James Somers - The Sword of Gideon

Ethan noticed that all of the surviving Wraith Riders had entered the palace by now. He hadn't been paying much attention to them since facing Jericho. What had happened to the King? By now they might have him. Mordred could already be in control. He had to hurry and get in there to fulfill the prophecy and stop this war.

Jericho seemed to sense his urgency and increased the ferocity of his attack. At the very least he would prevent the Deliverer from interfering with Mordred's plans. And then Ethan remembered the one advantage he'd always held over demons even from his earliest memory. He disappeared from Jericho's sight as the demon's blade drove through the air where Ethan had just been standing.

Ethan raced into the palace on foot. He wasn't entirely sure if he could remain hidden from Jericho. Something about the enormous amount of power exuded by this particular demon had always thrown off his gifts. Even as he had raced after the Wraith Riders, the demons had become less visible to him while he remained in the physical world. Only when he'd shifted before the palace had he realized the full extent of the demonic presence around him.

Ethan shifted again, entering the ethereal plane, rocketing through the palace. He found the Wraith Riders with Mordred inside a large chamber filled with weapons. The iron doors had been blasted open by what looked like a small charge of gunpowder.

Inside, Mordred stood with King Stephen kneeling before him. One of the Wraith Riders held a dagger to his throat. The other soldiers surrounded a small group of Wayland priests. Levi and Seth stood among them. The tips of many swords were held waiting at their throats. For once, even Levi had been left speechless.

Mordred had won. He had taken the king. Wayland would be his if Ethan did not stop him now. There were no demons in the room. No doubt they were all still being held at bay outside the palace by Shaddai's angels. Only Jericho was loose and he would be here in moments.

Mordred laughed, realizing his victory. He looked at the prisoners being held at sword point. "Kill them all. They are of no use to me now."

"Wait!" Ethan appeared in the middle of the chamber. The walls were lined with racks of armor and weapons. This must be the King's armory, he thought. But all these weapons had not been able to stop Mordred and his Wraith Riders. No wonder all of Nod was held by them. And now, Wayland dangled by a mere thread of hope.

Mordred looked upon him evidently not sure how exactly to proceed. Fear danced in his eyes. Ethan saw it there. He feared the prophecy. Facing the Deliverer might still undo his victory after all. "Stop!" he commanded his soldiers.

"Kill him, Ethan!" Levi said. The tip of a sword pushed tighter against his Adam's apple.

Mordred smiled. "I have your friends, boy. Don't do anything foolish. If you are trying to fulfill that useless prophecy, you'll only succeed in getting them killed."

Ethan looked around the room. He wasn't sure what to do. Mordred was right. He couldn't attack him and save his friends. How could he live with himself if he got them all killed?

And then Gideon ran into the room behind him and stopped cold with two swords in his hand. He looked at everyone in the room, appearing shocked at the situation he'd found.

"Well, well, well…if it isn't my personal assassin," Mordred crowed. "Could this have turned out better?"

Ethan suddenly felt darkness enter the room unseen. Jericho had come. His presence filled the chamber with a sense of impending doom. Mordred shuddered at that moment and Ethan saw that the demon had entered him.

There they stood together in one body, more powerful than ever. Mordred bellowed out his laughter. "My plans have all come together now!"

Ethan couldn't tell if it was the demon or Mordred speaking now. Who was actually in control at this point? He had no way of knowing, though he sensed it was probably Jericho-the more dangerous of the two by far.

"Do you remember your sweet, precious child, Gideon?" Mordred asked, a devilish grin playing happily upon his lips. "The child is still in my control."

Ethan stood between Mordred and his friend. He looked at Gideon, the shock plain on his face. So that was the missing piece of the puzzle-the reason why Gideon had allowed Mordred to control him. But how could he have a child?

Then he realized. Ethan mouthed the word Sarah? Gideon blinked slowly and swallowed, but he didn't move. His eyes remained hard, then locked back onto Mordred still enjoying his advantage over everyone in the room.

"The time has finally come, Gideon," Mordred said. Menace made his voice like ice. "Kill Shaddai's Deliverer as you were commissioned to do. If you fail, Jericho will not hesitate to return immediately to Nod and destroy the child as we did his mother."

Ethan looked over his shoulder at Mordred. So, he had already killed Sarah. No wonder Gideon feared for his son. At some point, Mordred had found out what others may only have suspected about Gideon's relationship with the girl. Knowing Mordred, he may have even kept her alive so that Gideon could see her death.

He felt pity for his friend as he turned back to him. But Gideon's expression had turned to stone. What have they done to you my friend? Ethan wondered.

Gideon raised his swords and then looked into Ethan's eyes. "Forgive me," he whispered. Then he leaped at Ethan, his blades criss-crossing before him.

Ethan dodge to the side as one of Gideon's swords cut the air near his cheek. Everything had turned upside down again. Ethan had thought, surely, that Gideon wouldn't actually kill him. He'd been spared on the wall that night Ethan had confronted him. Perhaps he had repented then, but now the threat to his child had taken precedence over everything else. Mordred had control again.

Anger filled Ethan as he realized what was happening. No matter what, he would have to see at least one of his friends die today, or die himself. He blocked Gideon's strikes again and again as they circled one another in the middle of the room, neither of them willing to give ground.

Mordred gazed upon them with unbridled bloodlust. His victory was complete. He had Nod and now Wayland conquered. The Order's greatest warrior priest was his slave to command. The Deliverer might soon be dead and the prophecy appeared to be defeated.

Ethan shifted in and out of the spiritual realm trying to get past Gideon. But his friend was still too attuned for that. Each time his ethereal blade cut the physical air, Gideon reacted, blocking him as though seeing Ethan's strike a moment before he made it.

And then, suddenly, Gideon screamed, "NOW!"

Ethan had no idea what he meant.

Gideon whirled around using his momentum to hurl one of his swords at Mordred. Ethan watched the blade travel, as though in slow motion. Mordred would have no time to react. But Jericho had seen it too and he did take action.

The demon pulled away, trying desperately to separate himself from Mordred's body. Ethan anticipated the demon's move and flung his own ethereal blade to intercept.

Gideon's sword smashed into Mordred's chest, splitting his sternum on the way through his heart. Ethan's ethereal blade caught Jericho just as he exited Mordred's body. Both demon and man cried out in agony.

Mordred stood only a moment before falling forward on Gideon's sword. His life spilled onto the pavement beneath him. Jericho's wounded form, dissolved away like leaves blown by the wind. He had tried to say something to Ethan in that last moment, but his dissolution stole it away.

"So, the prophecy was fulfilled?" One of the children shouted.

The Old Storyteller smiled and winked his eye. "Yes, dear one, the prophecy of Shaddai was indeed fulfilled that day," he said. "Mordred was dead and the demons that had been allied to the Wraith Riders were gone."