Seth didn’t reply. Instead, he thought back to a conversation he had with one of his instructors. When two men are faced with a superior opponent, his instructor had said, it’s sometime advisable for one to open their defense to entice him into an attack that will leave him open to the other.
Does that work? Chyfe had asked.
Sometimes, replied his instructor. But you must be careful, for the one opening their defenses risks death.
With that in mind, Seth waited until Chyfe had attacked then drew his sword back. At that time, Seth opened his defense and saw Captain Lyrun’s blade immediately fly into the opening. Though he jumped back, Seth failed to completely avoid the blow. Two inches of the captain’s sword slid between his ribs.
“Seth!” cried Soth as he saw his brother fall from the blade.
In the instant Captain Lyrun wounded Seth, Chyfe struck. The point of his sword penetrated the captain’s side. Using his weight to give added strength to the blow, Chyfe pressed forward until the point of his sword emerged from Captain Lyrun’s other side.
For a split second, it seemed as if the captain would continue the attack. He spun quickly back toward Chyfe, the motion pulling the hilt of Chyfe’s sword out of his hands. Standing there with the sword completely impaling him, Captain Lyrun made to move toward Chyfe. Then with knees buckling under him, he crashed to the floor. The battle was over.
“Oh no,” moaned Soth as he came to his brother’s side. Blood covered Seth’s front and he was having trouble breathing. He looked into his brother’s eyes, fear for Seth’s life coursed through him.
“Hey, brother,” Seth said when his eyes focused on Soth’s face. Foam flecked the corners of his mouth.
Soth turned to Chad and said, “I think his lung was punctured.”
From where Chyfe was retrieving his sword from Captain Lyrun’s body, he said, “A wound like that could be mortal.”
“I know,” replied Soth.
Riyan, Bart, and Haran came from the room and saw Seth lying there, red rapidly staining an ever increasing area on his front. “Wait,” Haran said then hurried back into the room.
“We won didn’t we?” asked Seth. Then a coughing fit took him as more blood was expelled from his mouth.
“We sure did,” he brother replied.
Haran suddenly reappeared with a small vial in his hand. “My uncle always has a couple healing potions on him at all times,” he explained. Coming over to the twins he handed the vial to Soth. “Have him drink this.”
Soth nodded. Taking the vial, he brought it to his brother’s lips. “Don’t cough it back up,” he scolded. Starting with just a few drops at a time, he poured the vial’s contents into his brother.
“Depending on how bad the injury is,” explained Haran, “it may take a few minutes before its effects are noticeable.”
“Thank you,” said Soth. Turning his attention back to his brother, he saw that his breathing was already calming down and his eyes were closed.
By this time Chyfe had his sword cleaned and back in its scabbard. He was watching the healing affects of the potion work on Seth when he noticed one of Haran’s men holding the box containing the gray powder. “Don’t open that!” he exclaimed. The last thing he wanted was for some fool to open the box and negate the magic of the healing potion. Hurrying to the soldier’s side, he took possession of the box.
“What is it?” asked Haran.
“I’m not entirely sure,” he replied. “When you open it, it somehow prevents magic users from casting spells. Kevik would know…” Coming to an abrupt stop, he suddenly remembered Kevik. “Kevik!” Turning toward where they had left the magic user, he rushed down the passageway.
As he drew closer, he saw Kevik lying on the floor looking for all the world like he was dead. In one hand was gripped the wand that he had carried around for so long. “Oh man don’t be dead,” Chyfe said.
Soth stayed with his brother as the others hurried down to see about Kevik. Riyan was aghast when he saw the extensive area of burned skin that covered his body. His robe had numerous burned patches, beneath which could be seen skin covered in blisters. “Oh my,” Riyan said.
“The gem!” exclaimed Chad.
“Gem?” asked Haran.
“If he still lives it may be his only chance,” exclaimed Chyfe.
Riyan reached his side first and laid his ear against Kevik’s chest. When he heard the faint lub-dub of a heartbeat, he turned his attention to the pouches around Kevik’s waist. “He’s alive,” he told the others. “Barely.” Opening the first pouch, he searched for the gem but failed to find it. Moving to the second, he opened it only to find a large hole had been burned into it and the contents missing.
“It must have fallen out,” he said. “We need to find it!” Beginning to search in the area adjacent to where Kevik lay, he frantically hunted for the gem.
Haran and his men joined the search. As he went down on his hands and knees, he asked, “Just what exactly are we looking for?”
“A small red ruby,” Riyan explained. “It has healing powers.”
Turning to his men, Haran said, “Find it.”
A minute went by as the searchers combed the floor of the passageway for the gem. When Chyfe finally found it lying in a crack against the wall, he shouted for joy. Grabbing it, he brought it over to where Kevik lay and handed it to Riyan. “You’ve used it before,” he said.
Riyan nodded and took the gem. In a second, the gem sprang to life with a red glow. He then set it on a burnt patch of Kevik’s chest, making sure it was in contact with his skin. When he let go, the glow remained. “We can leave it here to go about its work,” he said.
“We aren’t going to leave Kevik here are we?” asked Chad.
Again, Riyan nodded. “No sense in moving him until he’s healed,” he explained. Then he nodded over to where Soth sat with Seth. “If he should awaken, they’ll be nearby.”
Bart lent him a hand back to his feet. “Now, let’s go see what was on the other side of that wall.”
Knowing that his friends were healing and wouldn’t expire, Riyan said, “Alright.” Then to Haran he asked, “Care to come with us?”
Haran grinned. “I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”
As they headed down the passage back to the room, Riyan paused when he neared the twins. “Is he better?” he asked Soth.
“He’s asleep right now,” Soth replied. “No coughing and the wound on his chest is beginning to heal over. I think he’ll be fine.”
“Good,” said Riyan. “We’re going to see what’s in the Horde. Stay here and keep an eye on him, Kevik too.”
Soth nodded and grinned. “Is he going to make it?”
“He’s burned real bad,” Riyan explained. Glancing back to the magic user, he saw the glow of the gem. “The gem is working to heal him as we speak.”
“That’s good to hear,” replied Soth. As Riyan made to continue on toward the Horde, Soth said, “Save some for the rest of us.”
Riyan chuckled and said, “Maybe a little.” Turning to Bart he said, “Let’s go.”
Haran came and walked beside him. Riyan glanced to him as they left the passage and entered the room. Haran saw the questioning look Riyan cast him. “I cared for my uncle once,” he explained. “But of late, he has done many things which went against everything our people held sacred.”
“What do you plan to do now?” asked Riyan.
“First of all, repair our relations with Byrdlon,” he replied. “The recent attacks including the one on your Yerith Keep, were simply a ploy by my uncle to keep Byrdlon’s forces looking to that area so he could sneak across the border and come here.” Haran turned his attention to Lord Hurrin. “I understand you had no small part to play in that fiasco?”
“I simply did as Lord Kueryn bid,” he explained.
“Yes,” Haran said. “We’ll look more into your part once we return home.”
Lord Hurrin bowed his head and said, “Yes my lord.”
