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.