Alternia Comics

"YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!"

Andrenas Sherand almost recognized the man charging at him before he registered the long-bearded axes swinging for his head and was fighting for his life. With a thought, his own weapon, Evershine, appeared in his hands and hummed defiantly as it worked a gleaming pattern in the air. Left and right he blocked, and when the axe-wielder attacked his left again he dipped the blade under the axe and twisted it up and around. He side-stepped left to end up on his attacker's flank, then aimed his backswing for the man's head. The barbarian - Andrenas recognized him now as a warrior of the Bloodhawks Tribe by the red feathers that hung from armbands - ducked the swing and rolled forward as Andrenas followed through with a downward slice.

He came up to his feet steady and ready for more, but Andrenas gave him no breathing room. They launched themselves against one another, and the combatants' blades rang together in the strange and deadly harmony of two men trying to kill each other.

After moments that seemed like hours, they paused to catch a breath. Then, the ranger advanced, leading with a long thrust the barbarian parried with the right axe, the left up and ready to strike with. Andrenas had fought Bloodhawks before, though. His sword caught the descending axe just under the head. Again he twisted it, this time out across the Bloodhawk's body and down, and with Evershine between the axe handle and its long blade, used the leverage to wrench the weapon from its wielder's hand.

The Bloodhawk accepted the loss without slowing. Andrenas was truly impressed by the man's discipline; despite his cry for blood vengeance before the battle, he was fighting with a cool head and undaunted purpose. Setting his hands out at either end on the handle of his remaining axe, he rushed forward, knocking Evershine to one side to try and take away Andrenas' advantage of reach. Up close, Andrenas realized, the barbarian probably thought his size would give him an edge over the ranger's honed but slim form.

Andrenas dropped his sword as the barbarian closed in. He braced himself and caught the axe-handle near to the barbarian's right hand. He spun back and to the left, then snapped the barbarian's right arm at the elbow over his shoulder. The Bloodhawk howled in pain and rage as his right forearm dangled like a dead fish. He retreated a few steps and even set himself to make a wide left-handed swing, but Andrenas drove a foot down onto side of his knee, breaking that joint too. As the Bloodhawk went down to his knees, the ranger slammed the side of his head with a devastating palm-strike.

Down on the ground, the Bloodhawk warrior still refused to quit. With his good arm, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. His mouth dangled open and he swayed like a drunkard, but he kept his hate-filled eyes focused on Andrenas. The ranger saw that axe still gripped by a white-knuckled hand, so he recalled his magical sword from where it lay on the ground back into his hands to aim it right at the Bloodhawk's throat. "You ... killed ... my ... brother ..."

Andrenas regarded the broken young man with confusion. He had slain a lot of people in his short life, but while he and the Bloodhawks had had their differences, it had never quite come to killing. So why did this man say ...

"Oh ... oh, God ..."

Andrenas dropped his sword with the realization. Years ago the Bloodhawks had been enslaved by something ... dark. No - enslaved would be the wrong word. They had become fanatics, willing to die at this things whim. Andrenas' brother, Engallian, had trained with the Bloodhawks - used two weapons, like them - and called for the ranger's help to free them when he had learned of their terrible fate. The force that commanded the Bloodhawks sent the hapless tribe against the brothers, and the Sherand brothers were forced to kill some to free the rest. Free them they did ... but ...

... Engallian's mind had been taken, too. The brothers fought, and Andrenas ...

... "won" would be the wrong word.

Andrenas fell to his knees. His vision clouded, and once again he saw his brother's face falling away from him, still covered by the mask he wore. Once again he heard the final scream, and the last words Engallian said in this world.

"I'm your brother, Andrenas ..."

As the torturous visions faded, Andrenas saw his face reflected next to the Bloodhawk's own in Evershine's blade. He looked up into the man's tear filled eyes. "He was my brother, Andrenas! He was my brother, Andrenas Sherand! You killed him."

Andrenas fought to find his voice. He could see the man understood what had happened, why his brother had died. But he could also see that it did not matter. The elders of the Bloodhawks had forbidden anyone to take retribution on Andrenas for the lives he had taken to free them. This young man had forsaken all ties to his tribe, all ties to his family and his past, to pursue his path of vengeance.

Finally, his voice came to him. "I ... I know. I killed mine, too."

The Bloodhawk remained strong for a moment more, and then his resolve broke. He toppled back and sobbed, his hand covering his face and his axe forgotten on the ground. As Andrenas crawled over to sit next to him, the barbarian's hollow wail of grief howled in his ears. The ranger left his shining sword in the dirt and wept with his beaten foe.