The Man That is No Longer

Of Armor and Bone: Chapter 25

“That thing inside the armor is not longer Mandabus.” Chin remarked. He sucked nervously on his pipe, exhaling more purple smoke than usual.

“Kensley, Scarborough, and I came to a similar conclusion as we left him behind.” Bently pouted. He sat on the bed in his room, staring at the vaguely finger-shaped dents on the metal plating of his helmet. “Of course, there was no way to confirm it, nor did we want to return with an explanation sounding so harebrained.”

“You have good intuition.” Chin praised halfheartedly. “With dark magic… any expectations you might have are quickly defied. What exactly those forces had done to Mandabus… that armor… we may never know.”

“You know we can’t leave him in this city.  The order will wish to have him… put down, destroyed.”

“As I just said, that thing is no longer your captain.” Chin placed his hands on Bently’s shoulders and looked into his eyes. “I doubt there is little sense left within that shell of armor.”

Bently plopped the helmet down on his bed and stood. “You can’t just say that. You heard him, he is after that mage here from Tulefore… Zethurus was his name.”

Chin paused midway through inhaling the smoke from his pipe. “That is the only thing driving it… him. He’s not guided by a sense of duty or honor any more.”

“I don’t know Mandabus as well as Kensley did, but I find it hard to believe he would be so easily tempted by revenge.”

“You are not listening to me. You don’t feel what I feel, the dark energy within him.” Chin paced around the room. He pushed the door open a crack and peered out into the empty central hall. “He is running on primal instincts. Like a beast. You understand the feeling, right? When you put on the armor?”

Bently glanced at the shiny metal of the sword posed in the corner of the room. “When we assaulted the Tuleforian settlement early that morning… yes. I felt it. The blood-lust. But I always know my underlying duty.”

“Normal men are influenced strangely when they are exposed to those powers of magical origin.  Eventually, people find a limit to which they find hard to endure.” Chin said.

“That Arcanus managed to halt the movements of the armor through such means.” Bently remarked. “Same as you did to me during the squabble with Shiloh.”

“In combat, that enchanted armor is an extension of your body, more so than a normal set. The enchantments enhance your natural abilities, but also protect you- both from outside forces, and from yourself. Most undue strain to your body is mitigated- your feet impacting on the ground from your weight, your joints and muscles hyper-extending- the enchantments protect you from all that.” Chin continued to explain, his eyes squinting in focus. “When the strength of such protection is increased, the armor halts your movements all together.”

“I see.” Bently remarked, peering at the knuckle joints on the gauntlets.

Chin turned his pipe over and tapped away at the bell, dumping bits of ash on the ground. With slow steps, he moved to the bed and picked Bently’s helmet off the blanket.

“I taught Charlstine the technique. We were fortunate it will worked on Mandabus. Who knows how that dark magic may have corrupted the enchantments, as well as the man inside. He’s been under the influence of that armor for weeks now.”

Bently quickly yanked the helmet back from Chin and placed it under his arm. “At least grant Mandabus the opportunity for us to attempt to save him from himself.”

“There’s no way I can guarantee that.” Chin shook his head slowly. “I must consult with the Arcanus… and that man who struck him down.”

The Dark Armor

Of Armor and Bone: Chapter 24

Sleep had overcome Bently as soon as his head touched the pillow. The bed was simple, but to the exhausted soldier, the warmth and softness was something he thought he had almost forgotten.

Somewhere in his dreams, a shrill call like that of a bird had begun to echo back and forth, sometimes near, sometimes far. “To attention, Mr. Bently.” Someone yanked him by his shoulder, pulling him to a half-conscious state.

“What’s the issue?” He sat up groggily. The darkness of the night was still upon the exterior windows, and the bird call continued. Chin stared down at him as he played with his long sleeves and messy dark hair.

“Up, up, I said. Something strange is afoot.”

“What’s that awful whining sound?” Bently muttered as he found his footing on the hard floor.

“It exists as a warning signal between the guard.” The mage announced. Bently perked up. “I suggest you put on that suit of armor.” Chin said one last warning before pushing his way out the door.

Bently quickly assembled the parts of the armor that had been buried in his collection of things pushed into the corner of the cramped room. Putting on the suit armor had become such a practiced action for him, even in the dim light the pieces came to rest upon his body almost effortlessly. It was lighter than regular armor too. First the boots, leggings and tassets that guarded his legs, then the both sides of the chest-plate that went over his head and buckled simply with two straps at his right shoulder. The helmet slid on last even with the clumsy gauntlets on his hands. With in a minute, he had his sword in hand, still bound, as he exited the room.

The morning light had begun to creep between the leaves and branches of the tall trees. Chin stood outside the hall, his breath exiting his lungs in big clouds, much like when he would nurse his pipe. The mage held his eyes tightly shut as he honed his senses towards the exterior world.

Bently marched up next to him, his armor making low clinking sounds. One more of the shrill bird-like calls echoed out and died within the walls of the city. Bently played with the bands of armor around his arms, adjusting them to fit more comfortably. Chin quickly placed his hand upon the metal plate, grasping it in between his thumb and fingers. “I sense something.” He muttered. “Another energy like that of your own.”

Bently swallowed hard. He scanned the dark streets intently as his eyes adjusted to the low light. “Scar, maybe Kensley could be here?”

The mage dropped his hand to his side and shook his head. “Edrian was planning for them to move soon. There’s no way either of them would be all the way out here.”

“Then-” Bently uttered, before being interrupted.

“The warning calls have stopped.”

Bently made sure the sword was still secure in the binding in his hand before he took off in a jog down the road.Continue reading “The Dark Armor”

Tuleforian Walls

Of Armor and Bone: Chapter 23

Kensley guided the horse slowly over the soft ground of the ridge. Several feet below, the rhythmic pounding of the formation marched them forward. The mountain pass was sparse, just above the tree line. The ground was soft with soggy earth and covered in a thin layer of freshly budding grass, as if no fighting had ever taken place. Bits of frost and snow still lingered in the shadows of large boulders dotting the rocky slopes.

In the distance, Kensley could see the thick forests of the Tuleforian province start to catch the morning sunlight as it began to creep over the peak of the mountain range. Boughlin prodded at the sides of his horse’s flank with his heels, causing it to slow and allow Kensley to catch up.

“I pray you aren’t too hot in that suit of armor.” Boughlin nodded at Kensley as he moved to the side. Out of the limited peripheral vision, Kensley could see the morning light reflecting off the plates of armor hanging off his body.

“The enchantments provide my body shelter from many conditions.” Kensley remarked.

“I could have never worn such a thing.” Boughlin boasted. “I want to feel the sweat and dirt on my body as I find myself in combat. I want to feel the spray of a man’s blood as I chop into their fleshy parts.”Continue reading “Tuleforian Walls”