Staff of Shigmar: Chapter 14, Part 5

23 June 2026

Welcome to summer! Someone ‘flipped the switch’ and summer has come to the desert! We return this week with another installment from the second book of our epic fantasy, Staff of Shigmar, and we see Delgart’s further battle with another huge monster; we learn that this monster is more than he seems. . . . (1 June 2015) We remind all readers that this book, Staff of Shigmar, as also the first book, is free for download from Smashwords! Glossary links: Book 2, Book 1

Chapter 14, Part 5

Delgart leapt over the sword swing of the second megatri, then darted back between the legs of the first, who was still turning. As he passed, he sliced at the huge calves of the first, causing him to roar in pain and fury. He grasped his huge sword with both hands, reversing it to stab down. Delgart turned and, seeing what the megatri was about to do, paused long enough for the giant to aim and stab down in all his fury. Delgart rolled forward just in time, and the blade sank halfway to the handle in the ground. The newest seklesi came to his feet beneath the megatri, and whirling his swords, sliced up the underside of the giant’s exposed wrists and forearms, but Delgart, seeing that the second megatri was waiting for him to dart between the first’s legs, slid and backpedaled to avoid the stroke aimed at him by the second. The first, feeling the searing pain in his forearms, released his blade and staggered back, roaring in pain. The second, seeing his comrade moving into his swing, tried to pull it up short, but the point of his sword caught the hip of the first, and, although the first was protected by a coat of huge steel rings beneath the iron breastplate that fell past his hips, he staggered sideways, tripped, and crashed to the ground. The squads of the Eighth Company on that side scattered to avoid being crushed, but a few of the seklesem dropped their shields and, gripping their swords with both hands, darted forward to hack at the fallen megatri’s now exposed neck; his roar of pain became a gurgle as the huge head was cut from the body, which thrashed on the ground violently, knocking down many seklesem and showering them in the megatri’s fiery red blood. But the kailum were ready for this, and shouts of “kreyakwa,” echoed around the fallen megatri. Jets of water shot from many staves, washing off the blood before it could do more than burn through clothes and blister the skin.

Delgart, as the first megatri staggered and fell, could only leap and roll to his right. The second megatri, not expecting to meet any resistance to his sword stroke, fumbled and dropped his huge blade, staggering to his left. Several of the seklesem on this side of the battle, inspired by Delgart, darted forward swinging swords and slicing at the second megatri’s left leg and the leather straps holding the huge iron leg greave in place. The greave fell down, tangling in the megatri’s great feet, causing him also to fall. The squads on this side of the battle also scattered, darted back, hacked off the head, and were drenched in water, washing off the hot, fiery blood of the second megatri. A shout went up: “Del-gart!” begun by the eighth squad, taken up by the rest of the Eighth Company. But Delgart took no heed; he was running forward, swords whirling, toward the final megatri, largest of the three and the apparent leader of this part of Gar’s forces. The surviving members of the Eighth Company sprinted after Delgart, still chanting his name; Marilee ahead of them all.

The megatri, hearing the shouting behind him, turned to see who was approaching; he saw Delgart and Marilee running ahead of the others and he smiled. Tossing aside the body in his right hand, he held up his left so that all could see who he held. “Hold!” he roared. “I have your Fereghen, wethem!”

All of the Eighth Company halted, save for Delgart and Marilee, who continued to charge forward. The megatri smiled more widely at this, waving his right hand. First Delgart, and then Marilee, crashed into some invisible barrier and bounced backward onto the ground. Delgart got back to his feet, followed immediately by Marilee, and the two walked slowly forward, poking at the invisible barrier with their swords. The sounds of the battle died around them, all eyes turning toward the megatri, who held Fereghen Wothgart in his left hand.

After silence fell, the megatri held out his right hand toward Delgart and Marilee, who stood facing him. “Behold!” his voice boomed, echoing across the battlefield, “the chosen of the One!” The forefinger of the megatri’s right hand made a circling motion, and a whirlwind surrounded Delgart and Marilee, whipping off the bandages both had kept tightly wrapped around their faces, uncovering the ruined half of each’s face. The right hand made a lifting gesture, and both rose into the air, turning and twisting several times before their maimed cheeks were smashed together. Both let out a cry of pain as the two halves of the symbol came together and burned with an angry red light. They floated a dozen feet in the air, spinning slowly so that all still living across the battlefield could see the mark of Gar glowing between their two faces.

“Behold your saviors,” the megatri spat, “marked with the sign of Gar! None can escape the Great Lord’s touch. He will crush all under his feet! Surrender! And I will be merciful,” he finished, grinning evilly.

A hissing whisper filled the silence following the megatri’s demand, traveling quickly across the battlefield and then returning to the Eighth Company of the Third Legion, nearest to the megatri. The captain of the Eighth Company rode forward a little, arm bound in a sling.

“We will not surrender,” she threw back defiantly. “It is you who are beaten. Release them, and we will spare you.”

The megatri roared with laughter, crushing Wothgart in his left hand and flinging his broken body aside; the Fereghen’s crown fell to the ground in front of the megatri, who crushed it under one of his giant feet. But instead of demoralizing the seklesem around him, his action sparked a flame of fury that rose within the seklesem still living. The First Legion surged forward, cutting down the purem between them and the Fourth Legion; the Second also pushed forward, crushing the purem into the elements of the Third, grinding them into the ground. The rest of the Third, minus the Eighth Company, and the Fourth Legion, both drove forward, cutting down the remaining wedaterem. This left the Eighth Company of the Third Legion to deal with the megatri. The thirty or so maghem and kailum of the squads of the Eighth Company, took the fall of Wothgart and their potikoro, Korowold, personally, and bolts of white lightning and green fire shot at the megatri from all directions, ripping open his armor. Arrows from all the archers followed, sticking the megatri like a pin-cushion. The maghem sent arrows of stone and ice that ripped through the megatri, who fell in pieces scattered across the ground. What caused them the most surprise was that Delgart and Marilee continued to float in the air after the megatri died. A shadow rose from the broken body of the megatri, coalescing into a black-cloaked, hooded figure. The figure laughed a high pitched laugh, sounding like bones clinking together.

“You think you have won,” the figure hissed, “but this is only the first battle, and the Great Lord’s forces are endless. You have defeated only the vanguard of our army. The rest are waiting for you in the pass. You will not come to Shigmar before it is destroyed!” The figure laughed again and changed into a bolt of red fire, flying into the air toward the north. They heard multiple shouts from the pass, and the nekerpum held in reserve ground forward.

Come back again on Thursday as we start a new chapter, returning to the fortunes of our heroes in the tomb of Shigmar, where we will discover Tevvy’s problem. Until then, get a full ebook copy from Smashwords for free! If you prefer print, purchase your copy from the link provided. Good reading!