Chapter 38

Tergon saw those flaring specks of green beneath his combat board, enact those blazing strings which created a surface of concentric rings. Lifting his head, Tergon saw that group of eleven armoured beings with emerald capes draped over their shoulders fluttering like flags of doom as they strode calmly towards him. Weapons drawn, Tergon knew they were here to fight him. Alighting from his battleboard, Tergon felt the solidness of this strange surface and it felt like walking on normal earth. The advancing group came to a halt apart from the one in their middle who took four steps forward, placing himself ahead of the others, Tergon assumed him to be their leader.

"You have defiled the sanctity of this realm in your quest to acquire the Seven Boulders of Er !" The warrior's voice boomed.

"What makes you believe that there is any sanctuary capable of resisting the clutches of the Feudal Order." Tergon challenged.

"We stand here to defend our empire from you socalled clutches.", the warrior replied, "because we have been entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the gateway to the first boulder of Er and as long as we are standing, we will never allow you go through this gate."

"Then prepare to fall." Tergon charged.

"You made your wish." The warrior replied, followed by the others all eleven confronted Tergon.

One against eleven, Tergon clashed with all, the impact exhuming those sparks that rose to the air and the ramming of armour made the surface of this astral arena quake. But they too were unshaken, falling upon Tergon from every corner, they just kept coming, their swords flaring, they countered Tergon's every move and before he knew it, they were getting the better of him, the speed at which they struck surpassing his motion and inch by inch, they drove him to a defensive stance, taking the lead with a fierce strike that slashed Tergon's chest. Tergon endured,not wanting to lose focus as he staggered backwards but they were beyond lightning. Their swords coming upon him in flaring flashes, cutting through his armour and those kicks sent Tergon falling on his knees and it struck like thunder as the hilt of that blade struck his face, sending him crashing to the ground.

Tergon groaned as he strained to get back up, walking the ground of eleven each take eight steps backwards forming a circle around him. Their blades flared and their countenance was clear even with those concealed faces, they were daring him to get back up.

"I'm not going to quit", Tergon growled.

"We never said you were going to.", their leader's voice rose, "Since you have decided to battle on", he said, lifting his sword, "you have eleven chances to defeat all of us and everytime you fall, a chance is lost. You've fallen once and that means you have only ten more rounds left." Their leader paused, his stern gaze burning through Tergon's being.

"Do you care to know will happen if you fail to defeat is at the eleventh round ?" The warrior asked.

"As if that will ever happen", Tergon sneered, "say your worst."

"You'll die by the blade of our swords", he replied, "there is no turning back once the eleventh round commences, you only have the opportunity to retreat with your army while the ten rounds last, after the eleventh challenge is accepted, there is no turning back as it will be a fight to death. Tergon", the warrior said, he and his group each taking two steps forward, "this is no longer a challenge, now it's a matter of continuing what you have started."

"I'm willing to fight to the bitter end", Tergon replied, his feet firmly placed on the floor of this arena. Staring around him, he realized that everything had come to a stop, his army of battleships had froze and the battlefield was as he had last seen it.

"Do you wish to take us one by one or together ?" The warrior asked.

"I'll face your forces combined." Tergon replied.

"Does that mean you've accepted to take us on for the second time."

"I'll take you on, even though it was the last chance I had." Tergon affirmed.

"You've made your choice", the warrior reminded, "so prepare to face the consequences."

He could defeat them all in a single round, Tergon reasoned, he didn't have to fight them one by one, he had seen how strong they were as a group during their first duel. Armed with that experience, he was well prepared to take them on once again and this time, it won't be his back on the ground.

Their blades fell upon him, swirling around, he blocked the blows with his shield, pushing all eleven backwards, now having enough room to himself, Tergon dove through the space in between the two warriors before him. Swirling around, Tergon sent his sword slashing diagonally to bring down both with a single blow but his move was perfectly parried and they all fell upon him. Surrounding him once again, Tergon was cornered. He felt the hilt ova sword knock his jaws from the left, the impact making him stagger, straining to keep his balance, he fought hard to hold them back, but they were just too skilled, too fast and too deadly.

Tergon felt the burning blades of two warriors slash his chest, sending him falling backwards. Unable to react, he felt a kick from behind that made him stumble forwards, followed by the brutal kicks from five warriors which struck his face simultaneously, throwing him face first to the ground.

"Another round lost", their leader informed, "you have nine more to go, do you still insist on fighting ?"

Tergon groaned as he lifted himself from the ground, his armour punctured by the stabs, with his deep wounds which oozed blood that trickled down his armour. Nose bleeding and eyes reddened, his heart pounding and head aching. Tergon realized that if he wanted to win this battle, he had to push himself not just beyond his limit but beyond theirs as well, because theirs was way beyond his. They were having the advantage, with their evolutionary phase higher than his, Tergon had no choice but to take the most painful alternative - to evolve. This was the only way he would be able to defeat beings like these. All his life he had never known what evolving felt like and like others, he had only maintained the battling skills of the feudal lord. Now that he was voyaging the astral depths of arcane realms, he had no other alternative but to evolve.

"Nine more rounds to go, isn't that so ?" Tergon's bleeding grin accompanied his reply, "and I can see that I have not been able to kick even one of you out of the ring."

"You have the chance to walk away", the leader boomed, "or are you so stubborn that you insist on pursuing your doom ?"

"What you call my doom", Tergon interjected, "is an opportunity for my higher self to bloom."