King of Swords 2-20
“SHIVERING ARROW
I found a lanky and rather weathered peregrine knight who was a master of this style and followed him for several days on his journey. We soon reached a kingdom in terrible repair, passing many burned out houses and hovels. My companion informed me it was ruled by a tyrant, who would levy impossible taxes and often ride out to ravage his own land, preventing the people from leaving by force, and indulging his basest vices upon them. The land was very battered and thick, leather-necked soldiers were everywhere. We could not find lodging and had to camp under some ragged trees. There, the knight informed me he had made many preparations, had spent some time meditating, and decided it was right and proper to slay this man.
I asked the knight how he planned to accomplish his quest, seeing that the warlord kept mostly to his very imposing stone keep and was guarded by fifty men, day and night. The knight cautioned me against hasty conclusions and bade me wait. I thought the fool would walk us right up the fortress gates and have us slaughtered, but to my surprise, we instead turned towards a distant mountain path. Three days of mostly silent climbing and very difficult trails, we found ourselves on a high mountain ledge, with a clear view of the poor, destitute kingdom below us, and the keep squatting like a black ogre overlooking mouth of the valley.
At this point I was still quite befuddled, but waited while the knight seemed to pace about and test the weather with his fingers and tongue. Seemingly satisfied, he boiled water, mixed some herbs, and began to pray. He had an enormous silverwood greatbow slung across his back, and only one arrow, almost the size and length of a javelin. Drinking the mixture, which smelled quite dreadful, he strung the bow, which took some effort. When the sun was almost at his zenith, he rose to his feet and bade me stand back, drawing the bow and the single, wicked looking arrow back with all his strength. I should mention here I have never seen a man look so anguished with concentration. He seemed to peer at some distant spot in the valley below, waiting for some ideal moment. I had absolutely no idea what the fool man’s goal was at the time. He stood like that for some four or five minutes, muscles straining, and it was only then that I realized he might be aiming at the keep.
When he loosed, the rush of wind that followed blew my whiskers nearly clean off my face and sent half my pack tumbling down the mountainside. I didn’t see where the shaft disappeared to. The man seemed mightily relieved and seemed to deflate somewhat. He told me the deed was done and that he would be leaving the kingdom soon. Thinking him mad, I was glad to be rid of his company.
When I returned to the valley below a few days later, I was almost immediately set upon by a peasantry almost crazy with mirth. The land was in disarray. The warlord had been slain in his keep, while he ate his luncheon. An enormous arrow had torn his head clear off his shoulders, and carried it out the window. It had traveled through three feet of stone to reach its target, as though a ballista had launched it.
It had been shot about fifteen miles.”
– Manual of Hands and Feet
And lo! Did the gangsters yet tremble, for when the King did show her eye to be mostly unharmed, they knew, in their hearts…
…they were dealing with a Badass…
…and they done goofed.
Indeed, to see a woman beat the tar out of a load of men, then no-sell a perfectly aimed dagger to the eye. Truly, Fear is the only rational response.
Wait. We’re sure those are men?
… how?
There are a few *sexy* goblins sprinkled over the first few pages of the raid, they are probably assuming this represents some sort of recognizable dimorphism within the species.
I share your lack of confidence, though I can’t in honesty say I know enough about goblins to dispute it.
Goblins apparently have 3 sexes.
And it’s considered very rude to ask them which they are.
I’ve heard the genders are; Yes please, no thank you, and Attack helicopter. Hence the phrase “Helicopter parent”.
attack helicopter jokes are as fresh as the god-corpses in throne, and less than half as humorous
in this dying city we respect non binary beings
Thank you! (I am one such being)
Another reason to love the K6BD comment section. 😀
Thank you.
i wouldn’t be surprised.
Well. Of the various fighting styles I’ve read and heard of, this is perhaps one of the most impressive.
Shivering Arrow style is one way to get a head.
Dammit Ryan! …oh, sorry. Wrong forum.
😉
! Blessed be the immovable mountain !
! Pray for no sharp river !
You done pissed her off. Bad idea. But really, WTF with the invulnerable eyes?
It might be the fighting style that was mentioned below a previous page. Using your Chi to develop total invulnerability of the head… and only the head.
Boooring… Al Is Un, why are you taking your time to crush them?
Here’s an answer for you:
whack
whack
whack
Boot-to-the-head!
Because that fucking *hurt!*
Ah, just realized these guys have golden pearls on their Jackets. Which means this is the Golden Pearl Pleasure Guild. Guess we’re going to see Preem Omun Vash again.
It was at this moment. THEY KNEW …THEY FUCKED UP
Nice. But it raises a question that’s plagued me ever since I started to follow this webcomic: what are those keys actually good for? Supposedly they turn you into some kind of demigod, but do they? Whenever Mottom did something spectacular she almost always seemed to use magic, not her key. Solomon David might be using his key when he lifted that block of stone, but are we sure he didn’t do that through his mastery of Ki Rata? It’s been revealed that his immortality doesn’t come from his key, but from his Ki Rata. Mammon is naturally immortal, since he belongs to one of the Servant Races. Mottom… definitely couldn’t use her key to make herself young again or she wouldn’t have needed to eat all those fruits. So… what are the Keys actually good for?
Well, teleporting (between universes, no less) is the most direct use which has been demonstrated in the comic.
Enhancing the individual in question in many different ways is another, less obvious result. Remember, untrained Allison could punch at a wall and damage it (end of Book 1). Untrained Allison could outdrink a demon (I really doubt it was JUST her stamina as a sister), and with a little Inky in her head, she blasted obstacles in the Fortress. Nothing of that would have been possible without a key.
It also may or may not be useful in summoning The Blade of Want.
Basically, besides acting as a key to the various world gates, it enhances the bearer. It has been described as a “tuning fork” between the will of the bearer and the universe. So Mottom was already a magician, but the key allows her to be a much better magician. Solomon was already a superhuman martial artist, with the key his incredible skill and strength are heightened even further. Additionally, Al-YISUN has used the key to conjure blasts of energy (which the comments have been calling the Blade of Want after a reference in the Prophecy of the Successor) without any formal training in the arts of magic, or any other explanation. Essentially this multiverse is one in which will can shape reality, both within and without, and the key strengthens that.
Did the Key unlock the Blade? Or was the Blade always at the ready, needing only the Want to use it?
Is it the Key that makes the King, or the King that makes the Key?
Yes.
Of course.
The distinction between the two is artificial and can be discarded when no longer needed.
The blade exists, unformed, in future of those who have the drive to wield it. It always was. It is forged of Will and turned inward. The Key of Kings directs it outwards.
Zoss tore the names of God from 1 Metatron by force of will, and beardliness.
If the recital of her names by Yisun was enough to allow him to create all that was not, then even an insignificant little speck of mortal flame could wield any of those names to decide whether what is, was, and whether what was not, is not.
Master yourself, for you are the universe.
Know yourself, for you are a story.
Rule yourself, for you are the King!
Judging by Allison’s pose in the last panel we see her, those sounds are her bitch-slapping the gangsters into defeat one by one.
Either that, or Head of John noggin-bashing, but I think the first option is funnier.
Your regrets avail you not. The King now takes her due.
Ah, yes. I see now. She is training in a particular style, and limiting herself to merely that technique so as to improve rather than fall back upon overwhelming force. Were she not quite so indestructible she might find there are downsides to that. Has she revealed yet that she is not left handed?
“Well I’m not left handed either” – Some dread goblin Roberts
*You* have a problem, my dude. Your mates don’t. Not any more.
“I am master. I am king. I am owner. I will never be nothing, but you will never know me, and I, never, you.
We care nothing who the other is. All that we are, we are to ourselves.”
Tenth Student of Bagoret – FBC, 74
The acolytes of the Tower are always so rudely surprised when the foundations rumble.
It seems that Preem Omun Vash and his Golden Pearl have finally angered the wrong person. Messy lords get messy ends, something Little Vash should have remembered.
Well said Lord Thūn, some Guilds are not built to last
I bet his smoke bomb technique is on point though.
Man, nice to know Hawkeye Gough didn’t let his style die with him, gotta love curving your arrows to snipe dragons out of the sky!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nKS13yICqY
It was then that she knew…she fucked up.
Heh, I see Nimona’s wisely left, because when your opponent not only survives having their throat cut, but shatters a knife with their eye, surely the best course of action is to run in the opposite direction.
Or maybe she just morphed into a chair?
once I’ve set upon a rhyme
I must work hard to keep in mind
the… the… I’ve had a beer or two
After a beer or two or three
The perfect rhyme is hard to see
Maybe you should keep drinking
I have treated such an injury. I believe the prescribed course included one corneal BAND-AID, and an elder’s tender smooch.
And lo, the Doom of the Prophet of Endings is nigh…
The blood splashed walls lay the basis…
The failure to flee has passed…
All that remains, is death.
Where are the monkeys? I hope the monkeys are safe.
Oh good. Boss fight coming up.
Everyone loves a good boss fight.
Will it be Big Shiny Sphinxy himself,
or some less glorious minion?
I’m pretty sure several people on the previous page mentioned a boss-fight. I’m curious to see if it’s a demon, a servant, another human, or something even stranger.
Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets.
(the hover text for the image says “Boss Fight”, so we’re getting one for sure)
“That hurt… my feelings.”
Typical human snowflake. You’d think she’d be used to getting stabbed by demon ladies by now.
l-l-lennyface
Somehow, this whole fight sequence reminds me of the finale of “Unforgiven”, especially the bit when Will Munny says “Any man don’t wanna get killed better clear on out the back.”