Lamp of Light

by Alex H Singh

  She picked up her hairbrush and walked over to her vanity, where she sat and combed through her hair. After a moment, she felt a third, small presence in the room, but it quickly disappeared. Her eyes searched the room, and she wondered what that feeling came from, since she didn’t like to be caught unawares. The door locked. She was alone.

  It took a second for her to compose herself from the brief scare, and she continued to ignore the jeers from Adam who was trying like hell to annoy her. That drifted off, eventually, and it became quiet once more.

  Back in the forest, Damien sat at his watch post and sharpened his blade. Sparks flew all around as stone kissed metal. He looked at the edge deciding it was already sharp enough but needing it sharper still. He didn’t want to have to strike down a foe more than once. His fighting strategy was one powerful, mortal strike and move on, so he could focus on other targets. His sword glowed an eerie red and he mentally willed it to calm down. It longed for the blood. He knew it’d have its fill come daybreak he could already taste it.

  An owl hooted, and it broke through his reverie to which he scowled. Damien thought of her again, the woman he loved, and it soothed him. He wished she would just come through the barrier and declare her unending love for him. Then they would return to his home in the abyss and be together for all time. The thought excited him as he sharpened his blade.

  The owl hooted again.

  Meanwhile, inside his tent, the map of Tibethia that had been laid out on a table rustled in the wind. He’d placed a stone on top of it to keep it from flying off, but unbeknownst to the woodsman; a part of the map began to glow. The location: Edmond’s Pass was illuminated briefly before it died out again.

  Damien finished up the maintenance on his blade and he sheathed it to keep it prepped for the morning battle. It was more like a massacre; he wouldn’t let his guard down. Greed was a strong incentive for them and the thirst for power and the riches that came with the throne was the most inspiring of all. He knew the leading families were greedy and Noelle was going to use that leverage to eliminate them from her path completely. Damien found her to be such a spoiled, evil little girl, but she did earn his respect for being such a brilliant strategist. Not only did she have plans but there were contingencies in line should something unforeseen hinder anything.

  A rustle came from his right and he turned in time to see a deer bound over a fallen tree just before it disappeared into the dark woods.

  The map lit up again, and Edmond’s Pass glowed brightly with the indicator that his tracking spell was still intact. The light pulsed with a steady rhythm until it eventually vanished. The glow was missed once again, since Damien was busy watching the barrier to the fairy kingdom, waiting for his ladylove to return to the human realm.

  Chapter 9

  Present time. Kingdom of Tibethia.

  Dawn brought along with it a tension that was felt throughout the kingdom. Most of the common folk had heard of the rift at the palace, and a lot of them were undecided as to who they agreed with on the matter. Though their approval hardly mattered anyhow, since the leading families tended to do whatever they pleased.

  The people knew that when the dust settled after the inevitable scuffle between both sides, their futures would be decided by whoever was still left standing. Things didn’t bode well for her. The place had maintained an eerie silence as everyone waited quietly in their respective homes for the confrontation to begin. They noted with some level of concern that she hadn’t deployed the Solestian soldiers from Prince Hardy’s kingdom. It couldn’t be because he didn’t offer, since they all knew he was ready to assist. It was entirely possible she refused his help altogether.

  The people hid in their homes, in anticipation of the confrontation, as they knew that in times of civil war and rebellions, they were usually the ones who ended up as collateral damage. They wondered about the princess and what sort of defense she would run to defend her father’s throne. Men had been dispatched to search for Esther Anna, but she was still outmanned with the soldiers who remained at the palace. It’d been speculation that this was Tobias’ plan all along; He waited until this moment, with the guard numbers down, it was the right time to strike. The palace was vulnerable. Some of the Tibethians hoped the princess would emerge successful, while others agreed with the leading families. They believed Noelle was too young to be in charge. There was one consensus that united them: the fact that no one wanted to be ruled by Prince Hardy.

  The sound of horses thundered all around the kingdom. Tobias Eaton, along with the heads of the respective families, rode in front of the small army they had amassed to help remove the princess from the palace by force. He wore a smug smile, confident in the strength of his army and was bolstered by the support of the other families. He felt slightly guilty at his current objective, since it would be a stain on the LaChance family name that had ruled the kingdom of Tibethia for years now. The late King Pierre was his childhood friend before he had assumed the mantle, and they had remained friends up until his death. His passing had affected him greatly, and he swore to avenge him. However, that victory would come after he had ascended the throne and gained control of the entire kingdom. So far, everything was going according to plan, except for the princess’ stubbornness, which had not been factored into the equation.

  As they passed through the kingdom on their way to the palace, he glanced around, noting the hastily jerked curtains and people peering at him from their respective houses. He sensed their fear and for a second, he wished they didn’t have to do this. He looked over at the others, and they were all facing forward, stoically glancing ahead. They didn’t want this either, nor did they have interest in the throne, but they shared his opinion that she should not be allowed to rule.

  They drew closer to the palace, and they began their final stretch of their march toward it. One way or the other, the true ruler of Tibethia would be decided today. Tobias Eaton believed that would be him.

  For a moment, her threats crossed his mind, along with the ferocity with which she’d said them. Noelle looked positively savage at that moment, and he had wondered how an innocent girl could have such a twisted and dark side hidden away beneath all her smiles and happy-go-lucky demeanor. It truly belied reasoning, but he had seen it for himself. Even with her threats, they did the only thing they could to retaliate. They were calling her bluff. Tobias hoped that when they got to the palace, she would meet them at the entrance, tail between her legs, begging them to forgive her, but things were never that easy.

  “This should be over shortly.” He said, upon their approach.

  Inside the palace, the princess was seated on her throne as she awaited the arrival of the leading families. She breathed easily and evenly and relished in the seconds that passed until she could wreak havoc on the families that opposed her. Finally, the time had come that she’d be able to show the people her true nature and get the respect she so deserved.

  Beside her, Damien stood quietly, and he stared into space. She had summoned him as at daybreak and he had taken his place by her side, awaiting orders. He had his sword in hand, and it glowed, a nasty red, as they waited. He could feel the vibrations coming from the earth as Tobias approached the palace, with what he assumed to be at least a hundred men with him. To him, it seemed a little excessive just to remove a princess from her father’s palace, though he appreciated their effort since it would bring his blade the satisfaction it sought for so long. Temporarily, at least. Damien knew there was no way to completely satisfy the blade, as it continuously thirsted for souls of his victims, never having its fill, on an eternal search for death and carnage… Just how he liked it.

  “They are almost upon us.” Damien announced.

  Princess Noelle shifted slightly in her seat. She seemed to feel the vibrations coming from outside, too. By now, they were certain everyone in the entire community could. The princess didn’t mind, since she knew that soon, the only sound that vibrated through the kingdom would be the sound of
their screams as they begged for their lives. Once she had annihilated the leading families and executed their families publicly, she knew it would cement her notoriety and they would all fear her.

  Scared humans are obedient humans.

  Everything was in place. Soon, they would summon her again with the demand that she step down peacefully and she already knew she would reject that offer.

  Then, they called her name.

  “It’s time.”

  Tobias watched with mild annoyance as she walked up to the terrace overlooking where they now stood. He saw her scan his men quickly and then register an expression he mistook for fear all over her face, but only for a second and then it was gone. Good, he thought to himself, happy that the size of his squad seemed to intimidate her.

  “You’re surrounded, Princess Noelle. There’s nothing more you can do other than surrender and come out quietly. Let’s not make this worse than it has to be. Come down quietly and we can wrap this up with no unnecessary bloodshed.”

  But bloodshed is what I want…and I always get what I want. Noelle smiled at his speech and scanned the group again. Tobias had unknowingly brought a lot of men to meet their deaths. They all stared at her with undisguised contempt and she longed to wipe the look off their faces.

  “You thought I was joking when I said I would make you pay, didn’t you?” She grinned. She wanted to make sure they were aware of when they’d signed their death warrants. “I will make you pay for your actions.” She said spitefully and proceeded to turn around.

  “Noelle. We have you beat. Why don’t you just give up? A quality of a good ruler is to admit defeat. If you understood that, you would have surrendered by now.”

  She stopped in her tracks and scoffed. “You really think you came here to win, didn’t you?” Noelle erupted into a fit of maniacal laughter, and as soon as she stopped, she stared daggers at the group of men who were gathered at the foot of the palace steps. “You will find that is not the case.” When she motioned to her side, Damien’s arrival created a great amount of shock that she had hoped to evoke. With another signal from the princess, Damien jumped off the balcony and landed more than fourteen feet below.

  Sir Tobias Eaton’s eyes widened in shock, to match the others who shuffled where they stood and even their horses whinnied uncomfortably. At the presence of the woodsman, the horses had been completely spooked as their riders struggled to keep them under control.

  Damien’s eyes glowed a brilliant red as he regarded the men silently. His sword was placed tip down onto the ground and he rested his hand on the hilt.

  Tobias stared at the demon in front of him and gulped, an attempt at getting his nerves under control. He’d made a terrible mistake. He wiped his brow and cast a glance at his fellow house heads who looked even more scared than he did. They seemed ready to run away at any moment. He grasped for something to say, to strike a nerve with Noelle. Guilt. “Princess, you employ the services of a demon? You dare tarnish your father’s image and good name so soon?”

  “You sound scared, sire.” She mocked him with a smile.

  “I’m not scared, I’m just cautious. There is a reason this dark magic was outlawed. It corrupts. It poisons the user steadily and continuously, little by little. Please. Send this creature away and we can speak.” Tobias looked over at his fellow heads and they nodded in agreement.

  “You all deserve to die for attempting to take away my throne!” Noelle exclaimed.

  Once again, Tobias looked at the demonic creature. He had come too far to give up now. If he walked away, he would be the laughingstock of the kingdom. He felt his initial confidence spike back up and he tore his gaze away from the creature and returned it to the princess. “You forget, princess that I have with me a total of 300 men. All you have is one demon. I can see that your stubbornness has pushed you into acting rashly, so I will say this one last time. Our demand still stands: Surrender or you will be removed by force. Your choice.”

  Princess Noelle smiled at the man’s pathetic attempt at bravado. She had Damien present to assist her, but there was something else she had on hand that was sure to surprise them. She suddenly began murmuring several words under her breath, which concluded with her screaming out a final incantation that no one recognized. Suddenly, the ground around the palace began to tremble, and one by one out of the ground erupted seven creatures that struck fear in the heart of every man who stood within the palace walls. Noelle wore a triumphant smile as she unveiled her secret weapons.

  The seven goblins she had conjured were known to most, as the Seven Deadly Sins, or the Sinty. They were ruthless and existed solely for carnage and chaos. Noelle could sense that they were eager to fulfill their purpose.

  “Nothing to say?” Noelle asked.

  Tobias watched in silent horror as the goblins surrounded them.

  Damien still hadn’t moved.

  “Well, I have something to say.” Noelle grinned. “I’ll remain in this palace as its sole patron and ruler of Tibethia. As for you, I will keep the oath I swore to you.” She glared viciously into the pleading eyes of Tobias and the other family heads. They’re so pathetic. With one smooth gesture, she gave her final command before walking back into the throne room. “Kill them.”

  The screams that followed would forever haunt the dreams of most inhabitants of the kingdom.

  Present time. Miles away from Tibethia. Along the coasts.

  The air tasted of salt and seagulls flew around, landing and taking off in random patterns. The port was alive and there was a general buzz of activity as the seamen went about their various activities.

  Phillip and Esther Anna had gotten up early and immediately prepared to begin the journey, wanting to put as much distance between themselves and Tibethia as possible. The journey to find the port had been less than smooth and they’d had to go around on a longer path to get to the coast without being detected. They’d run into a couple of guards at one point and had needed to double back and take the long way around.

  Anah Carly had come to Esther Anna to inform her that the leading families were making a move against Princess Noelle. The nerve of it all irked Esther Anna and Phillip. The king was barely two weeks in the grave and they were already bickering over the throne. While the queen knew it was part of the norms and traditions, it didn’t take long for them before proceeding to act like barbarians. Greed like that irked the prince and it was hard for him to sympathize with them. Though it did look promising, that this might keep the princess occupied for a while.

  Esther Anna wished there was some way she could reach out and warn them. Noelle LaChance could be stopped, and the kingdom would have been spared from a truly terrible fate.

  Anah Carly had vanished soon after and they’d set off on their journey.

  The pair hid behind an abandoned boat and watched for a while, making sure there were no guards waiting for them at the port. They scanned the area until they were confident that they were not in any way walking into a trap.

  Prince Phillip stepped out of hiding and she followed behind him, making sure to keep her head down as per his instructions.

  They walked up to the first man they saw and informed him that they needed a ship. He asked for their requirements, though it was written on his face that given the opportunity, he may rob them of their last penny. It wasn’t until he eyed the prince’s sword that he seemed to change his mind. He directed them to another man who informed them that he had rented out the last ship he had that fit their requirements that morning. He proceeded to offer them a couple of other vessels, but they refused. Prince Phillip was not a very accomplished seaman and was partial to a specific type of ship. They needed one that was light and fast and could maneuver the terrible waters with relative ease. He didn’t intend to man the ship himself, but he needed the vessel any way in the case where he was forced to take the helm.

  They spoke with several others before giving up, and as they grew tired, they moved to a small section of the port where
food was sold. Phillip purchased their meals, which mostly consisted of fish, and they sat down to rest and enjoy them.

  Esther Anna chewed silently and thought about the situation back at the palace. She was sure that the confrontation had already taken place. She only hoped that the leading families got out in one piece but had a bad feeling that they were subjected to evil beyond their wildest imagination. By the end of the day, the people’s eyes will have opened to the true nature of the princess. The Lamp of Light would give them an edge when they found it, but the only thing in their way so far was the fact that they could not obtain a ship to set sail.

  “It’s good,” Prince Phillip said, breaking into her thoughts.

  The queen nodded absently. She had been eating for a while, but not really tasting the food. She was just going through the motions, but her mind was too busy assessing other things. She took another bite and felt the rich flavor of the meal and closed her eyes with a nod. It had been a while since she’d tasted food as good as this. “Yeah, it is.”

  “Are you worried we won’t get a boat?” The prince asked.

  The queen looked up at him with wide eyes. It was as if he could read her mind, and she thought that perhaps getting her memories had given him some sort of insight into her thought process, and he now knew how her mind worked. It was amazing, and she appreciated not having to say things while he sorted the problem on his own. She nodded slowly.

  “Don’t be. Rest assured, we’re going to get a vessel and get out of here in one piece.” Phillip smiled and took a swig of his drink, some wine which was a little harder on his palate than he was used to. He offered her some too, to help with her light-headedness. As a fairy, his metabolism was way stronger, and he could process copious amounts of alcohol without seeing anything but minimal effects.