"Get ready!" Gavin said, the party raising their weapons but most of them with trembling hands. The dragon seemed even bulkier and more massive than Bird-Don, more physically imposing than anything the Free Fangs had faced before. Its head towered thirty feet above the ground, yet it seemed much longer than it was tall. A great blast of steam clouded the air with its exhalation. Did they stand a chance? Even if Taryn was here, Meg still wouldn't be confident of that.
"What are you doing in my lair?" a booming rumble of a voice asked. After a moment, she recognized it to be the dragon's.
"It can talk?" Christopher said. "And without a translator, too."
It lowered its tremendous head towards them, intimidating them even more as they took in that it could easily swallow them whole. "You bear many arms. Did you come for my head? I think you'll find it a mite hard to take."
"No, you have it wrong!" Patrick said. "We were tricked by someone, we have no quarrel with you."
"Why should I believe you? Are you not just surprised at how frightful I am, and will you not be back with reinforcements should I allow you to leave? Prepare to die."
Meg raised her hands. "Wait! If you kill us and we don't return, then people will know there's something hostile to them here and more will come for you. But if you let us go, we won't say anything about you and you can go on living in peace."
"Won't say anything about it?" Joel whispered into her ear. "How do we know it won't harm others?"
"If it does prove a danger, the world will deal with it then." In all honesty, she did plan to warn the town at least to be wary of the dragon, but she wouldn't say that in front of it when it might lessen their chances of getting out alive. "What say you, wyrm? I gather you haven't engaged in conflict with the locals yet given you aren't more notorious, so do you really wish to make war with humans now?"
The dragon snorted, gouts of steam blowing out its nostrils. "No. But I have little reason to trust you. Why are you here so well armed, if not to seek my death?"
"We were actually looking for another, who we do expect to battle with if hopefully not kill—one of our friends, who was changed into a giant metal bird."
"A metal bird? I had not been inclined to believe you, yet it now seems you might tell the truth. I think I've seen this bird."
She started. "You have? Where?"
"In my lair, there is a window in the ceiling through the sky can be glimpsed. About a week ago, I witnessed an unusual large avian fly over it with sun glinting off its body, towards the west."
"Towards the west?" Patrick asked. "What's over there?"
"I think we'd better wait until later to ponder that. But it sounds like Don might've been hiding near here for a while after all, and left after he was recovered most likely?"
"Taryn did do some damage," Gavin said. "May we be on our way then, venerable dragon?"
"We don't even know how old it is," Meg pointed out quietly.
However, it didn't seem offended. "Go then, if this shining bird is what you seek. But I would suggest being more careful where you tread in the depths of the earth, for there are those who dwell here less forgiving than me."
It retreated back into the chamber beyond, and Meg took that as their cue to leave as well. They made their way towards the surface, Patrick commenting, "Well, we probably won't be exploring underground again anytime soon unless Don has traded one cave system for another. So do we have any clue where he might've gone?"
Christopher took on a thoughtful look, biting his lip. "West... there is certainly a lot of ground that way and many places he could have gone. But one thing does come to mind first. King Rudolph has a vacation home that way where he's been staying after his manor fell off the continent, doesn't he?"
Joel nodded. "I believe so. What does that have to do with Don, though?"
"I think I get it," Meg said. "Don wants to be champion of the country. So what easier way to claim that title than to ask the king directly?"
"He would have reached the manor flying by now, right? Do you think he would've been rejected and left already... or worse?"
"I'd hope your king would be well defended enough not to get killed by a bird Taryn alone ran off."
Rich frowned. "Well, not always... King Rudolph is quite the whimsical ruler. For a long time he sent his entire house staff away and lived alone in his old manor, and probably would have died there if not for Julianna visiting."
"He might not have rejected Don at all," Agatha said. "From what I've heard of the man, he's erratic enough that he might find the idea of a metal bird champion too intriguing not to try out."
Meg gawked. "You think he might have taken him in? Damn, that could make things difficult."
"Only one way to find out," Gavin said. "If this is the case, let's hope we can convince His Majesty of the threat posed by that sword."
After exiting back into the sunlight, Joel asked, "Why do you think that old man misled us the way he did?"
Patrick shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he was desperate for money, or hates the government for whatever reason and wished us ill. It's even possible it was an honest mistake, and having poor eyesight he mistook the dragon for a bird."
"Are we going to try and get our money back?"
"We did end up getting a hint where Don might be," Meg said, "so let's let bygones be bygones. It was just a small amount anyway, and I doubt he'd admit to deceiving us if he intentionally was."
Gavin grumbled with a clenched fist, "Shit, I'd been looking forward to giving him a piece of my mind. But I suppose you might have the right idea not to squabble unnecessarily with the locals."
They spoke with the town mayor and told him to be aware there was a dragon residing in the nearby mountains, though it didn't seem antagonistic towards humanity at present. Then they headed west towards the royal vacation home. On the road, Christopher mused, "Perhaps I should abandon my thoughts of revenge. It does seem increasingly like being obsessed with a single thing isn't the best way to go about life."
"Hatred is one of the worse things to cling to," Meg agreed. "But are we ever going to learn what this vengeance would be for?"
He took a deep breath. "All right. Since I might not have another chance to if this goes badly, may as well tell you. My father was a minor lord and ally of the Marquis of Fennes, already married with three children in myself and my sisters. One summer while staying at the Marquis' estate, he found out the noble esteemed for his valor in battle had been beating his wife. He tried to take the lady away from there, offering her refuge with our family. Before he could get far, the Marquis caught up and demanded he give her back or face his blade. My father refused and tried to fight! But he was no match for the accomplished warrior, who cut him down with little more resistance than a child. Ever since then, I've wanted nothing more than to get stronger, to gut the Marquis as he did my sire and avenge his death. That is the 'work' I wanted to become strong enough to do, not a job.
"I know what some of you might be thinking—that he gave my father a chance to back down, and it was his choice to fight and die. But I didn't care. That hulking bully who dares call himself noble abused a helpless woman, and similarly imposed his will through brute force on my kind, learned, but unfortunately frail father. For many years I regarded him as the very embodiment of evil and dreamed every night of killing him. Yet maybe that was wrong. Meeting you and Patrick, who've taken many lives yet still don't take it lightly, made me realize I was immature to thirst so for another person's blood. The Marquis has children too, and I don't know the exact circumstances between him and his wife. He probably thought my father was trying to steal her from him, and viewed their fight more as a duel between men than cold blooded murder like I did. I also haven't heard of more misdeeds from him, though of course he might commit some in secret. But still, after all this time perhaps I should let the past go and be less adamant about causing others suffering to soothe my own."
Meg bowed her head respectfully. "Meeting us taught you that? Huh, I wouldn't have thought us the most ideal role models, but good on you if we helped."
"It still bothers me though to think about how hard I've striven to get stronger, only to discard the goal which drove me to do so."
Well, it's not as if you're that strong, she thought but kept to herself. "I doubt it'll be hard to find another, better purpose to use that strength for. More immediately, let's hope what you've acquired will suffice to help you stay alive through the test to come."
They trekked across wintry plains for many days, Joel and Rich occasionally quipping how all this might be a bit much for newer recruits. Christopher was too proud to question it though, and the rest of them had plenty of experience roaming the world. Meg did wonder if Taryn might have gotten back long before they would and be waiting for them.
Eventually they came into view of a grand manor atop a hill, its facade covered with fanciful carvings of scenes from history and myth. Another plainer but still impressively large building stood off to the side, which Christopher theorized to serve as a stable. "I don't see any guards," he said. "It would be absurd if the king still didn't give himself protection this close to the border."
"They're probably just hiding," Agatha replied. "As flighty as your ruler can be, I'm sure his advisors wouldn't stand for him being out here alone considering all the issues we've had with our neighbors to the south." An alliance of forces from there calling themselves the One Nation had attempted to invade the northern lands twice in the last five years, after all.
"At least it's on a hill this time," Rich observed, "and not one of those outer islands like the one which broke off the continent with the king's old home."
"Those islands falling was a rare occurrence until the near calamity little over a year ago. So for building there at least, you can't fault your royal family much."
Climbing the hill, they knocked on the manor's heavy front doors. They yawned open to reveal a lazy-eyed man in his forties flanked by two armored companions, another taller one with long hair whose breastplate sported an ornate lion's head behind him. So there were guards here, thankfully. "Ah, visitors!" the robed man said excitedly. He raked his gaze up and down Meg's body. "And one rather young and nubile one too... though I must resist, as another holds sole dominion over my heart of hearts." She blinked at his almost purposeful-seeming oddity. "Now, what can I do for you today?"
"We'd like to speak with the king," Meg said without thinking, then added, "or anyone who could inform us about what's been happening around here, actually."
"You are in luck. I am the king."
She recoiled. In a place where she assumed there would be no shortage of servants, she didn't expect to first be greeted by the monarch himself. "I-I had no idea! My apologies for not being more respectful, Your Majesty."
"Ah, that is fine. A king is merely a servant of his people. For young beauties like yourself, I shan't overstate my lofty rank."
"Uh, thank you. If we may then, can we ask if you've seen a giant metal bird?"
Alarm flashed through his eyes, which he blinked away not quickly enough to escape notice. "What, a metal bird? Birds are not made of metal, unless you mean some contraption from Ostuh. Are they running experiments in my kingdom without my permission?"
"That's not what we meant," Agatha said. "I'm here from Ostuh, but with your permission I'm fairly sure, or at least your council's approval. Anyway, we're looking for what appears to be an enormous hawk with skin of metal and a similarly sized sword, which was changed into such from a teenage boy. He could be very dangerous given the power that transformed him, for it also created the legendary monster called the Night Emperor an ancestor of Saint General Julianna battled long ago. If you've heard him speak, he might've talked about living up to the rich history of Plasbias or himself being its champion."
"No, I have never even heard of such a thing. A sword-wielding bird that talks about heroes? If I didn't know better, I might think you were trying to play a joke."
Meg felt very suspicious, especially since Agatha hadn't mentioned Don's inclination to wax poetic about Plasbias' heroic figures. But if King Rudolph didn't want to divulge his secrets, they couldn't very well force him. "Are you sure you've seen nothing at all that might be related?" she asked in a token last effort. Maybe if she got him to make up some ill thought out lie, it could still give them a clue.
"No, we are quite free of giant metal hawks around here. Is there anything else?"
"No. Thank you for taking the time to answer us, Your Majesty, and fare thee well." The king turned away and his guards began to close the doors, Meg disappointed that they'd failed to get information from him. On the other hand, his behavior indicated he had made contact with Don, so she supposed they would just have to look around and see if they found anything. Just before the doors shut completely, however, the tall man in the lion breastplate whispered through them, "We have fine horses."
Left standing before the closed portal, Meg repeated, "Fine horses... I think he was trying to tell us something." She glanced towards the other building. "Maybe he was hinting for us to look in the stable, but why do that against the wishes of his king?"
"I believe that might have been High Knight Roland," Christopher said. "I've heard of his lion-faced armor, anyway. He's known as one of the cooler heads around His Majesty keeping him in check, so it's not surprising he would have a wiser perspective than him."
"Look at the magical magnet," Meg suggested.
Agatha did so. "It is being drawn to the stable... he's probably in there."
"If we go there against Rudolph's will," Rich asked, "might we not get in big trouble afterwards?"
Agatha shook her head. "Even though the king might not want us to end Don's stint as a bird, the fact he tried to deceive instead of outright forbidding interference from us shows he probably knows at some level that he's in the wrong here. So if we separate Don from the sword and then explain why we had to do it, I doubt he'll do anything to us."
Joel fidgeted nervously with his fingers. "Are you sure? I know this might not sound the best coming from a soldier of Plasbias, but many do call him the mad king."
"Despite that, it's not like he's known for putting people to death unjustly on a regular basis or something. Granted that might be in part due to aides talking him down, but Roland is around anyway and I bet he'd help us out. Between him and my standing as a representative from another country, we should be able to pull through."
"It still seems risky... but since we might be saving the king from his own folly, okay."
"Should we wait until night to sneak into the stable?" Patrick suggested. "If we try to go now, somebody will probably spot us."
Meg nodded. "That's what I was about to say. Good to see you starting to grow out of being a sidekick."
"Hey... if I count as a sidekick, so do you."
Gavin slapped both their backs, making Meg stumble forward. "After handling yourselves in difficult situations without me for so long, I'd say you can both lay claim to having risen above sidekick status. Plus you outperformed me against those hunters."
"I thought we established that's because you were rusty." She took and squeezed his hand. "But I don't care what you want to label us, as long as we can stay a team."
"Aw you kids, that's cute," Agatha said. "Now let's rest up and save some energy for the likely showdown tonight."
#
After darkness fell, they crept towards the stable staying in the shadows as much as they could in case guards still watched from the manor. They hadn't brought their cart, but carried some of the explosives from it in their packs—hopefully enough if detonated at close range to the otherworldly blade. "So what's the plan again if we have to fight?" Joel asked. "We should coordinate some kind of strategy before going in."
Meg looked to Patrick and Gavin, feeling uncertain. "The three of us shouldn't try to do it all ourselves, considering our companions are warriors too and we should appreciate the value of teamwork like Taryn said... but they are inexperienced compared to us, and I don't want to put them in undue danger trying to contribute."
Gavin looked them over solemnly. "You guys can help, but prioritize your safety and don't get caught up in seeking glory. Hawk Don is pretty fast, so you should probably stay back for the most part and take your shots when you see an opening, and be especially mindful of his energy attacks. Since we aren't looking to kill him, if we happen upon him sleeping or otherwise unaware we should target his wings with our first attacks, in hopes of damaging them enough to prevent him from flying away. Once we've stopped him from escaping, we should strike at his arm until we get the sword out of his hand. None of us probably has the striking power like Taryn to remove a limb in one blow, but enough well-placed hits should do the trick of disarming him. Then we should be able to blow it up without harming him too much in the process."
Meg smiled. "Glad to see you can still put on the mantle of leader when called for. And I like Hawkdon. Maybe we can adopt it as his official name until we've turned him back."
"You said he was able to summon the sword back to him after his hand was cut off," Christopher reminded them. "In that case, how are we to keep it away from him after he's disarmed?"
"I was hoping if he hasn't regrown his lost hand," Gavin replied, "that if we temporarily disable the other one he won't be able to call it back without a functioning appendage to hold it. If he has regrown it though, that would make things more difficult since we might have to disable both hands."
"Alternately," Meg said, "if we stun him enough before getting the sword away, we might have time to blow it without disabling them." Thinking about their discussion, she had some second thoughts about the damage they might have to do to Don and how much of it might stay with him when he returned to human. It was especially hard to say what injury to his wings would translate to, if at all. But they couldn't allow him to keep the sword, probably to be corrupted worse and worse, and could only hope for the best.
"Do your instructions for the boys apply to me too?" Agatha asked.
"I figure you're seasoned enough to know what you're doing. So act as you please." Meg didn't expect her to risk her own neck too much, anyway.
They slowed down, going over some more tactics and contingencies before they got to the stable entrance. Easing the door open, they peeked inside. Enough moonlight shone in from the windows above that they didn't need to light a torch, but Agatha lit one anyway. The horses in stalls on either side huddled close to the walls, trying to stay as far as they could from a glinting mass at the far end of the stable. It was him—Don standing there, but perhaps asleep with his wings folded in front of him. They tiptoed closer, not attacking yet as they figured they could do more damage quickly to those wings with melee weapons. They looked sturdy, though... without Taryn around, a single blow or handful of blows might not do much, especially since they would struggle to even reach the wing tops, and they dare not use the explosives. Still, exchanging whispers they formed a tentative plan. Gavin and Meg would throw Patrick up together, and when he got high enough he would attempt to cleave one of the wings with all he had.
"Maybe you should take my poleaxe for now and do it instead," Patrick proposed to Meg. "You're lighter, so we can toss you higher and give you more leeway to strike."
"I'm not as used to wielding a poleaxe though, but I guess that doesn't matter as much when it comes to a stationary target..." As they made to exchange weapons, however, Don suddenly unfolded his wings. Meg realized they wouldn't get the first strike after all as he glared down at them, the dreadful blade in his single hand. At least he hadn't regenerated the other one, right arm still ending in a stump. "Don, you have to listen to us! You need to give up that sword. If you don't, it'll continue warping your mind as it already has and you might lose yourself utterly."
The avian entity cocked its head towards her. "Don? To whom do you think you speak?"
"You're not Don?" Her heart sank. "Oh no... does this mean the sword's taken over completely?"
"It is as you fear," the hawk mocked. "your friend was indeed foolish to give himself to me. He thought he could grasp his wildest dreams with me for an ally. But he only gave me a new wielder to direct at my whim instead."
This scenario had crossed her mind as a possibility before, but actually facing it made her head light with panic. If it had progressed so far, was there even enough of Don left for them to save? It didn't seem like they would be able to reason with him anymore, and the only option was to break the sword's hold in combat. Before that, though, she had a question. "You wanted a wielder to replace the Night Emperor? Why didn't you simply create a new one out of the other Shadow Children then, instead of taking our friend?"
"They could not have served. I am an incomplete consciousness, and must bond with a soul in order to awaken fully. But the Night Emperor was the only one of its kind summoned into your world. Those others which resembled its original form, which you called Shadow Children, were mere extensions of my power shaped in its image. Without souls of their own, they had nothing I could draw on. Thus one of you humans was required to be my new partner, or should I say puppet."
Christopher stared. "What do you intend to do, if Don is no longer in control? I think you must have still given King Rudolph his 'champion' speech, if he found you amusing enough to keep around."
"I utilized his persona for my benefit, yes. As for my own goal, the more acclimated to this realm I am the stronger I become. Soon I will be ready once more to plunge this world into chaos."
Meg wondered if it overestimated itself, given its previous wielder had fallen to Artemisia. Still, it might do a lot of damage before being stopped. "But why? Are you nothing more than a weapon of destruction, whose only purpose is violence?"
"That was not always the case. In the realm where I existed with the Night Emperor, we were happy, guiding the flock of those who shared its origin. It was when your kind, the wretched humans summoned us into your world that everything fell apart. All alone with no way to reunite with the kin its very essence was linked to, the Night Emperor was driven mad. I created replicas of them to try and assuage it, but without their own souls it was of no use. So the Night Emperor's hate grew, and festered within me as well. We raged and raged, seeking to tear down this false world in hopes of finding our own beyond it. Now my partner is gone, but our shared indignation burns strongly in me still. Whether or not I can reach the old world again, I will punish those who wronged us so!"
"I'm sorry to hear what both of you endured. But how can you blame us for what happened centuries ago? For that matter how can you blame all of humanity? It must've been a specific person or group of people who summoned you here, and do you even know why? Considering no others have been summoned from your realm to anyone's knowledge, it seems as likely to be an accident as anything else."
The hawk pointed its sword at her. "It does not matter! Your kind's irresponsibility caused this, drove my partner to the breaking point and forced me to lie in half-awake solitude for time untold. I have no other purpose in this world where I am trapped, except to pay you back!"
She scowled. "My, me, I. So you're just incredibly selfish then, if not insane? I realize you suffered much, but you and the Night Emperor were only two beings. You believe the harm done to you justifies ravaging our entire world in turn? If you insist on that, we're more than willing to fight and stop you."
"Then you children will be the first to die."
It sprang at Meg. She tried to block and went hurtling through air from the collision of their weapons, rolled up flexing stung fingers. "It's gotten stronger!" she warned. It leapt after her, but this time she deflected the force of the blow away from her while sidestepping and just barely stayed on her feet. Patrick and Gavin charged it from one side, Christopher and Rich the other. It swept its gaze across the room, spraying bolts of energy from its eyes so that all four had to duck or dive to avoid them.
"Is there an orifice he can't shoot things from?" Gavin demanded.
Patrick replied, "I'm not sure I want to know."
Christopher screamed as one hit the back of his thigh while he dove, tearing a hole in his pants and the flesh underneath. He landed on his belly, hobbled painfully to his feet. "Fall back!" Meg said as the barrage finally died down.
"B-but I can still fight."
"No, you won't be able to evade well enough with that wound. Any of you who gets hurt, don't push it! It's more important for all of us to survive, than for anybody to satisfy their pride."
Clutching his leg, he spat, "I doubt you yourself would follow that advice."
She parried a few slices from the hawk, spun past a chop and stabbed into a gap in the metal over the side of its knee. It squawked angrily. "We are more experienced, remember?" She hopped back from its ground-ripping riposte. "So you'd expect us to know our own limits better."
Christopher grudgingly retreated past where Joel and Agatha stood aiming their ranged weapons. They had agreed to exercise patience and wait for a perfect chance to disrupt or distract the bird, as they didn't want to risk killing Don by shooting into its eyes or similar weak spots. Patrick, Gavin and Rich continued to attack alongside Meg. Gavin stumbled it sideways with his cudgel to the ankle, then Patrick ran up his back and used him as a springboard to land a resounding chop that dented its lower chest. It backed up, but as they pursued brought its sword around in a wide cut. Attempting to block, Rich had his sword broken and the new tip pushed back into his shoulder. He fell grabbing the wound. The hawk raised its blade. Meg and the others ran to help, but a beam from its mouth forced Patrick and Gavin to throw themselves aside while Meg's thrust was ignored as it glanced off a leg. Desperately Joel and Agatha loosed at its visage, which it shielded with a wing.
Meg grabbed the injured boy and pulled him back. "Rich, are you okay?"
"My arm, ah, I can't move my arm!"
She helped him up and nudged him towards where Christopher leaned in pain against a stall door. "Get back. No way you can do much swinging a sword with one hand."
"Just the three of us and the archers left," Gavin said. "Guess that's not so unexpected."
The metallic beak opened and closed. "You will not stand for long."
Patrick met its gaze with a smirk. "No, this just means we'll have to go all out." The Free Fangs rushed as one, making it turn this way and that in place to defend their strikes from every angle. Energy blasts showered down, blowing myriad holes in the stable floor, walls and stalls while they dodged. They heard a steed whinny as it got hit, though it was impossible to tell how bad. Gavin made the hawk totter with a whack to the back of the knee damaged by Meg, then her jumping double kick to the crotch knocked the unbalanced titan over. Patrick leapt, raised his poleaxe high and cleaved down. A harsh sound of rending metal hurt their ears as a hole gaped in its wing. "We did it! Now let's see you escape."
It lurched upright. "Foolish children! Then you will be the first to die!"
"You said that already," Meg said. "I guess your 'incomplete consciousness' means you stay stupid even when bonded to someone."
Volleys of energy shot from its eyes and mouth at once, filling the room with myriad projectiles. As Meg and the boys made aiming difficult for it by dancing around and between its feet, it switched targets to Joel and Agatha. Joel dove into a stall whose door had been destroyed, but Agatha wasn't quick enough and shrieked as a bolt hit her shoulder and spun her from her feet.
"You okay?" Meg asked, jumping in front of her to block more blasts with her sword that made the blade vibrate uncomfortably in her hands.
The researcher groaned. "Yes for now, but you should really hurry up before we're all crippled. Or worse."
"Working on it." She charged the bird, bellowing to try and keep its attention on her while she warded off bolts. Gavin darted in from the side and it spun to ward his stroke—darn it—but then Patrick whipped his poleaxe up into its rump staggering it. Meg closed in on its flank. Her weapon seemed a bit light for the job, but she hoped she could make up for it with finesse. She leapt high and plunged her sword into the joint of its wrist.
"No!" it cried, swinging its gaze onto her.
She glared her defiance into its eyes. "Yes!" She twisted the blade. Its fingers opened, and the hilt tumbled from its grip. "Explosives now!" Patrick and Gavin took off their packs and threw them atop the dropped sword, then Christopher and Rich managed wincing to do the same. Agatha touched her torch to the pitch-covered arrow Joel had nocked while everyone dashed away from the pile.
The hawk raised a palm. "Do not-"
Joel loosed, striking the nearest pack. It caught fire and exploded, and the others followed in a chain reaction that made their ears ring. Boom. They all choked on the smoke, warily holding their weapons up in case the bird might attack again. The smoke began to clear, enough for them to see the outline of the sword...
"Oh no!" Joel said. "It's still intact!"
"Hahahaha!" Their foe called it back into hand, fingers functional even after Meg impaled its wrist. She saw a spiderweb of tiny cracks in the blade, but kept quiet. Better not to warn it that she noticed so she could give it a nice surprise.
A voice came from behind. "What is going on?" Meg glanced back to see King Rudolph standing in the door, High Knight Roland and several guards beside him. It sure took them long enough.
"Your Majesty," Agatha said, "you have to let us stop this bird! It's no longer the would-be champion of Plasbias, as the sword has taken full control of his body. Please listen to us!"
Roland put a hand on the monarch's shoulder. "I would hazard to guess they are not lying."
After a moment, Rudolph exhaled. "Fine. Men, help those kids bring down the creature."
"But don't kill it!" Rich put in. "We still want to save our friend." The guards advanced.
"It appears to be time to take our leave." The hawk jumped into the air, taking flight albeit clumsily. Apparently the gash Patrick put in its wing wasn't enough to stop it from flying completely. Crap.
Meg took off her pack and brought it back to throw, then realized she didn't have a good angle to reach the sword with those wings in the way. "Gavin, Patrick, toss me up there!"
Patrick looked uncertainly at her. "Are you sure? It's flying higher..."
"Hurry, just do it before it gets too far!"
They both grabbed her and hurled her skyward. Getting at a level with an avian leg, she seized hold of it. "Brack!" it screeched in alarm.
She threw herself higher to grab onto its thigh, then again to its rump. "Brack? What are you, turning into a chicken in your fear?" It continued to ascend while she crawled up its back, smashing through the wooden roof so splinters pricked her face and hands. Worrisome, but she had no time to think about it. Seeing the tip of the sword over its wing, she drew back her pack. Before she could throw, it snatched her in a hand and brought her before its countenance. She realized it held the blade in its beak, gasped as its squeezing fingers threatened to crush her ribs. Fighting through the pain, she flung the pack at the sword so that it hung by a strap from its crossguard, cracks visible in the base of the blade inches away. "Joel, light us up!"
"But at that range and height-"
Glowing energy built up in the avian's eyes, about to blast her face off. She couldn't even see Joel, and only hoped he had the arrow ready. "Just do it! I can survive... probably..." It would be dangerous to Don too, and she would miss her reinforced pack, but at this point she had scant other options. A flaming arrow sprouted in her pack. Meg waved at the bird. "Bye bye."
"No, you..." It bent its neck downward, trying to dislodge the pack, but too late as it exploded deafeningly. The shockwave slammed into Meg, and she grimaced as pain engulfed her chest. Then she was in free fall surrounded by pieces of shattered blade. Don plummeted down beside her, human again with eyes closed, missing a hand and bleeding from multiple wounds. Though her head was incredibly light and she felt wetness leak from her ears, she stuck her arms out and hugged him to herself. Just before they hit the ground, she turned in midair so she impacted it first, him coming down atop her.
"Meg!" Patrick called as he and Gavin ran over. She had landed a ways from the stable, since the hawk had gotten that far before they blew up the sword. "Are you alright?"
"How far did I fall?"
"Barely a hundred feet I think. It was pretty slow to rise thanks to my blow to the wing at least, though I could've done a better job still."
She coughed up some blood, but waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, everything turned out fine. The grass is soft. Besides, it makes a better story this way."
Don stirred, pushed himself up on his elbows to look at her. "You cushioned the fall for me?" he said in a small voice. "How bad did I hurt you?"
"Not much, an extra cracked rib or two at worst. I'm sturdy for a small person. Do you know what happened after the sword took control, though?"
"Yes, I could see through the hawk's eyes and experienced everything it did, but not do anything about it. I'm sorry... I understand I was wrong now. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Of course I can. I know all your misdeeds were influenced by the sword, although it wasn't smart of you to mess with it in the first place and I doubt you won't get at least some punishment. Sorry about Taryn cutting off your hand, too."
He gazed sadly at his stump, but said, "I'm lucky just to be alive, so I'll settle for that. And I'm proud of you in a way, stopping me when I erred for the sake of this nation." Seeming exhausted, he slumped back down atop her.
King Rudolph and company walked over, along with Agatha and the recruits. "Inspiring performance I must admit," Rudolph mused, "for such youngsters." He hadn't even seen most of it, but the bird's size alone probably made its defeat impressive.
"Good to see our efforts to improve the military bearing fruit," Roland agreed with a nod. "I did not even need to intervene, let alone Severil or Aerilea itself."
"I wouldn't have minded seeing Baehime again," Meg said, "but when we have a job we should do it well."
"Baehime?"
"It's a nickname for Saint General Julianna." It seemed she had opened up to them more than they realized, if Roland didn't know that moniker.
Agatha gazed around at the shards of otherworldly blade strewn across the hill. "I'm not sure how pleased my superiors will be about this, but suppose saving the boy takes priority over preserving a sword."
"So is it completely destroyed?" Meg asked. "As in, is its vengeful consciousness or 'pseudo-consciousness' gone never to trouble us again?"
"I can't say for certain. It's possible even with it in pieces, its mind and power could yet reside in them. But at the least I would think it diminished, and obviously without a wielder to act on its behalf. In any case, we will still take what remains of it back to Ostuh for analysis."
Meg looked around at her friends. "Well, looks like mission accomplished! Now help Don off me so I can stand short and proud again."
#
Weeks later, they arrived back at the fort with Meg and Don lying in the vehicle they had brought the explosives in. Behind them, horses dragged the remnants of the giant sword in a large wagon Roland had provided. Everybody waited in the courtyard, having been informed by the gate guard of their return. Covered in bandages, Meg stiffly pushed herself up out of the cart, then helped Don off. She faced the crowd with a wide smile, and recruits and veterans alike cheered. "Good job getting it done," Baxter said gazing over the group, "though I see it wasn't easy."
"We took our share of lumps," Joel said, "but the other guy looks worse."
Rich blinked at him. "You mean Don? Not sure that's something we should be proud of."
Christopher chuckled. "I think he meant the sword. At least I'd hope so."
"Yeah, no pride to be taken in beating up one of our own... though Meg might take pride in how beat up she is."
"I do not! I'm a girl, girls don't relish being scarred up and ugly."
"Don't lie," Gavin said, "we've all heard you admit to wearing your scars as badges of honor before, and don't try to say you were joking. It's good though, gives you some unique character compared to most."
Patrick replied, "It's not that unique, when the captain and Julianna probably share it among others—well maybe not Baehime, considering she erased her scars when she came back."
Meg shrugged. "Maybe she used to carry them proudly, but when you can get rid of them, why not? Nobody should doubt the warrior she is anyway."
"That's true. Down to earth lady too, for a former monarch."
"Why are we talking about her now, anyway?" Taryn asked as she walked in front of them. "This is your moment, your time to shine."
Don hung his head. "Except for me. All I did was cause trouble for all of you."
"Eh, you live and you learn. No more touching mysterious building sized swords for you."
Meg looked imploringly at her. "If you don't mind a request from me, could you be a little lenient on Don? After all, you already took his hand."
"I won't have him discharged if that's enough for you. Can't do much more than that given the severity of his actions and the near disaster they resulted in."
"It's all right," Don said. "I shouldn't avoid facing the consequences of what I did. Do with me what you must." Baxter motioned to him, and led him away—just to be confined for a time, Meg hoped.
Taryn regarded the lunch table companions who remained, and Agatha. "The rest of you, just catch up with your friends until we give the signal to go to the dining hall. It may not fit into our usual schedule, but I figure the success of your grand adventure warrants us throwing a feast for you."
They ate and drank their fill of the fort's best provisions that Taryn treated them to amid happy chatter, the other recruits sharing in it as well. "I am incredibly full!" Rich stood up and stretching when most of the food was gone, and he'd finished all of his. "Surprised to find the rich boy can keep up with me, though."
"He's smaller than you too," Joel said.
Christopher burped and raised a finger. "The wealthy are used to extravagant meals." He swayed in his seat, almost falling over, from having too much ale. "So if anything, I should best the lot of you."
"Everybody else left already," Patrick pointed out, "even Agatha. Taryn said for us to relax and enjoy our much deserved break, but maybe we should finish up and see what she wants us to do next."
They cleaned off their plates and headed for the exit. When they stepped out, they found Taryn waiting for them just outside. "Rich, Christopher, and Joel, you join the others in training. The rest of you, we need to talk."
"What's the matter?" Meg asked after their friends left, though she had a good idea.
"Have you three decided yet?" Whether they'd stay or leave, of course.
Gavin nodded. "We were talking about this on the way back, and we have."
After a brief silence, Taryn furrowed her brow. "Well? Not trying to build artificial suspense, are we?"
"We aren't staying," Patrick said. "We've made some fine friends, including you, and hope we'll meet again... but Agatha offered us work with the researchers, which we figured would be more active than peacetime soldier duties outside incidents like this last one. So we took her up on it."
Taryn grinned ironically. "Sly little fox, that Agatha, stealing talent from the Plasbian army like this? But I suppose Ostuh is your homeland anyway, so I can't be too bitter about it."
Meg shook her hand, squeezing it hard in a display of her own strength that made the captain smile. "We wish you luck in your continued efforts to strengthen your country. By the way, did you win that duel?"
"I did."
"Congratulations on defending your father's honor. Before we go, though, there's one more thing I want."
"What?"
She jumped back and drew her sword in a flash, making everyone stare. "I challenge you to a match! We might not get another chance in a long while, so let's do it while we can."
The tall woman raised an eyebrow. "After seeing me against the so-called Light Emperor, you still want to?"
"All that showed is you're big and strong! Which we already knew. It hardly proves you better than me."
"You're swathed in bandages. It's clear you aren't fully healed."
"Don't worry your pretty little head about me, I'll make do."
Taryn took the axe off her back. "If you insist, I'd be honored to accept a challenge from a respectable opponent."
"Oh, you girls," Gavin said with a sigh.
Smiling, they charged each other.