Verkan handed her his knife, just in case, which she promptly stored in her boots. Nina could only weep silently as her mentor gently caressed her face and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. There was nothing more to say. With his mind made, he kicked the barn’s gates open, walking outside and towards the central square at a slow pace. He took a pair of swords from the raiders he had previously killed, one in each hand. He took a brief time to examine each sword, judging the craftsmanship of each one adequate for the job.

  He looked over his shoulders one last time just to make sure Nina could sneak out of town undisturbed. Verkan then walked into plain view of at least a dozen raiders that were still searching the huts for survivors.

-“Are you looking for me?!” he yelled loudly, immediately drawing the Northmen's attention around the square.

-“Where is the girl old man?!” one of the raiders demanded.

-“You will have to excuse me, young warrior, I'm already quite old and I get tired much faster than before so I'm afraid I will have to kill you quickly” Verkan boasted in defiance.

-“Bold talk for an old man!” the north man replied, promptly sending a pair of raiders at him with only a motion of his hand.

  Nina took the opportunity after Verkan got their attention, making a run for it as fast as she could. She quickly made it outside the village and through the tall grass that surrounded the buildings to avoid being spotted. She raced to the edge of the forest just a few hundred yards away and quickly made her way through the woods. Since the raiders were roaming free, looking through all places and setting the buildings ablaze with impunity, Verkan assumed that the remaining villagers were already dead.

  Verkan waited patiently as the two raiders closed in rather slowly. Apparently, they didn’t notice how he massacred the other four from earlier, so he still had the element of surprise. He would have to show these barbarians again what a true clan warrior was capable of.

  The nearest raider raised his sword for a diagonal attack, which Verkan fully expected, dodging it easily. He countered with a swift strike of his own, taking the raider completely by surprise, and cutting his hand off. The raider yelled loudly after the sudden loss of a limb, but Verkan quickly finished him, slashing his throat. The second raider attacked with a powerful blow aimed directly at his head, but Verkan deflected the attack almost effortlessly with one sword, running him through his unprotected torso with the other.

  Silence suddenly took over, and the Northmen could not believe their eyes. They just witnessed an aging priest of slim figure killing two grown, vital north warriors with frightening ease. The silence vanished immediately, however, when the crowd exploded in violent outrage at the priest’s defiance.

-“What are you waiting for?! Kill him!” their leader commanded.

  Unlike the Clans, the Northmen didn’t follow a strict code of honor and conduct. Verkan knew that well. He had faced them countless times before in his past life as a warrior. He even earned a legendary reputation for fighting them! The Northmen attacked his clan lands regularly, eager to prove themselves against the highly disciplined Clan warriors. And even though they were certainly no match for them individually, underestimating them was foolish. Formidable opponents in their own right, they proved incredibly resilient, fierce, and fearless, almost to the point of recklessness.

  At least half a dozen raiders charged at Verkan all at once, each one craving a piece of him, and eager to prove their worth as warriors. What they didn’t imagine, however, was that the old priest used to be a warrior as well. What ensued next completely shocked everyone. Verkan charged headlong to meet them, taking them with their guard down, and stopping them completely in their tracks. Verkan cut through the handful of them with the grace and precision of a master artisan, slashing between the gaps of the few that wore chain mail. They don’t say in vain that warriors are just another kind of craft.

  He was a warrior after all and death was his business.

  Upon watching their brethren fall at the priest’s hands, the raiders charged at him with increased tenacity. They engulfed Verkan, but he took advantage of their hesitation to enter inside his reach to catch his breath, extending his arms with the swords pointing in opposite directions, daring them to strike with a defiant smile on his face. He swiftly cut down the few who tried to strike at the slightest opportunity with terrifying speed and precision. Their attacks were wild yet predictable, while he refrained from striking until he saw the perfect opening. Verkan had more than enough experience, and could easily expect their attacks as if reading his favorite book. For the unfortunate raiders facing him, however, his strikes came out of nowhere.

-“I had almost forgotten what fine sport you barbarians could provide!”

  But fatigue was taking its toll on poor Verkan, he was far past his prime, and wouldn’t be able to keep the pace for much longer. He took advantage of every second of hesitation his foes were giving him to catch his breath and relax his muscles. By this point, the Northmen already lost a dozen men at his hands and the rest were extremely reluctant to step into his reach, as the old priest would strike at the slightest opportunity with deadly accuracy and baffling speed for his age. Verkan was fully aware of this and didn’t waste a second mocking and intimidating his opponents with sudden steps forward, making them fall back a few steps to stay out of his reach.

-“I'm seriously disappointed! I thought you would have killed me by now!”

  Verkan already made peace with the Great Father, creator of all. It has been a long and fruitful life. If only he could crown it by giving his dearest apprentice as much time as he could as his last good deed before leaving, it would be worth it. He only hoped that Nina could make it, but for now, he would focus his attention on giving his ancestors the best spectacle possible. It would be disrespectful not to, he thought. They were watching him, after all.

  But after what seemed like many agonizingly long seconds, nothing happened. The remaining Northmen gathered around Verkan after setting every building on fire and thoroughly searching for Nina, to no avail. The intense fire could be seen from miles away in the night and would certainly have called the attention of the recently appointed Lord and a band of very pissed Clan warriors if a very well-planned diversion hadn’t drawn them elsewhere.

-“That's enough!” a loud, deep, commanding voice interrupted the Northmen's bickering, silencing everyone present.

  A strange-looking man then walked into the field of view. He was wearing a long, dark leather coat, long gloves, and boots of the same material. A pair of leather bandoliers crossed his chest over a fancy-looking vest, each one holding pockets and other small storage compartments. A red linen mask covered the lower half of his face, and the strangest of hats covered his head, crowned with a long white feather.

  Despite having his face covered, Verkan immediately recognized him as an Imperial. The Northmen that were thirsting for his blood just moments ago unceremoniously retreated to the sidelines, clearing the square completely. What could scare the seemingly fearless Northmen like that?! But what struck him the most was the individual standing in front of him. He had seen his kind before but couldn’t recall where. That was exactly when the realization hit him, his eyes widening in utter shock. The man standing in front wasn’t just a sharply dressed individual.

  The man in front of him was a wizard.

-“The God of Death has sent a wizard to claim my soul?… I'm flattered”

-“You fight well old priest! Tell me where the girl is and I might let you live” the unknown man demanded.

-“I know your kind wizard! Even if I knew I would never tell you!”

-“Are you so eager to die?” the wizard asked in a threatening tone.

-“I’ll rather die and face my fate with honor than side with the likes of you!” Verkan replied loudly.

-“As you wish”

  Verkan couldn’t help but shed a single tear. What seemed like a distant possibility suddenly became a reality. How many times had he dreamed of this day? Longing for an honorable death as a warrior, but knowing his duties as a priest would never allow him to. But now the Gods blessed him, sending the most powerful adversary he has ever faced. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, knowing this would be his last fight. He made a brief prayer for himself and for the poor girl that was now all alone in the forest. A wizard was after her, yet he didn’t know why. Was he a mercenary? A high-ranking citizen of the Empire? It didn’t really matter. He wished his dearest friend the best of luck and commended his soul to the Gods.

  Verkan cried out his mightiest battle cry, throwing one sword straight at the wizard with outstanding accuracy. The mage, however, was already expecting an attack of the sort. He moved his head out of the way, dodging the sword with only inches to spare. Verkan then took the remaining sword with both hands and charged at him with all his might. The wizard calmly kept his composure, raising an arm at him.

  Meanwhile, in the forest, several miles away, Nina could hear a deafening thunder coming from the direction the village was. She stopped immediately, turning to see what it could be, but couldn’t see anything in the dark and through the thick forest. She knew something had just happened and could only think about Verkan and the battle that was taking place back in the village.

  The mage calmly walked towards where the old priest was laying. A powerful blow hit him in the chest, knocking him down, and charring a small spot on his leather tunic. He felt an acute pain over the wound, suddenly finding breathing difficult. The mage’s blast went through him like a hot knife through butter.

-“Any last words?” the mage asked.

  He could feel the blood pouring onto the floor and taste it in his mouth, flooding his lungs. He was choking on his own blood. Realizing these were his last moments, Verkan looked the wizard squarely in the eyes and said,

-“My ancestors... are smiling at me... Imperial” but the urge to cough suddenly interrupted him when a violent gush of blood came from his throat that he had to spit out. Verkan raised his head in defiance just slightly, one last time, and asked the mage with his last strengths.

-“Can you... say the same?!”

  Nina heard again the same powerful thunder coming from the village and had to stop running. She sat against the nearest tree and buried her face in her hands, crying inconsolably. She could feel deep in her heart that her mentor, best and only friend, Verkan, was no longer among the living.

  She was now all by herself.