Chapter 13

'Nice to see you again, Valkron,' he said. 'But you're blocking our way. We won't let you find the portal.'

Valkron cursed himself mentally. He should have paid more attention to the younger knight. This was not boding well, since he could see none of his party and probably none of his party could see him.

Soft laughter reached his ears. Sagna's party emerged from the whirling fog, all with the same creepy grin on their faces and with the same shimmering eyes. Valkron prepared himself, watching them warily and holding his sword upright in front of him, in case they tried anything before he was ready.

They stood in a half-circle around him, laughing. The rogue was staring at Valkron hungrily, while the monk cracked his knuckles menacingly, face stretched in a mocking smile. The huntress was giggling. If Valkron hadn't known them, he'd have considered them insane.

He took a step back, slowly. They began to advance on him. Something was telling him that they were not themselves, but he had as much power over it as he had the power for telling a rock to start walking.

Sagna moved first, so quickly that Valkron barely dodged his massive spear. The white-haired knight hit the spear away and sensed another weapon aiming for his back. He spun around and hit out wildly, and there was a clang before a knife materialised from the air and flew somewhere else. There was a high-pitched laugh from the air. Valkron swore under his breath.

The monk charged at him full tilt. Valkron blocked him with his arm and then sent the hilt of the sword into the man's stomach. There was an 'oof!' and the monk was flung off. Valkron had no time to think. He swung his sword to his right and two arrows clattered off his blade.

Sagna attacked him again. This was not the Sagna who had challenged him in Al de Baran. His attacks came in a flurry of blows and lunges, too fast for even Valkron to see. The older knight could do nothing but parry his blows.

They broke apart. Valkron backed off, breathing hard. Sagna showed no sign of exertion.

'What's the portal to you?' said the older knight, keeping an eye on him. The others circled him like hungry wolves waiting to make their kill.

'It's what's giving me the strength and speed to defeat you, Valkron,' said Sagna, eyes glowing eerily. 'You've always been the number one legend in the Prontera Chivalry. I'm so sick and tired of hearing your name spoken by the swordsmen as if you're some hero. Feh! I could have done better that you!'

'Why aren't you proving that instead of fighting me?' said Valkron.

'Well, I am doing it right now, aren't I?' said Sagna. 'They say no one can kill you, Valkron. But once I have, I will be the top knight of the Chivalry!'

Valkron exhaled. This idiot knight was actually thinking of defeating him so he could be the next legend.

'There'll be others after me, Sagna,' he said. 'So many more. You might be able to defeat them, but then one day someone will come and kick you off the list so hard you'll forget about ever becoming a legend--'

Sagna snarled in anger and lunged. Valkron swept aside to avoid it and then nearly screamed as something sharp plunged into his back. He pulled himself away from it and turned to see the huntress holding a dagger with blood dripping from its blade. Her eyes were contorted in anger. So were the other two.

The spear went past his face. Valkron jerked back his head to avoid it, but he felt its point graze his cheek. He hit it away. After that Sagna's party attacked him in one go, giving him no time to think at all. He felt his sword moving, hitting away spear, dagger and blade, and dodged whatever they threw at him.

Suddenly the surroundings flared. The rogue was thrown off his feet by a series of lightning bolts, while the monk and huntress were hit by fire. Sagna himself received ice in the face. Valkron turned, panting, to see Emeth looming out of the fog, holding his staff out in front of him.

'In trouble, eh?' he said, lowering his staff a little. 'You could have shouted for help.'

'You could say,' said Valkron breathlessly, 'that my pride as a knight was at stake.'

Emeth shrugged. 'So much for pride.' Magic whirled around him for a moment, and the rogue appeared behind him. The wizard turned and gave him a few well-timed hard whacks on the head and shoulders before kicking him away.

'Not the place for magic,' he continued calmly. 'Looks like I'll just join in, mate.'

Before Valkron could say anything the monk charged at the wizard with a roar. Emeth stepped aside, and as the monk went past him he grabbed the monk's throat and made a few swift movements with his free hand. The monk dropped to the ground a few seconds later.

'What the--?'

Emeth showed him a cleverly concealed dagger in his palm. 'I specialise in long-range and short-range techniques. Never let it be said a wizard doesn't know how to fight.'

Valkron gestured to the fallen monk. 'You didn't kill him?'

'No, but when he wakes up he'll regret attacking me.'

The huntress leapt towards Valkron, dagger in hand. He hit it away, and Emeth caught her in the stomach with his staff and flung her into the fog. At the same time the rogue threw himself towards the knight. The knight turned, but it was Samaroh who threw himself between both of them and sang a few words. White light hit the rogue several times, and the priest finished it with a blow to the head with his mace.

Sagna charged, spear raised. Eni came running out of the fog with Amaru and used the handle of her axe to deflect the blow. As Sagna hit her away and raised his spear again, Amaru kicked his cart at the younger knight. He leapt over it, but he paid dearly for the lapse in concentration, for the blacksmith slammed his mighty hammer into his abdomen and threw him out of the way with a grunt. Sagna got up and raised his arm to throw his spear at Valkron.

There was a bong.

The brown-haired knight stayed motionless for a few seconds before toppling over. Iruna looked up, readjusting her shield on her left arm.

'You've got a huntress behind you, and a wound on your back,' she said. 'Please duck, Valkron.'

The knight ducked, and Iruna threw her shield. It scythed through the air and hit the huntress in the face. At the same moment Emeth slammed the end of his staff on the ground. A magic circle widened from where the point touched the soil and extended through the area before glowing. Immediately the fog dissipated to reveal a clear, bright sun and a green clearing with forest.

Valkron straightened, wincing at the pain in his back. Amaru was looking down at the rogue, while Emeth prodded the unconscious knight with the tip of his shoe.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He looked at Samaroh.

'Please, sit, Valkron,' he said. 'You're injured.'

The knight gave him a look but sat down anyway. Samaroh followed suit and was soon applying his ointments deftly. Eni threw back her hair.

'Anyone seen Nocturne?' she said. 'I was looking for him just now, but I got distracted by the fighting.'

'No, I didn't see him,' said Emeth. 'And come to think of it, I didn't see Khan either.'

'I did,' said Valkron, frowning. 'I asked him to get Samaroh out of the way.'

'Oh, so [ithat[/i was why he was shaking me so hard just now,' remarked the priest, bandaging the wound. Everyone gave him a shared look, but it was totally wasted because he was too busy to see it.

'Then we'll find them.' Valkron got to his feet as Samaroh sat back and started clearing up. 'Never let it be said that the Raulus party would leave a man behind.'

'What will we do with these guys?' said Eni, prodding the monk's back tentatively.

'We'll wait for them to wake up.' Valkron nodded at Emeth. 'Emeth, Samaroh and I will go. The rest of you - stay here and make sure these guys are okay. If they think they can try to kill me again, you nail them to the nearest tree. But not too hard,' he added, seeing the expression on Eni's face.

'If you say so,' said Iruna, so calmly and solidly that Valkron knew not even Eni could protest. With a glance over his shoulder at the three of them he left the clearing, flanked by Emeth and Samaroh.

'Do you hear anything, Nocturne?' said Khan. 'You're trained for the forest, not me. I don't assassinate animals.'

The hunter listened intently for a while before he said, 'Nope. Maybe they know we're here and got away before we found them.'

'Or they could have reached the party already.' Khan looked around him. 'Darn this fog. I can't see a thing.'

'Well, whatever you think I can't see through a fog either,' snapped the hunter. 'I'm not an animal! Maybe even animals can't see through this.'

'Hm. Good point.' Khan looked up at the thick foliage. 'I think we should head back now. The others might get worried about us.'

'Like my sister would ever get worried about me,' grumbled Nocturne, but he followed Khan anyway. They walked through the forest in silence. From time to time they had to reach out and check there wasn't a tree in their way, and they had to look out for protruding roots and bushes.

After a while Nocturne said, 'I don't recognise this place, Khan. I think we've lost the way back.'

The assassin looked around. He was getting worried, and, by the look on Nocturne's face, so was he. No one wanted to be caught in Mjollnir forest. You might get found by something.

Suddenly he heard something. It was on the edge of his hearing and very faint, but he was sure he heard it. He put a hand on Nocturne's shoulder, and when the hunter turned to look at him he put a finger to his lips and motioned for him to lie on the ground. Puzzled, the hunter did so and so did Khan.

They were just under a bush. Lying there, Khan tried to detect any more sounds, but before he could Nocturne whispered, 'I hear footsteps.'

'I heard voices,' replied the assassin.

And then they both heard the sound of footsteps. The sound got increasingly louder, indicating that whoever was approaching their bush. By the sound of it there were two people, not one.

Khan nearly got a shock when a large black boot thudded down right in front of him. It was no less farther than two inches from his nose. Luckily he had left his sakkhat off, but he hoped the fog would cover him more than the bush did. An assassin and a hunter were very distinguishable from the forest, whatever people thought.

'Well, did you send him?' said a deep, hoarse voice. It belonged to the owner of the black boots, judging by the proximity of the sound.

Yes. I did.

Nocturne lowered his head as if he was cowering. Khan couldn't blame him. The second voice was not human. It had a thin, scraping whine and at the same time echoed of ancient temples where sacrifices were made. It sounded hungry, bloodthirsty.

'If he's succeeded then he'll be back to claim his just reward.' The first voice sounded satisfied. 'But we'll add in a monster or two for the fun of it, eh?'

Yes. It will be fun.

'Good. Break the branch here. The monsters will sniff them out. Too bad I can't see what happens next.'

Before Khan knew it, a withered, twisted branch dropped in front of his nose. The black boot lifted and then stamped on it hard. There was a cracking sound, and purple smoke began to billow from it. On the other side the same thing was being repeated by whoever was the owner of the second voice.

Luckily for the two of them the unseen speakers went away faster than they had expected. Nocturne scrambled to his feet and backed away from the smoking branches. Khan backed off while he was still on the ground, and got up while drawing his two katars out. This did not look good.

The branches continued to billow purple smoke, which began to form shapes. Nocturne unhooked his bow off his back and fitted an arrow into it. His hands were shaking as he pulled back the bowstring. Khan raised his katars and waited.

The first monster exploded out of the smoke and went straight for them. It was a mystelltainn. It jabbed at them ferociously, hissing in a thin, cold voice. Khan leapt aside and hammered a series of quick blows onto it. Nocturne lowered his bow and unhooked a trap from his waist before throwing it at the cursed sword. The assassin threw himself to the side just as the trap exploded under the sword.

Khan got up and turned to face an owl baron. He dodged the cane and lunged forward, but the monster was quicker than him and cast its spells.

Nocturne unsheathed a damascus from his pouch and got ready to attack the sword when a larger, much notched sword landed heavily on the mysteltainn. It shrieked and turned, only to be blasted with white light. Nocturne looked up and felt relief flooding him. It was Valkron.

'Get out of the way, Nocturne, Emeth's here,' said the knight, but words didn't need to be said. Fire thundered into existence. The hunter threw himself to the side and the mysteltainn went up in flames. Bolts of white light joined in, before Valkron's flaming sword slammed into the cursed sword. After a few more similar blows it finally drew its death rattle and dropped lifeless to the ground.

'Where's Khan, Nocturne?' said Emeth, stepping into view. The hunter pointed a trembling finger to his right.

Just then Khan leapt over the bushes and fell at Valkron's feet. The knight gave him a disdainful look and said dryly, 'I don't need people worshipping me, I've probably got more worshippers than Odin now.'

'I wasn't worshipping you,' said the assassin indignantly, but Valkron ignored him. He stepped over Khan, and, just as the owl baron walked into the area, strode forward to it. The monster began to cast a spell. Without delay Valkron dealt it a sharp blow on the head and distracted it.

Emeth summoned ice to surround the monster before he cast thunder to hammer onto the ice. The owl baron shrieked in pain and flew off before any of them could do anything else.

'Are you all right?' said Samaroh, walking out from behind a bush. 'That mystelltainn was a hard opponent.' He looked around in the sudden silence. 'What? What did I say now?'

'I've never seen Lex Aeterna like it,' said Valkron. 'Not that bright, either.'

'Uh...I use it a lot?'

Emeth waved him quiet. 'We'll get back first before we start discussing anything here, eh? Those creatures were from dead branches. I don't think we'd want to face any more of them.'

That day they did not move from where they were.

Amaru sat a little way away from the party, his hammer upright. He was in charge of Sagna's party, so he had good reason to let it stay up. This was also the reason why no one wanted to sit near him.

Valkron leaned his chin on his hand thoughtfully. 'So someone asked Sagna to attack us. Or rather, me.'

'Why would you say that?' said Eni, inspecting a bottle of newly-made potion.

'Because he targeted me first, not the rest of you.' Valkron gazed into empty space. 'And his party followed him.'

'Why would he go after you, Valkron?' said Khan. 'That sounds a bit ominous to me.'

'I know why,' said Emeth, chewing on his leaf. 'In Al de Baran he challenged Valkron so that he could see how good our leader was. When Valkron humiliated him he got mad and the portal's magic got to him and gave him what he wanted the most - the power to defeat Valkron.'

'I still don't think Sagna's up to par with me,' said Valkron, 'whatever power he has.'

'But you were failing before Emeth intervened,' said Iruna softly. 'You were lucky we were here. You couldn't have put up with four people who had the same strength and power.'

'That's absolutely none of your business,' snapped the knight gruffly. 'Things will have come to a pretty pass when I can't defeat my own student.'

'Well, things have come to a pretty pass.' Emeth got off the tree trunk he was leaning on. 'The portal knows we're looking for it. It's sending agents to stop us. I don't mind fighting people like them, but I'll be damned if I'm going to fight innocent peasants just because some sod is using them like tools.'

There was a groan from the pile of bodies next to Amaru. Everyone looked towards them. After a minute or so, Valkron got to his feet and walked over to the pile.

It was the monk. He was massaging his head gingerly. When he opened his eyes he looked straight up at Valkron.

'H-Hey, it's you from yesterday,' he said, sitting up and starting to edge away from Valkron. 'Uh...why are we here?'

'Don't remember a thing?' said Valkron.

'Um, well, no, not exactly remember--'

'Really?' said Valkron, taking one step closer. The monk looked like he wanted to run, but Amaru was sitting right behind him and the hammer did not look innocent.

'Uh, well, I, uh, I--'

'Oh, give him a break, Valkron,' said Emeth, pushing past the knight. 'There's a better way of doing this, I'm sure of it.'

At the sight of the wizard the monk actually got up and started running. Amaru, however, was faster. His leg shot out and kicked his cart towards the back of the monk's legs. There was a clunk and a clatter.

Valkron strode over and grabbed the monk by his collar. He yanked him to his feet and said, 'If you don't talk, I am going to see how far I can shove my sword up your nostril--'

'All right, all right, I'll talk!' yelled the monk in panic. 'Put that sword down!'

Emeth placed a gloved hand on Valkron's shoulder. 'Easy there, Valkron. You're a knight. You've got some pride, haven't you?'

'I'm tired of this place, I'm injured, I'm exhausted and I want to kill someone now,' said Valkron without taking his eyes off the struggling monk. 'But for his sake I'll let him go. He'd better not run or I really will shove this into any available orifice of his.'

Emeth looked down at Amaru, who was staring in quiet horror and fascination at Valkron. He whispered, 'If it becomes too much, Amaru, get over here and help me hold him down, will you?'

'I think we'll need to, shortly enough,' replied the blacksmith.

The wizard turned back. 'Be reasonable, Valkron. He's human. If he can't remember what happened, blame it on the portal.' He tightened his grip on the knight's shoulder, though he doubted the feeling would go through his armour. 'Let me talk to him.'

'I'm not in a good mood,' growled Valkron. 'If you want to live--'

'What do you think you're sayin', man? You dare disobey your superior?! When I give you orders, Valkron, I 'spect them to be followed! And right now I order you to stand down! STAND DOWN, VALKRON, BY ORDER OF THE PRONTERA CHIVALRY!'

The tone must have resonated with something in Valkron's past training. To the amazement of everyone present he actually turned on his heel and walked off in the other direction. Emeth was probably the most shocked of everyone else, since it was him who had shouted it spontaneously.

After a while the birds started singing again.

Emeth coughed. 'Right.' He turned to the monk. 'Please tell us what happened in your point of view. Whatever we know mostly opposes your opinion, so I think it's best if we hear both sides of the incident.'

'I was thinking that,' said the monk.

'Well, then that's great.' The wizard tried not to look too relieved. 'So, you for it?'

'Um...yes. But,' the monk gestured towards the prostrate bodies, 'our leader's waking up, on account of you shouting.'

'Ah. A better witness, in my opinion. But you're not to move from here, or I'll make our leader do what he threatened to do,' he added sternly, as the monk sighed in relief. 'At this point, I think you should do what I say.'

'You should,' said Amaru calmly from behind them.

'Yeah, I was thinking that too.'

Sagna groaned and sat up, grasping his shoulder. 'Ow. Where the heck am I?'

The wizard went down on one knee in front of him. 'Sagna,' he said gently, 'do you remember me?'

The younger knight looked up at him. 'Um, I don't think-- Oh. Um.'

'Best not to run.' Emeth jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Valkron, who was standing stiffly to attention. 'He'll be on your tail before you can finish saying Tyr.'

'What? Who?' Sagna stared at Valkron, and then tried to scramble to his feet. 'I've got to get away as fast as I can, Valkron's going to get me for this, I know he's going to, I'dbettergetgoingandgetawayfromhimasfastasIcan--'

'Not so fast, metal boy,' said Emeth, sticking out his leg. Sagna tripped over it. The wizard got up and looked down at him while he looked back up.

'If you really don't want Valkron after you, then I suggest you spill everything that led up to the incident,' he said. 'If you do run, he'll never forgive you. You were his student, right? Valkron never runs from anything. He won't forgive you for running. No knight runs from anything, not even if he's about to die. That's what being a knight is really about. You don't run for the sake of other people.'