Sun's Grave

Once, long ago, a little boy named Sunya lived in a small village, by the shores of a great river. He was called Sun, for short. Sun was a brave boy, and he often wandered into the forest around his village, finding new things to see and new animals to meet.

One day, Sun got lost! He wandered for hours and hours, trying to find his way back to the village, but all he found was more trees. Sun got tired, and more tired, and more tired. Eventually, brave little Sun curled up by a really big tree and went to sleep.

When Sun woke up, he was very surprised! Right next to him was a little black-and-white horse. Sound asleep! Sun looked at the horse for a few second - then, when the horse showed no signs of doing anything interesting, Sun got bored. He decided to introduce himself! "Hello, little horse!" Sun said.

The horse snorted loudly, shook itself, and looked at Sun. "Hello there, small human. I see that the rest has done you well. I am Terrorspawn, last of a noble clan."

Sun didn't really understand what the horse was talking about, but Sun liked him anyway. He was sort of cute! "Hello, Ter-or-spawn! Do you know where my village is?" Sun asked the horse.

Terrorspawn shook his mane. "I'm sorry, small child. Time is short, and my mission is pressing. The Doomguard of Loch Inidrien are nearly to the Grave of Three Kings, and the Larch-Knights of the East are hard pressed at Bramble Pass. I have no time to take you to your village."

Sun thought and thought. He thought for nearly two minutes - which was a long time, for a little child like Sun! If Sun just asked Terrorspawn to tell him the way back to Sun's village, Sun might just get lost again! That wouldn't be good. But if Sun came with Terrorspawn, then the little horse could take Sun back once he had done whatever he needed to do - and Sun would get to have an adventure!

Sun looked at Terrorspawn. "Please, Terrorspawn, will you let me come along?" Terrorspawn mused the matter for a moment, and then knelt down to let Sun climb onto him. "We must be off now," Terrorspawn declared, already beginning to canter through the underbrush, "but there will be many dangerous things on the road ahead. If I tell you to do something, little human, you must do exactly that, no matter how strange it sounds. Do you understand?"

Sun agreed eagerly. Already Terrorspawn was galloping through the trees. Sun got sort of nervous for a little while - Sun and Terrorspawn were going faster than little Sun had ever gone before, and Sun was afraid! Once Sun got used to it, though, he had fun on his little horse, shooting through the great forest. He got comfortable enough that he even fell asleep for a little while!

When Sun woke up, Terrorspawn had galloped all the way through the forest. "Where are we now?", Sun asked Terrorspawn. "We're on the Plains of Asgaria, where a thousand armies have marched on the way to conquest and glory, and a hundred battles have left the ground ruined and pitted," Terrorspawn told little Sun. "Now hush - we musn't wake the grass snakes."

Just then, though, there was a great big rustling noise, and a grass snake reared up, just in front of Sun and Terrorspawn! It was pretty big - bigger than Sun or Terrorspawn! It was really shiny, too - the sun glittered off of all its tiny scales very prettily.

Terrorspawn had to stop suddenly when the snake appeared, and Sun fell off. It really hurt! Sun was kind of mad at the snake for making him fall off, so Sun just walked up to it and broke it! He felt kind of bad afterwards, but Terrorspawn still had to keep going, so Sun forgot all about it. In fact, silly little Sun fell asleep again!

The next time Sun woke up, they were in a really dark place. "Where are we now?", Sun asked Terrorspawn. "We are in the Caves of Nightmare, the only road straight enough and swift enough to take us to the Grave of Three Kings before the Lords of the North break the lines at Crossroads and reach the Grave before us."

Soon, Sun and Terrorspawn got to a part of the cave that had a really low roof! Sun had to get off. "Now," Terrorspawn advised little Sun, "while we travel between the Caves of Nightmare and the Road of Giants, you must be very careful not to touch any of the rocks, or lots of little bugs will come out and eat us!"

Sun agreed very solemnly, but inside he was curious. As they walked, Sun saw many interesting rocks, but he kept his promise to Terrorspawn, and didn't touch any of them. Not a one! When they were nearly to the end, though, Sun saw a rock that was just so shiny and smooth that Sun had to pick it up. When Sun did, lots of icky bugs came pouring out - from the walls and the ceiling and the floor! Terrorspawn galloped away, so all the bugs attacked little Sun. Silly bugs! Sun's skin was too thick! Sun stomped all the squishy bugs, and got back on Terrorspawn. Off they rode!

Finally, Terrorspawn came to a stop. Sun got off. "Where are we now?", Sun asked Terrorspawn. "We are at the Grave of Three Kings, where Lundgren, Vivacis and Sophitia are buried, along with the sacred artefacts they used to unify the once war-torn West," Terrorspawn told Sun. Sun asked Terrorspawn, "Who are those little men on the other side?" Terrorspawn solemnly responded, "Those are the Lords of the North and their minions, rebels against the order the Three Kings established, and against the order which I, as the last of the steeds of the Three Kings, am bound to protect. They seek to loot the artefacts, to further their rebellion. This I cannot abide."

One of the men on the other side of the grave called out to Terrorspawn. "Join us, o Sacred Mount! If you joined us, half of the Bramble Knights' forces would desert at once - this bloody war would be over at last! Your line could be replenished - a new peace secured!"

Terrorspawn looked very sad - at least, as sad as a horse can look. Slowly, he said, "Perhaps you are right; perhaps the Regents had grown too harsh. But I am bound by bonds stronger than steel; stronger than reason. I cannot allow this, as much as I wish to."

Then Terrrospawn did something very strange. He grew really big, and his sides got all shiny and metal! He even started breathing fire! He looked over towards Sun for a moment, and said to him "Close your eyes - there are some things that children, even those such as you, should not see."

Sun was a little confused, but he closed his eyes anyway. There were a lot of crashing noises for a while, and some screaming. That was really scary! Eventually, everything was quiet for a long while. Sun opened his eyes, and when he didn't see anything going on, wandered over towards the other side of the Grave.

Terrorspawn was lying there, on some really black ground. He was hurt pretty badly! Sun thought that he could see some of his insides, but he wasn't sure, and it was kind of gross, so Sun decided not to look. Terrorspawn spoke, in great pain. "Little one. I am sorry that I cannot take you back to your village. You can stay here, perhaps; there is ample food to scavenge, and many people who can be your friends. Perhaps, now that I have fallen, you can guard this place."

Sun was a little confused, but he felt kind of bad for Terrorspawn. "Can I help you? I mean - can I get you a healer, or someone?" Terrorspawn shook his head. "No. Just - step on me - once. That will suffice. Thank you." Sun did what Terrorspawn asked. Terrorspawn went crunch! Sun looked at him for a while, waiting for something to happen. Eventually, Sun got bored, and wandered off.

As time passed, Sun learned that everything Terrorspawn had said of the Grave of Three Kings was true. Little deer and rabbits were common, and lots of people would give him things - just for asking! Sometimes people would come to try to take things from the Grave, and Sun had to scare them away, but mostly things were peaceful. He lived happily ever after.