Chapter 5

Thunder and lightning pierced the sky. A murder of crows cawed and flew away in distress. The knell of a requiem bell rang out in the distance. Dullahan dismounted his steed. The ground quaked under Dullahan's feet. Every step compressed a wet slurry of mud and flesh. The shadowy mare neighed, it's reins jostling with the horse's motion. Elizabeth shuttered and trembled. Her lips quivered as she slowly crept and took cover behind Sir Isaac. The knight, however, did not buckle or yield.

"What are you doing here Dullahan?"

"Why the same as you, paladin! A simple patrol, nothing more."

"Shouldn't you be locked away in the dungeon?"

"You know, I was! But then there was a change in power and now I'm free."

"A change in power?"

"Don't tell me..." Elizabeth feared.

"Didn't you hear, paladin? The old king is dead! Ethros is under new control, a new king. Lord Grimwald, and I am one of his four trusted horsemen!" Dullahan boasted.

"No no no..." Elizabeth shook in utter disbelief.

"What's the matter with you? You know what he's talking about?" Sir Isaac whispered.

"He's the one who killed me!"

"What?!"

"Actually, I do need to come clean about something, I'm afraid." Dullahan interjected. "This wasn't a simple patrol, there's something I need from you two."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Dullahan raised his sword and pointed it at Elizabeth, carrying the massive weight with only one hand.

"That well-preserved corpse behind you, I need her head! And I shall be taking that scroll from her as well." Elizabeth gasped, words and sound barely escaping her mouth. Her eyes widened and she froze. Sir Isaac drew his blade.

"Over my dead body!"

"Heh." Dullahan laughed. He readied his sword and took his stance. "That's kind of the point." He lurched forward. An explosion of movement faster than anyone expected. How could a man that big move that fast and fluidly? Dullahan plunged the tip of his blade into Sir Isaac's shield. Sir Isaac dug his heels into the ground to resist the force, but it was too great. Dullahan knocked him to the ground with little effort. He then turned his attention to Elizabeth. He swung his sword at her neck, to which Elizabeth ducked down. Using the momentum of his first swing, Dullahan brought his claymore back up and trusted it towards Elizabeth and the dirt. She swiftly leaped forward, narrowly avoiding the incoming attack. The blade caught her dress and tore a slight piece of it off. "Stop squirming!"

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" Sir Isaac struck Dullahan's chest, causing him to stumble back.

"Find me a knight of eight feet and we'll talk. That or one of comparable skill." Sir Isaac grumbled and charged forth. The two knights exchanged blocks and blows, Dullahan's blade cutting significantly deeper than Sir Isaac's.

"Tell me, paladin. Why do you care so much about this fight? You know nothing about this girl nor the state of her affairs?"

"Because you killed my king!"

"Oh come now! I did nothing of the sorts! That was all Grimwald's doing, not mine."

"You're still apart of his regime! Besides, I made a promise to protect her and save Ethros."

"So that's your oath, huh." Dullahan stopped the clash between the knights' weaponry. He dug his blade into the infernal soil and used his free hand to catch Sir Isaac's. "Let me reassure you, paladin." He ripped the short sword from his hand and threw it to the ground like a piece of trash. Before Sir Isaac could react, Dullahan grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up into the air. "Ethros will be saved." He then threw him to the ground just like his sword. Sir Isaac's helmet flew off from his head, exposing his terror. Dullahan planted his feet, one in the soil and one on Sir Isaac's leg. He raised his claymore above his head, tip pointed down at the helpless knight like a guillotine. The moonlight reflected hauntingly off the cold steel sheen. "It's a shame I have to turn in the girl's head, but yours would look so nice mounted to my wall!" Dullahan brought down his blade.

"Wait!" Elizabeth shouted out. Dullahan halted, his sword mere inches from decapitation. Both him and Sir Issac turned to see the doctor facing them. She held the knight's dropped sword, standing there trembling with an amateur stance. "Don't make me hurt you!" She stuttered.

"Doc, what the hell are you doing?!"

"Ha! This is what I love about you mortals! Always doing the craziest things in the face of death!"

"You have no idea..." Elizabeth whispered.

"Alright. You want to fight?" Dullahan walked away from Sir Isaac and mounted his steed. "I'll give you a fight!"

"Doc, give me the sword."

"You've got moxie kid, I like that." Dullahan began to prance and circle around Elizabeth, like a hawk who just found its prey.

"This isn't funny anymore. You don't know how to use that, give me the sword!"

"But if you're going to act like a hero, you have to be ready to die like a hero!" Dullahan stopped. He lowered his blade and pointed it at Elizabeth like a lance. He brought his chest down to meet his mare's mane.

"ELIZABETH! GIVE ME THE DAMN SWORD!" Dullahan charged at Elizabeth. The thunderous roar of hooves shook the earth. Mud and rainwater splashed up against the horses legs. Galloping towards Elizabeth at breakneck speeds, the mare neighed and cry. Elizabeth closed her eyes, looked away, and cautiously held up Sir Issac's short sword.

SLICE

The battle ended just as quickly as it began. Silence filled the dead lands. Elizabeth dropped the sword, her hands shaking. She peaked open her eyes, and to her surprise, she was still there. Her breathing became heavy as the adrenaline shocked her system. A wave of pain radiated from her side. She clutched her hip and waist. Her dress was torn, and a shallow cut ran across the side of her body.

"Holy shit..." Sir Isaac's jaw dropped. He pointed down at something. Elizabeth followed his finger to the ground, and soon she gasped. A large, orange pumpkin was caught on the blade. She whipped around. There she saw the magnitude of her actions. Dullahan sat on his horse, in awe, pawing at the air where his squash head would be.

"You insolent little!" He turned his body to face his new found rivals. "You've bested me in battle and on top of that you humiliated me!"

"Did I really best you though... really?"

"I came here for your head but you took mine instead! How could I possibly fight you like this!?" Dullahan faced away from Elizabeth and Sir Isaac. "I must go now, but don't think you've won just yet!" He kicked his horse and cracked the reins. He rode off into the distance, back to the castle at the heart of the kingdom, leaving Elizabeth and Sir Isaac bewildered.

"I'm very confused on what just happened..."

"Hey, a win's a win. Don't question it." Sir Isaac propped himself up and dusted off his armor. "But don't do anything that foolish again." He picked up his helmet and placed it back on his head. "So what's the plan now, doc?"

"Well if Grimwald's new government is going to come after us, I say we should get all the supplies and help we can handle."

"Agreed."

"So next stop, the CAM."