Toby awoke with a start. He sat up in bed with his heart pounding almost right out of his chest. He covered his neck with his hands as he remembered pieces of the cruel dream he'd had during the night. His wounded father came to the house during the night and had died near the front door, but not before he told Toby about a sword. And then Toby went down into the basement and came back carrying the sword named Nayle. The last thing he remembered was a thunderstorm.
Toby's heart finally began to slow, so he threw his legs over the side of the bed. He reached down for his clothes, but he saw something on the floor that made him jump back in bed and throw the covers over his head. He trembled with fear and his heart pounded like mighty drums as he hid under his blankets. Nayle. The sword from his horrible dream was sitting there on the floor next to his bed! He couldn't be sure that it was the very same sword from his dream, but it was the very same scabbard. Toby opened his mouth to let out a frightened scream, but no sound came out. He felt like he was drowning. He had no breath. The name etched on the sword sprung into his mind and stayed there like an unwelcome guest who never intends to leave. Nayle, Nayle, Nayle.
Toby finally found breath to scream.
Toby lost track of how long he'd been under the covers. His mother hadn't come in his room looking for him, which was strange since she always came in and woke him up if he took too long. He began to worry, so he opened a small hole and peeked out. Feeling a little braver, he stuck his head out and looked down at the floor. The sword was still there, but this time Toby just stared at it. His heart still raced but he didn't feel afraid anymore. The sword seemed to whisper to him, he could hear the sword's name echo quietly in his head.
"Nayle, Nayle," Toby whispered back without realizing he had spoken.
He was so focused on the sword that he didn't hear his mother walk in his room. She stopped and stood still while she looked at Toby and then at the sword. For a moment she stood and watched, but she called his name after a while. Toby didn't look up at the sound of her voice, so she called his name again, this time a little bit louder than before.
Toby looked up and saw his mother standing near the edge of the bed. He hadn't heard her call him, something just told him to look up. She was covered in mud and there were large dark spots of blood on the front of her tattered dress.
"Toby!" she cried again, this time in a louder, more urgent tone. "Get your things ready! We have to go!"
Toby just sat there and looked at his mother without knowing what to do or say. In his head, the sword's name faded to nothing and he felt like he was coming out of a trance.
"Toby! The army is almost here!"
Toby was afraid and didn't want to go anywhere, but yet, part of him knew that he had to do what his mother told him. She reached out and grabbed him by the arms and shook him. Toby felt as if he were waking up from a long dream.
"Toby!" she cried out. "We have to get out while we can! Gather all your things and take them out to the front of the house and throw them in the back of the cart. Be quick!"
She let Toby go and was about to pick up the sword, but something made her hesitate. She stared at the weapon for a moment with her hands stretched out to pick it up, but instead she stood up and hurried out of the room. Toby was quickly throwing his clothes on when he heard a hard pounding at the front door. He heard his mother run to the door. There were more knocks on the door and moments later his mother came running back into his room. She looked very scared.
"There are enemy soldiers at our front door," she whispered in horror. His mother had a horrified look on her face as she spoke and Toby felt a horrible fear take a firm hold of him as well. The hard knocking at the door came again and Toby's mother gave a frightful look towards the front door. Toby looked up towards the sound, but he only glanced before he grabbed his shirt and pulled it on. The door was rattled again and this time they heard a voice yelling angrily. They couldn't make out the words through the walls, but they knew what was demanded.
"They want us to give ourselves up," Toby whispered. His mother grabbed him by the arm and started to pull him, but Toby yanked his arm back and quickly bent down and picked up Nayle. He couldn't leave the sword, not after his father told him not to let the enemy's army get a hold of the weapon.
"Come on, hurry," his mother said impatiently as she turned to see what Toby was doing.
They turned and started to leave when Toby saw the lizard sitting in the doorway of his room. His mother stopped and stood still as the lizard tilted it's head and looked up at them. The lizard was bigger than Toby had thought. Now that he could see it in the clear, he could tell that it was about as long as his arm. The pounding at the front door came again followed by an angry demand.
"We know yer in there! Give yeselves up!" the voice ordered. "We won't hurt ya!"
Toby glanced in the direction of the door and when he looked back at the lizard he saw something that made his heart skip a beat. The lizard was standing on it's hind legs like a person and was looking right at him.
"Dar," the lizard chirped as it looked from Toby to his mother and back at Toby. "Tai!"
Toby's mother stumbled back and nearly fell. Toby was too surprised to do anything and just stared at the lizard.
"Dartai," the lizard chirped again as heavy blows rattled the front door. "Help you!"
Toby couldn't decide what to do. He started towards the lizard, but then it went back down on all fours and ran off. Toby started to give chase as he always did, but he remembered his mother and stopped. Toby's mother rubbed her red eyes and blinked rapidly to get a good look at the lizard.
"What's going on?" she asked. Her voice sounded as if she were about to cry. Toby was about to say something when he heard the lizard chirp something.
"Hurry," came the lizard's chirp from the back door. Toby turned to look at the lizard when he heard a loud crash coming from the front door. The lizard motioned with one of it's front legs for Toby to follow. He started forward and heard the word Nayle echo in his head.
And then everything started to happen faster. Toby followed the lizard out of his room and saw soldiers in heavy armor coming in through the front door. The door had been busted down and lay broken in several pieces. He looked at his mother and waved for her to hurry.
"There are soldiers coming in through the front door!" Toby yelled frantically. His mother's eyes opened wide and she hurried out of the room.
They ran after the lizard who had gone out the back door. The soldiers coming in through the front door saw them and yelled orders, but Toby and his mother raced out the back door and paid them no attention. As they ran through the field, Toby looked back and saw soldiers run out the back door. Toby turned his eyes back to the lizard and ran as hard as he could. They came up on the old wooden fence that marked the boundary of the farm and the forest. Toby stopped and watched the lizard run beneath the old wooden beams. He couldn't follow. His father had told him many times no to go into the forest and now he couldn't bring himself to follow the lizard into the dark woods.
His mother ran by him and quickly climbed over the fence. Toby looked back and saw the soldiers running towards them and yelling angrily. They held their weapons in a very menacing way that made Toby scared. He glanced down at the sword in his arms and remembered his father's instructions to him. He was to keep Nayle out of the enemy's hands. He turned around and looked at his mother who was on the other side of the fence and motioned for him to follow.
"Come on Toby, run!" she yelled. "I know your Pa told you to never go in the woods, but I'm sure he would be telling you to go now if he were here!"
Toby heard the soldiers as they ran through the field and as he looked into his mother's pleading face tears formed in her eyes. The sword in his arms grew lighter and Toby felt as if the sword wanted him to get away from the soldiers. He hurried to the fence and climbed through the old, wooden beams and chased after his mother who turned and ran once Toby was through.
They ran through the forest, chasing the lizard around trees and thick bushes. They could hear the soldiers behind them, getting closer and closer. Toby's mother started to slow down, but Toby grabbed her hand and pulled her along. The soldiers were gaining rapidly. Although Toby couldn't see them through the trees, he could hear the clink of their armor as they ran. They cried out to each other every once in a while and it sounded like an entire army was looking for him.
Toby and his mother continued through the woods and emerged in a clearing. Somehow, along the way, they'd lost sight of the lizard. They heard soldiers approach and turned to run, but as they did, soldiers burst into the clearing from all sides. They were trapped.
"Give up," one of the soldiers said as he stepped forward. He held a bloody sword in his right hand and wore mail armor painted black. A fierce skull was painted on his chest in dark red. Toby could tell he was the leader. "We won't hurt ye. We just want that sword."
Toby looked at Nayle as the leader pointed a gloved finger at the sword. He let go of his mother's hand and stared angrily at the dark haired leader.
"How can you say that when you were the ones who killed my father!" Toby yelled back.
"It was an accident," the leader replied in a calm voice as he stepped towards Toby. He even smiled to appear friendly. "I'll give you all the toys in every toy shop if you give me that sword."
"How do you know this is the one you want?" Toby asked. The leader gave Toby an angry glare and motioned to the other soldiers with his bloody sword. The soldiers closed in around Toby and his mother in a tight circle. Toby drew Nayle and dropped the scabbard at his feet. He was scared, blood sped in his veins like horses in the wind and his palms broke out in sweat. The sword felt light as he held it up before him with both hands.
"Do you know how to use that, boy?" the leader asked as he smiled evilly and readied his sword. The other soldiers drew their weapons and closed in on Toby and his mother.
Toby swung Nayle around in warning. "Stay back!"
"I can't do that," the leader replied. Suddenly, the leader leapt forward with his sword held high over his head. Without knowing how, Toby deflected the blow with Nayle. The leader cursed and tried again, but his sword only rang out against Nayle's steel. Out of the corner of his eyes, Toby saw other soldiers spring forward. His mother screamed out and he knew that she had been taken prisoner.
"Give up," the leader spat angrily. "Give me the sword!"
"I can't do that," Toby replied with a smile. "It told me to tell you that it thinks you're ugly."
Some of the soldiers laughed, but they fell silent when their leader pointed his sword at Toby's mother. Toby turned to look at her, and as he did, he heard the leader say, "kill her."
"No!" Toby yelled. He turned his body and started to move towards his mother when suddenly Nayle spun him around to face the leader. The leader was rushing towards him with his sword raised. Nayle flashed upward with great speed and brushed the leader's sword aside. The leader cursed but quickly recovered and came again. Nayle stopped that strike and every one that followed. Toby felt the sword pulsating in his hands as if it had a heartbeat.
Toby heard his mother cry out and he knew that she had been killed. He couldn't see them, but he felt soldiers surrounding him. Nayle raised itself and deflected another blow before it spun Toby around and pushed aside a sword strike that would have speared him in the back. Nayle pulsated and he could hear it's name echo in his head. Nayle spun Toby around again and with wicked speed, the sword plunged itself through a soldier's midsection. Toby was only a little upset that it wasn't the leader. Toby pulled on Nayle to free it from the dead body, but instead the sword swung out to the side, ripping the soldier's guts out and deflecting another blow before it spun him around to face the leader.
"Amazing," the leader said in awe. He looked around at his soldiers and motioned with his sword. "Get him! Get that sword!"
Toby was spun to his right and Nayle flew through the air to stop a sword strike. With that blow deflected, Nayle spun Toby to his right and deflected yet another weapon. Nayle swung to the left and chopped an arm off at the elbow. Toby heard a scream as he was spun back to his right to parry a blow to his head. Nayle flew straight forward, pulling Toby into a run, and buried itself into a soldier's neck. The sword twisted in his hands and suddenly swung out to his right. A soldier's head rolled around on the ground near Toby's feet as Nayle stopped another blow. Three more soldiers fell dead before Nayle suddenly stopped. The soldiers had backed away. The sword's name became a chant in Toby's head. Nayle, Nayle, Nayle! Sweat poured down Toby's face, his heart pounding loudly in his chest and his lungs burned for air. He tasted blood in his mouth, but he knew it wasn't his own.
"I will grant you any wish, if you give me that sword," the leader said as he fixed his eyes on Nayle. "Just tell me what you want and it shall be yours."
"I want you dead," Toby heard himself say. "Can you give me that?" He wasn't sure if they were his own words or if they were Nayle's. The leader spat out curses, but he smiled once again when more soldiers appeared in the clearing. Nayle turned Toby to his left in time to face a soldier that was quietly creeping up on him from behind. The soldier smiled guiltily, but Toby could see the man's fear.
Suddenly, a battle cry was yelled out and as he heard it, Toby was spun around in a full circle with his arms stretched out. The soldier that had crept up on him was cut in half at the waist. Toby watched in horror as the soldier's upper body slipped off his legs and fell to the ground. The soldier's legs stood for a moment longer before they toppled over.
Other soldiers rushed towards him, but Nayle turned Toby to face the leader. The soldiers who came at him fell to the ground. The leader looked around helplessly as his soldiers died. Small darts were being fired from the trees surrounding the clearing, striking down every soldier. Toby was pulled forward, drawing closer to the leader. The chant in his head erupted into a song. Nayle, Nayle, NAYLE!
The leader looked over his shoulder nervously as Toby sped towards him. Toby was within ten steps of the leader when more soldiers arrived to help. The darts from the trees stopped and only Toby and the new batch of soldiers were left standing. There was movement in the trees as soldiers sought out the source of the poisonous darts.
"Good day, Toby," one of the soldiers said. "Why don't you join us?"
Toby looked at the soldier and wasn't too surprised to see Ritchie's brother Kile dressed in the armor of the enemy. Toby felt himself grow hot and angry.
"You fool!" Toby yelled. His heart pounded like a hammer in rhythm with the sword's chant. He felt tired and his legs wobbled. He would have fallen, but Nayle kept him on his feet.
"Give the sword up," Kile said. "Ritchie wouldn't want to see you dead over a piece of metal."
"I'm not a traitor!" Toby spat out in anger. "I would never disgrace my family."
Kile's face turned red with either embarrassment or rage, Toby couldn't tell. Kile drew a sword and approached. Toby was surprised that Nayle allowed him to take several steps back. In the middle of the clearing, Toby stopped and held Nayle at the ready. The chant in his head suddenly became louder and the pulse from the sword quickened. Kile approached slowly, carefully.
"Say hello to Ritchie for me," Kile said as he threw himself forward. Nayle was a blur as it rose and met Kile's blade. The swords clashed together and rang out like bells time and time again, until Nayle became heavy. Toby couldn't hold it up any longer and had to let the sword's point fall to the dirt.
"Ready to join Ritchie in the Burning Pits of After Death?" Kile said as he raised his sword for a fatal blow. Toby quivered in fear and struggled to lift the heavy sword. The song in his head faded and there was no pulse coming from Nayle. It was as if the sword had died. Toby looked up as Kile's sword came down. Suddenly, a small lizard ran past Toby and leapt up on Kile's chest, knocking Kile back. Toby looked over his shoulder and saw a group of lizards, some holding spears, come racing out from the trees. The little one that Toby was always chasing raced up and stood beside him.
"Help you," the lizard chirped.
Toby looked to Kile in time to see him yank the lizard off his chest and throw it to the ground. The lizard sprang up and ran off into the woods before Kile could react. Kile turned to Toby and came at him again. Toby heaved up on Nayle with all his strength, but he couldn't lift the sword. Toby lifted his arm up to protect himself, but as Kile's sword came down, Nayle suddenly flashed through the air. A loud metallic ring erupted from the clash of swords, and when Toby looked, he saw that Kile's sword had been cut off near the handle. The blade lay on the ground, nothing more than a useless piece of steel. Nayle came to life once again and it's name sounded like a song in Toby's head. Kile stood motionless with a look of total surprise on his face. More lizards moved forward to stand besides Toby.
Kile stared at Toby and suddenly leapt forward. Toby's head was rocked by Kile's fist. The sword's song sounded powerfully inside him as another of Kile's punches jarred his head. Toby's vision started to go black but he could still see. Nayle raised itself up and made Toby feel as if he were throwing a spear. He heard Kile scream and through the blackness he saw Nayle sticking out of Kile's chest. The sword twisted and the song became louder, the pulse stronger. Nayle suddenly flew upward, cutting Kile's head in half, and hovered over Toby's head for a moment, before it came down. There was a flash of light, like lightning, followed by a blast of thunder and then all was still. Toby's hands released Nayle and the sword fell to the ground.
Nayle lay in three pieces, near Kile's dead feet. Toby was covered in blood, as was the clearing. Toby stared at the sword he had once held. A sudden movement made him look up. The leader of the soldiers came forward and stood looking at the broken Nayle.
"The sword is broken," the leader said in a horrified whisper. "This can not be!"
The leader raised his sword to strike Toby down, but lizard spears forced him to back off. The leader roared in anger, but slowly retreated into the woods. The lizards gathered around Toby and led him away from the clearing. One of the larger lizards gathered the broken sword and carried it away.
"You can come live with us," the small lizard chirped happily.
Toby looked around sadly and felt too tired to reply.
copyright © 2003 Broken Helix Web Productions All rights reserved
Most recent update: 05 May 03
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