A World Beyond the Dark

by Andrei Navala

  “I assumed that much.” responded Anvalth, afraid of something unknown to him.

  “I don’t really know how to put this, but they told me you were possessed by a demon. I doubt that it’s true, but they also said you killed Rousseau before running off into the woods, never to be seen again. Is any of that true?”

  Anvalth stayed silent, pondering his words and searching his memory. Anything that happened until he was taken in by Ainnea was still confused in his mind.

  “I’m sorry but I don’t remember. I don’t understand something and I hate it. Why does everyone call me a demon?” Anvalth clenched his fist and hit the ground angrily.

  “They thought the base for your action was you being possessed. I told you they inquired me as well, if I was a demon.” Liam was disheartened that he wasn’t able to clear the other’s doubts.

  “If I really killed Rousseau, it must’ve been for a good reason.” His blunt response was frightening to Liam.

  “I don’t mean to pry further and bring back terrible memories if any, but they also said you desecrated Rilwen’s body.”

  Anvalth’s heart skipped a beat hearing his words. He froze in place and his hand was shaking terribly. He fell on his back and took a few deep breaths. Liam was concerned about him but didn’t ask anything, deciding it was best to leave him in peace.

  “Then it is true. I must be possessed, no… I must be the foulest demon in this world.”

  “What makes you so sure all of a sudden? I thought you didn’t remember anything! They must be wrong! You’re as kind and rational as before… right?” Liam was outraged at first, but then he started to doubt Anvalth, seeing him stand up and furrow his brows. A sad smile appeared on his face as he picked up the shattered blade, turning it towards his throat. With speed he did not know he had, Liam dashed towards him and took the sword away from his hand, slapping him harshly. “What’s gotten into you? Tell me if you know or remember anything. I won’t judge you!”

  “It annoys me how you’re suddenly my best friend, after dragging me through all the shit you could, making my life more miserable; first the village, then the witches and lastly the stab in the back. You thought I didn’t know but I remembered you stabbing me in the back when I woke up. I wanted to see how far you’d go with your lie. And because you drank my blood and turned into a beast starving for battle you were surrounded and I had to give up on all the others and stay with you because I felt guilty. I felt guilty because I didn’t do anything even though I knew and because I wasn’t able to convince you. If we had all stayed together in formation perhaps nobody else might have died. If we stayed as a unit, maybe we could’ve helped my old comrades as well. It is your entire fault!” shouted Anvalth in anger, pushing Liam away from him.

  “And what do you want me to do? I can’t change the past.” responded Liam in a helpless, weak voice.

  “You wanted to know the truth? Here have the truth! I slaughtered Rousseau and I raped Rilwen. You want to know more?”

  “Stop it…” Liam’s voice could barely be heard over his.

  “Remember that girl from the tavern that hanged herself?”

  “Please stop…”

  “I raped her as well and she still loved me. When I told her I was going to leave her and go to my wife she couldn’t bear the thought. The simple thought of returning to Liliana like this makes me laugh. After I cheated on her two times now how can I show my face before her? Look at me, look at how ugly and disgusting I’ve become. I am missing an arm and… and you know what’s even funnier? I am not even blind anymore. It was true at first, but I was taken in by an elf and I miraculously regained my sight. And like the fool I was I got into an argument with one of her loyal friends and almost killed him. I said to her that in return she should bind this around my head and curse it so that it can never be taken off. If you’re not willing to let me kill myself right here and now, use that blade and stab me in the heart before I cause any more grief to others.” Anvalth was huffing, with his fist clenched and his legs shaking in anger.

  “Then I can’t kill you before you atone for your sins. Don’t waste your life after going so far. You said you wanted to see your wife? Go and tell her all of this and if she loves you as much as you love her, she will forgive you.” Anvalth could tell that Liam was smiling. It wasn’t a brilliant, loveable smile like that of Rilwen, but a sad yet thoughtful smile, full of friendship. Anvalth fell on his knees and then lied on the ground on a side. He covered himself with the cloak and did not say another word for the rest of the night. Liam wanted to watch over him the entire night so that he wouldn’t do anything foolish but he eventually gave into the temptation and fell asleep.

  The following day when he woke up, the sky was clear and there was no wind blowing. He looked around the extinguished fire but Anvalth wasn’t there. Liam then searched his waist and both swords were still in place. His gaze moved towards the cart and he saw him waiting there silently. Liam stood up and hurried in the cart, leaving for the road.

  Chapter 6 - What love is

  I t was the warmest day of autumn. Anvalth and Liam were silently travelling together, after their incident the other day. Anvalth could judge that at their pace, they had at most three days before reaching Bavey, his home town. He was slightly on edge since hearing a caravan pass by. At first he expected to be followed or attacked but they were just merchants looking to buy, from what few words Liam exchanged with them. Anvalth couldn’t close an eye the other night and he was just dozing off from time to time. Liam would occasionally let go of the reins to stop him from falling out of the cart. To the noble who spent his life either enclosed between walls or in a foreign land wasting away purposelessly, his new life as a traveling merchant was delightful. He enjoyed it to the fullest and the scenery he got to see on his travels was outright marvelous. He was a man of the people but he never got to show that quality during the military campaign. He was curious to find out more about others and to explore the world which he knew so little of. Liam would sometimes whistle tunes he heard in his travels and was excited while in a bar when he could tell his stories to other people he’d never even met and still had a good time with.

  Liam’s best chance was that he grew in a noble family and he had great education. There weren’t many other than nobles or clerics who could read and write very well. He even read tomes if he ever got his hands on something that raised his interest. But what he lacked in his childhood and through his entire life until that point was love. He couldn’t see love as anything more than carnal pleasures, done at one’s leisure with anyone. His parents didn’t spend any time with him as he grew up and he never learned what it meant to truly love someone. He had no fear of dying alone because he knew that the money he earned could grant him most women, with or without status. From his interactions with others, especially with Anvalth, he had a terrible opinion about marriage. It seemed more of a hassle than anything.

  As lost in thought as he was, he didn’t realize at first they were approaching a village. The houses in this area were rather small and with straw roofs. It felt very rustic and unusual to him since he was used with large buildings that had wooden tiled roofs. He shook Anvalth slightly, waking him up.

  “We’ve arrived in a village and it’s getting dark soon.” Anvalth shook his head sluggishly in agreement and laid back. Liam pulled up in front of a house and knocked on the door. A set of steps was approaching and the one to open was a woman dressed in a colorful skirt and a ragged blouse, showing her forms pretty clearly. Her skin tone was slightly darker and she had long dark hair and beautiful green eyes. From where he stood at the entrance of her home, Liam could see the entirety of their modest village. One thing stood apart like a sore thumb, and it was a small wooden church at the center of the village. It towered over all the other houses and its design was quite elaborate and intriguing. His gaze shifted for but a moment from her to scout the village and to his surprise there was no sight of the caravan.

  “Wha’s
’it?” Her accent was very strong and he couldn’t tell apart the words.

  “Excuse me, I’m a merchant travelling with my companion and we would appreciate it if you could host us for the night.

  “Aye, shure can doh.” From inside her home was the voice of a child yelling for her. “Shut’t will you!” She yelled, turning around and opening the door wide. “You’n you’mpanion may com’in.” Before returning to Anvalth with what he thought as confirmation, he gazed around their house. It was comprised of a single room with a table, three chairs, a large bed and a stove. Underneath the table there was a long rug in black and white strips and on the walls were a few knitted, colorful models. To his surprise, it was just the two of them at such a late hour. Liam rushed to his cart and told Anvalth to follow him.

  “Wouldn’t you say something is off?” whispered Anvalth to him as he jumped onto the ground.

  “I was about to ask you the same thing. How could you tell?” Liam grabbed him by the arm, pulling him along towards the house, to Anvalth’s discomfort and displeasure.

  “It’s thanks to my Telaar. I can’t really describe it but there’s this strange aura surrounding the village. How do the people that live here seem?”

  “Strange, to say the least. I assume they’re all gypsies and the village itself is really modest save for a church which sticks out surprisingly, in the center of the town.” Liam was speaking with a hesitant tone, as if something was really bothering him.

  “Are you afraid?” Anvalth sketched a superior yet friendly smirk.

  “Before we go to sleep we have to investigate this place thoroughly. There is no sight of the caravan and I doubt they continued at night without stopping here.” The two stopped right in the doorway as they continued to discuss.

  “What if they’re all possessed by demons? You know the fiends are still lurking.” He said it jokingly, but Anvalth was also concerned regarding the presence of demons in Reath.

  “Don’t joke about that. I still have nightmares of those days.” They stepped inside and Liam waved, introducing his companion. “We thank you for your hospitality. This is my colleague. Don’t be bothered by his appearance if possible.”

  “Aye, we’v’naught much t’eat. Ye’an sleep’n th’bed.”

  “Alright, thanks.” Liam leaned closer to Anvalth, whispering in his ear. “I barely understood two words.”

  “I think she said she doesn’t have food and that we can rest in the bed.” Liam nodded acknowledging but remembered something. He rushed outside, dropping something inside the cart and then returned in the house. “Also, I think it’d be respectful if we at least shared our food with them considering we have no issues.”

  Liam grabbed some of his provisions and Anvalth took out one of his rations and the four silently enjoyed a hastily put up meal. Anvalth seemed to have no problem, but Liam noticed the kid was staring at him intently. At first he thought it was curiosity, but there was something strange in his eyes. Occasionally, even his mother would trade gazes with him, fluttering her beautiful eye lashes. He felt uncomfortable and hot, gasping for air. Once their dinner was over, the two lied in bed for a while, simply relaxing. Liam could still feel the strange, bothering gaze of the child fixed directly on him, so he turned to Anvalth giving him a slight nudge. They stood up and went for the door.

  “We’ll be going around here for a while.” Said Liam as he pushed open the door and stepped outside, taking a deep breath. The sun had already set and a cold breeze was blowing. He turned to Anvalth as they strolled through the village. “Something is really off with this place. Should we just leave now?”

  “I don’t want to partake in any more troubles with demons honestly, but if they’re this close to my hometown, it’d only become a larger hassle later on. How about we take a look inside that church you mentioned? I highly doubt any of the people of this area are suddenly so religious.” They continued in silence until they reached the entrance of the church. They stepped up a porch and knocked on the door. The probability that whoever was inside was asleep bothered them because they didn’t want to force their way in. Anvalth felt something as he was standing there. “Get inside, they’re all around us.”

  “Who are-” Liam didn’t get to finish his sentence before Anvalth kicked the door open and pushed him inside. He hurriedly closed the door and held his ground against it. “This was a grave mistake…” Liam’s voice was shaking and he backed into a wall.

  “What is it? What do you see?” Shouted Anvalth, holding the door even though there was no one pushing from outside. He was so concentrated on surviving he didn’t even notice the pungent smell filling the church.

  “Corpses, everywhere… This looks like some demonic ritual. I t-think there’s something feeding on them as well.” Spoke Liam with a faint voice, looking around desperately for a way out.

  “Give me my sword already!” Yelled Anvalth clearly angered as creatures started beating against the door. He could hear the wood crack and splinter and they didn’t have much longer before the doors would shatter.

  “I left them in the cart-”

  “You did what!” He yelled from the bottom of his lungs, trying to keep the door closed as they pushed against it. “Bring something to barricade this door for crying out loud!” Liam with his knees shaking darted towards a wooden bench and pulled it across the floor all the way to the door, reinforcing their defenses. He hurriedly grabbed another one and they leaned them against the door, managing to stop the frontal assault for some time. Anvalth pulled out the small knife he had in his knapsack, looking around. “Are there any windows we need to block? Are there torches we can use as weapons?”

  “Yes and yes.” Liam showed him where the benches were and where one of the windows was. They each put up a bench against the windows and with a flint and steel lit a torch. “T-These are the people from the caravan. And there are clear bite marks and parts missing from them.”

  “I would’ve said they’re cannibals had it not been for this church. There is clearly a higher power here, controlling them but it’s not showing itself yet. Shush, quiet.” The two stopped anything they were doing and listened in silence. The villagers were no longer smashing against the door and they could hear their footsteps farther and farther away, they were leaving.

  “Speak of the devil…” whispered Liam, pulling on Anvalth’s sleeve. The floor beneath their feet was getting hotter and flames rose through the cracks, setting the church ablaze suddenly. Lightning crackled through the sky and hit right through the ceiling onto the middle of the chamber. The corpses started to gather together and formed something hideous, an amalgamation of the dead. Ominous whispers echoed through the church and the flames were growing in intensity, circling them and the monstrosity and burning the walls.

  “This tremendous aura… Liam, you have to run through the flames and bring us… You can’t go outside-” Anvalth realized the situation they were in. “You have to look around the altar. There must be something we can use there.” Liam sprinted past the still developing abomination and jumped through the flames. “Don’t come back without a weapon!” Shouted Anvalth after him, gripping his dagger tight and approaching the terrible aura he sensed ahead. He froze in his tracks as a gut wrenching, deafening scream echoed loud and clear throughout the entire village. The ground trembled beneath his feet and the ceiling of the church collapsed around him. He instinctively dodged to his left as something massive smashed the floor to splinters in his previous spot. He implanted his dagger in the arm of the demon repeatedly until it retracted it. With each step that it made, the ground shook and cracked. Anvalth rolled to his left, barely escaping from another hit. There was so much blood on the floor that he slipped and crashed onto a pillar which was then smashed to pieces by the demon and fell over him, burying Anvalth.

  He emerged from the rubble and leapt towards the amalgamation, implanting his dagger in what he thought was its chest. Now that he was so close, he could feel each and every individual body
of which it was composed and its repulsive stench almost made him throw up. The monster smashed its chest in an attempt to flatten him but he jumped away just in time, forcing it to beat itself. With inhuman strength, he grabbed onto a bench and pulled it around, spinning in place and letting go of it as it crashed into the fiend. The demon screeched wildly, making his ears bleed. Suddenly, Anvalth was caught in a torrent of flames as the abomination spat out fire. He could feel his skin disintegrate and had nowhere to move to.

  After passing by the beast, Liam searched frivolously through the altar but to no avail. There wasn’t anything sharp enough to be called a weapon and nothing else seemed of interest. As he felt around, searching through drawers he pushed on a lever and heard something behind him move. The altar was pushed aside, revealing a small, dark staircase leading down. He hesitated in place but a loud roar which stabbed at his heart sounded from the main room. He tried to steel his resolve and went down the stairs. The darkness of the place was unnatural, rendering his torch almost useless. Upon reaching the bottom of the staircase, he walked through a tunnel narrow enough for one person and passed through a doorway into a chamber.

  At the center of the room was a pile of something he couldn’t discern because of the intense flames burning. Surrounding it were red glowing runes in a language unknown to him. As he approached he could tell they were all decapitated heads over a pool of blood. Another screech sounded from above and the room shook terribly as dust was falling from the ceiling. On the opposite side of the room was hanged a sword, thick and large without a tip and with a subtle, golden design which resembled rays of sun. As far as he knew, those swords were used for decapitation, either in rituals or executions. He rushed past the flaming pile of heads which turned into black skulls in mere moments and grabbed the sword off the wall. It was so unexpectedly heavy that he fell on the ground pulled by the sword. On the ground, he stared at the pile as the fire turned a dark amethyst color, continuing to rise through the ceiling with more intensity. It must’ve been the catalyst for the monster above. He hardly stood up, carrying the sword with both hands and sluggishly moved through the chamber and out the hallway. He crossed the obnoxiously narrow corridor and walked up the stairway panting. On the floor level was even worse than he had imagined. The entire ceiling had collapsed and moon’s light was shining down upon the devastated church and the searing violet flames surrounding his friend and the abomination.