The door blew off its hinges. My feet landed firmly on the ground after jumping to avoid the blast. A dark figure stepped out of the storehouse. Dark shadows sprouted from a long black beard and swirled themselves around the stout revenant. An obsidian sword hung at the side of his dark red suit.

“Greetings sir knight. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Duke Morfran.” He gave a traditional bow of the capital’s high court, a bow for meeting at a dinner party.

“Your tyranny ends now.” His belly shook with laughter at my statement.

“While I’ll admit you’ve been quite troublesome for one of the temple’s dogs, you’re nothing more than a dint in my path.” He chuckled again, patting his belly with both hands. “My target is the Lady of Light herself, a fledgling knight is little more than a worm under my heel.”

“Have the ages of undeath decayed your mind?” I asked. “The Lady of Light is an immortal goddess, beyond the reach of death.”

“How little the worm knows about his own goddess. She resides in these very mountains boy. Is your faith so weak you can’t even sense her presence?” He pulled the serrated blade from his belt. “Don’t worry, you’ll see her soon.”

Black steel clashed with cold iron. The force pushed back my block, and left an opening for a cut on my shoulder. His second attack came faster. A low rising slash. Even placing my off hand on the back of my blade for support did little to help my block. The strike lifted me off my feet and flung me back.

My balance held true, and I stayed on my feet. His speed was incredible. His third attack came high, leaving his lower body exposed. I side stepped the downswing and stepped into my counter slash.

The deep gash in his side drove him back for a moment, but no blood came from the wound. Neither the cold iron nor the alchemical silver that formed my blade had any effect. His wound closed rapidly and left no scar behind.

His belly jiggled with laughter. “Not bad fledgling. You’ve already achieved more than most of your former brethren. Your swordsmanship is quite polished.”

I didn’t give him much time to say more. I pressed my assault with a volley of slashes to keep him on the defensive. After another laugh, he made no attempt to block my attacks. Slash after slash found a soft target until his boot connected with my abdomen and sent me to my knees.

“You could hack away at me all night, and do nothing. The swords of your order may have an effect on lesser aes sídhe, but I have surpassed such weakness.” Another attack sliced through the air, and the stone skin of my arm. Blood flowed from the crack in my marbled skin.

“Bring peace to…” my chant was cut short by another swift kick.

“None of that now,” the duke mocked. “That silly chant always gives you knights courage and hope. Your fear and despair will taste much sweeter.”

Ash, dirt, and blood mixed in my mouth as my face met the ground. The weight of his boot continued to press against my head.

“Let’s play a game,” he said. Another kick rolled me onto my back. “Let’s see which chant sounds sweeter.” A dark hymn rang in the air.

Agony ripped through my body. My blood became fire in my veins, and pumped through my body faster with the adrenaline. Wave after wave wreaked havoc on my insides. My anguished wails rippled through the streets, harmonized by vile laughter. Whenever closing blackness promised an end to the pain, another wave would bring me back to awful awareness. I was helpless without my protective amulet.

Another scream joined mine as the cycle of pain snapped. My eyes rose to see a wooden blade sticking out of my tormentor’s chest. Behind him, Bevin stood pressing the hilt of the sword to the demon’s back. Smoke and shadow leaked out of the wound.

“Bevin, run!” I coughed out. But he didn’t run. He started twisting the handle and turning the blade.

The duke turned and backhanded the boy with all his might. Bevin crashed into the storehouse wall. The aes sídhe pulled the yew blade from his chest and tossed it at the boy. Sinister words called from the shadows and formed an incantation. Hair stood on the back of my neck as I watched the boy get to his feet, sword in hand.

I needed to move. I tried to move. Time slowed as the last vile word completed the spell. Without a sound, Bevin was drained of life and crumpled to the ground.

“Bring peace to the lost lambs.”

Light from the runes on my blade ignited with silver flames. The blaze held my gaze for a moment, I had never heard of holy flames growing without an amulet before. Strength returned to my limbs.

“Tear out the fangs of the lion.”

The corrupt melody of the duke’s hymn rang out again. I could see the tendrils of the curse reaching for me. I slashed through the dark coils and began my charge.

“Shatter the claws of the wolf.”

Black runes constructed themselves from shadow as blood magic prepared another incantation of death. The master of undeath finished the words quickly, and the dark runes flew toward me.

“Silence the roars of the bear.”

Silver light encased me and met the invocation. Bright armor shimmered around me and dissolved the deadly hex. Anger flashed through the duke’s eyes. A growled command kindled black flames to envelop his jagged sword.

“Crush the head of the treacherous viper.”

A barrage of light and darkness sparked through the air as flame and metal collided. The air quaked with each blow as our stepdance raged through the streets. The discord of our chants set the world to a tune of war.

“Deliver the hammer of death unto darkness.”

The dark sword fractured and the dark flames died. Another blow shattered the ebony sword, and knocked the dark minion to the ground.

“Amen.”

My blade thrust into the heart of the dark being in front of me. Silver flames consumed him. Murky souls rose toward the sky, trying to escape, only to be torched by the light.

The light faded, and I stood over scorched earth.