Chapter 8: The imprisoned shadow

Ailluin was walking through the undead camp, making sure they didn’t overlook anything important. After all, one can never be too careful when dealing with somebody like Korpus. Getting rid of the dead undeads wasn’t really a big problem. They just had to burn their bodies with the Cleansing fire, an advanced spell of a holy and fire attribute. The bigger problem was the dead elves that had been revived by Korpus during the battle. They needed to purify their bodies, so they can bring them back and give them a proper funeral they deserved.

Ailluin still couldn’t call this battle a victorious one. From five hundred that came with him, only three hundred survived. Their death count was too high for the life of only one lich-lord. He didn’t even want to think about ever battling two of those monsters simultaneously. In the future he will surely remember to be more cautious against his enemies and be better prepared. Spotting Malthazar, who was already preparing to leave so that he can present a false report about the whole battle, he came closer to him.

“I can’t thank you enough for your help this time. I’m sure that without you we wouldn’t have been able to kill that monster. Once you return from your next task I’m sure the elders will want to reward you.”

“I will be sure to come back for it.” Were Malthazar’s words as he searched through the remains of Korpus’s laboratory one last time, not really paying attention to him.

This was the reason Ailluin didn’t like the Realm Walkers. They were too greedy, only interested in their quests and rewards, often not looking at the damage that was done in the process. The worst thing was that they were often very powerful individuals who huddled together to groups in which they operated, calling it guilds, so making them your enemies was often considered as stupid and suicidal. Of course there were a few exceptions, but more of them tend to not care, the lives of others cheap to them.

“What was that last spell Korpus used?” Ailluin wanted to know, seeing the spell for the first time. “I’ve lived for three hundred years and have never seen or heard about something like that.”

“If I’m correct, it was the Last will of the forsaken. One of the highest tier spells from the necromancy magic tree. It’s very hard to use and requires the fulfilment of some conditions, but enables you to control a high tier undead. You need a medium to revive the very essence of somebody, in this case the shadow lurker. The disadvantage is that you can’t maintain it for long periods of time. It will slowly lose its strength and the mentioned essence will be destroyed, never to see the light of the world. Even amongst lich-lords you won’t find many that can use these spells.”

Even now Ailluin slightly shivered when remembering the spell and six ghostly versions of shadow lurkers that appeared with it. That spell being the highest tier magic and Korpus using it six times simultaneously, were things showing just how lucky they were to survive the battle with him. Those shadow lurkers were quite hard to kill, with swords and magic not really effective against their almost incorporeal bodies.

In the end they were able to supress them somehow, learning that attacking the core of those beings, the fangs in this case, was very effective. Not knowing where Korpus vanished in the meantime unnerved them, but they were able to feel his magic from his laboratory. Malthazar didn’t wait and destroyed it with the Fireball Blast spell, fearing the lich-lord has some miraculous way to escape. But after piercing his soul core, even an enemy like Korpus couldn’t do much about it. He still moving after receiving that blow was amazing enough. Surely with his death they dealt a great blow to the demon queen’s forces and she will need to postpone her plans with their forest, so they have earned themselves a little time to prepare for her next attack.

From where he stood he could see his two daughters helping others with cleaning up the dead bodies. He was glad that they weren’t part of the fight, but he left them in the camp with a few others. They were to report back to the elders if by some chance they lost, but this time it wasn’t necessary.

When they spotted him they came over.

“Was the fight really so bad as the others say?” Niila asked, while coming closer, still pouting that he left them behind.

“Can’t you see? Just look around yourself. This is why I can’t let you participate in the battles yet. You are taking it too lightly. When will you finally understand that your training can’t be compared to real fighting? The opponents here won’t spare you just because you are exhausted or made some mistake, here you die.” He tried to drill it into her head, but she was too young to understand. When he returns home, he will need to talk with his wife. This leisurely attitude of Niila’s can’t go on anymore.

“You are still saying the same thing. How should I learn when you forbade me to participate?”

He could only sigh on her words.

“Father, haven’t you, by chance, seen that imp we told you about?” Hiravii ignored their quarrel and asked. She has been trying to find him since she came to the camp, but there weren’t any traces of the little creature.

“No, I haven’t. He probably wasn’t in this camp, but just wandered into the forest from the Abandoned plains because of the corruption. You should stop looking for him.”

“But he helped us and maybe if we can speak to him we could learn a lot of things. We don’t understand demons and this could help us.” Hiravii tried to explain.

“He is a demon. They are greedy and selfish and would kill to meet their goals. What else do you want to learn about them?” He didn’t like this opinion of hers. Demons are dangerous. Even if one of them is an exception, the rest would still kill her.

“Then why didn’t he kill us when he had a chance?”

“I don’t know, but you can trust me when I say that if it would be profitable for him, he would kill. I don’t think you will meet him again, but if it happens I recommend you to be very careful. You maybe want to speak, but I can bet that he will see it as a great chance for attack.”

He lied to Hiravii about the little demon and was really surprised when he saw the figure of the imp trying to flee to the forest after the battle. When he spotted him, he immediately remembered the unbelievable story of his two daughters. Having such a unique colour of skin he must have been the one who helped them. ‘So it really was the imp that saved them,’ he thought at that time. Seeing that somebody fired an arrow and injured the little creature left some mixed feelings in Ailluin, knowing he saved his daughters.

“Vestaar, please go and take care of it.” He asked his friend at that time, knowing he was also aware of the whole situation.

Vestaar only quickly nodded his head at that time and vanished in the forest not being seen by anybody. It has been a few hours now since he left. Thinking about it he could see Vestaar appear from among the trees.

“How did it go?” He wanted to know, while sending Niila and Hiravii back to their previous work.

“Don’t worry Ailluin, I don’t think we will see him ever again.” Vestaar said, a calm smile showing on his face.

“Good.”

He could finally relax a little. With everything being finished they can return home. All that was left was the corruption, but this task was for the elders and mages to take care of.

***

Darkness, that’s the word that would best describe the world around. Nothing but darkness; where one couldn’t see anything. Walls, stairs, pathways, everything was covered by it like a baby in the embrace of its mother. In this unknown, empty and quiet world, the small ball of light was like salvation and hope. If there was somebody to look at it, he would see a woman in its bright light.

She slowly but steadily descended the seemingly endless stairs before her. If somebody lived in this darkness they would be amazed by the woman’s beauty. Even as she was covered in a long pure-white cloak with a hood over her head, it was as if one could feel her beauty. Her slender body was moving graciously, not making any sound as she walked. Her long and full hair, that not even a cape could contain, had a shiny silver colour. Her white skin so perfect, that every other woman would be ashamed if she tried to be a match for her. Her full pink lips would charm any man if she were to smile at him.

Looking at her like this, everybody would assume that she was a delicate beauty, with the need of protection. Everybody would assume it and then, then their gaze would meet her eyes. Radiating a powerful aura and showing high intelligence, the dominance of the woman screaming from them. They were almost shining with their green colour full of life, like new leafs on the trees in spring. Being looked at by them was like being seen through, your every little secret uncovered to them instantly.

Just when it looked like the woman would descend the stairs till the end of time, she arrived to a hollow wall.

“Show yourself to me.” She said, gently caressing it with one hand.

In that instant a set of double doors slowly revealed in the place of the hollow wall. Big enough for one person to comfortably move through, they were staring at her, tightly locked. Not waiting she touched them with her hand and let her mana to flow into them. Recognizing its master, the doors absorbed the gifted mana and with a loud *CLACK* they opened.

The woman went through them just to arrive in a small room which was almost empty. On the other end of the room were a second set of doors similar to the previous one. Before them was standing an imposing stone statue. The few meters big body was robust and looked powerful. The front half of an eagle, the back half of a lion, it was a majestic griffon. Sensing the presence of the woman the stone on his body cracked. The cracks were quickly extending like a spider web, until the stone covering the griffons body didn’t fall of, as if he just hatched from it.

“I greet you Sanktaj.” The griffon kneeled before the woman after the last piece of stone covering him touched the ground.

“There is no need for such pleasantries between us Orao. The day you accepted your duty, I lost any rights to demand any kneeling from you.” Sanktaj said in a good mood, but she did not like that the griffon was kneeling before her.

The griffon’s expression didn’t change, but one could feel him smiling when looking at his eyes as he heard her.

“Let me have this little pleasure of mine Sanktaj. I want to show my respect to you, so I did.” He said obviously pleased by her visit.

Sanktaj sighed as if not knowing what to do with him: “Do as you wish old friend, but know this: I have never thought of you as of somebody beneath me. It is actually the other way around, I feel indebted to you.”

“You shouldn’t be. I take great pride in my duty.”

Sanktaj nodded to him, acknowledging his words with a girlish smile showing on her lips. Then suddenly, like unpredictable storms, her mood changed.

“Is the message you sent me true?” She asked him with a serious tone in her voice which didn’t allow any lie.

The griffon nodded his head seriously, his previous good mood only a fleeting history. Now his sharp glare radiated the aura of a predator ready to hunt its enemies.

Both of them stared silently at the still closed door for a few seconds. Then Orao came closer to them and put one of his talons inside a large keyhole. Working as the key, he used it to open the door. As they slowly swung open a thick, black mist tried to make its way outside and flowed from the opening. Sanktaj seeing this created some bright light before her. The black mist was trying to overpower the light, but it prevailed and the mist was forced back through the entrance like some rabid animal.

Orao and Sanktaj slowly entered, not fearing the mist as it backed away from them.

“As I told you, a little part of his power escaped and I don’t know how he did it.” Orao told her, being unnerved from seeing the incident with the mist.

Going forward they came closer to the dragon that was bound in here. Why do you ask? Because this was his eternal prison made solely for him. The prison made for Tenebris, who once created and ruled over all darkness and shadows. The mist now concentrated around the dragon’s huge body, as if lying in wait for a chance to attack them. Being bound by white chains made of light, he was lying down, silently whispering something to himself.

“I greet you father, how have you been?” Sanktaj asked, looking at the dragon, trying not to show any of her concern.

The dragon not responding to her made her nervous. It was as if she wasn’t even there for him.

“Father, did you hear me?” She spoke again trying to pique his interest.

Tenebris finally noticed her: “Oh my daughter, my cute little daughter. I’m so glad to see you. Were you a good girl? Your mama told me to give you a candy if you were a good girl.”

Sanktaj, slightly shocked, tried to speak to him again: “Father, I heard your power escaped.”

“No, no-no-no, I wasn’t a bad boy, I didn’t do anything bad. I would never do anything bad. Ask the little pigeon, he knows that I’m always good.” He shakes his head madly. “Yes, yes. I’m always good. I must be good. I can’t be bad because I wouldn’t get a candy, you must always be good. Yes, I’m a good boy.”

“Won’t you tell your daughter how your power escaped the prison, father?”

“Oh, my cute daughter, when did you come here? How did you get here?” He asked now full of surprise. “You are so lovely, so cute. I’m so sorry that I can’t play with you, but I have a lot of work. I must always work, because I’m a good boy. Meanwhile, be a good girl and listen to mama. I promise we will play a lot after I finish here. Yes, yes, we will play a lot. Do you want to play with papa? Be a good girl and we will play a lot.”

“Father how about you tell me about how your power escaped and then I will play with you. Please won’t you tell your cute little daughter?” She tried this approach, hoping for some results.

“Honey, your papa must work now. Yes, yes, papa has a lot of important work to do. So I can’t play with you now. Maybe later, yes be a good girl and I promise we will definitely play later.” As he said this he lay down and started to sleep.

Sanktaj not knowing what to think worriedly looked at Orao.

“I told you, he is mad.” Was his simple answer. “It started a few centuries ago and it’s slowly becoming worse. This prison is probably driving him insane.”

“I was aware of it, but I never thought it would be this bad with him. Tenebris, The Shadow God of Orbis, ruler of void and darkness, reduced to a crazy, blabbering fool. If mother were to see him like this, she would probably laugh and then cry.”

“So the question remains: How did his power leak out?” Orao wanted to know.

“Maybe by not using it for so long, his power concentrated around him until it wasn’t more powerful than the chains and then it overflowed and leaked out. The same thing happened twenty years ago, at that time the current demon queen gave birth to twins, which is impossible otherwise. Before that it happened a few centuries ago and a few dead dragons revived and wreaked havoc in the world. Every time it happens some world-threatening calamity is born, that is the nature of his power after all. Now that I see him, I can tell the darkness is slowly seeping out of him and filling this space. This can’t continue. I will need to make his prison stronger again.”

As she said this she raised her hands and started to create a few light radiating nails, as long as an average human body. Then she commanded them and they slowly stabbed deep into Tenebris’ body. Chains of light that were already surrounding his whole body attached themselves to them, like snails to the wall and power started to flow between them. In that moment the space around them became brighter with the darkness around slowly losing its imposing, heavy presence. Tenebris, not even noticing them, continued to sleep peacefully as if nothing happened.

“I can understand that his power will sometimes overflow, but why did this happen so soon after the previous case?” Orao still wasn’t really satisfied without the clear answer.

Sanktaj, clearly tired from using a lot of power, said: “Maybe his madness is the right answer and he can’t control his powers as they run amok inside of him. After all those millenniums here I wouldn’t be surprised about it. But just in case I will try to ask mother about it.”

Finished with everything they came to do, they slowly left the prison, locking the door again.

“If you feel something similar happening again or ever have the tiniest suspicion about something, anything, send me a message immediately. I will come right away. We must stay vigilant, especially you.” Sanktaj warned Orao.

“I surely will, but I would be calmer if we just killed him.”

“We can’t Orao. You know that without darkness there won’t be light and without both of them there won’t be life, only void will remain and it will swallow everything. His death means doom to the gods and without them the world will perish.”

Orao nodded to her words and gave her a farewell, becoming a statue again. Sanktaj slowly left his room and started to climb the stairs form this eternal prison created for her father. What she didn’t notice was the small portion of black mist clinging to the edge of her cloak. As she put her leg on the first stair, the mist stopped clinging to her cloak and dispersed, in small doses escaping into the world while still remaining unnoticed.

Being left alone again, Tenebris opened his eyes with a large grin showing on his face.

“Fu fu fu, being so easily fooled, you are so young and naive my daughter.” He laughed at her, the madness from his voice nowhere to be heard. “You can make the seal stronger, but there are other ways. I was obedient long enough and an opportunity came to my door. I would be a fool not to use it. With my teachings and guidance it won’t take long until my new little friend learns how to control the power I gifted him. He will seek me out and the shadows shall walk on the surface of Orbis again. Then, I can be finally freed from this eternal torture and he can take the reins of power into his hands. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA”