The Last Sorcerer Part 1|Part 2|Part 3|Part 4

The last fight was against another knight. This knight carried both a staff and a sword. He carried a shield and throwing axes strapped across his back. This knight was a killing machine. He led the charge into battles and cared not whom he killed, friend or foe. If they got in his way, they were dead. Everyone knew him as Blood Knight. He was the last defense against anyone becoming a noble. Nobles who made it this far tagged another or removed themselves from the tournament.

Lorindar was not a noble.

Blood Knight prepared for battle. He wore full battle plate, including a full plated helm with horns, was seven feet tall, and half as wide. No one had ever seen his face, no one alive. He answered only to the king.

Lorindar was the challenger. Blood Knight did not contest this nor use his power to change it. Lorindar picked the battle type. Blood Knight got to chose the weapons.

Lorindar did not own a shield. He picked duel weapons style. A weapon in each hand, no shield.

Blood Knight just grunted. The official asked, “Open, any weapons?” Blood Knight nodded in agreement.

Lorindar chose the sword and staff.

Blood Knight took off his shield but held on to the rest. Carrying his sword in the right hand and staff in the left, he grunted his readiness.

Lorindar had seen this animal fight. He knew, to win, he had to fight him. Lorindar had made it this far. He must win. Preparing himself, he cast Strength and Stronger, followed by Speed, Faster, Accuracy, and Marksman. Lorindar activated everything he knew. It drained him. He had two points left. Exhausted, he readied himself.

Just this last fight.

The official dropped his arm. The fight began.

Blood Knight charged. He was in front of Lorindar, swinging his sword in moments.

Lorindar had barely enough time to react and block, even with his enhancements. It continued this way for several attacks. Lorindar was on the defense, and barely blocking his blows. Each swing of sword or staff made his arms grow weak, and numb. He couldn’t handle this.

I cannot lose. There is too much at stake. People are counting on me to win. Every time I try to attack, I end up defending instead, or I will get hit hard. I need more, everything.

The next thing Lorindar felt was getting hit in the chest hard enough to lift him into the air and knock him back twenty feet. He had not even seen what hit him until it was too late.

Blood Knight had used the staff with the sword in a combo hit. It caught Lorindar off guard. Lorindar fell to the ground. Blood Knight stood several feet away from him, waiting.

A ringing in Lorindar’s ears would not go away. He couldn’t get his bearings. Blood Knight was spinning along with the rest of the world.

The official interjected. “Can you continue? You must be up in thirty seconds or concede.”

Lorindar calmed himself. He drew without thinking, on instinct. A little mana came through. He looked around. The world continued to swirl. He drew again. This time he targeted Blood Knight. A surge of unprecedented power flushed through him. The dizziness cleared. He was on his feet.

Blood Knight launched a series of attacks. Blood Knight slammed sword and staff over and over into Lorindar. On defense again, he pushed everything he could into a Strength spell. Physical energy flowed through his body.

Did I just cast a level three Strength?

The blows from his opponent were no longer as strong. He did the same with Speed. A spike of electricity ran across him. Blocking the blows became easier, but he was out of mana again. He drew again from Blood Knight.

This time his opponent paused.

Lorindar struck back, swinging both sword and staff as Blood Knight did.

This caught Blood Knight off guard. He staggered back.

Lorindar pushed his energy into Accuracy and drew again from his opponent.

It was Blood Knight’s turn to shake his head.

Lorindar swung both sword and staff once more. The sword hit the dead center of Blood Knight’s chest, cutting deep through the armor. The staff swung upwards, knocking his helm off into the air. It fell to the ground many feet back.

The crowd gasped. The helmet removed, exposed the head of a bull, a minotaur.

Lorindar swung again. Blood Knight tried to block, but the precision and strength of the swing were strong. Both weapons hit again. Blood Knight’s body stood there for a second. Then Blood Knight collapsed.

Confusion and accusations were being said throughout the crowd.

Lorindar thought the same things. What was a minotaur doing in the king’s court? Did the king know? How could he not? They were cheating the tourney for years. To bring it up would embarrass the king and might make him an enemy.

The king acted surprised. But he had done it too slow. Lorindar saw it, others appeared to see it too, yet they could not prove it.

The king stood up. He addressed Lorindar. “Congratulations my newest knight. You have done well and have won all three contests, the Tri-Arms triple win. One hundred twelve years have passed since that was accomplished. You have won the Archery Broach, the Wizards Mantle, and Knighthood.”

The king pretended as though he enjoyed it, yet in his voice, Lorindar heard contempt and anger. No one mentioned the minotaur, whose body still lay in the middle of the arena.

The king continued. “You win it all.”

Lorindar said, “Including the nobility title of duke and lands to go with it. Which lands are those?”

The king sighed. “Yes, dukedom comes with the triple win and lands, too.”

Several of the knights in the King’s Box did not look happy.

Sir Reginald whispered to the king, “Sire, he would be higher in the court than most of us. Would not a baron title be better?”

Lorindar said, “Sir Reginald, we can hear what you have suggested. The rules of the tourney state, nobility of duke or duchess, lands and tax freedom for life.”

“Yes. Yes, to those. I will provide the lands according to the charter. Enough of this for now. We have a celebration to attend. As a guest of honor, the celebration requires you to be there, Duke Lorindar.”

Balanor sat on top of the highest hill outside the city. He had the best view and could see everything. He grinned at his student’s success. Lorindar had worked hard and, against odds, won the Tri-Arms Tournament, reunited with his love, got himself granted a noble’s title of duke, and lands to go with it. He received gold and saved both his and his fiancé’s families. He got everything he wanted.

Everything was going according to plan. 

Featured Image created by Christopher Lombardi.