Nope… Still not mine. And if you have not seen The Princess Bride then I highly recommend it. You will find the story even funnier and see an awesome movie as well. There are some sites out there where you can even watch it free on line. Anyways, back to our story (this is a long one and I was up till 2 am to finish it so sorry if there are errors)… .
As the sun came up the next morning Sam was looking back over the back of the boat.
"Look! He is right on top of us! I wonder if he's using the same fuel we are using?"
"Whoever he is, he's too late! See!" exclaimed Brennan gleefully pointing at the huge seawall that they were coming abreast of. "The Wall of Insanity! Hurry up! Move..the thing...and that other thing! Move it!" He shouted, gesturing wildly and jumping to the small dock below the massive wall. "We're safe, only Jesse is strong enough and knows the hidden hand holds to go up our way. He'll have to sail around for hours 'till he finds a harbor."
Jesse ropes the others to himself and begins climbing up the almost hidden rope that runs along a shallow hidden groove in the wall. The climb is nearly vertical and he is working very hard with the added weight.
"He's climbing the rope...and he's gaining on us." Sam states in shock as he looks down the face of the wall.
"Inconceivable!" Exclaims Brennan "...Faster!"
"I thought I was going faster." Jesse gasps.
"You were supposed to be this colossus, you were this great legendary strong man and yet he gains!" Berates Brennan.
Jesse continues to climb, gasping out between hand holds "Well, I'm carrying three people, and he got only himself."
Brennan practically spits the works into his face. "I do not accept excuses! I'm just going to have to find myself a new strong man, that's all."
"Don't say that, Brennan, please?" Jesse begs.
"Did I make it clear that your job is at stake?" Snarled Brennan.
"Jesse finally reaches the top and with much effort they all clamber onto the flat area at the top of the wall. Running to where the rope is fastened, Brennan pulls out a combat knife and after sawing away for a few moments the severed rope snaked over the side of the wall. Not hearing a thud all three of the men peer over the edge of the wall." Maddy continues with her description of the action.
"He's got very good arms." Stated Sam in his usual droll manner.
Brennan gasps out, "He didn't fall! Inconceivable!"
Sam looks at him in confusion, "You keep using that word? I do not think it means what you think it means..." He looks back down over the edge of the wall. " my god...he's climbing."
"Whoever he is, he's obviously seen us with the Special Agent and must therefore die. You" Brennan points to Jesse. "carry her. We'll head straight for the Guilder stronghold." He then points to Sam. "Catch up when he's dead. If he falls, fine; if not, the sword."
"I'm going to do him left-handed." Sam states.
"You know what a hurry we're in!" Brennan practically squeals at him.
Sam gives Brennan the raised eyebrow. "Well, it is the only way I can be satisfied. If I use my right, it's over too quickly."
"Oh have it your way." Brennan huffs.
Jesse addresses Sam with concern. "You be careful. People in masks cannot be trusted."
"I'm waiting..." Barks out Brennan impatiently to Jesse.
Sam unsheathes the sword that he carries at his waist and does a few practice lunges and stretches. After a few moments he looks over the edge of the wall at the man who practically blends into the wall because he is dressed head to toe in black. The man in black is making slow but steady progress up the wall.
"Hello there. Slow going?" Sam calls down, unable to stand the quiet any longer.
"Look," The man in black replies, "I don't mean to be rude but this is not as easy as it looks, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't distract me."
"Sorry." Sam states apologetically.
"Thank You." Is the short response.
Sam is silent for a few more moments at the top of the wall. "I do not suppose you could speed things up?"
The man in black responds back with more than a bit of exasperation in his voice. "If you're in such a hurry you could lower a rope or a tree branch
or find something useful to do."
"I could do that." Sam replies back, looking around. "I still got some rope up here. But I do not think you would accept my help, since I am only waiting around to kill you."
"That does put a damper on our relationship" Comes back the dry resonce.
Sam thinks for a moment. "...but, I promise I will not kill you until you reach the top."
"That's very comforting, but I'm afraid you'll just have to wait."
"I hate waiting." Sam huffs. "I could give you my word as a Navy SEAL?"
"No good." The man in black gasps out, still struggling up the side of the wall. "I've known too many SEALS"
"Is there another way you'll trust me?" Sam asks.
"Nothing comes to mind." Is the grunted reply.
"I swear on the soul of my Father, James Samuel Axe, you will reach the top alive." Sam states in a very solemn manner.
"Throw me the rope." Replys the man in black.
Sam unwinds more of the rope from the tree that it is secured around and throws it down to the man in black and with much groaning from both of them assist with hauling him up the cliff.
"Thank you." Heaves the man in black as he struggles to draw the sword that he has attached to his belt.
Sam holds up his hand. "wait wait wait wait wait wait 'till you're ready."
"Again, thank you." Responds the man in black as he sits heavily down on a nearby rock and removes his boot to shake out the stones that have collected during his climb.
Sam lowered himself to the boulder across from the man in black and looked at him inquiringly. "I do not mean to pry, but you don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?"
The man in black holds up his right hand and wiggles his five fingers at Sam. "Do you always begin conversations this way?" He questioned.
"My father was slaughtered by a six fingered man. He was a great weapons-maker, my father. When the six fingered man appeared and requested a special sword, my father took the job. He slaved a year before he was done." Sam told the man in black as he unsheathed his sword and held it out for the man in black to examine.
"I've never seen its equal." The man in black stated with obvious awe.
"Six fingered man returned and demanded it..." Sam continued his tale. "but at one-tenth his promised price. My father refused. Without a word, the six fingered man slashed him through the heart. I loved my father, so naturally I challenged this man to a fight. I failed...but the six fingered man leave mealive, but he gave me this" he points to an L shaped scar on his chin. " and this." He stated pointing out another scar.
"How old were you?" The man in black asked.
"I was eleven years old." Stated Sam. "When I was strong enough, I dedicated my life to the study of weaponry; so the next time we meet I will not fail. I will go up to the six fingered man and say 'Hello, my name is Sam Axe. You killed my father. Prepare to die.'
At this the man in black looked impressed. "You've done nothing but weapons-skills?"
"More pursue more than study lately." Sam shrugged. "You see, I cannot find him...it's been twenty years now and I'm starting to lose confidence. I just work for Brennan to pay the bills. There's not a lot of money in revenge."
The two men sit for a few more moments in silent contemplation and then the man in black rises to his feet. "Well I...I certainly hope you find him someday"
.
"You all ready then?" Sam asks as they both begin the process of drawing swords.
"Whether I am or not, you've been more than fair."
Sam finishes drawing his sword and stands at ready. "You seem a decent fellow...I hate to kill you."
The man in black throws aside his scabbard and also stands ready to figh. "You seem a decent fellow...I hate to die."
"Begin." Sam states, nodding confidently.
The swords flash through the air, fist in a few slow test parries and then moving faster and faster until they become almost a blur of bright steel.
"You are using Bonetties Defense against me, ah?" Sam commented.
"I thought it fitting considering the rocky terrain." Countered the man in black.
"Naturally, you must suspect me to attack with Capa Fero?" Said Sam, beating the man in black back a few steps.
" Naturally...but I find that Tibal cancels out Capa Fero. Don't you?" Returned the man in black, taking the few steps back.
Driving the man in black up a steep hill of boulders Sam continues "Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa...which I have."
They continue trading blows back and forth while chasing each other all over the area at the top of the wall. They continue to exchange attacks and parries and time passes quickly.
"You are wonderful!" Sam enthuses.
"Thank you. I've worked hard to become so."
Flashing a smile Sam locks eyes with the man in black as he is steadily backed up against a wall. "I admit it, you are better than I am."
"Then why are you smiling?" comes the suspicious response.
"Because I know something you don't know."
"And what is that?"
Sam smiles like a mad man and tossing his sword in the air catches it in his right hand. "I am not left-handed!"
The fight continues with Sam now clearly having the upper hand. They duck and weave, spin and dodge and the blades continue to flash.
The man in black appears to be tiring. "You're amazing!" He tells Sam.
"I ought to be after twenty years." Sam replies with a tilt of his head.
"There's something I ought to tell you." The man in black smiles back at Sam from his precarious position at the edge of the wall.
"Tell me!"
"I'm not left-handed either." With a flourish the man in black switches to his right has and performs a few amazing feats before resuming the fight.
"Who are you?" Sam asks, clearly in awe as he is now being driven from one area of the clearing to another.
"No one of consequence." Comes the response.
"I must know."
"Get used to disappointment."
Clearly disappointed Sam shrugs. "Okay..."
The fight rages on with both men clearly working hard, though the advantage is clearly with the man in black and after what seems like hours, with a quick flick of his wrist, the man in black causes Sam's sword to go flying from his hand.
Sam drops defeated to his knees in front of the man in black. "Kill me quickly."
"I would as soon destroy a stained glass window as an artist like yourself. However, since I can't have you following me either..." the man in black takes a few steps behind Sam and whacks him in the back of the skull with the hilt of his sword, rendering him unconscious. "Please understand I hold you in the highest respect." He says to the unconscious SEAL before running off in the direction that the others had taken.
Looking back on a regular basis, it is not long before Brennan catches sight of the man in black in hot pursuit. "Inconceivable!" he yelps. "Give her to me! Catch up with us quickly! He yells at Jesse, taking Fiona roughly from him and starting to drag her away.
"What do I do?" Jesse asks.
Brennan looks at him in exasperation. "Finish him! Finish him...your way..."
Jesse smiles. "Oh good. My way. Thank you Brennan. Which way's my way?" the smiles fades.
"Pick up one of those rocks, get behind a boulder, and in a few minutes the man in black will come running around the bend. The minute his HEAD is in view hit it with the rock!" Brennan responds with severe irritation.
"My way is not very sportsman-like." Jesse mumbles while walking out of sight behind the boulders and Brennan continues on dragging a struggling Fiona behind.
As the man in black sprints up the hill a large rock crashes into the boulder just behind his head, showing him in shards and dust. Nearly having his head crushed by a rock causes him to stop almost in his tracks as Jesse steps out from behind a boulder a bit further up the trail.
"I did that on purpose. I didn't have to miss."
"I believe you." The man in black replies, looking between the shattered rock that had nearly bashed in his skull and Jesse. "So what happens now?"
Jesse shrugs. "We face each other as god intended; sportsman-like...no tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone."
The man in black looks skeptically at Jesse. "You mean, you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword and we'll try and kill each other like civilized people?" He quipped.
"I could kill you now?" Jesse stated while tossing another large rock in the palm of his hand.
"Frankly, I think the odds are slightly in your favor at hand fighting." replied the man in black with more than a bit of sarcasm in his voice.
"It's not my fault being the biggest and the strongest." Jesse said. "I barely even exercise."
The man in black takes a huge breath and charges determinedly at Jesse. With a resounding thud he bounces off Jesse's chest. He then tries a series of throws that do not budge the much larger man. "Look, are you just fiddling around with me or what?" He pants in frustration.
"I just want you to feel you are doing well. I hate for people to die embarrassed. Jesse makes a grab for him and misses. "You're quick!"
"Good thing too." Replies the man in black while dodging gamely.
"Why are you wearing a mask? Were you burned by acid or something like that?" Asks Jesse between lunges.
"Oh no, it's just they're terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future." Says the man in black as he manages to jump onto Jesse's back and wrap his arms around his neck.
Jesse lunges backward and slams the man in black between himself and one of the boulders along the path. "I just figured out why you would give me so much trouble." He gasps, beginning to sound winded.
"Why is that, do you think?" Grunts the man in black the wind nearly knocked out of him.
"Well, I haven't fought just one person for so long..." Jesse struggles "...I've been specializing in groups, fighting gangs for local charities...that kind of thing."
"Why should that make such a…"Jesse lunges back again smushing the man in black. ",,,difference?" the man in black groans out.
Jesse responds, his words coming slower and slower as the man in black tightens his grip. "You see, you use different moves when you're fighting half a dozen people, then when you only have to worry about one." He finishes on a final gasp and crashes heavily to the ground.
The man in black struggles to roll Jesse over and then checks to make sure that he is still breathing. "I do not envy you the headache you will have when you awake. But in the meantime, rest well and dream of large, exotic women." He says quietly to the unconscious strong man before lunging to his feet and again following in the direction that Brennan has dragged Fiona off in.
To be continued (this was a long one folks, I may need to take a break for a day or so since the next scene is gonna be the battle of wits. :-). )…