Previous chapter: [Untitled].
By his side was an evil shadow of despare, shaped like a man upon a steed as inky black as the cape he wore and as coal black as his armor.
He wielded a great black mace, and a wheel of black fire hung upon a silver chain around his neck. It seemed to be holding enternal forces of darkness, waiting to burst forth.
But all this was nothing compared to his eyes. They were like pools of molten lava, like twin flames dancing a fiery dance. Like pillars of fire or volcanoes. They showed no features, no pupils, just solid red-gold flare.
"Light!" the battle cry echoed throughout the damp planes and a cheer arose as the two armies charged towards eachother. Theôn broke forward in his glory and try as they might no man could match his speed. Theôn's spear shimmered long and bitter, as he threw it at the Shadow Wraith, whose mount toppled beneath him.
Out swept his sword and he headed for the leaders of the Southrons. Great was the clash of their meeting. Theôn's saber flashed and blurred. He hewed the staff and bearer and swept into the Southrons like a thunderbolt in a forest, cleaving through them and leaving their blood-red cloaks stained no less crimson. What was left of the Southrons turned and fled and for a moment victory was to the men of Gondoras.
But then boulders began burying themselves in front of them. Many brave warriors were crushed. It was the trolls and Xitika hurling these rocks of death.
Suddenly the attacks stopped as the Shadow-Wraith rose from the ruin he had fallen in.
A deathly silence swept across the two armies as he rose above Theôn like a towering pillar of darkness. With a look of hatred burning in his eyes he raised his dark mace. It fell upon the young king. Theôn raised his shield but it was shattered and his arm was broken. The Shadow-Wraith raised his mace again, and again it was deflicted, this time by Theôn's short, magical sword. To the Shadow-Wraith it shone like the bright, cruel stars of faraway elven lands.
The wraith soon regained his will and drew a jagged luminous red sword with a pale white hilt and set with evil, pale white gems and crystals. He raised it for the killing blow.
Suddenly the men caught a flash of white and silver from the north, like a small shining star. It moved with the speed of an arrow and it grew larger as it came. It seemed to them that a pale light was spread about it and the dark shadows gave way before it. The Shadow-Wraith raised a black horn and blew it.
An evil screech echoed in the men's ears. A black shadow circle circled above their heads before dropping. The creature resembled a giant bat, except for its razor sharp talons and beak. It was totally black. The wraith mounted it, taking the black reins in his dark hands. The light was now visible as a rider upon a white steed wearing silver armor and white robes. His helm was silver and white and his white sword glittered in the sun like a swan in the sky.
The wraith wheeled in the pale sky as the rider passed under it. Its mount dropped, silver claws and beak stretching out. It wheeled towards the rider. But it seemed to the men that as the rider passed under, a shaft of white light stabbed upwards from his hand. The shadow-wraith screeched and wheeled away. Again he pounced and again he was driven back.
The rider's sword flamed with white fire as he rode. The shadow wraith gave one last wail and was swallowed up by the darkness.
The Southrons though did not give up. The drawing of their swords was like the glittering of stars. But with the white rider against them they could not win. Those whose surrendered were given horses and sent away, but none that flew ever passed through the mountains alive.
Theôn called to the white rider. "Who are you?" he questioned. "Where do you come from?"
"I am Swift-Star, and I am the messenger of Elf-Stone. This I will take," said the man. He picked up the wraith's sword, and as he did the crystals seemed to purify and the pulsing red glow became paled.
He mounted his horse and with another flash of white and silver he was gone.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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