The Black Knight

Chapter 27:

"You are good, though not perfect," he taunts. "Who taught you?"

"I did," I say with a clenched jaw, throwing myself back at him.

"Surely not all of your training came from yourself. I bet that man who thinks he can be king helped you. How pity he is, Isildur's heir."

I throw my body weight into my next move with a cry, all with the force of his power still pushing against me. An ear-piercing shriek comes from above and I watch as a Nazgul rider is nearby, fighting against a lone soldier, the same one with the golden hair.

Wait, I know that soldier.

"Ah the Witch King," my father says as we continue fighting. "He is only a taste of what is to come."

I turn back to him and the wall comes against me harder. I find my feet sliding backwards in the dirt from the force. I hold my sword and arms up, putting all my body weight against it.

"This is pointless Faylen. You know you are going to lose. Plus I am growing tired of you. I want to go meet your friends who, oh look, are nearby," he says.

I grit my teeth and force myself to look to my right where past the flames I can see Legolas and Aragorn fighting this way. My father continues talking casually while keeping a hand extended to keep his power ongoing.

"I heard that Isildur's heir is your brother and that you are in love with an Elf. Is that the fellow over there?"

"That's... enough!" I get out as I push harder against his power.

Now I am furious as I gain ground against him, the flames growing in response.

This needs to end now.

Suddenly I feel all the heat inside of me rush towards my hands and my palms burn into the wall. My father drops his hand as if scalded and looks to me warily.

"That's not possible," he whispers.

I smirk, now being able to use yet another ability I didn't know I possessed. I tighten my grip on Lightsbane and feel the fire from the sword spread to run up my arms. My father begins to back up, throwing his power against me over and over. I slash my sword against each blow and move until he is only inches away. I reach out a hand to his head and burn my heat into him. He screams and falls to his knees. I raise my sword up and prepare for the killing blow.

"Please, I am your father," he begs.

"You are not, and never have been, my father," I say.

I bring the sword down in one swift movement and somehow the body turns to ashes instantly. I take a deep breath, taking in my vengeance, and the flames around me die away. A piece of darkness that has stuck with me all my life, before I even became a black knight, leaves the back of my mind. But I can't take in my victory with the battle still around me and what's worse, the new mass of Orcs coming from the mountains of Mordor. I look to my sword and smirk, wanting to see if I can harness my gift to do something else. I am closest to the oncoming mass, the Rohirrim back some ways as they continue fighting and the army of the dead is still in the city. The new mass of Orcs has some ground to reach us, yet they begin running. I forget everything behind me, knowing that I need to do this because if this new host reaches us, we will be finished. I run to meet them head on.

"Faaayyyylllleeeennnnn!" I hear behind me, knowing it's Legolas.

When I get several yards away from the approaching army, I crouch down, willing my flames to come, to save us all. In answer, I pour all the heat out of me to form a wall of fire.

* * * *

"Faaayyyylllleeeennnnn!" I shout as loud as I can.

I saw what she did against her father, her power. Then I saw her give the approaching mass of Orcs one look before moving their way without a fault in her step. I kill the last Orc near me and run her way, right towards danger. Faylen crouches down as if she's waiting for something.

"Legolas!"

Someone catches me from behind and holds me back just as fire consumes her hands.

"Wait, just wait," Aragorn says.

Aragorn lets me go when a wall of fire spreads out in both directions from Faylen, creating a barrier between us and the oncoming Orcs. Orcs throw themselves against the wall, turning to ash, and I know that all power has a weakness and Faylen isn't invincible. I see her stand with her hands against the wall as if she's pouring all that she has into the flames while digging her heels into the ground. Flames lick up her arms and light up against her hair, making her look beautiful yet deadly. The Rohirrim have now finished killing the last of the enemy on the field and all turn to watch Faylen hold back the Orcs.

"By the Valar," Éomer says in shock as he comes to stand next to us.

Behind me I can feel the other Rohan riders come over to get a better look.
Faylen's face turns our way, as if seeing that we are all okay. I see a look of relief come over her before she turns back to face the Orcs.

"She's doing this because she knows we don't have the men to stand against more Orcs," Aragorn says to answer something Éomer asked.

I only focus on Faylen as she grabs Lightsbane, the sword erupting into flames at her touch. I hear her let out a cry before plunging the flaming sword into the earth. She kneels with it and suddenly the wall of fire recedes back into her, leaving us a glance at the stunned army. Then a pulse shakes the ground and a wave of fire radiates from Faylen and out over the Orcs. In seconds the mass turns to ash and is gone, just like that. Faylen rises, a beacon of light against the backdrop of Mordor. She turns to face us though I can see she is exhausted. I remember her telling me that it took all her strength to use Lightsbane when it catches fire. Now after what she just did, I can't imagine how much strength it took.

I find myself moving her way just as she drops unconscious with Lightsbane clattering to the dirt.