The Knight at the Top of the Mountain By Bobby FascianoThe snow let out a crunch as the young squire made his way up the ancient cobblestone road. His town of Opyredun had been attacked for three weeks straight by a fearsome troll, and as their livestock dwindled, many of the villagers feared that this beast would soon go after them. So the young squire decided to go get the knight at the top of the mountain. He had read stories about the Iron Knight: a great hero a dozen years ago. However one day the stories stopped, and the townsfolk never spoke about the Iron Knight again. The young squire wondered why this was as he made his way through the mountain. Broken signs were strewn about the road, as well as the bodies of ancient warriors, still clutching onto their swords and proudly wearing their armor, their banners long rotted away. Eventually the squire reached the end of this road and the peak of the great mount. There a crooked willow sat, leafless and hunched over a simple stone bench. On that bench sat an armored man, pale brown hair matted down over his eyes, with an unkempt beard which the snow had long ago claimed. The knight appeared asleep, slumped over, both hands resting on the shining silver sword that supported him the way a pillar did the town hall. “I must ask sir, are you the Iron Knight? The one who long ago saved our little town?” The squire poked his head up as he asked, himself a young teen with blond hair and clad in simple chain mail. He carried a shortsword in one hand and a dying torch in the other. “A knight is one who does brave deeds, is he not? A knight is one who stands up to fight injustice, is he not?” Without moving a muscle this voice seemed to emanate from the soul who sat atop that bench. A red banner which was previously mounted upon his breastplate had been reduced to tatters. “A knight is someone who has taken up arms to help people, my liege.” the Squire cautiously responded. “And I have helped no one.” The squire looked baffled. “Are you not the legendary hero who dealt the killing blow to the red winged Balakan, protector of the Worthy? Are you not the one who slew the Behemoth of the Sehbehgo?” The knight stood up with a thousand creaks. Tall he was, though his knees were still slightly bent and his back was twisted with age. He hoisted up his longsword and gazed at it, the snow reflecting it’s brilliance. “But I am too the knight who did not save the Capital Aethera from the undead giant. In its greatest time of need, I failed. And so now I rest.” “I mean no disrespect, my liege, but was that not but one day?” “One day that ended the days of many. One day that went down in history because I did not have the strength to stop it.” “Sir knight, my town, Opyredun, is in danger. You are the only one who can help us. I beseech you, please, in our time of need save us from our doom.” “I already told you,” the knight started walking to the squire, looming over him the way a dragon would to its prey “I am a failure. Do you want a failure to save your town?!” “You failed but once. That does not make you a failure.” The knight paused for a second, and scratched his beard in thought. “I have not taken arms in over twenty years.” The Squire looked up, the intense sun revealing his hopeful eyes “Then there is no better day than today to try once more. Try and be better. Today I ask you to succeed as you have done so many times in the past. Please sir knight.” That night, the tree at the top of the mountain blossomed for the first time in over twenty years. The bench which once bore the heavy toll of regret now went empty, gathering snow forever more, abandoned. The town of Opyredun was saved. Flames of me by A.M. Do you realize in all essence The truth of what you mean to me? Can you put a finger on how many wounds The balm of your words have healed on me I wish I could scrawl the merits of Your soul on your face, letters erupting With a sheen into space Of the dark labyrinth you’ve filled of me Smile to them as you’ve brimmed for me I’ll waltz you In the crack of midmorning like the dazed pledges you sin to me Don’t mind the untamed of me Just dive into the flames of me Idyll by Selina Zhang Why have one sun when you could have four Cream colored skies instead of blue Eyes closed, the idea of grey day overcast is no more While around you the golden-winged warmth flew Then the opening of the eyes To burning light bulbs and living room ceiling This idyllic paradise was really fabricated lies The deceitful mirage of wishful thinking Mirage by Jordan Pai Alone in the desert I find you A beautiful sight Azure pools Glimmering in the blazing sun I realize I’m parched The promise of pure refreshment so close I summon up the rest of my energy and approach You welcome me with open arms I’m so excited I speed up But as fast as I go you remain aloof Fading November 20th, 2020 by A.M. what if we could go back to that day, that calming eerie friday. where all our troubles we weren't able to see, when you could be my poe, and I your annabelle lee. when your voice filled my stomach with butterflies, and you brightened my life with your emerald green eyes. but time, my love, is written in pen, unable to erase or to live through again. and one day oblivion will cease the day, and all my what ifs will wash away. Untitled by Maya Day i trace the windows with my finger the condensation warps the evergreen trees i think if you were to even burn in flames lighting up your being into an eternal ash screams oozing out of your mouth i would only idle for you are something untouchable unfathomable and maybe only a facet of my mind please, leave me. Antagonist by Selina Zhang I was night to your day The shadow to your light In peoples’ hearts you stayed And I was the feared metaphorical dark night You became the protagonist The bringer of justice and right I became the antagonist The one who clouds the future’s sight I was led to you And you were led to me Hurtling towards this destiny, the final battle, we flew And then from my ‘tyrannical grasp’ the world was set free But I won in some way I made you stronger than you alone could have been You ushered forth the distant radiant day I answered the question of when Your glorious crowning daybreak of dawn Rays of light and shadow both cast by the sun After all, it is after the night Then do we appreciate the light all in between by anonymous
a crackling fire a brisk autumn breeze gives me a chill and all at once the world is in black and white as color drains i’m surprised by the lack of contrast everything is gray it all blends together and i wonder why no one else thinks we’re all the same just shades of the same colorlessness in varying shapes but what does that matter when we are all in between?
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AuthorNorthern Lights is an art and literary magazine full of work from the students of North. Have something to add? Email a submission of writing, art, or photography at northernlights@nhvweb.net |