Curse of The Seventh Sword: The Gauntlet of Feona (30 page)

“Is that your excuse for failure?”  The voice asked.

“Who are you?”  Davydd asked. 

“Me?  I am simply a monument of the past.”  Th
e voice responded.

“That doesn’t tell me anything.”

“I know.  Who I am is irrelevant.  Do you know why a king should not lose his battles Davydd?”

“Why?”

“Because when he does, he is not the only one who loses and is lost.  His ideas, ideals, dreams, hopes, goals and the people who he holds dear to his heart lose and are lost as well.”

A searing pain enveloped
Davydd’s stomach and he went into a spasm before his eyes shot open.  He coughed and coughed until he coughed out some blood from his mouth and started breathing heavily.  When his blurred vision came to, he was sitting down by the side of the room and leaning on the walls.  He looked up to see in front of him, a hooded man dressed in ragged clothes.  Davydd could barely make out his face, but he noticed his distinct deep-sea blue eyes. 

“Who… are you?” 
Davydd asked. 

“
Davydd.  You have to wake up.”  The man said.

“I am awake.” 

“Davydd.  You have to wake up.”  The man said again and placed his finger on Davydd’s heart.  “Right… there.” 

Right
there.

Someone else had said that.  Feona!

“Feona?”  Davydd asked perplexed.

“Win your battles
Davydd.  And if you happen to be close to death trying to do so, win it enough for those coming after you to complete the task.”

The man began to withdraw from
Davydd and seemed to be dispersing into thin air.

“No
… wait Father.  Wait…”

“Wake up
Davydd!”  The voice said.

“I am awake!”

“Davydd, wake up please!”

Davydd lurched forward and in front of him was a badly wounded
Baximus. 

“Father!!!” 
Davydd screamed.  “What happened?”  He carefully grabbed Baximus by the sides and placed him on the wall.  Davydd tore of a piece of his own top and used it to fasten Baximus’s right arm to his shoulder.  He could see the bone and inner tissue.  Baximus had lost a lot of blood.  It was really bad. 

“It… doesn’t matter what happened.  I don’t know who you were talking to either… what matters, is you are still alive.”

“That was not you?”

“No… I had just gotten to you when you said ‘father’.  Who… did you… see?”

“I… I don’t know…”

Baximus nodded. 
So you were here then your majesty. 
“Hurry Davydd.  Ivan is getting away.  I will… be fine.  Go.  Go now.”

Davydd
was nodding and immediately sprinted up the stairs in the direction Ivan, Kazan and Horius went.  Baximus sat back and panted rapidly.  He observed his injury and noted how much blood he’d lost.  He didn’t have much time to get help.  All he could do now was sit still and hope Davydd came back in time.  Baximus lay his head back against the wall of the room and tilted his neck to his left.  His eyes came upon Feona who was sitting next to him in silence.  She was not looking at him, but into the emptiness of the room.  Her red eyes glimmered. 

“So you have come for me haven’t you?”

“I merely wait to observe what fate has dealt you.” 

“I see.  Was it you then?  Was it you who brought
Davydd back from the brink of death… of you?”

“You know it was not.  I was waiting for him as well.  It seems fate had other plans.”

“Ah… she always does it seems.”

Feona chuckled
.  “Mortals like you will never grasp her reasoning.”

Baximus nodded.  “How much time do I have?”

“As we are, this is the closest I can come to you right now.”  Baximus observed the distance between where they sat.  It was still far enough that if she reached over to him with her hand fully extended, she could come almost close enough to touching him.

“When I can come close enough so as to embrace you fully, your time is up.”

“And we wait…”  Baximus said.  The two sat in silence.

Vannera
sat at the front of the boat, while Max and Sam paddled furiously towards Ivan’s ship.  They were getting close enough to board.  Vannera used her sight to survey the ship and what she saw made her heart thump in joy and sink in sadness at the same time.  She let out a soft expulsion of air. 

“What is it?”  Segmiatus asked.

“Davydd seems to be…alright but… Baximus… he is in trouble.”  Max and Sam paddled faster upon hearing her words.  Vannera looked up at the ship.  She could see the side of the deck and at that moment her eyes caught a very familiar figure moving swiftly by. 

“Be careful.  He’s here.”

“Who is?” 

“My father.”

Sidion Vror jumped in front of Ivan, Kazan and Horius.  They had been making their way to a boat tied to the side of the ship.  It was at least twice the size of the others used by the pirate crew. 

“You must be in a hurry.”  Sidion said sarcastically.  “I’ll let you go as soon as you hand over the gauntlet of Feona.”

“The traitor of Angweleth shows himself.  If you want the gauntlet of Feona, you will have to take it from my corpse.”

“That is all?  Well then, let us begin the process of making you a corpse.”  Ivan, Kazan and Horius whirled around to see
Davydd standing behind them.  His eyes glared at them with a burning rage unseen before. 

“You… you should be dead.”  Kazan said as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

“To be killed by your cowardly tactics?”  Davydd asked as he began walking forward.  “You severely underestimated me.”  Davydd unsheathed Balek’s sword with his left hand and as he walked, the silver band on his right wrist slowly reformed into a gauntlet and shimmering silver sword in his right hand.  The energy from it pulsated periodically and menacingly. 

“Come prince and king of pirates.  Come and answ
er for your choice and actions.”

The look on Ivan’s face was that of contempt. 

“Kill him.”  Ivan said calmly. 

Kazan and Horius ran towards
Davydd.  Kazan had picked up a replacement bow and he crouched behind Horius and took aim.  Davydd reached back with Balek’s sword and the blade began to glow a burning red.  When he swung, a line of fire shot forward from it.  Horius, Ivan and Sidion were able to crouch in time to evade being caught by the searing flames, but Kazan was not so lucky.  He screamed as the flames began to eat away at his flesh, peeling them away from his bones. 

“Kazan!!!”  Ivan screamed.  “You imbecile!!!!”  He yelled at
Davydd as he rushed forward in anger, along with Horius.  Davydd took stance with Balek’s sword pointed towards Horius and Ivan, and his silver sword, pointed backwards.  Ivan got to Davydd first and swung down with his mighty hammer.  Davydd blocked with Balek’s sword. The swing stopped dead in its arch as though Ivan had struck a rock made of diamond.  Horius moved to Davydd’s side and attacked but Davydd blocked his slashes with just his right sword, while still clashed with Kazan’s hammer.  Horius moved to Davydd’s back, but was caught with a blow from Balek’s sword, straight to his chest.  Davydd had pivoted and slashed Ivan from the belly upwards and thus placed Balek’s sword in the perfect place to catch Horius off guard.  The two pirates fell back and clutched their injuries.  Horius glared at Davydd in anger and attacked first, screaming.  Ivan joined in and again, Davydd easily countered their attacks, pivoting, twisting and moving swiftly in and out of slashes while maintaining a seemingly unbreakable stance and balance.  He blocked a sideways swing by Ivan with his right blade, so that his right hand was across his body when he did so.  Davydd then pivoted around so that his back was facing Ivan, and he reached back with his elbow, slamming it into Ivan’s nose.  Horius moved to attack but was countered yet again.  Both men fell back and tried to regain their stance.  When they looked at Davydd, he was twirling both swords in opposite directions while waiting for them.  Behind them, Sidion stood and observed the fight.  Those two were as good as dead.  Davydd was combating them in a style only the gods were known to use.  To be able to wield a sword with such proficiency was a rare thing.  To be able to wield two swords
that well
was something he never thought possible.  Sidion fixated on the two swords Davydd wielded.  The one on the left was definitely a principal’s weapon.  It contained great power, but it was not what bothered him.  It was the sword on the right that gave him the greatest concern, for that was one of Lady Lynda’s swords.  For him to wield the sword of the patron goddess of Beathaleth, without being king of Beathaleth, he would have to be of the same lineage as she was.  It was then that it dawned on him exactly what Davydd was.  He was a halfing.  Finally there was the twirling of each sword between moves and attacks.  Sidion had not seen the sight in years.

You are definitely your father’s son. 
Sidion thought as he remembered his dream back in Castle Alvo. 

Someone great
er than I ever was…

“I see what you meant
Rikard.”  Sidion said as he picked up the gauntlet of Feona. 

“Drop it.” 

Sidion froze.

“I said drop it.” 

Sidion slowly bent down and placed the gauntlet back on the floor of the ship deck.  “It has been a long time… daughter.”

“Go find
Baximus.”  Vannera said to Matilom, Max and Sam.  “I will handle things here.”  They nodded and went off, heading below deck.  Segmiatus headed in the direction of Davydd, who was still dueling Ivan and Horius.  Ivan tried to lift his hammer above his head for an attack on Davydd, but buckled under its weight.  He fell to his knee and Horius staggered in front of him.  Davydd slowly began walking towards them.  His blades dripped with their blood, which had been spilled from their wounds.  The pirates’ resilience was remarkable.  But they were at their end.  Horius began to tremble as Davydd walked up to them.  He let out a primal cry and bolted towards Davydd, but was caught with a blow to the neck, from Segmiatus’s sword.  Horius fell to the deck, dead.  His eyes were open and facing the grey night sky, but seeing nothing at all.  Davydd walked up to Ivan who made to attack him but was swiftly cut down by Davydd’s silver sword.  Ivan fell to the ground and let go of his hammer.  He lay there looking at Davydd who stepped on his open wound.  Ivan let out a yell of anguish. 

“This is what standing by your ideals of greed and a lust for power, brings.  It brings death with it.” 
Davydd said mockingly. 

“Well then… Do it… Finish me
off… like you killed my son.”

“You both had your chances.” 
Davydd responded and delivered the final blow.  Davydd looked up at Vannera who still had Sidion kneeling and at the edge of her sword.  He began walking towards them.  The heavens had opened up on them and the torrents drenched and bathed all at shore and at sea with rain and salty sea water.  Davydd walked up to them and looked at Sidion.  The gauntlet of Feona lay in front of him.  Davydd slowly crouched down and looked at the gauntlet.  This was what they had been fighting for all this time.  It was so simple and small and yet, its value could not be understated.  Davydd reached out to pick up the gauntlet, but Sidion caught his hand. 

“If you do this
…  There is no telling what the future holds…”

“There already is no telling what the future holds.  But I can’t sit by and let the fear of the unknown stop me from doing the right thing.  You know it is the right thing.  It was the right thing two decades and three years ago.  It is the right thing
now.”

Sidion bowed his head for a moment.  After a brief silence, he finally spoke. 

“This… will be my last duty as king of Angweleth.  Davydd Miljorn, I appoint you… to be king and ruler, overseer and protector of all of Angweleth… in my stead and in your father’s stead before me.  You will assume your title as soon as I vacate the throne… and I vacate the throne… now.”  He looked up at Davydd.

“I have made a lot of… mistakes young Miljorn.  Do not let this be one of them.”

“It will not be.” 

At that mom
ent, Max, Sam and Matilom brought Baximus up to the deck. 

“Tie him up.” 
Davydd said to Segmiatus as he pointed towards Sidion Vror.  Davydd ran over to where they had laid down Baximus. 

“How is he?” 
Davydd asked. 

“We… have stopped the bleeding, but he is barely clinging to this world… and he…” 
Max stopped.  “He’s leaving… Davydd.”

Davydd looked up and saw that in their midst was Feona.  She had both her hands on either side of
Baximus’s cheek.  She looked at Davydd and nodded.

“It is time.”  She said. 

Davydd looked around.  No one else saw her or heard her.  She had made it so.

“No…” 
Davydd said.  “No… no… you let him go.”  Davydd held on to Baximus’s shirt and gripped it as if preventing Feona from pulling his body away.  “Please… let him go.  I can save him.”  Davydd’s hands began to glow a blue white aura and it enveloped Baximus.  However, nothing happened.