The Golden Warrior, Part Three

Part Three: The Duel

The Ruby Dragon circled across the skies of Etreidies, with an ominous feeling in his heart. He could sense more presences before Thrawne, ones he could not have felt before. They were upon him already, far too quickly to warn his student. But he was not idle. No, he had been idle for far too long. He just needed a little more time. Time to prepare.

Golden flame clashed against shining, glimmering steel. Sparks flew across the cavern, illuminating it’s interior with each strike and parry. With a thrust, the golden blade of Raianel shot into Hector’s armor, putting a chink into it and sending him flying back towards the stone wall. The Great Lord of An-Alein caught himself, bending his knees and landing on the wall horizontally, kicking back towards his newest foe. Hector swung his sword violently, a mighty cleave that could have split Thrawne in two. But the Golden-Eyed warrior ducked underneath him, slamming his fist into the jaw of his assailant. A clean hit, but Hector still stood determined.

“You are strong, Alexander! You will make a fine opponent for me.” Hector said, his heart meaning every word.

Thrawne scoffed at his opponent, caring little for his words. Raianel was raised once more, as Thrawne began to spin the weapon around, the light that formed it’s blade shimmering together into a disc of gilded power. Carefully, he stepped forward, his sword spinning like a buzz-saw. It snapped between his fingers, one after another, sliding back into it’s first position instantly as it left his grip, only to be held again. To Hector, it was like the blade was flying, with Thrawne merely controlling it’s trajectory. To Thrawnes surprise, he too took a step forward, the another, until they were both dashing towards the other.

Hector reeled back with his blade, preparing to thrust. But Thrawne knew his blade could repel such a move, no matter it’s strength. He leapt forward, but was shocked to see Hector drop his sword.

“VALANDIS!” Hector screamed, as black shadow traced itself across his palms, and up his arms. In an instant, he reached forward, hands passing through the light-blade wielded by Thrawne, grabbing onto the man's right wrist. Thrawne immediately let go of the sword, catching it instantly with his left hand, pulling it back and spinning into another strike, one which sparked across Hector's armor, cutting through the chain and cloth that laid beneath. Like the blow he had dealt Claudia before, crimson blood quickly gushed out of Hector's wound.

“Surrender, Hector. I do not wish to kill you. Not at all!” Thrawne barked, but Hector raised a hand.

“Os’Vien!” He spoke, as green light infused itself into his wound, sealing it completely. “It will take more than that to best me, Alexander.”

Thrawne waved his sword around him again, assuming an offensive stance, with the intent of dealing a killing blow. It was true, he did not wish to slay the man before him. But if he was to succeed, then that is what it would take. He watched as Hector turned his back, and picked up his sword. Thrawne could feel Claudia’s eyes upon him, watching him intently. Perhaps she wondered why he allowed Hector to retrieve his weapon? In truth, Thrawne himself did not quite know.

As the blade shrieked across the stone, raised up by Hector’s hand, the two men immediately dashed at each other once more. Thrawne’s blow was as swift as lightning, but Hector’s was as powerful as a hurricane. Their blades were locked, and as were their eyes. Each bared down on the other with all their strength, sword against sword, trying to overpower the other. Up close, Thrawne took a good look at the man before him.

His once-pristine white armor was marred and sullied. Recently dried blood was across it's surface, seeping out of dozens, if not hundreds of tiny pricks and cuts, wounds he must have suffered recently. The man knew that his opponent must have suffered such blows before he even arrived here, and wondered what myriad of defenses he had to face to acquire the broken blade that lie on the ground behind them. Thrawne pushed back, separating their blades, and raising his hand. Hector took a defensive stance, ready to counter, but Thrawne did not attack.

“Hector… I have seen you fight before. You are a swordsman without match, but you are not to your fullest. Why?” He said, staring directly at the man before him. Hector narrowed his eyes, and looked down at his hands.

“Why…? Because the price of victory is pain, my friend. I learned that long ago. As I imagine you have.” Hector replied.

Thrawne smiled, almost laughing. That was a lesson he knew all too well. He held out Raianel, but did not strike. Instead, he placed it on the ground before him, and stepped over it, holding out a hand with finger outstretched at Hector. His opponent raised a brow, but quickly understood, letting out a full laugh of his own. In turn, he dropped his sword, taking the same stance as Thrawne.

“I see!” Hector shouted. “A marvelous idea. Let us settle this.”

With a flash, both of them began to trace a sigil in the air. Hector’s was a deep blue, in the shape of a shield.

“Maal-Iklan!” He shouted.

Thrawnes Rune was a deep, infernal red, in the shape of iron bars.

“Phan-Tos!” He shouted as well.

Burning red chains shot out of Thrawnes hand, towards Hector. The glimmering shield that Hector called forth blocked the hellish attack from Thrawne, both of the men taking a step towards each other.

“Good! But not good enough. You… Are too slow!” Hector roared, tracing out another Rune. It was a purple diamond, with four off-shoots like gusts of wind.

“Vrem-Vir!” He said, shooting towards Thrawne faster than a bullet. But he was astounded to see Thrawne before him, moving just as quickly as Hector had. Behind him, where he stood before, Hector saw the same sigil still lingering in the air, Thrawnes own shout of “Vrem-Vir” echoing in the cavern all around him.

“Vis’Ibrit!” Thrawne roared, power racing through him with a ruby-red glow. Thrawnes hand curled into a fist, striking Hector clean in the jaw once again, knocking him back. Hector laughed, spitting out a tooth, accompanied by deep red blood. Thrawne bounced in place, light on his feet and fast as the wind, as Hector stood up in almost an instant.

“GENNHA!” The Lord of Kalmer shouted, as the ground around him began to turn to a lustrous golden color. The gold washed across the earth towards Alexander Thrawne, stretching up onto his boots and legs as soon as they touched them. The golden color hardened into pure metal, trapping Thrawne in place. He opened his mouth to speak another Rune, but Hector beat him to the punch.

“ZAFFRAN!”

With that word, spears of ice erupted up from the water below, skewering into Thrawnes hip, thigh, and left arm. No blood flowed, for it was instantly frozen solid. Hector smiled at the success of his attack, but was perturbed to hear his Aunt, Ilyena, let out a chuckle. Before he knew what had happened, Thrawne had once again called forth the power of the Fire Rune, melting away the ice and cauterizing his wounds in an instant. He shouted in pain, but he focused and turned that pain into the will to keep fighting, as his mother had taught him, and as his grandfather had taught her.

“You are right, Hector. You are right. The price of victory is pain.” He said, still trapped in the now golden floor below. “Might I tell you something? This pain that I feel now, it is excruciating. In fact, I don’t think I have ever felt this much pain in my life.”

Hector nodded, knowing full well how much agony his opponent must have been feeling. He humored him. “And what of it?”

Thrawne smiled, and laughed, before turning down his head with a frightening look upon his face.

“I know a man. One I admire, and respect. He taught me many things. This pain… It would be nothing to him. He would not give up. And he would not want me to give up.” Thrawne said, turning his head up to the sky.

“FACTUS! I WILL NOT GIVE UP! HEM’IKOR!” He bellowed, his body levitated by the power of the sky rune, freed from the golden binds that awaited below. With immense speed and the power of flight, he soared through the air faster than any man had before. He shot down towards Hector, who had already begun tracing another Rune into the air. With the power of the Steel Rune, a hundred blades erupted from the earth, shooting out beneath Thrawne, as Hector tried to skewer him from the air. Mere feet away, the white-clad warrior smirked, as one final blade erupted from his own palm, just as Thrawne was upon him. The blade shot towards his head, but Thrawne did not even consider slowing down. He opened his mouth, the blade millimeters away from the back of his throat, as he spoke once again.

“GAR-DUVON!”

Hector's eyes opened wide as Thrawnes form morphed and twisted, the blade piercing nothing. Where Thrawne was, a cloud of smoke had appeared, which now blew behind him. Hector felt the thud of a hand upon his shoulder, as Thrawne spoke one final word.

“Nor’Eyn.”

Hector’s shoulder twisted with a rotation that soon overtook his entire body. Conjuring forth the Spin Rune, Thrawne closed his eyes so that he could not see the fate of Hector. The Great Lord's body flew back, rotating through the air like Raianels blade had before, out onto the field of sharp blades that Hector himself had summoned before. Thrawne turned as Hector let out a yell of pain, blood dripping from his body. Thrawne… Had won. He fell to one knee, breathing heavily, and whispering to himself.

“Elysia… I must thank you, too. Without your teachings as well, I could not have won…”

He looked up as the summoned blades vanished, as quickly as they had appeared, as a black sword flew out towards them, sundering them and taking them in. Nemesis flew back to Claudia, disappearing the moment it touched her palm. The woman applauded Thrawne, as her companion Ilyena rushed to the body of her nephew, just barely alive. Alexander was glad that he had not killed the man. But he was not so sure he would be so lucky with Claudia.

“Well done. I have not seen a Rune-Duel of such a caliber since before the Revolution. Aximand has taught you well.” Claudia said, smiling.

Thrawne looked up, towards the ceiling. At the mention of his name, he was reminded of Aximand, and wondered what he could possibly be doing. He shook his head, pushing away the thought. If his teacher had not seen it fit to join him here, then he must be busy with something else. At last, Thrawnes target was before him. He took a step towards her.

“Alexander. You are a brave and powerful warrior. But, I have something to ask of you. You mentioned Factus, before. Of course I know that you are allies, but I did not know he was your teacher.” She said, curious as to the mans response. Thrawne scoffed.

“Teacher? No, not quite. Partner may be the more accurate word. But that isn’t it. You served in the other keep, so I wouldn’t expect you to understand. Factus isn’t like you. He is a born leader. And he leads… By example. Those of us that fought at his behest did so not out of fear, or loyalty. But because we saw in him what we aspire to be. He teaches us to move forward, not with words, but by moving forward himself.” The man said, his heart resolute with the memories of the past.

He stepped towards Raianel, picking it up. To his surprise, Claudia motioned towards the pieces of sword that Hector had brought before.

“Go ahead. I’m sure you realize what we have realized. Take it. You earned the right to wield it.”

Thrawne stepped forward, towards the broken weapon. As he approached, Raianel shuddered in his hand once again, flying out towards the fragments of sword, uniting with them in a brilliant display of golden light. The white blade of the sword was bathed in golden flame, the entire item now shimmering with unbelievable luster and light. Thrawne limped towards it, taking it in his hand. In that instant, the wounds he had suffered were no more, his body healed as if he had rested for weeks. The sapphire amulet around his neck seemed to glow when bathed in the light of this sword, as memory once again stirred.

“My son… You were born to do great things. For glory is your right, by way of birth. You must live your life fully, without regret, without hesitation, that you might find that glory. And if you do, when you do… Then the Radiant Blade of the Ascendant Phoenix will awaken once more.”

A tear flowed from Thrawnes eye as he remembered the words of his mother, long forgotten to him until now. He turned to face Claudia.

“Raianel is reborn. Come. I will show you what else I have been taught!”