Brothers in Arms
Like a speeding bullet, Parrlar ran through the tomb. The two Guardians of the Tomb raised their skeletal heads in response. Tullco rushed in, flame burst from his hand. Both of the Guardians of the Tomb were defeated in a fiery blast. Parrlar stopped and looked over to Tullco.
“Took you long enough to get here. What do we do now, brother?” Parrlar mockingly said to his twin.
“I prefer not to run in like the buffoon you are. We must hurry,” Tullco said. “The ritual could be finishing anytime now. We have to stop it before or in mid-ritual.”
Parrlar stared at his brother. “Or that creature gets out?”
Tullco nodded. “Aye, that’s what they want to happen.”

Parrlar and Tullco ran into the tunneled under-passages of the tomb. From another passage, two soldiers marched toward them. The two parties froze and for an instant stared at each other. Then, the battle started. Parrlar unsheathed his short swords and engaged one of the soldiers. Tullco took out a silver edged broadsword and slowly advanced.
Parrlar slashed his blades in quick unison at the soldier. The soldier managed to block the blows with his sword and slashed at Parrlar. He parried the soldier’s blow and then stabbed the soldier through his chainmail shirt.
The other guard charged Tullco. Tullco blocked the attacking charge, staggering back from the soldier’s momentum. He grabbed the soldier and pushed him away. Tullco leaned back and raised his broadsword over his head. The soldier quickly jabbed forward as Tullco pushed him back. Tullco easily brought down his broadsword in time to cancel the attack. The soldier prepared for another attack. Tullco raised his blade and slashed down. The soldier stared at the descending blade.
“That was easy work, brother,” commented Parrlar.
“Don’t get cocky. This isn’t bandit hunting,” retorted Tullco. The brothers glared at each other and wiped their weapons clean of blood.

Parrlar traveled ahead of his brother this time. He was trained for quick stealthy attacks rather than Tullco’s sword and magic combat system. Parrlar peered into a room with many unaware guards in it. Parrlar quickly sheathed his short swords. From a pouch he drew out a series of bladestars. Sliding one from its fellows, Parrlar took aim. Tullco walked right into the room and cursed loudly at the sight of the guards. Two of them turned, warning the others as they saw the intruders.
“Take this you sons of dogs!” Parrlar screamed. With a flick of his wrist, the bladestar spiraled into the crowd. Parrlar’s bladestar had magical properties, as the guards were about to find out. The bladestar landed and a shockwave rippled through the group. Most of the guards died in the explosion, but several managed to escape the attack.
Tullco advanced forward, using his fighting skills to kill the rest of the guards.
“Explain yourself!” howled Parrlar as he came to his brother.
“There is no need,” suggested Tullco.
“No need! Damn, I would have had them all if you hadn’t come then! You can’t just rush into every room in this damned tomb! And you called me a buffoon. We need to work together! You need to cooperate with me brother!”
“Cooperate,” growled Tullco, anger etched on his features. “Since when were you about ‘cooperating’ with me? And quit calling me brother all the time! I have a name. I may have been away for a decade, but we’re still brothers. Yes, we need to work together, but it’s YOU who needs to cooperate with me.”
Parrlar shook his head. “We can settle this later. We have to stop that ritual. This county will be doomed if we fail. Our squabbles must wait until this is over…or until we are in the afterlife.” Tullco nodded and ran to the next door.

The next door was a wall of solid rock. A symbol like a rising wave was marked into the rock.
“We can’t go through,” sighed Parrlar, turning to go back the way they had come. Tullco stared at the wall of rock.
“Parrlar wait! The rock contains high amounts of magic. It’s a hidden door. If I can find the correct password, we can get through.”
Parrlar turned and came back. “That symbol must be a clue. Looks like a wave or something like that.”
“Indeed Parrlar. There’s another meaning, let me think,” said Tullco. Parrlar stared at his brother and waited for the password to come to Tullco’s mind. Finally, Tullco spoke.
“The Hidden rise to glory.” The rock wall flared with light and vanished into thin air.

Parrlar and Tullco ran through, weapons out. They were in an empty hallway. The sound of chanting echoed in the hallway.
“They started the ritual already!” hissed Tullco.
“Then we’ll just have to stop them in mid-ritual.”

Tullco and Parrlar came into an opening. They cautiously entered and found themselves overlooking the ritual chamber. A massive circle of cultists were chanting, surrounded by a score of guards.
“We can’t take this many!” hissed Parrlar.
“Faith Parrlar. Time to use those fancy bladestars of yours. After they’re gone, guard the stairs as I use my magic,” commanded Tullco.
Parrlar nodded in response. “Take care brother.”
“You too.”

Parrlar looked down and started to aim his bladestars.
“FOR LORD ARGAL!” he bellowed. The guards looked up to where the brothers in arms stood. Parrlar started to throw his bladestars. Two sailed into the chanting cultists, sending several of them flying. However, it didn’t stop the ritual. Parrlar looked and saw the guards coming close to the staircase entrance. He threw a bladestar at the guards, taking several to their deaths. Five bladestars left. He threw the remainder at the cultists. Even with Parrlar taking half of the cultists, they continued on with their ritual.

Tullco started to rain down his magic just as the guards came to the stairs. Parrlar unsheathed his short swords and taunted the guards. They grinned, liking their chances better. Parrlar came crashing down, spinning his blades like a whirlwind. The attack and the advantage of higher ground helped Parrlar claim the guards’ lives. Parrlar kicked another guard down and slashed his throat. A guard slashed Parrlar’s side. He screamed out loud and stabbed the unfortunate guard in the chest.

Tullco focused his magic into a ball of shimmering energy. Attack the cultists, Tullco commanded the magic. The ball of magic left his hands and smashed into several of the cultists. A magical shield revealed itself to Tullco. He cursed and knew that they had to go to the cultists directly if they were going to stop the ritual.
“Parrlar, the cultists are shielded from my magic! We need to kill them the old fashioned way!” Tullco yelled at his brother as Parrlar fought the guards.
“You go, I’ll take these guards,” hollered back Parrlar as he cut down another charging guard.
“Get to me as fast as you can!” Tullco yelled.

Tullco jumped from the stairs. As he hit the ground, he rolled into a ball to protect himself. He came up again and unsheathed his broadsword. Tullco continued and entered the cultist circle. The chanting cultists were oblivious to the mage-warrior. Tullco started cutting down the cultists.
Suddenly, he felt cold and something enter his heart. He tried to cry out but could not. Tullco’s broadsword fell from his hands. His body fell to the ground. Tullco was dead.

Parrlar finished the last of the guards and leapt over their corpses. He turned and found the cultists still chanting. They stopped and started to cheer. They had finished their ritual! Parrlar felt panic enter his mind. The panic was dispelled by fear. Where was Tullco? The answer was lying on the ground.

“NO!” Parrlar screamed. He ran to where his Tullco was lying. He scooped up his brother’s body and cried. Tullco was dead. Parrlar had failed everyone, but most importantly his brother. He would never be able to discuss the tension between the two of them.
Stop crying!
Parrlar froze at the familiar voice. “Tullco?”
Damn right. I’m dead. But I still have my spirit. Watch this.
Parrlar looked around and suddenly felt something come over him. He felt something enter his body.
Good, now we’re together. I’m with you, Parrlar. My spirit is embedded in your body. Let’s get this mission over with.
Parrlar let a faint smile out for his brother. Tullco wasn’t dead.
“We failed, the ritual is complete.”
Then you kill whatever comes out. I’ll look for the summoning tool to destroy it. We work together.
“Of course,” said Parrlar, grinning.

The reunion was shattered by a piercing howl. A shadowy beast emerged from the circle the cultists had surrounded. It glared at Parrlar.
Showtime.

The shadow beast jumped at Parrlar. Parrlar darted away, faster than he had ever been. He now knew that his joining with his brother had changed something inside him. The shadow beast charged him again. Parrlar stabbed the beast directly where its heart should be. The shadow beast continued on as if nothing had happened.
“It didn’t do anything!” screamed Parrlar.
Parrlar you have to focus!
Parrlar ignored his brother and ran in panic. He tripped as the shadow beast came at him. Parrlar threw one of his swords at it and started off again.
Listen to me damnit! Cooperate with me!
Tears came to Parrlar’s eyes.
“What do I do?” he asked as he prepared to try and survive another attack of the supernatural being.
On an altar in the room is a triangle box. By destroying the box, the beast will be defeated. Trust me Parrlar.
“I do,” growled Parrlar. He turned and found the altar to his right. Parrlar bolted for it. He heard the beast behind him and prayed for luck. He spotted the triangle box on the altar. He had only one weapon now.
“This is for my brother!” Parrlar yelled. He threw the sword and watched it hit the triangle box. Parrlar rolled away from the shadow beast as it came right beside him. He turned and saw the supernatural creature vanished in a puff of smoke.

Parrlar remained on the ground for several minutes.
“Where do you want your body?” he asked his spirit brother.
Bury it. But, I’m staying with you.
“Never though I’d say this: I’m glad about that,” said Parrlar, smiling.

I dont know why anybody hasnt said anything about this, cause it ABSOLUTLY ROCKS! Keep goin', man! Seriously!!!!

Ya,This is really good Keep on goin!

Thanks. Too bad it didn't receive an award for the contest I placed it in. I had a lot of fun writing it though. It sort of mirrors me and my sister.

When I was done writing Last Path for the contest it got shortlisted in, I decided I was going to make another story for the contest. When I became it was going to be a new BiA story. It was suppose to be before the first story, if there is a timeline for the series(?). I easily wrote and then looked back on it. I stopped writing it for 2 reasons even though it was a pretty good action story.

1) When I came to writing the end of the daring fights and had the brothers group up again, I realized that I didn't have a proper finale or boss character behind the attacks.

2) It wasn't Brothers in Arms. In the start of the story Tullco and Parrlar exchanged witty remarks, and then after the assassins attacked became a true team. I really like the effect I had done, but when I looked back at my challenging story I realized it wasn't the true style of the original. They hadn't been at each other's nerves the entire team. They seemed more like partners then brothers.

One of the reasons it probably didn't get picked, and though I'm not disappointed about it at all. The contest wasn't that great, and the organization is crap, because of their other contest I submitted a story to. The reason is ( I got a bit carried away there) is that every subject, non-fic, prose, and poetry, had only one judge. One judge isn't a good thing.