his side, sword in it scabbard. “I’m no demon, nor am I evil. Would you kill me simply because I’m different than you?”
Talorn hesitated for a moment. “It is what God commands.”
Kian folded his arms across his chest and faced the handsome young man. He could see nothing he could say would change the man’s mind. “Is your God with you today?” Kian asked.
“Yes, and I will strike with his power. The evil you spread will be vanquished half-breed, and my wife will be free of your control, for I intend to slay you in his holy name.”
“I hope you said your prayers last night, you girl-faced braggart,” Cromwell said coldly.
Talorn charged the Half Elf with his long sword raised high in the air. Kian didn’t move until the young knight’s blade was coming down at his head.
The swordsman stepped to his left, pulled his dark blade and blocked Talorn’s cut. He quickly disengaged his blade rolled his wrist and delivered a blow with all his inhuman strength. The Bandaran general’s sword snapped at the hilt.
Talorn looked at the sword in disbelief. Kian put Malice to Talorn’s throat. “Your God must not have been watching that time. Give him another blade.”
Cromwell pulled a sword from one of the Queen’s men and threw it to the young knight.
Talorn again attacked, a mighty horizontal cut came at Kian’s neck. The Half Elf ducked the cut casually and spun away, causing the general to awkwardly stumble forward.
A look of disbelief began to show on Talorn’s face as he thrust at Kian’s unarmored abdomen only to have his blade flicked away and swordsman’s black-hilted long sword put on his throat again. Kian pushed the blonde hair man back without shedding a drop of his blood.
Talorn’s anger began to show. He attack again and again, but his sword could not get past the half-breeds defense.
Cain’s general was tired and his heavy armor had begun to weigh him down. He aimed a cut at Kian’s head. The Half Elf spun his sword, deflecting the blow and sending Talorn’s sword sliding across the marble stairs. The disarmed knight fell to his knees exhausted. He looked at Kian, then he began to crawl towards where his sword landed. “He has had enough,” Kian said.
“Kill him then and let’s go,” Cromwell said.
Kian looked at the circle and saw Endra standing there. He walked over to the defeated man, just as Talorn wrapped his hand around his sword’s hilt. The Half Elf stepped on the blade so the knight couldn’t pick it up.
The Bandaran Lord looked up at him and Kian struck him in the face hard enough to knock the knight unconscious.
Cromwell shook his head at the swordsman as he picked up the Bandaran general up like a sack of grain. “I will see he is taken to the Queen when we find out where she is,” the big man said.
The Half Elf nodded his agreement.
“If you would have killed him we could have just left him here,” the Toran muttered as he walked past Kian.
The circle started to disperse. Endra pushed passed the men until she was beside her lover.
Endra grabbed Kian by the back of his head and kissed him hard on the mouth, both could taste the salty blood that had splattered on their lips. “What was that for?” Kian asked surprised by Endra’s actions.
“That was for showing everyone that there is mercy in your heart.” Kian looked at the ground, a little embarrassed by her praise.
“It is what I thought you would do.”
Endra raised her eyebrows. “No, my love, you are wrong. I would have killed that arrogant bastard.”
***
The city had exploded and the Asconans poured in from the south and Cain’s army, led by Lord Fox and Lord Bradford, came into the city from the north gate. When night fell, the city was split in half with Cain’s forces on the Northside of Turill and Raygan’s on the Southside. The Queen herself was in the southern gatehouse. Ansellus and K’xarr thought it best not to try and occupy the palace just yet. The soldiers of both armies were still outside in the streets, both afraid an attack could come at any time. “This is just what I didn’t want, K’xarr, war inside my city,” the Queen said.
“It’s good to hear you call it your city, Majesty, but there is no choice now, you will have to fight, unless you want to ride away and leave Turill to the Prince.”
Raygan’s expression was hard and steadfast.