Mark of Baen

Baen narrowed his eyes at Lancelot as the knight flourished his lake sword one final time, then he charged.  Baen charged the knight and started to swing, but he could only stare on in amazement as his blows fell short.  For each swing he delivered, Lancelot would follow through with a smooth counter or parry, his face as stoic as it has always been.  The way Lancelot was fighting, each move precise and fluid, it was like he himself was the lake.  The Lake Sword itself followed true to Lancelot’s boast, it was as hard and sharp as any weapon Baen had encountered.  The barbarian hissed as the blade slashed across his exposed leg, reeling back, he glared at his opponent.

Lancelot twirled his sword, the tip scraping the stone, “Is that all?  How disappointing, did you not say you would defeat me?”

Baen growled as Shining yelled at him, “Don’t let him get under your skin Baen, focus!”

Baen glanced at the group and nodded, his vision sharpened as his Wrath flared to life.  Giving a mighty kick off from the ground, he blasted toward the knight and swung.  The sheer kinetic force barreled toward the Lake Sword as it made contact.  Lancelot grunted and skidded along the stone bridge toward the rightmost edge.  Lancelot glanced at Baen in shock as the barbarian planted his ax in the ground.  While still holding onto the handle with his mouth, he heaved his body and did a quick spin, his hind legs hitting Lancelot in his jaw.  The pony yelped as the Lake Sword broke into water drops and he was sent flying into the dark depths.

Baen landed and smirked, “And that my friends, is how you beat a knight.”

The others were about to approach, when from thin air, a purple energy window appeared and Twilight’s face flickered into being on its surface.  Baen’s eyes widened as he quickly turned so she could only see a cave wall, the window staying in front of him the whole time.

Twilight blinked for a few moments as her features became more defined and in focus, “Ah, that’s better.  Hello Baen.”

The barbarian started to lightly sweat, “Um….Hi Twilight.  What’s up?”

Twilight looked at him for a moment and narrowed her eyes, “I was curious where you are right now, I mean, you just got back and you up and left without saying a word,” her gaze went from him to around the area, “Baen, where exactly are you?”

Baen groaned and yelled out, “BUCK ME SIDEWAYS!”

Twilight blinked, taken slightly aback by the statement, “Excuse me?”

Baen smacked the window from existence, “Call you back.”

In front of Baen, rising up from the lake, was Lancelot atop a platform of water.  He cracked his neck before touching down on the bridge.

“I must commend you barbarian,” Lancelot stated neutrally, “Not many barbarians I have met could land a blow like you did.  You are….interesting,” Lancelot conjured another Lake Sword, “Perhaps you might be the one….”

Baen tilted his head as Lancelot started to slowly advance toward him, another magic window opened in front of Baen causing the barbarian to jump slightly.

“Baen, don’t hang up on me like that,” Twilight chided, “I want an answer, where are you?”

Baen dodged a swing from Lancelot, “I’m a little busy right now Twilight!”

Twilight stared evenly at him, “I’m sure you can take a bit of your time to answer a simple question.”

Baen groaned in annoyance, but then it turned to a half yell of pain as the Lake Sword buried itself underneath his shoulder pad.

Twilight’s expression became one of worry immediately, “Baen?  What happened?!”

Baen smacked the window from existence again and took a powerful swing at the knight, “You’re starting to piss me off!”

Lancelot smirked as he front flipped over powerful swing that was aimed at his body.  Landing behind Baen, Lancelot slashed him across the back.  The barbarian scrambled forward as sparks flew, Twilight’s window coming back into existence with the princess having a miffed look on her face.

“Baen, I’m giving you one last chance before I teleport to you,” she clearly stomped her hoof in agitation, “Now tell me, where are you!”

Baen sighed and kicked Lancelot onto the floor, “I’m on a cave tour alright?”

Twilight blinked for a second, “A cave tour?”

“Yeah,” he dodged a jab from Lancelot, “I thought I’d…do something unexpected.”

Twilight blinked in confusion, “Um…well it’s unexpected I can tell you that.  But Baen, I’m also calling because I think we might have a crisis,” Baen dodged a slash to his head, “Spike was supposedly petrified by somepony and Cheerilee as well as Vinyl are missing.  It has to be connected.”

Baen nodded frantically as he was stabbed in his other shoulder a bit of his blood getting on his face, “Seems like it.”

Twilight gasped but Baen raised his hooves, “I spilled my drink, Twilight listen, just be safe okay?  I have to go.”

Twilight leaned forward, “Oh no, you don’t,” her horn started to glow, “I’m coming to where you are right now the second I…..” the window fizzled and popped.

Shining’s horn died down as he smiled a little at Baen, “I cut her transmission, but I doubt that will keep her away for long.  You’d better wrap this up.”

Baen nodded and raised his ax to fight, but the moment he did, the Lake Sword buried itself in his barrel.  Baen cried out, but glared at Lancelot as he fired up his second Wrath.  He pushed forward, ignoring the pain burning in his midsection and smashed his ax into Lancelot’s midsection.  The knight let out a grunt as he rolled to stop at the foot of the rock housing Arondight.  Sitting up, Lancelot shook the stars from his vision and summoned a mass of Lake Swords, the weapons then fired directly at Baen.  The barbarian quickly swiped and batted as many of the swords as he could.  Many of them buried themselves in Baen.  Some hit his back; others entered his legs and a few in his chest.  Baen yelled in fury as he continued to deflect them as best he could, but halted as his breath and the others caught in his throat.  Lancelot had closed the distance, his sword leveled at Baen’s throat.

Baen coughed some blood up as he glared in defiance at Lancelot, “Go ahead then….finish me.”

Lancelot shook his head, “No,” the swords disintegrated, “Though I would strike my foes down in a breath, you….you possess something I myself possess.”

Baen blinked as he fell forward onto the ground, looking up at Lancelot, “You have honor, the spirit of a warrior.  There is also the fact,” Lancelot smiled, “That you are the only challenger who has given me this good of a fight in many years.”

Baen looked up at him as blood dripped from his wounds, “Well…I can take some pride in that….but not for long….”

Lancelot shook his head, “Be at ease, the wounds are deep enough to draw blood, but I had no intention of killing you by bleeding you like a manticore’s dinner.”

Baen became confused as Lancelot stood before Arondight, the sword in question levitating from its resting place and impaling itself in front of Baen.

“My sword speaks, in a way only few can hear,” Lancelot stood beside Arondight, “When you issued the challenge.  It told me that you were worthy to wield it anew in this conflict you speak of.  But I thought its claim untrue and wished to prove your worth, and you have indeed surprised me.”

Baen looked at the knight, “Now, take up my blade once more, and fight the one who seeks your kingdoms destruction.  Seek out the others, but be warned.  I, as well as the others, have sensed the one who covets our blades.  Baen, seek out the final places of my brethren.”

Baen shakily stood as Gilda and Shining supported him, “But, how do we find them?  The book we have only told us where yours rested.”

Lancelot shook his head, “Arondight will guide you,” his form slowly started to fade, “now my time is done, be well.”

Lancelot vanished with one last smile.  When he fully vanished, the stone Arondight rested in vanished with him.  But when it did, like a curtain lifting, they saw an exit.  The bridge stretched to the exit, the light greeting them.  The party smiled as Baen strapped Arondight and his ax to his back and the group made their way to the light.

*

Twilight grit her teeth as she vanished in a flash of light, and appeared a couple of feet from where she was originally.

“AUGH!  Why can’t I teleport to him!”

Rarity gently gave her a pat on her back, “It’s alright, even though that was…,” she thought for a moment, “Your fifth try.  Maybe it’s for the best.”

Twilight splayed her ears and sighed, “Maybe…., I just can’t shake this feeling that Baen might be at the center of something big.”

Rainbow Dash pursed her lips, “Well whatever he’s up to, at least we get some time off.”

“Well ah for one am just a little curious,” the girls glanced at her, “Who exactly was the mare that froze Spike?  And who is she?”

“Ah, well since you asked.”

The girls whipped around and sitting in Twilight’s throne, was a smirking Vida.

“Might I request an audience,” she spoke her next words with icy venom, “Your highness.”