Normally, around this time, I’d have a short story for you to gobble up with your viewing spheres. Well, I don’t. Instead, I give you part of the final battle in One Last Vigil (and I’m only allowing you to have a little bit, which forces you to buy the book if you want the rest). Goodness comes both before and after this scene. If you enjoy it, go here.

***

“You don’t fucking know what I’ve been through. You don’t know who you’re fucking with,” I whispered between my teeth. He entered the room and continued his sprint, never slowing even once. I roared with righteous fury, “I’ll fucking kill you!”

He shrieked in response and bounded up the stairs. Then, he was upon me.

Fire came for my head, arcing down in a path to split me in two. I interposed my shield and dropped to one knee. The sword slammed off of my shield, pitching me forward. I rode the momentum and drove my blade into the knight’s stomach. Metal screeched as it split. The knight slammed his knee into my chest before I could pull my blade free.

I took flight, spinning around to crash down on my stomach atop the orange slices that were once the sphere. My armor saved me from most damage, but the pressure from the strike still left me gasping for breath. I wasn’t allowed the time to find it though. The knight was coming for me.

I bolted to my feet and turned to dash away. I jumped and heard the blade slice the air right behind my head. I came down at the bottom of the stairs and somersaulted. I turned and the knight was sailing for me. I pivoted to the side as his sword plunged down at me. The blade rent stone and sunk down into it. I slashed at him and cut a large swath of metal from his arm then danced away.

His arm worked awkwardly now and he barely managed to pull his blade from the stone. He sprinted for me again with his blade held high. I raised my shield to block and set my base on my heels. The strike from the blade never came. Instead, the knight collided with me, his head slamming into my chest. Before I folded, a horn pierced my armor and stabbed through my flesh. The impact drove me back but the knight stayed with me. I screamed until I hit the wall and white flashed before me.

The knight wrenched his head back and I felt the horn leave my body, tearing skin and raking against bone. Blood dripped from the tip of the spike of metal. I banished the daze afflicting me and went on the offensive. I swung for his head and he leaned away. I swung again and he dipped to the side. I stabbed at him over and over and he backed away. He swung at me and I used my immaculate shield to preserve my life. He kicked at me and I sidestepped to only take a glancing blow that spun me to the side.

“Come on!” I screamed as I faked high then cut low. My golden blade slashed the black metal of his leg and he fell to one knee.

I didn’t even see the blade coming until fire was in my eyes. A great force slammed into my head, my helm ripped from its perch to clatter away into the shadows, and a sharp ring took up residence between my ears. I was rocked to the side, stumbling until I fell, my sword on the floor in front of the knight. I couldn’t fight the daze this time. I tasted blood though, and that helped bring me back a little. I turned my head in time to see the knight hitching after me. Blood spilled into one of my eyes and I lost sight of him. I used one hand to wipe away the blood and when I could see again, he was over me, his blade held high.