Chapter 24 - Enzaghe's Favour

Zvire and Shadow paced in there respective cells. Enzaghe had Zvire put in a cell across the way from Shadow so that even though they were imprisoned, they still had the luxury of talking to each other. It was too late to escape now, reinforcements from Aaouron castle had arrived and the news was that Valandt would soon arrive having departed from Minorell castle. Shadow lay on the lone bed in the cell and stared at the roof. `No sword, no Imunzo, no hope` Shadow thought. As a favour, Enzaghe had let Shadow keep the mask on and Shadow was allowed to eat alone but that was about as good as it got for Shadow. Zvire was equally dejected having escaped from a slave camp only to be locked away in a dungeon. Although Shadow had managed to gain Enzaghe’s trust, that didn't change the fact that he killed Raiguarde, something which couldn’t go unpunished. The seconds dwindled by in the dungeon, Shadow and Zvire had been put in close cells so that they could talk to each other however the opposite seemed to be happening. The sky remained as black as had done since the tremor. Through the masses of dark clouds the moon could now be seen, its partial light trying to pierce the clouds that formed when the tremor came. Footsteps could be heard making their way down toward the dungeons, causing Shadow and Zvire to suddenly look up and pay attention, wondering who it was that was coming them. The torches on either side of the dimly lit dungeon managed to cast their light on the figure as he came into view, Shadow instantly felt better. “What happened to you?” Shadow called to Imunzo as he made his way toward Shadow’s cell.
“The tremor. I had to fight off the demons. Goreoth‘s seal must be broken. There is not much time left” Imunzo said gravely.
“Do you have the sword ?” Shadow asked, somewhat impatiently.
“This sword ?” asked Imunzo as he drew the sword of Drakahor from his sword belt and handed it to Shadow. Shadow felt even better now, Shadow had missed the sword, it was the most perfect weapon that Shadow had ever wielded. Imunzo snatched the sword back as Shadow was admiring the masterful craft of the sword. “No!” called Imunzo “the shedding of more innocent blood will not get you anywhere, you of all people should know that by now Shadow”. Imunzo put the sword back into his belt and walked over to Zvire’s cell. “What has happened here, he is wounded” Imunzo said, referring to Zvire’s bandage.
“Orscyar” said Zvire “and the Zaokum. They‘re...” Zvire started
“Like demons only much bigger, more powerful and harder to kill” Imunzo finished, then pre-empting he would be asked how he knew he continued. “My land has been subjected to the same fate. Used as a testing ground for Goreoth‘s mass invasion. My people were used as sport for the Zaokum to perfect their killing skills”
“And where is this land of yours?” Shadow asked.
“It is a small island on the other side of the great continent of Rkysym, the island of Djian” Imunzo instantly responded. “What happened with the Zaokum?” Imunzo then asked.
“We fought them” said Zvire “and we lost. Orscyar could have had us killed there and then but the smug fool let us live. That‘s a mistake that I personally am going to make sure he regrets” Zvire said, his voice filled with connotations of revenge.
“Did he mention anything significant, anything about Goreoth‘s plans or Goreoth himself?” Imunzo then asked, to which there was a short pause as both Shadow and Zvire attempted to recall what Orscyar had said.
“He said something about a volcano being in place of Legia castle and that‘s where Goreoth will make his return to Legia” Shadow eventually came out with.
“Of course, being down underneath the ground would require some time for Goreoth to regain his full strength and make his way from the centre of the earth to Legia”
“And when he does?” asked Zvire
“It will give new meaning to the word terror. People will die the most gruesome of deaths. But there is hope”
“There is ?” asked Zvire.
“Everything that exists must come to an end sometime, Goreoth can be killed”
“And how exactly do you kill a god” Shadow added.
“Valandt” Imunzo answered.
“That brat, how is he supposed to kill Goreoth”
“Goreoth is only here because of him. Only the Gloariax could break the seal. I do not know exactly how it will be done but I will fight til my dying breath to see that it is. You two are possibly the finest warriors Legia has to offer, I would be grateful for your support on this” Imunzo responded, to which both Shadow and Zvire nodded their heads acknowledging Imunzo.
“However there is not much we can do here” Shadow then added.
“This I am fully aware of. I will find a way to get you out of here” Imunzo paused “There will be no more bloodshed. Legia has lost too many allready. Raiguarde..” Imunzo was then interrupted by Shadow.
“Raiguarde what?” Shadow said, clearly irate “True he was a captain of the army. It was one on one combat. He died and as much as I‘d like to change that I cant” Shadow walked up to the bars and got in Imunzo’s face.
“Raiguarde’s death was inevitable, I know this.” he paused and sighed “I wasn't going to tell you this” started Imunzo, walking up to Shadow‘s cell and staring Shadow in the eye “but not only were you tricked by Orscyar you were also tricked by Kaiazal.”
“What are you going on about now ?” Shadow said.
“You, me and Raiguarde. They played us all for fools. I don't know what deal you made with Kaiazal but the only reason he had you go to Hazajaro was because it was out of the way of Legia castle. Kaiazal didn't want either of us foiling whatever way he managed to get Valandt to break the seal. Everything about that journey was watched and organised by him. Don't you find it funny how on two separate occasions the demons came down when you were grossly outnumbered. And Brimstone, he also came to your rescue. All so that you and Raiguarde could have a one on one duel. Kaiazal wanted Raiguarde out of the way, and he used you to do it. I don't know what he promised you here but you wont find it” there was a cold silence as Imunzo and Shadow stared each other off, Imunzo then headed back into the darkness and up the steps. Shadow sat back on the bed and began to contemplate the future. `How dare that Kaiazal use me like that. When I get out of here, first thing I’m gonna do is find him and end the life of that, that spineless lizard` Shadow thoughts then began to run. `If my father’s killer isn't here then there’s nothing here for me. The moment I get out of here this mask is gone, for good. I have nothing to lose now` Shadow paused and sighed deeply, wondering about taking the mask off.

The trek from Minorell to Hazajaro was a long one. Valandt, Astral and Presto had been riding for hours, accompanied by only a handful of horsemen when they decided to stop and rest the horses for a while, it would also be a chance to set up a camp fire and have something to eat. It was cold that night and Astral lay asleep, her arms around Valandt with her body pressed against his. Valandt thought it strange that after her ordeal she was tired but he did not complain to having her so close. Presto sat beside Valandt rifling his way through a selection of books he had managed to take from Minorell castle. Valandt yawned, it had been a long and tiring day but still he refused to sleep. Valandt felt he had something to prove, to himself more than anyone else. Valandt felt that he had let down everyone in Legia but most importantly he had let down Gyraicus. The man had taken Valandt in when he was a ten year old boy and showed him everything he could have wanted. Valandt was given the best education, both in battle and by the kings chosen scholars, although Valandt would much rather be duelling that reading. Valandt was given the best clothes and upbringing he could have had, anything he wanted would almost instantly be his. Most importantly however he was truly loved by Gyraicus, like he was of his own. Valandt began to feel depressed as he thought about Gyraicus, he could soon feel the tears beginning to form and then moved his mind onto other things. He rubbed his eyes to keep them awake a while longer and watched as the horsemen returned with a scrap of firewood. Valandt had heard that as the castle was coming down a black mist devoured everything, instantly turning anything outside to cinders. The only wood that the horsemen could find for the fire was wood from nearby houses that had managed to survive and were subsequently left abandoned. Valandt even had to step in as one of the horsemen went to pick up Presto’s books and went to add them to the fire. Valandt cuddled Astral, even with the fire it was a bitterly cold night and Valandt was grateful to have a warm body so close to him, he was even more grateful that the body in question was that of Astral’s. With the horsemen recognizing that they would find nothing more for the fire they began to set up a grill over the fire and on it was placed a pig. Valandt wet his lips as he watched the pig slowly cook, he had specifically told the men he wanted nothing special, anything to eat at all would be appreciated and Valandt hadn’t eaten all day. Valandt found himself yawning once more, then turned to Presto to keep himself alert while making sure he did not disturb Astral’s sound sleep. “Anything ?” Valandt said to Presto while keeping his voice suitably low as to not wake the sleeping Astral.
“A few things, but I keep coming back to this” Presto then pulled out a folded piece of parchment. Valandt watched as Presto unfolded it then listed as he continued. “It‘s from this that I managed to work out how the seal would be broken. And from what I can gather that is the axe of Rhjahor” he said, pointing to the drawn axe in the middle of the parchment. “And this is the sword of Drakahor” he then pointed to the drawing of a sword to the left of the axe. “But in all of the books, there is no mention of a second sword. According to this there must be” Presto concluded by showing Valandt that there was another sword drawn in on the right side of the axe. Valandt and Presto both stopped as the intoxicating aroma of the cooking pig began to fill their nostrils. Valandt took in a deep breath and licked his lips, he then felt his hunger rise. The irresistible smell of the pig began to stir Astral from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes awake and sat up, Valandt instantly wanted her back by his side again. “My apologies if my sleeping so close disturbed you”
“Its a cold night, I was just as grateful for the body warmth as you were” Valandt found his eyes wandering over her body before he remembered that she could read his mind, Valandt promptly stopped and his cheeks became redder. “Are you hungry? It will be done soon” Valandt asked, quickly changing the subject.
“Hmm lets see, I’ve been asleep for almost two weeks now and since waking I still haven't had anything. What do you think ?” Valandt was caught off guard her attempt at humour and stood with a blank look on his face, which made her smile increase. “Would you like to walk with me before we eat?” Astral then asked.
“Yes” Valandt instantly replied, she smiled again at Valandt’s keenness and he felt his knees weaken. Valandt had almost forgotten how different she made him feel, he couldn’t place the feeling as it was much stronger than anything he had ever experienced. Without thinking about the consequences Valandt put his arm around Astral and felt instant relief as she did not do anything to avoid it, they then began to walk into the trees. “I want to apologize” Valandt began “for everything. I let Kaiazal trick me and now I've put everybody in incredible danger, the last thing I want to see is any more people get hurt, especially you” Valandt found the last part of his statement fall out without warning. Astral looked at him tenderly “It is not about what you have done Valandt, but about what you will do”. He took her words to heart and thought about them as they continued to walk and made their way through some trees, coming into another clearing, this one on top of a small hillside. Astral and Valandt sat down on the floor and looked up to the sky, she then got even closer to him which made his heart skip several beats. Valandt looked to the sky and felt his mood sadden again when he saw the dark clouds that still patrolled the sky. “You must not dwell on it Valandt. Focus on the future” she then put her hand on Valandt’s face and moved it so that he was looking into her eyes. He found himself mesmerized by the beauty of Astral’s amazing eyes. Like the diamonds fixed into his crown that he had laid upon Gyraicus‘ head and would be buried with, they sparkled and made Valandt feel immensely warm inside. She continued to look into his eyes being just as hypnotized by them as he was with hers. “Why is it when im with you that I have this almost uncontrollable desire to have you” it wasn't until Valandt had finished that he realized he had just said those things aloud, he then continued to stare into her eyes and anxiously awaited her response.
“Some things aren’t meant to be controlled” she replied, Astral then began to move her face closer to Valandt’s until her lips met his. Valandt felt his body tingle and an incredible feeling surge through his body as he kissed her, then as their lips parted he stared into her eyes once more. It was at that moment that he realized that he loved her. A rustling of the bushes behind them caused them both to jump and turn, they then saw Presto approach. “Food‘s ready” Presto said, then stuffed some of the meat in his mouth and eat it. Presto then swallowed and looked at Valandt and Astral with engrossed eyes. “Not disturbing anything am I?”. Valandt turned and looked Astral in the eyes once more “I‘d say you were” he said under his breath. Valandt then got to his feet slowly and helped Astral to hers, they then walked, with Valandt strategically placing his arm on her lower back, back toward the clearing where the food had at last been prepared. Valandt walked toward the horseman that was acting as temporary chef and took some of the meat off him, he then walked back toward Astral and Presto and sat down with Astral, giving her the rest of the meat he took from the horseman. “Any progress?” Valandt asked Presto as Astral began to eat.
“Nothing. No mention of a second sword anywhere.” Presto paused “finding it, if it exists could be the key to stopping Goreoth” he said sighing heavily. Astral forced the piece of meat she was eating down and then stood up suddenly. “The sword. I know it. I‘ve seen it before.”
“Where?”
“That‘s the sword of Chalhor. The sword belongs to Malak, the disciple of Paix that cast the spell that sealed Goreoth initially. The sword is no longer with Malak, it has been given to a warrior of pure heart that has come through Kaiazal‘s slave camp” Astral explained.
“Where is the sword now?” asked Presto.
“Hazajaro” she replied.

The roar of pain echoed through the dungeon. Shadow instantly jumped awake and up, looking around frantically to see what was going on. Zvire had, during his sleep fallen off his bed and onto his arm that had been cut by the Zaokum sword and his arm was beginning to bleed once more. Frenzied footsteps could be heard, three figures could be seen in the distance coming down the steps and corridor also trying to find out what had happened. Calandria accompanied by two guards came down and walked to Zvire‘s cell. “What happened ?”
“I fell on my arm, nothing more”
“Is this true?” asked Calandria, turning to Shadow.
“Far as I know, I was asleep at the time” Shadow replied. Calandria turned back to Zvire and gave a short examination of the wound. “The cut has reopened” said Calandria, opening the cell “we‘re going to need to take you to have that looked at”. Zvire was too focused on numbing the intense pain in his arm to signify Calandria with a verbal response, he silently went with Calandria and the two guards. Shadow listened as they went up the steps and then the door slam as they left of the dungeon. Shadow sat on the bed in silence for a moment, then went to lay down once more. As Shadow’s eyes closed once more the sound of the door was heard again, someone was coming back down. Shadow continued to lay, pretending to sleep as the sound of footsteps came closer. Shadow sustained the pretence of being asleep as the cell door was opened. Shadow then made a move, leaping out of the bed and grabbing the collar of the person who came in and slamming them against the wall, it was only then that Shadow realized that it was Enzaghe. “I didn‘t know you were a soldier” Enzaghe said, this reaction confusing Shadow.
“What?” said Shadow, letting go of the large Enzaghe.
“Reacting like that, the alertness, not caring about who it was only what they were doing. Only a soldier reacts like that” Enzaghe explained.
“I knew a few soldiers. Killed a few too” Shadow said coldly.
“That's what I don't get about you Shadow. You seem like a decent person one minute and a cold hearted killer the next”
“Its the life I have chosen” Shadow replied.
“Why did you choose this life then Shadow?, tell me”
“I have my reasons”
“You hide from the truth. Letting no-one into your life, hiding away because you don't want to get hurt. That's what that mask of yours represents. It tells me that you‘re too much of a coward to fight using your real identity”
“You are a fine one to talk of cowards, coming down to my cell while you think I am asleep. Not unarmed as well I see” said Shadow, referring to the sword on Enzaghe’s belt.
“Would you like a weapon?” asked Enzaghe.
“What are you saying” asked Shadow, intrigued at where Enzaghe was going with it.
“Would you be able to use it?” Enzaghe asked, drawing a second sword from his belt and tossing it onto Shadow’s bed. Then there were no more words. Shadow stopped for a moment then walked back to the bed and picked up the sword. In an instant, Shadow then turned and thrust the blade at Enzaghe, who had little time to react but parried it away with time to spare. The cell gave Shadow and Enzaghe little room to move but they began to duel. Both Shadow and Enzaghe stood their ground as they battled, neither of them managed to gain so much of an inch of ground on the other as they clashed weapons. Shadow and Enzaghe began to circle each other now, each of them trying to ward the other off at broken intervals. Enzaghe felt he had something to prove to himself, even though he was widely respected as a warrior throughout Legia, he was the eldest in the Legia army and knew about the constant behind his back comments. In Shadow Enzaghe had the best possible opponent and was proving to be more than capable of keeping pace with Shadow. The cell seemed to get smaller as the two warriors continued to battle, their blows beginning getting more aggressive now. Shadow began to cut and thrust with more anger now. At first Shadow had been reluctant to fight Enzaghe, wanting no more death, especially that of Enzaghe whom Shadow perceived as a good man but as Shadow saw Enzaghe’s aim to harm Shadow’s hostility rose accordingly. Enzaghe responded to Shadow’s growing power by increasing the speed and number of his blows, making Shadow lose some ground. Shadow jumped on top of the bed and continued to parry away Enzaghe’s blows. Shadow, looking for a sharp end to it all kicked Enzaghe in the chest to the floor and then stood over him. The brown bearded Enzaghe seemed surprisingly calm as Shadow put a blade to his neck, “Had enough?” Shadow then said, desperate to end it with no blood spilled. Enzaghe then smiled and before Shadow knew it Enzaghe had rolled onto his back out of the way of the blade, then jumped backward underneath Shadow’s legs and coming up behind Shadow. Shadow turned to see Enzaghe’s foot rise to kick the blade out of Shadow’s tight grasp, Enzaghe then landed a heavy fist onto Shadow’s chest. Then as Shadow stumbled, Enzaghe faked a right, then faked a left and finally slammed his right fist into Shadow‘s masked face, causing Shadow to fall back. The back of Shadow’s head slammed against the bars of the cell hard and Shadow felt light headed. Shadow then felt overcome by darkness. Shadow awoke feeling light-headed, knowing Enzaghe was still alive was a great instant relief to Shadow who for sometime had feared that it would end in the cell with Enzaghe’s death. From the moment Shadow’s eyes opened, Enzaghe had been staring back at them. Shadow suddenly felt something was wrong. After taking Shadow to seek medical attention for the wound sustained when Shadow hit the cell wall, Calandria had bound Shadow to a chair so that there would be no more fighting. “What‘s the meaning of this?” Shadow asked.
“Calandria ordered you to be strapped down so you wouldn‘t cause any trouble when you awoke”
Enzaghe said “I wasn’t aware of this Shadow, my apologies”. Enzaghe got up from his seated position and then began to walk around Shadow. “The one called Imunzo comes to me asking for your release. Having seen you in battle I happen to agree with him, whatever is going on in Legia now with this” Enzaghe sighed as he tried to find the right words “this war upon the gods which we are about to embark on. Legia needs you on its side Shadow, you are too good a warrior to discard and that's why you are to be released from prison” Enzaghe refused to let Shadow a chance to speak “You‘re free to go wherever you want, but I will accompany you everywhere you go until this is over, then Valandt will see what is to be done with you”
“I thank you for the chance to roam free once more” Shadow replied
“I need to say thing, tell me if im right”
“You have granted me the greatest of favours, go ahead”
“The mask. Bothered me from the moment I met you. I don't know why but i was desperate to know why you wear it. Its not because you’re too much of a coward to show your face, its because you think that without the mask there will be no respect for you on the battle field”
“You saw my face as I was receiving medical attention ?” Shadow accused
“No. The man that saw to you only tended to the back of your head. You were tended to on your stomach, with a sheet tied to your head so that he could not look at your face. He was under strict orders not to look at it. I respect your need for privacy Shadow but this cannot continue. You say I did you the greatest of favours by letting you go free, no, this is the greatest favour I will do for you” Enzaghe walked toward Shadow and Shadow was powerless to resist as Enzaghe unfastened the clip on the mask and took it off. “Oh” said Enzaghe, dropping the mask on the floor as soon as he saw Shadow’s face. There was no way Enzaghe could have prepared himself for this, no way he could have prepared for the revelation that the Shadow of Death was a woman.

CONFUSED????