The Sword of Glass

"Only the sword of glass, the sword of legend can kill the ghosts that infest that land,"
said the old wizard.
"But I thought that was only a legend," Egon replied.
"You must go to the ruins of the old border castle and retrieve it," the wizard
continued.
Egon was a young man of adventurous spirit and a degree of princely charm. He was
strong and well built with coppery brown hair crowning his head.
Though he was not sure the wizard was right about the sword or if he really knew it
was at the border castle, which had been ruinous for more than a century, Egon nonetheless
set out for the ruin. He yearned for anything that could rid the lost kingdom of the ghosts that
plagued it.
The lost kingdom was once ruled by his distant ancestors now long forgotten. In his
childhood, Egon heard his fair share of tales about the lost kingdom, his kingly ancestors of
the distant past, and how the ghosts conquered the land like a phantom plague. Though he had
never seen the lost kingdom himself, to do so remained among his greatest longings.
Egon walked silently down the old overgrown and much disused road that lead to the
boarder castle ruins. He had a short sword on his belt, though he did not expect to encounter
any foes as it was rare for anyone to venture close to the border of the lost kingdom, which
was mere paces from the border castle ruins.
The stone castle jutted up gloomily from an outcropping of rock overlooking a mist
filled valley, the edge of the lost kingdom. It was said one could hear the soul chilling moaning
of the ghosts if one got near enough to the border, but Egon heard no such thing, just the wind
and an occasional bird chirping.
He studied the castle with its stone walls showing signs of a century without
maintenance. The rusted portcullis stood permanently open, the once great wooden doors
beyond having largely succumb to rot and termites.
Egon approached with excitement and apprehension. He had never before in his young
life been so close to the lost kingdom. By the legends, it should be a most terrifying place, yet
at its boundary all seemed eerily peaceful. Most of all, Egon hoped he had been right to trust
what the old wizard told him.
Inside the castle ruin was dark and chilly, but Egon was not bothered. If anything, he
thought the coolness felt rather good. The soft sound of dripping water echoed off the stone
walls. Small windows and the occasional arrow slit let in just enough light to navigate by.
Egon wandered through empty room after empty room. Sometimes, he came upon the
remains of long neglected furniture and here and there a rusted sword or dagger, but it seemed
anything of any value had long since been taken away.
After exploring all the castle's rooms without finding the slightest hint of the legendary
sword of glass, Egon knew there was only one place left, the lightless depths of the castle's
dungeon.
He found the steps and descended into the deep darkness of the dungeon. He had to
navigate by feel as it was nearly pitch black just a pace or two beyond the bottom of the stairs.
Determination drove Egon onward.
The dripping water sounds were more pronounced in the dungeon and there was a
splashing now and then as Egon's boots found the puddles throughout the space. The
temperature seemed to grow steadily colder the further into the darkness he ventured.
At last, he came upon a little room, or perhaps it was an alcove and on a table, or
perhaps it was a shelf, he could not tell in the blackness, he came upon a long narrow box. He
lifted it carefully, finding it much lighter than expected. Egon felt hopeful as the box seemed
the right size to hold a sword. Placing the box on his shoulder, he set out to relocate the stairs.
The faintest hint of light from above, barely perceptible, guided him back.
When he returned to the main level of the castle, Egon observed that his sight in the
castle's dark interior was much improved. The box was very dusty, but the fine wood from
which it was made showed not a hint of deterioration.
The flawless condition of the box struck Egon as odd as nearly all the other wood in
the castle was in some stage of decay. He hoped this was a good sign as he undid the clasps
holding the box closed. As he slowly opened it, a loud creaking sound eerily echoed off the
stone walls.
At first, Egon could not tell what was in the box, whatever it was, it was well wrapped
in a cloth of some sort. He excitedly removed the wrapping revealing a scabbard and at last
the hilt of a sword.
Drawing the blade free, he found it like no other he ever seen before. It was light as a
feather and nearly as thin as paper. The blade was transparent, almost invisible but for a slight
hint of blue that shimmered even in the dim light. It almost seemed to glow.
"The sword of glass," Egon whispered in astonishment.
He found his way back outside the ruins where he could get a better look at the sword.
He noticed the fine quality of its manufacture, almost unearthly. Magical he thought. Egon
swung the blade and found it well balanced, much more so than his short sword. The slight
blue shimmer of the nearly invisible blade seemed even more brilliant in the sunlight.
Then Egon noticed another strange thing about this most unusual sword. The hilt
seemed to vibrate against his palm as if charged with energy. The tingling spread up his arm
and through his body. The blade shown like phantom blue fire. Then Egon heard the haunting
moan of the ghosts. The sound sent a shiver down his spine. He hoped the sword would
protect him. He hoped the legends were right.
For a moment Egon stood frozen as a statue and then as quickly as it came, the
moaning of the ghosts subsided as did the tingling in his body. He briskly put as much distance
as he could between himself and the ruins of the border castle. He had not expected the moans
of the ghosts to frighten him as much as they had. It felt as if their sound was made of fear
itself.
"Running away so soon?" came a voice as if from nowhere.
Egon startled and turned toward it, the sword of glass still in his hand. It was the old
wizard.
"The ghosts...," Egon began to reply.
"They can't get past the sword of glass. The lost kingdom need not be lost forever if
only you can find the courage to stand and fight," said the wizard.
"But the...," Egon started to say but he stopped cold when he saw the wizard had
vanished. He had looked away but for a couple of seconds and the wizard was gone. The old
man sure had a mysterious way about him.
Egon found in himself the courage to turn around and return to the ruined castle. He
made his way to the far side of the ruin. He was close enough to touch the edge of the lost
kingdom and the mist shrouding it. Cautiously, he approached, the sword of glass held out
before him.
As the point of the sword touched the mist, a tingle shot through Egon's arm. The
blade glowed bright blue and the mist parted giving Egon his first true view of the lost
kingdom.
It looked no different than the surrounding lands. There were trees and a long
neglected road. The ruins of a stone tower stood solemnly in the distance. In another direction
were the remains of a collapsing wooden structure of some sort.
The moans of the ghosts came again, so loud and so close they chilled the soul. Every
nerve in Egon's body urged him to flee, but he remained determined to stand his ground.
The ghoulish form of a ghost appeared in front of him. Instinctively, Egon stabbed at it
with the sword. It gave half a moan and exploded into a mist that rapidly dissipated. The
sword really worked as the legends said it would.
"...If only you can find the courage to stand and fight," the wizard's words echoed
through Egon's mind.
Another ghost appeared. Another jab with the sword of glass and it turned to mist and
vanished as if it never was. Egon drew steadily closer to the tower.
Soon he was upon the tower's rusted portcullis. Unlike the one at the border castle
which stood forever open, this one stood closed, rusted in place and immovable. Egon
searched around for another way in. He found a crack in the wall formed below a window just
big enough to let him inside.
The inside of the tower was empty and hollow. The sky visible overhead. A few bits of
charred timber revealed the fate that had befallen it long ago. The atmosphere was strange as
if charged with energy. Suddenly, a great glowing mass began swirling overhead.
Egon stood mesmerized as the ghostly form of a king manifested. It was cloaked in
flames, a silvery crown on its head, and a glowing sword in its hand. It was a most terrifying
sight.
His heart pounding, Egon swung the sword of glass toward the apparition as soon as it
descended low enough to reach. The ghost king deflected the blow with his own sword. He
would not be taken without a fight.
Egon jabbed at the apparition again and again his blows were deflected and with such
force the sword of glass was nearly knocked from his hand. He rebounded and thrust at the
ghost king with all his might.
A hunting voice echoed off the empty walls saying slowly, so slowly it seemed like an
eternity, "You shall die. You shall burn just like me."
"No," shouted Egon.
His shout must have momentarily distracted the ghost king, for the sword of glass at
last found its mark. The apparition vanished in an explosion of mist. Egon felt a sudden wave
of heat and pressure sweep by with the ghost king's disappearance.
In that moment, the terrifying atmosphere that had to this point pervaded the lost
kingdom vanished. The sword of glass stopped glowing and Egon's arm stopped tingling. He
looked up to glimpse the ghost king's silvery crown appearing as if suspended in midair.
The crown gently descended landing upon Egon's head. In that moment he came to
realize the lost kingdom was no longer lost and it was his destiny to be its king.
THE END