Star Warden 3: CC. Chapter 2

 

A Brief Respite

After relaying to Daniel what he had learned from Connor. Sam spent the rest of the day training. Since returning from Ramia he had focused on mastering Dawnbringer's true state: Excalibur. He had studied the seven celestial runes learning the meaning of each one and how to use their energies properly. The more he controlled it the more he learned the truth about Excalibur

Excalibur was a no mere sword. It was not sun-forged blessed silver or crafted from the Powers. The blade was the Weave, Everglow, and Dreamscape all in one. The energies of Light, Life, and Law did not just flow through it. The sword was the chosen physical expression of all those powers. Forged from the very Well-of-All Stars to serve as the weapon for its destined wielder. As they waged The Great War. The True Great War: The Eternal Conflict between Good and Evil.

Sam took a deep breath as he let the energies of creation flow through his body. Focusing on the sounds of the nearby waterfall to keep him focused. Runes formed across his bare arms and chest. No pain and no strain as he focused on the fire inside his body. It was a dangerous fire of such raw power and strength that could put star systems to the torch. But it was also a warm fire tempered by compassion and mercy. One that could spark hope in the lowest soul or soothe even the deepest wounds. While his power was more martial compared to his wife's this was deliberate.

As King Arthur and Queen Guinevere were before them. The male took the martial powers and the female the restorative powers. The female was divine inhabiting mortal flesh while the male was mortal blessed by the divine. One a compliment to the other, one to slay and the other to heal. Both to bring peace and stand fast against the forces of darkness led by their destined evil counterpart. While Mordred was the son of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere and thus had a more intimate connection to the past Champion and Emissary. Daimos's actions, both creator and creation, assured that his fight with Sam and Kaguya is also a personal one.

When history does not repeat, it rhymes.

Sam personally did not have much of an opinion when it came to such matters. Destiny was up to God. He did not concern himself with esoteric or metaphysical concepts and focused on directly doing good. After all, what could he do about such forces? He couldn't change them or object to them. What he could do is choose how to play the hand he was dealt.

Speaking of dealt hands, he had a card to play today. That card was a date with Kaguya. The Unicorn Kingdom unlike most of Aetherium was not heavily damaged from the conquest. It was one of the few nations that could resist the Domain military directly. So the majority of the land was kept intact.

It was only through internal treachery by Falstaff, Lord Steward of the Regency council, that the Kingdom fell. Falstaff declared himself King of the Maiden Islands and used his control over the palace guard to arrest the other councilors. Many nobles sided with Falstaff and withdrew their house forces from the kingdom's military. Leaving only forces sworn to the Council itself which were divided in loyalty. The SWAT-bots then moved in and the fall of the Kingdom was complete.

But King Falstaff was content to leech from the land through taxes and throw extravagant parties. Ranger Company and other rebels focused mostly on fighting the Domain's resource extraction efforts. The majority of the countryside still lived as if the invasion did not happen. Working in the fields, taking care of animals, and having families. Many of these villages even gave food, supplies, and refuge to rebels.

Using that knowledge he arranged to arrive in the Unicorn Kingdom a few days ahead of schedule. Thus allowing himself and his wife to have a brief respite before the fight ahead. The small township chosen for this rendezvous was called Cullen's Hand. Named for the monument of a red gauntlet in the center of it. A knighted cleric named Father Cullen slew a demon on the very spot of the town's founding. Leaving only a red gauntlet behind as he died in the fight.

The township sat in a dale that bordered the coastline of the main island. It was this fact that caused Sam to select it for his date. He liked being reminded that he was near the coastline and the fact that his godmother was raised in such a place as well. A fact she shared with his birth mother Hannah. Though Hannah was born in Los Angeles, Long Beach to be precise, not a coastal village by any means but still by the sea.

Though this fact was not the only reason he brought Kaguya here. When they first walked into town they were greeted by faeries with dragonfly wings. Who escorted them into a section of town where many of the Empire's refugees fled too. They gave Kaguya and Sam yukatas, one with a flowery white and gold design for Kaguya, and one stars and stripes design for Sam.

Surprised by all of this, she planted a kiss on Sam's cheek. “Thank you,” she said.

Their first destination was dinner with rice, vegetables, and a large flamingo. The flamingo meat was a surprise to Sam. But Kaguya enjoyed it immensely.

“I have not had such meat for years,” she said. “We had islands in the southern hemisphere where we used to breed them. There was even a special sauce that was made for flavoring the meat and then there were the spices.”

Sam listened intently about the various spices that went with flamingo meat. The spices were so good that an Emperor had flamingo production brought under direct imperial control to ensure its supply. It did make it more expensive with all the bureaucracy now involved which only made it more desirable to the nobility. Its rarity could be used as a way to one-up their rivals during feasts. Combined with individual house recipes that came with the different use of the spices.

After their meal they traveled to the theater. The play was some sort of farcical comedy concerning a merchant and his family's efforts to stay afloat. Some of the jokes passed over Sam's head but Kaguya was enjoying it. It ended on a happy note with a marriage between the merchant's daughter and a highborn son. Following the play, they enjoyed the sights of the town, including taking part in some makeshift festival games some of the faeries arranged in preparation for Kaguya's arrival.

When the sky darkened and both moons occupied the sky the time came for the final activity. A nice relaxing bath in a hot spring. These springs were located in the hills that surrounded the valley. Various inns and bathhouses had been set up in the area, built around or connected to the ruins of old buildings that contained the springs themselves. Through magic or technology or both the Tuatha built the bathhouses to be a part of the land. Where the hills end and the ruins began could not be determined with eyesight alone. It made the new inns look more like gatehouses or courtyards for the true building.

The couple took an outside bath which they had completely to themselves. Enjoying the hot waters and cool evening breeze. Capped off with the sight of the twin mooned sky and the bright town below. The staff brought a plate of sweets for them. Kaguya hand-fed the sweets to him as her form of thanks. He didn't argue with her. 

Once they were done and fully dressed they took a spot on the hill and waited for the fireworks display. This one Sam had no hand in, Kaguya's people wanted to celebrate their visit and date. The Princess sat in Sam's lap resting her head on his chest with her husband's arms wrapped around her.

“Today has been wonderful,” she said. A purr escaped her lips. “You have spoiled me for two lifetimes over.”

“Only two? Looks like I'm out of practice.”

“Oh dear, please stay that way.” She giggled. “If this day was any better. I fear I would die from sheer bliss.”

“I guess we'll have to take that risk then. Can't let a poor review get out and ruin my reputation.” She laughed at that.

A large glow caught Sam's eye. “Looks like the fireworks are starting.”

They turned to look only to see that the glow was not coming from the sky but from the ground. The township of Cullen's Hand was on fire. By the hands of Minotaurs.

“No!” Kaguya was distraught.

Sam stayed calm and pulled out his Talisman from one of his pockets. He had asked for a pocket to be installed just in case a situation like this would happen. He hated being right. 

“Merlin,” he said. The golden-winged orb manifested before him.

“Yes, Sir Bailey?”

“Winter Contingency.”

The Warden's armor and weapons were summoned alongside Kaguya's staff. Stored in a compressed data state inside the Talisman.

One of the Talisman's functions was the ability to transmute physical items into data so they could be stored for later. Sam liked to call it the bag of holding function.

Armor fully donned and weapons equipped. The Star Warden rocketed into battle. Kaguya flying right behind him. 

Chapter 3

Chapter 1