The afternoon heat was beginning to fade, though it was still scorching outside of the cave. The nameless man had been sleeping for almost fifteen hours now and was starting to stir awake. His muscles were numb at first, the after effects of having such a long sleep compared to what he was used too. His eyes were the last thing to return to the reality that faced the nameless man, whether it was real or not he had no idea. “Finally you are awake” Malak stated, who had his back turned to the nameless man the whole time.
“Barely” he responded, yawned and stretched out his muscles. The nameless man strode to the entrance of the cave. “Why have they not come for us?” he asked Malak, gazing into the distance.
“Kreul knows where we go to, and is too afraid to follow” Malak’s voice was as cold as it was hot outside the cave.
“What‘s so bad about this place anyway ?” the nameless man asked.
“to explain would be too complicated” Malak said, turning away from the nameless man and heading into the cave “come with me” he called to the nameless man. Malak descended deep into the extreme darkness of the depths of the cave, the nameless man followed watching his steps carefully. Malak continued to walk on, the nameless man could hear his footsteps but he could see absolutely nothing . There was a small line of sunlight in the distance, breaking in through the roof of the cave and the nameless man walked toward it. There was something at the bottom of the cave, the nameless man could not make it out in the extreme blackness which engulfed him but with the aid of the lone stream of sunlight he could see that there was definitely something there. The nameless man continued forward and stopped suddenly, there was nothing more to step on ahead of him. He knelt on the floor and reached out slightly, to see if there was anything that could support him below, there was. The nameless man jumped down and as his feet touched the ground a noise startled him and suddenly the whole cavern became illuminated. The nameless man could see that the one beam of sunlight coming from the roof hit the thing that the nameless man had seen before, it was a mirror. The light was bounced all around mirrors strategically placed in the cavern and now the nameless man could see. “If you want to get back home, you merely have to ask” came a voice from behind the nameless man, Malak’s.
“What do you mean ?” the nameless man asked.
“Follow me” Malak said, then led the nameless man over to a stone panel. Strange markings had been carved into the wall, what looked like some centuries ago. “You must find the chamber of nightmares, once in there you must recite this verse, then you will go back to your home”
“Are you not coming with me ?” the nameless man asked.
“I cannot, for I would suffer immediate eternal torture, worse than Kreul could ever deal out”. The nameless man nodded. “Jzi grmajlao twho lao raizprialen ajem zthize peklo” Malak ran his finger across the words as he spoke. The nameless man found it slightly amusing that his way out of this hell would require his skills of memory, the one thing he did not have. “Do not worry, once you are there, the words will come” Malak said and the nameless man was surprisingly upbeat. “If you keep going” Malak raised his arm and pointed in an easterly direction, directly at a cave door “through this cave door and along its path, you will eventually come to a door and on it will be a symbol, like these on the wall except different” Malak paused. “The symbol will be of fire, pass through that door.” Malak said calmly.
“Then what ?” the nameless man said anxiously.
“Draw your sword and keep it close, once you have killed the golden Rhiazar you will enter the chamber of nightmares. Once there you will have no longer than ten seconds to recite the verse, if done correctly you will leave back to your world”. The nameless man for a second went to ask what would happen if he failed to do it within ten seconds but a gut feeling told him not too. The nameless man headed for the entrance of the cave which Malak had told him to go down. “There is one last thing” Malak said, then made eye contact with the nameless man for the first time “when you pass through the fire door“ Malak searched his pocket for something and handed a black cloth to the nameless man “the only way to enter the chamber of nightmares is to kill the golden Rhiazar” he paused and swallowed hard “without the use of your sight”.
The wind cut through Shadow, it was a bitterly cold breeze and did not look like getting any better. The clouds grew dark, the now almost unfamiliar darkness of a rain cloud and not one which signified death and terror, those of the demons. Hazajaro castle was still a long distance away on foot, Shadow did not care. The thought of extinguishing the life of the wretch who murdered Shadow’s father was enough to keep Shadow almost morbidly happy for a while and no-way was Shadow going to let a little rain halt the journey to Hazajaro or delay it in anyway. There was something which would delay Shadow however. Shadow’s appetite for more than blood was growing, Shadow looked around the trees for fruits of any kind and stayed alert for any wildlife that could suffice as a hearty meal. Shadow heard something move in the bushes and jumped around. Stalking up to the bushes slowly, Shadow walked treading very gently not wanting to startle whatever it was that was there. Shadow slowly unsheathed the sword of Drakahor and shook the tall bushes to make the prey jump out of its hiding place. A small deer jumped out at Shadow, who was to slow to react and missed it by centimetres. The small deer began to run back in the way Shadow had came and Shadow gave chase, hunger taking over. Shadow dived for it and its nimbleness provided saving grace as it by the narrowest of margins managed to evade Shadow. Shadow got back up quickly, making sure it would not be able simply run away. Shadow drew a dagger and without wanting to give it much thought hurled it at the deer, the dagger landing in its back leg causing it to stumble and fall. Shadow then gained on the deer and stood over it. Shadow sighed and refused to meet its gaze as the sword of Drakahor came down into its stomach, piercing its chest and killing it. Shadow knelt by it and lifted the bloody carcass of the floor. Shadow then walked over to a spot underneath a few trees which provided cover from the oncoming rainfall. Placing the deer on the floor Shadow reached up and took the mask off, then a ravenous Shadow began to eat the deer raw. Shadow finished the deer, making sure that as little of it as possible was wasted and then put the mask back on. Sighing deeply Shadow began to look around for the path that Shadow had been travelling along all morning. The rain began to relent slightly as Shadow sheathed the sword of Drakahor and walked along the rain soaked dirt track. The rest of the day would consist of travelling along the same track, hoping to make more than steady progress for arriving at Hazajaro castle the next day. Shadow began to disappear from reality and get lost in thoughts. Thoughts of the murder. Shadow sighed deeply felt the pain of it all begin to creep back in. Shadow could see a hillside in the distance and a heard distant rumble of thunder and then began to stare at the ground. Shadow strode along the muddy track and headed for the top of the hill, there Shadow could overlook what was below and make sufficient plans for the night ahead. Shadow’s mind was beginning to revolt, now all thoughts were causing Shadow pain. `I cannot be hurt by any weapons of man, so I am to be tortured daily, by my own hands` Shadow thought. `You had the chance to rule this land yet instead you let a boy beat you, you are no warrior, you are a coward, you kill the innocent in a desperate search for vengeance you can never have` Shadow’s mind was now fully against Shadow. Shadow fell to the ground tearfully and called out to the skies. Shadow found resolve and began to fight back “There was nothing I could do. I wasn‘t around when it happened” Shadow called out. `You didn’t love him, he didn't love you` Shadow’s mind was deadlier than any weapon previously faced. Shadow was knelt in the mud and silent, breathing heavily. “There was nothing I could do” Shadow repeated, louder this time, and began to slowly stand up again. Shadow strode to the top of the hillside repeating the words, “There was nothing I could do” Shadow screamed out and chanted over and over, leaving no gap so that Shadow would never hear the voice inside. Shadow got to the top of the hillside and pulled the mask off, looking to the sky and letting the rain touch the face of the unmasked Shadow of Death. Tears rolled down Shadow’s face and the voice began to subside, Shadow was winning. “Forgive me father, for I can never forgive myself” said Shadow, who began to weep. Without warning the tears stopped, lightning flashed across the sky and Shadow saw a face in the light. “Father!” Shadow called and felt the last of the tears fall. “You are not to blame for my death” Shadow’s father called out, to which Shadow cringed.
“Avenging my death will not make you happy” the voice of Shadow’s father was booming, yet calm.
“I will never be happy” called out Shadow, followed by another rumble of thunder.
“I forgive you....” the voice of Shadow’s father disappeared into the distance, replaced by another voice, behind Shadow.
“No more games” the voice was all too familiar, Raiguarde’s. Shadow stood motionless for a while then knelt down and put the mask back on. Shadow then turned to face Raiguarde who was atop a horse. “The time has come for one of us to die” said Shadow, drawing the sword of Drakahor. Raiguarde nodded and dismounted, then drew the Zialisilyk. Thunder rumbled and lightning crackled as Shadow and Raiguarde prepared themselves for their final duel.
The search for Shadow was becoming a tiresome and tedious task. Raiguarde strode along the forests and hills of Haidar, wishing he had sliced open the guts of Shadow when he had the chance. Imunzo had gone ahead, Raiguarde had given up any hope of keeping the samurai grounded a long time ago but it did not bother Raiguarde, who was still not sure what to make of Imunzo. Raiguarde scanned the horizon, desperately racking his brains for anything that could possibly lead him to Shadow once more. Tracking Shadow down would be easier than before as now Raiguarde had a horse and providing Shadow was still on foot Raiguarde would have an advantage. Raiguarde had the horse tread carefully through the woods as Raiguarde checked the floor for footprints. The air was becoming colder and the sky darker, rain would soon be upon him. Raiguarde looked around, looking for any sign of Shadow and would have settled for anything. He felt a drop of rain on his lip and looked to the sky, the rain had begun. He followed some of the raindrops down innocently and saw something in the distance that caught his eye. Raiguarde pulled on the reigns of the horse and had it go over to what caught Raiguarde’s eye. He had the horse stop right next to it and leaned over, inspecting it closely. A broad smile appeared on Raiguarde’s face, it was Shadow’s footprint. Shadow was heading in a westerly direction, this puzzled Raiguarde as he tried to contemplate where Shadow was going. `There’s nothing of any substance in that direction, what is Shadow up too` thought Raiguarde, suspicious of where Shadow was appearing to lead him. Raiguarde was slightly sceptical about following these tracks which could have led him into a trap, but he was desperate to find Shadow once more. Raiguarde motioned for the horse to follow the prints and it began to move at a pace. Around ten minutes passed as Raiguarde followed Shadow’s tracks, he was about to stop the horse when he spotted something else in the ground, a bloody dagger. Raiguarde stopped the horse and dismounted, it was Shadow’s and the blood was fresh which meant Shadow was close. The rain beat down heavy now on Raiguarde as he got back on the horse and as he did he heard a distant cry of pain. Raiguarde sat atop the horse in silence as he listened out for it again, this time a voice, Shadow’s. Raiguarde kicked his heel and began to ride fast in the direction of where Shadow’s voice was apparently coming from. The sound of thunder rumbled and lightning illuminated the sky as Raiguarde rode toward Shadow. Something caught Raiguarde off guard as he got closer, he could see that Shadow was not wearing the mask. Raiguarde had never seen Shadow’s face before, all he could see however was Shadow’s long blond hair, much like his own. Raiguarde heard Shadow call to the sky and silently approached Shadow from the rear. “No more games” Raiguarde called out, and he saw Shadow’s head move. Shadow stood silent for a while then bent down to pick up the mask, once it was on Shadow turned to face Raiguarde. “The time has come for one of us to die” said Shadow darkly while unsheathing the sword of Drakahor, to which Raiguarde nodded and dismounted, then drew the Zialisilyk. Thunder rumbled and lightning lit the sky as Raiguarde stepped forward and lifted the Zialisilyk into the air. Shadow raised the sword of Drakahor and the two gently grinded against each other before both warriors pulled their sword away and began to smack their blade against the other. Shadow’s strikes were a lot more fierce than Raiguarde expected and he had to grip the Zialisilyk tight to stop it from being cast away over the hill side. Raiguarde parried all of Shadow’s thrusts, unable to get in any of his own, then suddenly skidded on the mud that had become slippery in the rain. Raiguarde hit the wet grass floor on his stomach with a thud and immediately rolled out of the way of the sword of Drakahor which Shadow was prodding into the ground fiercely. Raiguarde now on his back, pulled at Shadow’s leg causing Shadow to fall to the ground heavily. Shadow flipped back up quickly just as Raiguarde managed to get to his feet he had to duck out of the way of Shadow’s fist, Raiguarde then uppercutted Shadow viscously to the floor. Shadow once again got back up quickly and charged at Raiguarde, who quickly raised the Zialisilyk and parried the attack away, in the intensity however both blades were tossed to over Raiguarde’s shoulder. Raiguarde tackled Shadow to the floor, punching Shadow again and again in the face but as before the mask was making it so that Raiguarde’s fist hurt more than Shadow’s face. Raiguarde jumped off Shadow then jumped back, picking up the sword of Drakahor and the Zialisilyk. “Fair fight” Raiguarde called and tossed Shadow the sword of Drakahor. “Noble” called Shadow “stupid, but noble” and Shadow launched at Raiguarde once more, swinging the sword of Drakahor at Raiguarde with an intense fury. The sound of the two swords smacking against each other echoed around the sky in the same way as the thunder was. Raiguarde was now beginning to gain on Shadow, pushing Shadow back toward the edge of the hillside, the two blades jammed against each other once more and Raiguarde pushed against Shadow, their faces got closer until Raiguarde could almost see through the mask into Shadow’s eyes. The two swords would not move as they grinded against each other but then the Zialisilyk was tossed over Shadow’s shoulder and down the hill below. Shadow chuckled softly and punched Raiguarde hard in the cheek, pushing him back down the hill. Shadow then dropped the sword of Drakahor “fair is fair” and then Shadow dived on top of Raiguarde, punching him repeatedly in the face. Shadow then went to punch Raiguarde in the stomach, but Raiguarde’s chest plate caused Shadow extreme pain as Shadow’s fist slammed into it. Raiguarde then used this opportunity to push Shadow off him, but as Shadow was forced off Raiguarde’s body Shadow managed to pull at Raiguarde’s chest plate, unknown to Raiguarde. Raiguarde got back to his feet and his chest plate fell off, then Shadow, with the sword of Drakahor managed to swipe at Raiguarde. The blade went into Raiguarde’s stomach and he howled in pain, Raiguarde punched Shadow away and even after Shadow was not holding the sword it stuck in Raiguarde’s body. Raiguarde was in agony as he pulled the sword clear of his stomach, he then began to feel slightly light headed. Raiguarde shook the pain off and threw the sword of Drakahor to one side, then dived on top of Shadow once more, head butting the mask fiercely and ignoring the pain it caused. Raiguarde's head was now bleeding as well as his stomach and he held it with one hand as he frantically tugged at Shadow’s mask. Shadow then pulled kicked Raiguarde off him, Raiguarde hit the ground face first and got a face full of mud. The rain poured down heavily as Raiguarde turned over to see Shadow standing over him, sword in hand. “Is this what you want ?” said Shadow directly. Raiguarde then watched as Shadow’s free hand moved up toward the mask and then Shadow removed the mask. Lightning flashed across the sky as Raiguarde looked at Shadow’s face and his pupils dilated. “It can‘t be you, it can’t be!” said Raiguarde who recognised the unmasked Shadow. Raiguarde began to crawl to get away from Shadow, Shadow then lifted the sword high into the air and plunged it down into Raiguarde’s chest.