Volki Vagabond

[Volki]

 

Hello everyone,

 

I am reworking this BL that I started around the time I started on NF. For now I want to use it to house some of my writing so that I can edit and possibly expound on them. I plan on throwing some new stories in here as well when I get around to writing them.

 

For training info (soon to be updated):

 

[Volki]

Bone Knight story

 

Spoiler

 

It’s been years since that winter night, but I can still feel the warmth of the fire that consumed my village. The countless screams and pops from the fire melded together as if the entire world moaned with us in agony. I remember how the golden armor of the SunGuards gleamed and danced in the light of the flames. The village Saqar was seen as an abomination to the Seraphim of the sky realm Aaru. Saqar contained immense crypts where we communed with the dead. The Seraphim or angels as they were known in previous incarnations of the universe serve the Grand Architect. They gather and supply holy energy that they leech from the faithful to the legions of Aaru. They soon grew greedy for this energy and sought to wipe out all of the sources of dark energy in this realm.

 

In the shadows of the cold winter night they descended upon us like so many locus, devouring all that they could find. I could do nothing but watch from that small hill near the village where I snuck into the night. I watched in horror as hundreds of SunGuards dragged women and children into the street to be sold as slaves to the highest bidder. Those that refused were thrown into the hungry blaze that was our homes. My father, being a proud man tried to fight with all he had, but he too was soon overwhelmed by the golden waves. My mother, too proud to be a slave tried to make a run for the crypts but she was cut down before so could reach cover.

 

I turned with my eyes flowing with tears; I had to find cover before they found me too. I was only 15 and could not be a slave to these monsters for the rest of my life.  I snuck up to one of the outside walls farthest from the flames. I could hear them going door to door looking for anyone hiding. I scaled the 8 foot sandstone wall. I need to get to the crypts where I can lose them in the labyrinth of bones. I slinked in and out of alley ways and stuck to the shadows. If only Jakum was here, he would know what to do. Jakum was the ShadowGuard responsible for Saqar. He was in charge of the dark energy and the controlling of the beasts of Duat. Without the ShadowGuard we would not be able to commune with our ancestors. Without him we would be left to the mercy of the Seraphim or the Legions of Duat. Every region has one ShadowGuard and one apprentice and Jakum has yet to call upon someone to become his successor.

 

Jakum was travelling to another region to confer with one of his brothers. The SunGuard must have known that this would be the perfect time to attack a helpless village of farmers and miners. The familiar smell of the crypt was comforting. The crypts had become my second home and I knew my way around those tunnels even in complete darkness. I can hear voices back at the mouth of the crypt. “Sir, I am going to check the crypt for any more of these heathens.†The glow of the torch was growing larger as he came farther down the crypt toward me.  I froze, if I started to run he would hear me and call for backup. I crawl into the nearest opening in the catacombs. I hide underneath the bones and armor of that ancient warrior. Just as he rounds the corner I settle down into my hiding place. Slowly he steps closer and closer. He is checking every opening in that hall; if he sees me my life will be over. I feel the hilt of a small dagger pressed against me. I decide that I would rather die fighting then be less than a dog under their rule. My fingers clench around the blade as my muscles tense up anticipating the impending struggle. He is only a few feet from me and as he is about to lean in and look into my little cove and a voice echoes down the halls. “Hey forget about it! Just come back up and help me load up the slaves!†â€Alright I’m on my way!†I let out a small sigh as I realize I was holding my breath. I lay in that crypt hours after those footsteps left me. I replayed my parent’s death over and over in my head and sleep alluded me that night.

 

Once morning came I left the catacombs only to find the village noting but a smoldering pile of ash. The piles of the dead were still smoking in the center of the town. Aimlessly I wander down the path leaving town toward the forest. The only thing I could think of was that I needed to find Jakum. Jakum would know what to do; he was the only one that I had left in this world. The pebbles cut into my feet as I shuffle one foot in front of the other. All I see is the road in front of me, all else fades into the background. Just the crunching of the road and the rhythm of my breathing let me know that time is passing. Finally I come upon the edge of the forest as the beginnings of sunset begin to take form. I am so close. The village of Ladha begins to rise in the distance. Ladha, many tightly packed homes bellowing smoke from every chimney. The roads are made from large warn out limestones and a mixture of pebbles and clay. Every stone is stained black from frequent foot traffic and years of soaking up the dark soil that lies underneath.

 

The guards run up to me as I near the entrance. I am covered in dirt and soot, and my feet are bleeding. “What happened to you boy?†one of them barked. “I must see Jakum, please. Where is Jakum?†The words tore at my dry throat like sandpaper. “He is at the Temple of Lilith, but what does a street urchin like you need with the honorable Jakum?†“He is the only one left alive from Saqar. Everyone is gone in the fires. I must speak to him and tell him what happened.†He eyed me deciding if it was some sort of trick. Eventually satisfied with the pathetic state that I was in, he calls for a sentry on horseback. I am hoisted up on to the back of the horse. The guard trots through the streets as faces peer through the windows curiously at the boy in rags and soot.

 

The sentry stops abruptly at the stairs of the temple. “He’s up there boy.†He points up the long set of stairs that lead to the temple of the dark Goddess Lilith. Every step sends daggers of pain shooting up my entire body. Once I reach the zenith I come upon the heavy wooden door to the entrance of the temple. I push the heavy door open with a low creak. The halls are dimly lit and every few feet are statues of one of the great ShadowGuard champions of old. I find myself in the great sarat room where the prayers are performed. I see Jakum and another member of the order engaged in prayer meditations. I tentatively inch myself closer to them until they realize my presence and open their eyes.

 

“Volki? Is that you boy? What are you doing here?†I collapse to my knees and sob as I retell the horrors of the previous night. Jakum rises and I can see that his fists are tightly clenched in anger. “Those SunGuards have gone too far this time!†“Come with me boy, you have a lot to learn.†All three of us leave the sarat room. What we had in mind wasn’t fit for such a holy room. Jakum leads me to another, smaller room next to the sarat room. He looks me in the eye and stares at me for a long time. He looks at me as if studying my very soul. He pulls out a pendant that looks like it is made from smaller bones. It is formed in the shape of a star with five points. He brings the pendant to my forehead and presses firmly against it. As it makes contact everything flashes red and then the world goes black.

 

I wake up in a small bed with candles burning almost down to the wick placed on the wooden nightstand next to me. The shadows dance with every flicker of the flames. Jakum enters the room, his stern face with its long brown beard with streaks of grey and wrinkles that tell of many long nights. “Get up boy.†His voice was stern but without a trace of anger. “I have offered a sample of your soul to the Goddess and she has chosen you to become my apprentice. Ultimately the choice is yours. Bear in mind that if you choose to enter the order, you may never leave. The balance of the universe and the safeguarding of the contract of old rests in our hands. Once your training is complete you will be the thin line between the three realms. You can never bring your family back, but with the power of the Goddess you can bring justice to the ones who brought about their end. 

The thought of avenging my parents is all I can think about. If this is how I must get justice, then I will do whatever it takes. “I pledge myself to the Order of the Goddess and the Brotherhood of the ShadowGuard.†I bow my head and kneel in front of Jakum. “Rise apprentice, we have a long way to go before you are ready.â€

 

 

Part 2

 

Spoiler

 

Part 2 The Scroll of the Bone Knight

 

The world is a different place when you know the faces behind the shadows. My hand cramps from hours of copying, word for word those ancient tomes. The countless legions of creatures described kept me jumping at every bump in the night for weeks. I studied the ancient words every day as I copied them to a new scroll. After I penned a page I pressed a small braille spur to the pages to match the words. The beautiful bumps on the pages accented the swooping lines and fierce glyphs. The major species of demons fell into only a few major groups, though the variants of each were vast.  The major species families were grouped by the element in which they could manipulate. The tomes were separated into Earth, Fire, Water and Shadow to match accordingly. As I studied every line and bump I learned the way each demon has an impact in this realm.

 

 The Earth demons were fierce creatures that were responsible for the destructive forces of nature. These creatures were the largest of the four with their horns of stone that arc out and curl like a ram. These creatures have been known to cause earthquakes when they gather. The smaller Earth Demons measure only a few feet tall and like to throw stones and cause landslides. The fire demons are very dangerous; they are quick and relatively small compared to the other classes. They can set a house ablaze with just a quick incantation. They are the size of dogs and they can keep pace with a horse. The water demons mainly live in swamps and ponds. They set traps of illusions and lure humans and animals into the depths. They used to dwell in the oceans; I am told the ancients mistook them for maidens calling them from their wooden ships when the seas were still full of life. Lastly we have the shadow demons. These demons are invisible to most humans. They crawl around villages and whisper into the ears of its victims. The whispers can convince the poor soul to think and act however the demon wants. These are the most dangerous; a simple whisper can cause a man to do unspeakable things.

 

The tomes are written in various languages and outline the Enochian language spoken in Duat and Aaru alike. Every day Jakum would teach me the ancient languages necessary for a ShadowGuard.  My favorite myth though was from a very old scroll that was tucked away in Jakum’s study. The scroll told of the time of the first ShadowGuard. He was called the Bone Knight in those days. He ruled and controlled the balance of the heavens without mercy. His armor was made from the bones of ancient creatures and fallen warriors. It is said that his armor was stronger than any metal and he could control the undead creatures to do his bidding. It was said that the Goddess Lilith who is the Queen of all demons and the great Architect of the Universe forged a mighty sword with the power to fight the legions of Duat or Seraphim foolish enough to cross its bearer.   was called the Sword of Gevurah which means the sword of justice in the common tongue. It is said that in those dark days the forces of both sides grew restless with the constraints of the balance and both grew hungry for more power. The Angels and Demons fell upon that great Bone knight. Though he fought valiantly he eventually fell in battle. With his last ounce of strength he called up to the creator for help. In that moment the whole world was basked in blinding white light. When the light subsided, the knight and his sword were gone.

 

The part that intrigues me the most is the tale of his return. It is said that when the last soul is reincarnated into this either and has chosen a path for either good or evil the Last War for the fate of this realm will begin. The lands have been struck with barren women with husbands dyeing in battle before they could create sons. The order knows that he will be reemerging in this world once more to bring balance and peace once more. The final sign will be an earth rattling horn blast. The creature that is said to bring forth the sign of the beginning of the end is called the Dirge Bard. Its beautifully mournful song will mark the start of the Last War.

 

The wooden door creaks open and I hear the familiar clink of that wolf pendant bouncing as Jakum steps into the room. “Alright boy, its time you learned how to strengthen your body as well as your mind.†I stood without question, letting my black robe settle into place. “Put these on and meet me at the clearing in the foothills.†He tosses me a worn out brigandine and leather gloves stained with years of use.  I slip off my robe and attach the buckles of the brigandine and slip the foul smelling gloves over my hands and make my way to the back of the temple.  The air is cold despite the glaring sun sitting high in the morning sky.

 

Jakum was eyeing me from across the clearing the open field. He always had such a powerful stare, that stare was always so striking. His eyes were orbs of dark grey smoke as dense as the morning fog.  He had already received the eyes of the goddess after his year of darkness. The last test of the apprentice is to live out your last year without sight. The ritual is performed by the pools of the Goddess. With a blade topped with the teeth of a wolf you must plunge them into your eyes in sacrifice to Her. With two quick crunches and a pop the lights go out. If you learn to master the darkness and you are deemed worthy then She will grant you spirit eyes. With these spirit eyes we are able to see all of the creatures from the spirit realm and how they move around on the plane. It is necessary in order to be able to fight and control them.

 

“It is time you learned how to fight with more than your mind.†He said as I came walking up. “You must become as strong as any Earth demon and quicker than any Fire demon. You must grow strong if you hope to be deemed worthy of wearing the Armor of the Goddess. The sacred armor is made from bones as hard as steel laced with stones deep from the core of the earth. The stones are black as night, and will snap any blade thrust at it. The bones contain the power of many fallen soldiers. It has been said, that with years of dedication to the arts you could trap the souls of demons with the armor and harness their power. The armor is not light by any means but it could save your life from being burnt alive by the fires of Duat.†His attention turns to a sizable pile of stones larger than my head. “For now we start by learning to endure the crushing weight and not caving under it. Take this ruck sac and place 3 stones inside.†I did as I was told; I was already sweating just from lifting the stones into the bag. My legs and arms bulged in effort as I slipped the straps over my shoulders. My legs began to shake slightly and the gravity of that bag combined with the old armor and gloves was enormous. “You must make the journey to the top of this mountain pass before the sun sets this morning. If you fail to reach the top before night fall then you will be torn apart by the many demons that roam these mountains once the danger of sunlight is gone.â€

 

The path led straight up into the fog giving the illusion of an infinite journey. With an unsure step I began, each step took everything I had to not lose my balance and fall over. The day stretched on as I inched my way up that path. I was drenched in sweat and my hair clung to my forehead and dripped beads of sweat into my eyes. My focus was solely on the rhythm of my breathing and the crunch of dirt beneath my boots after each labored step. As the sun was reaching its final hours of the daylight and the world took on that orange and pink hue I reached the top of the hill. I can see the humble stone platform of white marble. The arch of wood and ivy rise overhead to protect the shrine from the elements. The obsidian statue of the Goddess is in the center. She stands in her flowing gown with a sword raised in one hand. I approached the altar with shaky legs and drop to my knees with relief. I let the heavy stone bag fall to the side as my spine cracks and my muscles throb and burn.

 

I close my eyes and say those sacred words in front of that alter. I can feel Her eyes upon me and it fills me with strength. I vow to Her that I will do whatever she asks of me in order to have the chance to avenge my parents. “You are going to have to move a hell of a lot faster than that boy if you want to survive this.†Jakum’s words jar me out of my meditation. He is sitting atop an impressive horse taller than any I have seen before. The horse’s majestic black mane was blowing in the wind.  â€œGrab your bag, if I had to wait for you to carry it down again we would be food for the rock demons come nightfall.†I grab to bag that seems even heavier now and with the help of Jakum climb onto the back of the horse. Jakum’s ran faster than anything I had seen before. Even though I clung to his robe it took everything I had to not fly off the back and slam into the dirt. As the night grew nearer I could see the giant rock demons stretching and cracking out of the ground in which they hid from the light and I was thankful once more for the speed in which we passed them up.

 

 I performed that arduous climb every day for months. Every day the pack felt just a little bit lighter. Every day I reached the altar just a little bit sooner. Before I knew it I was even jogging to reach the top and bask in her grace once more.

 

“Volki, I think that it is time that you learned how to survive out on the road. It is time that you met the other brothers. You will come with me to the other 5 villages that guard the gates of Duat. Prepare yourself, the real training begins.â€

 

 

Part 3 

 

Spoiler

Part 3 The Forest Temple

 

 

 

 

 

              The road to the forest temple of Johannam was a long and arduous one. That first night, just off the path in the middle of the forest brought those pages of the tome to life. Jakum used the sacred geometry and incantations only known to the ShadowGuard. He cast a protective circle around us and that made us invisible to the various Earth demons that lumbered through the trees in search of their next meal. They fed off of the decaying forest and a fallen tree or a rotting stump was a delicacy. They have been known to hunt down and devour unlucky humans or animals that were caught in the forest when night fell. Frost hung from the needles of the trees all around us as if reaching forward to trap us in their icy claws. The Rune warded circle kept us from being seen and helped to cover our scent but it did little to stop our voices from echoing off into the darkness. For weeks we rode our horses along that path, mine was but a colt barely old enough for a rider and half the size of Jakum’s enormous horse. We had all but run through our supplies and not a single hare or hog had been seen. The Earth demons must be growing in number and without a steady supply of decay, they turn to…fresher game.

             

              We decided to venture farther out from our straight path along the south trail. We needed to swing closer to the mighty river Karth. The river ran from the Vultic Ocean to the North all the way to the East of Johannam until reaching a head in the great iron city of Al Haawiyah. The journey along the river will be more dangerous but we are running out of food and coincidentally, out of choices. After a day’s travel east we make camp and settle in after catching a few fish. Jakum has been showing me in silence each night how to ingrain the rune symbols in the dirt in a perfect circle around us. Then for extra measure I add another circle of the rune stones around us. As we finish getting everything ready for the night the earth around the outside of the protective circle begins to creak and moan and 8 foot rock demons crunch their way out of the ground in which they slept. They move around slowly as they get their bearings and slowly lumber off in search of some food. The rock demons are deceptively slow, when it comes to prey they can run at amazing speed for their heavy size. The ground shakes and vibrates with their heavy footsteps.

       

             Jakum whispers to me when they are finally out of earshot. He tells me that when the Bone Knight was still in this realm his weapons were able to kill even the demons made from stone. “The Bone Knight knew magic that was unknown to his descendants. The magic that we have been able to figure out from the ancient tomes are incomplete and faulty at times. The ancient scrolls of Shedu contain the incantations that the Bone Knight used to wield. What we are left with is only a fraction of the total power that we are capable of. I hate that we must be reduced to hiding in the dark behind these circles but the other incantations are not mine to know, yet. The ShadowGuard does not hold the power that it once did in this realm. We have been reduced to cleansing minor sins from the souls of peasants and putting up barriers to protect the pompous lords and ladies of towns who care not for the old ways. The Goddess told me that you would help me unlock this latent power and restore the ShadowGuard to its former glory. I need you boy; I don’t have many years in me where my back can take sleeping on the hard earth with an icy wind nipping at my face all night. We need to unite these scrolls, this is the real reason that I have taken you in and brought you all the way from your bed in Ladha.â€

 

          I stared at that grizzled face that had seen all those years of fighting, every grey hair and every wrinkle told a story. The small scars that lined his arms where he had to fight off a fire demon’s breathe but was too slow for its claws. This man, who is both hated and needed by the peasants and royalty alike, just wanted the world to be at peace.    â€œI will do whatever it takes Jakum, we will crawl out from these shadows and bring order to this world once more.†“Good, because it may mean that we will have to go against our brothers in order to bring the pieces of the scrolls together.†He reached into his bag and brought out two torn pieces of parchment that seemed as if they would fall to dust if a strong enough breeze came along. “These are pieces of the scroll of Shedu. Every master who guards one of the seven gates holds a piece.

 

          The scroll was separated all of those years ago in order to prevent any one ShadowGuard from taking the power all for themselves. Each piece discusses a specific incantation; the piece that I hold now is of the ancient ways of protection. The magic that governs these protective circles and the runes and pendant that I wear all come from this parchment. The brother who guards the gates of Ladha gave this to me, he wants to help bring back the power that we once held as well. The parchment that I held when I was guardian of your village was the piece of the necromancer. I taught your village how to commune with the dead and use this ancient magic. This is the reason that the Seraphim came to Saqar with fire and hatred. The Seraphim and the Princes of Duat want to reunite the pieces in order to harness its power. It is said that once all of the pieces are one, the location of the Bone Knight’s great sword and armor could be found.

 

         “Then why has nobody reunited the pieces and used this power to drive the demons back to Duat?†I say as I stand up with clenched fists. “It is complicated young one; we fear that the Princes of Duat are waiting for just that. If we were to bring all 7 pieces together and venture out to find the sword and armor of the Bone Knight then the entire Legion of Duat would be clawing at our heels and the Seraphim would bring fire down upon our heads just for the chance to capture even a fragment of the divine power.†“Then why try now?†I say as the anger subsides little by little. â€What has changed that makes the gamble worth it this time?†“In part it is my trust in the words of Lilith and in part the shortening years that I have left. If I am to go out of this world, I want to do it with a blade in my hand and hellfire at my back!†“So what is your plan for capturing the parchment from Johannam without catching a noose to the neck when we attempt to make our escape?â€

 

       We spoke late into the night about what was to come once we made it into that forest temple. Upon day break and with the horses loaded up we were under way once more. The rest of the trip was made in silence; we both knew what we needed to do in order to secure the balance in this realm. I just hope that we do not fail, for if we do it could mean our lives.

 

       The gates of the great forest temple raised high into the great trees, the walls and towers twisted and grew into the enormous bases of the trees. Once we were close enough we head the booming order to halt sounding from atop the tree line. Our horses stop with a few clops and then we dismount. Jakum tells me under his breathe not to make any sudden movements or we would be shot by the archers in the upper branches. I raised my head slowly and scanned the canopy of leaves. If it weren’t for the sun gleaming off the edge of the arrowhead then I would never have seen the archer with my head in his sights. “Who are you and what do you seek in this temple of the Goddess?†Jakum raises his hand and shoats up in the direction of the voice. “I am Jakum, a faithful servant of the Goddess Lilith; I am a brother of the ShadowGuard and then keeper of the divine balance. This is my young apprentice Volki. We only come in faith as I escort the apprentice upon his pilgrimage to the 7 gates.†I hear faint whispers and what sounds like arguing from above me. Finally I hear a loud click from the front gate and the sound of heavy chains pulling the drawbridge down. I can now see that if we were to have gone full speed toward the gates then we would have fallen into the vast spike pits that lined the entire perimeter of the temple.

 

        A middle aged man walks briskly toward us with his modest armor bouncing slightly as he walked. His hair was the color of the bark that surrounded us and his voice grinded like gravel when he spoke. “Jakum? Has it really been all of these years?†A smile cracks on Jakum’s face but there is something behind it that hints at sadness. Maybe sadness for past hurts or sadness for what must come once the sun goes down. He locks forearms with Jakum and squeezes hard. Jakum looks at me and says “Volki, this is my oldest friend Jonas. We entered the order together. We completed our basic training together until he was called off to this temple and I was sent to guard the crypts.†“Aye, while Jakum was lighting candles and playing with bones I was learning the real magic of men! You see we here at Johannam hold the parchment of combat.†Jakum shook his head but still with a hit of a smirk on his face. “You may know combat Jonas but I could raise the dead to do my fighting for me.†“I always preferred to kill the demons on my own.†He said with a wink.

 

      “Where are my manners? I know it must have been a long journey and Jakums old bones must be frozen solid by now. Please come into the interior temple and pull in some warmth from the fire. Once we come inside and the horses are brought off to the stable we sit down by the fire. Jonas runs off to try to find some food for us to eat and I lean in and whisper to Jakum. “Is it true what you said about raising the dead to fight for us?†“Yes it is true but it only because of this medallion of wolf’s bone that I wear. It is blessed by the sacred magic that is in the parchment of the Necromancer. But for something as complex as an undead creature you would have to capture a great soul within the medallion. Once a soul is trapped within the medallion, it shares its power with the remnants of the dead in order to reanimate the corpse or bones.†“How do we capture souls with just a medallion?†I ask looking unsure. “The timing has to be just right, the person or creature has to be on the brink of life and death and mortally wounded. You press the medallion to the forehead of the victim and as his soul leaves the body, the bones of the wolf drink in the soul as if it is marrow. Once the soul is trapped within, you can perform the incantations to perform the dark magic. Not all souls are created equal however and the souls of lesser beings can be used up quickly.â€

 

      Jonas comes back in soon after followed by a few servants carrying trays of meat and ale. Drink up friends for it is not every day that this small temple is graced with company. He raises his goblet and we all toast and take a few swigs. The ale is warm to help with the winter chill and burns my throat on the way down with its honey after taste. We finish our drinks and Jonas and Jakum talk of the old days when the years had yet to number so many. A few hours after midnight and a few too many goblets for Jonas later and the patrons of the temple began slinking off to their chambers. Jonas excused himself and bounced his shoulders from wall to wall as he walked down the hall humming a tune as he shut his chamber doors. Then temple soon become silent except for the soft steps of the sentries walking the perimeter looking out for the flame demons that try to burn down the temple every night. Once the guard passes the room Jakum and I jump up and slip silently into the hall. “Where does he keep the parchment piece?†“If I know my friend then it will always be on him, he should be in a drunken slumber by now.†We make our way down the long corridor with every step closer my heart started beating fast. I press firmly against the door as I slowly turned the knob. The door begins to open and then lets out a loud squeak. We freeze with anticipation of someone coming to investigate. We hear Jonas stirring inside and grumbling as he rolls over and begins to snore once more.

 

       I let out a sigh of relief and we slink inside like shadows. We approach the bed and now I can see the small tube that must contain the parchment hung around his neck. I reach into my cloak and bring out a small dagger and with trembling hands I reach for the necklace. He is breathing heavy and mumbling in sleep; I can smell the ale in the air every time he exhales. The blade struggles for a minute before finally pulling through the threads that held it together. Jonas shuffles and rolls over in his sleep right on top of the tube. I look at Jakum as if asking what I should do. He looks down at his sleeping friend and motions me to help him roll him over. He is lying face down in his bed and I grab his shoulder and try to push him over as gently as I can. He rolls to his back and I grab the small golden tube with the dragons engraved upon it. I realize right away that his eyes are open and he is staring at my blade. I jump up in fright just as he yells out a quick phrase in Enochian. The room lights up in a red glow and it feels as through a boulder has been thrown into my gut and it send me flying into the wall with a thud. Jakum attempts to yell something but Jonas is already up and all I can do is watch as he throws Jakum across the room. “So I welcome you into my temple as a brother and you attempt to kill me and steal the scroll for yourself like some coward in the night?†“Jakum attempts to speak but he just coughs up blood onto the floor instead.

 

            I bolt up and run to the other side of the room to help Jakum up. “No Jonas we need not fight you, we need the piece to bring back the Bone Knight!†“Silence child! Your tongue is forked worse than a snake demon’s. You are nothing more than a lap dog for your power hungry master!†He is furious as he stomps toward us with his sword now in hand. “And as any ravenous dog, it must be put down!†As that last word echoed into the room the far wall shattered into a million splinters. As the carriage sized stone flies into the room I grab Jakum and we roll just in time to avoid being crushed. I look back and see Jonas bleeding badly with his leg trapped under the heavy stone. He is waving his sword like a madman to try to cut us as we make our way out of his reach. I hear an ear shattering roar from outside. The trees around the temple have begun to catch on fire and the night is lit up with the blaze. Jakum tries to stand but he is still too weak to walk. I slump his arm over my shoulder and he holds on tight as we make our way to the corridors of the inner temple. There are sentries running all over the temple shouting for everyone to wake up and grab their weapons. From what I could gather as we hobbled our way down the halls was that the earth demons had made their way down from the mountains and were working with the flame demons in order to smash through the temple.

 

      As we finally made it to the back of the temple where our gear and horses were kept for the night; I could hear the screeches and heavy crashes from the stones that peppered the hearty temple fort. Jakum slumped up onto his horse and jumped up with him and the gear that was now strapped to his horse. I untied my horse and smacked him to send him running off away from the fort and to safety. The smoke was heavy and thick rising from all over the temple. Just as we made our way around the inner perimeter I saw how they made their way inside. Heavy stones were thrown into the pits to provide a path for them to cross and then once a hole in the side was breached the fire demons did the rest. I see scores of men sent flying from the enormous swipes of the rock demons. The flame demons torched everything they could lay their hands on and snapped at men’s throats greedily. Luckily they were busy with their destruction and did not notice the two cloaked men riding off toward the river. As I look back just as we leave the heat of the fires I see an enormous man standing with a blood red cape attached to obsidian armor. The sword attached to his hip, even from this distance I could see the razor like edge that could slice through a man without even a slight pause. I could see on his armor the sigil of one of the princes of Duat. It must be Tornok, one of the high princes of Duat. I vow, he will pay for what he has done here.

 

    We make our way toward the rushing waters of the nearby river and to the hope of safety. I see what looks like a small cabin with a small fire inside and what looks like an elderly couple moving around inside. I rush up and dismount the horse with Jakum. I bang on the door. An elderly man with a worried smile answers the door. “Yes son, how can I help you?†“Please sir my master needs help, he is injured.†“Please come in and lay him down here in the living room while I go to get the bandages.†The floor feels wet for some reason and it smells like a bog or swamp. I look down and although the ground looks solid and dry, I feel like I am standing in water and mud. My legs are cold up to my calves but they show no sign of being wet. As the couple comes closer I remember my training and reach for Jakum to pull him back up. A huge spike of bluish flesh shoots out from his chest in a spray of blood. I blink in disbelief as the cabin fades away and I see that we are now in the shallows of the river and a water demon has his tail sticking straight through Jakum.

 

   His eyes are wide as he looks down at the demon’s tail that is now straight through him. I reach for the golden tube that we stole from Jonas and fumble to get it open in time.

 

        My eyes fall on an incantation that means the blade in Enochian and I immediately start shouting it out in hopes of finishing it before I end up on a demon pike as well. As the second demon rears back its tale I finish the last word and a crimson blast shoots out from my hands and straight into the skull of the demon with an explosion of obsidian blood and bone fragments. The other one drops Jakum and screeches as it rushes toward me with its claws raised. I fumble through the incantation once more but I do not have time to finish the words before I have to dive in order to avoid being impaled. I remember one of the incantations that Jakum used to say every night for protection. As I finish it, a wall of energy shoots up, splitting the demon in two as it slumps to the ground in pieces. I rush over to Jakum and I am relieved to know that he is still breathing but he is bleeding profusely. I pull him close and I can see in his face that he knows his time is short.

 

         “Volki my boy, you must continue the mission. You must not let the power of the Bone Knight fall into the wrong hands. I want you to have this.†He places in my hand his bone medallion. The bones were fashioned into a five pointed star with a wolf’s head pressed in steel in the center. He looks into my eyes “You must use its power, listen to the Goddess, she will tell you what you should do if ever you are in doubt.†I look down at the medallion and I slowly raise it to his forehead and press it against his skin. The medallion glows like embers of a dying fire. Suddenly words float into my head as if someone was whispering them to me. The ancient words flow forth like silk upon a breeze, moving fast and smooth. Each time the sacred words are repeated they gain weight and momentum. My muscles tighten and I can feel the power coursing through my entire body. I can feel her near me once more on the fringes of my reality. I can feel as the last ounce of his soul seeps into the bones like blood to marrow. His body goes limp in my arms and his eyes close.

 

      I spent the night giving Jakum the proper burial and praying that I will realize our dream one day. “Goodbye my friend.â€

 

        Once day broke I mounted the stead and made my way once more to the main road. I knew from my studies of the maps of the region that the next temple will be in the great iron hall of the spanning metropolis of Al Haawiyah. The days crept on in monotony, the sun was unforgiving against my face and the cold of the night sought to freeze my bones. After about a week of travel I came upon a small burial site. The grave markers were various weapons of war. I stopped in front of one burial mound that had a war hammer atop of it. The medallion began to vibrate and lift itself from my chest. It was as if it wanted to be closer to the fallen warrior. I dismounted and drew myself closer to that grave and once more I could hear the liquid silkiness of Liliths voice in my head. “Say these words my dear Volki and this great warrior will be yours to command. Remember dear one, I am not blind to the havoc that the Seraphim and the betrayal of my Princes are wrecking on this realm. I am behind you; the order must be restored lest we all be whipped clean by the Grand Architect only to start again. It has been done 6 times before.†I kneel before the hammer and begin the incantation.â€

 

“Sapah, zimii d diu (uiv), od noas ta quanis adroch, dorphal caosg, od faonts piripsol ta blior; casarm amipzi nazarth AF, od dlugar zizop zlida caosgi tol torgi; od z chis e siasch l ta viu, od iaod thild, ds hubar PEOAL, soba cormfa chis ta la, uls od q cocasb. Ca niis od darbs qaas: * f etharzi od bliora; iaial ednas cicles, bagle ge iad i l.â€

 

           The ground begins to shake as a boney fist cracks through the weather earth. I can see the top of the skull in a horned helmet clawing his way to the surface. The skeleton is in full battle armor and stands 7 feet tall. This man must have been a mighty warrior in his life. As the bones crack and move he reaches for the heavy stone war hammer. He lets out a roar that comes from his bowels that are no longer on tact. His voice is deep and sound as if it is made from stone and glass. “Yes master, what is thy bidding?†

 

 

Part 4

 

Spoiler

 

Part 4 Al Haawiyah

Over the many weeks spent roaming those long paths I became someone almost unrecognizable to the shell of myself that I was at the start. Those long nights in the cold only made me stronger, as if the cold and the dark dared me to fight back. Well, I conquered the cold and I became akin to the night almost as if I was born of it. I had become stronger and I trained my mind to react quicker and observe every detail of what surrounded me. The three pieces of parchment, long committed to memory rested safely in the golden tube of the dragon that hung under my cloak and gently clinked against the armor as I rode along the winding trails. My skeletal minion kept a steady pace and a watchful gaze despite his obvious eyeless disposition. I studied those pieces of ancient knowledge every night over the dim light from my camp fires. I learned how to combine the protective scrawls with the ones of necromancy to make a crude but effective breastplate with matching bracers for protection. One night I was fortunate to stumble upon a fallen hero’s grave that had a small battle axe and a pair of daggers. Using the scrawl with the offensive incantation they now can piece demon flesh just as easily as a man’s.

The walls of Al Haawiyah climbed high above the sprawling hills of grass that they so easily dwarf. The towers line the wall like the jagged teeth of some great beast beckoning its prey to enter and be swallowed up. I made camp for the night just off the path into the woods where my bone warrior and horse would not be seen. I released the soul from the bones and brought it back into my medallion for safe keeping and I tied off my horse. In the darkness of the night I planned out how I would steal the sacred piece of the scroll which contained incantations for manipulating the element of earth. From the maps of the city that I could get a hold of from the travelling merchants I came by on the road here, the temple of this city if located in an underground cave in the epicenter of the city. The city of Al Haawiyah was tightly packed with buildings and walls covering every inch of ground inside the barrier walls that surround them. The city got its nomenclature as the city of iron and stone from the huge megaliths and walls made from stone and iron for the purpose of rendering the flames of fire demons useless. It is said that the ShadowGuard priest inside the temple can control the stones and earth of the mountains that surround the city. Undoubtedly the priest will keep the sacred scrolls within the depths of the cave that runs under the city.

Once day broke I made the rest of the way to the front gates in the guise of a lone traveler in need of shelter and a bed at the inn. The guards let me enter and I soon blended in with the mass of people coming and going in every direction along the streets. Men pushed and climbed by each other, each one thinking their business was more important than the last. In this vast city you could stay in the shade of the buildings the whole day. I made my way down the main road that cut through the diameter of the sprawling city. Everywhere I looked was a merchant selling some merchandise from the far reaches of the empire. I saw weapons of every shape and length as well as tunics and clothes of every color imaginable. The whole city felt like an enormous ant pile swarming around me in frenzy.

Slowly I swam through the tides of citizens and kept a good mental note of the path I was taking that led back to my freedom. Finally I broke free from the crowd and I was able to make my way over to a building just across from the mouth of the cave that offered a good vantage point. What I saw made my blood run cold. Standing guard of the entrance to the temple was a pair of SunGuards in their golden armor and gleaming swords talking to one another. What are the guardians of the Seraphim doing here in a temple of the Goddess? I slowly crept closer to see if I could hear what they were saying. “I hope Uriel finishes his deal with Kerigan soon, these temples creep me out.†What was Uriel, one of the arch Seraphim doing down here near one of the gates of Duat? “Yeah me too, do you think Kerigan will go for it? I mean do you think she will believe Uriel when he says that she can be granted access into Aaru once the war is over?†“I don’t know man but you know how….persuasive Uriel can be when he wants something.â€

I waited and scoped out that entrance for a few more hours. I could hear and feel low trembling under the ground like a thousand small earthquakes. The quakes grew more frequent until I thought the buildings would start to sway. Just as quick as the tremors started they came to an end. A short time after Uriel emerged from the entrance with a wicked smile across his face. He was a good two feet taller than the men who guarded him. His face was slender with soft porcelain skin framed by his long illustrious golden hair. He wore impossibly shiny golden armor that seemed to gleam in the sun as if emanating its own light. He pulls out a small rag and slowly wipes blood from his knuckles and examines his nails for any stray particles. “She took some…..convincing, but the city will be ours come night fall†He said with a wink.

Once they were gone I made my way into the cave tunnels. It was almost pitch black but my eyes quickly adjusted as I felt my way through the tunnel until I came upon a small torch. Once the small flame was lit I made my way further into the earth. I came into a larger chamber and instantly the smell of blood was a sharp contrast to the earthy air inside. I could hear small rustling and a whimper coming from across the room. “Stop….I gave you what you want, now leave me alone.†She rolled over and her eyes met mine. I could see the tears running down her already swollen face that was caked in dirt and blood. “Who are you and what are you doing down here?†“Sister I am the successor of Jakum and a member of the order.†What happened here? What did Uriel want with you?†“He was here trying to make a deal with me to join forces with him and help him open the Gates of Duat. When I refused his offer he tried to take it by force. I fought with everything that I had in me to hold onto it but he was just too strong.

I threw every elemental attack I could at him but he dodged every stone and before I could blink he had plunged his blade into my back. He plans on opening the gates to Duat here in the cave and letting all of the demons out.†“What?! Why would he do that?†I shout in shock. “He means to join forces with Tornok and overthrow Lilith herself and invade the realm Aaru with the legions of Duat at his back and Tornok at his right. He wants to start the Great war now so that he will become the next Grand Architect.†My eyes widened in understanding and sadness for all of the lives that now hang in the balance. “Kerigan, I need your help to stop them. I need your help to resurrect the Bone Knight and absorb his power; it’s the only way that we stand a chance of stopping this realm from certain destruction.

I could see now how badly she was wounded from her battle against Uriel. She doesn’t have much time left, something must be done. “Where is your obsidian pool?†I say as I lean down and scoop her up into my arms. “No! you know we are not allowed in there unless it is the time of the Solstice offering or the ceremony of the blood pledge.†“I know Kerigan but I can’t lose you like I lost Jakum and Jonas, I will take my chances with Lilith. Besides, it’s about time she was brought up to speed on what her sons plan on doing to this realm.

Kerigan directed me deeper into the labyrinth of the cave. I ran with her in my arms for what seemed like an hour, but who can tell when the sun isn’t there to keep time. Finally we came to the entrance of a small alcove. The room glowed with a low teal glow from the thousands of runes and inscriptions that covered every in of the cavernous walls. In the center of this room was a statue of the warrior Goddess Lilith in her full headdress made of elegant feathers jutting out from her crown of demon bones. She wore a flowing dress that fell gently to her bare feet. The arms of the statue beckoned us forth like a mother calling her children in for a loving embrace. All around the statue was a pool of water darker than the very night itself. The water moved and swirled gently on its own like obsidian serpents made of oil. Kerigan’s breathing had become shallow now as she slipped in and out of consciousness. “Hold on Kerigan, just hold on a little while longer.â€

I began to pray in the Enochian language as I stepped into the dark waters. “Lilith the Great Goddess of the yin energy of the universe and mother of the great beings of all the realms, we come to you as faithful servants of your grace and as indoctrinated members of your ShadowGuard. These are dire times and we seek your guidance and your help in maintaining the balance of the contracts of old.†The cold water slowly seeps into my armor as it rises to my chest. Kerigan is no unconscious but luckily she is still breathing as the waters soon cover her body up to the neck. . Inch by inch I walk further into the pool while repeating the invocation of the goddess. The pool begins to vibrate as I closer I get to being submerged and as her statue grows closer. My body readily drinks in the obsidian liquid as it reaches hungrily up my spine. The last drop covers the crown of my head and the most angelic voice envelops my every being. That heavenly voice vibrates my very soul.

“My dear Volki, my sweet troubled boy. Why have you come to the sacred waters in search of me?â€

“My Goddess please forgive me for interrupting your sacred slumber in the Outer Realms. I only come to you with grave news and a heavy heart.â€

“What is it my sweet boy, how can I help?â€

“It’s Kerigan, she is soon to pass from this realm into the next. She was dealt a death blow by Uriel in an attempt to gain her aid in unleashing the Legions of Duat. Uriel and Tornok have joined forces in an attempt to start the Great War and reset the Realms with Uriel and Tornok as the Grand Architects.â€

“This is grave news indeed. Unfortunately you know the rules about interference from either the yin or yang energies in this realm.â€

“I know your grace, but without your help this realm will be reduced to ash and the last incarnation of this universe will be made in their twisted image. We need your help in finding the relics of the Bone Knight so that we may stand a fighting chance. I beg of you to spare Kerigan’s life as well so that I do not have to bear this burden alone.â€

“I can see that your heart, though burdened with so much loss still remains pure and true. I will spare this child’s life to aid you in your quest. Also, I will grant you some of my power. Continue your quest for the remaining pieces of the scroll. Once you have them all complete, I will come to you and reveal the location of the sacred relics. You must hurry Volki, I can already feel the shift in the sacred balance, soon the other cities will fall under Uriels relentless blade.â€

“Concentrate on me dear one, what comes next could drive you mad if you let your essence wander.â€

The water began to spin faster and faster in a vortex around us as we get sucked into the core of the rapids. We spun and descend deeper into the abyss of those icy waters. Suddenly, my entire being is wracked with a crushing pain. The pain is all I feel now; my muscles begin to tear strand by strand from their ghostly white ligaments. I feel my bones being ground down to powder and I am strewn about the swirling whirlpool of these hellish waters. I feel my presence molding with her omnipotence. The rushing vortex of the pool increases maddeningly faster. I mesh my million pieces with the very stones, liquid and fire that make up this mine. I am everything and yet I am nothing. I bask in her presence as she slowly makes me whole again. Then as I can feel the last bits of my body falling into place the world fades to black.

I awake in the shallows of the pool. My body feels as if it is made from pure fire, the pain is red hot throughout my entire body. The water calms and I see my face looking back at me. The crevices where my eyes used to rest are now blue orbs of smoke. The pendant I had become accustomed to was no longer hung around my neck. My hands begin to vibrate with a constant dull roar. Jakum’s pendant has become imbedded into my left hand. My palms glow the dull red of a dyeing fire. I attempt to drag one leg under me and press against the floor of the cave but my legs betray me and I am sent shuffling to the floor once more. I can hear Kerigan coughing some meters away from me. I scan the cave and I am amazed at how well I can see. It takes me a minute to realize that I can see just as well now in the dark as I did with the torch.

“Are you ok Kerigan?†I say as I attempt to gain my footing once more. “Yeah, I think so. But I feel like I was run over by a carriage and then shat on by the horse!†She seems to be having an easier time at regaining all of her motor functions. “So what exactly happened? I remember you carrying me to the pool of the Goddess but then I blacked out.†“I will tell you everything once we get out of here, but right now just know that Lilith is on our side.†She let a small smile across her face. “Let’s get the hell out of this city before Tornok brings all of his friends.â€

We made our way up to the mouth of the cave and into the crowded streets. The sun was already beginning to set and we didn’t have much time if we wanted too make it out of the city before the Legions of Duat came crawling out of that cave looking to devour everything in their sight. 

[Volki]

 

 

Erudite Chronicles

 

Intro

 

Spoiler

ERUDITE CHRONICLES

 

 

 

Intro

For 300 year the great demon queen Isidore bled the people dry of every resource imaginable. Through the malignant hubris of the ancient magi she was summoned through the hell gates using an ancient talisman. The relic had been passed down through time immemorial. Isidore fed off the energy blood sacrifices of each mage and grew more powerful by the day.

 

 

 

   The magi used her power and influence over the hell beasts to inflict devastation on the various towns and factions. With every village consumed she grew stronger and more viscous, yet her greed made her restless. It was inevitable that she would one day consume even the seven magi. One night she lured the keeper of the talisman into her chambers under the great volcanic mountain. She consumed his energy before casting him into the magma and claiming the talisman for herself.

 

 

 

   The people sensing the impending hordes, gathered together and assembled great machines to battle the evil queen. The towns were fitted with immense power grids and every technology imaginable was used to develop ways of combating the onslaught. The factions fought valiantly but only managed to wall themselves into their own territories while Isidore consumed the surrounding lands.

 

 

 

   The factions would have never guessed that the very technology that was saving them was also integrated with Isidore herself. The queen, after learning how to wield the great talisman began fusing herself with the vast power grid that flowed through Phalon like the veins on a rotting corpse. Beast by beast and inch by inch she became one with the city's energy and the very earth itself. Her infectious influence spread until she consumed every capsule of power.

 

 

 

   Isidore became lustful for greater amounts of energy. The factions were forced to offer up taxes of their own bio-fuel in the form of capsules. Each month to prevent the endless waves of beasts destroying the barricades the capsules were collected and brought back to the queen’s lair. Energy stores and upload centers littered the land as man, woman and child offered up the very energy keeping them alive to feed the queen's insatiable hunger. The queen enforced her rule by outfitting each citizen with small screens in their arms. The screens managed and tracked their total KiloJoules. The kJ screens also served as a leach on the central nervous system and a storage container for the kJs.

 

 

 

   It did not take long before this bio-energy became the binding currency of the land. Capsules were used at each up-link center to condense kJs into tradable portions. Greed and addiction soon took hold of the major factions as they fought over energy stores and even resorted to capturing and enslaving each other for energy farming. Each person could only accumulate 50kJ a day. The wealthiest of owners resorted to kJ mining from hundreds of citizens. They traded their kJ for various virtual upgrades and chemical concoctions to numb the reality of living inside their concrete cages.

 

 

 

   The world grew darker by the day and the old legends of Kaaros the savior of Phalos faded from memory. The children no longer learned of how he saved the old world and only saw them as fairy tales. All except the long line of Erudites in the forest village of Kama. The villagers of Kama rebelled against the cyber city as they tried to live closer to the earth. Only simple machines were used because of the queen’s power over electronics. The Erudites resembled the witch doctors of old and were kept on the fringes of the village. Each generation bore an enchantress who guarded the sacred knowledge of the ancient legends. Through the influence of Isidore and the state of the world soon even the Erudites were regarded as superstitious fools. The Erudite lineage has dwindled to only one girl serving as the village medic and archanic mechanic.

 

 

 

   She alone knew of the hero, she alone held the keys to saving Phalon and returning peace to the land….

 

Chapter 1

 

Spoiler

Chapter 1

 

 

“Yes! Finally it’s working!”

   Though I couldn’t see anything at the time, I felt my head lift up and slam down hard against something with a loud snap and metallic thrum. The force of said abuse sent my thoughts scrambling like a freshly booted ant hill. The world was black but my other senses seemed relatively intact. I tested out a nice long string of obscenities but only managed a weak groan. Where the hell was I? The familiar scent of wood and dust wafted toward me in the wake of the unseen stranger pacing around me.

The labored breath of the onlooker and the soft thunk of the presumed boots grew faster as they rummaged through something in the corner of the room. How long have I been asleep? A few more thunks across the floor ended behind me. After a short pause of silence something hard clicked into place against the back of my head. The veil of blindness was lifted and in its place was a cramped wooden room that was barely visible through the mountains of half completed gadgets and scrap metal. There was a strange glass portion of the wall outlined with various knobs and dials.

I struggled to shake my body out of its paralysis but only managed to rattle my head once more. A wide eyed girl with sharp features crept cautiously into view from behind one of the scrap mountains. Her hair was a pale green and resembled the fall grasslands. Her hair was cropped to the skin on the sides and the patch on top swooped messily behind her ears. Her frosty blue eyes peaked out from behind a sweat streaked face accented with streaks of oil. The eyes were kind but seemed to hold a certain wildness about them. She stared studying me for some time like I was some puzzle to be solved. Her leather jacket with its innumerable amounts of oil and grime stains clung to her as if she was the one thing keeping it in one piece.

“Can….can you hear me Kaaros?”

  "How does she know my name, is this some kind of trick?"All I could do was blink furiously and hope she understood until my voice decided to return. She let out an excited chuckle and ran over to a table just out of view behind another toppling pile. “I’ll get your motor functions up and running in no time don’t you worry.” She rushed back with a small screwdriver in hand. If I was capable of screaming then I would have unloaded an ungodly scream as she jammed the screwdriver into my throat with a wild twist.

I felt a low rumble below my neck and became suddenly aware of how strange my body felt. Something moved around inside of my chest with a small rhythmic tick every few seconds. The entire experience only succeeded in confusing my already strained thoughts further.I felt a sense of being paradoxically dense and yet simultaneously hollow and it was throwing my mind in circles about my current state of being. Sensing my confusion the spunky girl offered me a comforting look and a few calming words.

“Look, I know how confusing all of this must be but I promise I will help you through everything soon. I just have a few more tweaks to make before I can let you move. We wouldn't want you falling apart after all it took to bring you here would we?”

More quick blinks of confirmation.

   Whatever her game was she seemed harmless enough. All I had to do was play along long enough to get out of here and find my gear…what did she mean falling apart? After what seemed like an eternity of staring holes into the wood grain walls she seemed to lock one final piece into place.

I immediately slumped forward as my legs betrayed me. The treacherous limbs overcome with a sudden sense of self preservation scrambled wildly to remain under my bobbing head. I managed to stabilize the unruly legs and creak my head upright again. What was going on? What did she do to me? As I brought my hands up to help steady my head I noticed why everything felt so strange.

My hands were nothing more than a patchwork of steel and wire. To my growing horror I realized my entire body was made up of industrial trash! My chest was a a nest of wires and gears creaking along in unison. I stomped my metal feet as the room began to spin. Once the room began to come back into focus I noticed a strange object lodged beneath a thin cloth cover in my chest.

The shiny stone was an emerald green and laced with a thin line of gold that spiraled into the center. I could feel the power radiating off of the stone. There was something about the stone, it seemed so familiar. I heard shallow footsteps slowly coming up from behind me. “Kaaros….please take it easy. I know this must all be so confusing.” I stared at her, as a thousand questions swarmed my head like an angry hornet nest. Each one fought to escape my mouth first. “How do you know my name?” It took all I had not to growl the question at her.

“Kaaros, I named you after the great hero from the legends. I do not know how but it seems that the stone in your chest has done more than just animate the body I made for you.” Slowly I let her words roll around my brain as I digested what she was telling me with careful consideration. “What do you mean the body you made for me? You did not make me girl. I am the descendant of a long line of defenders of this realm. I do not know what trick you are playing but believe me, you will not live long enough to enjoy it.” Her eyes flared with confusion for a moment” Kaaros please this is no trick! I made your body from spare parts but your mind seems to have come from the Kaori Stone.” She motioned to the pulsating gem in my chest. She seemed sincere in her words which helped to take a hold of my temper once again.

“Kaaros please just listen to what I have to say. I am Zeko, last in a long line of Erudites. It has been our job to keep the legends of your adventures alive these many years. We have been charged with guarding the sacred temple sites that contain the powerful artifacts like the one currently within you now. The evil queen Isidore has taken over this land and searches constantly for the ancient sites. Her spies are numerous and her lust for power is never ending. If she is able to unite all of the artifacts again then she will have enough power to destroy us all.” Isidore, I know that ancient name. She was one of the demon queens of the nether realm. How could she have maintained herself in this realm. I listened carefully as she continued to tell me of the atrocities committed by the evil wretch.

“The forest temple of Kaori was compromised so I needed a way to store the artifact without anyone being able to find it. It seems however that the fates had another plan. Somehow it seems that part of you was contained within the Kaori Stone. Kaaros I fear that the other temples will soon be in danger, we must find a way of gathering the relics before the queen is able to unite all four. It is said that if all four are brought together as one then the stones will bestow unimaginable power.”

I stood there speechless for what seemed like ages. What is there to say when you find out the life you knew ended hundreds of years ago and you were now a walking trash puppet. “If these stones could bestow such power on the gatherer maybe there was a way to restore my body. I will help you as best I can Zeko, Isidore will not get away with what she has done to this realm.” Zeko ran up with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as she squeezed me as hard as she could. “Thank you Kaaros, I always knew you weren’t just a fairy tale!” What had she meant by that I wondered.

“Well, where do we start?” She let go of the embrace and pondered for a moment. “Well first things first we are going to have to work on this body of yours. While I am proud of my work, it still needs alot of repairs and reinforcement before we could stand a chance of making it through the long journey.” She was right, the clunky framework barely hung together with sinews of wire and joints of tightly curled springs fighting age and rust with all its might. “First things first I need to patch up that hole where the stone is sitting. We definitely would not want that to fall out or become damaged in any way.

She walked over and began to rummage around in a large bin of scrap metal until she pulled out a thick sheet of flexible steel. She rounded it around my chest and used some sort of high powered torch to cut through the remainder. I stood there watching as she melted the sheet to the clunky frame. The smoothness of the sheet was an improvement on the open rats nest of wires, cloth and gears. I was admiring her work when we heard a loud bang on the door. Zeko’s eyes grew wide in fear but she whispered for me to remain calm...

 

Chapter 2

 

Spoiler

 

CHAPTER 2

 

Zeko crept slowly towards the heavy wooden door as the bangs grew louder and more frequent. "Wh-who is it?" she said with a slight tremble in her voice." A panicked young man's voice screamed through the cracks of the door. "Zeko! Its me Terhan, open the slaggin door!" She shot me a worried look before opening the door to two teenage boys who spilled onto the dusty floor. She quickly slammed and locked the door behind them. What are you to doing all the way out here and what happened to Jarrel?" She bent down down to examine the gash in the back of the presumed Jarrel's skull.

   "It was Isidore's Cerulean guard they..." Terhan's eyes fell on me as I took a slight step back. I really have been brought low I thought., being worried about the flailings of a pubescent boy was a new blow to my already fragile ego. "What the slag is that thing, is it one of Isidore's droids?" Zeko grabbed his shoulders before he could get too close.

"No Terhan Kaaros is no concern of yours, please tell me what is going on down in the village." He took a stuttering breathe trying to fight back the tears welling up in his eyes. "Today is the energy cull and they increased the quota at the last minute. You know how slow information from the city is in getting here. We were too short Zeko, they killed Chief Banos and the other villagers!"

   "The Cerulean guard used their leach blades and started stabbing and absorbing the kJs out of everyone. They are going from house to house taking every life they come across and burning everything! I managed to drag Jarrel into one of the caves until they passed. You were the only one I could think of that could help him." Zeko looked down at the bleeding Jarrel and listened quietly to his breathing and began cleaning and bandaging his wounds.  She looked up at Terhan quickly "How long until they reach here?" He only shook his head " I'm not sure but it can't be long, what do we do?"

   She looked down sadly at Jarrel's round blood stained face that was beginning to look whiter by the minute. "Terhan, I am sorry to say this but your brother doesn't have long either. He has lost too much blood and he doesn't have enough kJs to power his organs. See for yourself here on his KJ monitor." She rotated his arm to expose a small black screen the size of a pack of cards that seemed to be implanted inside the dying boy's forearm. The black screen just flashed a red warning "kJ depletion critical, power failure in 10 minutes 53 seconds"

      Terhan put his hand on his brothers chest and bent forward to kiss his forehead. "Goodbye brother, I swear I will drag as many of those bastards to hell as I can before we meet again." Zeko looked up at me "Alright Kaaros, looks like its time to put that frame to the test. We have to get out of here before we end up on the end of a leach blade." She ran over and grabbed  a backpack from under her bed and made her way to the door as she motioned for Terhan and I to follow.

   The door opened with a slow creak as she peered out into the forest and the path that led to the inflamed village. We all stepped tentatively out of the doorway and onto the grassy clearing around the small home that had been built into the trunk of an ancient tree. The sky was beginning to fill with a cloud of smoke and the air was permeated with burning embers and the screams of the villagers. Zeko took point position in our juxtaposed group. Each step we took brought about a clearer picture of the horrors that had overcome the peaceful village.

   The gravel crunched under my clunky legs as we inched our way through the winding trails of the forest. Zeko explained to me how she was an outcast of the village. The villagers only came to her when they had a medical emergency or needed an herbal remedy for child bearing or some other issues best left for hushed conversations. At large the villagers regarded her as a superstitious girl who still clung to the ways of the old world. Why she endured that social punishment I will never know.

   The sound of a razor sharp blade as it cuts through the air is unmistakable. The obsidian sword found its home in the back of my head before burrowing deep into the steel casing. The force of the blow sends me face first into the muddy gravel of the path. My legs follow the arc, only stopping once my neck breaks the momentum with a sickly crunch. The wound in the back of my head sizzled and arced with the residual energy of the blade. With my face half buried in mud and gravel I saw the Cerulean Guard draw his blade back and turn his attention to the terrified Zeko.

   The guard's blue armor gleamed in the afternoon light that poured through the canopy of trees. His armor had a black cape fastened neatly at the shoulders with a gold clasp. His helmet was narrow and the many vertical slots that lined the front served as a way to see without giving away the focus of his gaze. The long black tufts of hair that accented the top of the helmet gave him an almost regal look.  Each gauntlet was accented with spiked knuckles that were currently grasping the black blade with a thin blue hilt. He moved closer to Zeko and began to raise the blade.

   My body was frozen and all I could do was convulse in the mud and watch in horror as the guard swung the blade toward Zeko’s head. She ducked and rolled out of the way just as the blade made an audible swish behind her. Terhan ran screaming toward the guard with a small dagger in his hand. "You bastard! This is for Jarrel!" He jumped on the guards back and drove the dagger into the slit between the guard's helmet and shoulder. He must have found his neck because his face was sprayed with a sickly dark purple liquid that had such a stench that even my mechanical stomach felt queasy.

   The guard let out a roar and I could only presume curses in the demon tongue. The guard reached up and snatched Terhan by the hair and slammed him into the path. His black boots were brought down hard into the boy's face. The guard stomped hard against the boys face over and over again turning his face into a bloody mess. Each stomp was accompanied with a sickly squish of breaking cartilage and ruptures veins. Zeko scrambled over to me and tried to pull me upright again.

She began saying something to me in a language I didn't understand. "Kaaros si us plau, aixeca't! Hem d'anar abans que els altres guàrdies vénen!" I could see the terror in her eyes and the pleading way she pulled at me I knew that she needed me to snap out of it. My body shook violently as I stood up but miraculously held itself together well enough move around.

      The guard heard our shuffling and turned his attention away from the bleeding boy under his boot and started toward us. His blade was pulsating from a dark black to a deep blue, almost anticipating the blood and energy coursing through us. I moved in front of the her to shield her from the dangerous blade. Terhan was laying on the path motionless surround by the gravel that eagerly soaked up the blood streaming from his face.

   The guard roared as it lunged toward me. I managed to swing a wild fist hard against his helmet. The blow only managed to knock him off balance but he did not go down. His blade was quick as it flew through the air in a fury of strikes. I managed to dodge most and made it out of the onslaught with only a few more shallow gashes against my frail armor. Suddenly a calm came over Zeko as she began chanting something with one raised palm. He words grew stronger and more forceful, Her face began to change and almost glow with a blue hue, a crescent moon began to glow on her forehead a deep energetic shade of purple. "Dukh, Lluna, Tierra, Mozhet diosa tech'través de mi. She began to shout the last part as energy began to crackle around her open palm. She must have begun chanting in another language because I began to understand the chant. "Spirit, Moon, Earth, May the Goddess to flow through me."
  
   The guard's breastplate was getting increasingly more purple as the demon's blood continued to ooze out of his neck. His attention was now on the chanting Zeko and he was closing in with his blade. As the guard swung the sword and immense bolt energy flew from Zekos hand and smashing into the stomach of the guard. He immediately burst into a convulsing mess as his entire body writhed with the electric shock of the bolt.
  
   The moment was was enough for me to run up and grab the blade and rip it from his hands before he could recover. Zeko collapsed onto the trail after the lighting began to subside. The sword was heavy but felt perfectly balanced in my hand. I drove the blade down hard into his chest with the audible pop of breaking bones and flesh. The sword ate through the armor as if he were only clothed in rags and drank in his purple blood greedily. He gasped and wheezed as the sword thrummed and consumed every remaining kJ in his body. I could feel the energy transferring through the hilt into my body.

   The energy jolted through me and made every sinew come alive.  The world itself grew brighter and my very mind became sharp and focused. Every scent and sound was amplified. The guard slumped down and only managed to gurgle a few final words before dieing. I pulled the blade from his chest without much resistance. I glanced over to Terhan and he still had not moved and was now a sickly pale mess. His wrist flashed a few more red warnings in a strange language and then faded to black.

   I ran over to the unconscious Zeko, she was alive but she would not wake up despite my best efforts. I inspected the area for someplace to hide until Zeko regained consciousness. I saw a small cave opening just off the path that was shrouded in overgrowth and rotting trees. This must be where Terhan and Jarrel hid the first time.
  
I brought the unconscious Zeko into the mouth of the cave and laid her down on a bed of old pine needles and leaves. I run back to the path and drag the dead guard back to the cave and then Terhan's body. I did my best to cover the blood up on the path before heading back to the cave to inspect the guard's pockets and stripping his armor for usable gear.

   The guards boots and gauntlets fit over my frame perfectly. The right gauntlet contained a kJ scanner that lit up when I slipped it on. Once it calibrated itself it displayed a green message that i still could not make out. I slipped the rest of the gear off of the putrid body. The only salvageable pieces were the pants boots, gauntlets and the helmet. The breast plate was caked in drying blood and had a huge gash in the middle so it would be useless to try and salvage it.

The helmet fit nicely over my head and offered a reasonable amount of field of vision while still serving to protect my freshly gouged head. The inside of the helmet still smelled like the rotting flesh of the demon. It was the smell of a fish market on the hottest of summer days. With myself cleaned up and the sword secured at my side I made my way back toward the mouth of the cave.

      I could hear the sound heavy boots and trotting horses as they made their way down the forest path. There were five of them in full Cerulean armor. Three of them followed closely on foot while two rode ahead on horseback. Even their horses wore the Cerulean armor and were gilded with the symbol of an eye with a strange rune over the iris. I held my breathe in anticipation as they passed the scene of the fight. Luckily they did not seem to notice and continued past and toward Zeko’s house.

   It wouldn't take them long to reach her home and then how long until they realize one of their own was missing? Zeko had to wake up, and quick if we stood a chance of making it out of this alive. I paced the room trying to think of a way to wake her up. Shaking her or talking to her did nothing and time was running short. Crouched over her body my eyes fell on the sword at my side. I turned her wrist over to check her power level. The warning was yellow this time but I still could not make out the language that it was in. If the sword could give the wielder energy then maybe it could shocker her awake.

   I positioned the blade in her palm and made sure her fingers wrapped around. I picked the edge of the blade up and already I could feel it start to steal my power. I placed the point of the blade against my chest against the steel cover that guarded the Kaori stone. I leaned against the blade as it drove itself slowly into my chest. As soon as the blade came into contact with the stone there was an enormous jolt of energy that traveled down the blade and sent Zeko and myself flying backward from each other. After the initial shock I scrambled to my feet and rushed over the Zeko. She jolted awake and began coughing and fighting for air.

   She turned her head and in the dimly lit cave she saw a tall figure in Cerulean armor bearing down on her with a leach blade laying at his feet. She rushed to grab the blade but he kicked it away in a hurry. She tried to scream but his gloved hand grabbed her mouth stifling any noise. At that moment I realized I had still been wearing the helmet and was no doubt sending her into a terror filled panic. I threw the helmet off with my free hand and grabbed her close. I could sense her calming down as the realization that we were not dead sank in.

  I whispered to her that it was okay, the guard was dead but all she heard was. " Zeko yego bienchas. Okhrannik muerto." Her eyes grew wide as she looked at me in confusion. "Kaaros, who taught you this language?" I didn't understand what she was talking about. "O que govorísh? Estoy govorísh zhe mismo vy tú." She shook her head, "No Kaaros you and I are speaking in the ancient language of the Erudites. The ones who built the temples and relics spoke Erudea." She got back on her feet and examined the back of my head.

   The blow to the head must have damaged your language processors. Her head snapped back around "Where is Terhan?" I motioned toward the heap that I had the guard and him laying in. She walked up to the boy and kneeled down next to him. "Gràcies Terhan, el seu sacrifici no serà en vena. Descansi un jove i ara hi participaré a la vall prou aviat." Once she said her goodbyes we made out way to the mouth of the cave.
  
"I know someone who can help us Kaaros, but we need to travel to Vemil City and meet up with the Crescent Order there. They are a druid order that learned how link with the KJs of the earth. They are hiding within the walls of Vermil City now after Isidore slaughtered half of the order in her pursuit of their magic. Unfortunately she obtained enough to be able to link herself through the power lines where she leaches off of the land. The Order will help us remain hidden until we can find out where the next artifact was hidden. I nodded my head in approval, her plan offers alot of room for error in an unknown city where we will be at the mercy of Isidore's spies and the kindness of old men.

   We made our way through the dense forest making sure to offer a wde bredth between us and the carnage in the village. Steering clear of the path until we were on the outskirts of the village we crept and crouch through the dense brush while getting slashes by thistles. The scent of burning wood filled the air as heavy clouds of smoke still bellowed into the sky above the canopy of trees. The ashes of Zeko's former life still littered the sky as we finally cleared reached a clearing.

In the haste and madness of the situation we had only managed to bring a backpack with some meager supplies and a small tarp that could be used for a tent. All I had were the stolen gear from the guard and a new hole in my head. The city was still a few days worth of walking and we were already exhausted from the day's struggles. We found a nice spot just off the beaten path to rest for a bit before picking back up and moving on. Zeko avoided the question I had about her powers and only offered the vague answer of "It will become clearer once we reach the city."

The days were long and the endless walking became monotonous as the conversation grew more scarce and the scenery was only broken up by the occasional wild animal that was brave enough to watch the odd pair of beings hiking through their territory. We decided to get rid of the guard helmet before reaching the city, best not draw questions as to where we acquired a Cerulean Guard's uniform. Along the way we met a travelling merchant who thanks to the last of Zeko's kJs we had food and some cloaks to wear in order to better conceal our province of origin.

Finally after almost a weeks worth of walking we had reached the road that led to the enormous stone walls of Vermil City. The wall stretched on for countless miles in either direction and rose high above the treeline. The city was a seemingly impenetrable fortress with bladed guards standing watch. We approached the gate cautiously and were greeted by a guard. "Què dimonis vosaltres dos volen?" He seemed angry and almost shouted the words at us as he eyeballed the girl and the hooded robot standing before him.

Zeko replied in that strange language "Si us plau, senyor, sóc ser un aprenent de l'ordre Crecente i aquest és el meu servent aracnic." She gestured toward me with the last word. The guard stared at her for a while trying to decide if she was telling the truth. He spoke once more in a questioning tone "No suposi que té alguna prova?" She looked over at me then she rolled up her left sleeve revealing a patchwork of strange runes. The most prominent was the patchwork of designs leading to a set of runes and the words Dukh, Lluna, Tierra that formed a triangle around a single symbol. The symbol resembled a runic tree.

The guard seemed satisfied with the symbols and he called back to another guard who then ran and opened the doors for us. For a moment the guard seemed frightened of the symbols on her arm but her kept his composure in tact. That momentary glimpse of fear left me with so many questions though. Just who was Zeko really, and what happened on the trails that she wouldn't talk about? We made it through the checkpoint without any further issues and the door was slammed shut behind us.

Once inside the city the noise and smells assaulted our senses and threatened to drown us in the million scented perfume that was Vermil city. Everywhere we looked was something or someone screaming for attention. Huge billboards flashed with faces of so many strangers, each one begging you to indulge yourself. We made our way down a dirt road that was littered with various pieces of plastic and electronics from so many products of days past. Each person we passed seemed to barely even notice we were there. Thousands of faces were glued to tiny holoscreens that linked into their kJ screens in their arms. Every game, video and ad consumed them as I watched their kJs slowly tick away as they paid for their entertainment.
 

Zeko grabbed my arm and whispered to stay close as we weaved through the labyrinth littered with the bodies of people watching or performing unspeakable horrors and delights to and for each other. There were woman floating in cages above the crowd and each beckoned for someone join them. Once a purchase was made the man climbed up the stained silk rope to live out his desires in front of everyone, if they weren't too busy watching one of the other thousands of distractions. The entire atmosphere was chaotic, beautiful and disgusting and I couldn't stop drinking it in.

Finally we made our way down a surprisingly empty alleyway. We came upon a thick wooden door with a crescent moon symbol burnt into the top. Zeko reached up and banged firmly against the door. "Quina és la clau?" came from the other side of the door. It sound was the sound of vocal chords made of sandpaper, it was rough and stern and I eagerly hoped Zeko knew what he wanted. "Dukh, Lluna y Tierra font ens farà lliures." There was shuffle behind the door and a few latches were unlocked. The man creaked the door open and peaked out, his wrinkled face lit up as he ushered us to come in.

"Zeko després de tots aquests anys és que realment vostè?" He said with a wide smile. Zeko smiled and said in the familiar Erudea "Can we speak in the old tongue so my friend here can follow along Mathius?" The wrinkles on his old face wiggles when he smiled as he said "Of course dear, but I am a little out of practice. So what brings you to this shit hole of a city after all these years?" Zeko lowered her head and began to explain everything that had happened, including how she brought me to life once more.

"These are dark time indeed young one, tell me how can I help?" He rested his hands on hers and furrowed his eyebrows in a worried expression. She looked up and said "I need the Grimoire of Arimathea. Before you go on with a speech telling me its too dangerous, I already know what is at stake Mathius. We have no choice and we wouldn't be here if there were any other way. He stared in silence for a long while until he finally stood up and walked over to the dusty bookshelf and halfheartedly thumbed the pages a few books. I would gladly hand it over to you, that is if I still had it.

"Brother Balon or General Balon as he is known now betrayed the order. He took the Grimoire for himself and made quite the name for himself exploiting the powerful rune spells within to muscle his way into the various stim smuggling rings. All is not lost though, once I learned of his plot against the order I had enough time to split the book in two and send off the second half to an ally in the water tribe."

"You see child, you need both halves in order to summon Navi the great navigator spirit. She alone knows of the true paths along the earth that lead to the rest of the relics hidden from Isidore's reach. You still wish to seek out the Grimoire knowing all of this?" He gave her another worried look.

"I know what what must be done, and if we fail I know that will mean the end of this realm. Tell me grandpa, do you still have my old Hermetic Tomes? I think we are going to need them now more than ever."

 

[Volki]

.

[Volki]

.