Free Warriors of the Black Shroud by Peter Howe Page B

suspect the news isn’t good.”
    Walker sat still and silent. What the king said was frightening, and Walker didn’t know why Leukos was telling him. What could he do? The king got up and led them both back to the window he had been looking through when they entered. As Walker gazed out he saw the city sparkling in front of him, its crowded streets pulsing with life.
    â€œI have ruled these people longer than you can imagine,” the king continued, “and I love them dearly. They are good people, not every one, and not all the time, but they are worthy of my protection, and that I will give them until the last breath in my body. I intend to lead those of the Lightkeepers who will accompany me out to Litherium, and, if that has fallen, even beyond, until I can find a Sister City able to join us and fight the Black Count once again.”
    â€œBut why do you think you’ll be able to do what the other patrols couldn’t?” Walker asked.
    â€œWe will be armed with Lances of Light,” the king replied. “Do you recall the spears that hung around the walls of the Sanctuary where the Source resides? They have been there since the last battle with the Shroud, and they were the weapons that helped us defeat them. During the many Eons since then they have been absorbing energy from the sphere, and they can emit a powerful light that is like a deadly poison to our enemies.”
    â€œWhy didn’t the patrols use them?” Walker asked.
    â€œThe lances are powerful,” the king explained, “but they take a long time to absorb that power, and when they are spent they are useless, so we only use them in times of extreme urgency.”
    â€œWhy don’t you just order all the Lightkeepers to come with you?” Walker asked. “After all, you are the king.”
    â€œA knight who doesn’t passionately believe in the cause for which you’re fighting is worse than useless,” the king replied. “No, give me a few good men or women who will be with me to the end, whatever that may be, and I will take them over legions of the halfhearted.”
    â€œWhy are you telling me this?” asked Walker. This was the question that had been in his mind from the beginning, but that he had been afraid to ask.
    â€œYou may think that the mark you bear upon your cheek was an accident of birth,” the king said, “and I suppose it was, in the same way that courage is an accident of birth, or honesty, or virtue. But I can tell you that the mark is only given to those who have all of these qualities and others besides. Had you been born in our world as my son you would have been my worthy successor. However, you are not of this world, and your fate is elsewhere. I am not asking you to be my heir, but what I am asking, even begging you, is that you will remain here until my mission is over, and if it ends badly that you will use the strengths that you possess to guide my people until they find a worthy leader to replace you.”
    To Walker this didn’t sound like such a good deal. It seemed you got the bad parts of being king without any of the good. But even though he had only known the king a short time there was something about this old man that he admired. He never seemed worried about himself, and only thought of what was best for his people. Walker had never been quite sure what made a good person, but he felt that the king was one.
    There was, of course, always the possibility that Leukos would be successful, and defeat the Black Shroud. Then everything in the Kingdom would go back to normal, and Walker would be released of the burden the king was asking him to accept. He thought for a moment, trying to make up his mind. He finally decided.
    â€œOkay,” he said, “I’ll do it, but on three conditions.”
    â€œAnd what would they be?” the king asked curiously.
    â€œThat you teach me how to go between the Kingdom and the Outerworld