Bacorium Legacy (77 page)

Serpos' eyes grew wide as he saw Luca emerging from the darkness.

“Well, well,” he muttered. “Look who it is.” Serpos moved away from beside Verra, to get a better look. He stepped in sight of Gordon, who was kneeling, his hand covering the bleeding slash across his leg.

Serpos began to laugh aloud, his voice booming and echoing through the streets. “Gordon's alive! Hah! I'd thought you dead since you left for Samgo! You're a long way from where you're supposed to be.” He turned back to Verra. “So you're saying that Gordon's the traitor, not you?”

“He's been plotting against Zinoro for some time now,” Verra told him.

“Is this true?” Serpos asked Gordon.

Gordon looked up at Serpos in contempt, fearless in spite of the six armed revenants before him. “It is. He's a madman, and so are you, Rameed.”

“You are a bold man, Gordon,” Serpos said through his teeth. “To use that name...”

“It's your true name, Rameed,” Gordon continued resolute. “Rameed, the mad general of Samgo. Rameed, the butcher of children.”

“Men, women, children alike!” Serpos laughed. “Oh, how I adored the little children...”

Luca's hand found the hilt of his sword. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, he gathered his mana and warped before Serpos, bringing his sword down. But his  enemy's reflexes were sharp, and Serpos parried the strike with his spear.

“I told you before, boy,” he said, pushing Luca back. “I'm faster than you.”

Luca considered the situation. There were many revenants around, with drawn bows that could be fired in a second. But they would not act unless ordered, and Luca would have plenty of time to warp away if Serpos did give such an order.

Luca knew little of Gordon's combat abilities, but that didn't matter anyway, as he was wounded. He would have to fight Serpos on his own.

Some distance away, Verra watched them with an odd look. Marcus' sword was too far away for her to reach, and revenants were still watching her - their orders from before still standing.

Luca shifted the sword in his hand to reverse grip. He closed in on Serpos, and struck in a series of swift attacks. Serpos blocked each stroke, taking careful steps away to preserve the distance and prevent Luca from gaining an advantage. Luca fought carefully - he couldn't afford to make a mistake. Serpos was a dangerous fighter - if Luca made even the slightest of errors in his approach, the offencive would switch.

Wielding his spear with both hands like a staff, Serpos turned aside yet another of Luca's attacks. The battle paused momentarily, and Luca saw the look in his opponent's eyes. His previous mask was gone again - Luca saw the true face now. The animal that he really was.

Caught off guard by this change, Luca was caught in a parry by Serpos. His footing was off, giving Serpos the chance to push him back and throw off his balance. Naturally, his enemy did not miss the opportunity. Serpos took the offencive.

Serpos' attacks increased in speed and ferocity, but without losing any of their previous skill. Luca blocked each swing of the large spear, and looked for an opening to shift the tide of the battle, but he no longer had the advantage.

Luca deflected another stroke and warped back a few metres to give himself some breathing room. And he needed it, too - he noticed then that he was short of breath, and sweating. He was having trouble keeping up with Serpos. While Luca's attacks were slowly growing slower and weaker, Serpos seemed to have an endless reserve of strength. Despite the two decades of youth Luca had on him, Serpos outmatched him as a fighter.

He expected some taunt or jab at his defencive retreat, but none came. Serpos' mask was gone, and he was now in his animal mind. He had no words to share. There was nothing more than the instinct to kill behind those eyes.

Serpos raised his open hand, and fire formed around it. Luca readied his mana - dodging Serpos' spells would be no problem with his teleportation spell... However, warping around seemed to use a lot of mana. He was already growing tired - he couldn't afford to drain himself and succumb to mana exhaustion.

There was only one choice left to him. He would have to fight dirty, and end it quickly. The part of him that had once worshipped the Way of Uro felt disgusted at the thought, but he rationalised to himself that it was the only way. There was more at stake than his honour.

The first fireball came, and Luca warped away to avoid it. He reappeared atop one of the empty houses of the city. From where he was, he could see the entire area. Both Verra and Gordon were injured, and has revenants standing over them, preventing them both from interfering with the battle.

Serpos quickly spotted him atop the building, and hurled another fireball at him. This time when Luca warped away, he did not go to a different spot, but rather warped behind the chimney of the roof he was already on. The fireball struck the roof, and flames spread from the  impact point.

Within moments, the fire was growing across the building. Luca remained behind the chimney, closing his eyes and visualising the street in his mind's eye. While the teleportation spell was still very much a mystery to him, he had certain deductions about the way it worked. During the battle in the valley, he had been unable to warp to any spot he hadn't been able to clearly see. He did not know how limited the range of the spell was, but he knew that as long as he could see where he wanted to go, he could get there - even if it was the neck of a dragon a hundred metres in the sky.

He kept his eyes tightly closed, even as the fire grew around him. Serpos was undoubtedly wondering where he had gone, thinking he would have warped to a different rooftop, or perhaps even fled. He was counting on that. He narrowed his concentration down to the spot just behind where Serpos had been. Focusing on that exact point, he gathered his mana and warped, just before the heat of the fire grew too hot to bare.

Opening his eyes, he saw Serpos' back. He had his chance! Luca stepped forward, bringing his sword forward to the spot where Serpos' heart would be-!

Serpos spun around with the speed of a snake. He hand grabbed the blade of Luca's sword in a flash of red and pushed it aside. Luca had only a moment to realise what had happened. He tried to move away, but he couldn't get away without abandoning his weapon. Serpos thrust his spear, and it struck Luca in the chest.

He fell on his back, the wind knocked out of him. His chest was on fire where the spear had struck him. By some miracle, the wound was not deep enough to be fatal. No - it was no miracle. It was the armour he was wearing that had saved his life. But even so, he was still bleeding.

Before he could rise, Serpos was before him, and the point of his spear was in Luca's face. He froze. There was no way to escape, not with Serpos right in front of him like that. The man could end his life in a second if he chose to.

So why didn't he?

“I had a feeling you were up to something,” Serpos said. There was no humour or gloat in his voice - he was still the animal. But he was not a mindless animal - he was a smart one. Smart enough to stop and talk if he needed to. “The skill you have is useful, but you do not use it to its full potential. I was still quicker than you.” Blood dripped down from Serpos hand - despite the wound, somehow the man had blocked Luca's sword without losing any fingers.

Luca looked to the others. Verra was still watching them with an unreadable expression. Gordon sat in the streets, wearing a terrified look. And rightfully so - Serpos had won the battle.

“I regret killing you, to tell the truth,” Serpos said, a faint hint of regret in his voice confirming his honesty. “You certainly have potential. As one of King Zinoro's acolytes, you could have done great things.”

“Are you that much of a fool?” Luca asked. “You think I would serve the man who killed my father?”

“Why not? I did.”

“Wh-what?”

A half-smile crossed Serpos' features. “My father, the leader of the Black Rose rebellion in Samgo. Like most rebellions, it was quickly dealt with. The day after those fools fell, I was taken to the capital of Ullris. I, then a boy of only fifteen, bent the knee to King Iago and served under his first general, the very man I had seen slay my father. You see, I understand what strength is, unlike you. I respect those stronger than me. And in time, I grew stronger than any of them. The Samgoians drove me out years later, so I went to serve a man even stronger than they. And one day, I will return there and crush them for that.”

“Gordon said you...”

“That I was called a butcher by them? I was. Without mercy, I slaughtered many and took women and even children for my own desires. Judge me if you will. The weak always condemn those greater than themselves. But the truth is simply that weak exist to serve and be slain by the strong. It is the way of this world.”

Luca glared at Serpos in revulsion. He wanted nothing more than to take his sword and drive it Serpos' chest. However, his sword was resting on the ground - too far away for him to reach. If he made a move for it, Serpos would drive his spear through him, and it would all be over.

And there was no longer a tether with Emila to save his life. If he suffered a mortal injury, he was dead. It would all be over. Not since Arimos had Luca felt so vulnerable.

But he wasn't going to beg for his life. He was too proud a man for that. He would continue to fight.

“You say that you are strong,” Luca said. “You caught me off guard, sure. But you haven't truly beaten me, have you? Let me rise and continue the fight. And we can see which of us is stronger.”

Serpos stared at him for a moment, perhaps considering. “No. I don't think I'll do that.”

“Why not? You're so sure of your strength. Prove it.”

“I have no need to. I've proven it already...”

Luca narrowed his eyes. “Then you're a coward.”

There was a brief flash on uncertainty in Serpos' eyes. Perhaps Luca was right. Serpos spoke of his own power and how the weak were beneath him, but if given the option he would rather win a battle the easy way.

His head was aching again. That irritating buzzing had returned. What a convenient time to do so.

Luca saw Serpos' gloved hands tighten on his spear. He might have been about to drive it into Luca's chest. But he didn't. For at that moment, the large gate of the town burst open, and a massive beast charged in, crushing a few revenants under feet as thick as tree trunks.

“What the-?!” Serpos shouted, momentarily forgetting Luca at the chaos. “Our mount? How did it get free from its binds?!”

Luca seized the opportunity. He grabbed his sword and rolled out from beneath Serpos, quickly finding a spot with his eyes and warping there. He was back on his feet, and he rose and turned back to Serpos, ready to continue the fight. His chest hurt, but he could still fight.

Serpos noticed his movement, but paid it little mind. His attention was currently on the behemoth charging through the streets. “Kill it!” he ordered his revenants.

They moved to do so, firing arrows from their bows at the behemoth. Three rounds of arrows struck the beast before it fell, collapsing dead in the street about ten metres from where Serpos stood. Two figures, who had been riding the large saddle on the behemoth's back, had jumped from it before it fell. As the dust settled from the beast's chaos, they stepped out from behind it, swords drawn. Luca immediately recognised them.

“Are you alright?” Brand shouted to Luca from across the street. As his side was a bespectacled girl with blond hair that Luca also knew.

Luca gave a start, surprised that they were there, but nonetheless glad to see them. “A little bruised, but I'll live!”

Wiosna smiled to Luca, then turned her attention over to Serpos. “So it's this guy again?”

Luca made his way over to them, keeping a careful eye on Serpos. The man made no move against them, merely watching cautiously. “He doesn't have a dragon anymore, but he's still dangerous.”

“I'm sure the three of us can handle him,” Wiosna confidently assured him.

“What are you even doing here?” Luca asked them.

“We'll have time to talk later,” Brand said, twirling his scimitar eagerly. “First, let's deal with out friend here-”

“Luca!!!” Gordon shouted from where he was, pointing to the city gates. Luca turned, and saw a flash of black passing through them.

“Verra...!” he exclaimed. “She must have slipped away during the chaos.”

“Who?” Wiosna asked.

Luca bit his lower lip in frustration. “I'm the fastest...”

“Fastest?” Brand repeated. “What's going on?”

He turned back to the two of them. “Can you two deal with Serpos for a while? It's extremely important that I don't let that woman get away.”

Wiosna grinned. “That won't be a problem.” Brand nodded in turn.

“Just delay him for now,” he told them. “We can finish him off when I get back.” And with that, Luca warped to the gates.

He ran through the busted ruins of the wooden gates, and out into the Grey Wasteland. He looked around intently, but he didn't see Verra anywhere.

Then, a glimpse of movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention. He saw the woman in black running to the large chasm that had once been the deep lake the city was built over.

He warped to her, as close as he could. He overestimated, however, and he appeared right behind her. He knocked into her, and she tripped with a loud gasp. The sheathed blade fell from her arms, tumbling onto the ground. They were so close to the edge that they both nearly fell over, and the sword fell to the edge, nearly falling into the chasm.

Luca drew himself up and away from Verra before she had a chance to touch him. She pulled herself up to her hands and knees, and turned to see him. His sword, still drawn, was pointed to her.

“Are you going to kill me, young man?” she asked in an amused tone.

“If I have to,” he said. His voice was as level as could be. “Just give me the sword and you can live.”

Verra frowned. “It's right there,” she said with a tilt of her head. “Go ahead and take it.”

“I'm no fool. It's a Rixeor Fragment. You have to pass it to another master, or it would burn me.” He remembered the burns he'd sustained in Eccador all too well.