Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) (33 page)

Seth for a moment was unable to respond. He realized this was a test of sorts, to detect those willing and able to fight with the army, and as much as he desired to throw down his weapons and flee with Sara to be herded like sheep by the soldiers, he could not abandon Garret. It was a predicament to which he saw no escape. In this single test he could lose one or both of them, depending on his actions. Without seeing any real options available, Seth drew his long slender sword with one hand and grasped Sara’s hand in his other, he then turned to face his brother.

"It's a test Garret. Let’s all work together." He watched as Garret, his sword already drawn, stepped to take their lead. Seth fell in with Sara behind his bulkier brother, and Ashton too joined them, taking the rear. Just as they found their places and prepared to defend themselves against any who might attack, they were swallowed into the masses of their fellow would-be warriors.

Seth watched the chaos that ensued as if seeing it all from somewhere outside his own body and, as he watched, the world seemed to slow, revealing everything in stark detail. Seth followed as his brother literally carved a path through the throng of untrained fighters, cleaving man and woman alike, leaving a path of bloody, maimed peers as he moved ahead. Dozens fell by his brother’s great two-handed sword, but it did not take long before, immersed in the crowd, they were forced to defend on all sides. Seth could not stomach hacking at his fellow men and women, so chose mostly to defend and parry as he was able, until either his brother or some other rogue fighter did the deed for him. Several times he was forced to intervene for either Sara or Ashton, who both held a similar distaste for slaughter. Fortunately for Seth, his brother seemed quite capable of dealing the damaging blows for all of them more often than not.

What seemed like an eternity passed as the numbers of combatants in the courtyard began to dwindle, either fleeing of their own accord, or being dragged to the sidelines by soldiers to be tended by the healers. However, as the number of combatants decreased, the herd being culled, those superior in ability remained, and that was when Seth realized that they were in trouble.

Until this point, the so-called test had basically been sheer butchery, with those less afraid or more skilled reaping pain and destruction upon their foes of lesser ability. Blood coated the cobblestone courtyard, making even the simplest maneuvers difficult, but finally reaching its center, Garret brought them to a halt, right in the middle of the massacre. Somewhere along the way Sara had managed to lose her sword, and being at such a disadvantage she stood at the center of her companions, each of them defending themselves and, in so doing, also defending her.

Seth watched as a large man with a boyish face lunged at him, hoping to strike a quick blow. Seeing what was coming, Seth managed to rend the man's blade aside with his own sword, but such was the man’s momentum that he crashed bodily into Seth who, stumbling back, nearly tripped over Sara behind him. Kicking and heaving his body forward to keep his balance, Seth managed to free himself of the man just as Garret turned. With a smile Seth’s brother thrust his large blade into the man’s shoulder, effectively removing his arm from its socket. With the blow, Garret chuckled and turned to face his next opponent, as Seth, regaining himself turned to help Ashton with yet another attacker.

As time progressed the fight turned into some sort of macabre dance with Seth, Garret, and Ashton slowly turning like a wheel around Sara who now brandished her small crossbow. As Seth and Ashton worked to hold off attackers, forever revolving in a slow circle, each attacker came to face Garret who made up for lack of skill with bold determination and raw aggression. Each of the boys had sustained several minor injuries but, so intoxicated with adrenaline, none noticed their wounds that bled freely, staining their clothing and armor. Seth was somewhat appalled at his brother’s ease of butchery. Not only did it seem to come naturally to him, but Garret appeared to enjoy it, mercilessly laying man and woman to waste before him, chuckling the whole time like a madman.

The fight raged on for what seemed like an eternity to Seth, who was amazed they had lasted this long, when things took a turn for the worse. All three boys faced individual opponents as Sara rushed to redraw her crossbow. Garret struggled with a man with far more skill, while Seth managed to cause his opponent to slip upon the slick cobbles, landing in a bone jarring heap upon the bloodied ground. Finding himself a moment of reprieve, Seth turned just in time to watch as Ashton fell. His blonde friend had managed to hold off his opponent for many minutes as Garret struggled to best his own foe, but having never before wielded a sword, Ashton had been overcome and crumpled to the ground clutching his stomach, blood flowing from between his fingers. Seth, knowing Ashton lost, had no time to worry for his friend. For as Ashton hit the ground, the man who had bested him, lunged back into the fray hoping to make an easy victory of Sara.

Seth barely managed to place himself between Sara and the oncoming blow of their opponent, and, with no time to react, he was forced to take a glancing blow to his arm. Though the ring mail took the brunt of the assault, pain exploded in Seth’s arm, causing him to fumble with his sword nearly dropping his only weapon. Seeing him practically incapacitated, the young attacker lunged in again to finish Seth off. However, he was caught mid lunge square in the chest with a small crossbow dart. Losing his wind instantly, this man too fell to the ground to be quickly hauled off back to the lines of healers. Seth spared Sara a quick glance, showing his appreciation, and that single moment was to be his last mistake.

As Seth spared the woman he loved a thankful smile, unseen to him, another attacker rushed him, just beyond his peripheral vision. Before Seth could turn to assess his next opponent, his side seemed to shatter in searing pain as the air rushed from his lungs and he was bowled over onto the slippery paving stones of the courtyard. As his head smacked into the stone below him, the last image Seth remembered before he blacked out was of his brother cleaving another man's leg off with a single blow, and with the same swing turning to witness the fall of his twin.

Garret

Garret fought as skillfully as he was able. Other than a stray goblin, the only sword practice he had had in his life had been dueling his twin with sticks as children. However, fighting came naturally to Garret, and even now he put to use lessons learned play-fighting against his brother what seemed a lifetime ago. He had felled many of his peers already today, but it seemed to Garret that each he removed from the test was replaced by yet another, who was stronger and more able than the last. The man he faced now he could only assume had had some training with actual weapons. Each slash he swung was met by the man’s blade and turned aside. Every lunge he attempted was met by a parry, and Garret felt he had found his equal in this battle. But he also knew that because of his brother and their friends, he could not fail. Garret swung at the man again and again, only to be thwarted each time. But each time his enemy attacked, Garret mimicked the man’s moves, learning quickly how to dodge such blows. Back and forth he went with his opponent who, though slightly smaller than he, was obviously more accustomed to such strenuous labor. Knowing at this rate they would fight on for all eternity, Garret decided to improvise. Swinging his massive blade as if to slash for the man’s chest, Garret watched as his opponent leaned back just out of range of his blade. Then, as the blade swung harmlessly past, Garret lunged mid-swing driving the blade barely through the man’s ring mail and into the flesh of his chest. The blow had done little real harm, but the man, already leaning back to avoid the blow, was forced back further, throwing him off balance. Trying to negate the effect of Garret’s blow, the man raised his leg to change his center of gravity and regain his balance. Then Garret saw his opportunity, and using every fiber of every muscle in his body, he twisted to stop his previous swing. With all his force he brought his blade back in the direction it had come. Catching the man just above the knee, Garret cleaved his opponent’s leg clear off, but such was the force of his swing, his body continued to spin after the blow, nearly turning him completely around to face what had before been behind him. What Garret witnessed tore at the core of his being.

As Garret spun, he watched as Seth, sword protruding from his ribcage, was thrown from his feet, his head banging off the blood coated cobblestones with a cracking sound, all light fading from his eyes. Garret turned his focus from his brother to the man who had felled his twin. The man was recuperating from the blow and, his sword still wedged in Seth’s ribcage, now stood unarmed. Garret succumbed to rage as his mind seemed to ignite. His vision turning red with a berserker’s fury, he lunged over Sara who knelt to tend to the man she loved, and Garret, raising his sword well above his head, brought it down with the full weight and momentum of his body, nearly cleaving the man in two from shoulder to mid abdomen. Such was his fury at the loss of his brother that he did not see Seth’s seemingly lifeless body dragged to the perimeter to be tended by healers, forcing Sara to stand and defend herself. Garret went on a blind rampage stomping through the carnage that had once been a courtyard, felling mercilessly anyone who dared stand in his way. Such was his fury that all who remained in the ring of the king’s soldiers sought him out, seeing him as the biggest threat. In what felt like forever for those on the sidelines, in Garret’s mind only moments passed as he cleaved and hacked his way through all his remaining foes, all the while a disheartening chuckle escaping his lips, until all had fallen around him but one. Garret, blind from rage, turned his gaze of seething anger on the only opponent remaining on the courtyard, and striding across the blood covered stone, he stalked her.

Seth

Seth had no idea how long he had remained unconscious. As his eyes fluttered open he lay on his undamaged side, the sword having been removed from his ribs and a healer currently working to mend his organs, flesh and bones. He felt the ecstasy of the healing goddess's power flowing through him as the healer continued to work, but willed himself to ignore the pleasure. Pleasure subdued, Seth’s eyes began to focus as he heard several gasps from those around him as the spectacle played out upon the courtyard. His thoughts turning to fear and panic, Seth craned his neck around to see what it was that had those around him so enthralled. At first he could see nothing, but he could hear the clanks of steel, and thuds of body meeting body, and many other indistinguishable sounds, but above all, he could hear his brother's raving mad chuckle. The sound could not be described any other way, but knowing his brother still stood, Seth wriggled beneath the healer’s hands to gain a better view of the courtyard. What Seth witnessed in those following minutes was a memory he would never forget for the rest of his days, no matter how much he wished he could. Garret didn't walk around the courtyard. He didn't run or give chase. Seth could find no word to describe in his mind the way in which his brother moved about the slick cobblestones. Garret seemed a whirlwind of motion, his great blade swinging this way and that in menacing arcs, and when his blade found no purchase his feet kicked out with ferocity, snapping bones. When neither his sword nor his feet gained him the advantage, he used everything available to him, head butting one opponent and biting another, throwing an elbow to one man's face, and crushing another man's chest with the pommel of his sword. Garret had become akin to a force of nature. Those he approached dared not turn their back to flee the rampaging warrior for fear he would strike them down from behind, and as each stood to defend themselves, each fell in a flurry of blows, blood raining down in all directions. Garret unleashed his rage on one opponent after another, and if two sought to gain the advantage of numbers, Garret leveled them without thought to his own safety, bearing his wounds as if they were naught but scratches.

Seth watched as the last of Garret’s potential foes were dispatched and his brother seeing no more men in his path, spun on his heels to appraise the courtyard around him. Seth watched Garret turn a quarter of the way around and freeze, his eyes locking in deadly menace upon some unseen target. Seth again wriggled beneath the healer's hands who this time berated him for it, though he heard not the words. As Seth followed his brother's gaze, his own eyes fell upon Sara, who stood transfixed in the center of the courtyard, horror plainly upon her face, having watched Garret butcher anyone else that moved. Garret began to stride across the courtyard, slowly at first, and then picking up pace as he closed the distance. Seth believed his brother was going to comfort Sara, as the small woman appeared so pale she might very well pass out, but instead Seth’s hope turned to horror.

Seth watched as Sara dropped her crossbow and raised her hand to protect her face, showing submission to her advancing opponent. Garret was lost in bloodlust, however, and Seth watched as his brother, gaining speed, began to raise his sword above his head as if to fell Sara in a single blow. Seth could not wrap his mind around his brother's actions. Garret knew that Seth loved Sara. He had himself fought with her to save Seth’s own life little more than a week before. They were friends, and being such, Seth expected any moment for Garret to regain himself and stop his butchery before it went too far. But there was no time, and as Garret careened nearer to Sara, Seth panicked. Unknowing what he was doing, he reacted upon instinct, his very heart and soul working with his subconscious beyond his conscious control.

Seth reached inward toward the power rushing through his body. The goddess's power felt familiar and alien at the same time, but Seth knew instinctively that he could use it. Latching onto the power the healer was bending to his will to repair his damaged body, Seth poured his own will against the power and ripped it away from the healer. Knowing there was no time to think how best to use the power, Seth reached out with his hand as if to grasp both of the people he loved most in the world and screamed.

"Noooo!" Seth wailed. It was all he could manage as he unleashed the stolen power within him. Like a raging river the power burst from his palm, racing like a torrent across the cobblestones, spraying blood into the air in a pink mist. The wave of invisible power expanded as it went until it reached its intended targets. Just as Garret brought his sword down in the blow that would end Sara’s life, and the love and trust of his twin, a great wall of air collided with both him and Sara, sending them sprawling across the cobblestones, soaking them both in blood and adding dozens of new bruises to their already battered bodies. But the sudden blow appeared to serve its intended purpose. The powerful blast somehow interrupted Garret’s train of thought, breaking his bond with whatever force had overtaken him. As he slid across the bloodied stones, he shook his head as if clearing his vision. He must have realized he had nearly attacked Sara, as he looked now to see if she was unharmed. Gaining his feet as soon as the blast subsided, Garret rushed to help Sara back to her feet, and even from his spot on the sidelines, Seth could hear him apologizing repeatedly for his near assault. It was then that the trumpets blared from across the courtyard, announcing the end of this test, and declaring Garret its champion. Seth, feeling exhausted beyond measure, merely clung to consciousness, hardly bearing witness to his brother's triumph. He was spent.