Here Shines the Sun

by M. David White

  Etheil looked at the Keepers before him. The thought of having to fight and possibly kill fellow Dark Star Knights was not at all appealing. Nor was the thought of having to watch Samrildar try to hold off the Councilmen’s knights all on account of him. There was only one way to avoid this confrontation. He deactivated Firebrand and returned it to its sheath. He held up his hands and the Keepers descended on him. He felt his arms being twisted behind his back and his legs brought out from under him. His breastplate cracked against the stone floor of the bridge as he was held down. He looked up just as Raygar danced in at Samrildar. “No, I give myself up!” yelled Etheil, but it was too late.

  Raygar swooped his sword around and brought it down. Samrildar’s sword thrummed like pulsing thunder as he brought it up. The two swords cracked together, but Samrildar’s was immediately slammed down where it bit into the floor of the bridge, stone instantly vaporizing into dust. Raygar kicked his foot out, hitting Samrildar square in the chest and sending him tumbling back. Samrildar rolled to his feet as he brought his sword before him.

  DOOOOOM! The very atmosphere shook and the entire bridge buzzed as an unseen force washed over Raygar. Raygar’s sword and armor seemed to smear, the black paint on it turning to powder and dispersing into a cloud as he was thrown back into the Dark Star Knights behind him, bowling them all over.

  Samrildar’s sword, Warmouth, held the single most powerful sonic crystal the Jinn had ever made. Etheil had never seen it activated before, but he had heard of its ability. It was said that Warmouth’s call could shake stone, steel and flesh to dust. As Raygar struggled back to his feet, it was clear where the unseen blast had hit him. The entire front of his breastplate was bare steel, rippled like the surface of a disturbed pool.

  Raygar’s sword, Rampart, was legendary in its own right. Strength crystals were rare, and Raygar’s was one of only three orange High Crystals the Jinn had ever made. Had he not been protected by its aura, Etheil was certain the man would have been torn apart by the blast. Samrildar, however, had felt the full force of Raygar’s power. As he staggered back, Etheil saw that his entire breastplate was crumpled and he struggled to get the constricting thing off before Raygar could come at him again.

  But in the stunned silence that now gripped the bridge, that vampiric man’s giggling seemed all the louder. He clapped his hands, like a child applauding the greatest show he had ever seen. He trotted his horse forward, coming up behind the Dark Star Knights as Samrildar finally got his ruined armor off and tossed it over the side of the bridge. His chest bare, it was now plain for all to see just how devastating Raygar’s kick had been. The center of Samrildar’s chest was black as pitch, fading out to sickly browns then blues and finally yellows at his sides and abdomen. He held his sternum with one hand and Etheil wondered if he had broken bones beneath that horrendous bruise.

  “Turn back!” warned Samrildar, his chest heaving as he struggled with his breath. He held Warmouth out.

  “No, no.” hissed the pale man, smiling. “You are the one who must turn back. Turn around. Kill Etheil. Protect your precious bridge and kill him.”

  Samrildar turned and Etheil witnessed a snarl curl his lips. He struggled, but the Keepers held him firmly to the ground. He began to wonder just what sort of witchery that vampiric man’s words held. Everybody seemed to be swayed by whatever he said. “Samrildar! Don’t listen! Don’t listen to that man!”

  Samrildar raised his sword as if he might strike, but then shook his head, as if coming back to his senses. He turned back toward the giggling freak.

  “Kill him. Kill him and protect your bridge.”

  “No.” growled Samrildar. He raised Warmouth, pointing its tip toward the man, but before he could let fly another sonic blast, Balin, Gefjon, Aldur and the other Councilmen wheeled their horses around him, creating a barrier. Samrildar lowered his weapon. Etheil knew Samrildar would never strike down the Councilmen. To do so would be a high crime beneath the Duroton sky.

  The man giggled. “Don’t you want to kill Etheil? Don’t you want to protect this place? Go ahead, turn around and kill him.”

  Samrildar gripped at his forehead. He shook his head and then he looked up, his eyes fierce. “No!” he growled. He pointed at the man, his finger trembling with rage. “You are a demon!”

  The pale man’s face became stony. His smile melted into an exaggerated, jeering frown. Etheil was certain the man somehow looked larger than he had before. “Kill him. Kill them both.”

  Raygar and the other Dark Star Knights dashed forward, Crystallic Weapons igniting. Samrildar roared as Warmouth trembled the atmosphere. DOOOOOM! Raygar’s aura swirled up the dust of the bridge as he sailed upward on it, leaping away as the unseen sonic shockwave struck two of the knights behind him. They hardly began to scream when their armor seemed to come apart at the molecular level, their bodies beneath shattering like glass. And then the cloud of particulate that was once flesh and bone was swept away by the winds.

  Raygar landed in front of Samrildar and the two powerful swords cracked together with all the fury they had to offer. Etheil watched as their auras collided, discs of dust swirling in a figure eight around them as if their gravitational forces vyed for power.

  Samrildar’s sword thrummed, the deep reverberations buffeting Etheil’s eardrums as the man brought his sword around and high at Raygar’s head. Raygar whipped his sword up, knocking away Samrildar’s with such force that the man had to cartwheel with it. As he came up, Raygar leapt at him as four other Dark Star Knights dashed in, electrical blades crackling and an ice blade leaving trails of sparkling frost.

  Samrildar tumbled to the side, avoiding Raygar, and then pushed forward into the four Dark Star Knights. His sword swept upward, and the first of the knights screamed as his body smeared into a blur of unraveling particles. Before the dust of his demise even had a chance to be devoured by Samrildar’s aura, he extended his hand and sent his power spiraling forward. The other three Dark Star Knights didn’t stand a chance against Samrildar’s aura. It engulfed their own and they spun up as if caught in a tornado and went sailing over the edge of the bridge.

  Samrildar flipped backward just as Raygar’s sword came chopping down. It impacted the bridge right where he had been standing, and a spiderweb of cracks crawled away in all directions. The sundered fragments immediately pulled away and were swept into Raygar’s and Samrildar’s swirling auras, and the two came at each other again.

  Raygar’s sword swept forward and Samrildar ducked, coming up on his side. Raygar turned just in time to meet his blade, Rampart easily knocking Warmouth to the side. Samrildar spun with a left hook, his fist impacting Raygar’s cheek. But protected by his sword’s aura of strength, the blow didn’t seem to affect him in the slightest. Raygar brought his own elbow up and across Samrildar’s face, and Etheil heard the sickening crack of bone as Samrildar spun and fell.

  Samrildar staggered up to his feet, his nose flat against the side of his face, blood gushing from it. He looked around, dazed, as the remaining Dark Star Knights circled him. He raised Warmouth, but an electrical blade came in and Samrildar screamed. Blue energy bolts crawled up his body as his arm was taken off at the shoulder. He fell, his arm hitting the floor with a thud and Warmouth falling from its grasp. It was still activated when it hit, and the stone it landed on exploded into a cloud of dust, tossing the sword into the air only to go sailing off the side of the bridge. And then Etheil closed his eyes as Raygar spun in, his glowing, orange sword sending Samrildar’s head down to Warmouth.

  Now all eyes turned to Etheil as he lay pinned upon the ground. “Kill him! Kill him!” he heard the vampiric man say with glee as he pranced his horse around the Councilmen in circles. Etheil struggled against his captors. He heard an electrical blade pop to life near his head.

  “Stand down! Stand down!” The Councilmen were nearly bowled over as Lord Egret and Lord Gregin tore past them on their Icela
ndic Great-Hoofs. Raygar lowered his sword as all eyes turned toward Egret and Gregin who came galloping to the center of the bridge. In unison they jumped from their steeds and stormed toward Raygar and his men. “What madness is this?” demanded Egret. His eyes flicked to the side and saw Samrildar’s decapitated corpse bleeding out onto the bridge. His eyes found Etheil on the ground, held by the Keepers. “What goes on here?”

  “Egret,” grunted Etheil from the ground. “Beware that man in black! Don’t hear his words!”

  Egret turned to face the Councilmen, his lips turning up in disgust. “Rennic Finn,” he spat. He looked back at the Keepers. “Free him.” commanded Egret. “All of you, stop this madness!” He pushed Raygar aside and grabbed Etheil up from those holding him and helped him to his feet.

  “The Grimwatch is in trouble,” said Etheil. “I must speak with Dagrir. Brandrir is injured and may not live. Let me speak with the King, please.”

  “Lord Egret, you are out of line.” spoke Balin as he approached on his horse, the vampiric man at his side, giggling.

  Etheil saw a deep scowl set into Egret’s face. “Who is that?” whispered Etheil.

  “Rennic Finn.” grumbled Egret. “I don’t know what magic he possesses, but he poisons the Council with his words.” He turned to face the Councilmen and now spoke loud and clear, “What madness goes on here?” He pointed to the fallen Samrildar. “By what authority of the King does this Council march against Hammer’s Hill and the Captain of the Grimwatch?”

  “We are Exalted,” reminded Balin. Rennic Finn grinned from his seat beside him. “We need no authority from the King. Etheil was named an enemy of Duroton. The penalty is death.” Balin nodded at Raygar. “Proceed.”

  Raygar began to push past Egret but Egret grabbed the man by the collar of his breastplate and shoved him back.

  “Lord Raygar,” warned Egret. “I am Commander of the Durotonian Guard. As a Dark Star Knight, you fall under my command.” He turned to Gregin and then motioned with his had at the Keepers. “Lord Gregin, you and the Keepers escort the Council from this Hill.”

  Gregin nodded. He looked at the Keepers, but Etheil could see that they were in some sort of daze, like they had just awoken from a nightmare to realize that their own commander was dead.

  “No, you must listen to the Council.” said Rennic, slinking forward on his horse, and all at once the Keepers gave pause. “The Council is Exalted. Listen to what Lord Balin tells you.”

  Gregin gripped at his head. He rubbed at his hair, looking back and forth from Balin to Egret, as if unable to decide who he should listen to. Rennic Finn clapped and giggled.

  “Enough!” boomed Egret. He grabbed Gregin by the collar of his armor and shook him from his trance. “Don’t hear his words!” He looked around at the Keepers and Raygar and the other Dark Star Knights. “Don’t listen to that fiend! Don’t let his words pass your ears!” Then he pointed at Rennic. “Enough of your magic!”

  Rennic smiled a big, rictus, clown-like smile. “Lord Egret, have Gregin kill Etheil.” he spoke. “You should do it. Have him do it! Tell him to cut off his head!”

  “Gregin,” said Egret, almost absentmindedly. “Cut off Etheil’s—” Egret paused and gripped at his hair, then he shook his head. When he turned his gaze back to Rennic it was more fiery than ever. “What fiend are you? What devilry do you possess?” He turned to Gregin. “Arrest that man!”

  Gregin nodded. “My pleasure.” He drew his sword and tossed aside his shroud. His blade came to life in a rush of water, as if all the power of a great river flowed against the blade. Mist sprayed in the wind as he stormed forward.

  Rennic scowled. “Kill them! Kill them all, my Lord!”

  “Kill them.” ordered Balin. “Kill them all.”

  Rennic giggled and then clapped. “Kill them!” He threw his head back, and a terrible laughter filled the air.

  Raygar’s sword ignited into its soft glow. Around him, the other Dark Star Knights’ weapons began to come to life. The Keepers stepped forward, their own swords igniting. Then Raygar turned toward Gregin and dashed forward.

  “Gregin!” yelled Egret above Rennic’s terrible, consuming laughter. He tossed away his own shroud and ignited Thundercracker. His sword began to dance with crackling electricity as the Dark Star Knights moved in on him. Gregin turned around just in time to meet Raygar’s sword, a powerful spray, like an oceanic waterspout, breaking over Raygar’s chest, pushing him backward.

  Etheil drew Firebrand and it ignited into roaring flames that bent against the winds. He stepped toward Egret as a dozen Keepers, all with swords fully ignited into ice or fire, stone or electricity, began closing in on him.

  “They are under some spell.” said Egret, flourishing his sword. “Do not kill them. It’s Rennic’s laughter; his voice.”

  Etheil could hardly hear Egret over that incessant giggling. “What do we do then?”

  “I’ll hold all of these off. You get that fiend. But whatever you do, do not hear his words. Do not let him speak to you. He’s some sort of devil.” said Egret. He flourished his sword. “I’ll clear a path for you.”

  All at once the Keepers and the Dark Star Knights surged in on them from all sides. A swirling disc of dust and wind swept up around Lord Egret and he cast it forward at the Dark Star Knights. Etheil rushed behind it as the knights swirled up their own auras, but all of theirs combined were no match for Egret’s. Some of them leapt over it, others were tossed aside, and Etheil managed to slip past their ranks, whirling Firebrand and tumbling to get past the last of them.

  As he rolled up to his feet he saw Gregin before him. He was beset by two of the Council’s knights as well as Raygar. Gregin swept his turbulent, watery blade around, mist spraying in all directions as he knocked aside the two knights. But then Raygar was on him, his sword and body glowing with an orange hue.

  Etheil heard the buzz and pop of Egret’s sword behind him. It crackled with lightning as he worked it against the Keepers who came behind him and the Dark Star Knights before him. Etheil was about to make his run toward Rennic and the Council when he saw Raygar’s sword catch Gregin’s in a powerful parry that spun him around. Gregin’s back was now toward Raygar, and the orange, glowing sword was raised toward his head. “Gregin!” yelled Etheil.

  Gregin turned just as Etheil threw his sword, catching it up in his swirling aura. He cast it all at Raygar’s weapon, and as Firebrand spun forward it knocked Rampart from Raygar’s grasp. But Raygar was quick. While the orange glow still encompassed him, he leapt at Gregin. Gregin tried to get his sword out, but Raygar’s fist hit him like a wrecking ball. His breastplate crumpled as he fell, Raygar on top of him. And then, just before the last of the orange glow faded from his body, Raygar brought his fist down again. There was a sickening crunch of bone. Blood flew from Gregin’s ruined head. And then Raygar pounced to grab his sword from the ground.

  Firebrand returned to Etheil’s hand. As it did, he saw Egret fall to a knee as an icy blade from one of the Keepers sheared away his pauldron. Thundercracker exploded with electricity as Egret knocked a purple-glowing blade away and then rolled just as another purple blade came in with lightning speed. There was a deep and resounding crack that made the entire bridge vibrate as the blade made purchase on the stone.

  Egret kicked himself back to his feet, and now Raygar was on him. But all Etheil could think to do was shut Rennic Finn up. The incessant giggling was maddening, permeating everything. He leapt up, his unseen gravitational force swirling beneath his feet, driving him forward, Firebrand extended. Balin and the other Councilmen all moved their horses around Rennic, shielding him. As Etheil came upon them, Hymnar’s horse reared up but Etheil dropped to the ground and rolled, Firebrand searing the horse in half as he tumbled beneath it, the Councilman tossed away.

  He came up before Rennic. The vampiric man’s giggling stopped as his icy, blue eyes realized
that Etheil had gotten through. Rennic tugged his reins, wheeling his horse around, but Etheil spun in, sweeping his sword up and Rennic’s horse crumpled and screamed as its legs were cut away, chunks of seared meat thumping on the ground. He yanked Rennic up by an arm and drew his fist back. There was a loud crack as Rennic’s head turned to the side, and the man buckled and fell at his feet.

  Etheil turned, and all at once the battle seemed to stop. Raygar and the other knights lowered their weapons, looking around as if they had just come out of a deep slumber. Even Balin and the other Councilmen were shaking their heads, as if finally realizing what had been happening.

  “That man is some sort of witch!” shouted Etheil, pointing his sword behind him toward the fallen Rennic. “Don’t listen to him! His laughter is some sort of bewitchment!”

  “Etheil, watch out!” cried Egret.

  Etheil turned. Behind him, Rennic Finn stood up… And up and up. He became a giant, crouching harlequin. His face was white as if powdered with makeup; his lips red, smiling and pulled into a horrific, exaggerated smile. Rather than a fool’s hat, a pair of long horns curled over his head and rang with infernal, iron bells that dangled from their sharp points. The outfit he wore was no longer black leather, but a motley discordance of nefarious purples and reds with green tights giving way to spiraling shoes tipped with more of those dreadful jingle bells.

  Etheil was dwarfed by the monster, and he backed away. As he did, it began to cackle and spread out its arms, displaying its pale hands. From each finger, Etheil noticed silver threads dangling. He saw they were connected to Balin and the other Councilmen. He turned, and saw that more were connected to Raygar and the other Dark Star Knights. The strings that connected to the Keepers were thinner and finer, as if they had not yet had time to fully take hold. Etheil watched as delicate strands waved like broken spiderwebs near Egret, unattached and recoiling from him like snakes surprised to have been bitten back. Etheil turned back to the monstrous jester before him.