of Eidelon and the other conspirator was likely a dark knight.
The vampire thrust forward, but Erios deflected the blade.
Erios said, “As you are undead, I will deal with you differently than I have the others.” As he stepped toward the undead, the warrior with the dagger moved to support the vampire. They both renewed their attack.
After deflecting and disarming the warrior with the dagger while parrying with the vampire, Erios generated the essence for a martial maneuver. He created the “iron fist.” His left fist glowed and, while warding off the vampire’s sword, he twisted into a stable position and struck the vampire in the chest with great force, caving in the chest wall and causing dark blood to ooze out. The vampire was pushed into the air and back several feet by the impact. As he tried to get up he tripped over pieces of the broken cart and fell to the ground.
“I am Constantine the reaper.” The vampire sat and straightened up after looking at his dark blood oozing from his chest. “You will pay for that.”
Erios sensed the human warrior with his sensory percipience ability and noticed his attempted stealthy movement behind his back, not through normal vision but through a spatial awareness that allowed him to sense details of his surroundings. He turned before the man could draw back his dagger to strike. Erios parried and struck the warrior with the iron fist maneuver, shattering his ribs and bashing him back several feet. The warrior collapsed and lay stunned.
Keldons had always been faster, stronger, smarter, and more agile than most others, and some of the more impressive Keldons belonged to Erios’s clan. His father had told him that the superior breeding started generations in the past, originated by the Thurians and modified by the Quarran.
Constantine the vampire looked angry and seemed to momentarily wonder how his chest had collapsed. He moved up awkwardly and then seemed to recover as his chest partially restored. He moved toward Erios with the undead quickness of his kind.
“I have had enough of you, and now that I have some knowledge of who sent you, I can consign you to oblivion.” Erios gathered his power and energies and focused them in a martial maneuver, energizing his katana, which began of glow as Constantine moved forward. Erios brought up his barrier to block Constantine’s sword and, with his own blade, charged. With his intense mystical force glowing like a bar of sunlight, Erios struck Constantine across the chest and abdomen with a diagonal cut, not unlike in his dream earlier in the day. The vampire glowed as the sword cut through him. Constantine rapidly dissolved as Erios passed him.
A few of the other warriors finally got up but, after seeing Erios obliterate the vampire Constantine, those who were not unconscious or too injured to flee, ran in fear. Erios replaced his katana blade in its sheath and headed to his dragonship.
Gom stood in the shadow of a building near the dock.
Erios said, “Good day, Gom.”
The ten-foot tall construct made from titanium and other alloys nodded its black-blue head, eyes glowing like rubies within the metal. It said, “Good day, Master.” Gom’s voice hummed from inside its head section.
“I sensed you in the distance, watching me,” Erios said.
“Yes, Master. I watched and, early on, I realized you would not need my help.” Constructs like Gom were sentient and originally made by the Thurians after an Eldren design. The Eldren were from Illúmaril, one of the Key Worlds. Long ago, some Eldren were translocated to Archaeus. Later, many others arrived on skyships of superior design. They were offered land after their long travels and were allies of the Thurians during that time against the Chaos warriors. Much of their lore was lost or destroyed during the first great incursion of Chaos warriors. Some Keldon artificers were eventually able to copy the process to produce other new constructs. The constructs neither slept nor ate and were loyal to their masters.
Erios laughed briefly. “We have more pressing problems. We must get the skyship ready as we need to head to Tosca. Then I will locate Leo.”
They walked to the docking area to prepare to leave the city.
The dragonship was a vessel capable of landing in water and sailing, flying across the sky and hovering over an area, or even landing on the ground. Magical energies were channeled into objects along the metal-and-composite walls and floors, and symbols were used that maintained the ship’s flying ability and made it permanent. This was an older Thurian ship that Erios found while on a quest. It did not have a motivating engine similar to designs that he had seen in the library on the metal plates depicting the schematics an Eldren skyship.
Onboard the dragonship, Erios gave orders to his small crew to cast off, while he and the navigator quickly plotted a course to Tosca. They used the latitude and longitude coordinate system the Thurians had developed that was not in common use on the regular sailing ships. They entered the course information on a large globe-shaped magnetic chart on the bridge. The ship began moving, and Erios ordered cruising speed ahead once they cleared the city.
As the skyship sped up, Erios looked out the large forward view port. In the distance, rain clouds signified a brewing storm. He and along with his navigator altered the course to skirt the edge of the storm. If they had to go high up over a storm, it sometimes caused the crew distress and labored breathing might occur for those working on the outer deck. Looking at the land and sky and sea behind him, Erios remembered something from his education. To him, the world seemed a vibrant place full of great vistas.
Erios turned to Thera, his first officer. “Some say this world is alive and has a spirit that was tapped into by the Thurians to bring many peoples to Archaeus.”
His present first officer, Thera, who was also one of his many female cousins, nodded. “Yes, I have heard that too, cousin. The storm will cause problems for the caravan below. It’s unfortunate that we don’t have time to offer aid; we could have made a profit giving them shelter.”
Erios smiled. “Yes, so much for that. I have to meet with Leozanthicus. However, they might think our skyship a danger, especially with the influx of so many different cultures and languages over the centuries.”
“Yes,” Thera said. “One cannot be entirely sure, unless we read their minds on an approach.”
Erios nodded. “For merchants over the years, trade tended to be occasionally slowed as newer peoples arrived and interacted with the older ones who had been in the lands for some time. Fortunately, our people’s telepathy helped bridge that problem for us as well as for others.”
“I will get us safely around the storm, Erios,” Thera said flashing one of her confident smiles.
“Good. Then I will go to my quarters and try to precognitively contemplate what trouble my next activity will get me into.” Erios headed through the corridor out of the bridge and to the starboard side where the captain’s quarters were located. Erios stowed his katana sword and his amulet of protection. His crew was loyal, and the lookouts would spot any approaching flying creature or potential enemy airship.
The captain’s quarters were comfortable, reflecting the prosperity of the Rumallian times. There was a crystal chandelier, gilded woodwork, a large desk, and comfortable chairs for guests, everything secured to the floor or walls. There was a large crystal viewing portcullis that showed the panoramic view out the starboard side. The captain’s quarters had three other rooms besides the main room, which also served as a meeting or entertaining room. There was a bedroom with a door separating it from a small washroom. The last room or section Erios redesigned himself as an arcane lab area, complete with equipment for gem cutting, potion making, and crafting of arcane or enchanted objects.
It was not long ago that he and Leo prepared elixirs in the lab while they were on another quest. Now, however, Erios needed to contemplate his next move, as someone was out for his blood and, perhaps, other mystic knights were in danger as well. Erios sat in one his comfortable chairs to consider the information he had mind scanned during his recent battle and began to think about the implications.
Chapter 5
Seneca