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Walf's AdventureChapter 10: Dale's Decision
“What do you know about this?” Keavur demanded as the two scaled the stone staircase. Yes, it was staircase that the door had led to and a staircase that seemed to lean awkwardly at an angle. No doubt a result of the war.
“It’s a long story.” said Jos in heaving breaths.
And the baker proceeded to tell it as they both raced upward. Jos wasn’t a particularly good storyteller. Not like an old acquaintance who used to buy jam from him. He skipped a great deal and mumbled so much that by the time Keavur reached the top, he still had but a muddled and small understanding of the story. They were in one of the bell towers now. Or rather what was left of it. A whole two sides of the tower above were gone and the bell was no where to be seen. They were high up and the wind was shrill and cold.
“Why didn’t you tell me this at the bar?” said Keavur one he caught his breath.
“I—I didn’t want to get in trouble.” Jos stammered.
“Ok, ok. Great! So how do we stop it?”
“You don’t.” said a voice from the shadows.
It was Brugs. The Dragon Master was visible now, giving the men a frightening look with a snarl on his ugly face.
“You die, hunter! But you can watch this one go first.”
And he pointed the sword at Jos. Now Jos, bless his heart, was a baker, not a warrior and while a fine man in his own right, wasn’t above being frightened or running for his life. Even when, as in this case, there was no where to run. Jos jerked to a halt at the very edge of the tower. Time seemed to stop for the baker as he stared from his dizzying perch, frozen in fear. But time hadn’t stopped and the sword slashed across his back. Jos yelped in pain…and fell.
But Keavur was not idle during this and taking advantage of the distraction, jumped through Brugs and grabbed the sword. He knew his only chance would be to disarm his opponent. Back and forth, they rolled, struggling for control of the sword. But it was only a matter of time, really. Keavur would weaken soon and Brugs…Brugs would not.
Inside the sword Dale was having a wrestling match of his own.
Go, Dale. You can help him!
No, no I can’t. I can’t help anyone. Besides if I do, Brugs will just hurt the others more.
But if you don’t do anything this man will die!
Oh, he’ll die anyway! I couldn’t stop Brugs from killing these people or from killing Jos! I—I tried…I turned the blade to keep him from stabbing Jos but…but Jos still fell! I just cant…
Dale buried his face in his fists. But Jos wasn’t dead. No not yet, though he might soon be. He was hanging on the outstretched neck of a gargoyle. Hanging out over empty space. It was an uncomfortable place to be, holding on for your life and staring straight up into the snarling mouth of a hideous beast. Icicles hung from the gargoyle’s mouth like the blood some traveler who ended his life on its fangs. Jos reached up again, trying to find a better place to hold on. The wind was blowing sharp and hard, as if trying to make him lose his grip.
Jos was just contemplating how to get out of his predicament when something strange happened. Jos didn’t know if he was dreaming or crazy or what, but he could have sworn that the gargoyle blinked! It was so strange and unthinkable that Jos recoiled in shock and let go.
Meanwhile, in the bell tower above, Brugs was gaining the upper hand. The ghost rained blow upon blow down on Keavur.
“Let…go…of…my…sword!” Brugs yelled, punching Keavur with each word. Finally Brugs wrenched the saber from Keavur’s hands. The demon-hunter collapsed, bruised and exhausted. Brugs didn’t pause to gloat in his victory or taunt the man before finishing him. He was ready to end this and simply raised the sword. Keavur watched as Brugs readied to finnish him off. He didn’t care. He was through fighting and now he would share his brother’s fate.
The sword dropped. But it did not pierce his heart. It hit something else. A trinket Keavur had worn around his neck since the day Derek Stormspear had used it to defeat Azazael. Reno’s cursed sword hit Derek’s silver cross and in that instant everything changed.
Inside the sword there was a great crack and a beam of pure, celestial light shot from the tip of the saber. Every ghost in the sword moved towards it, curious at first and then shouting in joy. Dale never said the words “Heaven.” but there was no mistaking what it was. One by one the spirits entered the portal, laughing and smiling as they went. And finally, only Dale was left.
How long? How long had he waited and hoped, even prayed, for this? True death. What a relief it would be to finally leave this troubled world behind and enter into eternal bliss.
And yet, as Dale stood there, gazing on the gates of eternity, the manifestation of all he had hoped for, yet he turned and looked back. If he left Dale knew that Brugs would have complete control over the sword. Dale had a choice to make.
From Keavur’s perspective, when the sword hit the cross, everything seemed to fade away. He found himself surrounded by light. Like being in the center of a star.
“Am I dead?” Keavur wondered.
There was a strange burning sensation in his chest.
“Hello Keav.” said a voice from behind him.
Keavur whirled around. It was-
“Derek!” Keavur cried, almost dumb from disbelief, “Is it really you? You and Kara!”
“Good evening, Mr. Stormspear.” said Kara, smiling.
“What eh…” Keavur stamered. “I’m not…am I dead?”
“No,” said Derek, “Sorry Keav, but it’s not your time.”
“But -- but I wanna be with you Derek -- I --”
“I know brother, and you will be someday, but in the meantime you have work to do. And you shouldn’t be afraid to do it without me.”
The men were silent for a moment, just staring at each other until Keavur spoke.
“Alright, I understand. Kara, tell your brother…tell Valus hi from me will you?”
Kara nodded, smiling and then in an instant, they were gone and Keavur was jolted back into the real world.
“Arrggh!”
Keavur’s chest felt like it was on fire. The demon hunter tore open his shirt to find the shape of a cross, branded on his chest. Tiny flecks and splinters of silver and blue shown in the burn. It was like Derek’s cross had melted into Keavur’s heart.
“Don’t you ever die?”
Keavur looked up. It was Brugs, standing over him with sword in hand.
Keavur smiled. “It’s not my time.”
“That’s right!” said another voice. “It’s your time, Brugs!”
The transparent form of Dale sifted from the sword. He stood tall and stern, with the piercing eyes of a man whose mind was set.
“You won’t hurt anymore people, Brugs.”
The Dragon Master sneered. “Oh really? And how are you going to stop me?”
Dale flew into Brugs. Not with a fury of fists or a pinning maneuver, but actually into Brugs, like a man diving into a lake. Brugs stood there for a moment, dumfounded at what had just happened and then…
“Aahhh! Gerhgh-ah-Ah-ARGHH!”
Brugs wretched back and forth, clawing, scraping at his shoulders and face.
“G -- get out! Ouuut!”
Slowly the man’s features began to change. Thick hands turned to thin musically gifted ones, Dragon Master armor turned to gray robes and Brug’s own ugly mug transformed into the plain face of Dale.
“Jos! Jos wake up!”
Jos moaned, cracking his eyes open and trying to clear his head. “Wha—what happened?”
“That’s what we’d like to know.” said a voice Jos thought he knew, “We found you lying out on a ledge.”
“Dale? Is that -- Dale! What --are you -- Where’s that other guy? Ow!”
“Calm down, Jos.” said Keavur, “Everything’s alright. Although I thought we lost you when you fell off the tower.”
“I grabbed onto a gargoyle and then…oh! And then it blinked and I let go! And -- and then I grabbed onto it’s arm and slid down to the elbow and fell off again and…I must have dropped ten feet onto that ledge!”
“The gargoyle did what?” Dale questioned, “Are you sure you’re feeling ok?”
“Well, I do have a splitting headache.”
“Come on.” said Keavur cheerfully. “We can sort this out back at the Gold Wallow Inn.”
“I’m telling you guys, it blinked!”
Jos and Keavur were walking down the streets of Orion, with Dale safely out of sight in the sword.
“That’s crazy.” said Keavur. “I’ve never heard of such a thing, unless it were in legend. Gargoyles don’t move in the real world.”
“Yeah,” said Dale from inside the sword. “It seems crazy, but then with all the things I’ve seen, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“Yes,” said Keavur. “I’d like to hear the full tale on that. Dale has told me some but I’m still largely in the dark.”
“Well, we can sort it out in my room.” said Jos. “Look there’s the Gold Wallow Inn, right now.”
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