Bone and Blade

Author's note: I want to turn this into a short film. Just saying.
*****

The clash of steel echoed through the Valley of Souls. In the blazing afternoon sunlight a battle of two champions was being waged. A battle that would settle a feud between two ancient, royal houses. A feud so old that no one even remembered what it was about. And yet, still they battled.

Sir Alrec hammered another blow into the shield of his nemesis, Sir Kale. It jolted his arm but splintered the tower shield. His arm, numbed by the impact, gave his foe time to recover from the staggering strike.

Kale cast aside the pieces of his now useless shield. He gripped his bastard sword firmly with both hands. Swinging with all of the might he could summon he swept his blade horizontally  toward his enemy's sword arm.

The blade tore through Sir Alrec's armor. It bit into his arm, slicing flesh and tendons. It smashed into the bone and...stopped.

Alrec threw down his sword and screamed in agony as Kale yanked on the stuck blade. The blade would not move.

"In the name of all holy things, man," yelled Alrec. "Pull the cursed thing out!"

Kale pulled again, but to no effect. "I'm trying," he shouted.

He braced his foot onto Alrec's leg, gripped the sword with both hands and pulled. His teeth clenched, muscles strained. Finally he went flying and crashed to the ground.

"Ah ha! I..." Sir Kale looked at the empty gauntlets, then looked to Sir Alrec. He stood there still, the sword lodged firmly in his arm.

Alrec flipped up his visor with his good hand. He stood, hands on hips, the sword following his movements like it was part of him. He looked quite angry.

"Get this blade out of my arm, Kale," he growled.

Kale shrugged his shoulders. "I'm trying," he whined. "This has never happened before."

"Well it would take an idiot like you to manage it," said Alrec. He swung the arm up and down. "I mean, just look at this! I'd rather lose the whole arm than have your stupid blade lodged in it! I mean honestly, who taught you how to fight?"

"It was Sir..."

"Sir Swings Like a Sissy," Alrec interrupted.

Kale fumed. "Don't talk about my teacher like that. Sir Tristan was a great man."

"Ha," spat Alrec. "Great at teaching you how to be an awful knight. If I'd have known you were so inept I would never have agreed to this duel. I can't afford to walk around with a sword stuck in my arm! What will the ladies say?"

"I'm sorry." Kale held up his hands in a gesture of calm. He stepped back toward Alrec. "Here, let me try again," he said, reaching for the sword.

"Curse it, man," said Alrec. "Your gauntlets and chain gloves."

"What of them," asked Kale, looking them over.

Alrec rolled his eyes. "Take them off, you dolt. So you can get a proper grip!"

"Oh," said Kale sheepishly. With hanging head, he slowly pulled off the gauntlets and gloves. He felt like a scolded child.

He braced his foot onto Alrec's thigh once again. Alrec firmed his footing. "Pull, you pansy!"

Pushing with his leg, Kale once again tried to extract the sword. He groaned with the exertion. Sweat beaded upon his brow. Still, the sword would not move.

"You're pathetic," spat Alrec. "You're a weakling."

Kale stayed silent but stepped forward and placed his other foot onto the man's thigh. With both legs and arms he strained to pull out the sword.

"This is ridiculous," Alrec scolded. "It should have cut through the bloody bone by now."

Kale hopped off of his foe's leg, panting. "I'm...sorry," he said, resting his hands on his shaking thighs. "It may...have been a bit...dull."

"DULL!" Alrec was positively roaring now. "What kind of knight goes into a duel with a dull sword? You are the most useless, incompetent fool of a knight I have ever met. It's a wonder your house is still in existence!"

Alrec shoved Sir Kale with the bloody sword arm. He stumbled and fell. Standing over is prostrate form, Alrec continued to hurl insults.

"You're lower than a worm. You manure sucking slime!"

Kale slowly got to his feet. He'd had enough of this. Striding forward he reached out to Alrec, who continued his tirade.

"A dull blade, he says! No self respecting knight goes into battle with a dull..."

His words were cut off by the hand wrapped tightly around his jaw. He looked on, bewildered, into Sir Kale's blank face.

"I'm sorry about the sword," said Kale, calmly. "But you'll be pleased to know that I keep my dagger quite sharp."

With that he plunged the blade, up to the hilt, in Sir Alrec's forehead. The knight's eyes crossed as he looked up at the blade. He tried to say something, then toppled backwards to the ground. The fall sent the sword flopping out of Alrec's arm.

"Ah," said Kale. He picked up the sword and placed it in its scabbard. "I must have loosened it up."

He then reached down and took hold of the dagger. It didn't budge.

Sir Kale groaned. "Oh, hells."