Chapter 308: The Fang Of Fraxinus


    The crowds cheered for Frost Rim as the Northern Gate opened and Na stepped out from the tunnels shadow. The ring light of the sun flooded her vision and it took her a moment to recognize the young man standing across the hot sands of the arena. His bright scarlet skin stood out clearly from his pale white clothes.


    Gilgard Morrigan Na muttered her opponents name.


    She gripped Votums handle and hauled the giant sword across the arena, its ck ss-like de dragging in the sand.


    As Gilgard watched Na walk closer and closer, he found himself smiling. It was odd seeing a drow, barely over 5 ft tall, dragging a sword behind her that was as tall and almost as wide as herself. If it wasnt for personally witnessing the destruction Na had left in the wake of her previous match, Gilgard would have thought the short, thin-frame drow posed no threat whatsoever.


    Gilgard reced his smile for a solemn expression and bowed to his opponent, I greet you, Na of Frost Rim. It is an honor to duel against Frost Rims finest.


    As he bowed his head, Na noticed the hilt of a sword behind his shoulder. The grip was wrapped in fine burgundy leather and its pommel was gold in the shape of a lizard with its jaw wide open, sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight. The crossguard was a simple stone ck with a single sigil etched at its center.


    Na had heard many stories of a legendary sword with the same description. She narrowed her eyes, That sword, is that?


    Gilgard was surprised, he had heard Na rarely spoke to anyone, even her opponents. He counted himself among the lucky few and obliged her curiosity. He reached behind his shoulder and pulled out the ymore sword. Its de was a giant fang of pale white bone with ck veins streaking across. The de was 4 ft long and 1 ft wide with a slight curve to its serrated edge.


    So its true, you really do have it; Feather, the Fang of Fraxinus, Na muttered grimly. It seems the Grand Warlord of the East intends to make certain House Morrigan wins the tourney.


    Gilgard raised Feather and stared at its milky white color. Do you know where the sword gets its name?


    ...They say despite the des size it weighs as much as a feather.


    Only for the wielder, for everyone else it feels as if they''re being hit by a giant hammer. Gilgard nced at the giant de behind Na. I take it your de doesnt share the same quality.


    Its a littlete to gather information about my weapon, dont you think? Na said bluntly.


    Just an observation, he said easily. Do you know who Fraxinus was?


    Some poor bastard probably.


    No, Gilgard chuckled, No, Fraxinus was a blood-wyrm, one of the greatest and most vicious to have ever prowled the Scarlet Realm. The local viges viewed Fraxinus as an angry god that fed on their livestock whenever the whim crossed his mind. You see, Fraxinus didnt kill out of hunger, he killed out of sheer enjoyment. The beast liked the sound of screams and the scent of fear.


    Then is that Is that really his fang? Na stared at Feathers de.


    Gilgard smiled, There were many who feared Fraxinus, but there was a warlord who did not. He was an orc, said to be twice as strong and twice as cunning as any of his kin, and he feared no man nor beast. Against all warnings, the warlord rallied his loyal army and attacked Fraxinus in hisir. For three days they fought and for three days Fraxinus ughtered countless orcs and fed on their corpses. But on the fourth day, Fraxinus finally sumbed to his wounds, and the warlord dealt the final killing blow.


    Gilgard ran his hand across Feathers bone white de, The few orc soldiers left alive praised the warlord and tore out Fraxinus greatest fang right from his very bloody jaw. No one remembers the names of the brave soldiers who fought and died. People dont even remember the name of the warlord. After all these centuries people only really remember one thing, Fraxinus the dreadful blood-wyrm.


    Gilgard shook his head, In truth, the warlord was a coward who sent his men to die against a ravenous beast. The only brave thing the warlord did was ughter an already dying beast. People forgot my ancestors name because he wasnt worthy.


    Gilgard pointed his sword at Na, You look at me and all you see is my familys ancestral sword. But I know my worth, I know who I am, and I know I am more than the de I wield. The question is, are you more than the de you cannot even carry?


    Nas ashen grey eyes grew cold, but she said nothing, she simply rxed her shoulders and spread her legs apart in a battle stance.


    The Herald Towers horn resounded across the arena, LET THE 10TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL BEGIN!!!


    Gilgard pulled Feather back and pointed his other hand at Na. Blue lightning crackled at his fingertips.


    If he had learned one thing about Nas duel against Heather was that Na had only used her sword at the very end of her fight. Despite her swords power she had chosen to only use it when she was about to be defeated. Why?


    His conclusion was simple. It was the same reason why she dragged her giant sword everywhere. Like many powerful weapons, her sword must drain incredible amounts of mana. She most likely couldnt wield it for more than a few moments at a time.


    The way to victory was simple; force his opponent to use her sword and waste all her energy.


    He poured blue mana into his palm. Na raised her orichalcum sword up like a shield and hid behind it. Gilgard fired the lightning bolt from his outstretched fingers. The crackling blue energy surged through the air like a spear and struck the ck de. The lightning screeched across the sword and scattered into small tendrils before it disappeared into nothingness.


    Eh? Gilgard blinked in surprise. The storm spell had been dispersed. It reminded him of Beatrixs rity magic. Except Na was a tri-manifold, not a true blue mage.


    <em> What the hell is that sword of hers?</em> Gilgard smiled shakily. The way to victory seemed simple enough, but hed be an idiot to think it would be easy.


    Na suddenly stepped out from behind her sword and flicked her fingers out in two quick motions. Two twin funnels of me red to life around her like a curled pair of snakes.


    <em> Thats not an adept spell! </em>he thought with surprise.


    The me snakesshed out at him. He jumped to the side and rolled out of their way, but the mes chased after him. Gilgard quickly got to his feet and ran in the opposite direction. Na flicked her hand again; the me snakes abruptly changed directions and followed him.


    <em> This doesnt make sense! Beatrix saw Nas mana flow, shes not a master mage. The only way she could cast a master me spell is if</em>


    The snakes opened their zing jaws wide and snapped at Gilgard. He shed Feather at them, but the sword passed through the fire harmlessly.


    Of course, Gilgard muttered under his breath and dashed away. He began writing red sigils in the air as he dodged between the snakes attacks.


    <em> Nas not a master. Which means she is just incredibly skilled in me spells. Though she never showed this level of proficiency when fighting Heather. In other words</em>


    Gilgard finished writing the ward spell. The red sigils gathered together in a string of arcane magic and formed a red dome around him. The mes battered and sshed off the dome harmlessly.


    Na released the me spell and stared at him in silence.


    <em> Shes holding back. Shes always been holding back, testing the limits of her opponent. She only responds with more power when needed. So, if her me spells wont work then shell</em>


    Na channeled brown mana into her body. A bronze sheen wrapped around her grey-blue skin as the vigor magic strengthened her muscles.


    Gilgard red at the drow and gripped Feathers hilt tight. <em>What are you waiting for?</em>


    Na picked up her sword and ran at Gilgard. She raised her sword up high and shed down on the red wards. The arcane sigils red for a split second and shattered apart like ss. Gilgard channeled Brown into his own muscles and met her sword with Feather. The two giant swords shed in a shower of red sparks.


    He stumbled back from the heavy blow. Na didnt retreat, but jumped forward in a whirl of attacks. Gilgard grimaced as he parried each strike. Every time Feather blocked her de he felt painful reverberations stab into his arms from the sheer power of her sword.


    Gilgard tried to counterattack but every time he attempted even a simple riposte Na would switch her stance, parry his sword away, and follow up with another strike of her own. She pushed her advantage without a single flicker of emotion on her face.


    Her fluid motions reminded him of Dianes swordy.


    <em> This girl, </em>Gilgard clenched his teeth, <em>shes a sword master too!</em>


    He couldnt win like this, sooner orter hed make a mistake and she would cleave him in half. Gilgard channeled his brown mana into his legs and vaulted away with all the force he could muster.


    The crowd oohed and aahed as he jumped two dozen feet away. Na didnt hesitate and darted after him. She was already on him by the time hended.


    Na pulled her sword back for an attack, her eyes cold with determination. Gilgard smiled ferociously. ck shadows exploded from his silhouette and enveloped them both in a dome of swirling darkness.


    Gilgard released his vigor spell and channeled more ck mana into his eyes, enhancing his sight. The night vision spell was usually only reserved for master ck mages, but Gilgard had worked to learn this particr spell for situations just like this.


    Judging from the way Na stood still in the dark, her expertise in spell casting was limited to her orange spells. Yet as he stared at Nas motionless stance, he was suddenly reminded of his duel against Veronica. Instead of attacking, he unconsciously took several steps back.


    Na raised her sword high. A cold shiver ran down Gilgards spine. She mmed the ck sword into the ground. A vibration of energy echoed out from the orichalcum sword in a wave of power. The dark dome exploded in shadowy tatters.


    Gilgard watched his spell fall apart with a sense of surreal disbelief. <em>I was wrong.</em>


    The drows sword wasnt like his sisters rity magic. rity magic dispelled other mages magic. This. This was different. The ck sword did not dispel magic, it ripped the magic apart with overwhelming power.


    Na suddenly began to wobble. She quickly straightened her legs and took a deep breath. Blood trickled down her nose and she wiped it away with the back of her forearm.


    Gilgard narrowed his eyes, <em>The sword is taking a toll on her Still, at this rate, shell kill me long before she falls.</em>


    Feather abruptly began to tremble in the palm of his hand. He nced at the bone sword, taken aback.


    His eyes widened, It cant be Feather, you actually want to fight?


    The ck veins streaking across the fang turned blood-red in response.


    Gilgards lips formed a half-crazed smile, I havent seen you this excited since my grandmothers time. He gripped Feathers hilt with both hands, But Im not one toin.


    Scarlet energy leaked out from the Feathers de and began to creep over Gilgards arm, forming a chainmail-like pattern over his skin.


    Na frowned, Red scales? What What is that?


    The Fang of Fraxinus.