Albaras, Morsan and Kruger reached the tower.They waited for a few moments as more and more of their members left the self-made fort. Leaving it to reinforce somewhere deeper in the forest. It seemed that they were trying to hold them off from the tower itself. Were they too late after seeing the light rise?Albaras couldn’t wait anymore.Kruger and Morsan tried to hold him back. They did not prevail due to their late reaction and the force behind Albaras’ movement.A few of the rabble saw a purple-clad man emerge from the woods. Before any of them could react, one already had a golden axe buried in his head.Albaras was already advancing on the next one. He wanted to move but couldn’t. Albaras grabbed his head with one hand, pulling it back so that the other could tear out his throat.He threw the flesh aside as he walked toward the wooden walls.

  The rest of the rabble began to take action. The ones behind Albaras closed in on him. While those in front of him took a defensive position. Albaras didn’t care about the ones behind him, as two dropped to Kruger’s flashing axes while the third was impaled by a thrown halberd.Kruger took position on Albaras’ left while Morsan took his right, pulling out his halberd and Albaras’ axe.When they turned to face Albaras, they saw him grab one of the enemy spears.He pulled the wielder toward him and punched him to the ground with one blow of his iron fist. The other still held the spear.He immediately shifted into a throwing stance and hurled it into another enemy.Meanwhile, another with a spear tried to find an opening.Albaras turned to him. He grabbed the tip of the spear. Breaking it off. He then drove the broken point into the man’s eye and struck it with his other hand, forcing it through his skull until the tip protruded from the other side.

  As he did, a golden light burst from the top window of the tower. From the gates emerged three figures.A giant woman holding an enormous sword, and beside her a man with orange glowing eyes that shone like beacons in the night.Between them stood a pale-skinned man. His hands were open at his sides, radiating an orange glow.

  Even from a distance, Kruger could see the pain in the giant’s eyes.He knew that look, it was the same one he had carried for ages. He pointed his axe at her. ‘How about we rustle for a bit, my lady?’As if trying to charm her instead of fight her.

  Her gaze turned to him.Recognizing what Kruger’s eyes had hidden beneath the surface. Kruger moved away from the group. Tyrilda, mimicking him, followed with almost the same movement. They made their way into the forest.

  Rederick came up with two men. The soldiers moved to battle the rabble. Rederick took Kruger’s place. Albaras took his axe from Morsan. Ranzolf and Sventerlo looked as though they were arguing. Sventerlo went back inside, leaving the three alone with Ranzolf.’Finally, some excitement after so many years. I don’t need to hold back until only one of you is alive.’he said manically as he clapped his hands for effect.Then he pulled out a bastard sword and a dagger.

  Ranzolf ran toward them with a smile on his face.Morsan and Rederick moved to meet him.Morsan used the reach of his halberd to strike first.Ranzolf used his sword to parry it away. Rederick then thrust toward Ranzolf’s side.

  Ranzolf used his dagger to knock the sword aside. He slipped between the two, attempting to attack them from behind. Albaras moved in, swinging his sword toward Ranzolf’s head. Ranzolf abandoned his counterattack to dodge the blade coming at him.Morsan forced him even further back with his halberd. ‘Go now!’ Morsan shouted to Albaras and Rederick.

  Albaras didn’t even hear the words. He moved as soon as Morsan forced Ranzolf back.Rederick hesitated for a moment.After that, he followed Albaras directly into the inner sanctum.Sventerlo stood in front of the tower door. ’Of course he couldn’t hold all of you, just as I can’t either.’Sventerlo opened the tower door and stepped aside.’I recommend one of you hurry.’

  Without a second thought, Albaras went into the tower. Leaving Rederick to face Sventerlo. ‘Feeling well enough for this?’ Sventerlo asked politely, contorting his face into a massive smile.

  Rederick readied himself. ‘Will you be?’ he asked back as Sventerlo dropped his smile.As if he no longer wanted to do it. ‘For today, I am. For tomorrow, I will repent,’ Sventerlo said.

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  They slowly stepped toward each other, watching to see what the other would do.Meanwhile, Albaras rushed into the tower. He immediately tried to ascend the stairs.Before something grabbed him and hurled him across the room.Albaras pulled himself up as if a corpse rising from the grave.He looked at the shadowy figure. It moved out of the darkness, wielding an enormous axe that could almost be mistaken for a mace. Its body was covered in dark cloth. Not a hint of color to brighten the gloom. Wearing it like a coward hiding in shadow. Albaras drew his axe and sword. The gold gleamed beside the blackened, bat-like blade.

  Without exchanging words, they charged each other. Frugin swung his axe horizontally.Albaras moved his upper body back just enough for the axe to miss, cutting only through the air.He then stepped in, thrusting his sword into Frugin’s belly and his axe into his shoulder like an automaton.

  Frugin didn’t react to the wounds; he simply used the pommel of his axe to strike Albaras in the side, the metal already beginning to creak.Forcing him aside. Then he turned it into a downward slash. Albaras twisted his body, letting the axe head bite into his shield.The force of it drove him to the ground.The shockwave blew nearby furniture aside. Small vases fell and splintered across the floor.

  Albaras turned and saw Frugin raise his axe into the air. As Frugin brought it down, Albaras rolled out of the way, crushing the shards of vase into even smaller pieces. He tried to push himself up.As he did, he was struck again, sent flying into the wall and crashing against a table.He used the table to pull himself back to his feet as Frugin advanced.

  Albaras returned to a battle stance after pushing off the table to steady himself.Frugin swung again in a diagonal arc, trying to sever his neck.Albaras used his axe to hook the strike aside, redirecting it without using too much force. At the same time, he aimed his sword at Frugin’s throat.He pierced it, and Frugin didn’t even attempt to defend himself.Instead, Frugin slammed his body into Albaras, forcing him to release his sword as it passed completely through Frugin’s throat. Frugin grabbed Albaras’s head and began slamming it into the wall behind him.Pieces of stone broke away as the helmet scraped against it.Frugin looked at how Albaras was hacking into the arm that held his head. Trying to free himself from his grasp.

  Frugin shifted his aim.Instead of the wall, he hurled Albaras through the table.As Albaras landed a final strike, rendering the arm useless. Frugin dropped Albaras to the ground before lifting himself upright again. Frugin looked at his arm as he heard Albaras hit the ground.He saw his arm bent at an impossible angle. Albaras struggled halfway up and began hacking at Frugin’s leg. After two strikes, Frugin reacted, kicking Albaras with his other leg and sending him back against the wall.Then, with one arm, he heaved his axe.Unable to move, Albaras raised his axe between himself and Frugin’s weapon.

  The force was still enough to knock Albaras back to the floor and make the walls squeal in protest.Frugin delivered another swing.It struck Albaras’s shield, creating another shockwave that sent the broken table pieces scattering in all directions.With the third strike cutting deep enough into the shield to become lodged in it.

  Frugin tugged at it, trying to wrench it free. Albaras used the moment to deliver another hack to his leg, rendering it useless.Frugin still didn’t even slow down. Not a single sound escaped him.Not a single glance was cast toward his wounds. Frugin grabbed Albaras’s shoulder and pulled him in, delivering a headbutt.Albaras used the impact to brace his legs against the wall and shove Frugin off his feet as he lost balance from his ruined leg.Frugin fell, dragging Albaras with him and smashing his head against the floor. The impact cracked the stone floor.

  Even with his face split against the floor, Albaras was the first to rise. He staggered around, dazed.Frugin followed, struggling to rise with only one working leg and arm.Frugin looked at Albaras as Albaras buried his axe in the center of his face.The blow tore away the hood he was wearing. It revealed a face made of mismatched complexions, sewn together into one.An abomination.Frugin grabbed Albaras’s hand and began to crush it.Albaras resisted just enough to keep it from breaking.With his other free hand, Albaras pulled his shield from his back.He had to immediately drop it under the added weight of Frugin’s axe.Frugin squeezed harder as blood seeped between his fingers, the metal biting into both their hands.Albaras kicked the sword still lodged in Frugin’s throat.Driving it further to the side.That forced Frugin to release Albaras’s hand.Albaras moved back. His gaze remained fixed on Frugin’s unmoving face as he pulled the axe from his head.

  Albaras got back up, blood coming from his right hand.He walked up to Frugin, who threw the axe so poorly that the blunt side struck Albaras’s armor.It still had enough force to push Albaras back.

  ’I see that death has seen both our faces before.’Albaras said as he rebalanced himself, his axe now back in hand.He resumed his approach toward Frugin.Frugin didn’t say anything. He only tried to reach Albaras. Even with everything disabled would Frugin not fall down. Even getting back up.