by S L Gassick
“Hemero. Let me put this simply to you. Do you know where we are? We are no longer on Earth. This is where the Kalad must go in order to save those living on the surface.”
“Are we not bringing it to this Lord of the Underworld?”
“No. Hemero, we won’t be. This coin cannot venture back to the surface. It must be destroyed down here and we must make sure it does not get into Shui’s hands. Please, hand it over.”
Lirilius held out his hand. Hemero gripped the coin in his fist and looked up at the man. It was now or never. Could he still trust him? He released the coin from his grasp and gave it to Lirilius.
“How do we destroy it?” Hemero asked.
“It needs to be a highly concentrated burst of kyu for it to stand a chance of being destroyed. I cannot do it from afar, it needs to be on my person, it will take everything I have.”
“Won’t you be killed?”
Lirilius took a deep breath and winced in pain. He nodded slowly.
“No please, there must be a way. Can’t we try it here, now?”
“I can’t risk it not working and Shui getting a hold of it. I’ll have to cross the river and do it amongst the dead. Shui won’t venture there. It’s the only way to be sure.”
“Please Lirilius… I’m starting to lose sense of what is real and what is not. I feel like I’m dreaming. Am I dead, Lirilius? This surely isn’t happening.”
Lirilius looked at the poor boy and carefully put a hand on his shoulder, staring him straight in the eye. Hemero noticed that his eyes had softened, that the smile now was genuine, warm and affecting.
“I’m sorry Hemero. I had not planned for this.”
Just then a shrill shriek ran out from behind them. It was Shui running after them. Hemero could hear Lirilius suddenly gasping for air, clutching his throat, and the howls and sounds were almost completely surrounding them in the darkness. Something was happening but he wasn’t sure what.
“…run…” he heard Lirilius gasp, “run!”
Hemero went to run and then hesitated for a moment as he saw Lirilius drop to his knees clearly being strangled by some unknown force. Hemero ran up to him but could feel something stopping him; something was physically throttling Lirilius. Something invisible.
Hemero concentrated kyu into his eyes and saw a withered old man, his grey shadow was floating like a gentle whisper in the wind. He was completely naked and there was barely any flesh on those old bones. What looked like his skin was luminescent, pale and leathery. The back of his head had patches of long, white hair, growing in clumps. The horrific sight was suddenly joined by a horrific noise. It was a low murmur. The old man seemed to be saying something.
“The sun… the sun …” Hemero could hear him mutter as Lirilius’s eyes rolled back into his head. Time seemed to stop still. Was that what he was saying? The sun? Had he been here for so long that he wished to go back? Hemero listened closer. He wasn’t saying ‘the sun’.
“My son… my son …”
The old man swiftly turned round to reveal empty eye sockets boring into Hemero’s own eyes. He could not distinguish anything else, just those two pools of darkness. Then something swept over his conscious like a breeze.
A series of colours, sounds and noises. He was experiencing something strange.
The blue cool of the light, the red nature of anger, a distant whirring and buzzing. A noise. A clash? The yellow of fields with a gentle patter of footsteps and bells. A smiling man, now laughing, now crying. A tremendous foghorn coming from across a hill. Had he been here before?
“Hemero?” He snapped back out of the vision.[DG47]
It was Lirilius. The snarls and snaps had got louder. He was confused as to where he was and what happened. There was an urgency in his voice.
“Hemero? What happened?”
“I … I don’t know. I don’t know what’s happening.”
Lirilius was shaken up , “no… no, no, please. Listen to me Hemero, you saw someone did you not?”
“I did. An old man.”
“Did he look at you?”
“I …”
Lirilius grabbed him and shook him hard, tears started running down his face. His eyes were bloodshot and desperate, spit was drooling from his lips - he looked anguished and scared. Hemero went to continue.
”Did he look at you, Hemero?!”
“Lirilius, you’re scaring me. Please stop.”
Suddenly Shui’s high-pitched scream, like a pained animal, pierced the air and with it brought a reply of a thousand inhuman sounds.
“What is that?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to know. There’s no time. Hurry.”
Lirilius began running. Hemero was falling forward rather than keeping up. He was no longer sure what he was running from, or towards or even what was happening. But there was a change in him, he could feel it. A dark resentment, an anger, something waiting and making itself comfortable within him. Something that had grown from being inside this place, something that was marking him and changing him forever the longer he stayed here. There was no fighting it. This Hell was becoming part of him.
As they continued a little further, they could see a river.
“Hemero, we’re here.”
It had seemed that the sounds had died down for a moment. The silence made him even more nervous. Lirilius turned to Hemero with a deep sadness in his eyes as Shui emerged into the light.
“Hello, naughty boys,” Shui smirked, “what have we here then? Are you going to just hand it over to this Lord of the Underworld? I wouldn’t recommend that if I were you.”
“No,” replied Lirilius, “I’m going to destroy it.”
Shui stopped smirking.
A mighty roar was unleashed and they turned towards the other side of the river, the unknown land that was still and silent over the grey, murky water that lay in front of them.
A noise from high above them accompanied with heavy breathing could be heard. This, Hemero imagined, was the Lord of the Underworld, standing like an enormous tower at the other side of the river. Unseen, but most definitely heard. His voice surrounded them, encompassed them and spoke from within them. It was everywhere and yet nowhere. The deep growl was well-spoken, yet with it came a difficulty, as if learning to speak again for the first time.
“Do not attempt to destroy the Kalad. For if you do, I will see to it that you shall feel the full torturous evil of this Hell. You think you can just die and that’s it? I own death – it is my toy for which I do as I please. You may destroy the coin but you yourself will not rest in peace. There will be an eternity of endless pain and suffering. I will pull you apart and put you back together to pull you apart again. This will be your fate. Cross the river and hand me the coin and I shall spare you and the boy. You will live forever and have all that you want. I will even bring your children back.”
Shui smiled.
Lirilius looked at Hemero. His eyes were asking for forgiveness. Forgiveness for what, Hemero could not yet tell. Then Lirilius sighed a huge sigh of resignation, turned and suddenly sent a kyu ball surging into the unsuspecting Shui. Then he span around and flew another at Hemero, knocking him to the ground.
Hemero looked up to see Lirilius swimming in the river. He was going towards the other side! At the last moment Lirilius had betrayed them, he was giving the Lord of the Underworld what he wanted – he had doomed everyone. “NO!” Hemero shouted into the darkness as Lirilius disappeared.
The splashes of water suddenly stopped.
Shui walked up beside Hemero. “Your friend has just killed every living thing on the planet.”
Hemero could not believe it. After having come so far, travelled for so long, helped them, protected them, Lirilius was nothing but a selfish hypocrite.
Just then, Hemero heard a faint rumbling. Something was happening. Then, like a geyser of kyu, what looked like an explosion of blue and purple rose into the air, revealing for a moment the creature that lay on the other side.
>
For that brief moment, Hemero made out a stone tower of what once could have been called a man. It was crumbling apart, black tentacles writhing across it, in and out of what was eye sockets, there were thousands of tiny creatures crawling across its surface, it looked as if it were in agony. It was a horrifying sight that sent a chill down his back, not only from its sheer size but the sheer disgust he felt when he saw it. Whatever the Lord once was, it was now an ancient relic trapped in its own deformed monstrosity.
The explosion meant only one thing. Lirilius had sacrificed himself by absorbing the coin and ending his life, or what was once his life.
An almighty roar was let out. It shook Hemero to his very stomach. He could suddenly feel the ground shaking as rocks started to fall from above. Hemero was luckily able to dodge them in time and began running back towards where he thought they entered.[DG48]
“Wait!” cried out Shui, “let me help you.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
Milius closed his eyes and prepared to feel the pain of death. He savoured every breath for he knew one of them would be his last. The mantis had stabbed him in the leg and there was no fight left in him. This was it.
Then all of a sudden, he heard the creature [DG49]shriek, and this time not in delight, but in pain. He opened his eyes to see the beast’s head was on fire. It pulled its claw from Milius’s leg leaving a large gash behind and stumbled back. Milius was trying not to pass out in pain and looked over to the hill where Theus had ridden down with him only hours ago.
The battle continued around him. The blurry dark movements[DG50] of what was going on around him reminded him of a beautiful shadow puppet theatre he had seen as a child. The wonder and mysticism behind it, the surreal attraction of black and white that appealed to him all those moons ago. No colours. No greys. Just simplicity. There was no differentiating one shadow from the other. [DG51]They were all one,[DG52] a soldier, a tree, a creature – they were just one huge collection of shapes, all fluidly combining and separating from one another in a dance, a beautiful energetic dance.
His tranquillity was interrupted by a large booming voice from the hill – it wasn’t human, but it sounded familiar.
“Destroy!” it cried out again and again. Then others ran over the hill, large inhuman figures. Hundreds, then thousands, all different sizes and shapes hurtled towards the battle with tremendous speed.
“Titans,” Milius realised.
He looked up and saw a group of titans attacking the mantis with brute strength. Some were biting, some used weapons and some hurled rocks with incredible force. They quickly brought down the beast, brutally killing him and severing his head off as a trophy. Milius lay on the ground for a while, wondering that if he kept silent enough, people would forget he was there. Then he suddenly realised someone was offering his hand, Milius took it and stood up, trying to put no weight onto his leg. He could feel it had been badly injured and shivers of pain went up and down his spine.
“You need a medic,” the titan grumbled with as much sympathy as a rock[DG53].
“Thank you, friend. Norheath shall be forever indebted,” Milius replied with great warmth.
“You speak too soon. There is still more fighting to be done. I will take you behind the line and let your people take a look at you,” the titan went to pick him up.
“No. Wait. There is something I must do. Please go and fight, I will take care of myself.”
The titan stared at him, shrugged and walked away.
Milius tried to move and found he was barely able to walk. He slowly managed to limp over and pick up his sword. He rested on it for a while and surveyed the scene looking for his one sole mission. He had to find Theus and see if he could be saved.
He worked his way through the battlefield and kept a low profile as the Titans started tearing apart the Dark Clans before his eyes. [DG54]It was incredible to watch. He would have never thought they would help – he hadn’t even considered it as an option. He was sure they would have just joined the Dark Clans had they known, or at best remained indifferent. But here they were, fighting alongside them.
He observed how the animalistic nature of this race of Titans, this group of near-men had a bravery that was unmatched. It made his heart grow strong and furthered his blood lust even more.
All the chaos around him seemed to move in slow-motion. It was as if he was invisible, a disabled soldier merely looking for some salvation, there would be no real fight or honour in killing him. He was merely considered a spectator by all armies, nobody recognising him under his blood-soaked face.
He passed through swathes of enemies and began to swipe and dismember as he went along. He was persevering as the crow flies to where Theus fell, , and each enemy in his way was a mere obstacle to be slain. This wasn’t the fight. The fight lay further in the field. The real battle. His own battle. Something he knew he must do before this war is over. He had to get there, he had to get there before anyone else and he had to save Theus.
As he slowly approached where Theus had fallen, he saw his former Headteacher buried under two dead Dark Clan members and pulled them aside to reveal the poor old man, his eyes closed like he was asleep, peacefully resting.
“Theus?” Milius went to pick him up.
“Not so fast, young man.”
He recognised that voice. It was Colum.
The sky was burning darker now, only the bright light of the moon kept them from total blackout. It shone down like a spotlight on the beautiful dance that took place on this field. Around him, the rain kept pouring, soaking everything in its wake. The earth beneath their feet had turned muddy, heavy and thick. It was washing away the blood and the sins, but so thick was the evil here it turned into a horrid sludge, a dearth of misery. The promise of doing good instead making things worse.
Colum stood there, his eyes wild with battle and murder.
“Why?!” Milius shouted, “why did you kill him?”
“Who do you think you are?!” Colum replied through the heavy rain, the shouts and cries becoming almost oblivious in the impending storm.
“I am of Gaea!” Milius shouted back. “I will see to it that you will never enter Norheath again. You will die right here.”
“Oh really?” Colum laughed. At that moment, Milius [DG55]felt a horrible pain in his back and his chest. He turned round and realised he had been stabbed by a dagger.
By Theus.
He fell to the ground on his knees, the blade still protruding from his back and began crying. He looked up through the rain and tears and recognised the change that had occurred. Theus had fallen from the sky and arisen into that which he had feared most. Milius wept, and mumbled “Theus,” before falling face first into the mud. The Headmaster grabbed the dagger [DG56]from the dead Milius’s back and returned it to its sheath on his belt. He walked up to Colum and held out his arms. Colum returned the gesture.
“Master. You have finally returned.”
They embraced.
“We have won,” said Theus, “there will soon be no more Gaea. Shui will lead us into a new age [DG57]and we will be beside him. No-one will dare breathe the word of Gaea again. My former self will no longer be a problem either, he is next to dead. I shall once again be able to sleep soundly in the knowledge that he will not return and we will forever be free.”
They once again hugged each other like they had not seen each other for decades. Around the two former men of Gaea, Titans began to fall, no longer a match for the overwhelming numbers of their enemies, the Dark Clan’s combined kyu able to knock any huge Titan off his feet. Blood ran like rivers around a layer of dismembered bodies. The diminished percentage of Gaea, even the bravest of knights, looked weak and on the point of collapse with no more fight left inside them. They had not seen Milius for many hours now and had seen Theus fall from the sky, so with no more encouragement and no true leader, they felt abandoned on the brink of death and with the end in sight, simply wished their wives, children and elderly ones would not
suffer a worse fate.
Just as all hope was completely lost, the ground began to shake…
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
From across the lands, Phin, Rose and Nayakax all stopped and wondered what that noise was. It seemed as if the very earth itself was grumbling, straining to hold up the heaviness on top of it.
On the battlefield, little cracks began to appear in the ground like shattered glass. Then suddenly the cracks started to get bigger and wider, and the earth started collapsing. Soldiers from both sides started to fall through, screaming as they fell to their peril. There was a panic, the armies soon forgot about fighting and began running for safety.
But then, from nowhere, a strange noise started to rise up from the open crevices. Everyone stopped and listened. It sounded as if a chorus of moans and screams were beginning to emanate from the darkness, striking fear into people’s hearts.
Once these cracks reached the Heralds, one by one they all immediately stopped what they were doing and a look of fear started across their faces. Even as Nayakax, Phin and Rose were each individually staring death in the face, it did not compare to the fear in the eyes of the Heralds.
Like a missile, each of them suddenly flew up into the sky with great speed. Then from the cracks, a great spurt of black mist arose and chased after them. Each one looked like a streak of paint across the sky cascading towards each Herald. The sound of screaming from below was unbearable and anyone near it had to shield their ears, not only for the sheer volume, but for the horrid sound it was making.
Forlorn was caught first. The mist wrapped around her feet as she tried to squirm away, but it was of no use. From the mist sprouted hundreds of thin, pale, skeletal looking hands reaching out at her, pulling her towards them and engulfing her.
“No!” she screamed, “I can’t go back. I can’t! I need more. I need so much more!” but the mist and its hands, pulled her back through the sky and swallowed her up, sucking her back into the ground.
Phin was able to catch her eye just before she was pulled under. ‘True fear.’ He thought to himself, ‘I guess no-one can run from that.’
