TALES FROM FALLEN WARRIORS ─ marvel

II. The Knights' Fall

Chapter Two
Liam

"About eight thousand years ago, a war broke out between the Light Elves and the Dark Elves," Queen Verena explains, her bright blue hologram pacing the middle of the Avenger's base conference room. It's odd to see; the queen never paces, she never looks uncouthed or unsettled like she does now. "It was inevitable; the beings of darkness and the beings of light cannot coexist. It went on for years, many valiant Light Elves perished...including the Light Knights."

"This war was before Malekith?" I ask from my seat at the conference table, my hand firmly gripped in Stevie's.

Verena nods solemnly. "Yes. It was the Dark Elves first attempt to bring the universe back into the darkness it was born into, and it caused the decimation of the ancient races of Light and Dark Elves. Malekith would not be born for another thousand years. I myself had not yet been born; my grandmother Hemera was queen. She too perished in the war."

"Where does Erebos play into this?" Bucky asks from where he stands behind my chair, his arms crossed, his back against the wall.

"Erebos was the general of the Dark Elves' army. He was a brilliant tactician, expertly trained, ruthless, cunning. He was the perfect soldier. He made it his life's mission to destroy the Light Knights; he felt they were the biggest threat to the Dark Elves' mission."

"Were they?" Khari asks.

"Oh yes," Verena says. "The Light Knights were unique amongst the ancient Light Elves; they could not only wield nature but light itself as a weapon against our enemies. Erebos saw their power as a challenge, so he sent his soldiers after the knights and...it was a massacre. Erebos killed the head of the knights, Eos, and his soldiers slaughtered the rest...well, all but one. Eira managed to escape."

My eyes widen. "Eira? Eira as in the Light Elf who's blood was in the serum I was given? That Eira."

Verena nods. "The very same."

"You never told me she was a Light Knight."

"The history of the knights is filled with so much tragedy. I did not want to burden you with the fall of your predecessors," Verena stops her pacing, her distress so palpable I irrationally feel guilty for bringing her into the loop about Erebos's threat. "When I first bore witness to your power...it was clear Eira's blood ran through your veins, and after what you did in the battle against the Kree and Vanir...I felt that it was time for the Light Knights to return. And I felt-and still feel-there is no one better to lead the new order of Light Knights than you, Liam."

I'm touched by her faith in me, but her vision of a new order of Light Knights will never happen if I fail to defeat Erebos in three days.

"How do I stop him, Verena?" I ask her.

The queen glances around the table, at my family and friends, before settling her gaze back on me. "I agree with Director Roberts; you should take someone with you to get your mother and father to safety, but only you are powerful enough to stop Erebos. Not even Ms. Maximoff or Ms. Danvers are powerful enough to get close to him. Only light can defeat darkness. You have to be the one to kill him."

Kill.

I have to kill Erebos.

I didn't even consider that. I just assumed I would knock him out and arrest him like I do on every assignment...but Erebos is different. Even in prison he poses a threat to everyone around him, and he'll never stop trying to kill me; he thinks it's his life's purpose, his destiny. Every person I love, every person in my life is at risk as long as he lives.