Confusion of Ancient Prophesy

Dismayed with the destruction of their fallen home, Kinasa, the elves make due with what they have, traveling towards Paxis. Kac falls asleep in the dream realm and given vision that tell him his fate

Chapter 9 Confusion of Prophecy

The bon fires crackled as the inhabitants of the once existing villages of Malitu and Felldur as well as the elves of the elven kingdom camped outside in the cloudless night. Miles, days and weeks behind them they traveled from the village. Behind them they left memories of the dead or dying, as well as the assaults time and time again on the once peaceful village. No more, for they traveled away from the city, defeated.

Small families surrounded smaller fires and cooked their dinners. Meat was becoming less and less of a luxury as the animals awoke from their hibernation. Rabbit and deer meat became increasingly abundant among the families. No trading, no buying for the old system of things passed away. Cardur made that clear to everyone.

Many of the guards who no longer had families sat around a much larger fire, with the elves, making friends, and ignoring the prejudice they had with Dorio. Although the words were pleasants, feeling remained hidden in their hearts, not of the elf’s assault on the city, but of the strife in general. Truly none of them experienced a harder time than this past half year.

It had been several weeks since Yun swapped words with Yara, the prophet who rarely came out of her tent if she could help it. Knowing full well that she longed to speak with Yun again peacefully but could not without coming to blows. Cardur and Kridruk often sat staring at the stars, close to the campfire. What little beauty they could grasp they would in little notice. Mahtan, with his brothers Ellessar and Gilmir monitored the camps for strife or disputes. An easy enough task considering all were too exhausted to start any. Lorana sat in a branch above the fire to observe those below and weep. Kac and Yun sat side by side with one another staring into the fires.

“Zo this is it? Our new life?” Kridruk said in his guttural accent to Cardur. “Never would I thought to be on the move for a new dwelling place.”

“It would not be your first or my first time doing so.” Cardur said to him. “As ye can tell this in’t new to me. Ye were exiled before during the Kuai Games were ye not? That was when ye were brought forth out of the darkness and into the light! By the laws of my country we were to outlaw any existence of orc but I made the exception. Nothing is worse than not havin’ a home.”

Kridruk thought of the final game that brought forth those into the orc to the kuai games. A game of whipping, and of course by that time it was not merely just the graduation of the games, but a race to become chieftain. Chieftain of the kuai was an honor, and he failed at it. He thought he could make it, but he was beaten helplessly by Grok, the Chieftain of the Kuai, chieftain of chieftain he was to become.

During the wrestling match he was evenly matched, however there was one fact he never considered among the quarry of a field, and the poisonous air he was forced to breath that emitted from the great holes that delved too deep for even a dwarf to dare. Those who were loyal or otherwise intimidated by Grok threw to him a rock with sharp edges. Already exhausted, the pebble to him felt much like a boulder when it hit him in the chest. He recalled being jumped on, feeling the weight of the massive creature beating on his chest repeatedly. That rock which was against the rules of the games defeated him.

Kridrik was tossed down one of the mountains, rolling in his injured state, he woke up hungry. He killed a bear in a forest, just north of Felldur, eating it raw. Then he marched for his death, head bowed low in shame, waiting for someone to kill him. What he saw, was not what he expected. Marching all the way through the forest, somehow reaching Malitu where he met Cardur, who nursed him back to health. And now this.

“Pleaze kindly not remind me of that.” Kridruk asked politely, as politely as an orc could at least. “It bringz forth bad memoriez. Next time, I will kill that baztard of an orc!”

“And it would be just.” Cardur said back to him.

“Well what think you?” Mahtan whispered to his brothers. “Do we continue going on with the GUild, will it remain when we reach Paxis, or will we be something else? Good or ill? If so what do we do? What do you think will happen?”

“I know not.” he said remembering a conversation he had several months ago with someone in a tavern he was at. “I do remember speaking with someone from Kenderhell about Grento needing help. Saying a group of orcs, goblins and undead things attacked his village and he and some soldiers were holding them off for a time being.”

“Unverdus forgive me!” Mahtan said in a hushed tone, putting his hands on his head, squeezing his hair as if to pull it. “I had to...I had to…”

“There was nothing you could have done.” Gilmir patted his shoulder. “We were overwhelmed. You canceled all quests at that point, possibly right after you accepted the contract and then the fall of Kinasa happened. We needed to be there for it, and besides, if news gets around which i think it may, they will know that we were unable to spare the resources at the last minute. To the rest of the world, we may be dead to them.”

“The world is dead to the light of the world.” Ellessar said.

Mahtan sighed, and breathed heavily for a moment or too. His pause allowed him time to accept this new reality called hopelessness. “I do wonder if that is where the guild will be heading next?”

“Where exactly is Kenderhell?” Ellessar asked.

“It is a fortified city east of Grento’s Capital Jerto. About a months travel from the capital as we travel. no, we must not waste our thoughts on something like this right now. Our minds are needed here. Just worry about today. Tomorrow will have enough to worry about on its own.”

Gilmir nodded, looking at the cosmetic clouds that formed south by the moon. “I wonder what happened there. A cosmetic structure never so close to this place, never close enough to catch the eye even of an elf, or even by a man. That cloud is close enough for even a man to see in the dark. Making out what it looks like would be something else indeed.”

Ellessar looked at the clouds too and observed the same thing. The five star cross it made in the night sky, beautiful but menacing. “Only Unverdus could make that happen. Great energy, perhaps even during the time of great power and energy dispersed all at once, just like when He created this world.”

“Yes, let us hope that be the case.” Mahtan said grimly.

“Unverdus is not dead, he is truly alive.” Gilmir replied.

“Amen.” they all said.

“Yurilo. Yurilo. Yurilo.” Lorana wept, carving his face in the branch she sat one like a canvas. “Why did you do this? Was it out of love? And this note? What is it? Shall I read it again, time and time again? Is this the only way you are now real to me? What is this emotion I feel over your demise? Is this what love feels like? Oh how I long to be with you once more!” she pulled out a note from one of her hidden pockets within her cloak. She read it to herself.

Dear Lorana,

If you are reading this right now it means that my tale is over and my tale’s end can really only begin yours. You will never move on from this I feel, and as I am sure the tears that fall upon my words like the spring rain are as real as the magic you have woven in my own life. I have found Unverdus, and in my death I am sure that you will know that I love you and have been welcomed within our Creator’s loving arms. He is real Lorana, just as real as your tears, and as real as me. Just like Unverdus I am invisible, my soul has gone from this world and into a next. I am in the afterlife, and I look forwards for you uncovering the truth behind the serpent, as you have made great progress, as ambiguous as it is you will find it.

Stay with Kac Xaizan for in him I see something not typical of anyone. It first was revealed to me in Blenhiem, at dinner that night, and later confirmed to me even later when he and I went into that basement which held so many secrets, that I was never able to uncover. However he was, during that next day, when he was swallowed whole by the dragon in which he slayed it from the inside and out, carrying its head, revealing that demon within him which is no more. He I feel holds a certain key to unlocking the mystery of which we began to open. He holds the key I am sure of it, for with every locked secrecy there is a key. He has it.

Even later when we left that Unverdus forsaken forest that is now filled with nothing but trees and leaves of black iron, as black as the soul of Decrepantaur. He forced us to stay to help that elf, and miraculously we survived. You remember that day as well as I do, and still do. He is strong willed, and skilled in both sword and bow. If it was anyone else, I do not think we would have made it. Is he some hero reincarnated from the past, I do not know but what I do know, is that if he is not reincarnated from the past, he will be a hero for this upcoming age that has already begun.

Alas, as I am sure you questioned my motives time and time again, I realize that my loyalty to you was question yet you never brought it to my attention verbally. I am an assassin after notice all of these things. You are asking you why am I taking time to secretly write this letter. The truth is, I love you dearly, and I would rather die saving you than live a life of immortality without you.  Furthermore, and to me this is less important to me than it is to you, but so that you can unravel mysteries, obliterate anomalies, decipher secrecies, and exceed all of your boundaries.

I love you Lorana, and always will.

With greatest love and compassion, Yurilo.

Fare thee well.

Lorana folded up the note nice and neat before returning it to her pocket. Yurilo. “It must be love that I feel, for even my void cannot stand the test of time. There will be a day I too will be in our Creator’s loving arms but it is not yet. I will observe this elf as you have asked me, if he truly holds the key to unraveling all mysteries, I will be there to turn it. Thank you Yurilo, for even in your death you have given me hope, and when I see my Creator, you will be the first outside of Him that I will look for. Though my emotionless state has ended and my frailty has begun, as a result of time, I certainly hope that my love for you nor your love for me stands the test of time. I look forward to seeing you again on the other side of the gate of death.”

Kac held Yun’s hand for he knew she needed at least some comfort whether she herself realized it or not. She never moved away from him as they lay on the grass, staring up at the stars, and moon. They glanced to the left and of the right, more so to the right where there were more trees. Not the dark lands the was once there home. Home. A funny word with little meaning anymore.

“Kac?” Yun asked in a youthful voice, squeezing his hand tightly.

“Yes, Doe?” he said with a humorous tone. “What is on your mind now? You know I am here, right now and am not going anywhere until such time as time sees fit.”

“How. How did you manage to live all those years away from your home? From your longing? How did you ever survive this? Already it is a month, maybe two. I do not know anymore of these things such as time. It is nothing more than an illusion to me. This month or two, and I cannot fathom a whole year with this. Yes Deer, I know that I have been on quests and adventures away from home years at a time but during those days it was known to me I would have a home to return to.”

“Kinasa was always a beautiful place.” He answered carefully. “It was during my administration where I tried hardest to give the illusion of safety. The illusion to the world that it was a safe place. Knowing this, I now realize by doing so I did more harm than good, overstretching myself where I could no longer deal with the stress handed to me by King Gergo. He banished me that day, and I knew I could never return, or else I did, I would stir up a civil war within Kinasa. Funny how that turned out. The result would have been different then I suppose but alas it was not the will of Unverdus.” He let out a deep sigh. “I guess the easiest way to answer your question would be I came to accept the reality I was in, and thus started to lose myself in my own sanity before I became one with the human race, but alas if it was not for you, what compassion Gergo had at that time I would be lost to Unverdus forever but no more. I have you to thank for that and I will be forever grateful. I came to accept the possibility that I will never be able to return so I created a new life. Yun, there are so many things left for us to do, so many things left to see in this vast world. It is time to expand on everything we know, and create knowledge for the following generations.”

“But why has Unverdus allowed this to happen? Were we not good people?”

“Yun.” he sighed. “You know as well as I that that is not the case. We are all short of the expectation of Unverdus, and though we must strive for perfection, we know that it can never be obtained for He does not look at our actions alone. He looks at our hearts and its condition, on the inside instead of out. The reality is, all creatures with a will, will willingly harm others. The reality being we are all sadists.”

Yun fell silent as she accepted the truth. In her heart she knew it was true for she had imagined torturing a drow for days on end, only to hear it scream for. Wanted to make it suffer for the suffering they caused her. Causing her to lose her home forever.

“Do not mind me.” he said to her, yawning. “‘Tis late and I have yet to have a good night sleep. I will rest now, if anything transpires please wake me Doe.”

“Yes, Deer.” she told him, chuckling. An honest chuckle, and a true one. She watched him turn on his side in the other direction, facing the forest.

“Oh and can you do me one more favor?” he asked.

“Yes, Deer?” she said to him.

“Should the maddening compulsion arise to kill the prophet as it so often does, please refrain from doing so. I would greatly appreciate it.” he said as he dozed off.

“Yes, I shall refrain.” she answered laying her head back down on the pillow of grass.

Kora and Yana Sua say in the branches of the trees on the edge of the road. They could see the fires of their encampment in the distance, but observed the forest of iron to the south. Eyes ever watchful just as the sun watches and lights up the darkest places within its reach. Their eyes pierced the veil of darkness through the forest of black, for any movement, and only Kora could see the cosmos above. Yana was blind to it.

“Tell me Heir to the Forest Throne. What is next when we reach Paxis? What do we do, what will be the next plan of attack once we reach there? Shall we invade Cadrasar once again, and this time kill everything leaving no stone unturned?” Yana said, grimacing at the iron. “Shall it be like the old times my beloved where we stood against the world as it turned in all around us, covered by the veil of darkness lead on by that dreaded snake. Shall it be like the ancient days when the light of the sun could not pierce the smog of Cadrasar!”

Kora turned her head towards Yana, the silence breaking in the wind. Confused by the later statement, she scratched the top of her head. “I do not know, for like before we are to be guided by the Good Book and of the prophet. The first time an elf was chosen to be among them, and now it is imperative now so more than ever to listen. If we do not, we will lose the light forevermore.”

“Like the good poet loses sight of all things and pens their thoughts on paper.” Yana said. “Oh how the greatest arts are composed by the most depressed souls.”

“I do not think the soul of Unverdus was depressed when he hast created us.” Kora replied.

“Nay, the world nor the creation knew what depression was, anxiety or anger then. It did not exist, and now this world is ripe with it. It produces these feelings that are not pure. Mortals are evil creatures.”

“It was never mortals that I had a problem with. Mortals as a whole are perfect creatures. They eat they sleep, they digest and are self reliant when Unverdus allows them to be.” Kora replied. “Mortality is a mortal construct. Of or relating to the mortal condition is flawed for this itself was not created by the God above. Unverdus did not create these emotions of despair. We did. Unverdus did not create the flaws in all mortals, we ourselves did that. We are to blame for the chaos that has been created and evolved through the sands of time.” Kora looked up to the cosmos that was created, paying attention and all knowing to things above and below. She knew what happened. Gorgonus. What will be your new name? Disciple in my name, and of Unverdus above all else. There is a shimmer of Unverdus in you, and I look forward to seeing you again. “You see Yana, the end times are near. The covenant is only a means to delay the end of all time. The end of all mortals as our time is shortening up. There will be a day, that you will see your beloved again, and be in loving arms of Unverdus as he accepts you as His child. He will see you through, and will see us both guided safely through the gates of death, passing through the gates of life, and drinking from the fountain of eternity. I will say unto you, this earth, this Alkathos is but a small realm in the vast universe and its time is up. Will you allow this world to continue with its own path of destruction, or will you allow it to pass, and become something new? Do you desire this earth to pass into a void, with little or nothing left in it?”

“Well, the end result would be the same no matter the difference of the path taken. Go through Core Crest or go through Sheris, you will end up in Kinasa, or Zinasa. The road does not matter.” Yana answered. “We are much alike, you in youth are much wiser than I in my elder age. You adopted Kac Xaizan as your own, and that is a wise decision, that will bring all the prophesies into fruition. Prophesies so old I hardly remember them. It is the end times as you have said, and will we see the earth crumble from beneath our feet, or shall we see war upon war kill us.”

“Both.” Kora replied.

Yara sat on the ground of her tent.cross legged. Her armor was hung up , with her swords and bow leaned up against a stand. Her legs crossed and hands together, eyes closed she prayed.

Unverdus, please please please answer me. I accept my new position as your prophet, but they demand answers I do not have to give. I love and adore you and will continue to praise you in this dark storm and stress of new responsibilities. Please guide me as you would have me do for you and your people. Who are your people Unverdus? Is it we the elves? The elves? Or is it all who believe in you? Help me decipher these secrecies you have laid before us.

When will these terrors stop? When will death stop reigning here over us? When will you come to fulfil your promise. Already I foresee that we run away from a tiger to get cornered by a bear. As soon as we kill the bear we run for our home, and just when we think we are safe we are bitten by poisonous vipers. We are dying Unverdus. Where are you when we need you most? The forces of the orcs, undead, wraiths of the seven which seem harder to kill than they were before, and we are helpless before their wrath, already I can feel Maya Truva’s presence here, even now. She is a wizard, and one of the best, perhaps yet even stronger than Glutua, yet there are also these drow which are very formidable in magic and I know not how we can manage against this. Unverdus please answer me! I cannot do what you want me to do nor can I say what you want me to say if you do not put words in my mouth or movement in my limbs!

“Time will let you know.” She heard the reply from Unverdus. Yes, that is who it must be. It must be Him.

“Time will tell me?” she sighed. “Very well, if that be the case, I will await your answer. For now I take it you wish me just to accompany everyone to Paxis. What of Yun? She will kill me if I have not answers.”

“Already taken care of.”

Yara let out a sigh of relief. She got up from her knees and lay in her sack, falling asleep.

Kac found himself in the dream realm once again. Sleeping away and walking off his desire for hunting, tracking a deer in the moonlight through the thick boughs of a forest he did not recognize.

The grass on the ground was thick but moist as his feet pounded them as he ran. The tracks were deep in the mud, the hooves of the deer. He touched the bark of the trees, rough as that of the pine tree, some oak, and some as smooth as the birch trees. Such rich diversity, he would have his hands all over it.

The tracks lead him to a path into a darkened cave which was a stone hard ground, not the soft mud he was previously running through. The tracks stopped but he knew the deer was still in there. Of course there were no tracks in here after the trail of mud stopped. However he could still hear the clip clop of its hooves through the cave. There is little safe haven from this hunter, even a demon would think he could be safe from his grasp, but no. He could find anything anywhere as long as it still moved.

He followed the noise until he reached the center of the caverns, well below the surface of the ground. He saw the deer with its antlers staring helplessly at him as he drew his bow. He drew the arrow, ready to release its arrow when the deer slowly warped into nothingness. In the epicenter of where the deer was, is a black orb, slowly infesting the room until there was nothing but black. Kac gasped as he was swallowed into the void.

“Ah so this is the fabled hunter. Killed of kings, slayer of trolls and giants, defying time itself. This is who he really is? Alas, welcome to the void my determined friend. Besides hunting an illusion what brings you to this void?”

“My prey.” he replied.

“And what or who is your prey? Surely an elf seeks more than the hunt, though hunt he must, just as much as he must breathe, eat and drink. Now tell me my deluded friend. What is the answer to life?”

“Two questions at once.” Kac shivered as the air grew cold around him, but it was not the air that was cold. It was the absence of Unverdus. Only He was the true source of warmth. “My prey is a deer. The answer to life? What makes it meaningful? Unverdus.”

“Wrong and right.” the voice said to him. “You know not absence and now you feel it creeping up, creating a void inside yourself. I created this void in which you manifested your own desires. You do not hunt a deer, you hunt illusions. What makes meaningful lives? Unverdus does, but is it that alone? Can people live meaningful lives without Him?”

“No.” Kac replied.

“Why not?”

Pondering the question he could not come up with a good answer. It is so much simpler to just answer the what instead of the why. This is his conclusion, “There will always be something missing. It matters very little what the absence is, they will try to fill that emptiness with whatever they can find. This is but temporary. It will solve the void, or satisfy it for only so long before the emptiness comes again. This concept is what leads people down the path of destruction.”

“Ah that is correct. The serenade of self destruction and of course I am not just referring to the desire many have for suicide. This serenade is strong and ever present in the lives of all mortals. It is a beautiful thing is it not, to watch others fall before you. See them suffer in their own false glory before they stumble, trying to find something to satisfy that void, and panic when nothing will fill it!”

“You must be jesting! That is most cruel, and I shall admit I do_”

“You find it just as humorous as I do.” the voice laughed. “Can you still not see hunter?”

“No.” he replied. “I cannot see in this void. I see nothing but darkness. I feel nothing!”

He heard the laughter inside his head, echoing off the walls of his head. “You feel nothing because i do not allow you to feel anything. In this all that matters to you right now that I am the divine creator of this madness. You see nothing for I will not allow you to see anything!” Kac said nothing. “Do you know who I am?”

“You cannot be Unverdus, for he would not take so lightly such things.”

“Nay, I am not.” the voice laughed.

“Who are you?”

“Would you like to find out?” the voice answered. “Choose carefully.”

“Yes.”

The voice laughed as the darkness faded but he did not find himself in the cave. He saw corpses, thousands and thousands of corpses on the ground. Not of men, halflings, dwarves or orcs. They were all elves. Elves! All of them killing each other. He heard the clash of steel, the twangs of bows, and grunts of the fighting, groans of the dying. The clamor was great, and deafening. The skies covered in black smoke of fires burning down homes and other bodies, creating a vast pollution.

The air was so thick with the stench he almost fainted. The fires, the smog, the bloodlust in the air was all he could taste. Decay, rotting. Everything damaged the earth they lay on. This was the place where the grass will never grow again. Dead!

He looked to the left and to the right to see nothing but endless clamor. A hatred kindled by arrogance within. The horror! Even those who were made in God’s image are capable of unspeakable horrors.

To the east, the far east, almost to the ocean he had never seen before stood a figure, clothed in serpent skin. He could not tell if there was a humanoid figure or not, but knew that this was dangerous. He looked to the south, to where he believed Kinasa would be. No trees he could perceive but he did behold a group of elves avoiding the clamor. Lead by an elf who was noble, chasing the serpent.

He followed them, avoiding the clamor like they were. The group chased this serpent into the ground, following tunnels that went deep into the bowels of the earth. Fire heating up the air, and it grew even more difficult to breath as he heard screams. The closer and closer he got to the group, wherever they were heading he noticed more and more of the elves dead.  

He never recognized the place he was going into, but the presence seemed familiar. On such elf he found cut open, with insides poured over an altar. The stone floor was cracked with green fire burning in the center of the room with the head of a demon, tongue sticking out of it. The face of the elf was one he recognized. Yana Sua.

He put his hand over his mouth as he witnessed the awful sight, knowing this was someone he knew. “Why!? WHY!?” he rushed towards the fighting of the clamour when he saw something he did recognize.

Fires spat up from cracks in the earth, the dark red sky was the only light here. The heat was near unbearable, his mouth and tongue instantly dried up. His lips chapped almost as soon as he entered this place. He saw scaled winged creatures roaming the sky, breathing fire into the already fire consumed place. The rivers were of molten rock, not of water. The buildings erected in stone pillars with “Chaos” carved on each of them. This is the Abyss of Chaos!

He followed the clamor he thought was of the elves and the serpent creature. “This man truly is bold if he plans on fighting something like that creature here.” he said to himself as he saw the lone elf, cloaked fighting the serpent, who struck with its snake like neck, and green sword, also scaled.

He beheld the elf pushing the serpent into a building that went underneath the surface of this world. The door shut behind them. Kac tried to open the door but could not prevail. ABove the door read, “Welcome, to the Inescapable Prison!”

He sat down next to the door, waiting for whoever was to come out, to come out. He could do nothing about his thirst or maddening hunger now, it was too late. Moments passed and the door opened. The iron hinges creaked and the elf came out.

“Who be ye? What hast brought ye down he’e?” the elf said in an accent he did not recognize. “Ye hast no business bein’ in this place!”

“I am_”

“Dost not matter!”

The elf placed his hands on him before he could do anything and forced him into the building. The door shut, and he was surrounded by creatures, once elf and some of other dimensions, other worlds. The iron rusted doors, creatures clawing at him with their decaying hands and claws. They ripped right through his armor, but not his sword as he swiftly cut his way free to the other elf.

“What is your problem!”

The elf drew his sword on him, and was much faster than he could imagine. Kac clashed with this elf, but found himself being pushed back further into this prison, bearing many cuts from the elf, and he could not scratch him.

The elf wore a mask over his face so he could not see who this elf looked like. “Who are you?!” Kac yelled trying to avoid being pushed into one of those cells, but alas it was not alone cell he was pushed in. He was thrust into the cell that connected all of the cells, he was in the mass population, where the worse of the worse were placed. The air barely breathable.

Making one final effort to free himself, he thrust the sword to the elf, who grabbed the blade with his hand and pulled it away from him. The elf kicked him into the cell. The door opened by itself and once he was in, it closed shut. He grabbed on to the bars and looked at the elf who stood there.

“Do you want to know who I am?” the elf asked as Kac was being pulled by several inmates, away from the gate. The elf pulled off his mask. Kac stopped struggling to look, feeling like he looked back at himself in a mirror. It was his face. “Good Bye Kac Xaizan. I will see you sooner than you think.” the elf turned around and sheathed his sword. “You shall thank me for this later.” The elf left the prison leaving him.

Kac screamed as hands, too many to count grabbed him, grappling him and pulling him deeper into the masses. He fought to get free but could not. Too many. The darker rooms got darker as more and more creatures came into the room he was tossed into. The center of the room was a pentagram he got placed in. He was tackled by a blob of blood mass that kept him still. The decaying arms of something that probably used to be an elf chained his limbs, which pulled kept him fasted to the ground, straining the muscles that kept his limbs attached.

He panted heavily, as more and more creatures, some were unshaped blobs with thousands of eyes and tentacles, and one jaw that looked at him hungrily. He saw humanoid wolves thirsting for meat, other demons with wings, and one that had no face, and held a knife. “Dinner! Does not come often enough!” It screeched, which deafened Kac’s ears.

The demon without a face went over to a wheel which was attached to the wall. To his dismay, he knew this was the device that controlled the chains that bound him to the floor. “All pick your piece before I pull!”

Kac whimpered like a frightened dog as he felt countless claws, hands, and tentacles touch his body, caressing their piece before they began. The decaying hands held on to most of his shins, he could feel the hairy hands of the wolves caress his thighs. He felt the demons grabs his arms. He felt the slimy tentacles squirm their way up through his armor, ripping it off of his body so they could share his torso, while one shrunk its size to lean up on his face, licking his face.

The faceless demon turned the wheel slowly. He grunted as the chains began to slowly rip him apart. He screamed as he witnessed his body being pulled apart. He was now just a head, attached to a torso, still alive for no one can die in the Abyss of Chaos. He could feel the wolves, the decaying elves, demons bit into the different parts of his body. The torso was slowly devoured as the tentacles dug into him, pulling his flesh and insides into jaws. The blow near his face ate his face.

It was not the end of this horrific nightmare. On the pentagram, his body reformed, naked and they devoured him, ripped him apart over and over again. Screaming worse each time. He was pulled apart seventy times seven times. He was defiled seventy times seven times. He was molested and eaten seventy times seven times.

Kac woke up on the grass screaming in pain and terror! He startled Yun who was still laying next to him. He swiftly placed his hands all over his body to feel if his limbs were still attached and whole. His scream echoed in the forest as it was so loud it woke everyone. Following his scream was a chorus of screaming and crying babies. Yun pushed him down and pinned him on the ground, her hair framing his face.

“Sh.” she whispered softly to him. “It was merely a nightmare. A nightmare. Temporary discomfort. I will not leave your side. No matter what.”

“What happened?!” Mahtan said harshly. He and his three brothers came running as fast as they could. “What is with all of the screaming?”

“Return to your post Mahtan. He only had a dream. Everything is alright, silence the crowd. Nothing is wrong.” said another voice. It was Kora, who came in the nick of time. Yana was by her side. “Yun, let him up.”

Yun slowly got off of him, and he sat up, still shaking. Worse than ever before. “Kac?” she said to him. “What did you see?”

“A place I wished never to see on the inside ever again. The place where I locked a demon away inside my soul. I saw scaled creatures, and abominations that was the result of our transgressions from the beginning and that will be let loose on this world in the end times. Demons, creatures that resembled elves, and perhaps now no longer just elves hungering for flesh of all sorts, wolves shaped like men, and creatures of gelatin with tentacles sharp and eyes aplenty. Teeth. Gnawing breaking, ripping biting. All of these things will come to pass. This dream is not just a dream, an illusion of the perception of my reality. It is truth. It will happen, and not even the completion of the covenant will prevent this. It will all come to pass. Hell on earth. The realms of darkness will collide with the middle ground before darkness takes over the light in Heaven.”

“Kac?” Yun tilted her head in confusion as she looked on in despair. What is in his mind?

“That is enough!” Yana said. Marching forth she picked him up by the armor. Yun meant to grab her but was stopped by the hands of Yara.

“STOP IT!STOP IT! DO NOT TOUCH HER!” Yara said, struggling with Yun. “Do not touch her Yun, it will not end well.”

“Do no claim to know my place or hers prophet!” she pushed her to the ground.

“It is by the will of Unverdus!” she cried as her head hit the ground on a rock, causing her head to bleed. “The Wheel of destiny is broken. A piece is out of place! Or two!”

“A piece?” Yana asked. “What do you mean? I do not understand? what does me coming in physical contact with Yun have anything to do with destiny?”

“Unverdus did not make this known to me, but you must never ever touch each other!” she said. There was a thunderclap. “Yes Unverdus.” she sighed. “There will be a time for such things, but now is far from them. Things must happen, and I do not think I will be alive when that time comes.”

“What do you mean? The Wheel of Destiny is broken?” Kora asked.

“Do you not see? Yana Sua is the oldest one here by far. She has lived through the first age and beyond to the current one. An age is not short! She is old! Too old! For an elf, this was never meant to be. She has nothing anymore to fill the void inside, only time will!”

“What knowest ye of my personal void Prophet?!” Yana pushed Kac to the ground and picked up Yara and slammed her into a tree. “I had something once. It was very precious to me. So precious I dared follow it where no light shall ever go, and where little light ever does. I died in that place for the precious thing that only thoughts and memories exist of it now! I went to Hell for it, and my Unverdus’ grace I died and was restored.” she released her grip and turned. “What did I get for it? I was cursed. I am cursed. I came out of that abyss. What was my reward by Unverdus?!” she wiped tears from her eyes as she cried. Her next words were mixed with sorrow and hate. “My reward...was to live forever until all ties to this world are destroyed. Should my body die, my soul will remain in its fleshy or bony chasm till the earth itself rips it apart. Few days when the Ranger’s Guild was given its name, when Kinasa was created my precious stone was taken from me. Unverdus took it from my hand on that mountain, and I never saw it again.”

“THIS IS NOT REAL!” Kac screamed.

Yun punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious. He had a bruise on the cheek, and a bloody nose. What did you see? She looked up to see the watchful and curious eyes of Lorana. “GET DOWN HERE LORANA! NOW!” she screamed.

Lorana jumped down and walked to her. Gorda came running along and placed his hands on Kac’s head working on his mind. “What answers do you seek from me?”

“He had a dream. A nightmare.” Yun said sorrowful. “Can you find out what he saw?”

Lorana nodded and poked Gorda with her staff. “Gorda, I cannot have you do that with what I am about to do. It is important I do this in absolute silence.” She knelt down next to him, placing her hands around his ears and bowed her head. Gorda walked over to Kora and put a hand on her shoulder. She accepted its embrace.

What did you see Kac? I...I love you. Come back to me! Do not fall into this insanity. I remember the abyss all too well. You were there as well as I. Did you see the prison again, with all of those foul creatures grabbing, clawing, breaking, gnawing, burning. Those images are burned to the back of my mind as a slave driver marks his property.

Yun put her hand over her mouth to avoid making noise as she sobbed. Her eyes closed as her face was drowning in tears. “I...I...I…”

Yara watched her curiously. I have known her for many decades. Never once did she ever let this go so far. Never before have I seen her sob so publicly. She glanced over Kac. Did she...no, does she love him? Even after the absence of so many decades after? Did they pick up their relationship where they left off? I knew there was something before he left Kinasa that first time, but was there something more? Unverdus please give me answers. I do not understand. Please help me to understand. This is most curious.

The love of these two are the only loves of the mortal realm that will stand against the sands of time. Truly I tell you Yara, the sands of time will break before their love will diminish. Came the voice of Unverdus, like a deep voice inside her head.

Ah, so that is it. Why they? Why is there a crack in the Wheel of Destiny Unverdus? What happened? Who broke it? Why does the love of these two stand the test of time? Why will time itself be a mystery when the eternal hourglass breaks before their love does? What happened so that it would be this way?

Someone did not stay dead when they were supposed to. Someone should have died and been in my arms, but since someone was raised from the dead their incarnation was prevented from being everything it was meant to be. However it is not too late, but she will die upon my time. His voice echoed from inside her head so loud she placed her hands over her ears. It did nothing as the voice echoed inside her skull.

“What be goin’ on!?” Cardur came stumbling.

“SHUT UP IN THE ABYSS OF CHAOS STUPID DWARF! ONE MORE PEEP OUT OF YOU AND I WILL SEND THEE TO THE ABYSS!” Yun screamed, eyes swollen with tears and her face was red with rage. Everyone backed away from her, Mahtan first. Then Kora. She walked away and took Cardur aside.

She let out a sigh before answering. “Something is not right Cardur. Kac is sick again, but with something else this time. I do not think it is of evil, nor can it be good. Dreams or nightmares in the dream realm are always needed to be read into. Often times it is nothing, but when it is something you need to pay attention to it.” she let out a nervous chuckle. “This most certainly is something.”

“What is to happen to the lad?” he asked quietly. “If what you say, neither good nor evil? What does that mean lass?”

“It means it is of a third party. Sided with us or with the darkness is yet to tell, or maybe neither. Another soul is at work in this time of evil. This is the dreaded day when Unverdus will reveal his presence to the world. A dark day!”

“Would that not mean a day of light? Would that not be a good thing?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

“No. It is much like a soldier's job. Truly it is better he is seen as a freeloader than doing his duty. What does that mean? It means things have gone right through the dunghill.” she chuckled. “Trust me, it is by far the worse thing you could ever imagine Cardur. You see the events leading to Malitu’s downfall?”

“Yes.” he bowed his head.

“That I think we can both agree resulted in much better than the situations to the south. Would you agree?” she continued as he nodded his head. “Now what happened to the South is only the beginning. Kinasa already fell. It is gone forever and Zinasa is on its way out too. You are probably looking at the last of the elves that will be left by next spring if we are lucky. However with the pace things are looking more like summer, we will be the last. We have paid for the transgressions for those who do not see the fault in their own eyes. We have done our best, and failed.

“Grento is probably a chief cause for this failure. Its evil became equivalent to that in Cadrasar. People immoral, vulgar, lecherous, heinous, treacherous. The children there, will be worse than their parents. As it always is, they are further from the truth, so their view gets distorted. Their love and tolerance of these vices lead to them becoming a spitting image of Cadrasar. I would imagine that due to my neglect of that region of Alkathos, I have allowed the Assassin’s Guild to grow too large. The cause of this, would be that snake of a man, Sipus.”

“Sipus?” he asked.

“Interesting. I am surprised you know not of he. He is the master of that Guild, and only did so by making a deal with Decrepantaur. He cannot be killed by normal means. He is a man who is also ageless. For the last few hundred years I would assume he has been threading his influence with Decrepantaur’s help. Woe is he who thinks he is immortal. Once his usefulness is up, Decrepantaur will kill him.”

“When will that be?” Cardur asked grimly, the horrid thought of it all was becoming a reality.

“When every elf you see here, is executed. When you see the last tree burn. When the waters are permanently stained with our blood. When the grass fails to grow and the flowers fail to bloom. When the mountains crumble over your mines, and not one ore is left to take. When the skies lose their light, when all the stars fall out of the sky. Every church burns down, and all memory fades away of what was good and green.”

Cardur covered his mouth as he considered what that would be like. Unimaginable. Unthinkable but he could not deny that he was living a course that would lead to that result.

“Funny thing.” Kora wept. “I never thought it might be remotely possible. Even during the time of Great Trials it was a far thing to think that Decrepantaur could succeed and he did not. I think he is going to succeed in it this time.”

“Succeed in doing what lass? What could be so impossible that it is out of everyone’s reach?”

“He is going to kill Unverdus. He might succeed.” she answered, wiping her tears.

“How is that possible. Nothing can kill a God!”

“Destroy everything he creates, and you will unravel the very fabric which is attached to Him as all things are. When you destroy the original creation, you will not kill Unverdus for he is immortal, but you can take away his immortality and then kill Him through natural means, as if he is just as mortal as any of us here. Once he kills us, Unverdus will come down, seemingly in a trap. I am sure he knows this will happen, and that this trap is there.”

“Then it be as simple as letting you die, and creating something new. There will be no need to come down to Alkathos if he knows it is a trap.”

“It can never be attained that way Cardur. As silent as He is right now, He will never allow us to enter oblivion. He will go for this trap, being of good and noble character as he is. He will try to save us, and if he can he will. He most certainly will. That is what the day of Unverdus looks like. It is coming very soon.” She looked up at the sky as if to find an answer from the macrocosm. There was none, only the dark clouds getting thicker. “This beautiful_”

Kora was interrupted by a tormenting scream. She jerked her head to Lorana who jumped back, landing on her buttocks. Her hand quivered and she looked at it as if her hands were an immovable abomination. Her face drenched itself in perspiration, she wiped her hands on her cloak, but only ripped it as her fingers grew so stiff they were like claws. “Stop it! STOP IT!” she howled.

Yun grabbed her arms and pulled them apart. There was a deafening snap, and the screaming only worsened. “Lorana stop. Tell me what you saw!” she grabbed her cloak and pushed her to the ground.

“This is enough. This is not doing any good. Ellessar! Gilmir!” Mahtan called his brothers and they went over to subdue Yun. “Stop captain! This is doing nothing!” He and his brothers grabbed both her arms and pulled her off of the wizard.

Lorana leaned back on the dirt. She panted heavily, her chest sonorously pounding. “GET OFF ME!” Yun cried in her rage.

“Damn. RESTRAIN HER!” Yana said. “Curse you. So young.” Mahtan and his cousins restrained Yun with leather straps. Yana walked over to Lorana and covered her hands with hers, “Is it the future? Is it to be seen, was seen or now? Is it knowledge for us? Lorana take a deep breath. Rest your heart and mind for only it can you determine what is true and false. Make sure in our heart that what you know you are about to tell is is true and not false.”

Lorana gazed deep into her eyes to see compassion long forgotten to her. It was the compassion in the eyes of Yurilo it reminded her of as she slowed down her breathing. Closing her eyes she wiped her face with her cloak. “I see scaled wings, roaring fires, and the rocky ground so hot it burns with each step. It hurts so much you have to jump up and down to get off of it, but jumping hurts more than standing on it itself. I could see a dark reddened sky with scaled beasts. I saw demons and remnants of creatures that seemed humanoid in shape. I saw man-like wolves and giant gelatinous creatures with tentacles and teeth. I can still feel them touching me. Is that_”

“The Abyss of Chaos.” Yun answered, breathing heavily as she lay tied up on the dirt. She stared at the stars. “That creature you described are...they be too horrible give them a name. I have seen tis but once, they will use those tentacles of theirs to rip pieces from you, and devour them. Such a way to go is it not?”

“What is it?” Mahtan asked.

“Something you hope in an age or two never to see.” Yun said softly. “Could you please untie me this is very uncomfortable.”

Mahtan nodded to Gilmir who took out a knife and cut the straps, letting her loose. She stood up and wiped her brow. The eldest brother said to Ellessar, “Please go tell everyone it will be alright. The ruckus is dealt with.”

Ellessar scurried off just to do that.

“Fires burn. Ice freezes but it also burns. People rot and decay. People kill inside that void not out of malice or hate, but the maddening compulsion to get out. No one wants to spend eternity in that place.” Lorana continued. “I saw an elf, he must be an elf dwarves, orcs, halflings and humans did not exist. He was cloaked.” Yana walks off swiftly towards the edge of the forest. “He wore a mask, I could not see his face. He took several with him into the Abyss of Chaos. Many died just trying to get in there, but only he managed to actually descend into that realm. The trip just getting there was perilous. Traps of fire, ice so cold it burned. Spikes, ashes of things that used to be. dust dust dust! I entered to see this realm.” Yun cracked her knuckles. Something she often did when she heard the same thing too many times. “I followed this elf who was fighting another creature, such great speed I could barely make out that he was wielding a sword. I see him, Kac also. He is there. Sitting outside a building with a rotting sign made of wood. How that accursed wood can remain there is mystery to me. The elf pushed the other creature into the building and the door slammed behind him. There was silence. I went over to Kac but he did not respond to me. The door creaked open and the two engaged in conversation. The masked elf attacked Kac and they disappeared again into that building. I could not follow. Moments passed and I just sat there, waiting for the elf to come out, whoever that might be. It was the masked elf I saw with a cut in his hand, otherwise no sign of fatigue or injury. I snuck in immediately. On both sides of me were rusted bars, which filled the air of itself. It was difficult to breath. I walked in and people, what used to be people growled, snarled and clawed at me as I went further. I found an iron gate, with blood the shape of a hand on the walls. and bars. I unlocked it, and went further, listening to agonizing screaming. I come into another room, I see blood splattered everywhere, and Kac bathing in it. I see wolves, demons of a sort, the rotting corpse of what used to elves. And those...creatures. They ate him until there was nothing else. One such demon found me and chanted in a language I have not heard. That was when my arms caught fire and I woke up screaming.”

“This is but the second ailment he has had in just under a year.” Kora said, looking in the direction Yana left. “It is all crumbling together like the eroding cliff.” She sighed as her attention went up to the stars.  “Yara?”

“Yes, Kora?” she answered as all eyes were shifted to look at the two of them.

“Why is it important for Yun and Yana to never come in contact with each other?” she asked, shifting her gaze on the prophet, carefully listening.

“It is all part of the wheel. If one spoke goes out of place, the whole thing begins to enfold on itself. These two spokes are not meant to touch each other. They never were. If they do, the wheel will spin off its axis. This Wheel of Destiny is very fragile.” She answered. “All I can say is that when the tree grows again, it will be time for such a connection. Unverdus has his plans and will not reveal all of it to me, or else I would tell you precisely what that means.” she turned over to Yun, and then over to where Yana would be. “Make sure the two know that. It is of utmost importance. This must never happen.” she placed her hand over her mouth as she yawned. “Now if you would kindly excuse me, I must return to sleep. Kac will hopefully be up shortly.”

Yara turned to go back into her tent. She disappeared behind it and there was no noise outside of the wind. Mahtan, Cardur, Kora, Gilmir, Gorda, and Yun all held hands as they circled around Kac, and bowed their heads.

Kac slowly turned away from the world of dreams and into the world of reality, as if that was much better. He wiped his eyes, hands still quivering. “Unverdus please bring me forth out of this darkness and into your light. I do not want to live in a life of pain, and mortal agony. This everlasting pain and suffering begotten from the first betrayal, the first sin all the way from the beginning. This was began with the rebellion, not from the Time of Great Trials. Unverdus you are the one and only, you are the way. Why cannot everyone see that? Why will the men, the dwarves, the halflings turn to you? Let your ancient spear come down like in ancient prophecy foretold and come brings to us. Put a veil on the heavens and Alkathos and out with the old and in with the new. Allow us to enter those realms of the twelve gates and the twelve pillars. First, I will send forth messengers, the ones you have sent to me. Next, I will provide for the world a means to bring everyone back to you to end this darkness. Then, when such time deems fit determined by You Unverdus, I will act as your hand of judgment on the world.” he rose his hands up to the sky and cried, “UNVERDUS, I SURRENDER TO YOUR WILL!”

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[Armanis]

This is a rather long chapter. Sorry Guys.