Banner Lord Read online

  Brant narrowed his eyes and buried any worry or doubt. Long ago, in the ring, he had learned to concentrate on the task of staying alive, pushing aside any doubt that he might die. With confidence that no one should feel when facing such odds, he lifted his sword and stepped forward, bracing his feet for attack. His aura was vibrating brightly and he pulled energy from his center, pushing it into his muscles like a powerful waterfall. He knew that to win this fight he would have to use a massive amount of violence in a short period of time. His concentration faltered briefly when he heard Jana cry out in fright. He was not afraid for himself, but when he thought of what the beasts would do to Tobias and Jana it made him sick to his stomach, and angry, really angry.

  “Watch out for their spears,” was all Jarak got out before the four torgs, commanded telepathically by their riders, shot forward with incredible speed, churning up dirt and grass as they flew forward.

  Kaan knew he wouldn’t have a chance, so he spun on his heels and grabbed Jana and Tobias with both arms, shoving them behind the nearest horse, hoping the beast would provide some cover. The animal was so frightened it was frozen in shock, whinnying pitifully, its trembling legs unable to move. A spear, probably aimed for him, struck the horse in the chest, knocking it backwards as it let out a shrill cry of pain. Kaan, maintaining his momentum, shoved his children into the railing of the cow pen, all three tumbling over the wood beams which they hoped would provide some protection against the creatures. The horse, fatally wounded, fell to its knees as a torg skidded before it, its rider holding another javelin.

  Jarak didn’t have a lot of time before the lead rider was upon him. There were not many spells that he could enact quickly, but assuming she would lead her attack with a javelin throw, he pulled energy from his mage stone and hastily wove an invisible shield before him. There was no time for a tight magical weave, but luckily, as his guess was correct, it was enough to slow the Javelin’s flight as her torg closed the distance with astonishing speed. The javelin struck the magic shield, then slowly dropped harmlessly to the ground as Jarak dove to his left, rolling across the dirt and coming up with his sword pointed at the rider. Drawing energy from the mage stone in the sword, Jarak willed it forward, releasing a jet of lavender fire. The torg shuffled back, howling in pain and fury as the fire scorched its neck. The rider tried to duck low in the saddle, using the beast’s body to block the flames, but although she managed to avoid the brunt of the attack, she could not completely avoid its energy. Searing flames of lavender struck her right leg and hip and she howled in pain, urging the great beast to jump back and away from the intense heat of the aura fire.

  Brant held his sword protectively before him in both hands. Aura energy flared through his body with such magnitude that his muscles shook, eagerly waiting to explode with speed and strength. Both riders had thrown their javelins, one of which was quickly approaching him, while the other had been hurled at Cat. As the weapon closed the distance Brant burst forward, his powerful wrists snapping his blade to the side, deflecting the javelin to the ground. He continued moving forward, a blur of motion, and the rider had scarcely enough time to draw her sword before he was upon them. The Saricon’s torg, despite Brant’s speed, reacted quickly and managed to lash out with one of its front clawed feet. But Brant was quicker and he spun to the beast’s right, narrowly avoiding the attack, his sword flashing down. At the last moment he Fuzed, and blue fire burst from the weapon as it struck the leg of the torg. The Kul-brite steel, humming with fiery energy, sliced cleanly through its thick limb. The torg howled in pain, hopping backwards on three legs and tumbling to the side, dislodging the rider from its saddle.

  Cat had never been so terrified. Her heart was pounding and her sword arm shook, but she had little time to dwell on her situation as the other two beasts charged them, propelled forward with tremendous speed by their powerful legs. She saw the rider nearest her throw her javelin and in a heartbeat she realized it was on target. She turned sideways hoping to avoid the missile, but she wasn’t fast enough. The sharp point struck her metal shoulder guard, spinning her sideways and backward. Luckily, it struck the curve of her shoulder guard, deflecting up and away. But it struck her with such force she thought it had broken her shoulder. But she was able to switch hands with her sword, and silently thanked her father for all the practice sessions where he had made her fight with both arms. Regaining her balance, she stood before Rath, Ari, and Rylene as the torg closed the gap between them. The horses had broken through their fear and galloped away, leaving them exposed to their dangerous assailants.

  Kaan pushed his children further back into the pen. “Run and hide!” he yelled. At the end of the fenced pen were a set of double doors that opened into the barn. Tobias and Jana ran for the door just as the torg that had charged them leaped over the fence railing as easily as if it were a deer.

  “You cannot run,” the rider hissed as her torg jumped forward, striking Kaan in the chest and launching him backwards to his back. Skidding in the mud and manure, the torg landed on top of him, its weight crushing his chest. Then it proceeded to tear open his body, ripping through bone and flesh with its powerful claws. Kaan was dead before he could utter a scream.

  The flesh on KeeAysa’s leg and side had been badly burnt, but when the flames receded she urged her torg forward, and the creature, despite its own burns, responded quickly. Jarak maintained the sword's fire, swinging the weapon left and right before him, while maneuvering with lightning speed to avoid the torg's flashing claws, and managing to strike the beast several times on its front legs. But the torg held back, not eager to again feel the sting of Jarak's deadly blade. That was when KeeAysa struck, sliding another javelin from the quiver on her back and hoping to take advantage of the preoccupied prince. Expertly keeping her balance on the attacking torg’s back, the Saricon snapped her arm forward and threw the javelin at point blank range.

  Catching the movement in his peripheral vision, Jarak stepped back quickly to avoid the javelin, as well as the torg’s flashing claws. He tried to jump back and away, but her throw was true, and the razor sharp point of the javelin struck him in the shoulder, catapulting him backwards to land in the churned up dirt. The heavy weapon had easily pierced his flesh and embedded itself in the bone of his back. He had never felt that much agony. He cried out in pain and desperation as he scooted back in a desperate attempt to escape from the torg which lunged forward to finish the job. His left arm useless, he desperately pointed his sword at his attacker and used the last vestiges of power stored in the weapon. Lavender fire shot forward and struck the torg in the face. Growling in fury and pain, the torg reversed direction quickly and leapt backwards to escape the fire. Jarak scooted back further, causing the javelin to swing back and forth in his flesh, sending waves of excruciating pain shooting across his left shoulder and side. He let out another involuntary cry of pain and tried to push the agony away, to concentrate on one more spell before he died.

  KeeAysa saw the javelin jutting from the prince’s shoulder and knew that she had him. Slowly, weary of Jarak’s powerful sword, she urged her torg forward. “Now my torg will feast on your flesh and drink your blood.”

  Jarak could barely think. But noticing the two remaining javelins in the quiver behind her back, he came up with a last desperate move. “Why are you doing this?” he asked, hoping to stall her. “We have done nothing to you.”

  The Saricon laughed. “It matters not. Heln rewards the strong. Do you not see your own doom?”

  While she was talking, Jarak used the last of his strength to pull forth the remaining energy from his tarnum. Reaching out with invisible strands, he wrapped the energy around the shaft of a javelin as the torg moved within five paces of his prone body. He knew that it would only take one leap and he would be dead. Gritting his teeth he concentrated on the task and pulled the weapon from its quiver. Feeling, and hearing the weapon rise from the quiver on her back, the Saricon looked up. He growled as he used the last of his power t
o send the javelin tip down into her face, the sharp point piercing the bridge of her nose and slicing through her brain, stopping at her spine in the base of her neck.

  Cat held her sword out defensively before her as the massive torg crashed into her. Momentarily stunned by the rapidity of the attack and the javelin strike to her shoulder, she had no time to swing her blade. The beast’s bony head hit her in the chest, flinging her backwards where she crashed into Rylene, who cried out, their bodies tumbling across the ground. Ari and Rath had dove to the side, barely avoiding their somersaulting bodies. Although the wind had been knocked out of her, Cat felt as if her armor had protected her from sustaining any broken bones. Struggling to get up from the ground, she looked up and tried to ready her sword as the torg, continuing its attack, swiped its left paw across her shoulder, the splayed claws digging rivets in her armor and the power of its attack knocking her into the fence where she tumbled over the railing into the muddy manure covered ground. Rylene struggled to get up, her eyes widening with fright as the beast’s right paw struck her across the face, its stiletto claws slicing through flesh and bone and snapping her neck, causing her head to lay at an incredibly awkward angle perpendicular to her body. She fell several paces away, her neck broken, and blood pooling from the numerous deep gashes along her throat and face.

  Brant wasted no time, rushing forward, his sword aflame in blue fire, slicing his blade across the body of the struggling torg. Screams behind him fueled him further, pushing more energy into his legs and launching his body over the top of the dying beast, his fiery sword coming down upon the Saricon rider as she struggled to get up from where she'd fallen. His impossibly high jump caught her by surprise and she had no time to draw her own blade before Brant’s sword sliced her head nearly in two.

  But Jarak was still in trouble. Now that the Saricon rider was dead, the torg now facing the prince was freed from her mental control. The huge creature shook its head as if to clear it, while all the while Jarak struggled to distance himself from it, the Saricon javelin jostling painfully in his shoulder. The beast, a predator born to kill, saw Jarak, wounded before it, the smell of his blood fueling its hunger. There was no doubt in Jarak’s mind that the thing was going to finish the job.

  Suddenly, he heard the sound of horses galloping up the main path at full speed. They were closer to Brant but Jarak was able to see one of the riders as he stood up in the stirrups, one hand on the reins and the other in the air, his open hand holding a translucent ball of fire, pulsing with red and orange flames of powerful energy. Jarak’s eyes widened with surprise and recognition. It was Serix, and for one fleeting moment he thought that perhaps he would survive the fight. Then a deep growl brought his gaze from the path to the torg before him, now free of its master’s control. It had crouched low, its powerfully massive legs flexed, ready to pounce and tear him to pieces. Then it jolted…once, twice, its body spinning to Jarak’s right to face another rider bearing down on it. The injured prince saw two feathered shafts quivering on the beast’s flanks as his savior on the horse drew his long sword. It was Endler Ral, the Channeler he had worked with at the garrison.

  Serix’s horse was moving fast. Quickly assessing the situation, he threw his fire spell at the torg and its rider inside the pen. A man lay dead beneath the beast, his body ripped open and the ground splattered with blood, the same blood that dripped from the creature's maw as it looked up from its kill, only to catch the fireball directly on its head. The explosion was intense, releasing a vast amount of powerful energy that not only hurled the rider somersaulting through the air, but literally disintegrated the creature's head in a violent eruption of blood, flesh, and brain tissue. Seeing that the man with the flaming sword had killed the nearest beast and rider, Serix steered his galloping horse towards the closest enemy. Drawing his sword from his side, he urged his steed forward, his sword raised to strike the rider in the back as her beast attacked two women, while Ari and Rath nearby covered their heads to protect themselves from the power of the explosion nearby. But at the last minute his horse lost its nerve, the sight and smell of the creature terrifying it so much that it reared up and leaped away from the torg. Rather than be tossed uncontrollably in the air, Serix quickly opted to jump off on his own, sliding from the saddle as his horse kicked out and ran off, distancing itself as quickly as it could from the creature. Serix pulled more energy from Endler Ral who was somewhere to his left, sending the energy into his left hand as he sprinted forward and attacked the creature's exposed flank. Striking true, his sword cut a shallow valley across its side. But its thick skin was tough and his sword, not forged from Kul-brite, did little damage. The torg spun, swinging its clawed paw towards Serix’s head. The mage ducked, hurling a bolt of electrical energy into its face, the force of the bolt jerking the howling creature backwards. The fiery bolt electrified the torg, as well as its rider, and the Saricon warrior convulsed then fell from the saddle.

  Suddenly another warrior appeared, maneuvering his blue flaming sword with incredible speed and dexterity. Serix knew the man was a Merger. Within moments deep gashes opened along the beast’s side. The creature, screeching in pain, stumbled backwards, nearly trampling the female warrior who was still on the ground. The torg's head had been scorched nearly beyond recognition, and blood gushed from its wounds. Within moments it stopped struggling, its huge body convulsing in death spasms.

  Endler Ral’s horse, built of stronger nerve than the others, raced by the remaining creature’s right side, allowing Endler's long sword to flash down across the torg's back as the creature raked its claws across his steed's flank. The torg’s powerful claws had ripped across the horse’s right leg while his own sword had carved a shallow wound about three hands in length. His horse's back leg collapsed, causing it to tumble forward and launching Endler into the air. Tucking his head he hit hard, knocking the air from his lungs, the momentum causing him to roll several times before he was able to stagger to his feet. He stumbled up just in time to turn and face the creature as it pivoted towards him, its long fangs exposed in an angry growl.

  Endler had given Jarak a quick reprieve, allowing him enough time to work his way to his knees. Seeing Endler tossed from his horse, Jarak narrowed his eyes in concentration and focused on Captain Ral’s own aura. His friend’s tarnum still had energy, so he reached out and pulled the power from him, quickly weaving it into a spell. Dropping his sword, he lifted his only good hand, crackling blue energy arcing across his fingers. He was tired and weak, but Endler, now standing and facing the torg, looked helpless before the great beast. Jarak saw the muscles flex on the torg’s back legs as it prepared to jump, and he quickly hurled a massive arc of electrical energy into the creature's back. The air filled with smoke and the odor of burnt hair and flesh, but still the creature, larger by far than the other torgs, survived, turning to face Jarak. Again it prepared to attack, but just before it launched itself forward, Jarak felt the hair stand up on his head as another arc of lightning shot past him to strike the creature in the face. Arcs of blue energy danced across the creature as it roared in pain, until finally its body, blackened and sizzling, collapsed to the dirt with a ground shaking thud.

  Serix ran quickly over to Jarak and eased him onto his back, trying his best to keep the javelin from causing him too much pain. “It is good to see you, my friend,” Jarak said weakly, his teeth clenched in pain.

  “Where else are you hurt?” Serix asked, using his sword to cut off part of his own cloak to press around the javelin wound. He didn’t want to pull the weapon out just yet, concerned that it could cause more damage.

  Jarak smiled weakly. “This is it, I think,” he whispered, his voice beginning to slur from loss of blood. “How did you find us?”

  “The mage stone I gave you. I bestowed it with a location spell. We’ve been following you for a week now.”

  “Well...I’m glad...you found me,” he whispered.

  Endler Ral joined them, kneeling beside him. “Stop talking, my
King. Save your energy,” he said.

  Jarak willingly complied, his mind drifting, before giving in to the darkness.

  Chapter 2

  “Keep the children away!” Brant yelled as he knelt over his friend, tears streaking the sides of his face.

  “Father!” Tobias screamed as he ran from the barn door. Cat was there, quickly grabbing the distraught boy and holding him tight, turning his face away from his father’s body. Jana was there as well, her hands to her mouth, eyes wide in horror, the realization of what had happened washing over her in a tidal wave of pain. Soft cries of anguish soon became racking sobs that shook her as she stepped back, away from the grisly scene, as if her retreat would turn back time and her father would still be alive.

  Rath went to Jana, gently turning her away. “I’m so sorry, Jana,” he said as he reached for her. When he touched her she fell apart, her legs crumbling beneath her as he caught her in his arms. She buried her head in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. He held her tightly, gently stroking the back of her head. “I’m so sorry.”

  Brant looked down at Kaan, his lifeless eyes opened wide, as if surprised at his own death, blood splattered across his face, his chest savagely ripped open. The familiar anger began to rise inside him and his body began to tremble as it coalesced in fiery intensity. He needed to release it or it would consume him. Brant looked up into the sky and screamed, the sound of his grief and pain reverberating in the still air.

  Endler, who was kneeling next to Prince Jarak, looked up at the sound. Ari and Serix were next to him and they all looked towards Brant, their expressions empathetic to Brant’s grief.

  Ari shook his head, his eyes moist with tears. “Rylene is dead as well.”

  “Let’s focus on the living,” Serix said softly. “I’m afraid to take the spear from his shoulder as he may bleed out.”