UO:2013-11-18: The Knight and the Enchantress

The Knight and the Enchantress / 騎士と魔女

Author: EM Drosselmeyer

Published: November 18, 2013

His blade clashed against that of the renegade swordsman, each strike forcing him back pace after pace, never ceasing in his advance. As the swordsman caught one of Sir Dupre's strikes on his shield, Sir Dupre lashed out with his own shield and struck him hard in the face, feeling the mans nose break before the impact. Helmets are worn for a reason, novice... he thought to himself as he disengaged his blade, stamped on the man's foot, and ran him through. With a sudden jerking back of his sword he let him fall, staining the dusty sandstone vermilion beneath him. He could hear the crack and power of explosion potions being hurled at the lighthouse, but he heard shouts come up from his knights, even as a breathless squire ran to him.

“Sir Dupre, we need you! We've got a problem!”

Wasting no time, he followed the young squire as fast as he could towards their destination...which became apparent in mere moments. In the streets ahead lay several bodies, and a ragged looking corsair was fending off three of his knights at once...an impressive feat in itself and worthy of recognition, but Dupre had eyes for only one person on the battlefield right then. Two of his other knights were wounded and bleeding through their armor as they staggered away, trying to get a moments respite...or possibly fleeing. A final remaining one hurled a purple potion at the back of a cloaked woman...who spun and caught it with her whip, and then with a flash of motion hurled it back at the remaining knight, sending him reeling as it hit. The dark-haired woman laughed, and the squire nearby said something, but it was all white noise to Sir Dupre as he charged for the woman in her studded leather armor and cloak.

“Time for your reckoning, Enchantress!”

He raised his blade up as he charged, blocking a burst of magical energy on his shield from Minax. The impact was far stronger than he was used to, but he was already leaning into it and it only slowed him briefly as he swung for her neck. The lithe sorceress backpedaled and leaned out of the way, deftly dodging back and forth from each of the famous Knight's strikes, and warding him off with cracks of the whip towards his visor. Despite knowing the slim chance of her hitting him in such a small target, each time caused him to blink and shy away just enough for her to keep the distance. She was practically dancing backwards, but his assault was keeping her from getting another spell off. He heard a cry from behind him and saw a sudden grin light up Lady Minax's face, before her lips parted and she spoke in a soft, mocking tone. “I'm afraid this is the end of you, Dupre.”

He sidestepped as soon as she started to talk and raised his shield, preparing to intercept a strike from the corsair, who grinned with a mouthful of missing teeth. The cutlass he swung left little motes of light behind it as it trailed down, and Sir Dupre instinctively turned his shield slightly...even as the cutlass hacked off a corner of the battered shield. Enchanted blade...powerfully enchanted, at that. He could see out of his peripheral vision now that Minax had turned her back to him, and though he ached to make her pay for that arrogance, the corsair pressed on hard.

Sir Dupre parried the next blow and blocked the follow up, but each one sheared off either a piece of shield or gouged a nick into his blade. He attacked like a berserker, trying to keep Dupre on the defensive, but finally the corsair made a misstep. Sir Dupre closed the distance, locking him in a clash of broadsword and shield against cutlass as they both pressed against the other and tried to overpower through sheer strength.

“Ha! The grea' Sir Dupre, ain' yer? Ol' Shanty's 'ere fer yer now, lad. Yer boys were good...but Ol' Shanty's Sharkbite proved ter much fer 'em. Looks like it's ter much fer yer as well!”

The corsair's breath stank of rum and decay as he laughed in the knight's face, and Dupre pressed harder, starting to force him back. He could feel the man's strength failing him, and it would only take one opening...knock the blade away from him and he'd be helpless, as lightly armored in leathers as he was...but just as he prepared to give him the final shove a crack snapped the air and he heard a crack and a tug as Minax's whip wrapped around his plate gorget, and she started to pull.

“Shanty, you said you had his measure...” Her voice was filled with irritation but a trace of amusement.

With the Enchantress aiding Shanty, he weighed his options, gritting his teeth under his helmet...none of them were good, but at any second she could add her magical might to this if she grew bored with it. With a last shove of his shield, he flung Shanty backwards, and reared his blade to strike while Shanty raised his to block...a blow that Dupre never aimed at him. Dupre's sword cleaved through the whip in a single stroke, and he raised his shield to block as a bolt of pure energy tore from Minax's other hand, forcing him back a pace. He started to turn to meet Shanty as he caught motion out of the corner of his eye, but he already knew it was going to be too slow.

When his blade came up to match the corsairs' own, Sharkbite cleaved through Dupre's sword and snapped off the last third of the blade. The glittering cutlass continued on, skittering across his armor before catching a seam and taking a chunk of it...and of his shoulder...clean off. The pain and impact drove him down to one knee, and Shanty struck again, with Dupre barely getting his shield up in time to block. As he held it with both hands against the man, Sharkbite was slowly cleaving through the shield, closer and closer to his arm, and he heard the Enchantress start to cast. So this is how it ends...

And then suddenly the Enchantress swore as an explosion went off, and then another; Dupre's vision flashed with white as a massive lightning bolt exploded right next to himself and the corsair, weakening his attack just long enough for him to get his feet under him, and cast him to one side. As he rose to his feet, Shanty bolted...running straight for Minax and grabbing her, and both of them vanished in an instant after she cast a spell.

Sir Dupre looked over as the one who threw the potion at the enchantress ran up to him, the squire who'd initially fetched him...and had ran back for armament it seemed. He glanced down to his broken broadsword and the practically ruined shield before he noticed the squire was talking. “Sir, you're hurt! We need to get you to the healers!”

Sir Dupre smiled inside his helmet. He'd watched two of his own armored knights flee with what looked like only minor wounds, and this unarmored squire had returned and attacked the Enchantress herself. It was only then though that he saw who the squire was accompanied by, and his smile died beneath his helmet. Standing smugly on the street with an air of sheer bravado was a man in a llama hair robe and cloak, who practically giggled with laughter as he saw Dupre's stance go rigid.

“I do believe that you owe me a debt of Honor now, Mister Shiny. Or would you rather Halfblade after that performance? And here I thought you knew how to use those things.” Anon's mocking tone inspired an anger in him that begged for redress, but he only gripped his broken weapon's hilt tighter and finally sheathed it.

“What are you doing here, Anon? I've no time for this...I've got wounded knights to deal with. If you want to gloat, go do it over at your Lycaeum with all your sycophants praising how wondrous you are while you chew your mandrake and cavort with...” Dupre's words stopped as a man flanked by two guards approached, and Anon's grin got even wider.

“Oh, where are my manners, Mister Shiny? Did I neglect to mention I had company for you? You know, it's only courteous to curtsey to His Royal Highness the King of the Realm and the wondrous Lord Blackthorn, Master of Chess and...”

“Grand Councilor...enough. Please." The King's voice was a bit strained, and he waved him off. "Sir Dupre, I'd like to speak with you...after your wounds have been tended to.”

Dupre nodded, but every part of him bristled at Anon's presence with the King. “And him?”

King Blackthorn followed Dupre's gaze to the giggling mage for a moment. “He's with me, and the Grand Councilor's abilities and services are needed...as are yours, for the good of the Kingdom.”

Dupre weighed his request for but a moment before exhaling, and discarding the broken remains of his shield, the crest on the front nearly cleaved in half. “I'll meet you at the Keg and Anchor within the hour, then.”

“Ever the drunkard, I see! Shall we bring a nice winsome lass for you to woo and slobber over as well?” Anon's taunts cast out after Dupre's back as he walked towards the healers with the squire.

“I'll find a nice handsome mongbat for you in exchange, mage.” He could hear the Grand Councilor's tittering laughs behind him, but ignored them as the squire led him on.

Japanese version

男が振るう刃が反逆の剣士のそれとぶつかり合う。一撃与えるたびに相手は一歩また一歩と退くことを余儀なくされ、男の前進は決して止まることはなかった。デュプレ(Dupre)の一撃。剣士は盾で食い止めた。その顔面に強烈に叩き込まれるデュプレの盾。衝撃で相手の鼻が砕けた感触が伝わってきた。だからヘルメットは必要なのさ、若造……剣をひいて戦いをやめ、相手の足を踏みつけてから逃走を許してやったデュプレは、胸のうちでそう思った。突然、背後から強い力で突き飛ばされてデュプレは倒れ込み、埃まみれの砂岩の床に真っ赤な染みを作った。灯台めがけて投げられた爆発薬の爆音が聞こえたが、息を切らして従者が駆け寄って来た時に彼に聞こえていたのは部下の騎士たちの叫び声だった。

「デュプレ卿、来てください！大変なことに！」

即座にデュプレは若い従者の後に続いて全速力で走りだした。目指す場所はすぐに見えてきた。前方の通りには数体の遺体が横たわり、一人のみすぼらしい風体の海賊が同時にデュプレの騎士三人を相手にやりあっていた。その群を抜いた戦いぶりは本来なら注目に値するものではあったが、この戦場でデュプレの目が追っていたのはたった一人の人物だった。別の二人の騎士は負傷し、鎧の下から血を滴らせながらよろめく足取りで後ずさりし、少し息を整えようとした……いや、ことによると退却を試みていたのかもしれない。残る最後の一人は、クロークをまとった女の背後めがけて紫のビンを投じた……が、くるりと振り返った女はムチをうならせてビンをからめとると、鋭い一振りで騎士に投げ返した。ビンの直撃を受けた男はよろめいた。暗い色の髪をした女は高笑いし、傍らの従者が何か言っていたが、デュプレ卿の耳にはそれらは全て真っ白なノイズとしてしか届かなかった。デュプレはスタッドレザーアーマーとクロークをまとった女に突進していった。

「覚悟しやがれ、この魔女め！」

デュプレは剣をもたげて走りこんだ。ミナックス(Minax)が放った魔法エネルギーを防ぐため、盾を突き出す。これまでにない大きな衝撃を受けながらも中に食い込み、ほとんどスピードを緩めることなく女の首めがけて剣を振るった。敏捷な魔女は飛びのくと、巧みに身を前後に踊らせてこの高名な騎士から繰り出される数々の攻撃をかわしつつ、彼の目の部分を狙って執拗にムチをふるってきた。そんな小さな標的に当てることは至難の業だとは分かっていても、反射的に目はまばたき、視線がそれてしまうので、女は十分距離を保つことに成功していた。まるで踊るような所作で女は後退したが、デュプレの猛攻は彼女に呪文の詠唱を許さなかった。デュプレの背後から叫び声がしたかと思うと、ミナックスは悪意に彩られた笑みを突然顔に浮かべ、唇をひらくと柔らかく嘲る声音で言った。「悪いけど、これでお前は終わり。デュプレ」

女がその言葉を言い始めるやいなや、デュプレは盾を構えて横に飛びのき、例の海賊からの襲撃に備えた。海賊は歯のかけた口で大きくニタニタと笑っている。この男がカットラスを左に薙ぎ払うと、細かい光の粒がうっすらとその軌跡を描いた。デュプレが本能的に盾の向きを変えた瞬間、傷だらけの盾の角部分をスッパリと叩き斬るカットラス。魔法で研ぎ澄まされた剣だ……恐ろしいほどまでに。ミナックスが彼に背を向ける様子を視界の片隅で捉え、その横柄なそぶりに注意を払いたかったのだが、激しい海賊の攻撃がそれを許さなかった。

デュプレ卿は次の一撃を受け流し、さらに続く一撃をブロックした。しかしその度に盾の一部は切り裂かれ、剣に鋭い傷が刻み込まれた。男はバーサーカーの如く猛攻撃し、デュプレを防戦一方に追いやろうとしていたが、とうとう足を踏みそこなった。一気に間合いを詰めるデュプレ。ブロードソードと盾がカットラスと激しくぶつかり合い、二人は互いを力で圧倒しようと激しい鍔迫り合いを演じた。

「へっ！あの名高きデュプレ卿ってのがオメーか。このシャンティ(Shanty)様が相手になってやらぁ。オメーの部下ども、結構いいウデしてたぜ……このシャンティ様のシャークバイトには勝てなかったがな。オメーも同じ道を歩むんだな！」

ラム酒と腐臭の臭いが混じる息を吐きちらして海賊は騎士の眼前で高笑いし、デュプレは一層力をこめて相手を押し戻し始めた。男の力は下がってきており、勝機を見いだせそうだった……武器を叩き落とせば革の軽装備を着けているヤツに勝ち目はない。だが、渾身の一撃を与えようとした瞬間、ピシリという音が空気を切り裂き、彼のプレートネックに巻きついたミナックスのムチに強い力で引っ張られた。ぐいぐいとムチを引き始めるミナックス。

「シャンティ、こんな男、朝飯前と言っていたのはお前よ……」 彼女の声はいらだちに満ちていたが、僅かに楽しんでいるような響きも含まれていた。

魔女の助太刀を得たシャンティは自分のとれる選択肢を考え、ヘルメットの下でぎりぎりと歯ぎしりをした……ろくな選択肢がなかったが、もし彼女が飽きてしまえば、いつであろうと彼女は魔法の力を加えてくることもあるだろう。最後に盾で突きのけ、デュプレはシャンティを乱暴に後方に押し飛ばして剣を振りかぶり、同時にシャンティは自分の剣を持ち上げて防御した……だがデュプレの一撃は、彼を狙ってはいなかった。デュプレの剣は一撃でムチを縦二つに切り裂き、盾はミナックスのもう一方の手から流れるエナジーボルトを防ぐために持ち上げられたが、凄まじいボルトに彼は一歩下がって踏みとどまった。視界の隅で動くものをとらえ、シャンティの方に向き直ろうとしたが、デュプレは既に手遅れであることを悟っていた。

彼の剣が海賊の剣とぶつかりあったとき、シャークバイトがデュプレの剣を貫き、剣の先端三分の一が折れた。きらめくカットラスはさらに突き進み、彼のアーマーをかすめてから継ぎ目部分を大きくはぎ取った……そしてデュプレの肩は……無防備になった。痛みと衝撃で片膝をついたところにシャンティが再び切りつけてきたが、デュプレは盾を上げてかろうじて防いだ。両手で盾を持ってぶつかり合っていると、シャークバイトが少しずつ盾に食い込み、デュプレの腕へ迫ってきた。そして耳に魔女の詠唱が聞こえてきた。もはやこれまでか……。

突然の爆発とともに魔女はののしり声をあげ、さらにもう一つ爆発が起こった。彼と海賊のすぐ隣に巨大なライトニングボルトが落ちてきたので、デュプレの視界は真っ白になり、そのために男の攻撃は一瞬弱まったが、それだけあれば立ち上がって片方に飛びのくのに十分だった。彼が立ち上がると、シャンティは突然駆け出し……まっすぐにミナックスの方に向かうと彼女をつかみ、ミナックスが呪文を唱えると、二人の姿はたちまち消えた。

ビンを魔女に投げつけた人物が駆け寄ってきたのでデュプレ卿が目をやると、それは最初に彼を呼びに来た従者だった……どうやら応援を呼びに戻っていたらしい。デュプレが自分の折れたブロードソードと完全にダメになった盾をちらりと見下ろすと、従者が話し始めた「お怪我なさったのですね！ヒーラーにお連れします！」

デュプレ卿はヘルメットの内側で微笑んだ。彼の部下の鎧に身を包んだ二人の騎士が、もっとずっと小さな傷を受けて撤退したのを彼は見ていたのだ。そしてこの防具もない従者は戻って来た上に、あの魔女に攻撃を仕掛けたのである。その時だった、従者が連れてきた人物を彼が見たのは。そしてヘルメットの下の笑みはたちまち消え失せた。高慢そうな雰囲気を漂わせて路上に立つ男は、ラマ毛織りのローブとクロークに身を包み、デュプレの態度がこわばったのを見てくすくすと笑っていた。

「これで名誉の貸し一つだな、ツヤツヤ君。それとも剣が半分になってた方が良かったかね？お主はこういう物の使い方は知っておると思ってたのだがな」アノン(Anon)の人を馬鹿にしたような口調にデュプレは腹を立て、訂正を求めて詰め寄りたい気分になったが、そうはせずに折れた剣を握る手に力をこめ、さやに収めた。

「アノン、ここで何をしている？お前にかまっている暇はないんだ……負傷した騎士たちを助けなくては。人の不幸を見て喜びたいなら、ライキュームで取り巻き達とやってくれ。お前がマンドレークをかじろうが踊りはねようがチヤホヤして…」二人のガードを従えた男が近づいてきたのでデュプレの言葉はここで途切れ、アノンのニンマリとした笑いはさらに大きくなった。

「おやおや、これは失礼をした、ツヤツヤ君。わしがどなたに随伴しているのかをつい言い忘れておったようだ。お主も知っておろう、この国の高位なる王にして輝かしき偉大なるロード・ブラックソン(Lord Blackthorn)、チェスの達人にして……」

「大評議員……そこまでで結構」王はやや固い声でいい、手を振ってアノンを下がらせた。「サー・デュプレ、話をしたい……あなたの手当が済んだ後で」

デュプレは首肯したが、アノンが王の傍にいるのは気に食わなかった。 「で、彼は？」

ブラックソン王は、くすくす笑う魔術師を睨むデュプレの視線を束の間追ってから言った。「私に同行してもらっている。この国のために必要なのだ。大評議員の……そしてあなたの能力と貢献が」

デュプレは一瞬この要請について検討し、それから息を吐いた。盾は見捨てることにした。前面の紋章はほぼ真っ二つになり、残骸でしかない。「それじゃケグ＆アンカーで会おう。一時間以内に行く」

「万年酔っ払いめ、よかろう！カワイイお嬢ちゃんも用意してやろうか？言い寄ったり愚痴ったりできるかもしれんぞ」従者と共にヒーラーに向かうデュプレの背中に、からかうようなアノンの言葉が投げかけられた。

「だったら、こっちはお返しにハンサムなモンバットを探してやるよ」大評議員のくすくす笑いが背後から聞こえてきたが、デュプレはそれを無視し、従者と共に歩み去った。