Chapter 7
Lines in the Sand

There wasn’t much of a feast that night.  A few recruits remained, but for the
most part it was just Hearoh’s party, the King, and the People’s Army of Liberation.  The
PAL knight’s would ask Hearoh about his sword training every once in a while, but all
the answer they ever got was a disgruntled, “I don’t know”.  Dmitri and Cerant kept to
themselves for most of dinner, no one wanted to hear about them, just about the miracles
that Hearoh had performed.  Soon though, dinner was over and everyone went their
separate ways.
The night was full out sound as Hearoh led Cerant and Dmitri back to their house.
The moons shone with a brightness that happened only once every three months, they
were both full moons.  
At the edge of the forest Hearoh stopped everyone.  There was a question on his
mind that had been picking at him for the last week.  He turned to Dmitri and posed his
inquiry, “Who is Samus?”
Dmitri was silent for a moment before he answered, “You have seen the diary
then?”
“Yes, but I haven’t read any of it, I just saw the name on the cover.”
“Well, I suppose that’s best left to a man named Elentari.  He can answer all of
your questions.  I will ask him to come here.”
“Thank you,” Hearoh replied reverantly.
Nothing more was said the rest of the way through the forest.  Silently they all
walked into the house and all went to bed.

---

It has been six years since Dmitri had heard the name of Samus.  It concerned
him, that Hearoh was asking of him, for he couldn’t give him the answers.  He had briefly
known the boy called Samus for just weeks before he had disappeared.  Dmitri picked up
the book that he had found next to the broken body of the man he knew as Hearoh.  It
bore the name Samus on the cover, burnt into the leather with a scorching brand.  He
opened it for the first time, looking into the pages for the answers the plagued him and
Hearoh the same.  He began to read.

---

Jess and Cerant, although in different parts of the country side had strikingly
similar thoughts that night before they drifted to sleep.  After seeing the aftermath of
what Hearoh was capable of it was obvious to both of them that he was a dangerous man.
Taking his word that he had no idea where he learned his skills, or how he could move so
fast, it was only logical to think that one day he would remember, and maybe they would
be friends at that point.  If Hearoh was a cold blooded killer that lost his memory, then he
may revert back to his old nature and kill them.  It was difficult to imagine one who
seemed so gentle hurting anyone, but after the evidence on the castle wall it was
painfully obvious that it wasn’t too safe having him around without having any restraint.

---

It was dawn before Dmitri realized it.  He had been up all of the night reading the
diary of Samus.  He now understood where he had gone after that night in the cave, and
why it had been six years since his reappearance as Hearoh.  One thing still confused him
though, why he could not remember anything from it.
“Elentari, I know you are near.  Why can Hearoh not remember his past?”  Dmitri
said to empty room.
“Because his memory was sealed away by the Ancients.”  There was a moments
pause, and then Elentari continued, as if he had read Dmitri’s mind, ”Do not worry, all
will become clear in a short time.”  Elentari spoke to Dmitri through telepathy.  He too,
had not been seen since that night in the cave.
“I will trust you with that.  You have saved my life more than once, I owe you
that much.”
“You owe me nothing.  But I do ask that you not tell Hearoh anything of what you
have read, it will only serve to confuse him.”
“You have my word, but when can he know?”
“In one weeks time I will return to tell him of everything.  Until then, peace be
with you.”
“Yes, goodbye, Elentari.”  He closed the journal and set it underneath his bed,
where he knew that Hearoh would look.  He didn’t think it was fair for Hearoh not to
know who he was.  He wouldn’t disobey Elentari directly, but if he really didn’t want
Hearoh to find out who he was, then he would have to stop him, because Dmitri would
have no part of it.
Dmitri took a deep breath and stood, looking out the window to his left.  It was
very bright and peaceful outside.  Thinking to himself, Dmitry bowed his head.  “Why
does this world always let difficult matters turn to war?  War only brings famine and
destruction.  I would think that my people would know that best, but still, I am an outcast
in my own land.  Father, I pray that you will guide these mortals in their ways, and
protect Hearoh, he has much work left to do.”  Dmitri silently prayed, something he had
not done for several hundred years.  He felt better, but he wasn’t sure how much good it
did.  As he finished he heard a knock on the door.  He knew better than to race Hearoh to
the door, so he just listened.  
“Angelus, what brings you out here?”  Dmitri could hear the muffled greeting
from inside his room.
“I am here to see you.  Unfortunately there is little time, Jess coming to see you
after breakfast, and I must speak privately vith you.”
“Do you mind if Dmitri listens in, although I am sure that he will no matter
what.”  With that said Dmitri stepped out of his room, smiling.
“My ears were burning, is someone talking about me?”  Dmitri said as he sat
down in his oversized chair.
“That is fine.  I vill start by giving you our current situation.”  Angelus spoke with
a mild accent, it was the first time Hearoh noticed it.
“Is this about your war?  If it is I want no part.  I am here to observe, I will not
participate in needless bloodshed.”  Hearoh said with a solid resolve.
“I vould not ask you to participate, you are innocent in this affair.  Just let me
give your our status and then I vill ask you what I vill of you.”
“Fine, continue.”
“Our militia is one of near 7000, a majority of them you saw last night.  Our
enemy has an army estimated at six times our size.  Ve cannot defeat them.  That is vhy I
ask you to train our generals as you have been trained.  I know that ve cannot hope to
learn much from you over the course of one week, but maybe it would give us enough to
surprise them long enough for our messengers to get back with news of help from our
allies.”
“I am honored that you would ask me to train your men, but sadly I cannot.  I
know less about my fighting style than you do.  I am sorry that I cannot help you.”
“I see.  Please, just hear out one last request.  Let us duel.  If I vin, you come to
train my men the best you can, and if you vin, then you can do what you please.”
“I will grant you this, although I don’t see how I have anything to gain from it, I
am always up for a challenge.”
“Very well, I will meet you outside when you have chosen your weapon.”
Angelus stood and left the house without another word.  Hearoh dropped his walking
stick by the door and went back to his room to retrieve his two massive broad swords.
Dmitri wasn’t sure what to think of all this, but he wanted to see it none-the-less.  He
walked to the door to join Angelus outside.

---

Jess was just finishing breakfast when a squire came to tell her that he had seen
Angelus leaving towards the woods.  She quickly stood up and headed for the stables.
Rushing through the halls she saw people dodge out of her way, and give her odd looks.
Through the courtyard and into the stables until she found her horse, being groomed
before the day’s activities began.
“What is he thinking?  He knows that I hate being left behind.  I am his superior.
Ugh! Men!”  Jess cried out in distress to the stableman.
“I am sorry, Lady Jessica, your steed is ready for you.  Please, do be careful.”
“I know I have told you at least 30 times, Mark, just call me Jess, you know
formal titles are reserved for servants, not for friends.”
“Yes ma... Jess.”
Jess mounted Burner, her horse, and smiled at Mark.  She was soon on her way.

---

Hearoh walked out dragging his two mammoth swords and stood in front of
Angelus.  Dmitri was already outside, leaning on a tree, but for all Hearoh could tell, the
tree very well could have been leaning on Dmitri.  Angelus turned to his horse and took
his weapon.  A long staff with two short curved blades at the ends.  He made a show of
his speed by whirring the staff quickly in front of him, and then struck the ground kicking
out dust that abruptly settled into place.
Hearoh drew one of the swords to his front and drew a line in the sand.  “When
you think you are ready, cross the line, and the duel will begin.”
“Alright.  Then there is no point in vaiting.”  He walked over the line slowly.
Hearoh immediately went after him.
Swinging the broadswords with unrelenting speed he took to the attack from the
begining, but Angelus was soon on the offence.  He was as equally fast as Hearoh and
was able to parry every one of his blows, and soon Hearoh was dodging his.  The pace
then evened out with both countering blow for blow.  The sound of clashing steal filled
the forest, and distrubed all of the morning birds songs.  Hearoh saw that it was getting
nowhere and decided to end it.  Waiting for Angelus to take a wide swing, Hearoh rolled
around behind him and put the point of one of his swords to the back of Angelus’ neck.
“You are bested, give up,” Hearoh said with confidence.
“Look again, at your groin, and tell me vho is bested.”  Angelus called back.
Indeed, one of angelus blades had found it’s way dangerously close to where Hearoh
wanted it least.  Hearoh knocked the blade away from him and tried to strike again, but
the other end of Angelus’ staff was at his throat.
“I know vou are faster than this, where is the speed from last night?”
“If I had known you were going to offer me a real challenge, I would have tried
harder.  Permit me to go inside and get my other weapon, then we can have a true duel.”
After a moment of thought Angelus nodded and Hearoh returned to the cabin, dragging
his swords behind him.

---

Jess was fast approaching the edge of the forest.  Suddenly heard the sound of
metal and metal, the rhythm of war, a perfect beat that only happens when two are evenly
matched.  She rode faster to the trees, and entered the forest following the sound of the
arcaic cadence as it played on.

---

Cerant woke up listening to the fight outside.  When he heard it stop and the door
shut to the cabin he knew that there had been a good brawl, and that it wasn’t over yet.
He headed from his room to the outer area.  As he opened the flap that served as a door
he saw Hearoh grab his walking stick as he left.  He walked outside to see Angelus
standing with a long staff, ready to fight.  Cerant didn’t know what had caused the fight,
but he knew that it was a fight that he wanted to see.

---

“Cross the line, vhen you are ready to duel me, Hearoh.”  Angelus called the
challenge out this time.  Hearoh didn’t bother to answer.  He just disappeared.  The next
moment he was standing behind Angelus.
“Good, now I can show you my true power.”  Angelus said, never turning to face
Hearoh.
“Yes, show me what you are truely capable of.”
Angelus spun his stave around again, this time at a speed so fast that Hearoh’s
eyes could no longer trace it.  Then as suddenly as he started, he stopped, and the staff
was gone.  Hearoh looked to the ground briefly and noticed something unusual, Angelus
was casting no shadow.  
“Behold, vhat your eyes see, may not be vhat it truely there.”
Hearoh didn’t know how he knew, but he knew exactly where Angelus was.  As
quick as light Hearoh moved two feet to his left and grabbed at the air right in front of
him.  Angelus was now in his grasp.
“You are better than I suspected.  Shall we dance?”  The two returned to their
positions, arms at their fronts.

---

Cerant watched the two eye each other down.  He wasn’t sure what either was
thinking, or if they were even capable of thinking.  They both seemed as machines,
created for the battle, neither flinching or showing a sign of weakness.
Angelus was the first to move, he faked with his staff to the left and as Hearoh
dodged he held out a hand to grab him.  Angelus barely caught the sleave of Hearoh’s
tunic, but he had already done all of the damage he needed to.  Hearoh’s face grew a pale
shade of green, and he leaned over to retch.  Dry heaves were all that came, but they were
more than enough to stop him cold.  Angelus made his move and held his staff to
Hearoh’s chin.  Cerant knew what had happened.  And he knew that Hearoh wasn’t up
for it.
“Thats not fair play.  Poisoning someone you are dueling with.  Witchery is
reserved for Mage duels, not for the noble swordsman.”  Cerant called to Angelus in
disgust.
“Let him be, Cerant, Hearoh must learn to deal with all kinds.”  Dmitri said cooly
from the other side of the fight.
Angelus shot a look towards them both and then focused back on Hearoh.  “If you
abandon this fight I will give you the antidote to return you to normal health.
“You... think... that heaving... is going to... stop me... you are... mistaken.”
Hearoh managed to sputter a few curse words under his breath before returning to
fighting form.  He made some sloppy moves at Angelus, who dodged them easily, and
struck back, rapping Hearoh on the head with his polearm.  In Hearoh’s state it didn’t
take much to topple him.  He fell to the ground in a ball.  Cerant shook his head.  Just
then, a girl on horseback rode onto the scene.

---
Jess dismounted quickly, but then just stood there.  She wasn’t sure what to do.
Angelus was her general, and if he ever attacked it was for good reason.  But Hearoh
seemed like the gentle type who wouldn’t hurt anyone without provocation.  She didn’t
know what to do.
“What’s going on here?  Why is Hearoh on the ground?”  Jess asked, exasperated.
“Your boy poisoned him, and then hit him when he was buckled over heaving his
innards onto the forest floor,” Cerant exagerated
“Come now, Cerant, it wasn’t that bad,” Dmitri said.
“It might as well have been.  Where did you learn to fight dirty like that?  Some
Blood Mage?” Cerant questioned.  “It was low, plain and simple,” he added under his
breath.
“I resent those charges, sir.  I did vhat I needed to vin the battle.  How many vars
have you seen?  How many times have you held back from an attack, because it might
look immoral?  If you lose that fight, at the end of the day are you satisfied if you didn’t
give it your all?”  Angelus looked back at Cerant who seemed indignant to his comments.
Hearoh moaned from the ground beneath Angelus.  Touching Hearoh again, he
administered the antidote through magic.  Jess helped Hearoh to his feet.

---

It had been years since Dmitri had seen magic used by a Human, although he was
unsure if Angelus wasn’t atleast part Mage, it would explain his accent.
Hearoh was rubbing his head, and then moved to his stomach.  Dmitri knew what
if felt like to be poisoned by magic more powerful than Angelus’, and he knew this it was
a feeling he would never forget.  Perhaps it was best for Hearoh to expeience this in a
controlled environment.  It was difficult to tell what Elentari would have thought about
this, but since he didn’t interfere, he must have condoned.  Dmitri’s thoughts were
interupted, Hearoh was trying to speak.

---

Janus felt vigor surge throughout his body, drinking in every ounce of power the
dismembered mage that he had just destroyed posessed.  It wasn’t new to him anymore.
This feeling of power, the drinking of souls, it was something he had grown quite
accustomed to over the last few years.  The flavor that entered him through every pore,
every emotion that his victim had ever felt, all thrust on him in one rapturous moment.
Janus shuddered with demonic ectasy.  Pulling his cloak over his head to conceal his
disfigured face, he stepped back into the sunlight, exiting the alley that had shrouded his
deed.
The city of Deltre was bustling with commerce.  The celebration of the new
harvest had just begun the night before, and the public had wasted no time begining in
the celebrations.  None of this mattered to Janus, though, he was just interested in
feeding the insatiable hunger that consumed his thoughts.  Searching the street, he saw
what he was looking for, Tal-berith’s Armour Shoppe.  Amist the large businesses this
one stuck out like a sore thumb, squaty and overly decorated (a dwarf’s poor attempt at
drawing customers) it was home to the greatest craftsman in the city, Doech Tal-berith.
“Who goes there?  We are closed for the holidays.  If it ain’t an emergency, then
get out.”  A disgruntled dwarf called from behind a low counter.
“I mean you no ill ways, just stopping into escape the rain.”
“Don you trifle with me, there is no...” as he started to say ‘rain’, the sky
darkened.  

---

Thunder rolled through the streets, and all of the torches lit throughout the
avenues were blown out.  Lightning struck the coblestone pathways and set the brittle
straw roofs of the lower class citizens on fire.  Children began screaming, and panicked
mothers carried them into more stable buildings.
General Archon decided that this would be a good time to test his newest
weapons, his Wurmnauts.
“Lord Janus, summon the Wurmnauts, this city will make an excellent target.”
“Agreed.  This pathetic metropolis will learn my name.  And I will set an example
among the people of this city, to show the rest of the world the punishment for
disobedience.”
He arched his arms towards the sky, the rain ceased and the clouds parted.
“Inomu Totum Inexus Demonus,”  Janus called out the summons to the heavens.
Archon had seen this display only twice before.  Once, in his native land, and
once again when he assumed the role of General to Janus after the last one mutinied.  It
was impressive every time.
The sky turned red, and blood rained down from the heavens, even though there
were no clouds.  Puddles of the sticky blood started to gather.  Archon watched the
puddle nearest him with great interest.  Without warning, from the plasma a colossal
claw protuded.  It grasped the ground with a rumble.  Then a second appeared and the
beast began to exhume itself from the ground.  As it did the blood around it dried up.
Finally, the mighty incubus stood in its full power.  It was nearly twice as tall as Archon,
and atleast as long as smaller dragon.  Its six heads snapped at the air, breathing in the
fresh air and exhailing sulfer.  A demon was riding on it’s back, wreathed in flame.  It
whipped the beast and it howled a hellish scream.  In reaction, all of it’s brethren
throughout the city cried out as well.
“There have to be atleast twenty of the devils here,” the General thought to
himself.  That was twice as may as he had seen before.  He looked over at Janus.  He
looked exhausted.  This test must have been truely grueling to him.  Archon drew his
blade from his side.  As he slowly walked towards Janus he readied for the deathblow.
Aiming for the lower back he thrust will all of his might.  As the blade struck, it bent,
curling as though he had tried to destroy a diamond.  He dropped the sword, half in
shock, half in defeat.
Janus turned to face him, and stared with an amused smile on his face.  “You
stupid human.  Did you really think that a simple sword could kill me?  Do you think that
this exercise has drained me of all of my power?  I could easily perform this summon
another twenty times without breaking a sweat.  I will never understand you mortals.
Such lofty dreams, but you never seem to realize your full potential.  You could have
been great, the leader of the most celebrated army on earth, but now, you are just another
soul.”
Janus stretched out his hand and stared intently at Archon.  After a breif moment
he collapsed, nothing left to fill the body with life, his soul had been destroyed.