What he did know was that he outnumbered Halb, Bonkers and Miranda. He ordered the attack and two more insect-like henchmen appeared and quickly subdued Miranda and Bonkers, holding swords to their throats.
"Your friends are in dire straits, Halb of Parmas." Al Vermin said, "Should you strike out at me..."
Al Vermin never finished that sentence. From the scabbard came the reversed blade sword, and as it was fully drawn, Halb expertly turned the blade so the razor sharp edge faced the enemy. Halb first attacked the other two henchmen, the sword slashing each one of their hands off at the wrist. Their swords clattered to the floor as Halb hacked off their arms. He spun to face the other five members of the gang.
Silkworm tried to protect his boss only to feel a searing pain down one side. All three of the limbs on his left side were twitching about the floor in pools of blood. Before he could blink, the other set of limbs were sheered off in a flash of steel.
"I will leave your henchmen alive!" Halb shouted, "So you are dismembered you fiend!"
The other three henchmen attacked, but one by one lost arms and legs to the flashing steel blade. Al Vermin threw up his arms to protect himself only to see two of them twitching on the ground. "Pay with your life for your misdeed you shall!"
Al Vermin lay prostrate on the ground, missing two of four arms and both legs. Halb stood over him, menacingly, while the other henchmen slithered and crawled about the ground, maimed by Halb's blade.
"HALB!" Miranda shouted, "He isn't worth it! Remember your vow to never again take another life! Think about it Halb! Why did you reverse your blade? Remember you are a nobleman acting only with honor, not with rage."
The fire died down, and Halb stepped off Al Vermin's chest and reversed again the dial of his sword. The sword that had been raised in a symbolic execution arc was again reversed. Halb struck Al Vermin on one of his remaining arms, breaking it.
"Thus hath your evil been repaid, Vermin. Go forth fiends." Halb said.
Al Vermin and his henchmen limped, slithered, and crawled away in defeat. Halb watched them go, breathing hard. Miranda put a comforting arm around him and Halb almost drew away, but instead leaned in. Miranda unwrapped her arms from Halb, saying, "You are still Halb of Parmas. The Butcher of Steinchroe is dead."
"No, Miranda, he lives on." Halb said, "As long as my heart beats, the Butcher of Steinchroe lives."
"Guys, I hate to interrupt, but we got a quest to fulfill." Bonkers said.
"Onward." Halb replied, sheathing his sword. For all his eight years of wandering and his newfound vow, Halb realized that the Butcher of Steinchroe still lurked beneath his façade. Thankfully he had his friends to keep that creature in check.
TBC (How should Bonkers and Miranda react to having seen Halb as the Butcher of Steinchroe for the first time?)