Dueling the General (1/2)

Haalfrin sits there on his knees for a minute thinking very hard. Distant memories pass through his mind - memories of his many raids with his Kareen brothers, and the battles he fought with them.

Seeing someone give up without trying their best has always annoyed Haalfrin. Even when he was a raider, he'd be the first to criticize the newcomers who weren't performing well or slacking off. He'd also be the first to crack the whip at anyone who skimped out on guard duty or broke the creed.

He didn't care if people called him a goody-two-shoes. To him, anything less than doing your best has never felt right.

...So if he gave up now, he'd become a hypocrite.

"That's right," Haalfrin thinks, "I've been a warrior all my life... but I want to be a cool warrior. A cool warrior can only fall to overwhelming odds."

The image of a bloody warrior standing atop a mountain of corpses and fighting 'till the last makes Haalfrin's heart palpitate. It's like the inner child in him is being reawakened.

Despite become a "cool warrior" being a silly childhood dream, Haalfrin can't help but think of this deep desire in his heart.

When people grow up, they tend to let go of their dreams, as dreaming is impractical for people who want to live long, marry, and take care of children.

However, with nothing else to live for and only a longing for death, Haalfrin now can't help but feel his deepest dreams come back to life. With nothing like concerns for the future tying him down, he's completely free to be honest with his own desires.

And so, feeling this motivation boiling up in his heart, he looks down and clicks his tongue. 'I merely got banged up by a few mages similar in power to myself. I have a path of survival, so if I don't take it and continue the fight, I'll become the very person I despise - the cowardly dead fishes who act like they're dead while they're still alive.'

With all his might, Haalfrin grunts in pain as he crawls a few feet to the side to where the dead sword mage lies. He reaches into his pouch and finds a few bottles with labels on them.

Haalfrin looks at the potions and spends a second recalling what the potions are for…

The largest potion is blood red, and it's used to replenish blood. The blue bottle closes wounds, and the green bottle heals bones, though the green bottle takes longer to take effect.

When Haalfrin finishes using the potions, he hears a clinking sound in the empty bottles. Turns out there's a colored crystal in each bottle; Haalfrin's not surprised, really; most elixirs have enchanted stones in them.

The elixirs are made by enchanting a mana stone with various healing spells, then placing the mana stones in containers of water. Over a few days, the water gets enchanted. Once the elixir is drunk, they just refill the bottle and wait a few days for the next batch of water to be empowered.

Making elixirs this way is less potent than enchanting the water directly, but it's easier to carry on long travels – especially when you're not filthy rich like the Alastan royalty or not an enchanter yourself.

Of course, Haalfrin already knew this much about elixirs because it was one of the most common things he'd steal as a raider.

After using up the sword mage's elixirs, he goes to the dead healer lady, and he uses up hers as well.

Unfortunately, because they weren't as high quality as Prince Tallus', he isn't healed completely in one go. Even still, he was at least fit enough to run about and swing his sword a few times.

... The only problem about this that concerns Haalfrin is that his right arm still feels numb, and he's unable to grip his sword properly. 'I'll have to fight left-handed then. Great.'

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After getting as healed up as he can, Haalfrin slowly walks toward the general's tent, though he's still dizzy from blood loss, and it still hurts to move. Elixirs take time, after all.

General Kaalhyme looks at the approaching, battered sword mage… and more importantly, he sees how the man is about to fall over any second now. Kaalhyme straightens his back and declares calmly, "Boy. I'm a 2nd Gate spear mage. You can't win."

There is no response from Haalfrin – only a deadpan stare in the eyes. Kaalhyme continues, "If you drop your sword now, I can at least spare your life."

There is sorrow in the general's eyes since he knows by now that his bodyguards are dead. He was good friends with the two dead mages, though he didn't know the red-haired boy as well.

Despite his sense of loss, however, Kaalhyme doesn't want to get in a fight right now, since the situation on the battlefield is delicate, and it requires his immediate attention.

Haalfrin tightens his grip on his sword and says softly, "Dying to such a competent general and powerful warrior would be an honor for me. I have my brothers and sisters waiting for me in Freyya's basement."

He lifts his sword up in his left hand and points it at the general. "I'm meeting them today. Pick up your spear now," he says so calmly that it's almost a whisper.

Perhaps it's because of his Kareen tattoos, but Kaalhyme doesn't feel the same hatred for this mage standing before him as he does for Alasta and its people. This stranger doesn't look like your typical, money-grubbing, back-stabbing lowlander.

In fact, Kaalhyme senses a powerful spirit in Haalfrin, as well as the blessing of a god, and he thinks to himself, 'This man could fit perfectly into my army; he's powerful, brave, and he clearly values his felled clan over his own life. Loyalty is a great character trait, and loyal people make good subordinates.'

Kaalhyme is about to offer to take Haalfrin in as one of his men, but he stops himself at the last second.

'No,' Kaalhyme thinks, 'As one fellow warrior to another, I can at least send the lad on his way. At least he can accompany my friends on the trip in Freyya's lantern.'

Kaalhyme picks up his spear and thinks. 'I'll make this quick. I don't have time to fight here. My people down below are depending on me. Without me, the corrupt kingdom will recover from their last war. Then, they'll destroy my people. Still, out of respect for this dying man, I'll go all out. At least he won't be able to tell his friends on the other side that I went easy on him.'

The general makes a quick jab for the heart, but he's surprised to see Haalfrin block it, although barely.

Unbeknownst to him, Haalfrin had used the draconic reinforcement technique the goddess taught him several weeks ago. Haalfrin's hand jerks so hard and fast in the path of Kaalhyme's spear that all the bones in his arm instantly fracture in several places.

Even though the goddess's technique itself was so easy to learn that Haalfrin could do it on his first try, it surprises the man when his arm is immediately taken out.

The pain comes so suddenly and powerfully that Haalfrin blacks out for a second. Even still, he grits his teeth and stays awake. His burn wounds are much more painful than this.

Despite the surprising burst of strength Haalfrin used, Kaalhyme hardly even missed a beat when he reacts to Haalfrin's next attack.

Haalfrin uses the goddess' technique to kick Kaalhyme, and the old general manages to sense the attack coming by paying close attention to Haalfrin's body.

When his wounded enemy flinched and pulled his leg back, he knew he was about to be kicked. Kaalhyme manages to jump back in time, despite the kick coming far faster than he can move.

Now, the young mage is down a leg too.

Feeling overwhelmed by Kaalhyme, Haalfrin's aura of death intensifies, as it usually does when someone is about to die.

Kaalhyme doesn't see the black aura, but he can FEEL it pointed at him. He braces himself as the feeling of death washes over him and grasps his heart…

Rather than wilt away in fear in the face of such an Aura, the general steels his resolve. He's always been prepared to die for his people, and such a strong resolve being confronted by death only strengthens his spirit.

Kaalhyme also feels a stirring in his soul, and he knows instinctually that his soul is about to learn another Name. He's about to become a 3rd Gate mage.

Haalfrin can feel the change in Kaalhyme's Aura, and the sense of danger coming from that man multiplies several times over in that moment...