Helen screamed in horror as Jamis dropped to the ground. The warlord retracted his lightning blade and turned to face the rest of them. They couldn’t see his body through the black mist that surrounded him. The only details they could see were the glowing of the runes on his armor and the burning fire of his eyes and veins and the molten blood dripping from rapidly closing wounds.
Guinevere stepped forwards and placed her hand on his arm. Helen expected him to strike out and kill her, but he froze shuddering. Slowly his body stilled the shuddering ceasing as he seemed to regain control of himself.
“They are beaten,” Guinevere said softly, her voice sad.
“They attacked me, Guinevere,” Mordred said. “Give me a good reason for why I should let them live.”
“Because you’re strong enough to show mercy,” Guinevere said.
Mordred strode forwards and knelt before Helen as she laid her hands on Felrick closing the gap in his stomach. “This is your last chance,” he growled. “If you come after me again it won’t just be one of you that dies. If you value your lives than go back to your kingdom and stay out of my forest. Get in my way again and the only thing I’ll leave behind is corpses.”
Atrel helped her drag Mira and Torvin away as Felrick limped behind them, his body still ravaged by the storm of lightning. They looked over their shoulders to see the black smoking monstrous figure of the Warlord.
---
I watched until the rival party was out of sight. Voidra canceled Black Rage for me and the black mist around me disappeared. I wiped the blood off my body and knelt down to loot the corpse.
150 rank points gained
You have slain the champion of a rival god and earned an upgrade to your blessing
Previous:
*Blessing of War (Veteran): You are the mortal embodiment of war and carnage. You regain 10 stamina and 10 mana per second to fuel you as you carve your way through the battlefield.
Upgraded:
*Blessing of War (Veteran): You are the mortal embodiment of war and carnage. You regain 13 stamina and 13 mana per second to fuel you as you carve your way through the battlefield.
Ability Gained, Brutal Spite: Even when you have beaten down, your blood sapped from your body and to the point of death you continue on. For every severe wound you are currently suffering at one point your stamina regeneration is increased by x2.
Cost: not available
Upgrade this ability to increase the rate of increased stamina regeneration per wound suffered. Each rank of this ability increases your Endurance by 1.
Congratulations you have completed a hidden objective and earned at title. Objective: Display sufficient mastery with a sword in a life and death fight.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Reward: Master Swordsman
*Master Swordsman: Your damage with swords is increased by four stages.
Congratulations you have completed a hidden objective and earned a title. Objective: Deflect over thirty shots without being hit in less than twenty seconds.
Reward: Master Deflector
*Master Deflector: Instead of using a shield you have learned to use your weapon to anticipate, block and redirect projectiles. You can instinctively tell the angle at which objects are coming from and where your parry will redirect them towards sending them that way with their original force they hit you with while expending only a minor amount of effort on your part.
“They will attack you again one day,” Guinevere said breaking the silence between us that had begun ever since my last threat to them.
“That’s their mistake to make,” I said.
“And your just going to kill them?” Guinevere asked.
“What do you want me to say?” I asked. “You wanted me to show them mercy and I did, but I’m not going to die for them.”
“They’re good people!” Guinevere shouted at me. “They’re just… they just… they don’t know who you are.”
“And they don’t care enough to learn either,” I retorted. “These are adults not children, if they can’t see past their own hypocrisy then the consequences of it are on them. Let me ask you this, do you feel bad about killing the assassins who came after you?”
“That’s different,” Guinevere said defensively.
“Is it?” I asked. “Who knows what reasons they had for coming after you perhaps the were “good people”. They probably had families who cared about them but you cut them down without a second thought.”
Guinevere was silent at that. She looked down at the body of Jamis. “What do you plan on doing with his body?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said with a shrug. “I just wanted the loot he had on him.”
“I’d like to have him returned to his friends for a proper burial,” Guinevere said looking out where they had run off.
“Pretty sure there at least a few miles away by now,” I said.
“What now?” Guinevere asked.
Not answering her right away I thought about the question hidden behind her words. “You want to return home to Camelot?” I asked.
“I have to,” Guinevere said. “There is… unfinished business there.”
“Marrying your cousin,” I said dryly.
“I gave my word,” Guinevere said. “I guess this is goodbye.”
“Well,” I said. “I can at least give you a ride.” I turned to Exar’kun who looked much healthier now. Dark Guardian had healed him for every major wound I’d taken, and he likely had his own ways of healing himself as well to have survived this long. “You mind giving us a lift?”
--
Flying was much faster than walking. My legs gripped Exar’kun’s neck as I sat directly behind his head. Guinevere held onto me from behind. For a brief moment I was reminded of going on rides with Sarah on my motorcycle. The memories still hurt but not as much as they had before.
Your soul damage is mostly all repaired, Voidra informed me.
Not entirely though, Karnen warned me. So don’t go stabbed by any spirits or let your soul get ravaged by curse damage again.
What would have been a journey of at least a few days for me, even running at my top speed took us only eight hours. We landed on the opposite side of the mountains. I’d seen a few sketches of maps to know that most of Camelot was on island adjacent to the continent. This stretch of land that abutted the Ancient Forest was just a minor province of the kingdom.
Guinevere and slid off Exar’kun’s neck to the ground. There was town visible in the far distance, the fire light shining through its windows as the dark night sky shone with stars above us.
“Mordred I…” Guinevere said and stopped unable to find the words.
Taking both of her hands in mine I met her eyes. “This isn’t the end princess.”
Guinevere sighed. “We come from different worlds, in more than ways than one.”
“I don’t care,” I said raising her fingers to my lips.
“You need to let me go,” Guinevere pleaded. “If you pursue me people will die…you’ll die.”
“I’m not going to lose you Guinevere,” I said. “If I die trying to follow after you… so be it.”
Guinevere tore her hands away and turned her back on me. “Please…don’t follow me.”
I watched her go my enhanced hearing able to hear the sound of her heart thudding and sob the choked down.
“What’s next Warlord?” Exar’kun asked me. “Are we going after your mate?”
“Not yet,” I said.
“But you are going after her?” he asked.
“I’m never giving her up to anyone,” I replied throwing myself into the air and landing atop his neck again. “I have the start of a plan it just needs some work. For now, we find my vassals.”
“They left the Ancient Forest months ago,” Exar’kun said. “Last I caught sight of your army was on the border of Dracon.”