NOVEL NEXT Chapter 32: An Unstoppable Force
Without my trusty mandolin, I felt naked as we walked through the halls underneath the castle. Prisoners yelled at us from behind bars, describing us with many fun, colorful words. We spent the first couple of minutes wandering around looking for Nia's parents. That quickly ended as Zadona appeared out of nowhere.
"They aren't here."
Nia glared at me. "So we wasted our time."
"Not exactly," said Zadona. "While your parents aren't here, Trafford is. We could get the jump on him."
"I don't think we should risk it," said Beth. "We need to come up with a plan."
"There might not be a better time," I replied.
"We've stayed here for too long," said Nia, turning to leave. "We need to focus on getting everyone out safely."
I thought back to our journey to the Sapphire Mountains and the harska fortress. At that time, Nia had been eager to storm the fortress and save Tamara. She had changed. It was a lesson learned after many months of hardships. All it took was one wrong turn for everything to go bad.
Even a moment of hesitation was enough.
"Okay, let's—"
Thrig Paleshield burst through the wall, knocking Zadona across the room. Gunner was on his back, holding on with his claws. The two of them were covered in injuries, but Thrig's were already healing. His eyes locked onto me. I felt a cold chill run down my spine. Within seconds he closed the distance between us.
Two arrows pierced his skin. One in his side, the other in the back of his head. Zadona was already on her feet, sending arrow after arrow into the Mad Joker. Beth was also letting loose her own barrage of arrows. She wasn't as experienced as Zadona and did miss a few of them, but the effort was enough. At least she didn't hit Gunner, though I could have sworn a few arrows were aimed at him.
Nia roared, slamming the blunt edge of her axe into Thrig's face. "Back off!"
Fueled by anger and a desire to protect her friends, Nia pushed Thrig into the opposite wall. Gunner jumped off Thrig to avoid the wall before pouncing on him once again. I crawled to the side, trying my best to stay out of the fight. Still, there was plenty I could do to help. Even without a mandolin.
A piercing whistle shot through the air, disorienting Thrig. The others couldn't hear it, thanks to my magical prowess, but Thrig could. Assuming the magic was working, his vision would begin to blur and his head would feel like it would burst. It took an immense amount of focus to hold the note, which was why I didn't use such magic often.
For a few seconds, it seemed to be working, until Thrig's ears repaired the damage caused by my spell. But a few seconds was enough for the others to gain the advantage. Nia swung her axe and cleaved off Thrig's hand. His own axe fell to the floor with it. Gunner clawed out Thrig's eyes, splattering blood onto the harska's gray coat.
Beth and Zadona loosed all the arrows they had. Thrig cried out in pain, but he didn't fall. How he had ever lost once, I had no clue. Even with one hand and no eyes, he was nearly impossible to beat. He grabbed Gunner and flung him across the hall. Gunner took a bit of skin with him, but Thrig didn't seem to notice as it healed quickly. With his elbow, he smashed against Nia's chin.
She tried to counterattack, but her massive axe was unwieldy at such close range. Thrig pressed his advantage, kneeing her in the gut and attempting to punch her face. Nia dodged his wild swing, but there wasn't enough room to move out of the way of his knee. Abandoning my spell, I ran forward to try and pull Thrig back.
Before I could reach him, vines sprang out of the ground and wrapped around Thrig's body. Thrig tried to pull them off, but each time he did, thicker vines replaced them. The vines pulled Thrig away from Nia, forcing him to the ground. We all stood and watched as Thrig tried to break free, but there was little he could do.
"Glad I could make it in time," said Greenspring in my head.
Still in wolf form, Greenspring calmly trotted to my side. He had a spear sticking into his leg, but otherwise looked unharmed. I took a second to catch my breath as I examined the scene in front of me. Nia and Gunner were both hurt, while Beth and Zadona were out of arrows. Now was the time to retreat.
"Gather your things and let's go," I said to the others.
Gunner grinned at me. "Guess this is where I take my leave."
I glared at him. "Don't cause any trouble."
He laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it."
"Are you really going to let him go?" asked Beth.
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"As of right now, Trafford is the greater evil," I answered.
Right on cue, Trafford began clapping as he turned the corner. His own mandolin was hanging from a leather strap in front of him. "Look at this, enemies to friends. What a touching moment."
Gunner bowed mockingly. "Consider this my resignation, Lord Trafford."
"Resignation? That's a big word for you," replied Trafford, placing his hands on his mandolin. "Perhaps your time amongst humans has been good for you. Shame it must come to an end."
"This isn't what Piopus wants," I said, trying to stall for time.
It worked. Trafford paused to reflect. "Our master often spoke of his desire: a world where people can spend all day enjoying music. He was an artist through and through. We may not be like our master, Norman, but I will do what I can to make his wishes come true. As long as Blackwater dwells in this world, there can be no joy. I will do what I must to end him."
As Trafford said 'Blackwater,' Thrig cried out in anger. He doubled his efforts to escape from Greenspring's vines, but they curled tighter. Greenspring dropped his wolf form, a look of shock on his face. How long had it been since he heard his father's name? Fear was evident on his face.
"What did you say?" asked Greenspring.
Trafford pointed at the druid. "To kill him, I must kill you. But I'll, unfortunately, need some help. Thrig! Enough playing, bring me that druid's head."
Pointing the head of his mandolin at us, he strummed the strings. I grabbed Beth and Zadona and pulled them to the side. Nia grabbed Greenspring, while Gunner dodged on his own. A ball of fire formed at the tip, before blinking out of existence. It reformed above Thrig, exploding into a burst of flames. Thrig roared, but not from the pain. He seemed to be unaffected by the fire as he snapped the vines holding him.
I looked up at Trafford. He was already forming another ball of fire. It was difficult to hear what notes he was playing over Thrig's screams, but I was able to get the gist of it. As I began to whistle the countersong, I was surprised to hear that I wasn't alone. Beth and Zadona joined me, creating a chorus that drowned out Trafford's playing.
Engulfed in flames, Thrig grabbed his axe off the floor and walked toward Greenspring. He didn't charge at him, he just walked. I wouldn't say it was calm, as he was still quite angry, but there was purpose in how he moved. The fire didn't seem to bother him. Thrig was on a mission, he had a target to go after.
We were able to dispel Trafford's next fireball, but the damage was already done. The fire grew in size, fueled by Greenspring's vines. I saw it reflected back at me through Gunner's eyes as he stared at me from across the hall. Then he turned away and his body disappeared into the smoke.
Nia tried her best to fend off Thrig, but there was little she could do. He was stronger, faster, and uninjured. Heat radiated off him, the wild fire devouring anything that came too close. Greenspring seemed to be in a state of shock, barely able to do more than breathe. That was becoming harder and harder as smoke filled the hallway.
Annoyed he could no longer cast spells, Trafford spat insults at us. A bard reduced to name-calling. If he really was Piopus's student, then my master had failed him. Still, I had to stay focused. The second he tried to cast another spell, I had to be ready to counter it. It was that intense focus that allowed me to see how Trafford was truly feeling.
He was bored.
Anger surged through me. Watching us fight for our lives wasn't good enough for him. We weren't entertaining enough. How disgusting. What a horrible creature. What a stroke of good luck for us. I relaxed as I realized the answer to my prayers was staring me in the face. He was bored. As a bard, it was my job to entertain him.
"Trafford!" I yelled, making sure he could hear me over Nia and Thrig's struggle. "Enough! I challenge you to a duel."
Everyone paused, though Nia and Greenspring did continue to move away from Thrig. Trafford raised an eyebrow. "A duel?" he asked.
I coughed as the smell of burnt flesh overwhelmed my senses. Clearing my throat, I said, "A one-on-one fight in your arena. Then everyone can watch us fight."
"You don't expect me to agree to a fight to the death?" His tone was mocking, but I could tell he was interested.
"No, just a duel to see who is stronger. If you win, I'll help you kill Greenspring's dad and gain as much power as you'd like. If I win, you'll never bother anyone again."
With a flick of his wrist, all the fire in the room turned to ash. "You'd take me at my word?"
I stepped closer to him and extended my hand. "If you'll take me at mine. I hate you, but you were a student of Master Piopus. That has to count for something."
Trafford eyed my hand carefully. Swinging his mandolin around to his back, he walked toward me and took my hand. I gave him a firm handshake, trying not to squeeze his hand too hard. He still seemed to be cautious, but I didn't care. For now, the fight was over. All I had to do was defeat him once and for all.
"We will fight in one week. That should give you enough time to rest and prepare," said Trafford. "I suppose you wish to return to Adherent Valna's mansion?"
"If we can."
Trafford's gaze turned toward the others. "I will set guards outside. I want no foul play of any kind."
I shrugged. "Fair enough. I don't want that either."
"Thrig, escort them to the manor. Yes, even the druid," said Trafford as he turned to leave. "You are very curious, Norman, perhaps our master's spirit lives on in you. I will make sure that he is there to see our fight."
The thought of seeing Piopus again after so many years both filled me with joy and dread. I couldn't bear the shame of losing in front of my former master, especially to another of his students. But with only a week to prepare, I wasn't totally sure of my chances. Right now, all I was concerned with was getting everyone to safety.
"He'll learn the truth about you," I said as Trafford walked away. Thrig grabbed my shoulder and pushed me in the opposite direction.
Trafford cackled. "I look forward to it."
As we walked out of the royal dungeon, I couldn't help but stare at Greenspring. He was pale, paler than I had ever seen him. It was like he had aged a thousand years in a single day. Nia and Zadona both had to help him climb the steps to the surface. The wolf totem he wore around his neck bounced against his chest. A faint red glow flickered around the eyes. It distorted the shape of the totem in the darkness.
For a brief moment, I was sure the wolf became a tiger.