Robert Keller - The Heart of Shadows

The two fighters rained blows on each other, and soon both were bruised and bloodied. Weaponless combat or not, it remained brutal. At last they gave up on bare-handed fighting and retrieved their axes. They were tired and panting, and they took a moment to rest to the sound of more jeering from the crowd.

"This is the worst duel I have ever witnessed," Shennen muttered.

"I wholeheartedly agree," said Trenton, with a grimace of disgust. "It is shameful."

"How long must this drag on?" said Jace, yawning.

Lannon marveled at the stamina of the two warriors. They had both taken quite a beating but continued hammering each other.

Yet the fighters seemed almost too tired to go on-the intense grappling having sapped their energy. They swung their axes slowly at each other, and spent a lot of time circling. Ulmason landed a glancing blow to Daledus' shoulder that staggered the Dwarf, but otherwise they made no progress.

"It has gone on far too long," said Shennen. "It should have ended quickly. Now they fight like old men. What an embarrassment!"

To the utter disgust of the crowd, they threw down their weapons again and grappled with each other. They fell down and lay on their backs for a moment, completely exhausted, chests heaving. Then they rolled over and battered each other with weak punches for a while that drew a bit of fresh blood.

"The duel should be ended," said Shennen.

"That isn't allowed," said Trenton, with a sigh. "They are required to fight until submission or death-no matter how long it takes."

Ulmason accidentally yanked Daledus' beard. Daledus cried out in rage and headbutted the giant, leaving a new gash in both of their foreheads.

Shennen turned his back on the duel, refusing to watch the combatants continue to disgrace themselves. Trenton's face was red with humiliation.

As a Grey Dwarf, Daledus had more stamina than his foe. But he was also failing miserably to conserve that stamina. He threw everything he had into every blow and chokehold, while Ulmason seemed to pace himself and spent a lot of time defending against the enraged Dwarf. At last, Daledus began to wear down to the point where he could barely move, yet still he went on trying to viciously hammer his foe. Even the Knightly energy that helped sustain his strength was depleted.

The duel's conclusion was the biggest disgrace of all for Dremlock, as Daledus simply ran out of energy and Ulmason (who'd been slyly conserving his strength) took control of the fight. Ulmason managed to get Daledus in a firm chokehold, and he squeezed the Dwarf's neck until Daledus was nearly unconscious. Having no choice but to submit or be strangled to death, Daledus tapped his foe three times to signal that he'd had enough.

Ulmason staggered up from the snow and raised his arms. As he struggled for breath, he bellowed, "Victory is mine once again! The Black Flamestone goes to the Legion! I am truly invincible!"

Shennen glared at Trenton, then walked away.

Trenton knelt, clutched his head, and groaned.

Trenton retreated to his tent, as the Blood Legion gathered their supplies in preparation for the journey back to Old Hammer Hall. Dremlock's Knights stood around looking defeated, as gleeful Soldiers scurried about loading wagons. The Black Flamestone was going back to their mountain stronghold, and Dremlock could do nothing about it. The Knights soon took to muttering that the duel had been a bad idea-that they should have taken the Flamestone by warfare.

But the complaints meant nothing, and the Knights could only watch in frustration as the Blood Legion rode forth from Blombalk. The Legion didn't care if Dremlock occupied the fortress, for they knew the Divine Knights didn't have enough warriors there to secure it indefinitely. Taking the Black Flamestone to Old Hammer Hall-where it would be well defended-was their primary focus.

Trenton called the Divine Shield together for a meeting in his tent. They sat in a circle, waiting for the Investigator to speak. Trenton looked embarrassed and gloomy, and his hand trembled as he sipped some water.

"What is Taris' status?" asked Trenton.

Shennen looked troubled. "He has awakened in his tent, but he doesn't remember who he is or why he is there. He also seems to be partially blind and deaf, and he can't move one of his arms properly. He talks with slurred speech and some of his words sound like babble."

Aldreya groaned. "Then it is as I feared-his mind has suffered damage."

"Yes," said Shennen. "The wound went into his brain. The healers have already partially closed it and soon nothing will remain but a scar. But he has lost some memories-possibly forever-and clearly some of his other functions are compromised. He may never return to normal."

Lannon and Aldreya exchanged a sorrowful glance. Lannon couldn't imagine Taris in the condition Shennen had described.

"Taris shall undoubtedly receive Dremlock's highest honor," said Trenton, "the Silver Sash. He sacrificed his body in an effort to slow the Specter down so we could slay it. His heroism will be long remembered."

"Yet the Black Flamestone goes with our enemies," said Shennen. "You have command now, Trenton, until Taris regains his wits. What are your orders?"

"We cannot pursue the Blood Legion," said Trenton, "for three days. But we can return to Dorok's Hand and plan our next move. We will prepare for the journey immediately. We must abandon Blombalk Fortress."

"I agree," said Shennen. His eyes narrowed. "But the Legion made an error. They assumed we would ride from the fortress and leave it as it is. After all, it cannot easily be burned because the logs are treated to protect against fire. Also, the Legion assumes we are greedy and will eventually want to claim the fortress for Dremlock. But I have another idea. I suggest we burn it to ash."

"But as you said," Trenton pointed out, "it cannot easily be burned. It would take some time to bring down such a large, stout fortress."

"Prince Vannas will take care of it," said Shennen. "It is not immune to the white fire."

"Burn the whole fortress down?" said Vannas, a hint of excitement in his voice.

Shennen nodded. "Unleash the White Flamestone, until nothing remains but ash. That is-if Trenton approves."

Trenton pondered it for a moment, then said, "It is an ancient fortress, and it could be very useful to Dremlock. But we can't risk the Legion seizing control of it again. Yes, we will gather our supplies and ride out. Then our eager prince will bring it down."

"So it's back to Dorok's Hand," said Jace, looking displeased. "I assume Dremlock will plan a mission to retrieve the Black Flamestone."

"Yes," said Shennen, his eyes gleaming. "In fact, I've already planned it out. A small group of Blue Knights will sneak into Old Hammer Hall and retrieve the Black Flamestone before the Blood Legion ever learns how to unlock its full potential."

"Will I be included?" asked Vannas.

"No," said Shennen. "It would be too risky, as you're not properly trained in the arts of stealth. However, Lannon has enough training for the mission, along with his sorcery, and he can help us locate our target."

Lannon nodded. He wondered if they would be forced to confront Timlin at Old Hammer Hall. Timlin was a prime target of Dremlock, and if he got in the way, the Blue Knights would not hesitate to slay him.

"And the situation with Bellis?" asked Trenton.

Shennen shook his head. "It will have to wait. Surely you agree that we must retrieve the Black Flamestone as soon as possible."

"Quite a dire situation," said Jace, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Bellis closes in, as the Blood Legion rides off with their deadly prize."

As he guided his horse, Timlin gazed at the Black Flamestone. It felt warm in his hand and seemed to pulse as if with a heartbeat. It was a beautiful gem and seemed to fit perfectly in his palm. He gazed at the sparkling dark blue surface and the red veins that were spread out over it in a pattern. It was delightfully perfect, and he felt as if it had always belonged to him-that it had come home at last.