by Neil Breault
“Come now, how would Omoni know what it is like to be me? He is also but a child in my eyes. What did he really say?”
“He told me that I should not be friends with anyone, as I will outlive them.”
“It is true you will outlive everyone you know. That does not mean you should not be friends with anyone. Or that you will be alone. I have had many friends and many lovers over the years. All of those relationships have ended, and many were ended before they died. At some point your loved ones will come to resent you and the fact you will not seem to age. When you are still sparring with new recruits and Bayle is confined to his deathbed, you will understand.”
“But I’ve never seen you friendly with anyone. Well, I have seen you friendly, but not as a real friend.”
“No, I have not had anyone I would call a friend in nearly a hundred years. Before your father could not handle the time, he used to be a great friend. But seeing enough of his lovers die, he found wine filled many of his needs just as well.”
“Why have you not become a drunk like my father?”
“The duties of Archon will take up much of your time, and even with as much time as we have it is never enough. Even after the mundane necessary tasks have been completed, the runes provide an enormous amount of wealth, knowledge, and enjoyment for me. So much knowledge was lost after the sundering.”
Voletain had been drawing runes in the air as he talked. Both of them watched the runes dance in the air until they vanished.
“So, should I stop being friends with Bayle?”
“I cannot answer that for you, but many of the friendships I have had got me through some rough years.”
“I don’t think I could stop being friends with Bayle, but I don’t want him to hate me either.”
“He will have to come to terms with what you are himself. If he cannot, then there is nothing you can do for him.”
Voletain got up and started searching for something in the back of his study. Mikol did not think Bayle would ever be jealous of him or come to resent him. They had done too much together for anything to come between them. But Mikol could not be sure what would happen in fifty years when he still looked as he did right now. Mikol decided he would not be the one to end their friendship. They had always talked about joining the Wardens or even one of the trade orders and seeing the world. Surely, Mikol thought, being Archon I should be able to do what I want and appoint anyone to any position I want. Voletain made a triumphant sound that brought Mikol out of his reverie. Mikol had not noticed Voletain had been searching for something.
“It seems I had not taken as much care of this as I should have.” Voletain blew dust off of a bundle he withdrew from a locked drawer. Mikol could not remember seeing any of it before, but there was so much in the room he did not know how Voletain could find anything. Voletain held the bundle carefully and motioned for Mikol to come closer. Voletain cleared off part of his desk, gently set the bundle down, and began unwrapping it. Mikol felt his jaw slowly drop as the most exquisite and beautiful sword he had ever seen was slowly revealed in front of him.
“This is the last of the true rune swords created in the time of King Ioyan. After the great war, during the Sundering, they were all destroyed, except for this one. It was given to the first Archon as a symbol of power over the runes. But it is not only a symbol, it is also a powerful weapon.” Voletain ran his fingers gently over the hilt and down the scabbard. The runes responded to his touch and glowed faintly as he passed over them. He grabbed the handle, pulling the sword out. Chills ran up and down Mikol’s back as more of the blade drew forth from the scabbard revealing intricate runes etched on the metal.
“The sword was created for battle in a time when rune magic was wild and untamed. Everyone was able to use rune magic, and chaos was law of the land. It does not protect against all the runes and will not do anything on its own. But it cannot be hurt by magic of any form, and it will not dull, nor will it rust.”
Mikol reached out to touch the sword but pulled his hand back quickly. He had been through every armory in Valefort and had studied every sword he could and he had never seen such a beautiful weapon.
“Let me show you a little of what it can do.” Voletain walked over to a sconce on the wall and removed the outer covering. Behind the ornate reflector of the sconce lay a simple illumination rune carved into the wall. Voletain touched the tip of the sword to the glowing rune on the wall. Mikol flinched as the rune made a sharp popping noise and flared up in a brief, bright white flash. The rune had disappeared and the wall behind was left unmarred. Mikol could only guess at his own expression as Voletain smiled back at him.
“The sword is tuned to its owner, and through it you can will it to destroy magic. This type of weapon could not be created today with what is known of magic. Especially since the weapon is capable of working with an owner that is not tuned to the rune magic himself.” Voletain held the sword carefully in both hands.
“I think it is time I pass this down to my apprentice,” said Voletain.
Mikol stared at the sword, mesmerized by the beauty of the blade. The runes glowed softly in the now darker light of Voletain’s study. Mikol could see hundreds of runes pulsing along the edge of the blade. Voletain’s words finally permeated Mikol’s thoughts. He stammered for a moment before falling to his knees.
“I cannot take such a sword. Such a weapon should be given to a true master. I am not worthy.”
“You are more worthy than I. You are mastering rune magic and shall surpass what I can teach you soon. There has never been a need for me to use the blade, and for a time I had forgotten it existed. I have never wanted to use a weapon either. Mikol, it is I who is not worthy of this sword. Rise Mikol, take the sword, and become the master of Raythrael, Bane of the Malign.”
Mikol stood up reverently and grasped the handle, slowly taking it from Voletain’s upturned hands. Mikol knew the weight of swords and had trained with all kinds, but this was the lightest sword he had ever held. Voletain moved to one of the two remaining sconces in his study and removed the reflector.
“Come Mikol, use the blade and destroy this rune. I have been meaning to change the lighting in this room for some time.”
“How do I do it?”
“Simply think of what you want it to do. Touch the sword to the rune and will it away.”
Mikol walked up to the rune and touched the tip of the sword to it. Nothing happened. Mikol frowned.
“Feel the rune through the sword. Feel the world through the sword. Now let your will come through the sword. This rune should not exist, let the sword destroy it.”
Mikol closed his eyes, thinking of the first sconce. The wall was bare and untouched. He opened his eyes and pictured the same empty wall at the end of his blade. He felt a slight tingle in his hand and light exploded from the wall as it had for the previous one.
“Excellent!” said Voletain. “Remember this is still a weapon and should always be treated as such. This weapon is just as deadly to flesh as to runes. As Archons it is our duty to insure violence is not the answer. Since Raythrael has come into my possession, it has never taken a life. I hope that your time as Archon will continue to this legacy.”
“I shall do my best to uphold your legacy,” said Mikol. He slid the sword back into the scabbard and strapped it on to his hip. He had worn several swords before but this was the first that felt like it belonged.
“I shall continue your studies tomorrow,” said Voletain. “I thought Omoni could teach you about the Wardens but it seems he has other ideas about what you need to learn. He has enough problems right now. Go now and get some sleep.”
***
Mikol knew he could not sleep if he tried. He continued his wandering of the halls of Valefort. His hand never left Raythrael’s handle. He had no other thoughts besides the sword and what he was going to be able to do with it. His wandering took him near the courtyard again. The snow did not stop him from drawing the sword and executing his stances
with renewed vigor. At the far end of the courtyard was a small garden with some trees. After looking around quickly for anyone watching him, he swung at the closest tree. The sword cut through like it was paper and Mikol struggled to keep his balance. He had not expected the sword to cleave through the tree so easily and had put too much strength in to the blow. He looked around again to make sure no one was there to have seen him stumble. He smirked to himself and moved in to more stances. His eyes never left the blade as he deftly went through his training regimen.
Midway through a complex set of maneuvers, Mikol faltered as a scream pierced the air. There was still no one in the courtyard and could not tell where the scream had come from. His head turned quickly to the left as a second scream came from the hallway. He darted down the hallway to investigate. As he reached the first intersection he saw the cause of the noise and backpedaled a few steps. At the end of the hallway stood a large hairless beast. The ambient light glistened off the beast’s skin, because it was wet or scaly, Mikol could not tell. He did not have long to study the beast, as it was holding a woman in its large, three-fingered claws. She was alive, for the moment, but her short, choked breaths punctuated the air. He could see that she was injured but not how badly. Mikol tightened his grip on Raythrael.
Before he could rush headlong at the beast, something flew past his shoulder and hit the beast in the chest, exploding in a shower of colors. The beast bellowed out a roar, staring down the hallway towards Mikol and whoever had flung the spell. Mikol took another few steps back as the beast squared off. Mikol tensed with the beast’s movements; he could not read what the beast planned to do. With every step muscles rippled in the beast but not in any way Mikol had seen before. The beast focused on him, causing Mikol’s breath to catch in his throat. Four overly large reptilian eyes dominated the top of its head. Two were facing Mikol, but the other two were on either side of its head, and he could see them moving independently. Below its eyes was a row of openings that Mikol could only guess were nostrils, as they were moving like a dog’s nose as it sniffed the air. Rows and rows of dagger-like teeth were revealed as the beast opened it mouth for another roar. Saliva dripped off its tongue as it snaked out and licked the woman. The beast dropped the woman. Mikol could not tell if she was still alive but she did not move after she was dropped.
Taking another step back, Mikol flinched as a hand came to rest on his shoulder. Ussan stood behind him and continued to draw runes in the air. With a terse command he coalesced the runes into a mesh that expanded to fill the hallway and moved to the beast. The beast tensed, waiting for the rune mesh to come, and snarled as it came closer. The mesh did not strike the beast but instead wrapped around the beast and coiled around its limbs. As the beast tried to move forward, the mesh constricted, and the beast began to thrash wildly to get away. Mikol relaxed momentarily as he watched the beast struggle. He even managed a smile until he saw the beast strike its own chest. Blood gushed out of the wounds it caused itself, but instead of falling on the floor, the blood dissolved the mesh where it touched and caused the whole spell to fail.
“Run!” said Ussan.
Mikol did not hesitate and took off down the hallway. When he rounded the corner he realized Ussan had not followed him. Cautiously looking around the corner down the hallway, he saw Ussan had erected barriers that the beast was destroying almost as soon as they were created. Soon enough, the beast was able to make it past the barriers, and it leapt at Ussan. He barely managed to dodge a direct impact from the thing, but the beast sliced into Ussan’s leg with a claw. This did little to slow Ussan, and Mikol could not keep up with all of the runes Ussan used to battle the beast. Many of the runes struck the beast, causing it to scream out, but just as many seemed to wash over it without affect. Mikol knew he had to do something and ran into the fray. One of the beast’s eyes oriented on Mikol, and the beast turned to bellow at Mikol. This made Mikol falter a moment but allowed Ussan to finish a strong runic spell that made the beast stagger back.
Infuriated, the beast looked at both Mikol and Ussan. Mikol readied Raythrael. The beast turned its attention to Mikol and bellowed once again. Ussan readied another spell. Mikol tried to scream out but it was too late; Ussan never saw the claw that raked across his chest. Ussan dropped forward and Mikol was surprised how fast the beast moved. He had no time to mourn Ussan as the beast closed the distance in a heartbeat. Mikol was able to block and parry the attacks, but it was all he could do to. He was not able to return the offense. Soon enough, the strength of the beast’s attacks wore on Mikol. He could no longer block the attacks for fear he would drop his sword. He had to dodge and backpedal down an unknown hallway. The beast showed no signs of relenting. With a big enough leap backward, Mikol was able to gain a second to see the battlefield. He saw Ussan’s body in a large pool of blood, confirming already what he had guessed.
Mikol drew forth the anger, drew up any reserve energy he had, and turned it against the beast. He struck out with his sword. Raythrael bit deep into the beast’s arm, but it showed no recognition of pain or injury. Mikol continued to slash at the beast and was able to force it to block his blows. While it showed no signs of pain, the beast was being forced back. Mikol pressed the assault and thought he would be able to kill the beast. He only saw the beast’s arm after it was too late to block it. The beast swiped at Mikol’s leg, causing him to fall backward. Mikol fell hard on his back. The beast roared as it lunged forward for the kill. Mikol knew this was the end but could not go without killing this beast too. With his last strength, Mikol thrust Raythrael forward as the beast fell on him. There was a sizzling sound as the blade pierced the beast’s body. Mikol instinctively rolled away from the falling beast.
He hit the wall and was stunned. He panted and waited for the beast to finish him. When he heard nothing he looked back and saw the beast lay unmoving on the floor. The sizzling sound grew louder. Mikol stood up and kicked the beast over. The sizzling sound emanated from the wound caused by Raythrael. He withdrew the sword. It was covered in the beast’s blood, but it burned off as soon as the sword was removed from the body. He looked down and saw he was covered in the beast’s blood. He would have to burn these clothes. He sheathed Raythrael and rushed to Ussan.
Mikol turned over Ussan and saw his chest had been ripped open. He knew he could not have done anything to save Ussan, but it did little to stop the guilt he felt at having run when he should have stayed and fought alongside him. He walked over to the woman. There were many cuts on her body and face. It took Mikol a moment to be able to confirm the woman was Juna. He did the best he could to cover up her body. Most of her clothing had been torn away. They had talked only a few times months ago. He felt bad they had not spent more time together. She had begun to open up. He almost wished Arceri were dead so he would not have to come home to a dead betrothed. He immediately hated himself for the thought.
Sounds coming from down the hallway brought him to the present. He leapt up and drew Raythrael once again. He let out a laugh and lowered his sword as he saw Voletain and the Wardens. Voletain rushed to Mikol’s side and caught him before he fell from exhaustion. Voletain looked at the bodies. He made no noise but shook his head slowly.
“It is a shame.”
Mikol did not have the energy to speak yet and grunted.
“She was such a beautiful woman,” Voletain said. “I believe she had been trying to understand our way of life. Maybe even coming to terms with what she would become. After Arceri was renounced as the heir and presumed dead, she locked herself in her room. I worried about her so I checked on her regularly. After some time she left her room to wander the castle at night. I had someone follow her on her nightly walks to make sure she was doing well.”
“We both tried to save her.”
Voletain made sure Mikol could stand on his own before going to Ussan’s body. He kneeled down next the body and placed a hand on Ussan’s forehead. Mikol saw Voletain utter something to the body but could not hear what it was. V
oletain moved to the body of the beast next. The interweaving of the two magics had continued to wreak havoc on the body. Mikol was quite sure the body would decompose before they could clean the hallway.
“It seems it was a fortuitous night to give you Raythrael.”
“Why?”
“This is, or was, a Death Hellion. There has not been a recorded sighting in my time. They are supposed to rain death and destruction on their way to their intended target. Raythrael allowed you to stop it before it could accomplish its goal.”
“What do you mean? What goal?”
“I assume that if it had been allowed to continue its path it would have found its target. I can only assume that target was the king. After they kill their target they explode and cause even more damage.”
“Where did this thing come from?”
“That is a good question,” said Voletain. “Let us follow its path of death to its origin.” Voletain pointed to two of the Wardens. “Drag that creature to the sanctuary. You two, bring Juna’s body to the Sanctuary for restoration so she can be given a proper burial. The rest of you, follow me. Mikol, you should come too. This will be a better learning experience than anything we have.”
As they traversed the hallways they found a trail of bodies. Even without the body trail, the bloody footprints the beast had left were easy to follow. The door leading down to the dungeon lay on the floor where it had been dropped after being ripped off its hinges. They had to move the door before proceeding and found another dead guard underneath. The dungeon had never been a well-lit area, but the way down was now pitch black. Voletain created several floating orbs of light ahead of them so they could see. There were two more dead guards before they saw light coming from a cell ahead. Voletain’s hand on Mikol’s shoulder made him realize he had unsheathed Raythrael again. It also dawned on him he had been holding his breath. He exhaled deeply. Omoni poked his head out of the cell and jumped back after seeing them.
