host: book one- fallen
DESCRIPTION
My first novel. Part one in a four part series about good, evil, and the long-standing war between the two.TRANSCRIPT
THIS story is fiction. It is both imagination and
speculation, inspired by actual events that affected the
course of human history…
PROLOGUE
“What is it, my lord?”
The tall, elegent form turned slowly to face the brute
that dared to interrupt his appreciation of such fine work.
He smiled, masking his contempt, at once putting the fool
at ease. It was one of his many gifts, and he used it well
to serve his purposes. He went back to examining the
object he held in his hand with sick admiration, bordering
on lust.
“It is beautiful.” He turned to the forger behind
him. “You made exactly what I imagined. Thank you.”
The forger bowed low. “Thank you, sir.”
“Can you make more?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Think large-scale. Just begin work at once, and I’ll
tell you when to stop.”
The forger bowed again. “As you wish, my lord.”
The hulking henchman again questioned the tall form
holding the shining object.
“What did you call it, my liege?”
“A sword.” He whispered the word lovingly. Lustfully.
“A sword? What does it do?”
“It is a weapon, dear fool.”
“Weapon?”
“An instrument of destruction. A tool of pain.”
“Pain? What is pain?”
The shining, smiling figure chuckled. “I’m so glad
you asked. Come closer, bow before me, and I will show
you…”
“As you wish, my lord.”
1
The Realm Was. The Realm was awesome and vast. On
foot or in flight, one couldn’t traverse it in a lifetime,
even if one lived for centuries. The Realm, grand and
majestic, contained at its center a massive, shining city
forever teeming with activity. The city lived, filled with
a spirit of unity, a spirit of peace. The buildings
themselves seemed to move, to breathe. Awash with color,
vibrant and gleaming, made of every valuable, opulent
substance found. The structures seemed to melt and flow
into one another in an organic, glittering dance.
Tall towers reached far into the sky; layer upon layer
of city connected on every level by a latticework of
translucent walkways and bridges, yet none of it looked
cluttered; massive structures seemed to blend into the
beautiful landscape around it. Mountains, trees, spiers,
waterfalls, all woven seamlessly together. Everything was
laid out in a very natural fashion, it all made sense, it
all had purpose, but it all looked comfortable. Balanced.
Right.
The City of The Realm was the archetype for
imagination itself. Ever building, ever expanding, the
worlds, skies, and lands grew with each passing moment. A
city rising into millennia. Time merely another feature of
the landscape. Space, time, distance, none of it mattered,
for the realm was. And the realm was vast.
At the heart of the shining city stood the Great
Palace; an enormous yet elegant home, built high above the
rest of the city, where lived the greatest of all kings:
the High King Elon. His power and might was legendary,
outweighed only by his generosity and compassion, which was
beyond measure. His rule was true, his authority
unquestioned, his word final. The city adored him; the
Host of the realm devoted their lives to him.
The Host of The Realm, citizens who came and went from
the far reaches of space and time with ease, loved their
king with a burning fire. Some days the work reached a
fevered pace, but always with a light step, and never with
a heavy burden. The great city felt tranquil, yet always
hummed with motion.
The city was astir with anticipation. One could feel
an anxious mood everywhere; the air was crackling with the
electricity of excitement, for the High King had been away
for some time, and the Host expected his imminent return.
No one knew why he had gone, or where. There were
rumors of a great quest, but nothing more. Visit any house
in the sprawling metropolis and the conversation would
eventually turn to the King’s whereabouts. It was foremost
on everyone’s mind.
The great monarch had left tasks to be done in his
absence. Many tasks. The star nursery churned out a quota
that had never before been achieved; the growing brilliance
could be seen from one end of the cosmos to the other.
Artisans toiled at their labors, creating grand designs to
the great High King’s specifications. Enormous swaths of
color, banded and spiraled novas and nebulas painted across
the expanses in ever growing numbers. Millions of the
king’s greatest craftsfen labored in the wondrous Atom
Foundry, spinning protons and electrons in their intricate
and elegant dances.
The King’s imagination was outweighted only by the
sheer size and magnitude of his drive to create what was in
it. He left his instructions in the care of his beloved
son, The Prince. The blue prints for this incredible
undertaking were, to say the least, enigmatic. But the
Host attacked their duties at every moment with renewed
fervor; the clamor was joyous, the work delicious.
But further away from the palace, away from the
throng, away from the bustling masses of the great kingdom,
far away from the joyful designers, builders, and craftmen,
the city grew cold. Shadows grew long. The streets grew
silent. Fewer and fewer citizens walked about, and
laughter grew scarce. For reasons unknown, this area of
the city that defined beauty and brilliance was slowly
being drained of its life.
In this remote corner of the realm a dark figure made
his way carefully down the street, heading west, deeper
into the cold. Further into the dark. He frequently
looked about to see if he was being followed. He was large,
hulking. His behavior was suspicious, and would have
easily drawn attention to anybody else who happened to pass
by. But no one else walked the streets, no one greeted
him. To this part of the city, he was invisible. He
passed underneath a row of small dwellings, apartments
stacked several stories high. Most of the homes were
vacant now, their former residents having moved into the
brighter center of the city. Most, but not quite all.
Samis and his dearest friend, Nemoch, were sitting
together on a small patio overlooking the street below when
the stranger crept by on his mysterious errand. They, too,
were discussing the whereabouts of the great High King.
Was there any other subject as worthy of discussion these
days?
Samis and Nemoch had been friends for eons. Samis
never made friends easily. He was far too quiet. A little
simple, maybe. He enjoyed simple pleasures, like sitting
under a tree and listening to the breeze. He wasn’t a
builder; he was far too short of stature and slight of
build for that. He hadn’t an eye for color, so streaking
the skies with gases and painting novas was on the bottom
of his list of qualifications. He wasn’t the neatest
citizen in The Realm either, so administration was out. He
didn’t care for politics, so he didn’t serve in the palace.
No, Samis was content to just be. As long as he had his
friend Nemoch, all was well.
Where Samis was content to just sit and be, Nemoch
craved adventure. He loved to be where the people were,
where the action was. He longed to get into politics, and
had opinions about every little thing. Which, of course,
he shared at length with Samis, and often a bit loudly.
Samis usually just nodded a great deal, partly because he
didn’t really understand anything his dear friend was
saying, and partly because it just didn’t do to argue with
him.
And so they fast became friends. Nemoch the loud,
Samis the quiet. They balanced each other well, and they
were content with the arrangement. They had just finished
yet another discussion about the King’s High Court, The
esteemed political body of the Host that Nemoch most
desired to join, and had switched gears and began talking
about the High King’s disappearance when they spotted the
mysterious stranger out in the street below them. Nemoch
paused in his monologue, turning to observe the strange
figure slipping through the shadows with mild curiosity.
“Samis, look at that fellow! I wonder what he’s
doing? What do you think, Samis my friend? He looks like
he’s up to something, eh?”
Samis regarded his beloved friend with mild amusement.
“Up to something? What could he be up to, Nemoch? This is
the Great Kingdom. All is visible. There is nothing done
in secret here.”
Nemoch persisted. “Perhaps he’s hiding something,
Samis. Perhaps he does not want to be seen…”
Samis dismissed him. “What could he be hiding? What
would he be hiding? Besides, it’s The Realm. This is the
Kingdom of Light. You cannot hide in the Light.”
Nemoch regarded his friend with a hint of
disappointment. “Samis. Dear Samis. You disappoint me.
You must have noticed the lengthening shadows, especially
out here, away from the palace. Tell me you’ve noticed.
They grow longer each day, my friend.”
Samis waived it aside as if he’d known it all along.
But truthfully, he hadn’t given it much thought until now.
“I have noticed. What does it matter?”
“As you say, you cannot hide in the Light. But isn’t
it interesting, my friend, that the Light isn’t shining as
bright out here? Does it not occur to you that one such as
he, in these lengthening shadows, could hide?”
Nemoch’s reasoning was troubling, as were his
observations about this part of the city. And Samis
couldn’t deny his logic. Though truth be told, he wasn’t
much on arguing logic anyway. He felt inadequate for that
task most of the time. He didn’t want to admit it, but his
curiosity had been piqued. Instead, he simply shrugged.
“I’m sure it’s nothing, Nemoch.” Samis paused and
continued to watch the retreating form. It was nagging at
him now, his curiosity. “However… we could follow him, and
see where he leads.”
Nemoch grinned widely. “Now we agree! At last!
Come, my friend. Let us give chase! It will be an
adventure!”
“I’m not keen on adventure, Nemoch…”
“Don’t worry. It will be fun! You’ll see!”
They followed the slinking shadow at a discreet
distance, their feelings of intrigue spurring them on,
oblivious to any possibility of danger. They were, in
fact, having fun, just as Nemoch had said. Samis giggled.
Nemoch shushed him.
They walked for quite a while, through dark alleys,
side streets, and deep shadows. Never out on the main
streets, and never exposed to the Light. Deeper and deeper
into the farthest edges of the western end of the great
city they went. Their sense of direction had long since
vanished, but not their sense of adventure. Suddenly the
two of them stopped. Ahead of them was… they could not
say. It was black. Void. Uncreated. Nothing had yet
come to be in this area of the city. And yet that is where
the large one had just run… and disappeared.
“Nemoch! Did you see?”
“Yes, Samis. He has gone into an uncreated space.”
“What should we do? Should we follow? What will we
find?”
“I don’t know, my friend. But if we don’t hurry,
we’ll lose him.”
Samis gulped loudly, fear evident on his face.
Normally, uncreated space was a delight, for it was usually
because the High King decreed to build something new in it.
But this was different. It was unknown. Unexpected.
Mysterious. And frightening. This void didn’t belong.
Samis reached for Nemoch’s arm, and the two of them plunged
into the inky black of the void.
The sensation was disturbing. It felt as if they had
folded into themselves, that they had turned inside out and
upside down. A loud wind whipped at their robes, tore at
their hair, and crashed in their ears; the pressure was
nearly unbearable. Samis was aware that he was walking
forward; at least, he still had the sensation that he was
doing so, though he had no real sense of direction and felt
no true momentum.
And then their feet were again on solid ground. New
bricks layed upon a new road. It looked much like the city
that they’d just been traversing. It appeared, if Samis’
bearings were right, that they had come very far west
indeed, for the light of the High King’s great palace was
now but a twinkle on the horizon. Ahead of them were
several buildings, a few side streets, and one very large,
quite imposing structure that looked as yet unfinished.
The figure they’d been pursuing passed the front door
and disappeared into an archway on the left side, behind a
low wall that surrounded most of the massive building. The
shadowy form took a last look behind him and quickly ducked
into the great incomplete structure through a small door.
His two pursuers stopped several feet away, hiding in the
shadows, planning their next move.
Nemoch spoke first, in a whisper. “Well, we’re here,
Samis. Now what?”
“Now what? Why are you asking me now what? First, I
don’t even rightly know where here is! Second, it was your
idea to follow him!”
“No it wasn’t. You suggested we go after him. I
merely wondered aloud what he was up to.”
Samis stared at the door for several moments. He had
been bested by Nemoch’s tricky logic and argumentative ways
yet again. “Well, alright… I guess. Very well. So I
did.” He focused on the door. It looked like a secondary
entrance. One perhaps used by servants or workers. That
didn’t matter to him nearly as much as what might lay
behind it. “Well, we’ll never know… I guess, what he was
up to unless we go inside.”
Nemoch just stared at his friend for a long moment,
saying nothing. Samis stared back, trying not to betray
the fact that he was shaking with fear for this whole
“adventure.” Was Nemoch impressed with his plan, or was
he, too, afraid?
Finally he spoke. “Alright, Samis. Let’s go.”
He was afraid Nemoch would say that. Samis gave a
heavy sigh. There was no turning back now. The two made
their way together across the alleyway and up to the door.
They opened it carefully, Samis leading the way inside, and
into the darkness beyond. The door closed behind them with
a thud of finality, and then they were in complete
blackness.
Samis would not admit it, especially around Nemoch,
but he was terribly afraid. Not as much as he would be
without his dear friend beside him, that was certain. But
he was definitely frightened of what they might find in the
deep, dark shadows of this mysterious building. They stood
for a moment in silence, holding their breath, trying to
let their eyes adjust to the pitch black around them, but
there was no light for their eyes to see. They crept
forward, Samis leading the way, feeling his way along the
wall with his hand. They stepped as carefully and quietly
as they could, periodically stopping to listen for any
sounds.
After several turns, they began to see light ahead of
them. They continued forward for several more paces down a
long hallway. One last turn brought an explosion of light
that was nearly blinding, a large, open room that seemed to
radiate with its own inner glow. Samis was gripped by what
he saw, paralyzed. For it was… there was no way else to
say it. An abomination. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t look
away, couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Mostly, he
hated that he couldn’t close his eyes to the sight of it.
It sickened him. He felt colder in here than he had in the
shadows outside. He even felt cold inside. Everything
about this was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Suddenly behind and to his left a huge form came
hurtling toward him, growling in rage, his teeth bared in a
grimace of sinister intent. The hulking brute grabbed him
with powerful arms, squeezing the wind out of him.
“Intruders!” The great massive thing shouted.
Another strong pair of arms grabbed Nemoch, who
struggled against them bravely. He kicked wildly, swung
his arms, and briefly broke free from his assailant. He
grabbed for the one holding Samis, who let go to grapple
with him. Nemoch seized the moment.
“Run, Samis! Run. Get help. Go to the palace. They
must be told of this at once!”
Samis was torn. He had only seconds to decide what to
do, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t just leave his friend.
But Nemoch was right, the palace had to be alerted to what
they had seen. He loved his friend, but he also loved his
kingdom. And his king. He turned, and in that moment
realized his serious error. He’d waited to long. Another
hulking beast of a guard now blocked his exit. They were
trapped!
#
“Bring them before me.”
The voice was smooth. Cold. Inviting. Repelling.
Samis knew of him, had seen him from a distance, admired
his beauty and majesty as all others in the Realm had done
for ages, but was about to feel the true force of this
being’s charisma, his unbelievable power.
“You are trespassing, little ones. You have no
business here.”
Nemoch struggled in vain against his captors. He
spoke out bravely. “It is you who have no business here.
This place is an apostasy. A travesty of the divine
Order!”
The great, Shining One regarded Nemoch calmly. He
smiled a beautiful, irresistible smile. It was nauseating.
“Silence him.”
A guard walked over and struck Nemoch hard in the
face, knocking him clear off his feet. Samis flinched and
cried out with him. Nemoch fell to the floor several feet
away.
“Stop it!” Samis cried. “Leave him alone!”
The cruel figure turned to stand before Samis, who
cowered in the great leader’s looming presence. “The mouse
speaks! This little one dares to make demands of me?” He
looked at one of the guards standing nearby with a smile.
He was enjoying this! He laughed playfully for a moment,
then sighed. “Kill him.”
Samis did not understand the word, but it left a cold
weight in the pit of his stomach nonetheless. “Kill? What
does this mean, kill?”
“It means, my little spy, that you will cease to
exist. Painfully, I expect.” He addressed the brute
heading toward him. “You will make it painful?”
“Of course, my Lord.”
He sighed with a deeply satisfied pleasure, and his
face began to glow brightly. “Very good. I will enjoy
this immensely.”
Samis’ eyes widened in fear. He struggled in vain
against the large henchman that was holding him. It was
hopeless. The guard approached him slowly, reaching for
something attached to his hip. Just as his hand closed
around it and started to draw it out, Nemoch shouted at the
leader.
“No! Wait! Take me! Take me instead! Do not harm
him! Let him go free! Take me as a prisoner! …Kill… me,
as you say, but spare his life!”
Samis loved his friend. But he couldn’t let that
happen. “No, Nemoch, it’s no use. I don’t believe either
of us will exist any more in a few moments.”
The sinister master held up his hand. The guard
stopped where he was, inches from Samis, who was passed the
point of trembling, and was staring numbly into the guard’s
eyes, awaiting the inevitable.
“Hold, my faithful servant.” The shining, smiling
villain stayed the hand of his henchman. He regarded
Nemoch gravely. “You are brave. What you suggest…
intrigues me.” He turned to Samis. “You! Little Spy! I
will put your pathetic talent of curiosity to good use.
You will use it to serve my cause. You will spy on the
palace for me. On the prince, and upon those who serve
him. Or your friend, here, will die. And I will make
sure… it is most painful.” He turned to Nemoch. “And just
so you’re clear on the meaning of pain…”
He nodded to the guards holding Nemoch and they began
to beat him mercilessly. As the great one laughed, looking
on at this torture, the guard holding Samis began dragging
him out of the room.
“No! Wait! Nemoch! Stop it!” He struggled to keep
his footing. “Please, let him go, let him live!” The
laughter continued as Samis was dragged from the room and
into the hallway leading to the door. The master called
after him.
“I will call for you, my little spy! Come when you’re
summoned, and bring news of value from the palace. Or your
friend here will suffer…”
Samis heard Nemoch screaming, “Noooo-“ before it was
cut off. Silence.
“NEMOCH! NO!!!”
2
Samis walked quickly into an alleyway, casting furtive
glances over his shoulder. If he should be caught… well,
he really didn’t know what would happen, to be honest.
Yes, the High King’s judgment was true, and he was just.
But his greatest reputation throughout the kingdom was that
he was known by all to be compassionate. Loving. So why
would Samis feel so afraid? Treason… had anyone even
considered it? Against such a glorious and wonderful
ruler? Then why was he? How could he betray such a
beneficent ruler? Samis was well cared for. He had a
home, friends, and tasks that brought him joy. He was
happy, wasn’t he? Well, at least he used to be…
The walls of the alley cast shadows periodically as he
made his way deeper into the bowels of the great city.
Funny, he didn’t really remember this part of the Realm
ever having shadows so deep until… He shook his head to
try and forget the memory. It seemed the darkness was
creeping further into the beloved kingdom day by day,
corrupting the city, encroaching on the Light; a cold wind,
something not quite right… something sinister. Out of
balance. Samis shivered involuntarily. It wasn’t just his
imagination. He was doing something he shouldn’t be… but
of course his mind could also just be playing tricks on
him. He tried in vain to rationalize his fears, but to no
avail. It was called guilt. Conviction. Nothing escapes
the Light, even in shadow.
Why was he doing this? Did he not have a choice? His
pace slowed. Wait. Of course he did. He could just turn
around. He could walk away. He could go to the palace.
Who did the so-called General think he was, anyway? He
wasn’t the ultimate authority here, even with the High King
away. Yes, he would just say no to the whole thing. He
would refuse to do it. Any of it. He would turn around
and simply leave this alley right now. He would go and
tell the Prince everything. The Prince would know what to
do…
He slowed his pace further, came to a stop, and placed
his hand on the wall of the alley. But what of Nemoch?
Samis’ mind was in such turmoil. The wall suddenly grew
cold to the touch. The alley became deathly silent, and
very cold. A dark haze was flowing through it, a strange,
shadowy mist that seemed to addle Samis’ senses and make
him feel numb. The despair he had grown so accustom to
feeling these days built up in intensity to the point of
choking him. He grew dizzy. Something moved ahead. He
couldn’t make it out, too deep in the shadows. But he knew
it wasn’t his imagination this time. His heart began to
race. He took a step backward. A sound, more movement,
now coming from behind him! Cut off! He was trapped! A
voice, immediately to his left, warm, soothing, and yet
chilling to the bone, spoke.
“Why Samis… dear Samis, you look…frightened.” The
voice chuckled coldly. “You weren’t rethinking our little…
arrangement, were you?’
Samis couldn’t breath, couldn’t speak, didn’t dare
turn to look. The Shining One stepped forward, into the
light, causing a glare, causing Samis to squint. He seemed
to draw the light into himself and to make it brighter, to
reflect it in his own body. As it did so it stole light
from everything else around. Even though the alley was now
dark, he was pure light. He cast such an imposing figure.
Powerful, graceful, a wonder to behold. How could the Host
not love this great being, not follow him wherever he led?
How frustrating it was that they didn’t know what he knew!
What darkness dwelt just under the surface of that
attractive exterior… Even now, Samis’ heart felt drawn to
him, to his charisma, to his charm. So attractive… so
dangerous. But he dare not look up; dare not look into his
face. He knew what his eyes would see if he did.
The appealing, terrible tormentor continued. “No, of
course you wouldn’t. You are loyal to me, aren’t you?”
Samis felt as if he might simply faint. He wished he
could, but he instead felt the great villain’s gaze holding
him, willing him to look at him. Four other shadows walked
into the light then, personal guards to the gleaming
adversary. Two carried standards with the sinister
villain’s own seal! The arrogance was sickening, but oh,
they were a sight! They sparkled like they were woven from
glass, or even jewels. They also carried shields that
reflected his abundant glory, as well as his haughty
expression, at several angles. Image after image of the
great and graceful being of pure light repeatedly assaulted
Samis’ eyes, threatening to drown him in the gleaming
tormentor’s pride. The glare from everything he gazed at
was like an assault on the senses, it was overpowering.
The other two guards, his personal henchmen, cast
imposing figures of their own, and carried only grim
expressions of disdain on their faces. One of them moved
to stand behind Samis, effectively barring any escape
route. The shield-bearers also carried smiles, but Samis
doubted their sincerity. The great beast looked around at
his entourage with a twisted grin. Samis couldn’t
comprehend how this one could view their meeting as a
clandestine one, a gathering of any unobtrusive sort, with
such pomp following him even into dark alleyways, in shadow
and secret. Such self-appreciating behavior made things
that much more unsettling for the terrified little
informant. If Samis actually had the courage still to run,
he realized it was pointless now.
“I believe our little spy has lost his voice. Perhaps
that’s for the best.” The bright one stooped and leaned in
close to Samis’ face. Samis looked everywhere but into his
eyes. “A loose tongue might need to be cut out…”
One of his henchmen drew a long, curved instrument
from beneath his cloak. It caught the light reflected from
the Shining One’s countenance as well as the shields and
penetrated the darkness of the alley. The brute angled the
blade and flashed it across Samis’ face, blinding him
momentarily. Then the villain laughed, low and sinister.
Samis, who had never seen such an object before and still
couldn’t take his eyes from it even though it hurt them,
swallowed hard and somehow found his voice.
“N-no need, my liege. I am loyal.”
The great leader straightened. “Of course you are,
little one. You haven’t the courage to be otherwise. I
have found that fear is quite a good motivator.” He
addressed his band of brutes. “Look well and learn, my
minions. See how the fear bends them to your wishes? See
how they capitulate to your will so eagerly, how they
acquiesce to your every demand?” He glanced lustfully at
his reflection in the shields, and then continued, looking
down at the trembling Samis.
“You. Puppet. You have news for me from the palace?”
Samis looked around the alley, afraid of being
overheard, of being caught betraying his King.
“Speak, little worm! Or I will let my guards find
their amusement in your pain.”
Samis wrung his hands, still unable to look directly
at the imposing figure interrogating him, but unable to
look anywhere else, either. His gaze settled on his own
feet, ashamed to hold his head up at all.
“The Prince has taken to long walks in the garden, my
liege. He spends hours there. Some of the servants say he
talks to himself, even sometimes breaks into laughter
though no one is with him. But no one knows why he has
begun doing this. Sometimes, they say, he disappears from
the garden, and does so for hours. They search the gardens
everywhere for him, but do not find him. Then, when
they’ve completed the search and found nothing, suddenly
there he is again! The servants are upset, and quite a bit
concerned about him.”
The beast was growing impatient. “Yes yes. Enough of
that. No news yet as to when the High King will return?”
“No, my lord. There is still no news.”
“Very good, spy. You have done well.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Continue to do well, and you will be rewarded. Fail
me, and you will pay a very dear price.” He paused and
stared at the unwilling, trembling servant. “Does that
frighten you, Samis?”
Samis looked around the alley, at the two lackeys
grinning at his anxiety. He couldn’t answer. He began
rocking back and forth, a nervous habit he had picked up
recently. Serving a master like this tended to make one
feel anxious.
“Look at me, Samis.”
He rocked faster. Slowly Samis looked up, into the
bright light’s shining eyes, and felt the last of his
strength leave him. He began to cry. In the midst of that
handsome face were eyes of death. They were bright, yes.
Winsome. But cold, lifeless, and… evil. How could one
whose light shined so bright be so corrupt? It made him
nauseous.
“Continue to feed me information. Keep your eyes
open, and your mouth closed. Is that understood, Samis?”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
“The Princeling has eyes everywhere.”
The henchman, who had drawn the ominous-looking
implement on Samis a moment ago, quickly and silently
thrust it into a shadowed corner just past Samis’ shoulder.
He heard a gasp, and a faint groan. The guard withdrew his
shiny instrument, smeared in crimson. Someone slightly
built, dressed in the colors of the King, fell forward into
the light, and collapsed at Samis’ feet. The eyes of the
victim, once aglow with the Light of the Realm, quickly
faded and were extinguished.
Samis stood frozen, frightened into stillness. He
choked back a scream, desperate not to draw attention, or
the henchman’s evil tool, which he was presently wiping
clean of the victim’s lifeblood.
“It wouldn’t do to be caught in this little intrigue
of ours, would it, little Samis?”
Samis couldn’t come to terms with the lifeless form
lying at his feet. He had never seen killing before. He
looked at the Shining One, who seemed fascinated, almost
happy to watch the life pour from the wound. With a look
from the usurper, the other thug grabbed Samis and threw
him bodily back the way he had come.
“Remember the Master’s words, little worm,” the sword-
wielding conspirator yelled after him as he swung his
weapon for emphasis. “Back to the Palace, and say nothing!
Or he’ll pay dearly… perhaps at the tip of my blade!”
The Shining Star remained where he was, standing over
the body of the palace denizen. A chuckle escaped his
throat. He crouched down to inspect the dying servant more
closely, admiring the death, appreciating it. He also
checked again his reflection, and shifted his position to
get a better view of himself and the body. Blade-wielder
spoke first.
“Who was he, sir? Do you know him?’
“Standard-bearer to the King,” the Shining One said
with disdain. “Flag-waving fool.” He smiled. “You
murdered him well, Othos.”
He gave a slight nod. “Thank you, my Lord General.”
“When I reach the epoch of my reign and bring this
kingdom to its knees, you will be first to have whatever
position you desire.”
“Thank you, Lord Lumos.”
Lumos looked at the life spilling out onto the stones
at his feet. “The blade is certainly effective, if a bit…
messy. You and Ruadd clean this up. Leave no trace.”
They answered together. “Yes, my Lord.”
“This is only the beginning…”
#
Samis ran out of the alley with all his strength, down
the street through teeming masses of unknowing passersby,
across the great, sprawling city, and all the way to his
little house on the far side of town. He didn’t stop until
he was safely in his little home on one of the lower levels
behind closed doors. Only then did he become conscious of
the steady stream of tears and the pounding of his heart.
He couldn’t shake the image of the lifeless body
staring up at him from the ground. He sank to the floor
and sobbed, desperate to be free of the burdens that lay
heavy upon his heart. “He’ll pay dearly…” That was what
the hulking brute had said. Samis replayed it over and
over again in his mind, driving him mad with anxiety. It
was all his fault! Nemoch wouldn’t be in such peril if not
for Samis’ weakness. Because he was weak, because of his
curiosity, they had been caught. Because he was weak, he
couldn’t stand up to Lumos’ henchmen, and his only true
friend had been taken. Now Nemoch was a captive of those
horrible creatures, facing who knows what unspeakable
tortures. Samis couldn’t bear to think about it. They
were both under Lumos’ control, and there was no escape but
to do his bidding, no matter how twisted.
How he wished they’d never followed that oaf Othos!
But they did; they’d fallen prey to Lumos and his
followers, of which there were many. And their numbers were
growing. Before, neither Samis nor Nemoch had known
danger, or conflict, or pain. Only curiosity. But after
they had been captured, Samis learned fear. He learned he
was weak. He learned pain. Oh, how he learned pain.
Lumos had a lust for ridicule, for humiliation, and most of
all, to exert the power of absolute control over everyone
around him.
Samis also learned how much Nemoch loved him. Poor
Nemoch! His beloved friend, who offered himself when Lumos
demanded Samis’ life. And here he was, the reluctant spy,
performing his duty out of a sense of, if not honor, then
loyalty. For there was nothing honorable in betraying the
great High King of the City of Light. It was a crime for
which Samis could find no forgiveness for himself in his
heart. And no hope either, save that of freeing his friend
from the thing he was now serving. From what was the first
of its kind in the shining Kingdom: Evil.