num_pages: 464
description: A medieval-age in a fantasy world where Carnalia's capitol city, Cosmopolis, rules as an empire of smaller nations: Craniantium, Eroton and Pitland. The empire has been at war for centuries against King Elyon and Logon Xychirion, his son, who govern the nation of Ecclessa from their homeland, Splendora.The chief characters:Logon Xychirion, the prince of Ecclessa who died to rescue people from the empire, but came back to life.Lurcan, the evil emperor who enslaves people with his motto-"Live for the Moment, Die for the Empire".Artka, the protagonist, initially fights against the king, but is wounded by one of their glowing swords and as a result discovers that the king is good and Lurcan is evil. He joins Logon's army and is sent to Ecclessa to train in a kingsman brigade.Tren, an Ecclessite general, traveling incognito from brigade to brigade.Scang, Reddy, Harnet &amp; Braxmore, four kingsmen that accompany Artka.Tophet Creatures, invisible swamp monsters that aid the emperor in fighting Ecclessa. They have a stench about them by which people know they're near. They're greatly feared because they devour wounded soldiers from either side.Cusps, shadows that whisper to people, deceiving and causing fear of Logon.Saygus, sage of the Prophecy Mountains, leader of the brigade to which Artka and friends are sent.The Story line:Artka his friends are arrested as they bungle their first highway robbery attempt. Given the choice of hanging or joining the army to fight the empire's foes, they join the army and become proficient with their hickory training swords. They learn that to earn a coveted black iron sword of Carnalia they must dispatch an Ecclessite with their hickory. They're warned that the king has enlisted the help of a Magician who drives mad all within the sound of his voice. That's why many Carnalians turn traitor and join the king, they're told, where they live the rest of their lives in abject servitude to rigid rules.Artka is selected by his sergeant to enter the battle beside him in the Windbreak Forest, a great honor. During the battle Artka meets a youthful kingsman who tries to persuade him to forsake the empire and seek King Elyon's amnesty. In the ensuing fight Artka realizes that the kingsman's sword is actually fighting him, as much as, if not more than, his opponent. In the fray his own hickory sword cracks, threatening to leave him defenseless. But the kingsman makes a mistake, drops his sword, and is slain by Artka. Instead of elation, Artka is overwhelmed with grief.He awakes hours later, after the battle to find Smag, a veteran fellow warrior who warns him that Tophets are nearby. Artka tries to follow Smag through the foggy forest, but gets lost. Smelling a Tophet he panics and flees unawares toward the notorious swamp.In the pre-dawn he finds himself surrounded by a kingsman patrol, but due to the fog they're unaware of his presence. He overhears two of them talking about the Ecclessite swords- that they need to be tolled (sharpened) daily or the blue glow on the sword will fade, making them unwieldy.Artka escapes, but hunger gnaws at him as he tries to find his way back to his own forces. The aroma of a cooking rabbit draws his investigation to a glen. Here he unknowingly encounters Logon Xychirion who offers Artka a real sword. Logon reveals the wound in his chest received from his impaling that breaks Lurcan's power over any who will join the kingsmen. Artka knows he's unworthy of such an offer, and rather than admit his need, turns and runs until he forgets everything since the Windbreak Forest battle.Artka falls in with an Eroton brigade-- despised by most Carnalians because of their debauchery-- until he can locate his own unit. The Eroton brigade is attacked by a large Ecclessite force with varying degrees of glow on their swords, shouting their battle cry "Lives for the King". Artka's adopted captain, when fighting a kingsman with a fully glowing sword, falls when his sword breaks, sending a shard of iron through his throat. The Ecclessite warrior, Tren, tells Artka that the roaster of rabbits has sent for him. Artka's memory is restored in a painful, blinding flash, and he's powerless to resist as Tren pierces his heart In the morning Artka finds himself alive and amongst a kingsman Sharpointer brigade. Tren explains that Logon's words were on the sword that pierced his heart, beginning the work of changing him into an Ecclessite. Nevertheless, he needs to meet Logon and have his wounded heart healed, completing the process. Before they journey to Logons' Rock, some Sharpointers argue with Tren, a Wholeblader, about the way he sharpens his sword. Tren sharpens the entire sword, which causes it to produce musical sounds as he tolls it, causing some kingsman to be suspicious. Bitter words result in Tren being ejected from the camp, despite the fact that he was the only one who managed to rescue a life from the fray.Tren and Artka are pursued by Tophet Creatures trying to recapture Artka to return him to the empire. Tren's fully lighted sword pierces the fog bank in which the loathsome brutes hide enabling him to know where to strike. He unmakes a couple of the Tophets, causing the others to back off, letting them escape. Morning finds the pair in the Valley of Shadows where Cusps waylay those going to Logon's Rock. Artka is separated from his guide and is beset upon by hundreds of Cusps warning that Logon will torture him, not forgive him. A column of twinkling lights appears (one of Logon's Roamers) and drive the Cusps back, allowing Artka to continue his quest of finding Logon. Tren and Artka find each other on the flood plain by Logon's Rock, but there's a Dread, a 20 foot tall evil entity, sent by Lurcan to prevent Artka from reaching his goal. Tren battles the Dread, but is injured, though his sword and a timely flood from Logon drive the empire's forces away. Although injured, Tren manages to get Artka to Logon's rock. From atop the cliff, Logon warns Artka that if he touches the rock he'll die. Artka chooses to die at Logon's hand rather than "live for the moment" anymore. He touches the Rock and instantly finds himself up on the rock with Logon, who was just removing his hand from Artka's wound. His wound is healed by Logon's blood, and he finds himself clad in a spotless, white tunic. He also receives a sword. Logon explains that the tunic will stay white as long as Artka loves and obeys Logon's runes on the sword he's giving him. The runes will instruct him as he tolls it everyday.Tren and Artka make their way to King's Gate Fortress West, the location of the only bridge into Ecclessa, but have a venomous Tophet dogging their trail.The rest of the story details how Artka and friends are sent to a brigade in Ecclessa. They encounter harsh weather, deceptive Ecclessites, derelict kingsmen, more Tophets, a vast underground cavern, and finally, Saygus, who inducts them into his brigade and instructs them in Ecclessite warfare.
language: English
title: The Singing Sword
titlecomplete: The Singing Sword
ratings_count: 3
publisher: Xulon Press