15. Duel

Mirōven turned around and looked at the lady in black. She had single handedly destroyed the life he had ever known, and he didn't even know her name. And now she was threatening him with even more blood on his hands.

The One Army stood motionless below him on the mountainside; the woman stood between him and the immoblie Andrew, Princess and Shadowfoot. Mirōven unclenched his hand, and the hilt of his dagger, the dragon head, fell to the ground. The blade had crumbled to dust.

The Lady in Black extended her hand and held it out to him, urging him to take it. "Join me Mirōven" she cooed, " There has been enough destruction"

Mirōven looked behind her, at Andrew holding Princess. He remembered her words. Laura was alive, she was out there somewhere. For a breif second Cassandra's beautiful face flashed through his mind.

Mirōven looked back at the lady in black, his eyes set in stone. "What's your name?" He asked coldly.

The sorceress  laughed softly. "Oh how rude of me. After all these years" she chuckled, " Names no longer hold any significance to me Mirōven. Call me what you will"

Mirōven looked at her, blood boiling within him. She was still toying with him. This had to stop, enough was enough.

Mirōven unclenched his hand. The dragon hilt ,which had fallen to his feet, rose up and fit snugly into his palms. Mirōven closed his hand around it. The air near the hilt edge began to swirl and glow, and in less than a second a new blade formed where the old one had been.

"I had vowed never again... And yet you force my hand. You have no name, I call you Oblivion. Because that's where I am sending you." Mirōven locked eyes with her.

"Tricks of your own huh Mirōven. Let's see what you can do" Oblivion said, rising into the air. She floated a full feet above the ground and smirked down at Mirōven.

"You said you had watched me from childhood" Mirōven said flatly, " But you lied. Else you wouldn't have tried this child's trick with me"

Mirōven snapped his fingers and the lady in black, Oblivion, came crashing down onto hard rock. She lay still for a moment in shock, and then rolled back onto her feet. Her hood had fallen off, revealing a startlingly beautiful face, framed by ebony black shoulder length hair. Oblivion smiled a bit and spat out blood. Rubbing the blood from her lips, she straightened up.

"So I wasn't wrong after all" she breathed,"You are powerful"

"Way more than you can even imagine" Mirōven replied, taking a step towards her. He pointed his free hand at Oblivion. Thick green vines sprouted out of thin air and coiled themselves around her, binding her. Oblivion did not resist. In two quick strides Mirōven was beside her and placed his dagger over her throat.

"Goodbye" he said, and plunged the knife into her throat. With the sharp sound of breaking glass, the form the vines had bound exploded into a thousand pieces and fell all around him.

"You underestimate me Mirōven", came a soft voice from behind him. Mirōven spun around, and came face to face with Oblivion. She lightly touched his chest with two fingers, and Mirōven was thrown backwards, crashing into what was left of the glass dummy. Mirōven lay still for a moment, and then sliwly climbed onto all fours, gasping for breath.

"Am happy Mirōven", she continued, "I will admit, there were times when I doubted you. But no longer. You are the key to my success"

Mirōven looked at Oblivion, and in one quick movement sent his dagger flying at her with deadly precision. Oblivion was faster. She caught the dagger between her two fingers, and stopped it in its trajectory inches from her face. She let it go and the dagger clattered to the ground.

Mirōven was back on his feet. He opened his palms, and the dagger came flying back to him. Oblivion looked at him, and smiled.

Mirōven suddenly fell to his knees and plunged the dagger into the ground. A crack formed in ground and rapidly grew into a chasm speeding towards the lady in black. Oblivion clapped her hand, and a translucent force field rushed out and surrounded her. The chasm stopped in its tracks where the field began, and, it's duty done, the field began to shimmer out of existence. Not giving her a pause, Mirōven let his dagger fly again. Oblivion side stepped it, and pointed at it. The dagger exploded into dust mid air. The hilt, unharmed yet again, clanged down the mountainside. Oblivion turned, and came face to face with Mirōven.

"Your turn" he said, and punched her on the chest. Oblivion flew backwards and crashed into the rocks near the cave entrance. She slowly fell onto her knees, coughing.

Mirōven held out his hand as he walked towards Oblivion. He dragon hilt came flying up the mountain side, a new blade forming even as it flew to him.

Mirōven jumped, dagger aimed at the lady's heart. Oblivion rolled away just in time, and clapped her hands again. The forcefield rushed out and closed itself solidly around Mirōven. Mirōven lay suspended in mid air inside the force field bubble, dagger still poised.

"Not bad Mirōven" Oblivion said as she slowly pulled her hood back on, "Am almost impressed. A little rusty though, nothing I can't take care of."

"Now.."she said looking around her and spotting Andrew and all the rest still stuck in time, "enough for one day. I'll be on my way. But" she looked back at Mirōven and gave him a slightly winked at him, "a little parting gift for you. To remember the happy times by."

She pointed and and a violet flash of light shot from her fingertips. It flew towards Andrew and Shadowfoot, covering them both in its unearthly aura.

"See you again Mirōven" the lady in black said as she began to fade out of view.

"NOOOO" a cry burst out from Mirōven as the force field holding him gave away. He landed onto his feet and rushed to where Oblivion was standing, but was too late. She was already gone.

Mirōven looked towards Andrew and Shadowfoot. The violet aura around them was opaque now, but slowly fading away. Mirōven dreaded what he would see.

The aura faded away revealing Andrew still in place. He was exactly as he had been before the aura had struck him, except that his clothes were in tatters now. Shadowfoot was nowhere to be seen.

The time freeze spell Oblivion cast also lost it hold, and everyone on the mountainside, except Mirōven, fell suddenly to the ground, unconscious from the shock of the time freeze.

"Say hello to your werewolf brother for me" came one final sneering taunt to Mirōven from the already disappeared Oblivion.

14.Choices

When the lady in black opened her eyes,there was an odd mixture of surprise and mirth on her face.It was true that things hadn’t entirely gone according to plan,but now they were falling in place.A brilliant streak of a plan flashed across her mind and she adjusted her hood,now ready to appear before the trapped men in the cave.

Miroven brandished his knife in his hands and began to move towards the mouth of the cave.

Andrew looked at him once,meeting the determination in his eyes.

“Till the end brother,Till the end.”,he told Miroven gently stroking Princess’s fur.

Tumultous roaring in the background,the two men walked valiantly forward.They weren’t going to cower and hide with fear.

“There!!In the cave!!”,came the yells the moment Miroven and Andrew stepped out.A feathered arrow whizzed past,missing Andrew’s nose by a hair breadth.The two brothers took in how severely outnumbered they were and realized that they would be fighting a losing battle.

Beside them,Princess gave a muffled yelp and collapsed into a heap.She had been struck.

“Princess!!!” both brothers cried out at the same time.Andrew bent down unmindful of the volley of arrows that were now raining down upon them.He gazed lovingly at his companion as she licked his hand tenderly,the light in her eyes fading fast.

No one noticed the ripples that developed in the air.There was an odd shimmer,a haze near the cave and then the air parted,like a curtain of tulle being drawn apart.A slender figure stepped out from it and walked straight at the One Army,seemingly dauntless.

A pale hand rose for a moment and all time stopped.The men who were only a moment ago charging ahead froze altogether,now resembling toy soldiers of some giant kid.Only Miroven was unaffected.

“You!!!!”

“And thus we meet again,my boy.You have been foolish.Very very foolish.Thinking that you could go off defying me and expecting me to do nothing about it..It was a pity though,your wife was a pretty lady..can’t say the same about the children though..it took such a great while to silence the younger one.If only you had accepted my offer,they needn’t have died.You are responsible for their deaths..oh,you just had to join me.And now.Again.Thinking that you could fend off a hundred men single handedly..your recklessness is your Achilles heel,Miroven.

I have to say that initially your refusal to work with me annoyed me to a very great extent.To think that you were as foolish as to choose that rustic woman over me.I have watched you from your childhood.I know you more than anyone else does; to such a great degree have I observed you.Let it not be said that I was not merciful.I am willing to give you a second chance.Do not even for a moment get ideas and think that you can somehow defeat me.The fellow you had with you the other day believed that he could,and ofcourse,I showed him otherwise..how could I have not..”

“So it was you who killed the General?”

“Yes..Smart fellow he must have been.For I observed that you were his captive,all bound up with ropes.But not smart enough.Or perhaps just a little less foolish than you.”

"Never will I ever have anything to do with your evil schemes."

"Oh,don't you be too sure.Perhaps what you need is just a little incentive.You love your brother here very much,don't you?And this shaggy beast of his, lying lifeless next to him?I'll do him a favour and arrange both of them to meet again.Or would you prefer that I choose Laura instead?"

"What do you mean?Laura??My daughter?She's alive??Where's she ?"

Mirōven ran at her,knife in his hand.But as he neared,the weapon crumbled into dust.Still,he charged at her with hate in his eyes.

She side stepped very easily and yawned lazily.

"Don't be so hasty Mirōven.I can take you to your daughter..I can save both of you from your enemies here and grant you empires to rule. The promises of wealth and gifts still hold.I extend to you my offer once again.Share my powers..Let's rule the world."

                                ***

13. A Hard Place

"That's a pretty big whooper you got on your head Mirōven"a voice chuckled, "wouldn't be surprised if you'll be seeing things for a while now"

Mirōven winced open his eyes. He was still lying on the cave floor, but the rope binding him was gone. His head still hurt. Mirōven reflexively felt around his waist, his dagger was intact and in place.

It was beginning to get dark outside. He must have been out cold for a while. Mirōven looked for the source of the voice. Sitting near the cave entrance was a lean thin man, stroking the fur of a big beast which was lying on the floor. Mirōven recognised him.

"Andrew?"

Andrew looked at him.

"Right you are old friend"

Andrew picked up a bottle from the floor near him and walked over to Mirōven. He helped Mirōven to a sitting position with his back against the cave wall. Taking a bit of the potion from the bottle, Andrew spread it over the dark bruise on Mirōven's forehead.

"How did you.."

"Find you? You underestimate the force of love a brother has Mirōven. I knew you were in trouble and my sense of loyalty lead me."

Mirōven looked up at Andrew. Andrew burst out laughing

"I kid", he chuckled, continuing to apply the healing potion, "I met up with Shadowfoot in the forest, he got restless when you didn't show up and followed your scent here."

As if on cue, Mirōven's big wolf bounded into the cave. He gave Princess a quick snarl before running over to Mirōven. Andrew moved a bit back to give rider and wolf space. Mirōven hugged Shadowfoot and held him close, running his hand across the warm black fur.

Mirōven looked back up at Andrew, continuing to stroke Shadowfoot .
"But what are you doing in Akram? The last I saw you.. well I don't remember. At Grelf Beach?" Asked Mirōven, and suddenly stiffened as another thought crossed his mind " Where is General?"

"Slow down buddy. And I thought you were glad to see me" Andrew smirked as he moved back to Princess and sat down near her. He started stroking her fur once again, applying the potion, " I didn't come to Akram, was just passing by. Got a good offer to take care of a few rotten elves up north. And I know nothing about any General, unless it is the dead guy a little off outside you are talking about. Shadowfoot got extra agitated when he saw him."

"General's dead?" Mirōven was taken aback.

"So it seems I think"Andrew shrugged, "And in case you were thinking, I had nothing to do with it. Found him such. Was too bony, else Princess would've had him"

Mirōven placed a hand on his head and closed his eyes. It was supposed to be simple in and out bounty job, and he had messed up bad. General was dead. The One Army wouldn't be happy. His head hurt. Mirōven sighed.

There was a sudden commotion coming form outside, a lot of shouting and wailing. Andrew and Princess were immediately on their feet. Mirōven held onto an alert Shadowfoot and kept an eye on the entrance. The shouts grew louder and more numerous.

Andrew motioned all of them to stay still. Pulling his shawl over his face once again, covering his one bad eye, he sneaked to the cave entrance and peeked out. He stayed there absolutely still for a few moments, then crept back. Motioning princess not to move, he knelt down near to Mirōven.

"Trouble I think", he whispered, "Lottsa people gathered around that General guy you were speaking about. All armed. Around a hundred I would say"

Terror washed over Mirōven in waves.

"The One Army", he whispered.

######

Leo stared in disbelief. He had prayed the scout had made a mistake when he reported seeing a body.  But there was no denying it now. General lay sprawled on the ground in front of him, legs bent at unnatural angles. Blood soaked the soil near his head and a big blot had blackened the centre of his father's chest, as if someone had hit him with a sledgehammer. General's eyes were still open and in his right hand he clutched a crushed fruit from a nearby tree.

Braider placed a hand on Leo's shoulder. Leo barely registered it. His father was supposed to initialise him today, today was his 18th. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The commotion behind Leo was gathering momentum as more and more of the One Army regrouped at a respectful distance behind their fallen leader and the news spread amongst them.

The kid was in shock, Braider noted. General had been a good friend and mentor, but now was not the time for emotion. He had to handle things delicately if the One Army had to survive this blow. Braider looked at General's son, and he couldn't make up his mind on whether or not the kid could step into the shoes of one of the greatest men he had ever met.

Leo suddenly bent down on one knee. He stayed still for a moment, and then slowly, deliberately, closed his father's eyes. He got back up on his feet, and looked at Braider with remorseless eyes. Braider saw the determination he had very often seen in General's eyes flash through Leo's. The One Army's Commander made up his mind.

"I want revenge" Leo said.