Chapter 7 - Magic & Corruption
Schard did not let the early morning sun wake him, he was allready awake. The sun had been up for just over an hour when he finally left his tree-house. He wore a dark purple all over robe with a golden trim. It was a quite chilly morning when Schard left the house, but he soon changed it to a temperature more to his liking. In Schard’s pocket was the formula for making a stone army. It was untested and with the impending castle invasion ahead, now would be a good time to try it. Schard wasn’t too keen on taking over the castle and turning his back on the people who he knew but he had to do it. The crown of Legia had been promised to him anyway so it would not make much difference. Schard waited until he was a sufficient distance from his own house as the boulders would come from almost every angle. He could have teleported himself directly into the castle, but that would have required taking on all the castle guards and as inferior as they were when compared to Schard they were good with their primitive weapons and he wanted none of them in his body. As Schard went to pour the mixture on the floor a small blast almost made him topple over. Schard turned too see what it was, who he saw was not someone he knew but he felt like he was comfortable in his presence. “Greetings” the man spoke “I am Kaiazal, I see you have been chosen”. Schard did not speak. “You have a problem with regards to the men guarding the castle I see, I will take care of it” and with that he was gone. Schard felt that he had put it off for too long. He discharged the contents of the container onto the floor. At first there was nothing. Schard waited and even briefly considered that adding the Okmange may somehow have changed the formula rendering it useless. The ground beneath Schard began to shake, this he recognized. Small stones came hurtling forward, Schard then took cover on the ground just in the distance, making sure to be out of the way when the bigger boulders arrive. Larger rocks started to come forward and add to the shaped pile until the warrior’s feet had been created. More rocks and stone began to hurtle forward until the bulky legs were complete. Four or five huge boulders then slammed into each other, each impact sealing the boulders together to make an even bigger stone. This huge mass then became the warriors chest. Two rocks of average size slammed into the left and right side of the chest so that he now had shoulders. The shoulders then grew out to become arms as more stones joined. The arms were complete when two cumbersome boulders embedded themselves into the arms, making them fists. A few rocks and stones gathered strategically on top of the chest to form the face of the warrior and then it was complete. The stone giant was three times as large as Schard and almost three times as wide, it was now time to test whether the Okmange had done its job correctly. Schard could command the rock fighter by several ways. Any command given by Schard verbally would be understood as would anything Schard signalled. The thoughts of Schard could also be read by the huge mass of stones formed to create an unstoppable soldier. Schard motioned in the direction of a tree, the giant nodded and grunted in a way that almost frightened Schard and walked slowly over toward the tree. The tree was the uprooted, something without the Okmange it could not do, it would crumble at the slightest test of strength. There was no other way to test the warrior apart from in battle, but that would prove tricky as finding someone who would come face to face with this monster would have to be insane or the greatest warrior of all, and possibly a little of both. Schard could now go on to Legia castle, however it would be a long journey as he would have to walk alongside the stone giant. The reason for taking Legia castle was simple, it amused Schard and made him chuckle to himself briefly as he had done the night before when he discovered. The body of Lijitman was buried underneath Legia castle. `Brilliant way to make sure it is never disturbed` thought Schard to himself as he walked, slowly in time with his latest creation, who could take steps of considerable length, but whose sheer bulk made it so that anyone with the slightest pace could out run it. Schard was unsure as to how the body had made it’s way underneath the castle, or if indeed he had misread it, but since he was to take over the castle anyway he decided the night before he could kill two birds with one stone, one stone warrior. Schard and the giant walked gradually toward the castle, the sun had been up a while now but the castle was not far just over two hills, probably a half an hour walk if they kept up the same pace they were at. Schard got lost in thoughts as they walked, wondering if there was anyway he could avoid what he was about to do. Gyraicus had been good to him but at the back of Schard’s mind was a small hatred. Schard, slightly shocked at where his minds ramblings had ended up looked to the distance and could see the castle, they were close. The castle got closer and closer until the two had all but made it to the front gate. There were four guards who were fleeing the castle and they noticed Schard with the warrior. `no witnesses` came a thought in Schard’s mind and before he could stop himself he nodded to his stone giant to get them. The huge boulder fist came down on each one of the guards, the last one
screaming in agony as his skull was crushed. Schard felt what was most likely remorse for a second but it passed. The stone warrior and Schard made their way to the castle gate, but someone was waiting for them, Raiguarde. Schard was under the impression that he would be taken care of but it appeared that was not the case. The sheer fact that Raiguarde was alive made Schard feel fear, as inferior as swordsmen were, Raiguarde could match almost any magic with his speed and quickness with the blade. “Want the crown for yourself do you?” Raiguarde called to him. Schard, stuck for something to say overcompensated and laughed evilly. “I never did trust you” Raiguarde said “why did you have to kill them all?”
“I am merely one man, I cannot invade a castle without it being empty first” said Schard, keeping his pretence of some sort of bravery up.
“And who is that?” said Raiguarde, meaning the stone warrior next to Schard.
“What do you think?” Schard said smugly, followed by a roaring laugh. Schard then nodded to the stone warrior. `Can’t keep him active, give him something to calm him down, he probably needs a rest` Schard thought as the stone giant’s huge fist slammed into Raiguarde’s chest, probably shattering a rib. Schard leaned over Raiguarde’s unconscious body. Searching for something to reassert himself in his own mind he said “I never really liked you anyway” and he laughed, but still felt very strange. The individual known as Kaiazal appeared behind them and stared at the magnificence of Schard’s stone giant for a second. Kaiazal laughed softly to himself “I could not have done a better job myself” Kaiazal paused and went to go inside the castle “are you coming ?” he asked. Schard got to his feet slowly and nodded as a signal for Schard to carry Raiguarde’s unconscious body in with them. Inside the castle was deserted, it was nearly impossible to conceive that earlier that morning there had been hundreds of troops in the castle. Schard shuddered to think what this Kaiazal had done to clear the way for him. Schard looked at Kaiazal, he was contented in his presence but Schard wondered if the part of him that was at ease with Kaiazal was him. Schard looked at Raiguarde’s unconscious body and told the stone warrior to put him down as they entered the grand hall. The stone warrior could not move very far, it had been a difficult job him walking into two rooms without having the whole castle come crashing down around them. “You stay with the white knight, I will find the necessary things we need” Kaiazal hissed to Schard. Schard presumed that along with the notes in his diaries he had also stored something that could give him an indication of where the body is kept, or what to do with it once it has been recovered. Schard paused and looked at the lifeless body of Raiguarde for a second. He looked in his pocket and there was a vial of red liquid. Schard considered something for a second and smiled wide to himself. He liked to keep his options open so he hovered over Raiguarde’s body and poured the contents of his small container into his mouth. `The fool will have a pleasant surprise when he wake up` thought Schard. `Best keep him caged for now, so he does not try anything` he thought soon after and with that summoned a cage around Raiguarde, but not one of steel bars, but one of energy. If Raiguarde tried to slam the bars, or force them open the energy would immediately transfer to him and that much energy into the body so fast would cause instant death. Kaiazal appeared from behind Schard and looked at the field of energy surrounding Raiguarde. “Using your intelligence, that is good” Kaiazal said upon seeing Raiguarde's prison. “These are the scrolls that tell us how to get to Lijitman‘s body” said Kaiazal and he lay them out on the grand table in front of them. “Unfortunately I am only in a visual form, this is why we need you” Kaiazal continued.
“Visual form?” Schard asked.
“I can appear to people in this land in whatever shape I wish. I can even touch things when I am in that shape, but it requires much effort and it can only be done for a short space of time. When the body is found the magic will be released and we can return to this world fully” Kaiazal explained. Kaiazal suddenly stopped and started to smell the air around him. He then summoned a hundred soldiers in the room, he did this twice and the three hundred troops began to move about the castle as if they had been living here for many years. Schard did not want to know why Kaiazal had summoned the troops, he just wanted to get Lijitman’s magic and then he could claim his crown and no-one would dare oppose him. Kaiazal and Schard, once they felt they had interpreted the scrolls correctly they walked down into the lower levels of the castle. When they eventually reached the castle’s dungeons, some three floors down Schard removed, using his magic the bricks that were sealed on the ground and threw them against the wall. There was now a hole in the ground and Schard began to move the earth, digging it up with his mind and hurling it clear. Kaiazal momentarily began to sniff the air very loudly and clearly, this put Schard off for a moment. Then when there were about five feet underground Schard felt something below. Kaiazal looked on intently and Schard using his mind lifted it clear. It was a box of some sort, it looked like it had been down there for a very long time but the wood it was made from could not have been older than ten years. Schard put his hand on the box and went to open it, which would in turn unleash all of Lijitman’s magic to him and giving Kaiazal his full powers back. Schard pulled at the box but before he could open it a fiercely fast dagger pulled him back, and landed in the wall, pinning him too it, another then pinned his other arm. Then as Schard gazed at Raiguarde’s face staring back at him and Kaiazal, he regretted slipping him his perfect health formula.
Valandt and Imunzo had been travelling for what seemed like an eternity and were resting up as the midnight sky rested above them. They had travelled far in little light as it took them a while to find somewhere safe to camp out for the night. Imunzo had not spoken to Valandt since the night before, this Valandt found frustrating as he had many questions that needed answering. All of which led to one question that Valandt kept asking himself, do I trust Imunzo?. Valandt’s head was starting to hurt with all the thoughts that were running around in his mind. Valandt refused to believe that he could not have done anything when Astral disappeared into the dark hole with Kaiazal. Valandt wondered if he’d ever see her again momentarily as he sat on the forest floor, hardly the resting place for a prince but it had acted as his resting place for the past two nights. Valandt had all forgotten about castle life and all the luxuries he had taken for granted. It suddenly occurred to Valandt that he had not eaten properly that day. Imunzo had picked some fruits and berries off the trees earlier that day which had then satisfied him but he suddenly felt very hungry. Valandt thought about all the things he would eat when he returned to the castle and it acted as a pleasant diversion from the events of the past couple of days, but it did make him even hungrier. Valandt was not sure of the eating patterns of a samurai, bit it appeared that Imunzo was in the same frame of mind as he was. Imunzo came back with some firewood and started to put stones on the ground in a circle, then he placed the firewood on top. Being a prince Valandt had not seen this process many times and watched Imunzo intensely. When Imunzo had finished placing the wood down he searched for another small stone, he then turned to Valandt and asked him for his sword, which Valandt somewhat reluctantly slowly handed him. Valandt observed Imunzo place the sword inside the middle of the circle of logs and started hitting the stone in his hand against it. Sparks began to form as stone struck metal and the sparks in turn eventually lit the wood. Imunzo told Valandt to watch the fire and make sure it didn't go out and he then disappeared into the dimly lit bushes. Valandt watched the fire, his eyes as aflame with passion as the fire itself. It entranced him slightly and he found solace from his problems staring deep into the tiny inferno. Valandt watched the fire and observed its every move. It was the first source of heat he had felt in the cold night for a while so he wanted to keep it going and it would also be where his first cooked meal for a few days would be coming from. Imunzo was gone for a long while, but Valandt handled the fire expertly, any flicker to his disliking would be returned with some more fuel for it to keep going. Valandt heard rustling in the bushes and prayed it was Imunzo as he was in no mood for fighting now. As the bushes cleared Valandt saw that it was Imunzo, who had a small cow over his shoulders. `Must have been some work to carry that, he must be very strong` Valandt thought in admiration of Imunzo. Just before they had camped down for the night Valandt had spotted what appeared to be a farm, some twenty minutes away and assumed that this was where Imunzo had gotten the cow. Imunzo placed it down by the fire and brandished his sword to cut up the unfortunate beast. “None of this animal goes to waste” said Imunzo “It gave its life so that we can continue ours, we must show respect for that by eating it all” he continued. Valandt nodded in agreement and licked his lips `I could eat three more and not waste any` he thought. Imunzo sliced the animal into sizeable pieces and Valandt skewed them onto his sword and placed them into the fire, rotating them so that the heat would spread evenly. Imunzo finished carving the cow and then knelt by it and said what Valandt could only think was a prayer of thanks. The meat began to smell appetizing to Valandt before it had even been half cooked and he had to fight his own instincts to eat it raw. Valandt eventually decided the meat was ready to be eaten and he shared the pieces between himself and Imunzo. Imunzo chewed at the meat, taking deep bites into it while Valandt wolfed it down, finished all his pieces before Imunzo had and even taking a couple of his. Once Valandt had finished this midnight feast he bedded down and almost instantly fell deep asleep. Valandt awoke the next morning feeling very refreshed and looked around, Imunzo was not there. This was something Valandt would never get used too no matter how many times he had seen it. Imunzo had always managed to get to sleep after Valandt and wake up before him, he wondered if Imunzo slept at all. Imunzo was, this time practicing with his sword as Valandt walked up to him. “We are close” said Imunzo and he was right, in the sun’s light Legia castle could now be seen in the distance. “We must hurry” Imunzo then said and with that he went off and began gathering his stuff together. Valandt clipped his sword belt back on to his waist, still with the same clothes as he had visited Palestar castle which itself was a couple of days ago now. Imunzo began a swift walk to the palace and Valandt had to struggle to keep up. When they were closer Imunzo slowed and then stopped suddenly. “Something is wrong” Imunzo said “stay here” and before Valandt could counter, Imunzo had gone. Valandt was made to work hard just to catch a glimpse of Imunzo, but he was so quick that in the blink of an eye he had disappeared again. Valandt lost track Imunzo very quickly and before he knew it Imunzo was right next to him. “Kaiazal has the castle” Imunzo said on returning.
“Well then lets take it back” said Valandt, showing no want for strategy.
“I would myself usually want more of a plan, but if they get to that body it will make our task even harder” Imunzo said.
“Body?” Valandt said confused.
“It doesn't matter, we‘re wasting time here, we have to act fast” and with that Imunzo headed for the castle gates, showing no concern for being seen. Valandt soon sprinted after him, thankful he had eaten properly the night before as this was all that gave him the energy to go on. As they reached the castle front gate arrows from the guard tower flew in their direction. Before Valandt could react Imunzo had dived on the ground and collected some arrows, he then threw them back in the direction from which they came with incredible accuracy. No more arrows were fired at Valandt or Imunzo. Valandt was concerned when looking at the gate as there was no way in from the outside, but he then saw as their task was done for them as a hoard of swordsmen came heading for them. Valandt felt fear briefly but he dismissed it as battle situations required a firm mindset, fear of any sort clogged the mind and made decisions harder to make, which in turn led to mistakes. Valandt swung his sword with more accuracy and guile than he ever had. They were coming at him from every angle but he was always a few steps ahead of them. There were no real expert swordsmen in this army which Valandt found slightly insulting and as the battle wore on he was even starting to draw some sort of dark pleasure. Valandt thought that this was a little too easy, the army was going down faster than he could see, hundreds soon became a hundred, that to dozens and soon there were only the odd dozen of troops left. Soon however numbers began to get the best of Valandt and he found himself at times a little uncomfortable and cutting things closer than he would have liked. Valandt then saw in the corner of his eye that some of the few remaining troops had got Imunzo to the floor, he then jumped clear of the group surrounding him, thrusting his sword backwards and piercing the chest of one as he did. Valandt then mid air dropkicked one of the men surrounding Imunzo, but he felt something tug at his foot, one of the swordsmen had kicked him and he couldn't gather his footing so he crashed down to the floor beside Imunzo. One of the swords men put his foot on Valandt’s sword so that he could not swing it and he felt something new in his stomach, what he perceived to be failure. Valandt closed his eyes and braced himself for what fate awaited him. a split second later Valandt heard the snapping of bone and opened his eyes reluctantly. A familiar face stared back at him. “Kandon!” Valandt greeted with exclamation at seeing his trainer.
Raiguarde opened his eyes, the last thing he remembered was the fist of that huge warrior made of stone slamming into him, yet he felt no pain whatsoever. Raiguarde could hear the sounds of a fight going on outside and knew that this would mean that the castle would be virtually empty. Schard had disappeared and left the stone giant to watch him, but this was a mistake as the sheer pace of Raiguarde made it so that he was soon out of the room. `Strange of that coward to make it easy for me to escape` thought Raiguarde as he ran down a floor, still in full battle amour. Raiguarde was mystified by the fact that he now had incredible energy, his muscles were no longer aching and in fact he felt better than he had ever done before. Raiguarde heard noises from down below and immediately guessed that it was Schard so he ran down to where the noises were coming from. He entered the dungeon and saw the one called Kaiazal and Schard, hovered over a box of some sort. Without really thinking of the consequences Raiguarde threw a dagger hard at Schard and pinned an arm against the wall. Raiguarde then threw another, pinning both arms to the wall. Kaiazal then stepped forward and smiled “you disappoint me” he said to Raiguarde, he then looked at Schard “you both disappoint me. It seems I will have to take care of things myself” and Raiguarde’s daggers suddenly fell to the floor releasing Schard and a black hole appeared in the room. Kaiazal ducked into the hole for a second and came out with Astral, gagged and tied. Kaiazal held her tight and Raiguarde felt fury erupt all over him. “If you so much as breath on her, I will see to your death personally” Raiguarde said, doing his best to calm himself but failing.
“You have a choice; save the girl, or save your people. you cant do both” Kaiazal hissed and with that he lay her down on the floor and pulled the box over to Schard. Raiguarde’s dagger hovered in the air just above Astral’s eye and he bit his lip. “Choose” Kaiazal hissed and with that the dagger began to fall. Raiguarde jumped and managed to pluck the dagger from the air just before it entered Astral’s body. Raiguarde then pulled her close and looked up. Schard had opened the box.