Zombies On Fire & Other Short Stories

Field of a Thousand Swords

"What is that?" she asked.

Yasu guffawed in scorn, "Seriously, you're still gonna play dumb and act like you don't know what that is?"

Ami shrugged and looked at him blankly waiting patiently for his reply.

"C'mon! That's the portal to Sechya."

"Sechya?" Ami exclaimed. "But that is over a thousand miles away. What's in Sechya?"

Ami's sobbing had ceased. She seemed enthralled with the sight of the portal before her.

Yasu scoffed. "That's where my sword is, and it is far. That's why you need the portal."

"But I was told portals like this were dangerous," Ami exclaimed. "In the stories, my grandmother told me as a child there is always a trap."

"Of course, to keep others out. Your people built this and set traps to kill my kind."

"So, what traps are here and how do we get through it?" she asked.

"Not we! You. I'll stay here with your friend while you fetch me the sword. And don't even think of trying anything funny. I'll slit your friend's throat without thinking twice."

Ami sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Just tell me what it looks like and how to find it. Quickly, so I can come back and help him before he bleeds out."

Yasu kept his eyes fixed on her as he pulled a piece of folded paper out of his pocket. He held it by the corner and shook it out so that it unfolded. It was old and brown and tattered and worn.

"Wow!" Ami exclaimed as she stared at Yasu's crude drawing of a sword. "It looks like you drew that a long time ago. Huh? How long have you been looking for this thing."

A low growl erupted from Yasu's throat, "Far too long. Far too long. I spent my life searching for this weapon."

"Why?" Ami asked.

The grotesque orc stared at her a long moment before answering, "Once I have it, I will exact vengeance upon my enemies. And I will drive them away from this mountain so my people can once more live in peace from those who have enslaved us to dig out the treasures the mountain hides. Then the treasure will be ours once more."

Ami sensed the passion emanating from him as he spoke.

"So, what does this sword do?" she asked. "Why is it so important to you? And how will it help you?"

She looked back at the portal and squinted. It seemed like she could make out the faint outline of a sword on the other side of the glowing blue light.

"It's the sharpest blade ever forged here in these mountains. Some say it is so sharp that it could cut through the hardest rock like goat butter in the summer sun. Once I possess it, I will slice through my enemy's ranks as none of their weapons will be able to withstand me. With the Scarlet Terzite in one hand to protect me, and the Reaper's Toll in the other, I shall be undefeated and vanquish my enemies."

Yasu's low growl increased to a roar so that by the end he was shouting the words at her as his arms flailed wildly. Ami had to wipe bits of slobber from her face with her sleeves.

"Okay, okay. I get it. So, how do I get through the portal then if there are traps? I can't even see what is on the other side."

Yasu grinned and pulled out the Scarlet Terzite. He stepped closer to the portal. The blue glow cleared so that they could see through to the other side. Ami could see a field full of swords all stuck into the ground.

"So, that's why they call it the field of swords," she muttered. "How did they get there?"

"They were taken there when great warriors died. It's a safe haven for them where they are protected from the elements until such a time as one worthy to wield them was found. Or at least that's what the legends say. They say that the Reaper's Toll was..."