CHAPTER 10

THE CHALLENGE

“What are you doing?” Zaor whispered to me, this time more urgently.

“A challenge. He has accepted to fight me to the death in single combat,” I said simply. I expected an easy victory, Zaor realized that and finally nodded, I could see he saw the writing on the wall as well. “You have a plan?”

“There is no way I can lose,” I stated simply.

“There is no way you can lose, Jon Kirk,” Zaor repeated showing his sarcasim, “but I do not like it, and I do not believe it.”

Shamar shook his head, “I am not sure of this plan of yours, Jon Kirk, perhaps we should wait for Aron and my people to help us escape?”

I nodded, then added, “You may both be right, but when I see an opportunity to effect our escape, or to kill an enemy leader, I take it.”

Vaar and his men now roughly pushed us back from the throne and away from Okvon. I watched as the leader’s bodyguard then came out into the center of the audience chamber and formed up into a large four-sided square, creating a fighting area about the size of four boxing rings, which they blocked off using their armored bodies. The guards stood there shoulder to shoulder, shields, armor and swords ready.

Lord Mentep next came forward and addressed the audience, “Let the challenge begin. Our Supreme Leader’s bodyguard has marked off the fight area. The challenger should not attempt to run away when we release you, or when we give you a sword. There is no escape. Should you try to escape the fight area, the guards are ordered to cut you down immediately.”

“I shall not run away, I am ready and eager to fight your Lord,” I stated calmly.

“So you say now, but once you engage in battle with our valiant Supreme Leader and you taste the flash of his mighty swordplay, and see his supreme bravery, you will turn coward just as all others have done before you. Then you will be an easy kill. But you must fight and not run away.”

I nodded, looking at the blue hued leader, who was so grossly overweight I wondered how he would even be able to get out of his throne to fight me.

Then I spoke to this Lord Mentep, “Has your leader fought in many sword fights before?”

“Very many, and the Supreme Leader is undefeated in all of them,” Lord Mentep replied proudly, and this certainly surprised me.

I allowed a confident smirk, so this grossly overweight Supreme Leader has never lost a sword fight? That did not make any sense to me, and when things do not make sense then treachery may be afoot. I smelled a rat. A big fat rat.

“Bring the challenger into the fight area,” Lord Mentep ordered and Vaar and his men brought me through the line of bodyguards and placed me at one end of the fight square. They kept Zaor and Shamar bound and well guarded behind me outside the fight box so they could not aid me or interfere in any way.

Then Vaar, grinning broadly released the bonds on my hands, and then threw a sword to the floor a few feet in front of me.

Vaar laughed boldly, “Our Supreme Leader will make short work of you, Jon Kirk.”

“I think not,” I growled defiant.

Vaar just laughed as he left the fight area. I walked a couple of feet and picked up the sword from the floor. It was a good weapon, strong and well-balanced, an able fighting weapon. I was pleased with it. It would soon be tasting Okvon’s blood. I smiled, waiting for the battle to begin.

Then with much flourish, Okvon stood up from his throne and proclaimed to all boldly, “I accept the challenge of this barbarian outworlder. I will defeat him in battle sword to sword. I shall make short work of him. No opponent can stand against my brilliant and all-powerful swordplay. I am now ready to fight. I proclaim Tharn to be my champion!”

I looked up in surprise at that last word, blurting out, “What champion?”

My question was overpowered by the noise of eager excitement and cheers from all the Blues, who were certainly overjoyed by the announcement. It seemed they knew something I did not. Then when I saw this Tharn walk forward I realized that I had been very well snookered.

Much like Okvon, this Tharn was the largest Blue I had ever seen, but where Okvon was grossly overweight, a man with fat layered upon fat—this Tharn though of the same large size, was a giant who appeared to be made of muscle layered upon muscle. He was a monster. I looked at him as he strode confidently through the line of guards bordering our fight area. He was fully dressed in battle armor, held a small shield, and carried a long sword which he held ready in his hand. He carried his weapon effortlessly but with the confidence of much use. He certainly looked like he meant business. I was properly impressed and now very concerned.

“What is this!” I shouted again in anger. “The challenge was to you, Okvon, personally, not to your lackey!”

“Tharn is my personal bodyguard. He has never been defeated. He is my chosen champion,” Okvon stated boldly to the cheers of all those present. “Such is the way civilized men settle their differences, rather than uncouth barbarians!”

I was the uncouth barbarian.

The chant went up from the crowd of Blues, “Tharn! Tharn! Tharn!”

Tharn seemed to be the local favorite here and quite popular with the people. I could well see why. So I was to be served up in a fine and bloody show. Or so they thought!

I looked at this Tharn more closely. He was surely a mountain of a man. This was not working out as I had planned. It would not prove as simple a battle as I had first thought either.

Lord Mentep now came forward, “Though it is cowardly to do so, as the challenger, you are also allowed to choose a champion to fight for you. Perhaps one of the two prisoners over there?”

Zaor shouted, “I will fight!”

Shamer barked, “This is not fair, it is not honorable!”

“How about I choose you?” I asked Lord Mentep.

The Blue lord just smiled and shook his head in feigned sadness, “No, I am afraid that is not allowed.”

I nodded grimly, well I could see the way this was going. “So be it! I shall do my own fighting, I shall take on this Tharn sword to sword, blade to blade, and defeat him as I have all others.”

“Good. Now are both combatants ready?” Mentep asked looking to Tharn and then over to me.

We each nodded our heads that we were ready.

Lord Mentep now shouted the command, “Let the challenge commence!”

Loud cheers instantly went up from the crowd. Tharn’s name was shouted in joy with chants of victory against the ‘evil barbarian.’

The evil barbarian. That was me.

I slowly moved forward, studying my opponent carefully. He was huge, maybe not so fast, but no doubt a dangerous adversary. He was one and half times my size and as a result I am sure he thought I would be easy prey. Normally that might be true, but I had my Earthly muscles and physique that gave me incredible strength and stamina here upon Ares. So in that regard, we might be equals. It was our sword fighting ability that would prove the key in this battle. I never doubted my ability in that area. I grasped my sword firmly.

Tharn looked at me and leered evilly, then he spoke up loudly for the crowd, “I shall make your death slow and painful, to entertain this fine crowd. No one ever defeats the Supreme Leader in battle!”

The crowd cheered and chanted Tharn’s name in loud support.

“Hah! Some battle!” I growled defiantly.

Then Tharn shouted a loud war cry and suddenly ran at me with his sword held high in a vicious devastating blow. Our sword blades met with a loud clang of metal upon metal. Our blades struck hard and loud but I pushed him back. I had taken his hardest shot and held him off. I was feeling pretty good about that.

Then all of a sudden Tharn disappeared. “What?” I gasped surprised.

Then I knew.

Tharn had become invisible.

“What is this!” I barked loudly to Okvon and the crowd in shock and anger. “More treachery! Invisibility!”

“This is dishonorable!” I heard Zaor shout in support from behind me.

Laugher filled the room, with Okvon laughing the loudest of them all. They all seemed to find Tharn’s sudden transformation into invisibility quite amusing. I did not. I was now fighting an enemy almost twice my size and now I was unable to see him. Where was he? How could I fight such an opponent? I was in a bad fix now and knew it.

The laugher grew louder as frantically I looked around me for some way to tell the whereabouts of Tharn. There was nothing. I could see nothing. I could not find him. Where was he standing?

Suddenly I felt a slight nick upon my shoulder. I saw nothing but felt a light cut, and I saw a thin trickle of blood run down my arm. I had been blooded. I was sure that it was the first of many such cuts I would receive before Tharn finished me off. He had told me death would be long and slow, and now I understood what he meant. My slow death would be entertainment for the crowd in Okvon’s throne room.

The crowd cheered wildly with delight. They were certainly a blood-thirsty bunch.

I stood back, I was scared now. How could I fight someone I could not see? I tamped down my panic and tried to get a new and effective strategy with better tactics in order. I though it through quickly. I knew what I had to do.

“Hold, Tharn!” Okvon suddenly ordered as he stood up from his throne and spoke in a loud commanding voice. “Now you see the folly of your challenge, Jon Kirk. Now you see how I will defeat you in battle. You shall fight Tharn the way we Blues fight all our opponents. Unseen! Your time has come. You will not even see death coming! Now, Tharn, commence the fight!”

“Yes, Supreme Leader!” I heard the blue giant shout in reply.

I moved back, took a read on his position and made a bold charge to where I figured his voice had come from. My sword slashed back and forth, using speed with as many quick swipes as I could get in—they were taking the place of finesse now. It did not work. I did not strike anything. Then I felt another light cut on my left shoulder. A light trickle of blood ran down my left arm this time. I had been struck by Tharn again.

The crowd cheered.

I moved back, hoping I was in a part of the fight area out of his reach. I looked at the wall of bodyguards marking off our fight area. They all had their swords out now, ready, should I move too close to them they would dispatch me as they would any coward they thought trying to escape the line. I made sure to stay away from them.

I move a few steps to my right. Where was Tharn? How could I get a location on him? There had to be a way? I concentrated on anything that might give me his location. I looked for dust trails on the floor where his feet might have moved, I listened for his footfalls, his breathing. Nothing gave me a hint of his location.

Then I heard a light footfall behind me, I quickly turned and felt another nick of his blade cut my forearm this time. More of my blood flowed but these were superficial wounds so far. Tharn was playing with me for the amusement of the crowd and the crowd cheered his every move.

I had to concentrate. At the same time I became a whirlwind, slashing madly with my sword all around me in an attempt to keep Tharn away from me—or with any luck to actually connect against his body. All I sliced was a lot of empty air.

My sword hit nothing. Tharn was too fast and made sure to keep out of my range. He could see me, but I could not see him. That meant I was at a terrible disadvantage. I was getting desperate. Then he cut me once more, this time a bit more deeply. The crowd roared their approval and I realized I had better do something soon or I was doomed. I would not go down like this! I shook off all negativity. I still lived, and where there is life there is always hope! I steeled my heart for victory.

I slowly moved off, wary, keeping myself moving around the fight area, my blade clearing the air before me as I moved, concentrating now on sounds made by Tharn. My mind and ears blocked out the sound of the crowd, their chants, my footfalls, my breathing, instead concentrating entirely on Tharn. I heard his light footfalls, but these were hard to determine a location because he was moving fast too now. He did not stay still, neither did I.

Then I heard the sound of something, it was one of his accouterments. It came to me slightly, so lightly, but I knew now that it was the sound of a metal ring clanging lightly against a leather belt. I knew Tharn wore a leather harness and upon it was one metal ring used to attach items such as a dagger or small pouch. I heard the sound and concentrated upon it to the exclusion of all else.

Now I had a read on his position and I feigned hapless confusion, turned my back to him, then when I heard him come at me, I swung around and thrust my blade upwards in a bold stroke. It was a great move. Had he been visible to me, Tharn would have fallen down dead at my feet.

However, it was not to be. My blade missed. It only slashed empty air but then I saw something very interesting that made up for my missing sword strokes. It was just a tiny flash, instantaneous almost, and then gone. I wondered what it was. What had I actually seen?

I moved off, perplexed. I forget about the metal ring now. This was something else, much more interesting and perhaps even more crucial to my survival. I moved away, again, I always kept moving even as my mind raced and tried to make some sense out of what I had seen. I allowed a slim grin now, for I think I new what it was. What it was, was a chink in Tharn’s armor of invisibility and I made ready to exploit it.

I moved off keeping my blade always moving in front of me in an attempt to block his own blade, turning, always turning, as I tried to stay away from Tharn, as I thought this through to set up a trap.

Tharn came at me again and cut my left forearm. I winced in pain but smiled for I had seen that flash again. I saw it clearly this time. I moved away. The crowd cheered. I kept moving. Now I knew what I had seen, it was the very small tip of Tharn’s sword blade. Just the visible tip of his blade—but it was enough! It told me everything I needed to know.

I quickly moved off, always keeping moving, trying to figure this out and how I should play it. I realized now that somehow Tharn’s invisibility only extended to cover his body, along with perhaps an area surrounding his body of a foot or so in every direction. No more. That meant his body, along with, say a foot of space around every part of him, was invisible. Which meant that anything that extended outside the area of his body, like the tip of his sword, would be visible. What I was seeing was the tip of his sword point as he came at me with his blade. That was because his arm was extended away from his body in his cutting blow. His large sword now extended outside of the invisible protection zone surounding his hand and fingers. I knew I had him now!

I moved away, kept moving. Listening for Tharn. I knew he was coming at me again now. I heard the metal ring, and this time I reacted quickly and suddenly dropped down and rolled across the floor. I heard his heavy sword slam with a loud clang into the polished floor of the audience chamber. Broken granite chips from the floor flew up into the air, but the floor was all he hit that time. I was safe. He had missed me and I quickly moved off. The crowd booed his miss, and I knew Tharn would come at me all the harder now because of it. I had showed him up!

I kept moving. I knew he was coming. I got a bead on his direction from a slight ding of the metal ring on his belt, he was coming at me from the right side. I waited, then dropped down again, rolled across the floor. His sword came down, and this time I clearly saw the metal tip of his blade. That was all I needed to get a position on him.

I instantly plunged my sword upwards to the left and it struck something, hard flesh and muscle, I hoped. I pushed my blade home, deeper. I heard Tharn gasp and cry out. The crowd gasped and shouted, some of them now even cheering for me. Such is the fickleness of crowds in any life and death fight.

I heard Tharn gasp again as my blade sunk deep into him and then I heard what sounded like a death rattle. There seemed to be no response from my adversary now. I carefully approached the body, or the place where I thought the body was. I felt around. Yes, Tharn was dead. I grasped his body and moved it, and as I moved it, it left behind a heavy red smear of wet blood upon the polished throne room floor.

“Okvon screamed in rage, “Tharn! My Tharn! The barbarian has murdered Tharn!”

Lord Mentep quickly came forward with a group of blue warriors and ordered them to disarm me and hold me captive. Then he went to Tharn’s invisible body, dug around a moment for something on his waist, and then Tharn suddenly became visible again. I could see Tharn clearly now. He was dead and a bloody mess. My blade had found the center of his chest, pierced his heart.

I nodded, this was good. I now allowed a grim smile because I had just learned something very important. I realized that the secret of how the Vognars were able to become invisible was definitely because of some type of device they wore. That knowledge would prove most useful.

Lord Mentep ordered the guards to take me to Vaar and his men, “Take this barbarian away!”

“Away!” I shouted, “I won your fight! I should be set free!”

Lord Mentep looked at me harshly, “You were not supposed to win. Take him away!”

“Where is your honor!” Zaor shouted in anger.

Vaar and his guards only laughed and immediately grasped my bound arms and brought me away from the fight area. Then he made sure Zaor, Shamar and I were quickly hauled out of the Supreme Leader’s audience chamber and away from his exalted presence to be taken back to a large cold dark prison cell.

“You fought well, Jon Kirk,” Shamar said, voicing his admiration.

“You won a noble victory against an invisible treacherous adversary,” Zaor said in anger and respect. “I have never seen such a fight before, truly a battle for the ages. These Blues have no honor.” I nodded, “It was a close run thing, let me tell you. I did not expect honor from such as these. However, I did find out something about the Blues and how they are able to become invisible. They wear a secret little box-like device that they can turn on and off to make them invisible at will. It is super science, not magic.”

My companions nodded, wonder shown in their faces by this knowledge of Ares super science.

Shamar nodded and told me, “Then the Old Ones of Keva are correct. They surmised such a device, something lost over the ages and left over from the Ancient Ones of Ares.”

Once back in our prison cell, Zaor shrugged and pondered our fate, “We are in a dire situation, my friends, but death has no fear for me, for I am a warrior.”

Shamar nodded, then added, “I am a warrior too. Okvon ordered a very slow and painful death for us, my friend. That shall not be pleasant, I can assure you. I fear they are getting their vile equipment ready for us even as we speak.”

I shook my head, “We will not be here long enough for the Vognars to follow through with Okvon’s torture orders. We are getting out of here now!”