Oracus: The Lavorian Rider

Eleven - Guests From Tallarin

"Go ahead," Bandor offered, predicting Oracus's intentions.

Oracus focused his inebriated mind and closed his eyes. It took several seconds, but suddenly his concentration peaked, and he slipped into Bandor's head.

The room that had been dark only seconds before, suddenly became as bright as if it were daytime. The ceiling above was full of colour, and the thin drapes hanging from the posts of the bed were as golden as sunlight. There was a babble of voices from other rooms in the palace that Oracus hadn't noticed before, and he even spotted the movement of a tiny moth outside the window. Compared to his own senses, Bandor's were incredible. The Lion was so attuned, in fact, that Oracus struggled to maintain his focus. And as quickly as he had fallen into Bandor's mind, he fell back out, and was once again consumed by darkness. Instantly, the last of his energy was drained from his body, and he plunged into the deepest of sleeps.

*

As was to be routine for the foreseeable future, Oracus and Bandor made their way to the sparring area at the break of dawn the next morning. Daylight was beginning to creep over the pines in the woodland, but the sparring area was still cast in shadow.

Oracus was unsure how he'd cope with another day like the one before. His muscles were sore, and he was unimpressed with having to wake up so early. But when he and Bandor approached the sparring area, there was a small crowd of soldiers gathered in a circle, and they were cheering two men who were sparring quite ferociously.

With Bandor in his arms, Oracus squeezed through the audience and saw the two fighters were Garrin and Torvanon. Garrin in his green leather, and Torvanon wearing majestic golden armour. Against Torvanon, Garrin looked small and weak, and he was beginning to hide under his wooden shield, while Torvanon was trying to smash through it with a heavy axe. For a worrying moment, Oracus thought Torvanon might chop Garrin in half, but Torvanon relented for just a second and gave Garrin enough time to escape. Garrin staggered away from his stronger foe and discarded his broken shield, and then the two men faced each other for their final assault.

There was a glint in Torvanon's eyes now, and he looked confident. Garrin, on the other hand, already looked defeated.

"This is it, Garrin," Torvanon provoked. "It's your chance!"

Torvanon raised his axe and charged forwards. Garrin braced himself, and then a clump of loose gravel rose from the ground and struck Torvanon in the face. The leader of Afarra came to a halt and began to cough heavily, and then more gravel was flung at him until his bushy beard and eyebrows were full of dust.

"Your power is getting stronger, but it's not strong enough," Torvanon said hoarsely. He raised a hand and wrenched Garrin's sword out of his grasp with his own power, and then used the sword to pin Garrin to the ground.

"He can manipulate metal," Bandor said inside Oracus's mind.

Garrin struggled against the sword momentarily, which Torvanon still held firmly in place with his power, and then went limp.

"I concede," he said. "You're far too strong."

The audience burst into applause and Torvanon bowed proudly to them all. He offered a deep booming laugh, and then released the sword.

"I could have carved you into a sculpture with your own weapon," he said playfully. "Imagine that!" It was then that Torvanon noticed Oracus in the crowd. He offered a broad smile and spread his arms wide in greeting. "You saw me defeat your friend," he said.

Oracus nodded. "It was really impressive."

Torvanon's expression of triumph eased slightly. "Well, I have had more than half a century of practise. You both have quite a lot of catching up to do." He shrugged and then twirled his beard with a finger. "But I didn't come here this morning to train. I came to inform you and Garrin that a meeting is due to take place. Messengers have arrived from across the land and I need you both to be there."