Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Back on hell Dervish is in dormitory, looking at his face in the mirror. What is going on? Dervish thinks looking at his distorted face, pieces of ash seem to be blending into his face. He rubs his hand against his face feeling the ash that’s failed to blend. “Why am I losing control?”, Dervish utters to himself. This started happening when he killed that soldier in the throne room, since then his power keeps overwhelming him he can’t keep it in check. He’s losing himself to it. Is this what Sousan was afraid of? That he would lose control over it? Thinking this Dervish clenches his fists in anger as more of his face loses its appearance, turning into ash. His eye disappears only to be replaced by a empty ash socket. He looks at the mirror in despair lowering his head. Suddenly Dervish hears knocks on his dormitory door catching his attention. “Who is it?”, Dervish demands hoarsely turning towards the door. “Dervish it’s me…………….. Your faithful servant”, a voice replies. Dervish relieved closes his eyes calming himself. “Come in…” Dervish replies as the door opens. The servant walks inside noticing Dervish sat gloomily in the chair, concerned he approaches him. “Sir… the higher up’s are concerned.          Hasn’t returned since meeting you…Sir?”, his servant replies, “Sir… are you alright?”. Dervish falls silent lowering his head. “Something’s happening to me…and I don’t know how to control it”, Dervish utters his face still hidden, “this power of mine… it’s getting stronger”. Dervish’s servant approaches him concerned, “Just what do you mean?”.
   Dervish quickly spins around in anger, his face nothing but ash. “LOOK AT ME!! This isn’t ME!!”. Pieces of ash break away from his face as his servant looks in fear. “ Sir what’s happening to you?!”, his servant responds fearfully backing away. “I’m losing myself!”, Dervish snaps gathering his thoughts, “This is what Sousan was afraid of and now it’s happening. DAMN IT…..If the people find out about this, they will grow fearful of me. I can’t let that happen!”. Dervish looks back into the mirror once more, concentrating on his face. The ash forming his face trembles as he tries to regain control over the body, small pieces break away under the strain trying to focus on his face. His servant watching sheepishly thinking about leaving.
 
In anger Dervish screams in rage smashing his fist into the table, tearing it apart. pieces of wood fly though the air as Dervish gets enveloped in rage. His servant backs away watching as Dervish starts to destroy his dormitory, his now ash ripping though the dormitory walls. “Dervish you need to control yourself! Stop this”, Dervish’s servant protests as Dervish break several ornaments of his possession. “Raagghh!!”, Dervish screams smashing the mirror, shards of glass fall to the floor. Dervish then pauses breathing heavily his fist against the wall. “It’s no use…”, Dervish utters, “I can’t control it…not anymore”. Calm Dervish looks in the destruction that he’s caused before looking at a piece of glass still in the mirror. Saddened Dervish looking at himself now just a body of ash, “I’ve become nothing but a monster…”, lowering his gaze. “No…you’re not a monster!”, his servant replies, “you are our ruler. Hell’s ruler! And you have a duty to fulfil!” Dervish shifts his gaze towards his servant, bits of ash break away.
  Relieved Dervish closes his eyes turning to his servant, “You’re right…I am its ruler and it’s my duty to watch this world”. His servant looks down at the ruined floor before looking back to Dervish. “So sir…what is the plan? What do you want me to tell the higher up’s”, he questions. “Tell the higher up’s I will meet them tomorrow, to discuss war on earth…as for now I will rest”, Dervish states sighing to himself. “As you command Dervish”, his servant replies bowing leaving the room. Dervish watches his servant leave the room, leaving Dervish alone once more. Dervish looks at his hand clenching it in fury, his ash face trembling.

On heaven Matius is twisting and turning in his bed, sweating in the night. His eyelids twitch from a dream in his conscious, in his dream he sees a darkness so dark nothing can be seen beyond it. Suddenly light shines from the darkness, its power destroying the consuming darkness. Then something glows white impossibly bright, the light blinds him like he sun. Then it focuses on the stranger’s eyes, nothing but light as the figure’s eyes widen. Suddenly Matius wakes up screaming, breathing heavily. “Bad dreams?”, a voice questions. Matius turns seeing Lemionas leaning on the doorway. “Yer how did you guess?”, Matius questions. “I heard you screaming down the corridor”, Lemionas replies, “are you alright?”. Matius looks at Lemionas lowering his face, “I’m doing alright. I keep getting this same dream, about somebody made of pure light. The brightest light that I’ve ever seen”. “You know Matius sometimes there is a reason behind your dreams”, Lemionas replies, “this…being of light you see, maybe it’s trying to tell you something. Maybe you can overcome the darkness that’s in your heart. Be the person you was meant to be”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On hell morning has passed, the sunlight shinning through the windows of the royal palace. In one of the corridors Dervish is walking hastily, ignoring any soldiers who attempts to talk to him. He turns down a corner walking past several men dressed in uniform, medals and ribbons decorating their uniform. Dervish then notices a soldier walk to him standing to attention, looking up to him. “Dervish sir. They are awaiting your presence”. Dervish gives a nod in reply heading towards two double doors with voices.
   With both his hands he presses against the doors entering the large room, several soldiers are deep in conversation. In the centre is a large table with a large tattered map of earth placed in the centre, on it are needles prodded into positions across the map. Everyone looks up noticing Dervish as they quickly engage in conversation, one of the soldiers ushers Dervish to the table. “Seems that you have been busy”, Dervish hints noticing the many needles prodded into the map. “yes Sire, as you asked we have drawn up the map of Earth”, the soldiers replies, “this map is our most current one thanks to spies currently on earth”. Dervish allows himself a smile pointing to the needles, “what are these might I ask”, Dervish replies. “These are where our forces will be deploying”, the soldier replies, “the purple needles are our men, the red needles are the demons we have our disposal”. Dervish looks passively at the map once more eying the needles.  “Dervish if I may ask, did our messenger have an audience with you?” the soldier replies. Dervish pauses in though thinking carefully. “Yes. I did have an audience with him, have you not seem him since?”, Dervish questions remembering he killed him. “No sire, we have not seen him yesterday”, the soldier replies.

“Are you happy with the plans?”, the soldier questions as Dervish rises up. “We don’t need to involve our men in this”, Dervish replies,  “I think the demons enough should suffice…If they are not enough send the souls that exist here to Earth”. All of the soldiers look in shock, “the souls from Earth? But that’s crazy…We don’t know what would happen!”. “Are you questioning me?”, Dervish utters, “they long to return to the Earth, I say let them. Let them cause chaos and unrest!”.
  Everyone falls silent once more before the main soldier raises his head. “Very well…we will do ask you desire sir”, he announces, “when do you want the forces sent?”. “Tomorrow afternoon”, Dervish replies as he turns towards the doors, “and once Earth has fallen. Heaven will follow next”. As Dervish has his hands pressed onto the door one of the soldiers quickly questions him, “Why are we planning to attack Earth? They are no harm, even Heaven for that matter”. Dervish turns back towards the soldiers glaring at them, “Because I believe we shouldn’t stand as equals to Heaven, nor anyone! I believe now is the time to end Heaven and become the strongest there is”

On Heaven Matius wakes from his sleep in Lemionas home, looking up through the window. Awake Matius gets dressed before walking through the living room, there he sees Lemionas. “Ahh you’re awake good, I was beginning to wonder if you was getting up”, Lemionas says pouring himself a drink. “What’s the time?”Matius questions watching as Lemionas picks out a blue fruit from the bowl. “It’s 8am. We have an hour until the meeting with the council”, Lemionas replies approaching Matius with some carved meat, “here you’d better eat”. Matius takes the food, eating it alongside Lemionas.
  “Concerning the meeting Matius. I want you to be respectful and careful with your words to the council, they can be sensitive especially from someone from hell”, Lemionas states, “Don’t do anything which might be considered aggressive, they might see it as a possible attack”. Matius nods in understanding eating his food. Finished eating they leave the house walking back into the main parts of Heaven. Up ahead Lemionas looks above seeing a large building towering above the other buildings. “What’s that building?”, Matius questions. “That’s the council building, where we will be meeting them. Let’s make haste”.

Back on Hell a robed soldier is walking through the corridors of hell, reaching the royal gardens the robed soldier walks outside treading the grass. He then reaches some stone pillars shrouded in shadow looking in search. “Ivan are you here?”, the robed man questions.

“Yes”

Ivan’s uncovered eye reveals itself in the shadows looking at his servant. “Did anyone follow you?”, he questions watching his servant. “No Ivan, I’ve come alone”, he replies in confidence. Satisfied Ivan moves away from the shadows, approaching his servant. “What is Dervish, my brother planning? What have you found”, he questions concerned. “It’s as you thought Ivan, your brother is going to attack earth”, the servant replies, “do you think it’s because of Matius?”. Ivan pauses looking towards the Royal Palace. “Perhaps…but knowing my brother he won’t stop there… He will start war on Heaven once Earth has fallen, idiot he’s putting our men at risk!”. “What about Sousan’s dream? To unite both us and Heaven?”, the servant quickly replies. “He cares nothing for Heaven”, Ivan replies, “he doesn’t believe in peace for that matter”. “So what will you do Ivan?”, his servant replies, “confront Dervish?”. Ivan closes his eyes, “no…I’m not strong enough to fight my brother, he’s a lot stronger than he used to be”.
   “I will go into the wildlands and train in private there”, Ivan replies, “Meanwhile I want you to be my eyes and ears”. The servant nods in agreement, “when will you return Ivan?”. “When I’m ready because I’m the only one that can stop my brother”, Ivan replies. “I’d better get going”, he states raising his hood up before heading through the pillars shrouded in shadows. Quickly Ivan disappears in the shadows, leaving his servant alone in the gardens.