CHAPTER SEVEN: THOSE WHO FIGHT FURTHER
"INCOMING!" the lookout announced.
The crew of the Dragonheart looked on in horror asa bolt of magic lightning rocketed towards them. "Rayner!" Sarek commanded.
Rayner raised his arms. "Magen oninya!" he cried.
A violet barrier immediately surrounded the ship. The lightning careened against the shield, and fizzled out. The shield also faded, unable to withstand a second assault. Rayner appeared slightly pale, but was still alert for the next attack.
From the bow of the Dragonheart, Rathbone and Quentin stared, Rathbone in anger and Quentin in disbelief, at the undamaged Darkfire. "What the hell just happened?" Rathbone snarled.
"It's...it's a magical shield," Quentin gulped, hoping Rathbone. "It blocked my spell!"
"I can see that it blocked your spell, you idiot! Use another one! Break through it or overload it or something!"
Another lightning bolt came, and then another, and Rayner was creating one shield after another to protect the ship. But after five such assaults, one after another, it was obvious he was showing signs of strain.
Jessica turned to Rayner anxiously. "How much longer can you hold out?"
"Not much longer without a chance to recharge," Rayner replied, fishing through his pockets for a Star Light gem. "Protective spells require more power than attack magic."
"Don't worry about it," Kyle said. "They're not going to sink us if they want to get the map to the Graveyard. They'll have no choice but to try and board us. So let 'em come to us, and we'll fight them on our own ship!"
"It looks like they're already figured that out," Jessica said as she pointed to the horizon. In the distance, the Dragonheart was picking up speed and heading towards them, but there were no more additional magical attacks. "Do you think Quentin's run out of steam also?"
"Perhaps," Sarek replied.
"Either that or Rathbone's just going to try his hand at killing up close and personal," Kyle added, trying to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice. He was eager for some action and to take another shot at Rathbone after all these years.
"Well, as long as they're coming, we might as well prepare," Salvo said, drawing his sword. "All hands, prepare to be boarded! Swords and crossbows at the ready!"
Slowly but surely, the Dragonheart made its way towards the Darkfire. The Meribians could already see the pirates at the ready, weapons drawn and shouting their battle cries. Kyle stood motionless, his weapons in hand, as he Powered himself up for the fight to come. Using the meditation techniques his father had taught him, he forced himself to remain patient and calm, holding his eagerness for combat in check as he allowed his energy and adrenalin to strengthen him. The battle would start soon enough.
Within moments, the two ships were now side by side, and the pirate crew was launching grappling hooks to enable them to board the Darkfire. "Get ready!" Salvo declared. "Here they come!"
The first wave of pirates swarmed onto the Darkfire, but they were stopped in their tracks as Kyle, standing alone before them, slashed into the air with both blades, releasing his Sonic Riser attack, a mighty energy wave that stuck some pirates dead instantly and staggered the rest. Without hesitation, he charged towards the survivors. Swords and daggers lashed out at him from all sides, but he easily parried them all, hewing down his attackers with mighty strokes of his own sword, the massive blade battering down and hewing through his opponents, using his dagger for defense and the occasional coup-de-gras. Just for variety, he would use his Power Slash and Power Sweep techniques to do extra damage and take down multiple enemies. Pirates continued to gang up on him, but Kyle didn't mind. He was in his element, fighting against overwhelming odds, and he was reveling in it.
More pirates made their way on board the Darkfire, and the battle was fully joined. Admiral Salvo and the Meribian Navy put up an impressive fight against Rathbone's pirates, but their enemies gave as good as they got. The fight was a savage one, and the clashing of weapons and the screams of wounded or dying men was nearly deafening.
Sarek remained on the sidelines, picking off individual enemies with magic bolts from his staff, rather than risk damaging the ship or killing a Meribian with one of his more potent spells. It had been a long time since he had been in combat, and he was pleased to see his accuracy was as it had been in his prime. He did not allow himself to enjoy killing, though. He'd seen too much violence for that. But he also did allow himself to forget that a slain enemy could no longer harm an ally.
Suddenly, he saw a flash of flame engulfed about half a dozen Meribians, who collapsed to the deck writhing in agony. Sarek recognized a Flamer spell all too well, and he instantly cast a Waterfall spell to prevent the spread of the fire, although it was unfortunately too late to save the men. Fire was the most serious threat to a ship, and that had to be the first priority. Once that danger had passed, he turned his attention to the source of the Flamer spell. "Quentin!"
From across the ship, Quentin looked towards Sarek, his expression a combination of fear and anger as the elder mage approached. "So the almighty Sarek is here to show me my place again, is he?" he spat.
Sarek said nothing, but the crystal orb atop his staff began to glow with an azure light, and a bolt of energy rocketed towards Quentin. The younger magician dodged frantically, and the bolt grazed his arm.
"Lesson number one," Sarek said. "Never talk when you should be attacking!"
"Follow your own advice!" Quentin retorted. "Barak Koshek!"
Dark-purple lightning streaked from Quentin's fingertips and struck Sarek head on, but he merely shrugged it off. "Your spells pack quite a punch, boy. But my magic resistance is stronger than any of them. Give it up, Quentin! We both know you can't take me!"
"Maybe," Quentin said, charging up another flame spell. "But aren't you always telling your students to look beyond their limits?"
"I'd choose my attack carefully if I were you," Sarek cautioned. "You don't want to risk destroying the map to the Graveyard along with me, do you?" Quentin hesitated, and Sarek raised his staff. "Barad Hagibor!"
Instantly, a sudden hailstorm began to form around Quentin, battering him with chunks of ice. He tried defending himself with flame spells, but one hailstone after another found their mark. Finally, unable to take anymore, Quentin withdrew, fleeing into the thick of the melee.
Sarek raced after Quentin, but a quartet of pirates stood in his way. "Give us the map, old man, and we'll finish ya quick!" one of them said.
"I think not," Sarek replied as a bolt from his staff struck a pirate dead. The rest charged towards him, too fast for a spell and too close to try and fire off a bolt. Instead, Sarek lunged with his staff, taking one man in the solar plexus, and followed up with a wide-arc swing, the crystal headpiece striking a second in the temple. As the man swayed unsteadily on his feet, Sarek floored him with a solid punch to the jaw.
The last pirate, armed with a dagger, tackled Sarek to the deck, and the two struggled fiercely. With all the strength he could muster, Sarek managed to seize his enemy's neck, and snap it like a twig. He got to his feet and picked up his staff, searching through the melee in search of Quentin, but he was nowhere to be found.
As the battle continued to rage, Kyle found himself fighting near Admiral Salvo, who was dueling against two opponents. Despite Salvo's advanced years, his swordsmanship was still formidable, and Kyle watched as Salvo efficiently killed his attackers. "Nice moves," Kyle said, impressed as he killed one of his own opponents with an efficient lunge.
Salvo grinned at the praise, only to cry out in pain as he was stabbed from behind by another enemy. The admiral fell to the deck with a terrible wound, and his assailant raised his sword to deliver a killing stroke. Kyle moved quickly, parrying the blow…and finding himself face to face with Rathbone himself.
Their eyes narrowed as they recognized each other, and there was a tense silence as the two old enemies circled each other warily, swords at the ready.
"Long time no see, Rathbone," Kyle finally said, breaking the silence. "Where've you been hiding yourself all this time? Was diddums afwaid of the Big Bad Kyle?"
"Hardly," Rathbone retorted. "You were simply beneath my notice. Besides, I should thank you. I've prospered far more as a pirate and marauder than I did as master of Nanza. And the ladies love the scar. They think it makes me look dashing."
"Coming all this way just to try and kill me is your idea of a 'thank you?' A little extreme, don'tcha think?"
"Perhaps," Rathbone replied with a wry smile. "But the chance to kill you and claim the treasure of the Dragon's Graveyard at the same time was just too good an opportunity to miss."
"Your little magician friend told you about the Graveyard, huh?"
Rathbone sneered. "Quentin is hardly a friend, but he does have his uses. Facilitating this reunion, for one thing."
"Nice to know you've been practicing your witty banter, at least," Kyle laughed scornfully. "All right, so you're here to kill me. Am I supposed to be scared or something? You're just some pirate, and I'm the guy who beat The Magic Emperor!"
"Only because you had help from a Dragonmaster," Rathbone hissed. "This time, there's no Dragonmaster to save you."
"Geez, what is it with you and always thinking I need saving?" Kyle exclaimed. "I didn't need help to beat you last time we fought."
"I've been practicing," Rathbone replied, brandishing his sabre. "Care to test me?"
"Like it'll make a difference," Kyle shot back. "Kiss it goodbye, Rathbone."
With that, the duel began. The two swordsmen feinted and slashed and lunged at each other in a series of intricate moves, a testament to their many years of dedication to the blade. Kyle hated to admit it, but Rathbone had indeed improved these past three years, and he had never been an enemy to take lightly. He frowned slightly as he suddenly noticed the eerie crimson glow now emanating from Rathbone, and the pirate leader's increased strength and speed.
"Fighter's Fury, huh?" Kyle said. "Is that the best you could come up with?
"I happen to like the classics," Rathbone replied with a grin. "Besides, as long as it gets the job done, it's good enough for me!"
With Rathbone's abilities enhanced by the Fighter's Fury, Kyle found himself even harder pressed than before, even though he was powered by his Vigor technique. If he wasn't careful, he was going to lose this fight - not to mention his life. But despite the danger, an exhilarating sensation flowed through him that came from the pleasure of fighting an enemy who was at least his equal. Every swordsman loved a challenge, and Rathbone was Kyle's greatest challenge in a long time.
Meanwhile, Jessica and Rayner had been in the thick of the fight, Jessica's strength and various spells by Rayner keeping their enemies at bay. But the Meribians they were fighting besides had fallen, and now the two of them found themselves completely surrounded by pirates. None of them were making a move, but they were all sneering at Jessica and Rayner, obviously thinking them to be easy prey.
"I don't have too much magic left," Rayner said quietly. "I don't think I'll be able to hold them off for too long."
"Don't worry about it," Jessica said, striking a fighting pose. "I'm not about to let Kyle have all the fun around here."
Without hesitation, Jessica struck out at her nearest enemy, disarming him with one slash, and running him through with a second. The rest of the pirates moved in, but Jessica battered them aside, her iron claw smashing and slashing its way through their defenses, her training sessions obviously having paid off.
In between what minor offensive spells he could muster, Rayner kept stealing glances at Jessica, obviously impressed. It was truly magnificent to see her in action. Although she lacked Kyle's finesse, her strength and ferocity made her more than a match for the marauders. In a matter of moments, her attackers lay sprawled around her, either dead or seriously injured.
Suddenly Jessica a glimpse of something metallic streaking towards her. She swung out with her claw, intercepting a throwing knife barely in the nick of time. She turned around in the direction the blade had come from, and found herself facing the Tribesman she had seen earlier in Sarek's viewer. He was smiling in a way Jessica didn't like.
"Nice catch," he said. "But I wouldn't expect anything less from the legendary Jessica de Alkirk."
Jessica regarded him coldly. "And you are?"
"Skai of the Prairie Tribe," he replied, bowing slightly.
A shiver ran down Jessica's spine as she heard the name, but her expression remained stern. "I've heard of you," she said steadily.
"Many people have," Skai replied, his eyes gleaming as he drew an ornate dagger. "I've got quite a track record. And I'm looking forward to adding your name to my résumé."
"Yeah?" Jessica raised her arms, taking a defensive fighting stance. "Well, you're welcome to try."
"I intend to."
With astonishing speed, Skai slashed at Jessica with his dagger again and again. She parried as best as she could with her iron claw, but Skai's rapid moves easily outpaced her own, and his movements were nearly impossible to read. She'd been in her share of tough scraps before, but never had she faced any opponent with such perfect natural skill. She felt herself driven back by Skai's onslaught, unable to strike back without leaving herself vulnerable to a counter-attack. She was forced to retreat until she suddenly found herself pressed against the ship's railing.
Skai sneered at the look of fear he saw in her eyes. "You've got nowhere to go," he said as he prepared to strike.
But Jessica's fear had been a mere ruse. She'd counted on Skai underestimating her and thinking her to be truly helpless, making himself overconfident. Now the assassin had left himself wide open. She knew she'd only have one shot at Skai, and she was determined to make it count.
With a wild cry, she slashed at him with her iron claw. Skai's finely honed reflexes allowed him to dodge, but not completely in time. The metal blades of the claw raked his face, leaving three bloody gashes across his left cheek.
"A pro like you falling for the oldest trick in the book," Jessica said mockingly, maneuvering herself to where she'd have more room to move. "You're overrated, just like your boss."
Skai glared at Jessica with disbelief and murderous fury before he unleashed a second assault, even faster than before. Jessica drew back for real this time. The man was a juggernaut, unrelenting and unstoppable, as he struck at her again and again with his dagger as well as lightning-fast kicks. She tried maintaining her defense, but faster than the eye could see, Skai's knife slashed through her arm, and a kick landed in her solar plexus. As Jessica gasped for breath, a vicious cyclone kick to the temple knocked her to the deck.
"Call me overrated now," Skai growled. "I dare you."
Jessica felt herself about to black out, barely able to make out Skai standing over her with his knife raised, ready to strike.
-x-x-x-
In the midst of their heated duel, Rathbone suddenly disengaged. "A moment of your time, if you don't mind," he said, smiling silkily.
Kyle eyed him warily. "What's the matter, Rathbone? Finally decided to surrender?"
"Not at all," Rathbone replied, pointing behind Kyle. "I just wanted you to watch Skai kill your precious Jessica. I'd hate for you to miss it."
Kyle stole a quick glance over his shoulder, and his eyes widened in alarm as he saw that Rathbone wasn't bluffing. "JESS!"
He turned away from Rathbone, barely feeling his enemy's sabre raking across his back, and charged towards Skai. The Tribesman managed to spot him at the last second, and Kyle felt his legs go out from under him as Skai toppled him with a foot sweep. As Kyle struggled to regain his footing, Skai lashed out at him with whip-like speed, knocking him back with a kick to the jaw. Son of a bitch, this guy's fast.
"Kyle of Nanza," Skai said smugly. "My fellow Tribesmen speak highly of your fighting ability. I have to say, I'm not impressed."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Kyle said groggily.
"It's not me you should apologize to," Skai said. "It's Jessica. You missed your chance to save her. Now you get to watch me kill her right before Rathbone finishes you off."
Seething with a sudden fury, Kyle seized his dagger and hurled it at Skai. Skai deflected it with his own dagger effortlessly, but it distracted him long enough for Kyle to nail him in the stomach with a desperate kick. Skai grunted, doubling up in pain, and Kyle leaped to his feet and attempted to strike him across the jaw. But amazingly, Skai had already recovered, and he deflected the punch. He seized Kyle's arm in a vice-like grip, and fired off a series of rapid kicks to his chest. Kyle fell to the deck once again, agony blazing through his body.
"Kyle!" Jessica cried out. Kyle's distraction had given her enough time to regain consciousness, although she was still too disoriented to cast a healing spell or get to her feet.
"Well, isn't this a treat!" Skai leered. "Two of the Five Heroes of Althena completely at my mercy! The only question is…who do I kill first?"
Jessica glared at Skai defiantly. "You'd better make it me, Skai," she rasped. "It's your only chance to walk away from this in one piece."
Skai scowled at Jessica, brushing his fingertips along the gashes on his face. "If you insist. I do owe you for this, after all." The Tribesman leaped into the air, his leg sweeping down for a lethal strike at Jessica's neck.
"Magen Haver!"
One of Rayner's magical barriers had suddenly formed around Jessica, and Skai found himself toppling clumsily to the deck as his kick rebounded against the shield. Dazed, Kyle and Jessica slowly stood up to see Rayner standing a few feet away, looking both tense and relieved. His arm remained outstretched, his hand still remaining in the spellcasting pose.
Skai sprang back to his feet, but he seemed somewhat off-balance, as if he'd been injured by the fall. He drew another throwing knife from his holster, but before he had a chance to attack, he cried out in pain as Jessica managed to stab him in the leg with her claw. Rayner took advantage of the opening to launch another spell. "Barak Mahir!"
A bolt of lightning surged towards Skai, striking him square in the chest and sending him flying across the deck, smashing him against the ship's railing. He crashed unconscious to the deck.
"Nice shot," Kyle said, rising unsteadily. "Is he dead?"
"I doubt it," Rayner replied. "I couldn't put too much power behind that spell. But I'll bet he's going to be sore in the morning."
"He ain't the only one. Jess, are you okay?"
Jessica nodded wearily. Kyle made his way over to her side, attempting to hold her, but she squirmed away. "Kyle, not in front of the pirates," she mumbled with a half-smile. She then whispered the words to a healing spell, and Kyle immediately felt the pain of his injuries fade. He felt refreshed and invigorated, and ready to fight all day if he had to. Jessica also seemed completely recovered, and was eager to return to battle. "I needed that," she said, grinning broadly.
"Me too. Ready?"
"Let's do it."
Once again, Kyle and Jessica hurled themselves into the thick of battle. If Rayner had been impressed with their individual fighting skills, he was even more impressed at the way they functioned as a duet. The two of them moved like clockwork, driving back the pirates with brute strength and astonishing skill. Many pirates fell, and many others chose to flee rather than face such adversaries.
Rathbone surveyed the battle, a bitter expression on his face. He had anticipated an easy victory, but most of his men were dead, and even Skai had fallen. He made his way over to where Skai lay unconscious, and sighed with relief that his old friend had survived.
A wounded pirate staggered over to Rathbone. "They're too tough for us, sir! If we keep this up any longer, we're all dead men!"
Rathbone clenching his fists angrily, knowing the man was right. The battle was lost, and he knew it. There was no point in continuing the attack. He nodded wearily. "Take Skai back to the Dragonheart," he muttered to the pirate. To the rest of the crew, he shouted, "Retreat! Back to the ship, you miserable curs! Full retreat!"
The pirates were only too eager to escape with their lives, having found themselves completely routed by the Meribians and their companions. Kyle and the soldiers pursued them across the deck, eager to finish the job, but Sarek held them back. "They're already beaten. Enough men have died this day," he said solemnly.
"But we've got them on the run!" Kyle protested. "We can wipe them out now!"
"Are you a warrior, or a butcher?" Sarek replied sternly. "Enough lives have been lost this day. There's no point in any further killing. Let them go. We'll deal with them another time if we have to."
Reluctantly, Kyle nodded, and watched with smug satisfaction as the Dragonheart disengaged and fled. Rathbone stood at the ship's stern, his face contorted with anger as he glared at Kyle. "This isn't over, Kyle!" he roared, the angry echo of his voice remaining long after the ship had disappeared into the horizon.
With the battle's end came the solemn task of tending to the wounded and the death rites for the fallen. Jessica took care of this task single-handedly, casting healing spells on the wounded and saying the death rites for those who had been slain, even though she was no longer a priestess. Kyle was careful to leave her alone while she did this, knowing that she would tolerate no interference or distraction while she was working.
After a while, she came up to Kyle, looking completely exhausted. "Well, I've done all I can," she said wearily. "Luckily I was able to get to some of the wounded in time."
"Good to hear," Kyle said, smiling gently. "How's Salvo? He took a nasty shot from Rathbone."
"He had a close call, but he'll be fine. A lot of other crewmen weren't so lucky."
"They'll be avenged," Kyle said grimly. "Rathbone escaped, and he's sure to make another try for us. And when he does, I'll finish him off once and for all."
Jessica nodded. "Just make sure you save Skai for me. Nobody kicks me around and gets away with it."
"Shouldn't that be my job? Avenging my lady's honor, and all that?"
"You already have Rathebone to deal with," Jessica replied. "Save some of the bad guys for the rest of us."
-x-x-x-
Rathbone once more stood at the bow of the Dragonheart, fuming over his defeat. Over half his force had been killed, and even Skai had barely survived. But more importantly, Kyle was still alive, and still in possession of the map to the Graveyard. For the first time since his expulsion from Nanza, his plans had been thwarted. And once again, it had been Kyle of Nanza who had thwarted and humiliated him.
He noticed Quentin anxiously approach him, accompanied by two pirates. The young magician looked like he was on his way to his own execution. "You asked to see me, Captain?"
"Where's Skai?" he asked the mage.
"In his cabin," Quentin replied. "Healing herbs have cured his injuries, but he said he'd prefer to remain below deck."
Rathbone nodded. Skai was also unaccustomed to defeat, and his pride must have taken a worse beating than his body had this day. "You and I need to talk, Quentin," Rathbone said softly. There was a trace of malice in the pirate captain's tone.
Quentin blanched. Nothing good had ever followed that phrase. "About what, Captain?"
"I recall you telling me about one single magician accompanying Kyle and Jessica to the Graveyard. Yet for some reason, I counted two of them. Do they not teach math at Vane, or did you just forget to tell me about the other one? Because that was a detail I really think I should have been informed about in order to plan accordingly."
Quentin paled. "I didn't know Rayner would be coming along as well, Captain. I never imagined - "
"Rayner? You know him?"
"He's Sarek's younger son. He specializes in Defense Magic."
"So I noticed," Rathbone remarked sourly. "Rather an unpleasant surprise, I must say. I happen to like surprises, unlike most people in my line of work, but not of that sort."
"I swear, I never imagined he'd tag along!" Quentin said in a near panic. "He's never been on an adventure before! I didn't think Sarek would allow him to go!"
"Apparently, you were mistaken," Rathbone hissed. "There's no room for people who make mistakes in my line of work. Such people are unreliable, and I cannot have anyone unreliable in my employ. Ergo, if I find out you are unreliable, you're a dead man. So with that in mind, is there anything else you might have thought wrong about? Does Kyle have any other surprise allies we should be aware of?"
"I don't know," Quentin said, trembling. "But if I knew of any of them, I swear I would have told you. Remember, I have just as much to lose as you do - my treasure, and my life."
"An honest answer," Rathbone replied, slowly calming down as he reminded himself that he might still need Quentin. "At least, it had better be. And if I have reason to suspect it's not…"
He let the sentence fade, leaving the conclusion to the mage's imagination. One of his men nervously cleared his throat. "Uh, Captain…what now?"
"We hunt them down," Rathbone snarled. "The presence of another magician won't change our plans. But this time, we'll play it safe and smart. We'll merely follow them, allowing them to lead the way for us – and clear it of any perils that may be lurking along the way. That way, we won't need Sarek's map. We'll strike again when they've worn themselves out and taken us to the Graveyard."
The pirate paled at Rathbone's words. "But sir…what if they actually make it to the Graveyard? We're not really going to follow them there, are we? That would be suicide, Captain! We couldn't possibly…"
His words died in his mouth as Rathbone fixed him with a venomous glare. With a vicious snarl, Rathbone drew his sword and slashed the man's throat in a single fluid motion. The pirate crumpled to the deck in a pool of his own blood. The crew stared in horror at their dead comrade, and then at Rathbone.
"We sail on!" Rathbone roared fanatically, so that all could hear him. "We will follow them to the Graveyard and to the gates of Oblivion, if need be! But as Althena is my witness, I will personally kill Kyle of Nanza for this, and I'll not rest until I do!"