Last Knight (The Champion Chronicles Book 2), page 27
The moment the tiger was pushed out of the arena, the centurions with spears ran back to their tunnel and disappeared. A moment later another man strode out.
The man wore two swords sheathed in scabbards strapped to his back. He wore the light metal sleeveless shirt that was common to Sak’hurai. Similar to the chainmail armor of the Karmon Knights, it was woven of small pieces of metal that provided both flexibility and strength. But the metal was a unique alloy that was both stronger and lighter than what the knights used for their chainmail shirts. With their style of fighting, flexibility was more important than strong armor. It wouldn’t stop a direct strike or a crossbow bolt, but it would keep a glancing blow or redirected slice from cutting skin.
He doubted he was a true Sak’hurai, as no such warrior would allow himself to be paraded out in such a manner. With swords in hand, he should have taken his own life, rather than let himself be controlled and manipulated by his captors.
And then a second man came out from another tunnel. He was dressed simply in a chainmail shirt that was missing its hood and sleeves. In one hand, he held a longsword that had an obvious chip knocked out near the tip. In the other, he held a shield. He stood tall and proud, clearly unafraid of the Sak’hurai. A proud smile crept onto his face as he thought about the arrogance of this opponent. It would be a quick battle. In fact, he was surprised that there was only one opponent. The Sak’hurai would take care of this man in only a few seconds.
Then he looked closer, and the smile fell from his face.
***
Marik pushed his way through the crowd, fighting to make sure that he was able to find a spot to sit. When he had arrived at the arena, he was sure that there would be plenty of time before any of the fighting began. But the street in front of the arena was jam packed with people trying to get in, just like he was. There were thousands of them, more than he could have imagined in one spot. He had fought in battles with many less soldiers than the people in the street.
At some point, the crowd began to move, so he followed along. He kept trying to make his way towards the front, but so was everyone else. Several pushing matches broke out, but none with him. He wasn’t the biggest knight Karmon ever produced, but he was bigger than most everyone else in the crowd. And because he was nearly solid muscle, he did more pushing than getting pushed. He got many angry looks, but no one wanted to fight a large man who had the bearing of a soldier.
Soon enough he reached the stone walls of the arena and walked through one of the many arches that led the crowd inside. It was a chokepoint where many more people tried to squeeze through the arch than it could hold. Eventually, he pushed his way inside and found a sight that took his breath away. He stopped moving momentarily because he could not believe what he saw. But the moment he stopped, someone pushed him and gave an angry shout.
The arena was much larger than what appeared from the outside. Most of the seats were above ground, but the arena was built into a bowl where rows of seats were carved into the ground. The arena floor was a flat dirt area about the size of the tournament field outside the castle at South Karmon. It was big enough where horses would be able to run free and a large numbers of combatants would be able to fight.
The sound of the crowd was overwhelming. Those that were already in their seats were standing and shouting, yelling and screaming words that he both could and could not understand. The crowd was pushing forward towards any open seat and he could only go with the flow, or he would have been trampled. Eventually, he came across a row of seats that had spots that were just open enough for him to squeeze into. Ignoring dirty looks from the Tarans in his way, he pushed his way into an open spot.
Now that he was standing still in one spot, he was able to take in the arena more closely. To his right, a covered platform was built into the seats. Many people were standing atop it including a tall man in a very black robe and a much smaller man in a dull gray cloak. The man in the black robe stepped forward and lifted a hand and the crowd began yelling and cheering even louder.
Marik looked down upon the arena floor where the two combatants faced one another. To his right was a shorter man with two swords strapped to his back. To his left stood a soldier in chainmail armor, longsword, and shield. He had feared that the Hurai that was supposed to be fighting was Master Goshin, but it was clearly not. The Hurai was easily half Master Goshin’s age. He only assumed that the man on the right was the Hurai, as he did not look like either Karmon or Taran and had the same darker skin of Master Goshin. Relieved that it was not Master Goshin fighting, Marik turned his attention to the man on the left and looked at him more closely.
And the moment he did, his heart sank.
***
Goshin stood quietly at the back of the platform. After having not used his legs for so long, the long walk from the dungeons had exhausted him. At some point, he knew he would either have to sit down or he would collapse. But right now, his eyes were on Conner, who stood stoically in the center of the arena. He was bigger than he remembered. Still long and lean, but there was something about him that made him look bigger. The boy that he had trained was gone, and in his place was a man. But it was still an inexperienced man who needed more training. Not just in sword play, but in life itself. He could not image how he had ended up here in this arena, but he feared it would be the last time he would see him alive.
Regret for leaving swarmed over him like a high fever. For Conner’s sake, he should not have left. He should have stayed to continue his tutelage of Conner. He deserved more than being left to his own devices. He might be a man, but he was still young, simple and naive too much of the world’s influence. But also had his utmost faith in the One God, trusting Him in all that he did. Whether he regretted it or not, being here, right now, was the plan of the One God and he could not dispute His plans. Whether Conner lived or died, he needed to have the trust that the Creator was in control.
With eyes closed, he said a prayer for Conner, hoping that the Creator would have mercy on Conner and allow him to survive this fight. And then he asked for forgiveness for doubting the power and control of the Creator. He needed to trust that His plans were supreme, even if they were not understood.
He glanced up at Prince Tarcious just as the prince looked down at him. He had a smile as sinister as he had ever seen. Goshin knew that the man was pure evil and his existence was a stench on the Creator’s world. Tarcious leaned down to whisper in his ear.
“It is your time,” the prince said. “The crowd is chanting for blood, for someone to die. It is time to give them what they want. I have saved you for this moment, if you had not figured it out, yet. So enjoy the last few moments of the boy’s life, for it is about to end. And then, I will have no use for you, either.”
Goshin stepped forward until he was only inches away from the prince’s chest. The prince was nearly a foot taller, causing Goshin to have to look up at him. “I have said before, and I say again. I am prepared to end my existence on this world. What awaits me is a far greater life than this world. Eternal bliss. That is what awaits me. Eternal damnation is what awaits you. You have sided with forces beyond your understanding or your control. And you have chosen the wrong side. You have chosen poorly.”
“You have no idea, I am afraid, about the forces that you refer to. I know exactly what this is all about. I know the master I serve, and I know the plans that he has for this world.”
“You are being used,” Goshin said. “Just like so many others in the history of the war between the Deceiver and the Creator. And once the Deceiver has finished with you, he will discard you.”
“You have no idea the power that the Adversary has given to me. You have seen that power in action. It almost killed you.”
Fearless, Goshin replied, “What I saw of you was a weak man out of control. You do not control it, it controls you. Do you think that you are the first to ever fall victim to the power of the Deceiver? There have been many before you and each, in turn, was defeated. The power of the Creator has always conquered that of the Deceiver. And it always will.”
“You mistake my incidental outburst with a lack of control. True enough, I am not yet fully a master of the power of the web of magic, but soon enough, I will be.”
“There are forces that you do not know about that will come and fight you. And defeat you.”
“It is not my power that they will face,” Tarcious said. He turned away to face the cheering crowd and motioned for Harroke to step forward and announce the contest. He continued to speak in a low voice to Goshin. “The wrath of the Deceiver is to come upon the earth, and I will have the Ark of Life to ensure victory of my army. But the Ark is not only to be used as an instrument of war, it will be used to bring the Deceiver to this world. There will be no power that has ever existed that will be able to stand against my master. Once and for all, the Deceiver will take control of the world, and claim it as his own.”
Goshin’s heart froze. In all his research and study, he had never heard of the Deceiver coming to earth to fight his battles. It had always been done by his minions that had been given their power through the Deceiver. Not since the beginning of time when both the Creator and the Deceiver walked the earth together, had either one come back. He knew the power of the Ark of Life was great, and would be a virtually unstoppable weapon in the hands of the enemy. But if Prince Tarcious was able to figure out how to harness that power and somehow bring the Deceiver to the world, then the tide of the war would change.
The prince knew where the Ark was hidden. He had tried to retrieve it secretly through the unwitting plans of Neffenmark and that plan had failed. And now that the plans were no longer secret, there would only be one way to retrieve the Ark of Life. Direct assault on the castle at South Karmon. Which meant only one thing, the Ark needed to be moved. Somehow, word would have to get to the ark’s guardian that it was no longer safe. Somehow, someway, he would have to find a way to escape and return back to South Karmon to warn the queen about the impending invasion and find whoever it is that is the guardian. Failure to do so would not only mean the death of many hundreds, maybe thousands of Karmons, but it would also mean the Ark of Life would be in the hands of the enemy.
Harroke stepped forward and begun his flamboyant announcement of the forthcoming contest. Goshin could not watch, but he knew he would have to. He had given Conner as much training as he could, but he knew it would not be enough. He closed his eyes and continued his prayers to the Creator.
***
Conner did not hear the crowd. He knew they were there. He knew they were shouting the word Arata over and over again. But his eyes were on his opponent, the real Sak’hurai who stood not twenty feet away. The man had the same slanted eyes as Master Goshin and the same darker skin. Maybe he wasn’t truly a Sak’hurai, maybe he was just a Hurai soldier that claimed to be something he was not. He could not know for sure until he drew his swords and the fight began. But there was no reason to think that he was anything but one of the greatest warriors that ever walked the earth.
Suddenly fear enveloped him. He knew he wasn’t good enough to defeat a Sak’hurai. They were swordsmen beyond compare. They had trained since childhood to be warriors. It was all they knew. But then something that Master Goshin had told him so long ago came back to him. He had said that the only weakness of the Sak’hurai was that all they knew was being a warrior. Like many things that Master Goshin had told him, he had not understood what he had meant at that time. And like always, Master Goshin never explained himself. His only response was to tell Conner that he would figure it out in his own time.
He had wished to be a Sak’hurai himself from the moment he had learned of them. And he was devastated when Master Goshin had told him he could never be one. He had dreamt of the honor and great sacrifice that the Sak’hurai went through to become the greatest ever, but that dream could never come true. At least the dream of becoming a Sak’hurai would never come true. The life of a Sak’hurai had meant no friends, no family, no one that you would be close to. Your entire life would be solely about becoming the greatest warrior and proving it on the battle field. But if that were him, he would never have the friends that he had. Even a feeble prisoner like Garonk could be his friend. And there was Marik. And Steven and Laurin. And of course, Elissa.
In the past few months, he had lived a lifetime and learned more than that. He had fought in a war and traveled across the world. For the boy that had never ventured out from the forest of central Karmon, he had done things that he had never even dreamed of doing.
And then more lessons from the old Hurai came to him. Those were about focus. When it came time to do battle, focus was as important as anything. Being distracted meant a quick death. Conner cleared his mind and focused his gaze upon the Sak’hurai that stood like a statue.
The fear was now gone. Any thoughts other than fighting the Sak’hurai were gone. His palms became sweaty in anticipation of what was about to come. Adrenaline pumped through his body and he knew he was ready to fight.
Harroke stepped forward to the edge of the platform clad in his traditional white robe. His mouth opened and he began to speak, but his words were drowned out by the screaming and yelling crowd. He was waving his hands wildly, trying to paint a picture of the ensuing battle, but no one cared what he was saying. They were all waiting for blood. After some time, his words came to an end and Harroke took a step back. Three trumpeters stepped forward and blew three long blasts that silenced the crowd momentarily.
It was the signal for the combatants to start their fight.
Conner tightened his grip on his sword and shield. The Hurai drew his Sak’turanas that had been sheathed in scabbards on his back. The crowd waited in silent anticipation. For the first time since he had stepped into the arena, he could hear himself breathe.
Conner strode forward with confidence, awaiting the attack. He knew it would come swiftly and furiously and he would have to just ride out the initial barrage. The Hurai strode forward with his own long strides that turned into a slight jog after several steps.
Conner’s heart was pounding, but his mind was clear and focused. There was no fear, only confidence.
The attack came with an intensity that he had never imagined. Just a few steps away, the Hurai burst into a sprint and leapt at him with both swords flashing down. Conner slid his shield over and blocked the first two strikes. And when the following slashes came, his swords flashed down just barely quick enough to parry them. The Hurai switched to an attack that Conner quickly realized was a mirror of himself. Master Goshin had taught him well because this Sak’hurai was doing exactly what Conner expected him to do.
Conner knew that the Hurai would have easily killed him within the first few seconds if he hadn’t known when and where the blows were coming. He didn’t need to move as fast as he expected because he could anticipate each and every move. And he did so without expending very much energy. He kept his breathing easy and steady, never holding it for too long and never letting himself breathe too quickly.
The Hurai’s attack lasted for almost a minute and Conner could see the frustration in the man’s eyes. At first there was surprise, and then there was anger. No matter what the Hurai did, Conner was there to counter it. By the end of the minute, the attack had slowed and the Hurai’s chest was heaving.
It was time for Conner to attack. He did so with a vengeance. And with moves that a Karmon Knight or any other soldier would not know. He used his knowledge of the Sak’hurai, but with the weapons of a knight, and it caught the Hurai off balance. Conner pressed forward, suddenly on the offensive. The Hurai was quick so Conner had to be prepared for a counterattack, but each time it came, it happened just as Conner expected.
Conner was now calm. After he realized that he could stand toe-to-toe with what was the best warrior in the world, his confidence soared. He knew he would win this fight and knew exactly how it was going to happen. He just needed to be patient and wait for the right moment.
But it did not come as he expected.
His mind wandered just for an instant. He was thinking about what he was going to next when he was just a bit slow and the first blood drawn was his. The tip of the Hurai’s Sak’turana sliced through his right upper arm. The surprise and shock of the pain caused him to cry out. Sensing a weakness, the Hurai pressed his attack even harder. Conner was just barely able to keep up.
The pain was tolerable, but just barely. He could feel weakness coming to his sword arm and knew it would soon be worthless. Worse, blood was flowing freely down his arm and would soon be all over his hands, making his grip slippery. He missed a low slash and his thigh was split open. His leg momentarily gave out and he stumbled away from the Hurai out of the range of the Hurai. He expected the Hurai to continue the attack, but instead, he held up and took a step back.
“You are Karmon?” the Hurai asked with a broken accent. “It is said you are a Karmon Knight, but you do not fight like one.”
“I am Sir Conner. I am a Karmon Knight.” He took a step forward and pain shot through his leg, causing it to collapse on him. He caught himself just as he was about to hit the ground.
“You are hurt,” the Hurai said with a straight face. “That is a shame, because you were good. Real good. It is a shame that our battle has come to a quick end.”
“It is not over,” Conner said.
“Your hand is shaking. The wound on your arm is deep. You will soon lose your grip and you will not be able to hold your sword. And your leg will not hold you up much longer. Do not worry, I will make it quick. It will not be what this crowd wants, but you have earned a quick death.”
