Rise of the DarkWalker: The Chronicles of Carter Blake, Book II

Carter unbuckled his cuirass and his temporary squire pulled it away. She passed him a wooden bucket of water as he sat in his tent. He emptied the contents over himself. The comparatively cold water helped clear his mind and cooled him off at the same time. Shaking his head, he wiped water from his eyes and blew more from his mouth.

Opening his eyes, he accepted the offered towel and rubbed his chest down. “Bloody hell, I’m stiff.”

“It’s due to all the hits you took in the grand melee. From the way they focused on you, I’d say the other combatants weren’t happy to have you there.” She ran a stiff brush over the leather of his armor.

“You’re correct. They were not pleased.”

“Milord, why did you not object to running this gauntlet of challenges? Lord Hathshire is also recently arrived, and he did not have to.”

He placed his fist near his hip on his upper thigh and leaned forward, his other hand playing with his beard. After a few minutes, he glanced at the red-haired young woman. Though she appeared to be focusing on the task at hand, her body language told him she waited for his answer.

“To send a few messages to the assholes who made this tourney necessary.”

She dropped his cuirass at the expletive and then hurriedly picked it up again.

“The most important message is crossing the queen in the future will get them a severe punishment from me.”

The squire turned to him. “Why from you, Milord?”

“Because I’ll be her husband, and I protect my queen with force.”

“Milord, if I may be so bold, but if you don’t win, would you take me?”

Carter lifted his cuirass over his head and fastened it down. “That is bold indeed.”

A trumpet sounded, signaling the beginning of the one-on-one combat.

“I apologize, Milord.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.” He placed his helmet on and strode from the tent as he secured it in place.

The sun was high in a clear and cloudless sky and the heat was up, causing a shimmer to the air. Sand crunched underfoot. Nobles sat in seats around the arena walls. The queen sat under a canopy with guards at her shoulders.

He traversed the arena grounds and discovered Angriz already out and performing a loosening routine. ‘Oh great. The fucker now wields a fucking great sword.’

The half-dragon spun his weapon with one hand, causing the weapon to almost sing as it sliced through the air. Angriz spotted him and sheathed his sword at his hip. Both men approached the raised dais and knelt before the queen.

She rose and gazed upon the warriors for a moment. She raised her hand, and then, “Rise, ye mighty, and BEGIN!”

Carter leaped to his feet and jumped away, drawing his sword as he moved. Angriz took his time about it. He then cast his large blade to the ground at the Walker’s feet.

He froze, not sure what his opponent had planned.

“I yield to Lavitz,” Angriz said. His deep voice carried to the crowd who buzzed unhappily. “Yesterday morning, he saved my life. I’ll not cross blade with him.”

Carter used his foot to flip the great sword back towards his opponent. “Pick it up, Sir. I did not battle all those others for you to surrender to me. I came for a challenge and I shall have one.”

He watched the section of the arena closest to Adora, carefully ignoring her. The gathered men whispered to one another while another stared right at him. ‘Must be the ringleader of this whole charade. He’s dangerous.’

Angriz stood with his arms to his side. “I said I cannot fight you. My honor forbids it.”

“No? Does your honor allow you to ignore the stain on your whore queen’s behalf?”

Carter sighed. ‘Forgive me, Adora. I do not mean these words.’

“Ware yourself, Lavitz. I will kill you for insulting the Queen.”

“The queen you can’t be bothered to fight for?” Carter sheathed his sword, and turned away, but not far enough to lose sight of the half-dragon. “She can’t be that good, if she has a half-bred who won’t even fight on her behalf. Then again, I’ll probably see her later when I visit the brothels.” He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, lifting it partly.

With a roar, Angriz charged him, not even bothering to pick up his sword.

‘Fuck. He was supposed to use his weapon. This is gonna suck.’

He drove sideways into Angriz’s feet, knocking the warrior to the ground. He rolled and then rose, and cast aside his sword as the angry man charged him again. This time, he stood his ground.

Angriz swung wildly, leading with his claws.

Carter pin wheeled his arms back out of the way, twisting his body to either side, keeping his chest out of reach as well.

A thunderous kick to the chest sent the Walker flying to crash into the wall beneath Adora’s seat.

Angriz leaped feet first at the dazed Carter.

Seeing the dark shape flying towards him, Carter somersaulted forward, managing to barely get out of the way of the attack.

Rising to his feet, he intercepted Angriz’s next assault by slamming his forearms against the half-dragon’s and moving back.

Again and again, he blocked or dodged.

In desperation, he lashed out with a kick to Angriz’s stomach, causing him to double over.

Shaking his arms, Carter moved out of range.

He rubbed the sting from his arms. ‘Damn. He hits as hard as the demon lord Chronweis.’

Angriz looked at the ground and then picked up his great sword.

‘Fucking hell. I should have accepted his forfeit. What was I thinking?’

As the half-dragon strode forward, Carter retreated in a counter-clockwise arc. He watched closely, knowing he’d have seconds at most to react. Angriz stopped his advance and moved sideways.

‘Gods damn it. He’s realized I was angling for my sword and now cut me off. Well, as long as he stays out of his range, I’m golden.’

Carter threw a quick glance behind him. ‘The wall is too far away.’ As he returned his focus to Angriz, he saw the half-dragon take a deep breath.

He raced forward before dropping and rolling as a great gout of flame shot over him, scorching his body as it passed.

As he rose to his feet, he was met with a kick to his chest that sent him flipping heels over head and left him breathless.

He tried to pull in air, but a flashing agony left him unable. He tried again as his panicked brain fought for oxygen.

Angriz lifted him in the air by the top of his head and a fist slammed into his mouth.

His vision went grey.

“Kill him!”

Angriz looked to the stands. One of Donnell Maverick’s men stood near the railing, hands gripping the top of it so tightly his knuckles whitened.

“I will not. I have killed none of the other challengers for Her Majesty’s hand.”

Maverick leaned forward. “None of the others insulted the queen. You’d be doing him a mercy, killing him quickly, as opposed to him having his tongue ripped out and being quartered for his crime. Would you not agree, Sir Angriz?”

Angriz growled as he looked for guidance. Adora gave him a slow nod.

Once more he bent and lifted Carter by the top of his head.

“Thanks, buddy.” Carter clapped his hands to the sides of Angriz’s head, just behind his snout.

Bellowing with pain, the half-dragon warrior released his enemy who then thrust both his fists into his chest as he landed on his feet.

Carter gave his head a quick shake as he kicked the inside of Angriz’s left knee hard enough to buckle it.

Angriz fell to his knee as he cried out.

Grabbing the back of the warrior’s head, Carter pulled it forward as he thrust his right knee up hard.

Angriz fell and landed on his back, unconscious.

Carter looked up to the queen’s box. “I apologize for what I said to provoke Sir Angriz, Your Highness. Though my words were a slight to your honor, they were not intended to belittle yourself, but to anger the great knight that he would battle me.”

“Your crime will not stand, outlander!”

Carter glanced over at the one who shouted. He snorted and then returned his attention to Adora. “What say you, Majesty? Will you accept my apology?”

“Apology or no, you broke the law!” The man jumped into the arena and hurried over to Carter.

The Walker of Worlds whirled around, clamped his hand around the interloper’s throat, hoisted him into the air with one hand, and spun, slamming him against the arena wall below the queen’s seat. “Do not dare to presume to tell me of breaking laws when you yourself try to speak over Her Grace.” He thrust the man away from him and released his hold.

Adora watched as Corbin tumbled over the ground after he’d been thrown. Carter was far stronger than he’d been three years ago, and he’d killed a half-demon Prince of the Abyss then. ‘I wonder how this will play out. Will Corbin manage to provoke Carter into killing him, or is the man I – like going to be the sort of person I could-’

“You’ll pay for that insult.” Corbin screamed as he got up.

“Please, put it on my bill.”

“I’ll kill you.”

“No.” Carter shook his head. “It would be the height of stupidity for you to even try.” He gestured to Angriz’s unconscious form. “Look what I did to him. You’re not even close to the level of his squire.”

“I’m better than he was.”

Carter laughed. “Then why are you not King?”

In response, Corbin drew his sword.

Again Carter shook his head. “Don’t do it. It’s not worth it.”

The other man screamed and charged.

Carter sighed. “So be it.”

He took three long strides forward, and thrust his foot in his attacker’s face, cutting off his scream as he hit the ground.

He raised his foot and looked down at the bloody faced man. “Feel better? Get that all out of your system?” He moved closer to the arena wall. “Or do you want to try again?”

The man held his face as he rolled to his feet and spat a few teeth to the ground. He picked his sword out of the dirt and charged again.

As he chopped at Carter with an overhead strike, the Walker of Worlds stepped to the side and spun on his right leg.

The man’s sword dug itself into the dirt of the arena.

At the same time, Carter’s left foot smashed into the back of his assailant’s skull, sending him crashing to the ground like a rag doll.

He walked over to the fallen man and kicked his sword across the dirt. After nudging him onto his back to find the unknown man to be unconscious, Carter turned back to the crowd with his arms in the air.

“Are you entertained?” He bellowed to them.

The roar of the audience answered him.

He glanced up to the queen to find her with a wide smile as she applauded.