Marek awoke to the violent shakings of Artelk.

“Wake up, Marek. For god’s sake, please don’t be dead yet!” Marek gave off a slight groan, “I’m not dead yet, but when I find him, he will be…”

“Find who? Who did this?”

“The emperor’s dark sorcerer. He calls himself Darklight.”

The name struck a chord in Artelk. It was deep and mysterious, but he could not place it. All he knew was Emelia was missing and this ‘Darklight’ character had taken her. He had only known her for a short period of time, but he was already fixated by the way she questioned with such an inquisitive nature and the way she threw herself whole heartedly into the cause, while keeping calculations throbbing in her mind.

Marek looked at Artelk with a confirming gaze, “Another damsel in distress…” Marek made his way up the corridor, Artelk following. “But we don’t even know where they took her…”

As they emerged in the bustling streets, Marek said, “Do you remember what she told us? The emperor is coming to visit to inspect the troops. She must be right. If Darklight is here, then he will definitely arrive. He feels completely safe with his most trusted around him. We shall start where she started.” “Where’s that?” “The warrior hall.”

As they made their way through various parts of the city, Marek filled in Artelk on what little knowledge he had of Darklight. “Apparently, he was once a knight of Arlesen. However, he didn’t conform to authority, nor did he give mercy during training bouts. He was probably their most valuable asset, but because they couldn’t control him, they exiled him. In way of redemption, he took up black arts to try to redeem himself. However, to the Order of Arlesen, exile is exile and they will not change their verdict. Corrupted by the power and overwhelmed with anger, he began a systematic killing of the masters of Arlesen. One man in particular noticed this brutal skill…” “The emperor?” “Yes. He offered the accomplished black mage great wealth and godlike powers if he was loyal to him. He accepted without hesitation.” Artelk’s face showed his confusion, “But what does all of this have to do with you?” “Absolutely nothing… yet... He began working as loyal as he said. He was made a Lord and had many people working for him. I was one of those people. I worked as a soldier in his personal military unit. We were his secret command. If no one else could be trusted, we were there. However, one night, as we drank a victory, he began to speak of a dojo that ‘used to exist’ on the Kendo path leading from the city…” “That was…” Marek gave a slight nod. “I heard the words. How he’d triumphantly destroyed an entire dojo by his own hand. How he killed all those who stood in his way and how he had no ‘real’ challenge. The pain of his words was far too unbearable. I rose to my feet and exclaimed that he hadn’t done his job well or at all in fact. He couldn’t understand my impertinence until my face finally dawned on him. He rose to his feet and used his magic to force me across the room. But his drunkenness didn’t hold him well and his magic didn’t hold me well. I broke unto a furious flurry of blows, beating him almost to death before the rest of his ‘elite’ managed to drag me off of him. I fought hard and escaped, but he has sworn vengeance ever since.” “So that’s why he wants to rip you apart? Because you almost killed him?” “I’d say it was a pretty good reason. He knew that his magic wasn’t strong enough, even if he wasn’t drunk, so he began learning espionage tactics. But that shadow trick, I never saw that one before.” “I guess you both have learned a lot…”

Artelk was about to pose another question, but was interrupted by the erratic movement of Marek, pinning a rather small, slim man against the wall by his throat. “You will return that now!” Marek said in a stern voice. The man was utterly shocked, “Pardon sire?” His tone was quite well structured for such a ragged looking man. “Don’t play dumb with me. I have neither the time nor the patients.” “I have no clue to what you refer, my good man.” Marek’s grip tightened and the man rose a little further off the ground. Artelk stepped in and tried to calm Marek down, “Hey, come on now. He may be telling the truth.” Marek gave Artelk a sharp stare before reaching into the folds of the slim mans robes, producing a small pouch that Artelk recognised immediately. “Hey! That’s my money!” “Yeah,” said Marek, “and this is a well known, well established thief. Try that again and it won’t be my hand around your throat, it will be my blade. Do you understand?” The man gave a slight gurgle of agreement, at which Marek dropped the man, who fell, choking slightly from such a tight grip. “Go tell your ‘friends’ the same.” The man made quick haste from the presence of the men, who continued on their way to the hall.

“Marek, one final question, if you will.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Where is the master?”

Silence befell Marek before he finally brought up the courage to release the bad news. “Darklight shot him in the back with a poisoned arrow as we made our escape. He died within seconds.”

Out of nowhere, Marek asked a very strange question, “Do you have any siblings, Artelk?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, when master died, I lost all family, along with all hope. I was wondering if you had someone to think of when you fight.”

Artelk knew that, if you had no one to fight for, fighting became hollow and a victory wasn’t a victory, but merely an extension of a lonely life. “I have a brother.”

“Where is he?”

“I have no idea, we were separated as children.”

Marek accepted the answer and noted that they were at the warrior hall.

A huge precession had gathered around its entrance, waiting to praise their beloved emperor. This was mainly because, on arrival, he would always disperse ‘tokens of his esteem’ in the form of coins and food, thrown ‘lovingly’ into the crowd. Cheers of his name echoed in the acoustic street. “Vartica! Vartica! Vartica!” The name also echoed in the hearts of the two knights, but it held a different weighting. One of hate and despise for his ‘unofficial’ actions.

The cheer rose astronomically in decibel, signalling his arrival. Marek and Artelk made their way to the front of the precession, watching the horse drawn float dragging the throne at a steady pace as food and coinage was thrown from it and as the emperor waved in his own moral highness. He would be dethroned, even if it was the last thing either man could do. Marek caught sight of Darklight standing like a hero beside Vartica, smug and gleeful of his high status.

Marek moved forward out of line to attack, but was quickly pulled back in by Artelk who pointed out Darklight’s ‘elite’ who followed the float in military marching formation. Marek was good, but even with Artelk along side him, he would be overwhelmed by the marching menace. He would wait, even if every part of him told him to destroy the black magician.

The entrance took its time, people falling in sheer ecstasy as the emperor laid a hand on them. But when the emperor and his minions disappeared through the doorway of the warrior hall, the crowd slowly dispersed.

Hiding in the shadowed shelter of the smith’s across the road, the two waited for their moment to approach the cleared applicant’s entrance to the building. The crowd dispersed completely and they made their move.

Bursting in the doors, they were stopped by a servant. “We aren’t accepting today, if you hadn’t guessed.” Marek grabbed the man by the throat, “We aren’t applying”, at which, he tore the man’s throat out and forced it into the man’s gaping mouth. Artelk drew his overtly large sword and Marek called upon his spirit sword, making their way through the corridors to the torture room. Every warrior hall had one, just in case a warrior applied for the ‘wrong’ reasons.

They forced their way in, clearing the door from its hinges. There was Emelia, chained to the wall and sagging in fatigue. The noise awoke her, the sight of her ‘saviours’ made her breathe a sigh of relief. Artelk rushed to her and slashed the chains from the wall, grabbing her weapon as he did, which was deliberately put just out of her reach. It was a very common and very good torture method. It gave the captors the will to continue. But as he handed her the weapon, a voice spoke from behind all three, “I knew you’d come. Time is inevitable and you are predictable.” Marek knew who it was before he even turned to face the intrusion. “Darklight, I hear no other men with you. Are you feeling brave?” Marek turned to face the armoured demon.

Darklight lifted his arm to shoulder level, creating his own spirit sword of the same blue hue as Marek’s, greatly to the trio’s surprise. “What? You thought you were the only one with that skill? Now I shall end what I started seven years ago. Are you prepared to die?” Marek’s confidence didn’t waver for a moment, “No, but you should be.” “Ha! You weren’t as confident back then. When you watched your father die in your arms as I delivered the poison of knowledge.” Marek was filled with anger, but confused as well. “The poison of knowledge? What is that?” “I drain the poison and I gain his knowledge. Your father’s knowledge. His memories. The truth about you…” The words made the other two inquisitive, but they knew this wasn’t the time for such trivialities. Artelk stepped forward, but was warded off by Marek. “This isn’t your fight. He has a lot to answer for, and I shall make him answer for it.”

“So, it has come to this? Overconfidence and petty insults? Let’s see if your skill is as flamboyant as your words…”

Darklight’s eyes burned in the still moment before the attack, Marek’s face full of anger and hatred for the being before him. The force of compulsion came and both men went for the attack, striking swords and sending sparks flying from the collision. Repeated attacks forced the two competitors to move around the room, the other two, only able to watch as Marek unleashed hell upon the demon that has taken his last hope for living. The swords locked and sparks flew, but as the glow accentuated the rage in Marek’s face, it also accentuated the excitement of Darklight. Both men slid to their right in an attempt to side step from the lock, keeping their blades firmly forced together. Sliding backwards, the tips of the blades touched, creating a blinding light. Marek took full advantage of Darklight’s bedazzled state, spinning a horizontal blow that cut a slice in the chest plate of Darklight.

“What? This isn’t supposed to happen?! I know all your moves!”

“Time may be inevitable, but so much can happen in that time…” With the conversation terminated, Marek whipped his body around, vertically slicing a second gash in the chest plate of the armoured sorcerer, creating a cross that seemed to burn the very soul of Darklight. Darklight held the wound lightly, “Very amusing. A cross. I am no mythical vampire.” He said arrogantly. Marek showed his lack of fear, “No, but it will be a similar cross that I crucify you on.”

Before the battle, in which the victor would be quite apparent, could continue, the commotion had alerted five of the elites, whose entrance made the perfect escape for Darklight, who made a swift exit.

Immediately, Marek grabbed the sword of the first elite with his left had, using the blade on his right to decapitated the soldier. The second approached apprehensively but now the other two free spirits joined the battle, at which Artelk broke the skull of the militant with the flat of his blade. The final three-on-three ensued. As Marek usually did, he broke his opponent swiftly and literally, rolling down the lunged sword and behind the attacker, dispersing his spirit sword and shattering his spine with a massively powerful punch. Artelk clashed his sword with his combatant, drawing them to the ground, tip to tip. He span to the mans left, ‘removing’ his leg, drawing the blade back the way it came, cutting the man in two across his stomach. Emelia had caught her opponent’s sword in her ring, in which she flipped over the sword, tearing it from the hands of the unworthy being. Now, she had a choice. Could she kill him as heartlessly as Artelk and Marek had killed their opponents, or would she, again, take mercy on the pleading man? Neither of the two knights said a word. This was her decision. She had to decide if this was going to be a simple adventure to ease her loneliness or was it a true quest for revenge. Keeping this in mind, she grabbed the man at either side of his head, kissed him softly on the forehead and spoke, “Forgive me…” the soldier breathed a sigh of relief at which, she snapped his neck.

Marek made an immediate move for the door. Artelk spoke, “Hold on! Where are you going?!” “I’m going after Darklight.” said Marek, with a slight look of bemusement. “We got what we came for; now let’s leave with our heads, shall we?” Marek gave Emelia a glance at which she returned one of agreement. Breathing a sigh, Marek motioned that they were right, and so the trio left the building, carefully checking every corner so that they were not spotted.

Darklight stood in front of the emperor, head searching the floor. The emperor stood. He was a rather mediocre man in build, but his robes accentuated his fair and smooth complexion. His long, pure grey hair swayed with the breeze. By all means, he was a very attractive man and was the talk of all the Ladies in the land. But his face was harsh now, and his usual calm, charming tone had disintegrated into a harsh growl. “So let me get this straight! Let me get this absolutely clear and without a doubt! You had two traitors and the Golden Valkyrie cornered in a room, and you didn’t call for assistance…” “But my liege…” “You dare interrupt me? You will be silent until I have finished! You had all of them cornered in a lockable room, unaware of your presence and you first, notified them of your arrival, then you didn’t call for assistance. Then, when assistance finally came by the grace of god, you cowered away from the battle that you were so confident of winning, to let five of your best men get slaughtered. And even then! When they were still in the building, you, the great sorcerer, lost them?!” Darklight dare not lift his head, but simply spoke, “Yes, your highness.” “Well?” Darklight was confused. “Well… what, your excellence?” “Well, what are you planning to do about this?!” Darklight lifted his head and spoke loud and clear, “I will have my best men scour the city! I will personally scout their hideout.”

The emperor now sat in his throne, resting his head on his hand. “You know how important The Golden Valkyrie is to us. We have to get that ring. Find her now. Not tomorrow, not later on, right now!”