Knight: Tracks of Darkness Read online

in some places and reappeared also as a man lunging forward with his blades. Together, they drove the enemy back. It was then that the spider’s daughters arrived.

  The entire world witnessed the event in their dreams. They saw that the three heroes would not last long against such an overwhelming force. All of Omeneir rushed to their beds and slept, dreaming themselves into battle. The dream born arose from their hiding places within the city and attacked from every which way, risking their all to regain their city. Others from across the land of Eos dreamed and entered the battle. Men and women from Omeneir imagined themselves wearing armor, girt with incredible weapons forged from their imagination. The elves arrived to avenge Evendara. The dwarves, centaurs and the minyator all arrived to ally themselves with the companions and engage the King’s enemies.

  Everyone shouted, “For the King!” and the spider’s horde was hard pressed to hold the city they so easily conquered. The battle lifted the King’s spirit, and he purposed within his heart to fight the spider’s curse for another day.

  Day 7

  How they came to the city square and liberated it and how the fountain of the Valier sprung with water once again.

  With only seven days remaining, Mav’ric pressed forward with his brand new army and pushed the enemy back to the city square. Whenever a daughter of the spider stepped forth to oppose Mav’ric, a circle was made to give them space enough to duel. There, Mav’ric struck down one daughter after another, and with each kill his army grew bolder while the spider’s horde grew more fearful of Mav’ric’s blade. The city square was filled with the land’s worst nightmares, pressed into service by the indomitable will of the spider. There were many among the dreamers who fell that night and were unable to wake again in Eos. Many of the dream born also fell and died, and those who died were wholly erased from the celestial board forever.

  Then, Master On Darai and Kalaitos fell among them after being vomited from the forest of Manzil. There was much confusion among both forces as to which side the two would join. Mav’ric looked deeply at the faceless one and extended his hand. Kalaitos smiled a wicked smile, drawing Swazinder and joining the spider’s ranks. But Master On Darai was conflicted, and when the battle was rejoined, he could not discern friend from foe. The fighting was fierce, but when all was told, it was Mav’ric and the dreamers who liberated the city square. Water issued forth once again from the fountain of the Valier. The city was now evenly divided between both forces.

  Day 6

  Of the third day, and how Mav’ric challenged Kalaitos to single combat

  With the city partly under Mav’ric’s control, the hero was finally able to consort with the Vizier. Mav’ric reported all that transpired throughout their adventure in the dreaming. The Vizier was disconcerted. He still held fast to the belief that the spider could not be defeated lest the heroes and villains fought in concert with one another. With Kalaitos’ treachery revealed and Master On Darai’s mind muddled, the cause was well nigh lost.

  The Vizier took his chin in his hand and thought. After a moment that stretched for an eternity, the Vizier gave Mav’ric the following counsel: “You must challenge Kalaitos in a duel to the death. Yes, he wields the first sword ever forged, and everything we have ever learned about the forms has come from him. But if he can be bested in a sword fight, and made to yield, he will follow you. Do this, Mav’ric, and the rest of my plan I will reveal to you.”

  Mav’ric made his way alone past the city square with flags made for formal parlay. He struck down whoever dishonored the truce until he arrived at last in the midst of the enemy camp. Mav’ric took stock of the enemy’s numbers and despaired. He asked for Kalaitos; he challenged him to fight to the death. For a moment, Kalaitos did not give an answer. The horde stirred.

  Then, Kalaitos rushed out of his pavilion and attacked Mav’ric while the Riverblade was sheathed. They fought across the city, felling towers and spires, knocking down wondrous buildings fashioned by dreamers. They leapt together and fought in the skies above the city, Mt. Qidam loomed behind them ever watchful, and all eyes watched the duel in the skies between Mav’ric the Riverblade and Kalaitos the Kinslayer. Kalaitos appeared to anticipate all of the hero’s moves; he invented every form of the sword Mav’ric ever learned.

  Mav’ric lifted up his blade to parry, and Kalaitos swung Swazinder down with such a force that the armies below fell to the ground and Mav’ric crashed below into the fountain of the Valier. His sword, freshly dipped in water, grew immensely powerful. Kalaitos descended to meet him, and Mav’ric prevailed over him with a tremendous display of unparalleled skill.

  Dumbfounded, Kalaitos knelt and yielded. His madness momentarily abated, Kalaitos said, “Let us go up then into the pit of unbeginning, and finish the task that brought us together.”

  Day 5

  Of the fourth day of battle, and of many great feats of arms.

  The Vizier summoned Mav’ric and congratulated him on his victory over Kalaitos. The entire world witnessed the duel in the skies of Nür and the moment became forever etched in the mythical weave. Now Master On Darai needed to be captured. He was deep in enemy territory, hunting the enemy on his own. Mav’ric mustered his army and charged forward, for the lord of nightmares had arrived, horrible and fiendly as he was, spitting fire out of his mouth, and the resolve of the enemy was made new. On this day the forces of the King were driven back and many lives were lost. In fear of the demon-dragon, many dreamers awoke in order to flee his terror.

  Mav’ric deemed, at that moment, that Master On Darai was right; if the spider was defeated, then her touch on the land would falter, and her allies would scatter back into the deep places of the dreaming.

  He parted, then, leaving Jurel Forlorn in command of the army. Mav’ric touched him on the shoulder and said, “Thank you for all that you have done. I ask that you hold the city until we have defeated the spider.” Jurel Forlorn assumed command and he summoned all the remaining dream born to his side, a force that numbered over five hundred thousand creatures that were never born in Eos. Then, the spirit of Manzil arrived as a golden bear, and all her people arrived with her, and Mav’ric raised his sword to honor them.

  Jurel raced up the length of a tower and brought the demon-dragon down to the ground where he was assailed by many blows and arrows. On that day, the demon-dragon was not defeated, for it was not yet his appointed time to die. But there were others who fell forever, their names erased from the book of life, and among those that Jurel Forlorn defeated were the lord of giants, the lord of trolls, and many of the spider’s daughters torn apart with his hands. The matriarch of snakes he also defeated and with help from many others, he wounded the king of the dreaded land sharks so grievously that the monstrosity fled the city with all the other nightmares of the sand-sea. After all these beings fell and died, the spider unleashed her greatest ally, a god she corrupted and enthralled to her service. His name was Ruin and with a wave of his hand Jurel’s men fell dead by the thousands.

  Day 4

  How they approached the pit of unbeginning and found a way inside.

  At last, the companions found Master On Darai no longer faceless, feasting on the leg of an unknown creature. His eyes were entirely black, his nose like a snake, and his fangs were long and sharp. The Vizier reached into the King’s mind with his power and healed Master On Darai of his madness. With four days remaining, the four were reunited and together they crossed the sand-sea and made for the pit of unbeginning. It was like a deep chasm at the end of the world, and sand fell into it like a waterfall. Master On Darai urged his vessel forward, but the pit of unbeginning would not permit the vessel to enter into her endless depths.

  Master On Darai taunted the spider, saying, “And now the predator has become the prey. Show yourself, demon, and face justice.” The spider took the word Justice into her and belched it out with a fell and ghastly voice. She took the word and corrupted it, and the word became fey and wrong. Master On Darai’s sea-vessel crumbled
and the companions fell into the pit of unbeginning. They saw all of her red eyes blinking in the darkness.

  Day 3

  How the Vizier entered the dream city and turned the tide of the battle.

  The Vizier could no longer sit idly by and watch his King wither before him. He rested his head against his chair and awoke in front of the demon-dragon. The Vizier raised his hands and a bolt, crisp and sharp, pierced the lord of nightmares through the heart. The demon-dragon faltered and fell deep underground where many other nightmares fell with him. Jurel Forlorn and his army rallied to the Vizier’s side. He charged forward with fire in his hands, but the way was blocked by Ruin, the corrupted god. His power was exceedingly great and he slaughtered men by the thousands with a wave of his hand, but the Vizier knew that the power of a god was limited. The Vizier hastily commanded Jurel and his army to bow down and worship Ruin. They raised their hands to him and gave him praise. They lifted him up, and as Ruin was filled with glory, he ascended, and he was high and lifted up, and he was cleansed of all corruption. He returned to the heavens where he became silent, watchful (and ultimately harmless) once again. Jurel Forlorn and the Vizier stepped back