The Travellers

The Importance of Light

As the second day dawned Althalus stepped outside the hall to find the Overlord waiting at the foot of the stair. His back was turned, "Why are you challenging me?" his voice was odd, to loud yet too quiet. Althalus started down the stairs as he answered, "You have embraced the dark you were meant to fight, you killed all who have questioned your power, your right to rule. Tell me, why I should not defy you?"

The Overlord turned and Althalus saw the madness in his eyes, "Because I am greater than you."

Althalus smiled at the Overlords answer and looked around at the early morning light, "Have you ever lit a candle?" He asked instead of replying,

"What have candles got to do with this?"

"However great the dark may seem, however, filled with fears and monsters, the light always chases it away. However, small the flame."

Anger flashed across the Overlords face and in answer he commanded his Shadows to attack, but as soon as they touched the sunlight, they crumbled to nothing. Rage sparkled in his eyes as he lifted the sceptre, power filling every part of his mind.

But to slow, to ruled by his power, Althalus had already thrown the magic blade, spinning like a throwing dagger, it pierced the Overlords', heart. With a clatter the sceptre fell, the power holding the shadows failed and they dashed away to hid in the dark and secret places. As Althalus stepped towards the fallen man, sadness filled his heart. He had known that this was how it was to end, the evil in the Overlord would not have allowed it to be any other way. Althalus gathered up his sword and looked at the fallen sceptre. He had hoped to destroy it but such power radiated from it, he knew that he would destroy more than just the sceptre if he tried. Yet such a thing could not be allowed to live in the lands of men.

With a twist of the sword, he sent it the safest place he could think of, an ocean that he had seen upon his travels. So deep in places that even the greatest sea-monsters have not seen the ocean floor. Here he hoped no hand could touch it and the world would have the time it needed to banish the last of the shadows. A few could still be seen filtering through the air. But a candle had been lit and hope was there to chase the dark away.

The End