Brian Anderson - The Sword of Truth

Gewey awoke an hour before sunset. Lee was nearly finished breaking camp. Gewey packed his own gear and ate the rest of the bread he had brought. When they were ready to leave, Lee mounted his horse and motioned for Gewey to do the same.

“There’s a hunting trail a mile west of here that will lead us to the crossing,” Lee said. “We should get there just after dark.”

“I thought you were going to tell me about the Dark Knight,” said Gewey.

“We can talk along the way,” Lee replied. “I don’t want to be caught sitting in the open too long. It could be dangerous.”

Gewey nodded and mounted his horse. The forest had thinned, enabling them once again to ride, and it wasn’t long before they found the trail.

“You said you’d heard of the Dark Knight of Angraal,” Lee began. “That’s good. It’s because of him we’re doing this. He’s the reason darkness has spread throughout the land. You’re old enough to remember the Long Freeze.”

“I remember,” answered Gewey. “I almost starved.”

“It was a sign of the Dark Knight’s power growing,” Lee continued. “I don’t know much about him, unfortunately, but I know that he’s stolen the Sword of Truth. With it, he’s locked the door to heaven; and as he masters the use of his power, his corrupting influence changes the world.”

“The Sword of Truth?” said Gewey. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“I’m not surprised,” Lee replied. “Knowledge of the sword has been a closely guarded secret for thousands of years. Only a few people-members of certain temples, and perhaps a handful of scholars-know of its existence. I only stumbled upon it by accident, studying from a collection of rare books that Lord Dauvis had left me. Apparently, the sword was forged at the time of creation. It was meant to be a key to the door between heaven and earth. Why the gods would make such a thing, I don’t know. But whoever possesses it acquires great and terrible power-a power not meant for mortal men.”

“How did he get it?” asked Gewey. “You would think a thing like that would be protected.”

“How he got the sword isn’t as important as what he plans to do with it. I believe he’s locked the door to heaven so that he can find a way to rule as a god. With the door locked, the gods are powerless to stop him. If he succeeds, all of creation will be his to control.”

“None of this answers how I got here,” Gewey noted. “If I’m a god, why am I not locked away with the others?”

“Quite right,” Lee acknowledged. “It’s a question I’ve spent many years trying to answer. As near as I can tell, you were brought to the earth and given human form before the door to heaven was sealed. Maybe the gods saw this coming, maybe not. Regardless of how it happened, the fact is that you are here, and you’re the only one who can defeat the Dark Knight and reopen the door.”

“I still don’t understand,” said Gewey. “If I’m a god, then why do I seem so human?”

“Again, I’m not certain. But I think that when you were trapped on earth, it changed you, making you mortal. The gods can take human form. Perhaps when the door to heaven closed, you were locked in this form. You still have your powers, but it seems you’re also mortal.”

“My powers?” Gewey said, sounding doubtful. “I know I’m pretty strong, but other than that, I’m just like everyone else.”

“There’s where you’re wrong,” Lee retorted. “You have abilities that you have yet to discover. Some I know of, and can teach you; others, I can only guess at. Many things you will only discover yourself, through trial and error. You are the only one of your kind, so no one really knows the full potential of your abilities. The good news is that the Dark Knight doesn’t know either.”

“What is he?” asked Gewey. “Is he a god?”

“No,” answered Lee. “He’s a man, or at least he was. All I know is that he was part of an order, charged with protecting the door to heaven. He betrayed them and took the Sword. The order was destroyed, and its temples abandoned.”

“How did he find me in my dreams?” asked Gewey. “And why now? Why not last year, or the year before?”

“You had just found out that you weren’t who you thought you were,” said Lee. “Reading your father’s letter must have awakened something inside you that the Dark Knight could detect. I was lucky to have sensed him before he tricked you into revealing your exact location.”

“So that was you!” Gewey exclaimed. “You were the other voice.”

Lee nodded. “Yes, that was me. I’ve felt his presence once before, and I was lucky to escape. He knows who I am, but I have managed to conceal my whereabouts. I knew that if he found you, he would move against you. The second his mind touched yours, he knew both what you are, and the threat that you pose. Unfortunately for us, he also knows that you don’t yet understand your powers, and he’ll try to kill you before you can discover them. That’s why we must hide for the time being, at least until you’re ready to face him. His power grows stronger each day. Poor Thad Marshall’s wife is all the proof I need of that.”

“You saw her?” Gewey asked.

“Yes,” Lee answered. “It was I who… disposed of her. Not a pleasant task, I might add. Melton Fathing would have discovered me, if he hadn’t been busy gossiping about Thad’s outburst. I was lucky to have seen her in time. I can’t imagine how the people of Sharpstone would react to the living dead.”

“So she was alive?” asked Gewey. “How can that be?”

Lee shook his head. “I don’t know if alive is how I’d describe her. It was as if her spirit had been forced back into her body. I don’t think she knew where she was, or why. What the Dark Knight has done to cause this is a mystery, but there’s no doubt that it was him.”

Gewey rubbed his temples in disbelief. “What did you do with her?”

Lee shot Gewey a look that said not to ask that question again.

“Say I buy all this,” said Gewey. “What do we do now? Where do we go?”

“For now our destination must be a secret,” Lee responded. “Even from you. I can protect your mind when you sleep, but if we’re separated and he finds you while you dream, he could force you to give yourself away. I was only barely able to intervene the last time. But the closer we are to each other, the more I can help. In the meantime, I’ll start training you to shield your mind.”

It was fully dark by then, and the stars were shining bright in the heavens as they neared the river. Two lights from the ferry could be seen in the distance. Gewey knew about the crossing, but he’d never used it before, and being on the water at night unnerved him.

“Wait here,” said Lee. “I’ll secure the ferry for us.”

Half an hour passed and Gewey began to get nervous. Finally, Lee returned with a scowl on his face.

“Let’s go,” Lee growled. “He’s agreed to take us across. And of course he’s charging double to do it at night. The oarsmen want an extra copper each.”

“Can’t say I blame them,” said Gewey.

Lee shot Gewey an angry look. “Just be quiet and let me do all the talking,” he said. “Last thing I need is you saying something stupid and giving us away.”

Gewey wanted to respond, but held his tongue. He followed Lee to the waiting ferry, which was nothing more than a large wooden raft. The ferryman was making ready to cast off, grumbling and cursing about being wakened from his bed, and muttering something about ‘good for nothing foreigners.’

“Well, come on you two,” said the ferryman. “The sooner we get across, the sooner I can get back to bed. Why you can’t wait ‘til mornin’, I don’t know.”