Killing Monsters Page 2

  “Right, we better get a move on Angelika!” Ragrim said in an urgent tone.

  Angelika gave Ragrim an acknowledging nod and turned to Hiroki and whispered, “Best of luck Hiroki. You can fucking do this, unleash your rage!”

  They both ran off into the distance to join the rest of the commanders and Yoshihiro, who was no more than a few hundred yards away. Hiroki was now on his own and began to feel more at ease with the task at hand. It’s just another duel, you have faced him before in practice and you know his techniques. One last push! Strike him down and unleash the evil within!

  Hiroki steadily approached his fellow War Hogs. Yoshihiro could not have picked a better location for such an important sword duel.

  The location was perhaps farmland many years ago as the grassland area was well trimmed and there were signs of historic agriculture. A perfect large square of green lush grass lay ahead, which seemed flawless and looked more like a green carpet than grass and soil, Hiroki thought. Trees, brush, and overgrown vegetation surrounded the mass giant square of dead grass and there was an old rotten timber barn visible just beyond a couple of oak trees. No doubt the barn would have been used as a place to sleep or store farming equipment for whoever farmed these areas years ago.

  The sun shone down perfectly on the location, and the thought of sword duelling here seemed strange to Hiroki, as this scenic and peaceful location would have been perfect to take a loved one for a private time of intimacy. It was far from a battle ground.

  Hiroki approached the square grassland area which would be the battlefield of this duel, and looked up at the mighty dragon Davorin, who gazed upon him with a sense of pride. Davorin was huge and looked even bigger on open ground with the light blasting onto his green wings and burgundy scales. His piercing yellow eyes glowed like jewels in the sun, and he smiled; he loved watching his swordsmen duel and was proud of all of them, especially Hiroki, as he had watched him develop over the years.

  On the ground in a cross-legged position directly in front of the dragon was Yoshihiro. He had been meditating, and was topless in preparation for the duel. His muscular physique was apparent even from behind, with thick broad shoulders and well-defined back muscles.

  Yoshihiro turned his face slightly, and with closed eyes joked with his young apprentice, “So, you finally came. I thought you’d pissed your pants and ran away.”

  Everyone laughed at the spiteful joke, even the dragon Davorin cackled.

  Hiroki knew these were mind games. I’ll fucking show you soon. Take me lightly and you’ll feel my rage!

  Yoshihiro had been in a fiery mood for days, as after this duel they were due to visit the settlement of Cutthroat’s Grasp to meet with a wicked warlord called Darius who had requested an audience with the War Hogs.

  Either side of Yoshihiro were two small lines, one to the left and one to the right. In each line were the top four warriors and commanders within the War Hogs, and they were also Yoshihiro’s closest friends, eight fearsome warriors, the Cursed Bastards.

  The left line consisted of Archie Shieldstone, a knight and master of the sword and shield; next in line was Bellethiel Evergreen, the woodlander elf, who was a master of tracking, taming animals and archery. Bellethiel’s trusted companion, a great forest owl, remained perched on his shoulder. Bellethiel was also Hiroki’s best friend. Astaroth Dragonclaw stood next to Bellethiel; he was a giant and brutish gargoyle, both silent and incredibly strong. His giant axe seemed impossibly big to handle, but Hiroki had seen him slaughter countless foes with it in battle before. Last in this line was Ragrim Bjorn the dwarf, who looked even smaller standing next to the ten-foot-tall gargoyle. Ragrim was an accomplished warrior himself with his mighty ruby axe, but he really excelled in blacksmithing and abstracting magic from gemstones to create powerful armour and weapons. Over the years, Ragrim had made weapons and armour for everyone within the War Hogs.

  The line of Cursed Bastards to the right consisted of more fearsome warriors. First in this line was Tatsuya Toshiro, the ninja, poisoner, and assassin. He was the most hated member of the group due to his wicked and vicious nature that was matched only by his poor moral compass.

  The hunter Jadar Sky was next in this line. Hunters are half-elf and half-human and boast both combat and magic abilities. Jadar was fiery and easily angered; she had also mastered the spear and shield and enjoyed burning foes with fire magic.

  Crow Cadogan was next, a dark monster of a man with thick long red dreadlocks and a broad athletic build. A long silver claymore sword was tucked behind his back. Hiroki had seen men sliced from cock to head with this weapon.

  Last in line was the mage and Hiroki’s secret love, Angelika Storm. She smiled but could not hide her nervousness.

  All the commanders watched on nervously and with great pride and joy at the sight of the young boy they had watched grow into a man and a fearsome swordsman. He was now ready to face their leader in combat and prove his worth.

  Astaroth spoke first; his deep beastly voice could not be ignored. “You are strong Hiroki, don’t hold back. Unleashing your inner darkness and rage is not a sin if used for good!” Astaroth glared at Tatsuya. “Tatsuya here thinks you're weak and scared. He thinks you’re still that weakling that couldn’t protect your family when you were a mere child. Win this duel and make Tatsuya eat his words.”

  Hiroki spoke to the gargoyle that had helped raise him. “Thanks, Astaroth.” He then turned to the ninja. “We will have words after this, you cunt.”

  Tatsuya was evil and wicked, and he didn’t care. “I sense fear in you, boy! You hesitate to unleash your real power and evil, even when in self-defence. That’s what makes you weak! A heart has no place in a world filled with monsters, your dead parents are proof of that!”

  Hiroki was not too surprised by the wicked comments, which reflected Tatsuya as a person perfectly.

  “Fuck off Tatsuya, you asshole,” blasted Jadar. She turned to Hiroki and smiled. “Hurry up and make this quick, Hiroki. I’ve seen you fight, you’ve got this little bro! Please be quick though, I’ve spotted a sexy brunette in a nearby village, can’t wait to get my hands on her!”

  Despite being a woman, Jadar had never hid her sexuality and lust for her fellow females.

  The old knight Archie looked at Hiroki and gave him an acknowledging nod. “Knight’s honour, Mr Mitsue.” Archie had been a knight for many years and lived his life as honourably as he could, which was no easy task in a world surrounded by war and monsters.

  Crow gazed at Hiroki before sweeping his long red dreadlocks behind his head. He spoke reminiscently. “To think the young boy we found crying in the night would one day end up striking down Yoshihiro! I still remember when you used to piss yourself and suck your thumb at bedtime!” Crow laughed at that thought. “Do you remember when you were ten and that flower girl kissed you on the lips? You ran away crying after!”

  Hiroki laughed; Crow was playful, not spiteful.

  The woodlander Bellethiel broke the line and walked over to Hiroki. The small woodlander beamed a great smile and embraced him. Bellethiel’s green skin bloomed in the sunlight, as did his white teeth and sparking eyes. “Good luck brother! Today is the start of your legacy! Strike our leader down and prove he did a fine job training you.”

  Bellethiel’s owl that was perched upon his shoulder squawked and seemed to agree with Bellethiel. “See, even Zeke agrees!”

  Hiroki and Bellethiel had always been close, and laughed, embracing each other once more before being interrupted by the fearsome swordsman Yoshihiro.

  Yoshihiro was ready for combat and he rose. It was as if the air around everyone had gotten thicker, suffocating everyone with an aura of invincibility, masculinity, and power. Everyone’s smiles had vanished and transformed into expressions of concern for their friend Hiroki, whom they had known since he was a child.

  Yoshihiro taunted Hiroki. “I grow tired of the empty talk. I have trained you for many years, Hiroki, to be formidable and relentless as
well as unmatchable in combat. If you cannot strike me down, you are nothing to me, a weak piglet only fit for a spit roast. Is that what you are, Hiroki, a piglet?”

  Hiroki froze and seemed to be paralysed by Yoshihiro’s fighting spirit.

  The fearsome swordsman continued, “I did not rescue you when you were a child because I was kind, I did it to make you an asset and to train you to be a warrior. If you cannot fight to my standard after all this time, then perhaps I should have let you die with your parents.”

  An awkward silence surrounded the gang of mercenaries; perhaps the warriors felt as though Yoshihiro’s tough tutelage may have overstepped the mark this time.

  To everyone’s shock, Hiroki seemed to transform. A cold, menacing gaze that had been witnessed in combat many times before took over, as did the darkness and rage from deep inside that everyone knew he harboured. “I’m a child no more. I’m Hiroki Mitsue, your student. I have never unleashed the evil and darkness within me as it scares me, but today, I make an exception!”

  “Good, my boy, show it to me! You will need to if you hope to win! Evil, rage and darkness, these are qualities that ensure survival and power, never forget that.”

  “How can I forget; you’ve beaten it into my head!”

  Yoshihiro and Hiroki stood a few feet away from each other and stared into each other’s eyes, both knowing of the task at hand. Hiroki removed his kimono, exposing his bare torso, and drew his katana. The blade of his white sleeper shone brilliantly in the light, which brought a smile out of Yoshihiro.

  “Are you sure you know how to use that, boy? It’s no toy.”

  Yoshihiro stood at six feet tall, he had long black hair which was tied into a ponytail, his eyes were brown, and his face displayed a well-groomed stubble. Yoshihiro’s teeth were a perfect white and nice and straight, and his skin appeared to be smoother than silk. The famed swordsman stood proud with his muscles on display, and it was clear that he had been born to fight. He had strong and perfectly-formed muscles that made him look as though he’d been carved from stone, and his broad shoulders and chest were solid with his stomach muscles well defined. Yoshihiro sported black cottoned trousers which had patterns of tigers sewn into them, and they were kept up around his waist by a black rope that was used as a belt. Considering he was approaching his late thirties and had been fighting since he was a child, Hiroki found it strange to see him standing there with no scars, proud and handsome. It was as if his good looks also stood testament to how skilled a warrior he was to have battled for as long as he had and seemingly taken no damage.

  Yoshihiro drew his sword, which he called The Butterflies’ Razor. The katana was removed from its black sheath, which had engraved carvings of butterflies from top to bottom.

  Yoshihiro had told of his love for butterflies as they symbolised the rewards of hard work, and he would boastfully tell Hiroki when he was a child of a butterfly’s journey. “Butterflies have the worst starts in life, they are born weak and feeble caterpillars that can only crawl and eat, which makes them easy prey for birds. If they survive the birds, they must cocoon for days to begin their transformation into beautiful insects. However, even when they are ready to break out from their cocoon, they must find strength beyond what they are physically capable of to break out of that cocoon and fly into the sky as reborn, beautiful butterflies. They are a symbol of hard work and perseverance.”

  The butt of Yoshihiro’s sword was a diamond that had been expertly sculpted into the shape of a butterfly—no doubt Ragrim had done this. The square hand guard was silver, which also displayed engravings of butterflies, and the blade itself shone bright much like Hiroki’s. The blade was flawless and looked as though it could slice through dragon scales with ease, and the words ‘For Justice and Honour’ were engraved into the blade.

  Yoshihiro straightened his illustrious green headband and the two of them met dead centre of the square, swords in hand, legs spread apart in battle stance.

  Davorin spoke and declared the rules. “As guardian of Swordsman Shores, I approve this duel for a black headband. The challenger Hiroki Mitsue will attempt to strike down Yoshihiro Hiroto and earn the black headband. The challenge is over when one swordsman draws blood from his opponent. Do not hold back, as I will heal all wounds on this occasion. You may begin!”

  “Wait! Not yet!” was yelled from afar, followed by a roar.

  Everyone turned, knowing full well who it was, as this childlike voice had been heard for many years, ever since the day Hiroki hatched a dragon’s egg.

  Off into the distance a young dragon was fast approaching at speed. The young dragonling was covered in bright gold scales which glowed radiantly, even the wings were gold with dark red undersides. The dragon was unable to control its excitement and coughed small bursts of green dragon fire.

  Hiroki dropped his sword, sensing his baby dragon still hadn’t mastered the art of flying, and braced himself for impact. The dragon laughed and crashed into Hiroki, which knocked him to the ground. They both laughed uncontrollably, much to the annoyance of Yoshihiro.

  “Thunder, why are you flying so fast if you can’t control yourself?” asked Hiroki in a loving tone.

  “Because I knew you’d catch me,” boasted the dragon.

  The baby dragon’s appearance seemed to ease the tense atmosphere and Yoshihiro’s commanders seemed to enjoy the sight of Hiroki playing with his baby dragon.

  Hiroki’s dragon was named Thunder, and though small and only five years old, this baby dragon was growing fast and already had a wingspan of ten meters. Dragons are usually fully grown at around twenty years of age, and some dragons that grow larger than usual with even more power are called ‘Grand Dragons.’

  Thunder knew of the duel that was about to commence and spoke once more. “I didn’t miss it, did I? Your duel?”

  “No Thunder, we're just beginning.”

  Davorin was shocked by this discovery, and had not met Thunder before, nor did he know of the baby dragon. “Well well well, what do we have here! You’re quite the powerhouse already!”

  Thunder had never seen one of his own kind before, and seemed terrified by Davorin. As he cowered behind Hiroki, Davorin continued, “You don’t need to fear me my fellow Dragon, there aren’t many of us around who are kind-hearted like you! You have nothing to fear from me, young one.”

  Yoshihiro interjected and seemed to feel sorry for the pitiful baby dragon. “Show yourself Thunder, do not disrespect your elder. He won’t hurt you.”

  Thunder stepped out from Hiroki’s shadow and gazed up at the older, superior dragon. “I’m Thunder, I’m only five, but I’m strong and my fire is green!”

  Davorin laughed at the innocence of Thunder’s conversation. “Well, young Thunder, with your golden scales and green fire, I do hope you grow up to be a strong grand dragon one day. I despise the weak, don’t disappoint me!”

  Davorin gave the young dragon an acknowledging smile and turned to Yoshihiro. “When were you going to tell me you had a dragon in your ranks? I should burn you into nothingness for your insolence.”

  Yoshihiro was defiant and brave, and did not want to back down even to a dragon. He jousted back, “He is not in our ranks, Hiroki hatched him and that is all. He’s nothing more than an exotic pet. Anyway, we wanted to keep this a secret for obvious reasons. It’s not every day a child bonds with a dragon. One day, when he’s fully grown, no doubt our enemies will fall beneath us.”

  Hiroki interjected, “He’s not a weapon, sensei! I want him to live a happy life. So many dragons are forced to do their master’s bidding, I won’t have that for Thunder.”

  Another awkward silence surrounded the group of warriors and dragons; they were seemingly shocked at Hiroki’s verbal disagreement with Yoshihiro.

  Yoshihiro glared at Hiroki before Tatsuya attempted to lighten the mood. “Come on, I’m fucking bored. Yoshihiro, hurry up and defeat this boy slave. As for you, Hiroki, I’m sure one of the kings from the Eastern Plate will invade s
hortly, then your baby dragon here may need to fight!”

  “If they invade, the Centre Plate will be waiting,” warned Crow.

  Hiroki whispered into Thunder’s ears, “I love you little one, go and stand next to Astaroth.”

  Astaroth called Thunder over, who reluctantly left Hiroki’s side, not before he licked Hiroki’s cheeks in a display of affection. The commanders spread out again, giving the field to Hiroki and Yoshihiro who once again took up arms.

  Davorin was now comfortably grounded and his wingspan was spread, small speckles of fire emitting from his mouth with excitement, and he roared at the two swordsmen who were now armed with swords touching again. “BEGIN!”

  Chapter 3:

  A Clash of Katanas

  Hiroki and Yoshihiro stood toe to toe; their blades were side to side as they gazed into each other’s eyes until Hiroki made the first move.

  Hiroki feinted to the left, then followed with a spin to the right at such speed it caught Yoshihiro by surprise; however, the strike was blocked. Hiroki didn’t stop, he struck to the right and left, Hiroki had clearly decided to take the fight to Yoshihiro. The katanas clashed again and again, and the sound of opposing steel was heard as the razor-sharp edges of the blades created a melody—a warrior’s melody that was all too common throughout these lands. Hiroki began to grunt as he put more power into his attacks, mixing his strikes between low, high, and diagonal motions.

  Yoshihiro managed to block all the attacks effortlessly, as if his body was reacting on its own instinct rather than thought, until suddenly Hiroki created some distance between the two of them for a brief pause. “You aren’t a total let-down Hiroki; you’re fast, and your strikes are true, but I can read your movements. I can block you comfortably. This is not a swordfight to me, it’s a dance!”

  Those comments stung Hiroki, as he had used valuable energy in that barrage of attacks whilst Yoshihiro defended with ease.