Part 2: The Dueler

Chapter 1

Training

"Reaver! It's Reaver! Reaver's tough! Reaver's boss, I've stolen Reaver's used up floss!" Benjamina screamed out. Garth only knew her chant by reading her lips, as she was standing at the foot of Reaver's vast mansion, and he in the room he'd stayed in the night before. He coldly watched as the woman danced around, spouting Reaver based poetry. Reaver entered the room and walked mischievously to stand next to Garth.

"She implies I use floss, what a humorous thought! She is rather obsessive…and quite persistent. It would be endearing if it weren't so creepy," Reaver said with a sigh. Garth turned to him, arms folded and face in a frown.

"If you don't shut her up…I will," He said threateningly, small tongues of flame dancing around his fingers. Reaver rubbed his temples and started back out of the room.

"I'll go see to her then," Garth heard the immortal stomp down the steps and exited his home. As he walked out into view, Benjamina, grabbed his arms and started to rub them. Reaver slapped her away and started to explain something. It had been three months since Garth had moved back to Albion, and thankfully only the eighth time he and Reaver had to scare her away. Reaver had explained to him the story of this woman, how she originally only been a drunken one night stand, which evolved into a love of Reaver not uncommon for his many mistresses. Unlike most, who, after rejection by the immortal, leave him with despair and depression, Benjamina became an obsessive fan, who Reaver ultimately obtained a restraining order against from King Logan. However, as she started to hang around the castle more, waiting to see Reaver as he attended to the day's duties, King Logan strongly considered lifting the order, and placing a new one for the castle grounds. When King Logan resigned, and Reaver tried keep child labor with a complex scheme, the new Queen withdrew the restraining order and allowed her to stand outside of Reavers' home whenever she felt like it. Now, as Reaver eventually threw a sock down into the Bower Lake mines, which inspired her to run into the mine and likely to a normally fatal fall, Garth considered that she likely had a purpose to play, for rarely did fate bring such a strange person into his life. Garth shook the thought away, then noticed Page and Ben Finn arriving from the distance. They looked very tired, but ready to train. Garth recalled the group's arrival in Millfields clearly.

"And here is my home! Now, I assume you wish to kill me?" Reaver said with a sly smile on his face. He voice was strained however, even a little annoyed. Garth didn't care that much though. He only wanted to kill Reaver.

"Why should I not try? Why should a life owed not be paid with a life?" Garth challenged furiously, the Will lines that covered his body flaring. Reaver turned around, eyebrows up and hand on his heart in shock. He was still smiling however, which gave his false shock away.

"Garth, Garth, you misunderstand! I am a glutton for attention! I'll write anything if someone will read it. Besides, why would I try to kill you?"

"As you stated in your book…'It was then I had the brilliant notion, that would simultaneously catapult me out of that humdrum country and put an end to Garth's miserable existence, as well as diverting me for several minutes. I stood in front of that sober crowd and thanked Garth for bringing me to the exciting and fulfilling country with as much sarcasm as humanly possible, then apologized for having to leave before shooting at my head and missing in just a way as to ricochet the bullet into several explosive crates. I was catapulted from the room, and landed squarely outside. Theresa, the boorish mage I described earlier, appeared in a puff of smoke and demanded to know the meaning of the destruction, and after telling her a truly harrowing tale, the witch transported me back to Albion,'" Garth quoted word for word. Reaver started to draw back again, Garth charging another spell.

"I…I…Garth…we can work this out…"

"If I'd intended to kill you…you'd already be dead. But I don't."

"You don't?" Reaver said, standing up straight and an actual frown of confusion forming on his face.

"No, I plan to make you do something much worse. I think it's clear that you have a fair amount of ability, as do I. And, seeing that you've not only faced the Dueler, but that you're also a Hero, we are going to stop that thing, and you're not getting away from my wrath until you do so," Garth said, unfeelingly cold. Reaver raised a questioning eyebrow and at the man.

"What exactly do you suggest we do?"

"We are going to train," sending Reaver to the angriest he'd ever seen the man.

"Training, as in physical activity outside the bedroom?! This beautiful figure? Train?! I don't think so!"

"Oh, not you..." Garth turned to Page and Ben, who were standing beside them, "We'll need more than the two of us to defeat it…"

"Hmm…two more heroes, which means less hero work I have to do…and I get to tell somebody what to do. When do we start?" Reaver asked with a smile. Garth was propelled back the present as Reaver yelled from the doorway.

"Our dear pupils are here Garth! Oh look at them, aren't they precious?" The immortal gunman bellowed. Garth turned from the window and walked down the stairs, seeing Page with her holy weapon and Ben with a rifle. Garth noticed Reaver's face had slipped into a frown. This was actually only the second time he'd seen Reaver frown in the days of training. Ben and Page had agreed happily to train under Garth and…well mostly Garth, and they were learning how to survive the most grueling and intense situations experienced by man.

"Alright Garth. What do I get to break in half today?" Page asked with a sigh. Garth almost smiled at the question.

"Well, I've got a special something you need to cut through today, but leave Avo's Lamentation here. You'll be using this," Garth handed her a sharp, but common sword. Reaver looked to Ben, who'd he'd taken under his tutelage.

"I've set up a target at the other side of Millfields and Gentlemen Girod is out there, ready to set up the target as soon as we knock it down. Are you ready for your final test?" Ben gulped and nodded, gripping his rifle tighter. Garth assumed the career soldier would've preferred to not learn anything from Reaver, but they didn't have the luxury of time. Page and Ben had to become heroes and soon. The group walked out onto what was once Reaver's front yard, which was now covered by mining equipment and various devices.

"You know Reaver, I never understood why you didn't open the river again and allow it to flow into Bower Lake after the Crawler was defeated," Page asked, looking at the somewhat distant dam.

"And waste all those precious metals? No my dear, I'll not release that lake until this land is stripped clean."

"Reaver…you're such a bad man…" Page said with a sigh. Reaver just smiled widely.

"And you know you love it."

"Quiet. Now, this is one of the few trees that Reaver has left," Garth said, with an air of impatience. He was getting rather tired of their bickering, but felt deeply loyal to Page.

"Yes, I see that." Garth pointed at it and looked at Page.

"Cut it in half."

"With a sword? How about an axe? Maybe with a hammer I could topple it."

"No, you must cut it in half. In one stroke." Page's mouth dropped as she heard the order.

"How? This thing is tougher than brick!" Page said, tapping it with her sword.

"That's an exaggeration."

"To make a point!" Page said, feeling the tree bark. Ben watched the two, shaking his head.

"Now, Mr. Finn, I've got a little test for you! You see that target in the distance. Shoot it right now!"

"With a rifle? From here?"

"You can do it, or maybe you can't…I really could care less."

"Now, before I try this, can somebody explain to me again why I have to be a gunman when my mother was the Hero of Strength…?" Ben asked. Garth looked at him with disinterest.

"Because, unlike the descendants of William Black, the other heroes have almost random abilities, some being Strength, some being Skill, and some being Will, with no particular connection to one's parent's ability, or even if one's parents were heroes at all."

"That's right! So you should easily be able to destroy this target!"

"Page, you can succeed. A hero could do this…and if you wish to be a hero you must do it!" Page sighed and swung her sword, hitting the tree as hard as she could. It left a small dent in the tree but did no real damage.

"Garth…this is impossible!"

"Page…calm your mind. You can't just attack with all your strength. To truly unlock the power of a hero, one must release one's belief in limits," Garth said, closing his eyes and allowing flames to form in his hands, his Will-lines glowing brightly in response.

"Okay…release limits…" Page held her hand back and waiting. She breathed deeper, and deeper, until she allowed her eyes to close and spun in a full flourish motion and slammed the sword into the tree. Her weapon crashed into the bark and stuck into the wood. Page fell back, looking in defeat at the half broken tree and the stump of blade in her hand.

"I failed…"

"You didn't do what I told you, no, but I think you've proven yourself," Garth said, picking up a broken half of a sword. He pointed to Page's hand. She looked down and found her broken weapon, and a smile slipped on her face. Reaver tapped his cane on the ground in support.

"Right! Very good Page! Now, Mister Finn, just shoot the damned target!' Ben lifted his rifle and tried to line up a shot, but he ultimately dropped it.

"It's too far! I can't keep steady!"

"Keep steady?! For the love of…" Reaver grabbed the rifle and shot at the target, hitting it without even looking at it. Ben looked at it in shock, and then turned back to Reaver.

"Holy mother of…"

"Just shoot it! It's right there!" Reaver said, reloading the gun and throwing it back into Ben's hands, then pointed at him, "Do that thing Garth said, let go of you reasoning or whatever it is, no limits and all that Samarkand nonsense." Ben glanced at Reaver one more time then held up his rifle and shot, barely hitting the target on the top side.

"I hit it!"

"You missed! It's a target for a reason! You're supposed to hit the center! Whatever, you are now a lot closer than you were, so you've improved enough to pass my test! You're a hero…" Ben saluted proudly. Page turned to Garth who nodded the same.

"As the former Heroes of Skill and Will, we recognize the new Heroine of Strength and Hero of Skill."

"Thank you Garth!" Page said with a nod. Garth gave her the holy weapon, allowing her to swing it at the tree and break it in half completely.

"And, Mister Finn, you are in need of a good rifle to match the power of our weapons. Here is the rifle of Harriet Thatcher, the only female guard of Bowerstone and notoriously known for getting the job done. Too bad she tried to take down corruption in my factory. If only she'd not drawn that very rifle on me in that night. . ." Reaver went to a box and took out the parts of the weapon. Ben took them into his hand and examined them, testing their weight and looking down the sights. He assembled the rifle and shouldered it, then aimed it at the target in the distance.

"This rifle is amazing. In fact, I might even be able to…" Ben pulled the trigger and fired the rifle, this time hitting the bull's eye.

"Good work! Though, you can't blame everything on the gun," Reaver said. He turned around quickly and started back toward his house, "I'm famished! Come now, let us get something to eat!" Garth, with Page and Ben beside him, followed the man toward his house. As they arrived, several butler-looking figures were moving around the manor, setting up the largest and most dramatic of Reaver's dining tables. Reaver's tacky servant, Gentleman Girod came bursting through the door, holding a heavy target and panting heavily. Reaver turned to him with a frown.

"Where have you been? Get to work!" Reaver said, tapping his cane impatiently.

"Yes sir." Gentlemen Girod ran into the other room. Reaver, Garth, Page, and Ben sat around the table, waiting for his overworked and underpaid servants to gather food together. Garth remained motionless as Reaver recounted the tales of his pirating career.

"Then, as the old captain sent up a signal, threatening me from all the way across the water, I walked to the side and, still in pajamas mind you, shot the man without a second thought. He fell right off the boat and crashed into the water. The pathetic members of the ship sent up a surrender signal immediately, and that was the easiest pirating I've ever done! But, like most things in life, it became boring soon enough, and I moved on to more exciting pursuits, like building Bloodstone. Or turning Wraithmarsh into a tourist destination."

"Reaver, you an evil man," Page said, seething. Reaver smiled and twirled his cane.

"Oh, you flatter me Page! Your fury must be indescribable in the bedroom,"

"Enough! I'm going to tell you a story now, Garth. The story of how I was captured with the Queen of Albion and we ultimately defeated his stupid wheel of misfortune."

"Now Page! You're digging into old history!" Reaver said, a shocked look on his face. Page rolled her eyes and leaned in toward Garth.

"Reaver was sided against the Queen with her brother, King Logan. With the army split into a civil war, Dwellers and mercenaries sending raids into Bowerstone and everything east of Brightwall in total insurrection, Logan was on the verge of destruction. The Queen asked for our help, the oppressed people of Bowerstone, and earned it by coming with me to defeat Logan's last powerful ally. That man! We broke into this very house, where we found it in tatters and torn to pieces from a party gone horribly wrong. We had hoped to find a few of my men, who'd been captured by Reaver."

"Oh come now Page! You're echoing hyperbolic propaganda." Garth had to admit that Reaver had a remarkable vocabulary, "The party was fantastic, that is, till you arrived. There I was, entertaining my guests as the number of conscious ones became less and less. And then this brute comes in, demanding all four of her men back, when three had broken into a previous party and lost their lives in the process, while I found the fourth lying on the street and tended him to health. I was keeping him a comfortable suite loft, high enough so that he could see the crowd, but with the ability to go low enough to be a part of the action!"

"You mean the cage you had Kidd in? And it was fourteen of my men Reaver!"

"And what about the gracious excitement I was providing my guests with you two at the center stage?"

"You mean when you tried to have the Queen and I executed with that evil wheel I have to see every time I come in this house!" At that moment, Gentleman Girod ran into the room and bowed before Reaver.

"What the hell are you doing here? You've returned without anything to eat!"

"Sir, this letter for you!" He shoved the letter in Reaver's face worriedly. Reaver took it from him.

"Hmm…let me see…why Garth, it seems that we have been called to the castle. This is a summons. Apparently the Queen wants to see us immediately."

"That was much sooner than expected, but not unreasonable." Garth uttered, standing up and looking at the man, "Tell Mr. Girod to pack our food. We must leave now if our plan is to work!"

"Yes sir!" Girod said, saluting. Reaver rubbed his head and grabbed his cane.

"Alright, you two know what you've been assigned to do now that you're full heroes?"

"Yes," Ben said. Page nodded and stood up, leaving with Finn. Garth turned to Reaver.

"Gentlemen Girod had these biscuits and pork made for us. Ready to go?"

"Am I ready to leave your home, and live out in the wild instead of in the warm, but disturbing comfort of this manor? Absolutely," Garth said. Reaver looked at him puzzled for a moment, then his face slipped into a smile.

"Oh, what a horrid sense of humor…at least it's improving."