Chapter 22 - Hell Unleashed

That morning Valandt awoke to the sound of raised voices, coming from the direction of the next room. His mother and father were arguing again and Valandt pulled his blanket over his head and tried not to hear them. Valandt’s room was tiny, the whole house was but it was all they could afford and in between his parents constant arguments it wasn't all bad. Valandt heard his mother enter his room and he pretended to be asleep and not notice her entrance. Her name was Astella, she married in haste and gave birth to Valandt shortly after. Khomedal, Valandt’s father and Astella still loved each other, but the love had faded over the years, strained by the constant quarrelling. Astella came and sat on Valandt’s bed and thinking he was asleep, she leaned over and kissed him on his cheek. Valandt began to stir and he opened his eyes slowly, making it seem that he was just waking up. Valandt could see that his mother had been crying, he instantly felt her pain. “Is there anything wrong mother ?” he asked.
“N-No” she replied, her voice sounding depressed. she then attempted to lift her mood “Didn‘t you say you were going to meet up with Abreu and go down to the streams today” she said, changing the subject. Valandt smiled, something he knew would lift his mother’s spirits and jumped out of bed. “He hasn‘t allready gone has he ?” Valandt asked as he began to put his trousers on.
“He hasn‘t knocked here yet Valandt and you know that he wont go anywhere without you” his mother said, still sitting on Valandt’s bed. Valandt’s smile widened and he went to run out of the room when his mother stopped him. “Now you be careful out there” she said, taking Valandt’s winter fleece from its discarded position on the floor and wrapping Valandt in it. Valandt didn’t want to wear his fleece outside, he didn't think it was cold enough to wear it but he didn't have the heart to tell his mother otherwise. As soon as his mother had tied his fleece on, Valandt skipped outside and knocked on the door of his next door neighbour, Abreu. Abreu and Valandt were the best of friends and Abreu was Valandt’s only friend. The door to Abreu’s house was opened by a chubby faced ten year old, Abreu himself. “Are you coming down to the streams then?” Valandt asked once Abreu was in full view. “Yeah, I was just about to knock for you. Hold on a second” Abreu replied, he then went back into his house and said his goodbyes to his parents, then Abreu came back to the door and walked out of it, closing it behind him. Valandt and Abreu lived in a remote village called Soviena, on the outskirts of Gorhenge. Valandt and Abreu made their way down to the streams of Soviena and began to play. Valandt instantly took off his shoes and pulled up his leggings then ran into the waters, Valandt then began to splash Abreu on the shore, who was struggling with taking his shoes off. Abreu fell backward as the elusive shoe eventually came off and a look of horror developed on his face as he made his way to his feet. Abreu ran away screaming, causing Valandt to turn around and see what was wrong. A man stood on the other side of the stream, dressed in a black cloak and hood. Valandt was strangely curious at the strange man who stood watching him and he wade over to the man. “Hello” said Valandt to the man “how come you‘re all covered up, its not that cold” Valandt stood innocently and waited as the strange man slowly turned his head to face Valandt. Valandt jumped back as he saw some of the man’s face, he felt scared and repulsed at the sight that the man had pale green skin. “Do not be afraid” the strange man said in a strange, hiss like whisper.
“Are you diseased?” Valandt asked, the man began to chuckle.
“No my boy, I‘m merely from far away”
“Well how come you‘re out here all alone, haven‘t you got any friends ?” Valandt asked.
“I have come to give you something, something magical” Valandt was intrigued.
“What is it?” said Valandt keenly. The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife, it was beautifully crafted and the handle glittered in the sunlight. “Hold out your hand” said the man, to which Valandt reluctantly complied. The man then placed the knife in Valandt’s hand. Valandt stared at the handle of the knife in awe, it was made from the finest diamonds and seemed to set off a sparkle in Valandt’s eyes. Valandt then went to thank the man but as Valandt looked up he realized that the man had vanished without a trace. Valandt looked all around to see where he could have gone, he then shrugged his shoulders and put the knife in his pocket, keeping a tight grip on it still. Valandt then went off looking for Abreu who had kept on running all the way back to his house. Valandt slowly walked back home, taking the knife out that he had been given every so often and looking at its incredible beauty. As Valandt reached his home, he pocketed the blade once and heard them arguing before he had even opened the door. Valandt opened the door slowly and was greeted with a sight that would shock him to the core. Valandt saw as his father hit his mother across the room, Valandt instantly felt fury and dived at his father. Valandt knew that they argued and was even prepared to put up with it but there was no way he could watch his father attack his mother. `How dare he hurt her like that, he must pay and pay dearly` came a voice from inside Valandt’s head. Valandt pulled the knife out of his pocket and stabbed his father in the leg. The howl of pain almost made Valandt smile, a feeling of retribution went all around in Valandt’s body. Valandt took the blade out of his father’s leg and then stabbed him hard in the stomach, blood began to pour from his father’s mouth and Valandt felt near euphoric. A feeling of incredible power now went around Valandt’s body as he looked into his father’s dying eyes. Valandt stood and looked at his bloodstained hands. `Yes` came a voice from inside, Valandt was disturbed to find that he was enjoying this. “I swear if you so much as come near me, I'll tear your heart out” Valandt called to his mother, he then stood in disbelief at what he had just said. The sound of his mother crying now was all that could be heard in the room. Valandt turned and walked toward her. She began to scream and backed off from Valandt, instantly making him feel rejected. `How can she be like this to you, you saved her. Make her pay for her rejection Valandt`. Valandt fought the rage that was boiling over in him and ran to his mother, hugging her and beginning to weep. As his mother clung to Valandt, Valandt once more looked at the blood on his hands and into the bloodstained knife, Valandt then plunged the knife into the back of his mother. Valandt jumped back and instantly pocketed the blade, not wanting to touch it. He looked around at the bodies of his parents and got down on his knees and uncontrollably cried. Somebody knocked at the door, coming to enquire about the shouting and screams were. Valandt opened the door and ran past them, he kept running to the forests of Gorhenge and it was there that he would meet with Gyraicus.

A drained Valandt awoke, his eyes bloodshot and tearstained. Valandt went to a sink and began to splash water over his face, he then heard a familiar voice. “I told you it was magical, it made your mother and father disappear” the figure sitting on Valandt’s bed was Kaiazal.
“You!” Valandt exclaimed “you‘re the one that gave me that knife. I should kill you where you stand” Valandt instantly felt his grip on his anger loosen.
“If only you could kill me” Kaiazal smirked.
“What is it that you want this time” Valandt snarled.
“I was hoping you‘d killed Schard so I can get on with our deal”
“Not yet” Valandt picked up his axe.
“Ah well, In your own time” Kaiazal smiled. A knock at the door then prompted Kaiazal to disappear, Valandt breathed a sigh of relief as he went to open the door. A messenger stood on the other side. “What ?” said Valandt, bluntly.
“I bring news from Lord Enzaghe. He has the captured the one called Shadow” Valandt’s mood began to rise as he heard this.
“Where are they ?” Valandt asked.
“Hazajaro castle milord” the messenger responded.
“Prepare my carriage, I am to go to Hazajaro.” as Valandt spoke the messenger nodded acknowledgement. Valandt then paused and looked at the messenger “Is that all?” Valandt’s impatience began to grow.
“Yes sir” the messenger then bowed and left before Valandt had the chance to scold him. Valandt dropped his axe on the bed and pulled out his clothes for the ride to Hazajaro. Valandt pulled on a blood red pair of leggings and then a red shirt with a gold streak at the shoulders. Valandt was unused to dressing himself but he was desperate for a quick depart for Hazajaro, he wanted a piece of Shadow. Valandt felt something he rarely felt as he put his brown boots on and laced them up, which might have been mistaken for independence. To finish, Valandt opened his wardrobe and took out his prized red jacket. It was made of the finest rare materials, with names Valandt couldn’t remember or pronounce. The jacket had a tail which stopped at the back of Valandt‘s knees and which he thought looked very impressive when it was flowing behind him in the wind. Today however it was a beautiful day. Valandt strode to the balcony and took in a deep breath of the wonderfully fresh air that was all around today. The sun beat down heavily on Legia castle and the nonchalant sounds of birds filled the air. Valandt looked to the sky and it was cloudless, everything seemed right. From his balcony Valandt could see a group of children coming to play in the fields, Valandt focused on them and could see that one of them was carrying a picnic basket. Valandt smiled at the innocence and beauty that emanated from the children and felt calmer. Valandt continued to look around and could see a young couple sitting underneath a grand oak tree by the horizon. The scene filled Valandt with a sense of harmony and peace which soon faded as he walked away from the balcony, picked up his axe and left the room. As Valandt strode to the front the messenger that gave him word of Shadow’s capture approached him. “Is my carriage ready to go?” Valandt asked.
“Yes sir, its waiting for you now at the main entrance”. Valandt sighed, he had a feeling today was going to be a good day. Valandt made his way to the front entrance, it was then his temporary enjoyment of things was spoiled as a guard was not watching where he was going and bumped right into Valandt. The guard dropped a book and casually mumbled an apology to which Valandt took offence too. “Do you perform all your duties with such awkwardness ?” Valandt asked, to which the guard froze suddenly. The guard did not reply to Valandt to begin with, which incensed him more. “I order you to look at me and respond soldier” Valandt ordered, to which the guard slowly got to his feet and looked at Valandt. Valandt jumped back as he recognised the face of the clumsy soldier, it was Schard.

Presto continued to examine the parchment he had found at his beside through the night to no avail. The first sentence bothered him, the second even further. “Of the three, the second is the king” Presto read back his translation of the first sentence which was followed with him reading aloud his translation of the second sentence. “Once the king is with the Glovaicalum, Goreoth will return”. Presto was stumped, here he had, in written form exactly how Goreoth would be able to return to Legia, but it was in riddle form and Presto had grown to loath riddles. Presto’s head was hurting, he was not used to this relentless use of his brain. Presto put the parchment to one side for a second and paced around the room, stretching his legs which had almost become redundant over the past few days. “Once Valandt is with Schard, Goreoth will return” Presto had begun to talk to himself instead of thinking. “But then the first part makes no sense” said Presto, countering himself, he then felt his headache once more. Presto bashed his head with his hand “Come on think” he said, spurring himself on. Presto began to circle the centre of the room and intensified his concentration, he was desperate. Presto walked over to the parchment and picked it up, he held it out in front of him and studied it as he walked. “Once the king is with the Glovaicalum, Goreoth will return” he sighed after he read the words and began to reflect on them to the point that his headache increased. The words in between king and Glovaicalum bothered Presto, on the page it was written as `Yisl Jign` which translated into modern Legian was `is inside` which disrupted the statement altogether. Presto took a deep breath as he put down the parchment and attempted to clear his head, just for a moment and gather his thoughts. Presto walked to the balcony attached to his room and took a walk around it, treating himself to the glorious sunshine that was spread across the land that day. A refreshingly cool breeze hit Presto’s face and he smiled with how incredibly good it felt. The look on Presto’s face soon changed when the breeze without warning became very strong and began to blow the parchment around in his room. Presto frantically ran back into his room and jumped about, trying to catch the document that had got caught in the up draught. The parchment began to drift toward the balcony and Presto felt his heart skip several beats. If Presto lost it, there was no way he could figure out how Goreoth was to return and subsequently, there would be no way to stop him. Presto dived for the parchment just before it headed onto the balcony and missed it by the narrowest of margins and fell to the floor. Presto watched in horror as the parchment continued to drift out over the balcony. Knowing he would only have one chance, Presto ran to and leaned over the balcony, outstretching his hand as far as he could. Presto’s fingertips were touching the paper but he could not get a hold onto it. Just as Presto was about to give up hope, another gust of wind came along and blew the parchment into his grasp. Presto snatched it from the air and lay down on the stone floor of the balcony, his heart still racing from almost losing the parchment. Presto panted and attempted to calmed his breathing down, his back against the wall of the balcony. Presto then took out the parchment and looked at it. With Presto and the parchment now being in the sunlight he could see it a lot more clearly and something instantly caught his eye. Presto rubbed his eyes to make sure he was not seeing things but it was no illusion. The first sentence Presto had originally read to say “Ojv Tuhe Zthri Tuhe Xidonz Lizs Tuhe Ktio” but because of the age of the parchment and the faded nature of the writing he had misread the word `Ktio` when in fact it was `Klic`. Presto smacked his forehead at how he could make such a ridiculous error. Presto paused and frantically racked his brain, trying to recall what the word `Klic` meant. “Key” exclaimed Presto, snapping his fingers as it came to him. Presto then calmed himself and read the corrected statements aloud. “Of the three, the second is the key” Presto read out the new first sentence. “Once the key is with the Glovaicalum, Goreoth will return” Presto paused as he read the second sentence. “Wait..” he said out loud “its not `with`, its `is inside`” Presto then rearranged the second sentence once more. “Once the key is inside the Glovaicalum, Goreoth will return”. Presto began to think more intensely than he had ever done before. “If the second is referring to the axe, then if the axe enters Schard...” Presto dropped the parchment and felt his jaw drop with it as he worked it out. Presto then ran out the room, desperate to find Valandt before it was too late.

Valandt stood frozen with shock as Schard stood before him for a moment. Valandt’s expression changed to one of malice as he pushed Schard away and lifted his axe above his head. “You thought you could get away with turning your back on me eh” said Valandt as he punched Schard in the face, knocking him to the floor. Valandt walked along and leaned over Schard’s body. “Pathetic. That's what you are. By killing you I‘m actually going to do you a favour” Valandt completely despised Schard and showed it in his voice. Valandt kicked Schard mockingly a couple of times and laughed at how feeble Schard now seemed. It was only then that Valandt began to wonder why Schard was not fighting back. `Surely a magician with powers such as he would not stand for this treatment` thought Valandt, then he realized `but surely someone such as Schard would not need to dress as a solider`. “Down on your luck ? Kaiazal left you to fend for yourself ?” Valandt smiled as the miserable look on Schard‘s face gave him the response he desired. “Ha” Valandt said sincerely “You deserve it”.
“I may have done wrongs in my life. Things I'm not proud of but..” Schard at last spoke.
“But what? there‘s no defence for you. Truth is that having you dead will be the best thing that could happen to Legia” Schard backed away from Valandt as he spoke and began to get to his feet.
“How do you work out that one ?” a confused Schard asked.
“I‘m going to get my father back” said Valandt confidently, to which Schard laughed.
“What fool told you that ?” a smiling Schard asked
“This fool” Kaiazal stepped from out of the darkness and Schard’s smile instantly disappeared.
“You trust him? you‘re more of a fool that I thought” Schard’s panic was beginning to show as he faced Valandt.
“Can you just kill him so we can get this over with” said Kaiazal, slightly disinterested. Valandt stepped forward and raised the axe above his head, Schard cowered and closed his eyes. “No! Stop!” came a shout from Valandt’s left, it was Presto, who ran out in front of Schard. “Its a trick, if you kill Schard then the Goreoth‘s seal will be broken” explained Presto to Valandt, to which Valandt turned to Kaiazal. “The boy speaks lies. He is afraid that if Gyraicus returns he will be kicked out of his new found life of luxury in the castle” Kaiazal said to Valandt. Presto backed off a few steps as Valandt lowered the axe to the floor. “You know what is right. Remember how you felt when you killed your parents. You owe it to them to do this, to bring Gyraicus back” Kaiazal continued.
“No! How can you listen to this, this lizard man. If you kill Schard we are all doomed”. Kaiazal turned his attention to Presto and showed his anger “I did not come all this way to have my deals spoiled by a little boy” Kaiazal then threw a ball of energy at Presto. Presto then found himself trapped inside it. Kaiazal walked up to the ball and smiled. Presto then began to try and punch his way out of the ball but to no avail. Kaiazal turned to Valandt and walked up beside him. “You are the Gloariax. Fifty percent pure evil. It is in your blood to kill. You killed, and you liked it. All you have to do is end the life of someone you don't even like. Kill Schard and you will have your father back”.
“What is this about Goreoth‘s return?” Valandt asked, almost robotically as he kept his eyes firmly locked on Schard who stood frozen with fear backed up against a wall.
“Ask the wizard” Kaiazal then continued, without letting Valandt ask for himself. “Schard. You traded your alliance to one with myself, is what the young wizard spoke of true ?”. Schard refused to speak for a moment, at first he was too frozen with fear to talk and then he declined to give Kaiazal an answer. Kaiazal then walked up toward Schard and looked him callously in the eye. “I cannot say I've heard anything of this” Schard eventually responded, to which Kaiazal then turned to face Valandt once more. As Kaiazal motioned to speak, the energy bubble surrounding Presto burst and he stepped forward once more. “Valandt listen to me. You are not a killer. Kaiazal is preying on your darker side and telling you like it” Valandt stood, still with the axe in hand, then Presto’s eyes suddenly sparkled as he realized something. “Go ahead, kill Schard” Presto smiled as both Kaiazal and Valandt looked at him with confused looks on their faces. “Kill the traitor. However, kill him with this” Presto conjured an impressive long sword out of nothing and held it out for Valandt to take, Kaiazal instantly became irate. “No!” shouted Kaiazal “The axe...” Kaiazal stopped and looked at Valandt “He didn't tell you did he?” “Tell me what?” Valandt turned his head to Presto, intrigued.
“If you kill Schard, Astral will awake, unharmed and in perfect health” Kaiazal smiled as Valandt lowered his brow and turned to Presto.
“Is this true?” Valandt asked Presto, who bowed his head.
“Yes. Killing Schard will cause the demons in her to die but.. ” Kaiazal cut Presto off by magically forcing his lips shut. Kaiazal walked around Valandt once more. “Give up. Surrender to your evil” Kaiazal whispered into Valandt’s ear. Valandt then felt his body be taken over by something inside him, the dark side of him that had killed his parents. Valandt could not hold back and was powerless to contain his furious anger. Valandt charged at Schard and held the axe above his head, then lowered it into Schard’s body, cutting his chest open. Kaiazal began to laugh as Schard’s blood began to ooze out from his body. Valandt instantly regained control of his body and dropped the bloodstained axe. Presto ran to Schard and Schard looked Presto in the eye. “In my knapsack there is my last potion, restores whoever drinks it to perfect health, I cannot use it, it is too late for me, take it and use it as you see fit. You will know what is right. You are the wizard of the kingdom now, do not abuse magic like I did” he spoke slowly and had to stop constantly for he was coughing up blood, Schard then faded and died. Kaiazal laughed louder than ever before and disappeared, his voice then echoed around Legia castle. “You were a fool to trust me Valandt, for now you have broken Goreoth‘s seal. The God of Evil returns to reign terror once more” and with that the whole castle began to shake.