Brendan the legendary swordsman

By Kieran “Kezzer” O’Connor

For Brendan

When you fall from a great height many things can happen, you have a long time before you will hit the ground and before you do you suffer no pain. Your mind is clear and free to do its own thing, usually it does its best to get away from the fact you are plummeting to a certain death. Sir Brendan was an extraordinary man but he was still human, the prospect of dieing was not one he relished. So his mind quickly wandered, those few seconds that seemed like a life time were used up looking to the past.

Sir Brendan thought back to where this had all begun, it could be said it started when the eye of Odin came to be. But where it really had started was when Flagg had ascended to his father’s position as royal advisor. Many times Brendan had cursed the fact that royal advisor was a hereditary position and as such Flagg had to take the job. King Peter needed no advisor and Flagg was an old man by the time his father had died, so his power was next to nothing. To compensate he befriended the prince, who was a little brat for most of his life until he finally grew into a truly horrible young man.

There was one occasion that had cemented the Knights of Rendasia against the prince, and in doing so had brought about the later events. Brendan had been present at the time as had Thomas, but even more damning of all Lord Mathew the leader of the Knights of Rendasia was also present…

***

“The latest batch of novice knights is even more useless then you two were!” Lord Mathew ranted. “I thought I had found true incompetence the day your parents brought you to me but now I know how wrong I was. Compared to the lot I have now you were natural born experts. It took almost a week to explain which part of the sword to hold and which part goes into the enemy!”

Both Sir Brendan and Sir Thomas kept their smiles in check; they both knew if they so much as grinned they would be on the floor gasping for air. Lord Mathew was the man who had trained them as novices and as far as he was concerned they would always be novices’. As the trainer and leader of the knights it was his job to keep a certain image up, they both knew that he thought highly of them and that the present knights he was training were doing well.

“It will take years to even get them into armour… and I doubt they will ever be worthy of been called members of the Phoenix Riders!” Lord Mathew threw his hands up and then just sighed. “Enough of that, I came on more important business. Brendan, Thomas I have a decided that you two show lead a few of my riders out to deal with those bandits who are on the border of Rendasia and Atlantor. Queen Jasmine and King Vegeta will blow their tops if they knew I sent knights across there border but I am sick of those bandits that…”

Mathew stopped when he heard someone scream out in pain somewhere in the castle. He and the knights that were following him drew their weapons instinctively and went into a formation that covered all sides.  

“That scream came from the Princes room.” Mathew said. “All of you follow me, keep out your weapons and be ready for anything… I wish I could use my axe but the corridors are just too small.” Mathew looked at his broadsword with distaste and then started to run down the corridors that lead to the prince’s room.

Lord Mathew was in his late fifties at the time and wearing full armour yet still he was running faster then any of the knights that were with him. Brendan was pushing as fast as he could and yet he still could not keep up with his mentor.

By the time they all reached the prince’s room Lord Mathew had kicked the door down and was already dealing with the situation. Brendan crossed the threshold, jumping over the shattered door and ready to help defend his lord if he had to. What he saw however was the prince been pinned to the wall my Lord Mathew, held by the neck with the V of his forefinger and thumb.

“Let me go!” Prince Gordon squirmed under Mathew’s grip, but all the knights knew he would not get loose. “I order you to unhand me this very instant!”

“What is the meaning of this?” Flagg who had been sitting in his chair near Prince Gordon’s bed was almost foaming at the mouth with anger.” The prince has given you a command knight so do as he has said.”

“This little runt was beating a servant near to death!” Mathew said as he started to choke the young prince. “It is only because he is a prince I have not killed him myself! No one has beaten a servant in over two hundred years.”

“I am prince I can do as I wish… he spilled my wine so I punished him. That wine is worth more then he makes in a lifetime, so I think his life was the right price for it.” The prince clawed at Mathew’s hand, but did nothing against his armour. “Flagg told me I was in the right, and I am sure he will tell you that disobeying a direct order from me is treason!”

“Silence you halfwit!” Mathew roared so loudly that even the other Knights cringed, Flagg nearly died of fright and Gordon actually wet himself with fear. “I am Lord of the Knights of Rendasia and I am leader of the Phoenix Riders! I answer to only the king or queen and not to you and certainly not an inbreed idiot with a title.”

“Hear now I am…” Flagg took two steps towards Mathew and then was thrown violently back into his chair by Brendan.

“You will sit and be silent.” Brendan spoke hardly above a whisper but the steel in his voice cut through the air, striking into the old mans heart. Flagg went white and held back in his chair. “Stay there old man unless you wish to know why they call me the Red Death.”

“Thomas take the servant to the royal surgeon and have him treated, then go to the treasurer and get a months pay to give them man has compensation. I will think of more when my head is not clouded by anger.” Sir Thomas bowed his head and then signalled two of the knights to help him carry the injured servant to the royal surgeon. “Now as for you, I said as a prince I won’t kill you but I wont let you walk away from this… oh no I don’t think so…”

Two hours later the Prince of Rendasia was far more humble and had developed a deep fear of Lord Mathew. Whenever he heard Lord Mathew was planning to come to the castle he would find some reason to be as far away as possible, and Flagg would join him more often then not.

But after seeing the brutal way he treated an innocent servant all of the Phoenix Riders turned against the Prince. The idea of him becoming king filled them all with dread and they did all they could to try and keep him off the throne. This was hard after the death of Prince Gordon’s mother (she had died of damp lung a year or so after his birth.) but the knights were making progress of finding a new queen and a law that would let her heir rise to the throne over the older child. If they had only a few more years then Prince Gordon would have been swept aside with little effort, but then came the day after the Red Death had passed over “The order of light.” And everything was lost.

***

It was raining, a heavy and harsh rain that would bring on depression and keep most people off the streets. The normal busy market of Rendasia was practically empty, most stall owners having closed for the day. The street that normal would have many walking up and down it had but one person on it today. A single rider on a black horse rode down the cobbled street; neither rider nor horse seemed bothered by the heavy downpour.

“Change for the lame?” A man with one leg hobbled out of a dark alley with a hand outstretched. He looked more like a parody of a beggar, it was obvious to anyone his leg was just bound up behind him; even beggars became sloppy in the rain. “Just enough coins so I can go in the tavern and get out this rain good sir?”

The rider stopped and looked down on the beggar with cold eyes; it had been a bad time for him. The rain was nothing to him, but after what he had been through he needed to let off some steam. After all, if he did not deal with this it would be some innocent would be the one caught in this, and it was his duty to protect such people.

“Just make sure you get some food with that drink…” The rider opened up his purse slowly, keeping up the act the beggar would be expecting.

“Oh yes sire I sure will.” He watched with greedy eyes as the purse came into view, the rider had quite the full purse with the seams practically bulging with coins. “You sure have a lot of coins to spare don’t you sir?”

“I was about to get roaring drunk old boy.” The rider said as he pretended to fish around in the leather purse, looking for some elusive coin.

“I am afraid to say your plans have changed.” The one who said that came running out of the same alleyway that the fake beggar had come from. He was accompanied by seven other men, all of whom were armed with short swords and daggers made of bronze.

“Well old boy looks like you are right.” The rider dropped off his horse and landed in a puddle with a loud splash. “Looks like I get to remove some scum before I get roaring drunk.”

The seven men surrounded the rider all with their weapons held in some clumsy fashion, obviously not professionals. Even the pro muggers did not come out in weather like this, but it was a time an amateur might get lucky. These amateurs however were far from lucky.

“Allow me to show you why they call me “The Black Wind!” before you die.” The rider threw back his cloak and let it drop to the floor and in the same motion he drew out a large broad sword.

“He’s a Phoenix Rider” One of the muggers shouted at the others, the fear in his voice making it that of a little child’s.

Sir Thomas gave those muggers no mercy, he was in no mood for been merciful and these were lowlifes… the lowest.

His sword moved so quickly that none of his attackers even saw it, the blade cut across in a long swipe before his cloak had even touched the ground. Two of the would be muggers went down instantly as the very tip of the blade cut their throats. Their blood sprayed out of the tiny cuts and washed away in the rain as they died on the ground.

“He’s The Black Wind!” One of them screamed when they saw their comrades die before their eyes. “Keep back or else…”

Whoever he was he did not get to finish what he had to saw, his head simply came away from his neck as Thomas sliced through it cleanly. What amazed the remaining muggers was that he was not in range; the sword should never have reached the mans neck let along cut it off. The reason this had happened was because of the speed at which Thomas could swing his sword. The air itself was cut in two by him and in doing so he made it a part of his blade.

“He’s a demon!” The mugger put up his bronze short sword in some weak attempt to block. Thomas brought his steel sword down and cut through the inferior bronze like it was not even there. If steel was not so exceedingly rare the mugger would not have been using a weapon that could bend on flesh let alone other metals.

“Die you devil!” Thomas heard from behind him as he cleaved the other mugger in two and took a large chunk out of the street with his sword.

Thomas did not even have to turn around; the fool had told him exactly where he was by shouting. The well trained knight simply span around with his sword extended and let the fool run himself through with it. He used the dieing muggers own momentum to pull him off his sword, twisting his wrist at the end to make sure the wound was fatal.

The last two of the muggers were turning tail and running, but they were not going to escape tonight. Thomas ran to his horse and jumped onto his back, a feat he could never have done in full armour but in street clothes he felt as light as feather. The black horse rode quickly, his hooves hitting the wet stones faster and faster. The two muggers stood no hope of out running a horse, and it was only seconds before Thomas came bearing down on them with an over head strike. The first mugger fell as a giant split appeared in his face, going through his head and showing what little brains he had.

“Please God… oh please.” The last mugger seemed to have found religion as he tried to escape, a good thing as soon he would be finding out if there was a life after death.

There was a quick whistling noise and then the last words of the mugger were whispered just as his heart was turned into mush.

“God save me…” It seemed God was not in the mood to intervene and the man dropped like all the bones in his body had vanished.

Thomas removed his sword and started to clean it with a bit of cloth from his pocket. While he did he briefly wondered which God the man had been praying to, Orion… Lucifer or maybe one of the old and forgotten gods like Thor or maybe Alucard. It did not matter now; it was not like he could ask the man who it was after all.

Thiwp.

The noise came from behind him and Thomas reacted far too slow if it had been a danger to himself. He spun around in time to see the fake beggar behind him with a small bronze knife held up high. There was nothing to worry about though; the attacker had an arrow head coming out of his forehead, right between his eyes.

“Brendan old boy, looks like you saved me from a little bit of embracement.” Thomas said as he watched the dead man drop to the ground, joining all of his friends. “Though I did not expect to be saved by you… it’s usually the other way around old boy.”

“Thomas what is wrong with you?” Brendan was still covered by a rider’s cloak and had his bow slung over his shoulder as he walked over to his friend. “You were reckless against them, your blows far more aggressive then they needed to be and you even forgot about one of them. I know you to well; you only act like a novice when something has gone catastrophically wrong.”

“You know me all too well; we have been friends far too long I think.” Thomas sighed as he put his sword back into its scabbard. “I fear I have bad news old boy, worst for a long while I fear. A lot has happened since you left to deal with those religious zealots…”

“They were hardly more then bandits claiming some holy cause, I think only one out of three of them even knew who they were supposed to be worshiping.” Brendan had been sent out along with a small group of knights to deal with a cult that had appeared on the border of Mythril. They were claming that some of the old gods had returned and were commanding them to march on the fake gods… or as other people called them kings and queens.

“Well as you are back I am going to assume that they will no longer be a concern old boy.”

“Not enough of them left to put on a decent trial I am afraid, the religious nuts always attack and they always end up dead.” Brendan shook his head. “There were ten of us and three hundred of them, they were totally out numbered yet they still attacked us.”

Sir Brendan was not joking, ten Phoenix Riders was the equivalent of a small army when they went out in full armour. Steel made them near invincible and they were trained to be the best soldiers on the earth. When all the riders are sent to war there is usually no contest, as long as they did not contest with Midgar and its great armies.

“Maybe they think the gods will protect them like this poor fellow.” Thomas shrugged as he pointed at the dead mugger who had found religion a little too late.  

“What is your news Thomas, I wish to get out of this rain before I catch my death.” Brendan had been born in the south of Rendasia unlike Thomas and so he was used to much more temperate climate. He seemed to think rain carried all the plagues of the world and would do his best to stay out of it, even though this gave Thomas ammunition when ever he felt like teasing Brendan.

“It’s King Peter…” Thomas said. “I am afraid he has fallen dreadfully ill, the surgeon that saw to him fears it is fire lung.”

Brendan did not need any more explanation, in the world there were four or five sicknesses that were to be truly feared. The worst of all was known as brain fever which was a long and painful death; many thought it was a curse rather then a real sickness. But Fire lung was a disease to be feared also, it attacked the body with little notice and always ended in death. If King Peter really had fire lung then there was no hope for him, he had only a week or so until his lungs would simply stop working.

Brendan shouted out a string of curses as he smashed his fists against some poor mans house.

“I already said that old boy, and then some.” Thomas said when he saw Brendan calm a little. “I was about to go and get drunk, care to join me? Might as well be wet inside as well as out. Or would you rather hit some more things old boy?”

“If the King dies then Gordon will rise to the throne by the weeks end… he will disband the Phoenix riders and bring chaos.” Brendan said to himself. “We swore to protect this land and its king, but if we don’t do something soon then we will go into a dark age.”

“Thank you so much for stating the obvious old boy, I would have been totally lost without you.” Thomas said. “King Peter has fire lung, and unless you have been keeping a cure for it hidden away there is little we can do. Come on Brendan old boy, I will even let you buy me a drink”

“We can not do something but there might be someone who can.” Brendan pulled himself up onto his own horse. “We are going to Squall to see the Elric Tirinity, if anyone knows a cure it will be her.”  

“The rain is getting to you old boy; let’s get you inside and drunk before any more crazy ideas get into your head.” Thomas put a hand on Brendan’s shoulder and looked him dead in the eye. “You’re serious aren’t you? By the god’s man have you gone insane, we can’t go and just visit an Elric? Have you no sense left? I have heard stories that an Elric can turn you into a dog with a flick of the wrist or might make your liver go green with the nod of a head. Elric Tirinity is left alone for a reason man, they say she was around during the Great War… do you know how old that would make her?”

“It would make her over seven hundred years old by now, at the very least.” Brendan said very calmly. “So if there is anyone alive who knows how to cheat death it will be her. I am going to see the Elric, are you coming with me or staying here?”

Thomas threw his hands in the air and started to curse so much that even a hardened knight such as Brendan had to be impressed. He was truly a poet when it came to lengthy insults and the like; if Brendan had let him he knew Thomas could go on for hours like that and hardly ever repeat himself.

“Thomas as much as I enjoy hearing you think up new obscenities I am rather pressed for time.” Brendan pulled himself up onto his horse. “So make your mind up… old boy.”

“How can I let you go off and do something unbelievably brave without me?” Thomas said. “Do you know how the ladies of Rendasia would look at me if they heard I was afraid of something?”

“With the same look of horror and disgust they do now I suppose.” Brendan smiled. “Now hurry up and get on your horse, we have a long ride ahead of us.”

“You can be cruel when you want to be old boy, very cruel.” Thomas said as he went to get his horse. “Just don’t forget I can be just as cruel old boy, and much more.” He said hardly above a whisper, but Brendan heard him even through the rain.

***

The Elric were once the most powerful and feared race on the face of the world, that was seven hundred years ago. In that old time magic was still in practise and was the major factor of everyday life. But none had the same level of skill as the Elric possessed. They went into magic with a natural talent and relished in its power, becoming addicted and eventually controlled by it. Many went to the dark arts, taking the power from them when their hunger was no longer filled my normal means. The Elric land became overrun by monsters and dark beings, and the Elric became more and more powerful.

Spiegal, the kingdom that bordered with Elric, were forced to go to war with the Elric and soon found they were out matched. The Elric weaved the most horrible of spells and destroyed entire armies with little effort, it seemed like all was lost for the kingdom of Spiegal. But when all hope seemed lost Midgar rallied the people of the world to war against the Elric. The king of Midgar, King Cloud, convinced the rulers of the other kingdoms that if the Elric were not stopped then they would be destroyed. So it was all the armies of the world gathered under the banner of Midgar and began what was known as the Great War.

The war raged for ten years, the superior numbers of the kings an queen united went against the superior magic of the Elric. It was a bloody and terrible war, millions died and many cities were completely destroyed. But a victor emerged; King Cloud was a great tactician and warrior and managed to lead his armies deep into the Elric homeland. It was to the north that a final battle was waged where all the forces of both sides were sent into battle. By the end of the fight the Elric were defeated, their race nearly completely destroyed like their homeland.

Not all of the Elric died in the final battle, some escaped and still lived in their homeland. A few went into hiding and call themselves freedom fighters, emerging every hundred years or so to cause trouble. There were also some who had not been too far corrupted or not corrupted at all and these one helped fight against their own people. For this aid the kings and Queens in the alliance granted sanctuary to these Elric and allowed them to live in their lands. Most moved to Midgar but a few went to other kingdoms. The only one who went as far as Rendasia however was Elric Tirinity, one of the most powerful Elric alive.

***

“We have got to find better places to spend our vacation old boy.” Thomas said as they slowly guided their horses through the marshland. “I mean I love swamps as much as the next fellow but really after two days a man finds the need for more varied scenery. And I swear ever leach in this swamp is after me… almost tempting to put my armour back on and teach them a lesson.”

“You could but I would not want to be there when you explain to Lord Mathew how your armour became rusty.” Brendan and Thomas were both in street clothing with their armour on top of their horses where it was dry.

“Good point old boy, I don’t have enough money to get another suit and I really don’t want to go to battle in just by leather jerkin.” Thomas said. “If only steel was not so darn rare I would be able to wear it how I liked… might even have my own design to it old boy.”

“Yes you could, but then the Phoenix Riders would become obsolete, if everyone wore steel armour wars would get a bit tough for us.” Brendan cursed as he felt a leach bite into his leg. “And I think a few leaches find me a tasty meal too.”

“I can’t get the image of leaches trying to bite through steel armour, it would teach the buggers a lesson I can tell you.” Thomas seemed content to talk nonsense as they travelled and in a way Brendan was glad. They were on a quest to see someone even Brendan had reason to fear, if even only half the rumours were true about her.

“Brendan old boy I don mean to sound insulting but which way are we going?” Thomas stopped and looked around.

“South east, that’s where her home is meant to be according to that old man.” Brendan said putting both of his hands on his hips and stretching his back until it made a popping noise.

“I do detest when you do that old boy.” Thomas said with a grimace. “But back to the topic at hand, now if we are heading southeast then can you tell me why the sun is setting in front of us. Last I checked the sun set in the north old boy.”

“Impossible, I have been following this compass since we left the city; it’s been pointing southeast the whole time look.” Brendan tossed over the compass to Thomas who looked at it with a careful eye.

“Well old boy we have to reach a conclusion here, either your compass has lied to us or the sun got bored and decided to move.” Thomas then stopped talking. “Brendan I think we have… company…”

Brendan looked in the same direction that Thomas was staring in and felt his jaw drop. Standing on the other side of the swamp was a unicorn, a beautiful white creature that seemed to walk on the swamp water without making a single ripple.  

“Fear not travellers; my mistress hath summoned me to thee to aid thy search.” The unicorn did not open its mouth but a soothing voice came from it none the less. “Thou was given false advice; my mistress hath been trying to rectify this error by leading thee to her home. Pray good travellers, follow me and I shalt lead you to where my mistress awaits thee.”

“Brendan old boy please tell me you see a talking horse with a horn on its head.” Thomas said rubbing his eyes. “I really did not want to go mad this early in life you know, and defiantly not in a swamp like this one.”

“Yes I do see it, and you call such an animal a unicorn I believe.” Brendan ushered his horse to turn and started to lead it to where the unicorn was waiting.

“What are you doing man?” Thomas hissed. “We have been tricked into going this way and now some mythical creature shows up and tells you to keep going and you do?”

“That’s about the short of it yes.” Brendan said, keeping his voice reasonable even though he felt almost the same as Sir Thomas. “We have little choice I feel, if we don’t follow then we will probably walk around this swamp for the next thirty years. Besides I can think of only one person who could summon a magical creature such as this, and seeming this is the person we wish to see we might as well do as she wishes.”

“Thou art wise sir knight.” The unicorn spoke in that musical and soothing voice it had.

“Great now you are even impressing magical and mythical creatures old boy.” Thomas said as he turned his horse around. “But if we end up as frogs in this swamp I will be very put out with you old boy, very put out.”

***

The two knights were lead through the swamp by the mythical creature, going through the green waters and over the occasional bit of dry land when they could. Neither was sure how long they walked for, but they both agreed it must have been three hours at the very least. Even though their pace was slow they both felt this was strange, the swamp could not have been more then a few miles in any direction, but they must have crossed over thirty miles by the time the journey came to an end.

The unicorn went through a large bush of thorns that rippled like water when the animal touched them. Sir Thomas put his hand into the bush and moved it from side to side and found that it was as thin as air, there was no bush. They both walked through the illusion and found themselves no longer in a swamp but in a large area of farm land.

The unicorn was now lying down in some tall grass near a long fence that surrounded and vegetable garden of some size. There was more land here then there should have been in the whole swamp, it seemed magic did have its uses after all.

Out of a small cottage a young woman came out, her age must have been no more then eighteen yet she walked as one of much older years. Her long hair was black like many Rendasians but her complexion was much paler and her eyes were an unusual shade of deep green. The features of an Elric and not that of a Rendasian.

“Greeting sir knights, welcome to my home.” The girl had a soft voice that was very similar to that of the unicorn. “I am Elric Tirinity, the one you have sought for. And so we meet, for good or for ill.”