“My Lord High Mage. One of my men just reported back. He was carrying an artifact which he found on the field of last night’s battle. It’s a knife that clearly looks ancient, with ornate runes and symbols. It feels hot to the touch. Obviously magical. With your permission?” asked the scout.
The mage nodded. It was an interesting magical find and had aroused his curiosity. Aside from rings and rune plates, other artifacts had been few and far between.
The scout quickly rifled through the leather bag slung at his side and brought out an object wrapped in thick sackcloth. He held it up in his left hand and gingerly unwrapped it. It was a beautifully-crafted long knife, as described by Ivar. The blade was slightly curved, though strangely, it had a greenish tinge to the metal. Tyler could sense the odd energy radiated by the weapon. The aura was similar to what he perceived back in the Barrens. It was obviously a magical item as Ivar said and the mage doubted any civilization now on Adar could have made such a weapon.
Must be an object left behind by the mysterious people living previously in that cursed land. Dug up by the undead, no doubt.
As he examined the weapon, refusing to touch it as it lay in the proffered hand of Ivar, things abruptly exploded into action. Ivar grabbed the knife with unbelievable speed, jumped at the mage, and viciously stabbed. Kobu also reacted swiftly and was able to knock the scout aside but not before the blade of the knife got into an inch of Tyler’s body.
Incredibly, the mysterious weapon was able to penetrate the repulsing field and the first personal energy barrier. Only the final shield, the one projected by the mage’s staff, stopped the deadly edge from continuing its fatal journey—and only because Kobu disrupted Ivar’s momentum. Tyler didn’t know whether the knife would have pierced right through the dragon armor, but that was something he didn’t want to discover.
As Ivar was caught off-balance, three arrows struck him in quick succession, two through his ankle muscles, pinning him to the floor, and another through his hand, making him drop the knife. Tyndur materialized in front of the mage, battleaxe in hand, preventing any further attempts. Kobu swiftly moved forward and grabbed Ivar by the back of his neck. The scout muttered an incantation and the knife immediately jumped to his left hand. Ivar quickly stabbed himself, the curved blade entering his head under the jaw. It was all over before the jarl’s guards could even shout a warning.
The companions all looked at each other, shock finally registering in their minds. Everything was done instinctively and without a moment’s thought or hesitation. Tyler looked at Ivar’s corpse. The strange knife had inexplicably slid out of the fatal wound and was now lying on the floor, blade as pristine as ever.
“Tyndur, get that accursed knife back in its covering and give it to me. Don’t touch it with your fingers,” the mage instructed.
A fucking assassination attempt? And with such a powerful tool too!
By instinct, the mage’s eyes looked toward the primary suspect for the attempt on his life. Though it was still dark, his eyesight could now see countless glowing green dots in the far distance. An ocean of them. The enemy had arrived.
“They’re here,” said Tyler.
The jarl walked to him, still surrounded by his guards. The mage found himself inside the protective circle of Jarl Geir. It was good security, but inordinately stifling, not only physically but also on the mind. It reduced one’s awareness of their surroundings.
“I apologize, High Mage. I never expected Ivar could be an instrument of the dark power that’s coming,” said the jarl simply.
“There’s no need, jarl. I should have expected the leader of the coming horde, being wise in matters of warfare–though I hoped not to the same degree as when he was still alive–would employ mortal means and strategies. Eliminating a key player at the start of the game would be your brother’s play, yes?”
“It sounds like him. Even the pausing of the advance party. He must have expected an excellent return from the drakes. Since that failed, he would be relying on a sudden rush against the walls and gate. It’s easy and quick enough to fashion battering rams from the trees around here.”
“Little things should also have warned me. I remember Ivar calling me High Mage even though I’d just arrived and he wasn’t here long enough either. I suggest you send a few men to check around where he stayed and where he went. Hopefully, the assassination attempt was the only surprise he had in store for us,” said Tyler. “Now we wait.”
“True. Now we wait,” repeated the jarl as he extended his right arm for the common Norse symbol of fellowship. Tyler gripped the forearm of the jarl and smiled.
“Fair winds and following seas,” the mage uttered. The jarl laughed.
“An apt blessing for one of Skaney. And here’s mine: may the Kraken never disturb thy seas.”
The mage wanly smiled.
Here’s to hoping it’s but a myth here and that I don’t need to travel to Banna by boat.
***
The mage scrutinized the distant army. It was like watching a multitude of green dots flowing down a channel of water. But he noticed something abnormal about their progress – the steady stream of green points broke into numerous clumps at the end of the torrent.
The obstacle course from last night, remembered the mage. Well, at least, it would break up their mass.
He didn’t update the jarl yet on the seemingly innumerable enemies coming toward them. Though for now, he was thankful for the night. The sight of the ocean of undead would have broken an ordinary warrior’s spirit.
A miscalculation on the leader’s part, he decided. He failed to grasp the vital psychological effect of the size of his army. That’s the typical warrior for you – attack on the brains.
The leading elements of the undead army now appeared to be bogged down
