[Blaymore]

Blaymore ran. The yards melted away so quickly that the time could not be measured. He was invisible, not because of any spell or ward, but because he simply moved too fast to be seen. In the blink of an eye, he came upon the ruined building... a large house that had been home to two families. The golems had broken through the wall and into the bedroom. The women and children died first. The men had had enough time to draw their swords before they were killed as well. One was torn apart. The other had been crushed against the wall by a giant fist. There was frozen blood every.

The neighbors died next... they had come out to investigate, and to lend their help against the creatures. There was only one left, and he was currently having his back broken.

Blaymore drew his curved sword. It was too late to save the man, but there were still defenseless people nearby. The rampaging golems would certainly destroy everything in the vicinity.

Blaymore squared off at a distance of several yards from the closed creature. The golem saw him and immediately began lurching toward him.

"Well now," taunted Blaymore. "Speed and skill versus strength and thick skin. Let's see who wins."

Blaymore launched into his first barrage of attacks.

The wide, curved sword sliced through the air with a whisper. It's wielder was nothing more than a blue blur as he stepped in close, and delivered five brutal slashes to the golem's chest. He danced away before the creature even knew it had been attacked. The golem made a sweeping motion with it's arm; the icy appendage passed harmlessly through the empty space where Blaymore had stood a second ago.

Blaymore inspected the results of his attack. The golem bore five shallow gashes along it's chest. The ice was too dense. The blade had not gone deep at all, and, even if it had, Blaymore doubted it would have made any difference. The golem could feel no pain, and wouldn't know it was wounded until it fell to the ground. He might as well be fighting a mountain.

Blaymore, however, had not been left unscathed from the encounter. Even thought the golem never touched him, just being near the creature had chilled him to the bone. His gloved fingers had grown numb, and his flesh rose up in goosebumps. If he had continued his attack any longer, he wouldn't be able to hold his weapon. He would grow clumsy and then the golem would have him.

"Let's try the extremities, then." Blaymore jumped at the golem, which reached for him with both hands. Blaymore ducked to the side and began attacking the creature's arms. His sword bounced off of the dense ice... five...six..seven times before the chilling cold forced him to back away. Blaymore saw that this attack was as useless as the first. He wished he had brought one of his other swords. The specialized scimitar that he carried was a killer of men. The blade was thin and somewhat flexible, It would cut though flesh as easily as air, but it simply wasn't made for penetrating thick armor... or ice. He needed something else. A broadsword or a battle-axe. Or an ice-pick.

The golem lurched at him. Blaymore avoided the creature and delivered two quick jabs and a slice to the creature's hand. The jabs chipped away a small chunk of ice, and Blaymore was able to remove the tip of one of the creature's fingers.

"This is going to take all day." Blaymore dodged another attack. "And when I'm finished with this one, there's another one to deal with."

Several shouts caught Blaymore's attention. He looked up, and saw that the Town Guard of Bephal had arrived. Five men were attacking the second golem, which already had several swords protruding from it's chest and back. As Blaymore watched, the battle took a turn for the worse. One man was caught by a sudden sweep of the golem's arm. He was flung aside like a rag doll. Another man rushed in with a sword, making chops at the creature's arms. Large chunks of ice flew off of the thing, but the man stayed too close for too long. His fingers grew numb and his attacks turned weak. Finally, he fumbled and dropped his sword. The golem picked the man up, broke his back, and tossed him away like a piece of garbage. A third man rushed in from behind and added another sword to the monster's mighty back. The golem looked very much like a pincushion, yet it showed absolutely no signs of weakening. The third attacker made the mistake of trying to retrieve his weapon. The golem shrugged him off, turned, and snatched the man up.

"Amateurs," mumbled Blaymore. In one fluid motion, he dodged a clumsy strike from his own opponent, reached into his cloak and sent four invisible daggers flying through the air toward the other golem. All four thudded into the creature's neck. The creature dropped the Guardsman, breaking several of his bones in the process, and lumbered toward Blaymore.

"Nice," he said as he dodged yet another powerful swat. "Now I've got to fight both of them at once."

The remaining Guardsmen tended to their wounded, but they did not flee. They were obviously waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

Blaymore darted off at a run, directly toward the second golem. When he drew near, Blaymore took to the air, leaping over the creature's head. As he passed, he reached out and snatched one of his daggers from the golem's throat. Blaymore landed on his feet, turned and, before the golem could turn to face him, Blaymore jumped onto the creature's back. Icy fingers of cold shot through his flesh. He secured himself by thrusting an arm around the thing's head. Working quickly, Blaymore used his dagger to chip away at the thick block of ice that comprised the golem's neck. His rapidly numbing hand moved so fast that he could barely see it. Finally, the cold won out. Blaymore's arms and legs grew too weak to continue. He fell to the ground, rolled, and crawled away. He could hear the golem behind him. He felt the ground shake as the golem's huge feet stomped down mere inches away from him. As his strength returned, Blaymore rolled onto his feet and drew his sword once again. His fingers were still numb. Too weak and clumsy for an accurate attack. He needed a few more minutes.

As Blaymore attempted to dodge a wide sweep of the golem's arm, his leg slipped out from under him. He hit the ground hard, and looked up just in time to see the golem's foot rocketing toward his head. He rolled between the creature's legs, using his sword to make an ineffective slice at the golem's groin.

"It was worth a shot," said Blaymore as he leapt to his feet several paces behind the golem. He dodged a few more strikes until he was effectively out of reach. Then, suddenly, he rushed in with a viscous strike at the golem's neck. The sword dug into the ice where he had previously chipped it away. The weakened neck joint gave, and the golem's head toppled to the ground. Blaymore hit the ground in a crouch, then stood, ready to gloat.

The golem still advanced on him, arms outstretched, with nothing but empty space where it's head once sat.

"Damn." said Blaymore. There was a sudden shout. Blaymore turned and saw Author and the remaining Town Guard battling the first golem. They had chopped off large sections of the creature, but Author had fallen, overcome by the cold and his previous injuries. The golem loomed over him, it's arms hurtling downward in a hammer-blow that would very quickly turn Author into a red smear.

"Author!" Blaymore ran, his robe billowing out behind him. He scooped up the injured Author and carried him off just in time; the golem's fists caught the edge of Blaymore's cloak as they smashed into the frozen ground.

"I told you to stay behind!"

"I had to help. I couldn't just sit there!"

"What about December. You've let him get away."

"He's not going anywhere. He's just standing there watching. LOOK OUT!"

The headless golem was bearing down upon them, while the other one was making short work of the remaining Town Guard.

"We're losing this battle!" shouted Blaymore as he helped Author get to a safe distance. "Are there any mages. We need magic! Fire! Explosions! Anything!"

"No. Trisk ran off anyone who could even come close to matching his power. There was no one left but him and December."

"Trisk is dead now. And December is having too much fun just watching. Damn!"

"Can't you do anything!"

"Other than keep myself from getting squashed like a bug, no. I didn't come prepared for this... Wait!" Blaymore searched through his robes, and then produced a small brown pouch.

"What's that?"

"Alchemist's powder. The black kind. The kind that explodes."

"Is that enough?"

"Not hardly. This small amount won't make a big enough bang to destroy even one of them. Not unless...."

Behind his blue sash, Blaymore smiled.

"What?"

Blaymore turned and sped off, running away from the approaching golem.

"What?" Author shouted after him. Wounded and alone, he gaped at the headless ice-statue that was rapidly closing on his position. He staggered to his feet, then realized that his sword was sticking out of the other golem's chest. He was defenseless.

Blaymore ran until he was a considerable distance away. Then he stopped, turned around, and readied his scimitar. He grasped the hilt with both hands, the blade was off to the his right side, pointing straight ahead.

Suddenly he was gone. Not invisible... He simply wasn't there. Blaymore shot forward with such speed that not even his characteristic blue blur could be seen. His legs pulsed with energy, and the air whipped past him with such force that it stung his face. His silken sash and its enchantment protected his head and eyes, allowing him to see into the hurricane force winds. He saw the golem ahead, and nearly doubled his speed. His heart raced, the beat was a compelling tempo that drove his legs faster and faster... more quickly than a hummingbird's wings. The golem loomed ahead of him, completely filling his field of vision. Blaymore tightened his grip on the sword. His eyes squinted against the wind, trying to focus. He would only have one chance at this. He pointed the sword dead center at the golem's chest. He would have to make a leap so that he strike would be perfectly straight. He was ready. Ten more steps. He would cover the distance in less than an instant. Four. Three. Two. Blaymore leaped, his hands tightened and his arms braced for impact. He turned slightly to the side, pointing his left shoulder at the beast. The sword thrust forward...

The golem never knew what hit it.

The impact nearly knocked Blaymore unconscious, despite the leather armor he wore under his cloak. Still, he retained enough control to follow through. He left the sword hilt-deep in the golem's chest and flipped deftly over the thing's right shoulder. He landed on his feet, turned, crouched, and shot between the golem's legs. He could already feel the cold beginning to sap his strength. He stood upright in front of the creature, grasped the hilt of his sword and yanked it free. It came away easily. Blaymore had heard the creature's chest crack from the impact. His momentum was just too strong for even enchanted ice to withstand. There were deep fissures and a gaping hole in the center of the golem's chest. Just before he lost feeling in his fingers, Blaymore stuffed the small pouch of alchemist's powder into the hole, placing it deep with the golem's body.

Blaymore hit the ground and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the golem's foot. He rejoined the incredulous Author.

"What was that about?" asked Author

"You'll see as soon as I get the feeling back in my hands."

Blaymore's fingers tingled as he attempted to massage numbness out of them. The headless golem was approaching, heedless of the gaping hole in it's chest. Blaymore produced another one of his invisible daggers, and took careful aim. He let the dagger fly.

"GET DOWN!"

Neither of them saw what happened next, but it took no stretch of the imagination to figure it out. The small pouch exploded on impact from the dagger. Shockwaves of devastating force radiated outward, widening the already deep fissures in the golem's chest. The structural integrity of the golem was destroyed in an instant. Large chunks of ice flew through the air as it was blown apart.

Blaymore and Author hit the ground just as the exploding golem sent chunks of ice raining down upon them. The swords, which had been protruding from the golem's body like porcupine quills, were flung through the air with incredible force. One buried itself in the ground just inches from Blaymore, impaling his cloak and pinning it to the earth.

"Aha!" Blaymore wasted no time in freeing himself, recovering the near-fatal longsword, and attacking the second golem. Instead of stabbing forcefully at the creature, Blaymore danced around it and used the sword to chip away at the creature's midsection. His speed was such that Author's eyes could not follow him, and the golem seemed to be enveloped in a swirling blue haze.

The ice golem swung it's hands wildly, but it's strikes were much too slow and clumsy to be much of a threat. Blaymore simply dodge the gigantic arms, spun, and struck again at the creature, chipping away more of it's girth. Despite this, Blaymore knew he was fighting a losing battle. The cold was slowly claiming him, slowing him down. Maintaining this level of speed required vast amounts of energy, and he was rapidly becoming fatigued. He rarely ever moved this fast for such a long period of time. Then there was the golem itself. Blaymore had chipped away almost a fourth of the creature's girth, but he creature gave no indication that is was injured. It felt neither pain nor urgency. It did not weaken or become desperate like a human opponent. The thing would continue to strike with overwhelming power until it was totally destroyed. The same could not be said for Blaymore.

Fatigue and the freezing cold finally won out. Blaymore was a split-second too slow in dodging an attack, and the golem's icy fist slammed full force into Blaymore's chest. His ribs would have been shattered if it weren't for his armor. Instead, Blaymore was sent flying backward. He hit the ground and pain shot up from his legs up through his back. All of the air was forced from his bruised lungs in one sudden gasp. His eyes glazed over and the streets of Bephal became a dark blur. He tried to stand, but could not move...

"...gods...don't let my back be broken...."

He heard something heavy hit the ground not too far away. Then again, closer. The golem was coming.

"...Author...help..." His vision began to clear. He wished it hadn't.

"...somebody..." Blaymore tried again to move. His limbs responded, but they were too slow and uncoordinated. Too numb. He needed a few more seconds to thaw out and for his head to clear, but there was no more time. The golem was standing over him.

Suddenly, something gripped the front of this cloak. He himself being dragged away just as the golem's foot crunched into the ground. Blaymore painfully turned his head and saw Author behind him, trying to get him to safety. Author himself could not stand, and was crawling on his hands and knees as he pulled Blaymore behind him.

The golem stomped after them. It's movements were slow, but it's size was such that each step closed the already tiny distance between it and the humans.

Blaymore looked up just in time to see the golem raise it's foot for another earthshaking stomp. He was too close. This one would surely turn him into a blue and red smear. Blaymore scrambled, trying to move out of the way. He had broken free of Author's grasp and was just about to roll to safety when he heard a loud *CRACK*.

Blaymore looked up just as the golem pitched forward; or as least the top half of it did. The top portion of the golem's body, from the waist up, was severed from the bottom half. Blaymore scrambled out of the way as the creature crashed to the ground exactly where he had been laying a second ago. He managed to get to his feet, and found that he was standing face to face with another golem.

This one was made of wood and metal, with carefully carved features that mimicked the female form almost perfectly. Blaymore almost mistook it for a human, and stopped just short of excusing himself for nearly bumping into the young lady. Blaymore nodded at the female golem. Julia looked back into his eyes, not with the blank stare of a lifeless construct, but with a mournful stare that spoke of deep despair.

The golem wielded a large sword, which was covered in blood that was obviously not the ice golem's. It was her fathers. Blaymore merely stared, trying to put together what had just happened. Julia must have taken the sword and, with one inhuman chop, severed the ice golem in half along the fault line that Blaymore had risked his life to create.

"Very well done." December's voice boomed from the darkness. The large white-haired man walked up behind his new toy. "A very good show indeed."

"So glad you decided to join in." said Blaymore.

December ignored Blaymore, and instead turned his attention to Author, who was just getting to his feet beside the blue-cloaked assassin.

"I see you have found a new ally, Hendragon."

"Unngh..." Author moaned and grabbed his head. Blaymore's potion had completely worn off, and the pain of his earlier encounter with the ice-golems had returned in full force. The excitement of the last few minutes wasn't helping his already-injured head and ribs much. "Well, what's next?" grunted Author.

"Next?"

"You've won," spat Author. "You've beaten Jerimiah. What now?"

"I will return to Montfort and see to my affairs there. In the next few days, a small group of men will come and remove every bit of knowledge from the Trisk library, it belongs to me now, and it shall be put to good use... a suitable reimbursement for the trouble he has caused me."

"I meant us? Are you going to kill us?"

"Oh no, Mr. Hendragon. You still have a purpose to serve, however small. And your friend here," December nodded toward Blaymore, "as much as I would like to test his skills against Julia's, or my own, I am afraid that will have to wait for another day."

"Neither of you would stand a chance," said Blaymore.

"Perhaps, assassin, when your injuries have healed and I have time to enjoy more of your antics."

"Antics!?!"

"You don't think we're going to let you leave, do you?" said Author. December looked at him and smiled, his face looking frighteningly similar to the image Jerimiah had carved onto the ice golems.

"You are in no condition to stop me. Your Town Guard has been decimated by the golems. And if your assassin wanted to kill or restrain me, he would have attempted to do so by now. He would have failed, of course."

Blaymore frowned imperceptibly behind his sash.

"So if you will excuse me..."

"What will become of Julia Trisk?" said Blaymore.

"Ahhh...." December leaned over and whispered something into the golem's ear. She immediately slung her sword over her shoulder and marched off into the darkness. Author and Blaymore watched her as she disappeared; both men suddenly felt uneasy.

"Where is she going?" asked Author.

"What I do with my property is of no concern to you, Hendragon. It is sufficient to say that you will not be seeing her, or me, again."

"You can't go back to Montfort!" said Author. "They are waiting for you there. You're under suspicion for murder!"

December laughed.

"It is nothing that is not already being taken care of, little man."

"How so? Are you going to kill everyone? Freeze the entire Tower Guard? Or have you bought them all off already."

"You are asking the wrong questions, Hendragon. If I were you, I would be more interested in what has happened to the last of Trisk's golems."

"Dead." said Author. "You killed one. We killed the other two."

"For a man of the law, you have a dangerous habit of overlooking the obvious."

"What are you talking about?"

"The three golems we fought were whole and completely intact. What became of to one that had it's arm removed by Parode in Montfort? You were there, weren't you?"

Author's mouth opened, but nothing came out

While Author gaped, December turned and walked away, his feet crunching into the frozen ground beneath them.

"I don't believe this." said Author. "He just walked away. Why didn't you-" Author suddenly realized that he was talking to himself. Blaymore had vanished completely, without leaving so much as a footprint.