Daylight is Mine to Protect

Won

I arrive in the Heartstone to find Gunmar, sword in hand, swinging down on me. I shoot up my staff to block his attack. "What sorcery have you inflicted upon me?" He demands. "The pain... it was unbearable!"

"That is enough," booms Morgana, and Gunmar is propelled away from me. I pant from the combined phantom pains and the effort of suddenly having to defend myself. 

Gunmar looks awed, even crumpled on the floor. "She spoke the truth. You are free."

"You would do well to remember that before you try harming my apprentice again," Morgana warns. 

"Your apprentice?" asks Gunmar. "The impure?"

"She is no more impure in my eyes than you," Morgana snaps.

"My apologies, my lady." Gunmar still looks uncertain. "I was not expecting one of her kind."

"Now you know what to expect. Do better."

"Yes, my lady."

I warily straighten myself and eye Gunmar. I don't trust him to not attack me again. 

Morgana, as I predicted, gives Gunmar command over the remaining trolls in Troll Market. I watch as he subverts each to the will of his blade. I am not horrified, though I know I should be. I just feel distain for those too cowardly to fight. Despite what good that would have done them.

Every time I pass Gunmar, I glare at him, wary of his presence. He is equally as mistrustful of me. Over the first few hours of his freedom, loose rocks and random spikes keep popping up around me. I am positive that Gunmar is behind it, but I can't blame him for it without proof. All I can do is keep my eye on him whenever he's around and watch my step more than usual.

I'm not the only one affected by Gunmar. Angor Rot also becomes more prickly than usual, snarling at the smallest offense and glaring more than usual. As he can't express his frustrations to Morgana, he snaps at me instead. So soon, I find myself fighting a silent battle on two fronts. 

The only ones who are excited by Gunmar's freedom are the changelings. I find them sharpening their blades in preparation for the Eternal Night and hungrily staring at the exit to the world above: They may have lived with humans, but they wanted the world to themselves just as much as any other troll.

I'm still not sure where I stand on the Eternal Night. On the one hand, it's the best vengeance I could've ever asked for. On the other hand, there are these weird feelings of guilt in my stomach whenever I look at Gunmar the Black. I try to convince myself I don't care. I don't. So why do I feel this horrible guilt?

The day is spent preparing for the Eternal Night. Fortifications are put in place, changelings are armed, Angor Rot continues to pile more totems on his already carved pile, Morgana tells me of all the different ways she plans to kill Merlin. I keep myself from dying on one of Gunmar's traps. 

It's a school day. The thought hits me like an avalanche. I hadn't even thought about school for the last few weeks. Jim appearing out of no where reminded me. I wonder how they are doing. How Eli Steve and Jim and Claire and Toby and Senor Uhl and Coach Lawrence and Miss Janeth and Darci and Mary are doing. I even wonder how that DJ (Kleb was it?) and his sister are doing. I never got to know who they were.

I push the thought deep into my mind. Even if I dislike the Eternal Night now, there is no turning back. Morgana will be ready to summon it tonight, no matter what I have to say about the subject. 

The day passes slowly. I train, I watch, I pace. I worry.

I remind myself that I'm doing this for Morgana. She is the light in all of this darkness. I trust her. I have to trust her. I've always trusted her.

I am relieved when Morgana calls everyone together. She stands in front of the Heartstone, her arms outstretched. Changelings of all colors and sizes gather in Troll Market below. I try counting them, but I loose track after fifty. I had never seen so many changelings gathered at once, not even in the Janus Order meetings. I guess the rise of their queen is a good rallying point. "I am ready to bring the Eternal Night!" proclaims Morgana. "Tonight, you will be able to rule the surface! Tonight, our power will be infinite!" The changelings gathered cheer. "Go, my children, and take back the surface!" They cheer again. Throngs of them swell to the exits. Gunmar nods to Morgana and leads his own army behind them. I see Angor Rot in the crowd among them.

Morgana turns around and floats toward the Heartstone. I follow her. 

She reaches the inner stone as graceful as an angle. I watch her glow with power. Merlin's staff extends into her hands. She slams it down into the ground. "Dwo Krust dan otzulak aka emp el-kloka emp bruzi." The lines on the floor alight with golden light. I stand from a distance. Watching. "Dwo Krust dan otzulak aka emp el-kloka emp bruzi." A tornado of power rises from the floor, reaching for the surface. I brush my wind blown hair away from my face as currents of air swirl around the cavern.

I skip backward as rocks fall from the ceiling, threatening to crush me. Morgana stands unworried, staring up at her achievement. "At last," she whispers. "I have done what even Merlin could not do." She turns her head to face me, sending shivers down my spine. Her eyes glow green. "Smile, my apprentice. We have won."

We have won.

We have won.

Smile. 

Why am I so empty?

A/N: Guess I'm updating twice a week now.