The darkness of her ordeal scared her. Astral looked into Kaiazal’s mind and saw pure evil. The dying sounds of children, the sound of wives as they are being raped. Astral tried to stop the sounds but Kaiazal thought more darkly and knew that she could read his mind. The tortured souls inside Kaiazal’s mind were calling out to her and she could do nothing to help. At first when she had been dragged into the darkness it engulfed her. Everything around her was pitch black and even Kaiazal was no-where to be seen. She was trapped in some passageway filled with the purest of evils. She tried walking around, and could, anywhere she wanted, but not out of this void of emptiness. The darkness gave way to fire and brimstone in every direction. She could not only see people being tortured, children being rounded up and slaughtered, over and over. Astral could not only see what was going on, she could sense emotions around her. The smell of hatred filled her nostrils as if it were everywhere, it was like a window into the devil’s nightmares. She could see directly into peoples eyes, and sensed their every thought, it made her quiver with fear and at the same time she felt herself grow stronger. Astral was there for what felt like an eternity, she could go anywhere she liked and not experience physical pain, she could have sat in the hot fires for a day and a half and be exactly the same as if she were to spend a day in her castle. The words and thoughts of the people hurt her though, it broke down her resolve. She wanted to cry when she looked into the minds of the children around, it overwhelmed her that the picture of innocence which she saw in their faces would even be in a place of such malevolence. Astral became weary of the fact that they could not see her, she walked among them like a ghost, not able to commune with anyone. Every time she turned she found a new meaning for the word torture, it was like she was being punished for the worst crime that could ever be committed. There was one comfort in this abyss of malice, Paix. The voice of Paix would echo around her mind constantly, as if she were helping her along, giving her the strength to continue. When she had been ripped from the void, it was hard to accept that what she was seeing was real and not some cruel trick being played on her to dishearten her even more. The land was ripped apart, as if there were a tear in the reality itself and through it Kaiazal appeared and grabbed her. When she was pulled out she could not move her arms or legs, it was like her muscles did not work. She saw Raiguarde and immediately feared for his safety, and then she saw the box. The infamous Lijitman carvings were on the side and she scrunched her eyes thinking that this world that she had been brought back to was a worse one than where she had just been, as this world was to become the torturous hell she had just been imprisoned in. Astral heard voices, but her ears could not quite pick them up, or the same spell that Kaiazal had used to weaken her muscles did the same to her senses. She was thrown to the floor and still could not move an inch, try as she might to struggle free of the invisible prison. A dagger floated above her eye and she stared into the face of the steely death, prepared to die if it meant that Kaiazal could not get his hands on the magic of Lijitman. She knew what Raiguarde would do though and once the dagger began to fall she knew Raiguarde would save her. He pulled her close and she felt safe to be in his arms, she felt her strength regaining slowly and forced herself to look at the wizard Schard and the aftermath that awaited. The room was then wrapped in darkness. Through the blackness she saw Kaiazal grow into his true form. His skin went from a pale green to a very dark green, his tongue grew double and V shaped, like that of a snake. The huge black cloak which he wore around his body grew to fit the growing body of Kaiazal. He grew to twice the size of what he had been before and she saw spikes grow out of his back as he recoiled in pain, the process was actually hurting him. Kaiazal’s hands grew bigger and black claws grew from the fingertips. Kaiazal in his complete form looked into Astral’s mind and he was looking for her fear, but there was none. She stared back into his eyes and gave him a thought `love will conquer all` she thought, knowing he would pick it up. She heard a bellowing his from Kaiazal and then the smoke disappeared in the blink of an eye. The memories of it all were all she had as she stood on the balcony of Palestar castle. Valandt had insisted that she return to her home for now as Legia castle was vulnerable and not safe, he sent for a few troops from all over the land to go to her castle so she had appropriate protection. `Kind gesture` she thought as she looked over her balcony. All her people, even her beloved friend Orhen had been killed by Kaiazal and she felt determined now not to let Goreoth win, for Orhen’s sake. She yawned softly as she concentrated on the sky, she had not slept since she had returned home and felt no need nor want to, it brought back the memories of the children. Suddenly she found herself engulfed in light. “What is troubling you?” said the soothing female voice of Paix.
“That place, Kaiazal, where was it? what was it?” she asked in a flurry of questions
“That was Legia” Paix said “under Goreoth‘s rule. That is the fate which awaits your people Astral, you must be brave, Goreoth will do anything to rule once more”
“I will not let the order of chaos and the values of evil rule” she said boldly.
“Let your heart guide you Astral, for I am there with you” with that the light faded and Astral strode over to her bed and began to sleep for the first time in three days.
Imunzo the samurai was studying the box which had once bore the body of the grand wizard Lijitman by now with all the magic gone, a decomposed skeleton was all that lay in the box. Valandt had been sure that no-one enter the dungeon to disturb the contents of the box that Schard and Kaiazal had been so obsessed with. The bones of Lijitman were old but looked in good condition Valandt thought when he briefly looked at them. “Anything?” Valandt asked Imunzo.
“It appear..” with that Imunzo’s jaw dropped open, this was the first time that Valandt had seen the samurai thrown off balance. “Help me with this” Imunzo said as he began to lift the skull and upper body of the antique skeleton of Lijitman out of the box, Valandt reluctantly lifted the feet and they carefully lay the skeleton down on the dungeon floor. Imunzo then looked back in the box and Valandt could see some old letter scribbled down at the bottom of it, the rest of the box was covered in dust. Imunzo blew the dust away and it was revealed that there was a paper of some sort, left by Lijitman. “Can you read it?” Valandt asked Imunzo as he carefully lifted the ancient message out of the box. Imunzo blew at the parchment once more and replied “how strange”.
“What?” Valandt asked Imunzo, who then handed over the paper so he could see for himself.
“The page is written in Lijitman‘s handwriting, correct ?” Imunzo asked as he handed it over.
“Yeah” said Valandt as he scanned it, comparing it mentally to the books Raiguarde had found in Schard’s house.
“Then why is it written in modern Legian?” Imunzo asked, and then Valandt noticed that the page was not written in ancient Legian but in the standard form not used for some seven decades after Lijitman’s death. `More importantly` Valandt thought ` I can read every word of it`. Valandt then read the parchment aloud. “For my sins I will be punished after I am dead, this I know. I was wrong to experiment in the foreign art of magic and I wish that this kingdom never will never harbour another wizard. Goreoths has destroyed this land once and his return will be imminent as you are reading this. The demons will begin to eat away at the people on the land, I have seen this with my own eyes. By the power of Paix you shall have a defence, using this curse I have made one attempt at redemption for my soul. I have crafted a sword of the finest metal and gold, it bares the crest of Goldrache” Valandt paused. “Goldrache?” Valandt asked Imunzo.
“The golden dragon of Paix” Imunzo answered sharply. Valandt nodded then continued.
“The sword will kill all the demons before Kaiazal has my powers again. Once the three have their powers back the demons will become vulnerable to mortal weaponry, but they will be move at lightning speed. This sword will rise above all sorcery and is the only weapon that can pierce the evil skin of Kaiazal”. Valandt paused again “What are these demons that Lijitman speaks of?”
“They are the soldiers of Goreoth’s army. They feed on the hearts of the living” Imunzo stopped mid sentence “I have seen this with my own eyes, a ghastly fate. Do continue” Valandt then picked up where he was reading.
“However I have been forced to....” Valandt then looked up at Imunzo “The page is torn after that”.
“We must find that sword, it will be very helpful in taking down Kaiazal” Imunzo said as Valandt pocketed the parchment. A noise made Valandt turn “There are some more of the troops arriving sir and they wish to see you” Raiguarde’s voice came from the steps at the corner of the room. Valandt turned to Imunzo “I think we‘ve found all we can down here” said Imunzo as he and Valandt headed toward the steps and began up them. As they reached the top of the steps Valandt headed on toward the front gate to meet up with the troops that had arrived and Imunzo went to go with him but Raiguarde grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back. Imunzo turned to face Raiguarde “I don‘t trust you samurai” Raiguarde said.
“This I know. How do I prove my allegiance to you white knight?” said Imunzo coolly.
“There will come a moment when you will have to decide who‘s side you are on”.
“My task is to finish the job of my ancestor and remove Goreoth from the earth once and for all”.
“You don't really believe that do you ? I can see the fear in your eyes” Raiguarde said confrontationally to which Imunzo broke eye contact. Raiguarde unsheathed his sword and before he knew it Imunzo had jumped, turned and was lunging at him with his blade. Raiguarde parried Imunzo’s blade away from his body and so began the duel. Imunzo was caught off by Raiguarde’s pace as he tried to find a way to prove himself to the knight, Imunzo had no real intention of hurting Raiguarde though. The sound of metal against metal echoed through the hall of the castle as the two battled. Imunzo jumped high and somersaulted into the air and landed behind Raiguarde in the blink of an eye, to which Raiguarde span around instantly and the two swords collided, Imunzo losing control of his weapon and it flying across the room. Imunzo dived across the floor and took a metal star out of his pocket and tied it to his arm. Imunzo flipped up to his feet and began to walk toward Raiguarde. Raiguarde was caught a little off guard at the fact that Imunzo had no weapon but now seemed more aggressive. Raiguarde lifted his blade in a move to get Imunzo to back down, he was reluctant to kill an unarmed man but continued to raise his blade into the air. Raiguarde swung his sword down at Imunzo but Imunzo put his arm in the way, instead of the sword going through flesh, it smacked against the metal of the star that Imunzo had tied to his arm. Raiguarde swung again and again, but each time Imunzo would block it with the metal attached to his arm. Raiguarde then thrust his blade at Imunzo, who bent back to a ridiculous angle but maintaining balance, he then in one swift motion flipped back onto his hands and as his feet came off the ground, using them he plucked Raiguarde’s sword from his grasp and threw backward, then as Imunzo jumped back to his feet he snatched Raiguarde‘s sword from the air. Raiguarde stared back in slight amazement at the feat the samurai had just accomplished. Imunzo then lunged at Raiguarde who dodged the expertly aimed blade three times before he felt a sharp kick to the face, knocking him to the floor. Imunzo then hovered over Raiguarde and pointed Raiguarde’s sword slightly into his throat and looked him in the eye. “You are a good fighter white knight, it has been an honour” and with that Imunzo dropped Raiguarde’s sword and walked over to pick up his blade. Imunzo then sheathed his sword and started to make his exit. Raiguarde got to his feet and picked up his sword, angry at himself for showing himself as weak. Raiguarde then picked up his sword and sheathed it and walked in the opposite direction of Imunzo, satisfied for now that if the samurai wanted him dead he could have had it but he chose not to. Raiguarde darted up two flights of stairs and along three corridors to his room, a lone messenger stopped him going in before hand. “Sir I have been looking for you” said the man panting breathlessly.
“Calm down man, take some deep breaths and then tell me what's wrong” Raiguarde said.
“The orders were sent out for four battalions of a hundred swordsmen sir. The furthest away of all the men have just arrived” The man started
“And what’s the problem?” Raiguarde asked.
“One of the commanders says his army was savaged by demons. The commander is talking with prince Valandt now. He told me to pass this on to you.”
“Demons?” Raiguarde said. Raiguarde wanted to ask the messenger to calm down and speak some sense, but he kept these feelings hidden. “I thank you for this information, make sure the troops that survived this demon attack are served with some extra food and that they have the last of the shifts in the guard towers” Raiguarde at his man managing best. The man saluted and bowed acknowledging Raiguarde and headed down the corridor. Raiguarde then entered his room and took off the huge white shoulder pads he wore to give himself more of a bulk and took off his sword belt then went and splashed some water on his face , refreshing it and then running his wet fingers though his hair. Suddenly one of the new guards burst though the door “Sir come quick, you need to come to the guard tower now” with that the man ran off. Raiguarde quickly re-attached his sword belt and shoulder pads and ran out of the door and though more corridors and up a flight of stairs. Raiguarde burst opened the door of the guard tower and headed toward the guards watching the fields below. “What is it” Raiguarde asked as he entered the room.
“See for yourself” one of the voices said. Raiguarde walked to the edge of the tower and looked over to the fields below. Raiguarde’s pupils dilated as he saw a hoard of troops coming their way. Raiguarde recognised them as the army of Zvire, and at the back atop a horse was the one they called the Shadow of Death.