by MJ Schutte
‘Lily!’ he whispered back urgently.
Adri looked at Michaela and said, ‘Let’s go to bed.’
They both got up.
Adri spoke to Brighton and Lilian, ‘Is there anything we can do for you before we go?’
‘No, thank you,’ Lilian said. ‘Remember, you are not servants any more.’
‘I know,’ Adri said. ‘But I don’t mind.’
Michaela echoed the sentiment.
As they walked away Michaela asked Adri, ‘Do you think they will…you know…make noise again?’
Adri responded quickly, ‘No, they already did that down by the river. Didn’t you see the smiles on their faces when they got back?’
Brighton wished the earth would open up and swallow him.
Lilian giggled.
‘I told you they know these things. They were both servants in the palace from a very young age. They saw and heard a lot of things in that place,’ she said.
‘Do you think…’ Brighton started but stopped quickly.
He tried again, ‘I heard that Seth had a taste for young girls. As young as them?’
‘No,’ Lilian replied. ‘Luckily for them they were just a little too young, even for Seth. Another year or two and they would have both caught his attention.’
Even though Seth was dead, Brighton couldn’t help getting angry.
‘He was a monster. What about the other men in the palace?’
‘No, the girls were Seth’s property. He didn’t allow anyone to touch the serving girls unless he said so,’ Lilian said.
Brighton spoke slowly.
‘When Adri took me to the guest quarters she was eager, almost insistent to please me. She even offered to fetch more girls if that’s what I wanted. Seth briefly spoke to her just before that. I wonder if he instructed her to do that.’
Lilian nodded, ‘Most definitely. Did you see him slap her in the dining hall? His plan was obviously to make me angry at you so that I will put the bracelet on your arm. As it turned out I was a fool and did it anyway,’ she said sadly.
Brighton put his arm around her.
‘It wasn’t your fault. Seth deceived us both.’
Lilian leaned against him.
‘You could have died,’ she whispered.
‘But I didn’t and now I know how to use my talent properly. So you see, it all worked out well,’ he assured her.
‘Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day,’ he said trying to change the subject.
Concerned Lilian asked, ‘Do you expect trouble? Is that why you tested the barrier on all four of us?’
‘I don’t know what to expect. I just want to be prepared,’ he replied.
‘Raina and Richard are not close, I can’t sense them, but there are a lot of Dark Ones around. They might not be too excited about the idea of a People’s Council,’ Brighton said thoughtfully.
‘You can sense Dark Ones?’ Lilian asked.
‘Yes,’ Brighton replied. ‘Their energy feels slightly different from normal people.’
Lilian nodded. She was afraid of what might happen tomorrow, but had also decided to use her talent if need be.
After all, she is the daughter of a Supreme. Only two people, except Brighton, remained alive whose talent is stronger than hers.
If she had to kill all the Dark Ones in Zedonia to protect Brighton, she would.
Brighton woke up just after sunrise. Lilian was not next to him. He looked around and saw her and the two younger girls coming from the direction of the river. They had been collecting fruit for breakfast and went to the river to wash it.
‘Good morning, my love,’ Lilian said cheerfully.
Brighton got up and gave Lilian a kiss. Adri came closer and gave Brighton a quick hug. Michaela saw this and nervously also came for a little hug. Brighton saw that her eyes were red from crying and she had a shallow cut on her forehead. He put his hands on her shoulders and held her at arms length to inspect the wound.
‘What happened to you?’ he asked her.
‘I fell,’ she squeaked out.
‘Just like that? You were on your feet and just fell over. Perhaps I should teach you how to stand,’ he joked with her.
Lilian was quite cheerful so Brighton wasn’t too worried; this was probably just a small mishap. Michaela’s lips turned upward in a small smile.
‘No, I was running,’ she replied.
‘Then I should teach you how to run. It’s the left foot, then the right, then the left again, then the right again. Go on, try it. Don’t try to run with just one leg, that’s when you will fall and hit your head,’ Brighton said trying to look serious.
Michaela couldn’t stop herself giggling.
‘I know how to run, silly!’ she said and punched him in the stomach.
He doubled over and fell backwards, acting as if he was in extreme pain.
‘I’m sorry!’ Michaela said immediately, concern showing on her face.
She kneeled next to Brighton and put a hand on his shoulder.
‘I’m sorry,’ she repeated.
Brighton grabbed and pinned her down.
‘No you’re not, but you will be,’ he said as he started tickling her.
Michaela was laughing so hard she couldn’t speak properly.
‘…sorry…really…’ was all Brighton heard.
He stopped tickling her.
‘Mmm, yes, now I think you’re really sorry,’ he said as he let her go.
Lilian stood watching the spectacle with a wide smile on her face. She was so glad Brighton managed to win their trust. They have been mistreated all their lives. To have someone who will protect them and be kind to them was like heaven for these young ones.
Michaela got up and sat down next to Adri who whispered to her, ‘Did you really think you could hurt him? He is as hard as a rock!’
Michaela just smiled, a little embarrassed.
Brighton got up and stood close to Lilian.
‘What happened?’ he asked softly.
‘Mischief,’ Lilian answered.
Brighton understood instantly. Mischief probably came to greet them, Michaela tried to run away and fell with her head on a rock.
‘They will have to get used to him. I think he will be staying close to us for a long time. He thinks he needs to protect us,’ Brighton said.
‘Well, I’m glad. Having that panther close is comforting,’ Lilian commented.
‘Did he apologize?’ Brighton asked.
‘Yes, he stood next to her with his head down until she scratched his ears. It took a lot of convincing to make her do that!’ Lilian replied.
Brighton sat down and called Michaela over. He pulled her down to sit on his knee.
‘Let’s see if we can fix your head,’ he said putting his hand over the wound.
Slowly he let a small amount of his energy flow into the wound. When he took his hand away, the cut was closed. Only a small scar remained on her forehead.
‘There, that’s better. The scar will fade quickly and you will be as pretty as ever,’ Brighton said.
Michaela blushed and mumbled a thank you as she returned to Adri’s side. Lilian came to sit on his lap.
‘You’re so good with them,’ she whispered in his ear and gave him a long kiss.
They all sat down to have some breakfast. Brighton was deep in thought. When breakfast was finished he told Lilian and the girls it was time to go. He wanted to get to the town centre early.
Town centre was a busy place. It looked like an ants nest to Brighton. Looking around he decided to borrow a table from one of the shops to use as a stage to stand on. The four of them approached a shop owner to ask for a table. As soon as the man saw Lilian he cast his eyes downward and said, ‘Take anything you want.’
Brighton was flabbergasted.
Lilian whispered to him, ‘I used to come here with Seth.’
Brighton nodded his understanding.
Addressing the man, he said, ‘Sir, may we borrow a table from
you, please? I will return it as soon as possible.’
The man looked up, clearly confused. He stuttered his agreement.
Lilian quickly added, ‘And a small pot, please?’
She looked at Brighton and said, ‘I want beans tonight.’
Brighton put the table right in front of the shop. This way he had the shop at his back and could address everybody where he could see them.
As midday approached, the town centre filled up with people. Brighton had never seen so many people in one place. When it looked like the town centre was packed full, Brighton decided to address the people. He reasoned that anybody that wasn’t present or couldn’t hear him would soon be informed about the news anyway. He climbed up on the table and spread his arms.
This brought almost instant silence.
Lilian and the girls were behind the table within reaching distance of him.
‘People of Zedonia, I stand before you with great news today. The rule of the Supremes and the Dark Ones has ended.’
Pandemonium broke out. Brighton lifted his arms again but this time it took long for order to be restored.
‘A People’s Council will be formed. Representatives of every town will serve on this Council. The purpose of this Council will be to serve the people’s best interest.’
People started shouting again. The questions Brighton could hear revolved mostly around whom he was and how he knew the Supremes’ rule has ended. Again, he lifted his arms for silence.
‘My name is Brighton. I am the one who ended the rule of the Supremes,’ he announced.
A single voice shouted from the crowd.
‘How?’
Brighton answered, ‘I killed some of them; two fled and are still missing.’
Silence fell. The crowd was stunned. Brighton thought that nobody believed him. A former palace servant came forward.
In a small voice the girl said, ‘It’s true. I saw some of it.’
She pointed to Brighton.
‘He is the White Light that killed the Supremes.’
Only a few people in front heard her but the words were repeated and spread everywhere in the crowd.
Shouts of “impossible” rose from the people.
One man shouted, ‘I was at the palace this morning. It’s collapsed, there is nothing left of it.’
Another shouted, ‘I saw that too.’
More people confirmed this. Slowly the crowd started to believe what Brighton was telling them. A few cheers came from the crowd, then a few more. Soon everybody was cheering and clapping. Brighton let this go on for a while before he lifted his hands again. Slowly silence came to the gathering.
‘Who is considered the leader of your city?’ he asked.
Nobody spoke.
Lilian tugged on his pants.
‘The Dark Ones were the leaders and they’ve all fled.’
Brighton bent down and said quietly to her.
‘No, there are a few in the crowd, I can sense them. They must be afraid to come forward or maybe they want to see first how this all pans out.’
Brighton straightened up again.
‘I need to know who is considered to be a community leader. This person cannot be a Dark One. Please step forward!’ he shouted.
Shouts of ‘Graham the baker’ rose from the crowd.
An older man got pushed forward.
‘I’m Graham, the baker,’ he said. ‘Most people know me; I guess they consider me a leader here.’
Before Brighton could speak again another man stepped forward.
‘The Dark Ones will always rule,’ he shouted and lifted his hand towards Graham the baker.
Brighton snapped an energy link to the Dark One and drained him instantly. The man’s lifeless body dropped to the ground.
‘Are there more Dark Ones here that wish to challenge me?’ Brighton shouted, the anger in his voice clearly evident.
He didn’t expect anyone to speak but five people stepped forward.
One of them spoke.
‘We are in control of this city. You cannot stand against us all.’
A thin line of black smoke slammed into the man’s head. It came from behind Brighton. Lilian killed the man without a second thought. She got up on the table.
‘I am Lilian, daughter of Seth. I stand with Brighton. The rule of the Dark Ones is over!’ she shouted, more at the remaining four Dark Ones in front of them, than at the crowd.
One of the talented ones stepped in front of the other three and spoke to Lilian.
‘I am also the child of a Supreme, our powers are equal. You and this man cannot battle all four of us. Stand down and we may let you live.’
Graham the baker slowly stepped back into the crowd. He didn’t want to be caught in the middle of this.
Brighton didn’t want another fight but it looked like there was no choice.
‘Any Dark One who opposes me will die. Make your choice,’ he snarled at the man in front of the table.
The man replied angrily, ‘Enough! This little gathering is over.’
The black smoke from his hand raced towards Brighton’s head. Brighton blocked it easily. He jumped off the table and stood in front of the confused man. The Dark One tried again and again but could not establish an energy link.
Brighton pulled a knife from his belt and slammed it up to the hilt into the man’s chest. The Dark One slid to the ground, knife still protruding from his chest.
Brighton turned to the other Dark Ones, two men and one woman.
‘Make your choice,’ he said to them.
All three rushed forward at the same time. Brighton sidestepped the attack, his fist flying through the air connecting with the woman’s face. Her head jerked back so violently that her neck snapped instantly. Brighton spun around, his big arm closing around the one man’s neck breaking it with a powerful twist.
The third Dark One was against the table.
‘No, please,’ he begged, hands in front of him.
‘Why should I spare you?’ Brighton asked. ‘You made your choice when you attacked me.’
‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’ the man pleaded.
When Brighton didn’t answer he added, ‘I will not oppose you or this People’s Council.’
Brighton turned around to retrieve his knife. He heard the man behind him flop to the ground. Brighton turned back, not at all surprised.
Lilian dropped her hand.
‘He was going to leap for you,’ she said.
‘I know, I was ready,’ Brighton said. ‘But thank you for watching my back.’
Brighton got back on the table.
Before he could speak a cheer rose up from the crowd. The people in the back didn’t know what happened but seeing Brighton on the table told them all they needed to know. He gestured for Graham to come forward again.
‘This is Graham the baker. Most of you know him. If any of you are willing to serve on the People’s Council, tell him. In two days all the candidates must be back here. The people will then decide who will be Zedonia’s representative by means of voting. We will travel to other towns where the same process will take place.’
Graham carefully asked, ‘And what then?’
‘The chosen ones from every town will come to Zedonia and the People’s Council will be formed.’ Brighton explained to the crowd.
To Graham he said, ‘We will travel to Avarya and deal with the towns along the way. Use the former palace staff as messengers to other towns and spread the word. All the representatives must come to you. Give them shelter and food. The messengers work for the people, that means the people must look after them.’
Graham nodded his agreement.
Brighton got off the table and a buzz started in the crowd. He turned to the shop owner whose table he had borrowed.
‘Thank you, sir’ he said.
‘It’s my pleasure,’ the man said with a smile. ‘Is there anything you need for your journey?’
Lilian said she would take care o
f that if Brighton wanted to talk to the people some more. She noticed a few standing around unsure of how to approach him. Brighton answered a few questions on how he thought the voting should be done. Graham waited until everyone had left before he spoke.
‘What do we do if the Dark Ones return?’ he asked with a worried look on his face.
Brighton pointed to the corpses on the ground.
‘If they oppose the People’s Council, do that,’ he said flatly.
‘But how?’ Graham asked. ‘They have powers that we don’t.’
‘They are human too. I could have killed them with my talent; or power as you call it, but I didn’t. I killed them with a knife and my bare hands to show everyone here it can be done,’ Brighton explained.
Graham thanked Brighton and left. Lilian had all the things they needed for the travel and was patiently waiting for Brighton.
He came over to her and said, ‘There is a lot of daylight left. We should get going.’
Michaela and Adri each picked up a rucksack.
Brighton frowned at them and said, ‘Where do you think you’re going?’
Lilian answered, ‘Don’t bother, I’ve already tried. They are determined to go along.’
Adri added, ‘You will need someone to cook proper food. Eating just meat isn’t good for you.’
Michaela also chipped in, ‘And someone to protect you.’
Brighton smiled.
‘Oh really? You’re going to protect me?’ he asked.
‘And Lilian,’ Michaela said. ‘You look very big and strong but I punched you down with one shot, remember?’
Brighton laughed as he said, ‘Very well.’
He and Lilian also picked up a rucksack each and headed for the road towards Avarya.
Chapter 15
THE FOUR TRAVELLERS stopped at every village they passed. There were no Dark Ones in the small towns; they seemed to keep to the bigger cities. The news of the fall of the Supremes was well received everywhere. Brighton explained the process of choosing a representative that will serve on the People’s Council. Mostly a person was chosen immediately and sent to Zedonia.
The first big town they got to was Brasten. It had taken them seven days to get there. Brighton decided to make camp just outside town since it was almost dark.
