alive, they had Malbeck the Dark One, my master and their sword on this plane of existence, order your death.”
“But the High One sent Airos to protect the town and me,” replied Jonas as he thought about Airos’s sudden arrival. “But Airos did not know exactly who I was, only that he needed to help fight off the threat that attacked my town. His death helped me survive and I believe now that Shyann shielded me on that dark night.” Realization of Airos’s sacrifice and the simmering plot to destroy his family hit him like an ogre’s fist. “But why me?” Jonas asked more to himself than anything.
The demon prince spat on the ground and hissed. “You already answered that question. You are IshMian, a rare power that threatens my masters. More importantly, your heart is pure and incorruptible; a rarity in men and a potential threat to the powers of darkness, but it is a weakness, cavalier, for you cannot truly accept the power of the Forsworn. ”
Now it was Jonas’s turn to laugh. “Power? They hold no power! They only exist because they feed off of the weaknesses of men. Your Forsworn are parasites that have no power of their own,” Jonas countered, swinging his swords left and right.
The demon prince crouched, hissing angrily like a snake, his long blade bursting in red flames. Then he whispered a few words and orange flames suddenly burst from his left hand. Jonas stood his ground as the flames slammed into his mental barrier and rushed to either side of him. He smiled as the flame’s heat did not touch him. The fire subsided, revealing Jonas unharmed, holding his swords at his side.
Jonas used his mind to send the translucent shield forward like a battering ram. The energy wall hit the demon prince hard, slamming him against the back of the tent. Strangely, when he hit the tent wall it looked like he had crashed into stone. Whatever magic the demon had used to seal the tent turned the walls into something hard and unbreakable.
Jonas quickly charged forward as the demon prince smashed into the wall. Releasing the energy of the shield he used his leading blade to hastily block the demon’s fire sword, but his second blade scored a hit on the demon’s leg, causing a deep cut across its thigh. Nelstrom hissed and kicked his leg out impossibly fast. His powerful foot struck Jonas in the abdomen and sent him reeling backwards.
Kiln had taught Jonas many things, one of which was how to deflect the power of a blow by not fighting against it. And Jonas’s agility almost equaled Kiln’s, allowing him to move like an acrobat. So Jonas went with the blow, leaping backwards at the last moment, deflecting some of the power of the strike. He rolled backwards over his head and came to his feet quickly.
The prince wasted no time and attacked him furiously with his fire blade. The struggle became a blur of blades as the two master swordsmen used all the skills they had. They spun and danced, their magic blades leaving traces of fire and blue light as they whirled through the air. The demon’s long arms and legs allowed him an advantage, but Jonas’s skill with two blades allowed him to keep the demon’s steel away from his flesh.
The demon prince pushed Jonas close to a wall, hoping to pin him against it, but Jonas sensed the wall’s presence and frantically fought to keep from being cornered. Nelstrom’s foot struck out again, so fast that Jonas could not avoid it, striking him in the thigh, the power of the kick forcing him to stumble backwards.
The demon prince saw his opening and swung his fire blade downward towards Jonas’s head. But Jonas, too, was fast and he quickly brought both blades up in a cross to block the powerful stroke. The power of the strike sent sparks everywhere, severely jolting Jonas’s strong arms. It felt like he had caught a falling boulder.
The blades held together and the prince stepped in close to Jonas’s face. Jonas used all his strength to hold the blade still as the demon leered down at him. He strained and gritted his teeth as the flaming steel inched closer.
As the demon’s head moved closer, he opened his fanged mouth, spitting burning flames at Jonas’s face. Jonas screamed as the fire seared him but he did not let go of his swords for he knew that the demon’s fire sword