{"id":1260,"date":"2017-09-28T01:10:58","date_gmt":"2017-09-28T01:10:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/matrixwriting.net\/fanfiction\/?p=1260"},"modified":"2017-09-28T01:10:58","modified_gmt":"2017-09-28T01:10:58","slug":"darkness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/2017\/09\/28\/darkness\/","title":{"rendered":"Darkness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Thread for feedback: https:\/\/www.heroscapers.com\/community\/showthread.php?t=49664 <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

A tear slipped silently down Raelin\u2019s cheek. It fell to the floor, where it landed, soundless, as she watched her lord and general, Jandar, bent over a desk littered with papers. The ancient kyrie\u2019s head was bent against the top of his desk, his eyes closed. Silence reigned with Jandar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raelin took a shaky breath and approached the veteran general. She had known Jandar since before the war, always a kind, loving kyrie, always ready to go out of the way for the comfort of even a stranger. The war had torn him apart, turned his hair gray, and caused lines to furrow his caring face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raelin gently laid a hand on his shoulder. Jandar let his breath out in a long, defeated sigh, but gave no other acknowledgement of her presence. After a moment, though, he raised his head from the mess of papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere must be a way,\u201d he said, his voice strained and hoarse, \u201cthere has<\/em> to be a way, to end this war.\u201d He looked up at Raelin, his blue eyes searching hers. He turned away. \u201cIf only,\u201d he muttered, half to himself, \u201cif only we could reach Utgar, and lay his ruin before the open skies. If only I could muster the men, soldiers with courage, and march them to the heart of his land\u2026\u201d Jandar sunk his head back down to his desk. \u201cIf only I had an army,\u201d breathed Jandar into the wood before him, his breath ruffling the papers, \u201cwilling to follow my command. But I don\u2019t,\u201d he added, once again raising his head and staring before him, not seeing. \u201cI don\u2019t. My men have deserted me because they are too afraid to do their lord\u2019s will.\u201d Jandar was silent for a moment, his hand slowly forming a fist upon the wood of his desk. \u201cIf I had but twenty men with the courage to crush Utgar!\u201d thundered Jandar, sweeping a pile of papers to the floor in an angry swipe. His head fell back down upon his desk, his form shaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are ill, my lord,\u201d said Raelin gently. \u201cYou have not slept for four nights. If only you would\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSleep, Raelin?\u201d shouted Jandar, rising from his chair and facing her. Raelin took a step back, startled. \u201cHow can you speak of sleep at a time like this? My army has deserted me, refused to follow my commands! How can I win a war with a force like this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raelin bit her lip. No soldier would follow the orders Jandar had issued, no matter where they came from. She could not try to reason with Jandar, though. She knew what would follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, Raelin,\u201d said Jandar, his voice dropping, \u201cWe are beaten. With no army, I cannot defend Valhalla. Utgar has won. I will send word to Utgar, telling him of my surrender.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJandar!\u201d cried Raelin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, Raelin, surrender!\u201d shouted Jandar. \u201cWe are beaten, and there is nothing you nor I can do about it but to accept our fate and ride to our doom with dignity. If even that is not robbed from us,\u201d he muttered to himself, turning back to his desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJandar\u2026\u201d began Raelin, but she stopped. He would not listen to her. She had tried already to tell him why his soldiers refused to carry out his commands, but he threw her logic to the five winds and continued to rant about disloyalty. And if she persisted, he turned on her, and banished her from his sight for the rest of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are ill, my lord,\u201d said Raelin to herself, so quietly that Jandar could not hear. \u201cAnd though you may not see it, there are still those that care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jandar bent back over his desk, his once glorious wings now faded and drooping. The once proud general, defender of Valhalla, was gone, leaving behind this husk of despair and grief. A tear slipped silently down Raelin\u2019s cheek, and fell to join the first on the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Kelda slipped silently from the barracks and closed the door behind her, leaning against it, her eyes closed. So many wounds, so many hurts, and none that she could heal, for they were all within. Defying Jandar\u2019s orders had left the army broken. They had served willingly under him for many years now, and many had come to know him personally. Each and every one of his soldiers had been fiercely loyal to him, ready to fight for him until the last drop of blood was gone from their veins. To stand before him, therefore, and refuse to carry out his wishes, had been a hard thing. Even more difficult than that, however, was Jandar\u2019s reaction. In the past, if his orders were ever questioned, he would search until he found the reason why, and then do his best to fix it. But when Drake Alexander had said that deadly word, \u2018no,\u2019 Jandar had stood still for a moment, stunned. And then he had released such a stream of screams and yells as no one had ever heard from him before, least of all Kelda. He had left for his quarters, calling his faithful men deserters and spineless fools. He had allowed only Raelin to see him for four days, anyone else he shouted out before they could get the door open. After such a display, the morale of the men was not at its highest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda let out an inaudible sigh and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Raelin, slowly descending the steps to Jandar\u2019s quarters, trying to stifle her tears. Kelda half ran half flew to her, and was soon by her side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something wrong with him,\u201d Raelin said in a partially choked voice. \u201cHe hasn\u2019t eaten since he\u2026 he\u2026 spoke with Drake. All he talks about is how the war is lost, and now he says he will send to Utgar, telling him that he\u2026 surrenders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda put her arm around her and comforted her as best she could, but this news troubled her heart even further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKelda,\u201d said Raelin, stopping upon the steps and turning to her, \u201cyou know as well as I what has befallen Jandar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda knew, but said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery scout we sent out,\u201d continued Raelin, in a quieter voice, \u201creturned broken, filled with despair, all of their hope gone. Some even never came back.\u201d Raelin paused to take a shaky breath. \u201cJandar is the same as they. His words are twisted, his strength sapped, his heart filled with the blackest despair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda stared before her, knowing that what Raelin said was true. \u201cHow?\u201d she finally asked, not moving her head, her voice bleak. Raelin did not reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing we can do, Raelin,\u201d said Drake Alexander, commander of Valhalla\u2019s armies. \u201cJandar\u2019s orders have turned to madness, and now many of my men are beginning to act the same. Whatever foul curse this is that now holds Jandar in its power, its spreading. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if in a month it had taken us all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raelin shuddered. \u201cNo\u2026\u201d she pleaded quietly, \u201cthis can\u2019t be happening; this can\u2019t be how it ends.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEnds?\u201d said Drake. \u201cIt hasn\u2019t ended yet, Raelin. As long as there\u2019s life in my men, it\u2019s never ended.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut what can we do?\u201d cried Raelin. \u201cOur general and his army are being torn down by a force which we cannot see, much less fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake was silent for a moment, as he stood, staring down at the grass, which was now black and withered. \u201cI don\u2019t know what we can do,\u201d he finally said, looking up and facing Raelin. \u201cMaybe there\u2019s nothing we can do. Maybe it\u2019s our doom to all die here, victims of an unseen curse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d said Kelda, very quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Drake and Raelin turned to her. They had not seen her enter the tent, as she had kept to the shadows. \u201cWhat do you mean, Kelda?\u201d asked Drake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is one thing that we can do,\u201d said Kelda, though very quietly. Her skin was ashen, and Raelin noticed that her hands trembled slightly by her sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Kelda?\u201d Raelin asked, coming towards her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda rapidly backed away. \u201cCome no closer, Raelin,\u201d she said, her eyes telling plainly how much it pained her to say so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raelin stopped, slowly backing towards Drake as she realized what Kelda meant. Drake\u2019s eyes widened as he, too, grasped the meaning of Kelda\u2019s words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKelda,\u201d he said, \u201cnot you too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were tears in Kelda\u2019s eyes, but she brushed them away. \u201cThere is one thing we can do,\u201d she repeated. \u201cWe can summon Vagmor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Raelin and Drake stared at her. After a moment, Drake spoke. \u201cNo,\u201d he said, \u201cthat is one thing we cannot do. We cannot go against Jandar\u2019s will a second time. The men are wretched enough as it is having confronted him once.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen do it in secret,\u201d said Kelda, her voice barely more than a whisper, \u201cbut we must summon him. He is the only one that can put a stop to this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake did not reply, but watched her, his mind churning. Finally, he crossed his arms. \u201cMaybe he can, maybe he can\u2019t, but I won\u2019t defy Jandar again, no matter if he is half mad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this, Raelin could contain herself no longer and a sob filled the tent, which she tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake glanced over at Raelin, and then back at Kelda. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to find someone else to do it, Kelda,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda nodded. \u201cI won\u2019t need to find someone else,\u201d she said, her voice flat, but calm. \u201cI know where the wellspring is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKelda!\u201d said Drake. \u201cYour ill, you can\u2019t possibly summon anyone, let alone Vagmor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can, and I will,\u201d said Kelda as sharply as her soft voice would permit. \u201cI must,\u201d she added, to herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The stones were wet and slippery. It was pitch black, and the air smelled of mold and standing water. Kelda felt her way carefully down the stone steps into the summoning chamber. Her spells would not work here, this much she knew, and she conserved her energy, rather than try to light her way. She slipped and almost fell twice, but soon felt the damp floor beneath her feet. At the same moment, the wall left her touch, leaving her disoriented in the dark. Taking small steps, so as to avoid running into unseen obstacles, she slowly made her way forwards, feeling the floor with her hands, until she felt water. She probed it, to be sure it was more than a puddle, and then, satisfied, she crouched by its edge, and, cupping her hands, drank of its waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, nothing happened, other than the strangely sweet taste of the water lingering in Kelda\u2019s mouth.  Then, a faint prickling sensation, starting in her fingers and moving slowly up her arms, began to drive away the flaky dryness which had so recently taken hold of her skin. The tingling entered her shoulders and spread throughout her body, until it finally lodged firmly in her head, a small multicolored spark, whirling with vivid images. Ignoring these, Kelda tapped into the power temporarily granted her by the water, and stretched out her hand over the wellspring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShow me your light,\u201d she whispered into the blackness. An ominous blue glow, emanating deep from within the wellspring met her words. She gazed at it, the light eerily illuminating her features. She knew what she must say next, but the words caught in her throat, and she stood still, gazing fearfully at the wellspring. Jandar had always been kind to her, at least before this dreadful sickness had taken hold of him, but if he ever found out what she was doing\u2026 she dreaded to think of the consequences, especially in his current state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shoving the thoughts from her mind, she summoned the words anew, and spoke over the wellspring, her words clear, if somewhat quavering. \u201cVagmor, I summon you. Leave your rest in the eternal shadow and see the light once again. Vagmor, kammeth framir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The surface of the blue waters began to bubble, lightly at first, but then more vigorously. The light swelled in brightness until Kelda could no longer look into its depths, but was forced to stumble backwards in the half light, shielding her eyes with her arms. The water began to swirl, sucking itself downwards until it formed a cone which just touched the illuminated bottom of the wellspring. It was at this point that a figure would normally have emerged, slowly forming from mist into matter above the water. However, the water continued to swirl, the cone remained in place, and the light neither dimmed nor grew. Kelda lowered her arms somewhat, fearful something was wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then, a voice, deep and amplified by some strange means, a vast power hidden within it, spoke from the depths of the wellspring. \u201cWhy do you summon me, Kelda, daughter of Cirithmir?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda, who had leapt back at the sudden sound, timidly took a step forward. \u201cVagmor?\u201d she asked, her voice minute against the roaring of the waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpeak,\u201d commanded Vagmor\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda straightened, though some undying fear kept her partially hunched. \u201cVagmor,\u201d she whispered to the waters, \u201cwe need you. Utgar has unleashed a terrible\u2026 something, and it has taken Jandar. He is half mad, and would direct his soldiers to\u2026 to\u2026\u201d her voice broke off, searching for the words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCalm yourself, Kelda,\u201d said Vagmor from the wellspring. \u201cWhat is this devilry of which you speak?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know,\u201d said Kelda, her voice gaining a little volume as she grew used to her surroundings. \u201cIt\u2019s spreading like a plague, and we can\u2019t stop it. Utgar sent it, that much we know. Please, Vagmor,\u201d she pleaded, \u201cJandar will destroy the alliance if you don\u2019t do something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJandar created the alliance,\u201d said Vagmor, his voice smooth, calm, but commanding. \u201cHow could he destroy it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda hesitated. Making up her mind, she said, \u201cHe gave Drake a command.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat was it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, Kelda hesitated. The command had been so unlike Jandar that it still sounded ludicrous, even to her. \u201cHe told Drake to summon the armies of the other allied generals, and lead them, without their knowing, to Utgar. Then, he and Utgar would turn on them and form an alliance and rule Valhalla together, and crush any that opposed them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only for a moment was there silence from the wellspring. Then, with a great rushing of water, the light intensified, and Kelda again had to cover her eyes. In another moment, whirling above the mist as his shape took form, appeared Vagmor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda just had time to catch Vagmor\u2019s silhouette before the light faded and she was plunged into darkness. No sound met her ears, save for the very faint dripping of water. \u201cYou have been contaminated by this darkness, Kelda?\u201d Vagmor\u2019s voice was softer, not as loud and commanding as it had been coming from the wellspring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda nodded, and was about to reply, realizing that Vagmor could not see her, but a sound interrupted her. It was the sound of a footstep, but it was so heavy that the words she had been about to utter died in her throat. Vagmor took another step towards her, and she felt his hot breath close to her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stood there for at least five seconds, before muttering in an ominous tone, \u201cMorker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d breathed Kelda, her faint voice quavering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor did not reply, but Kelda suddenly felt a faint tugging at her skin. It was not as if something was pulling at her, rather as if some force was pulling away from within. Whatever it was seemed to resist though, and Kelda\u2019s skin began to prickle in agitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBe gone, plague,\u201d said Vagmor in a voice so low Kelda could barely understand it. The tugging ceased instantly. Vagmor took a step back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, Kelda,\u201d he said, his voice still low and ominous, \u201cexplain to me the dealings. Why has Jandar not summoned me before this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda felt herself blanch. She had feared this would come up. Vagmor had been sent long ago to deal with the monster Valkrill. He had engaged the demon, but had never returned. A scouting party sent after him determined that Valkrill, as he was dying, had used his power to lock Vagmor into eternal shadow, a strange prison, apart from space or time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpeak,\u201d said Vagmor, his voice neither loud nor quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda swallowed. From what she knew of Vagmor, he would likely be able to tell if she lied, so she decided to speak the truth. \u201cJandar was afraid of you,\u201d she said, \u201cafraid of your power. He knew he could easily win the war with you on his side, but he knew also that he could never control you. When you were cast into eternal shadow, he decided to leave you there, lest you overthrew him once the war was won.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was silence. Kelda waited for Vagmor to speak, trembling. When he did, however, it was in the same calm voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery well. Jandar had his reason. Tell me of this darkness, Kelda. What do you know of it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda almost sank to her knees out of relief, but managed to remain standing, staring into the blackness she assumed was Vagmor. \u201cAll we know is that it came from Utgar,\u201d she said. \u201cWe sent scouts to determine what he was doing, but half of them never came back, and those that did arrived half insane, talking with twisted words.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd what of Utgar\u2019s forces?\u201d asked Vagmor. \u201cHave they attacked you in your weakness?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda paused. Now that she thought of it, no reports of Utgar\u2019s forces had reached her since Jandar was taken. Were they all blind? Utgar had withdrawn and they had been completely unaware. \u201cNo,\u201d she said in reply, \u201cI haven\u2019t heard of any of their movements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was silence, except for Vagmor\u2019s heavy breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan you help us, Vagmor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA nameless fear, impenetrable, consuming all in its path. Morker. Yes, I can help you, Kelda, but you must do as I say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda nodded, forgetting again that she was in the dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor seemed to have seen her motion, however, for he said, \u201cuse the wellspring to transport me to the northern edge of the Volcarren, three miles inland from the tip of Fire Peak. I will return once I am done. Until I do, do not stir from this castle. Do not go outside its walls, not even for a moment of peace, for if you do, you will be lost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda nodded again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou must understand, Kelda,\u201d said Vagmor, his voice quicker, \u201cMorker will try to drive you from this castle, at first by subtle means, but you must not leave its walls. You must stay within the castle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is Morker?\u201d asked Kelda, confused by Vagmor\u2019s words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat knowledge is not for this time, Kelda. Now transport me, quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confused, but trusting that Vagmor knew of what he spoke, Kelda stretched her hand out towards that wellspring and recited the incantation that Vagmor spoke for her. Once again, the waters glowed blue and swirled downwards, and then, the chamber was empty, save for Vagmor\u2019s lingering words, \u201cYou must stay within the castle.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat have you done, Kelda?\u201d Jandar\u2019s words stopped Kelda where she stood, one hand still on the half closed door to the summoning chamber. Jandar\u2019s voice was quiet, and as yet held no malice, but Kelda knew he was angry with her. Fearfully, she slowly lifted her head to his eyes, his piercing blue eyes, which now burned with wrath. She had never seen him so angry, and the sight frightened her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou think to use my wellspring without my knowledge?\u201d asked Jandar, his voice still quiet and smooth, but deadly nonetheless. \u201cI knew what you were about the moment you touched your lips to its waters. Now tell me, Kelda, who have you summoned?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda could not bear to look at Jandar any longer, his suppressed wrath was overwhelming. She bowed her head. She dared not lie to Jandar, not after what she had just done. Summoning all her courage, she said in a quavering voice which was barely more than a whisper, \u201cVagmor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was silence in the hall in which they stood for nearly a minute. Jandar stood completely motionless, staring at Kelda as if she were Utgar herself, and Kelda remained looking at the floor, trembling for what she knew was about to come. And then Jandar\u2019s wrath broke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His voice was quiet at first, but gained volume with each passing sentence. \u201cYou summoned Vagmor, Kelda?\u201d he said, his voice quavering with anger. \u201cDo you not know that I forbade him to enter Valhalla again? Do you not know his power? Answer me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d said Kelda, the words barely escaping her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs it not enough that my men have deserted me? Must you defy me as well? Is my judgment not good enough that you must take matters into your own hands?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda shook her head, unable to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll of Valhalla is turned against me!\u201d thundered Jandar, more to anyone who could hear him than to Kelda. \u201cMy army refuses to follow my orders, and now even my own kin attempt to usurp my rule from under me. What is this madness that has seized the land?\u201d He turned back to Kelda, his eyes burning. She caught his gaze, and he held her there, unable to move, against the door. \u201cYou have all joined with Utgar,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have all conspired with him against me.\u201d He took one or two rapid breaths before continuing. \u201cWell no longer will your treacherous kind walk about my lands free. I have heard the last of your sly whisperings in my ear. Deep in the lowest dungeon will you lie, Kelda, where neither Utgar nor anyone else will ever find you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this, Jandar took a step towards Kelda, his arm outstretched. Kelda shrank against the door, closing it as she fell against it, her eyes wide with terror. At the last moment, however, Drake stepped before her, barring her from Jandar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you forgotten the laws that you yourself laid down, Jandar?\u201d he asked, his voice even. \u201cYou said that if one be sick, or in need of aid, that person shall never be set in prison as long as the condition persists. Kelda is ill, and you will throw her into no cell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jandar took a step back, resuming his position. A maniacal smile spread across his face. Spreading his arms wide, he laughed, and said to the arched ceiling high overhead, \u201cEven my most trusted general is turned against me. Even in my own house I have no power.\u201d He then turned to Drake, the smile still in place. \u201cVery well, Drake. You insist on refusing to carry out my orders? You defend those that would topple me? Then go and join your true general and leader. Go to Utgar, and offer him your service, for I have no need of men that have no courage to carry out their lord\u2019s will. I banish you from my lands, Drake. See that when you return, you fly your true colors, under the red banner of Utgar. Go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake remained motionless, his arms folded, his eyes fixed on Jandar. In that moment, he realized that this kyrie before him was not his beloved general, the one that he would follow to the end. That Jandar was hidden, his face veiled by this insanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo!\u201d thundered Jandar, his voice murderous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake turned, and, without a word, lifted Kelda to her feet. He then turned back to Jandar, and walked resolutely past him, his eyes fixed ahead, Kelda following him. The Jandar they both loved and trusted was no more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Vagmor opened his eyes. A harsh wind smote him in the face, laden with dust and ash, but it might have been the breath of a kitten for all the notice he took of it. The cracked earth of the Volcarren, usually red and brown, was now black, laden with layers of gray ash. The sky was a dark gray, laced with red, and ash fell from it as snow. Vagmor looked out over the desolate place. The fissures in the earth, usually filled with running lava, now were silent. The air, commonly broken by the regular eruption of volcanoes, was now as quiet as death itself. The falling ash made the only noise, a soft sound, as of distant water. A sound that, in this place, could quickly drive one mad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMorker,\u201d Vagmor muttered. The hostile word rolled from his tongue, anxious to leave as he spat it out. He took a step forwards, and his foot sank in three feet of ash. Undeterred, he took another step, and fell in similar depth. As he stood there, in ash above his knees, he realized that he would never reach his destination in time. Therefore, he cast a spell, and soon felt himself rise above the ash. He took a step forward, but his foot did not sink. A smile would have crossed his face had he had one. He would confront this evil soon enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\u201cDrake,\u201d pleaded Kelda, \u201cyou cannot leave. Vagmor said we would be lost if we left the city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake turned to her, a harness in his hands. \u201cWhere do my loyalties lie, Kelda? With Jandar or with Vagmor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is not Jandar that banished you, Drake. It is to that Jandar that you are loyal, as is Vagmor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake turned back and began saddling his horse, a chestnut with two white feet. \u201cJandar may be blinded to all about him, Kelda,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I feel he knows what he says.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen he at least knows not why,\u201d said Kelda, searching desperately for anything to keep Drake within the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake turned to her once more. \u201cI have defied my general twice already, Kelda, I cannot do so a third time. We can only pray that Vagmor will succeed in his mission and Jandar will call me back once his senses return.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDrake\u2026\u201d pleaded Kelda, but Drake turned away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI cannot do what you ask, Kelda. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d Drake swiftly mounted his horse, and with a last look at Kelda, rode from the stables, many of his belongings strapped behind him. Kelda watched him go, her eyes dry, but a terrible sadness in her heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKelda,\u201d the word was spoken softly, and Kelda turned to see Raelin come in a side door. \u201cKelda,\u201d she said again, \u201cJandar has commanded that\u2026 that you be taken to the dungeons for\u2026 for disobeying his word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda nodded; she had expected this. She stood and walked towards the door which Raelin held open for her. \u201cRaelin, she said, turning towards her. \u201cVagmor told me that we must not leave the castle for anything, but Drake won\u2019t defy Jandar, not again. He might listen to you, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raelin met her eyes and nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll ask him,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda thanked her and added, \u201cDo not try to release me. I feel this curse in me once again, and it is likely that I will be better in a dungeon, where I can do no harm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raelin nodded a second time, this time with tears in her eyes. \u201cVagmor will end the plague,\u201d she said. \u201cI know it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Vagmor stumbled and fell to one knee. He could have easily gotten back up, but he remained there. Something was wrong. He had never stumbled before, not even in the Underdark, where no light penetrated. Glancing down at his armor, he saw that the biting wind had begun to wear it away, scratching into the delicately carved lines and curves. That was something else that was wrong, his armor was enchanted, no mere wind could erase it. \u201cBe gone, Morker,\u201d he said in his mind, infusing the thought with power. An echoing laugh was all that met him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou leave me, and I will leave you.\u201d The voice was slippery and smooth, coated in oil and dripping with venom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor recoiled at the sound, though it was only in his mind. \u201cYou know not what you are meddling in, snake,\u201d he said, his voice flat, but still powerful. \u201cLeave this land and its people alone. Go hide in the caverns where you belong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More silken laughter met his mind. \u201cNo, Vagmor, I do not belong in the caves, the muck, the dampness. I belong here, with people, with you. You will realize it before you die, I\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFool,\u201d stated Vagmor. \u201cI cannot die.\u201d With these thoughts, he rose to his feet and continued to press on, driving straight into the tearing wind which fought so desperately to drive him back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morker kept up a constant whispering in his head, enough to drive him insane, but Vagmor brushed his voice aside and did not stop. He had beaten this foul thing before, and he would do it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\u201cDrake!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake halted his horse instantly and turned in the saddle, waiting for Raelin to catch up. She flew to him and landed by his side, looking up at him. \u201cDrake,\u201d she said again, \u201cyou cannot leave. Kelda told me what Vagmor said, and if he speaks the truth, you cannot leave this place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVagmor always speaks the truth,\u201d said Drake, \u201cbut I must leave this place. Jandar wishes me to go to Utgar, so I will, and drive my sword right through his black heart. With any luck, I may end this terrible plague and free Jandar\u2019s mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut Drake,\u201d said Raelin, \u201cVagmor said\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBlast Vagmor!\u201d said Drake. \u201cWe have no way of knowing what he is doing, and no way of knowing if he will succeed. It\u2019s better to have two going at Utgar than one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raelin took a step back, looking at Drake. Slowly, her eyes traveled over his face, and then down to his hands, which were slowly turning gray. Behind his eyes burned a feverish fire, the same fire that now tormented Jandar. \u201cDrake, please\u2026 don\u2019t go,\u201d whispered Raelin, just loud enough for him to hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI must,\u201d said Drake, his eyes softening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndeed,\u201d said Jandar\u2019s imperious voice, as he landed beside them. \u201cAnd you, Raelin, shall not attempt to sway him from for once following my orders, lest I send you to join Kelda.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake stiffened in his saddle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow go,\u201d said Jandar. \u201cBe gone Raelin. If you try to undermine me as has Kelda, your punishment may be more severe than hers.\u201d When Raelin did not move, Jandar shot out an arm and grasped her by the shoulder, seeking to fling her away. His motion was halted, however, by the rasping of Drake\u2019s sword against its sheath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou will not touch her,\u201d said Drake, tensely dropping to the ground, his sword held firmly in his right hand. His eyes blazed both with anger and fever, and they bore into Jandar with a gaze that he returned with venomous hatred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo it has come to this,\u201d said Jandar in a musing voice. \u201cBlows at last\u2026\u201d With these words, he drew his own long two-handed sword from where it was strapped cleverly to his back, and released Raelin, facing Drake. Raelin quickly backed away, looking fearfully from Jandar to Drake, both of which were now crouched, circling each other like mad dogs ready for the kill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

With the sound that accompanies a small building collapsing, Vagmor crashed to the ground. His enchantment gone, he rapidly sank into the ash, and it poured in over him, blocking him from the already dark world. \u201cGive up?\u201d asked Morker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor did not respond, but summoning the power within him, blasted the ash away. He rose to one knee, and then to the other, and raised his head to look before him. There, rising ever upwards and fading into the dark clouds above, was the gigantic mountain that was Utgar\u2019s fortress. He was close, he couldn\u2019t give up now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give up. The thought had never before entered his mind. Vagmor looked down at his metal gloves, now worn thin from the wind. What was happening to him? His armor was impenetrable, his mind unwavering, his strength unmatched. What force would rob him of all three? Morker\u2019s laughter echoed in his head. Summoning his strength, Vagmor rose to his feet, and began to climb the face of the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou, Vagmor, climbing? You disappoint me. I would have expected something more\u2026 spectacular from you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor stopped. What was he doing? He was no man to climb a mountain, nor was he kyrie to fly over it. He was Vagmor, unhesitating, undying, unyielding. He stepped back and pressed his hand against the mountain. With a thunderous boom, the entire side of the volcano came crashing down, burying Vagmor in a cloud of thick dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

With an insane yell, Jandar leapt at Drake, whirling his blade wildly. Drake prudently took a step back, allowing Jandar to waste much of his momentum, and dealt him a blow with his hilt which forced him downwards, where he landed, sprawled in the dirt. Drake turned and waited for Jandar to get up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Valkyrie rose in an instant, and swung his sword at Drake. Drake flung his own up, and met the massive blade, but the impact traveled through the steel and into his arms, jarring him. He momentarily lost his grip and sank to one knee, struggling to keep Jandar at bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFool!\u201d yelled Jandar. \u201cI\u2019m a Valkyrie, not some pitiless orc. You should have thought of that before you refused to follow my orders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo one in their right mind would do as you had asked,\u201d Drake shouted back, still struggling against Jandar\u2019s strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo one in their right mind would dare to refuse them either,\u201d Jandar hissed back. He then lifted his sword and kicked Drake before he could reply, rolling him over in the dust. Then, as Drake still lay on the ground, he raised his sword high above his head and prepared to strike him down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Raelin rushed before Jandar, trying to stay his sword. Jandar turned, and flung her to the ground with a fist. He then turned back to Drake, but Drake was by now on his feet, his sword back in his hand. Seeing Raelin upon the ground, not moving, he rushed at Jandar, his sword held ready. Jandar prepared to meet his blow with one of his own, and their blades clashed, ringing throughout the castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

With a heave, Vagmor flung aside the last of the heavy doors to Utgar\u2019s chambers and went inside, tearing down the black hangings that he found in his way. An overpowering stench met him, which he sensed, rather than smelled, accompanied by a sinister hissing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stench he had found all throughout Utgar\u2019s ruined fortress. Orcs and kyrie lay together, their blood mingling, their hands still at each others throats even in death. Buildings had been toppled as dragons fell, battling with their own, and everywhere lay a thick layer of dust from the fallen stones. Blood ran like rivers in the streets, pooling where it met and lending a red hue to everything. Vagmor had come across Utgar\u2019s axe, imbedded deeply in the heart of Mimring, who lay sprawled across several doorways, crushing the bodies of orcs beneath him. He had passed on, going deeper into the destruction, searching, until he found what he sought, and what now lay before him: Utgar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utgar sat, rigid, lifeless, in his throne of black, his arms open, his head tilted back, his eyes wide. A mindless grin was fixed upon his face, and all about him, destruction reigned. Hangings were torn to shreds, orcs and kyrie lay in piles at his feet, various limbs missing, and Runa lay, dead, against a far wall, a trail of blood suggesting that she had been thrown there. Taelord\u2019s sword rested, still standing, sunk into the chest of Moltenclaw, and Taelord himself, minus his head, lay in a grotesque position slumped against Utgar\u2019s throne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utgar himself had already begun to rot, and bits of skin had flaked away, showing bones beneath. But what had caught Vagmor\u2019s attention and held it was the gaping hole where Utgar\u2019s chest had once been. As if he had been blown apart from the inside, Utgar\u2019s skin was ripped to shreds about the hole, and his ribs were scattered every which way. And residing within the hole, frothing silently in its own vapor, was Morker, the source of the black plague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morker had no shape, but was rather concentrated smoke, tinted black, sending tendrils of darkness out of Utgar to all parts of his fortress, and now, Valhalla. Disgusted at what he saw, Vagmor raised his hand, his palm facing Morker, and thundered in a voice as old as the peaks overhead, \u201cVatra gatt!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hissing was the only sound that met his ears. That, and Morker\u2019s laughter in his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Drake\u2019s sword came down, and a spatter of blood met it, dying his face red. He blinked his eyes to keep them clear, and readied his sword for another strike. Behind him, the sound of the guns of his men filled the air, their bullets mercilessly ripping through kyrie flesh. Jandar and Drake clashed again, locked, and then fell apart. Jandar could not wound Drake, such was his skill, and Drake wouldn\u2019t if he could have. About them, chaos reigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A battalion of knights, led by Sir Gilbert, clashed with the full force of Finn\u2019s Vikings. Thorgrim stood in place, hacking at any foe that came within reach. The Templar Knights, most of them without horses, stayed together, slicing as they were assaulted by elementals. Kumiko, silent assassin that she was, slipped through the giant fray, killing who she pleased, and sparing those she trusted, which were, unfortunately, very few. The whole of Jandar\u2019s once grand army was occupied in destroying itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The battle between Drake and Jandar had been the breaking point for the men. Some had tried to pull them apart, fearing for Jandar\u2019s life, but others had stopped them, feeling that Jandar could not be saved, and must be destroyed before he destroyed them. The situation had rapidly disintegrated, with those loyal to Jandar pitched against those loyal to him as he once was. And now, fed subtly by the plague that was in all of their veins, the men fought each other, barely knowing why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raelin, stunned by the blow Jandar had given her, was now flying far above the battle, desperately trying to convince Nilfeim not to strike down Drake. Concan had joined her, though his pleas were slightly less heart-felt than hers. Nilfeim, however, saw only his master in danger, and strove to get a clear shot at Drake. Raelin, determined to not let this happen, followed Nilfeim\u2019s head so that she was always before him. He would not strike her, this much she knew, though his temper was rising quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A volley of musket fire broke into the mass of Vikings, leveling many of them. Finn turned, and, signaling to his remaining men, charged the ranks of the 4th<\/sup> Massachusetts Line. Another volley, and Finn went down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sir Gilbert had engaged Kumiko, and was dealing her blow after blow, each of which she barely managed to block. With each swing of his sword, he denounced her as a skulking coward, traitorously slipping a knife into her enemy\u2019s back when their face was turned. Kumiko remained silent, but dueled him all the fiercer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jandar and Drake clashed for what seemed to be the thousandth time. They tangled briefly, and then broke apart, each unable to strike the other. \u201cYou cannot win this fight,\u201d said Jandar, eyeing Drake with a crazed look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNeither can you,\u201d replied Drake shortly, his skin burning with plague. He doubted the veracity of his words, however, for he felt sweat coating the hilt of his sword, and his hand was beginning to shake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, but I think I can,\u201d said Jandar, the same idiotic smile creeping back onto his face. \u201cYou forget, Drake, that I am a Valkyrie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake froze. He had, remarkably, forgotten. He rolled just as the earth opened up below him, and improvising quickly, shot his grapple gun at Jandar. The metal arm knocked Jandar flat, and Drake thought he heard a wing snap as the kyrie struck the ground. Jandar bounded back up in an instant though, and kicked Drake to the ground, holding him there with his sword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis duel is over,\u201d he said, all trace of a smile gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Vagmor slowly lowered his hand, his eyes fixed on the black steam that was Morker. \u201cYou say I cannot kill you, Vagmor,\u201d laughed Morker\u2019s voice in his head, \u201cbut you cannot destroy me either. I hold too much of Valhalla in my grasp.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor did not reply, but remained looking at the ruined corpse of Utgar. Something here was not right. None of Utgar\u2019s soldiers had begun to decay, only Utgar himself. And judging by the state he was in, Vagmor surmised that he must have been dead nearly a month. So then, Utgar had died first, and then his soldiers had followed. \u201cWhat have you done, Morker?\u201d asked Vagmor in his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morker laughed. \u201cWhat have I done? What have I always done, Vagmor? You\u2019ve found me enough times to know what I am, and what I do. Yes, I have always been the same, Valkrill, Utgar, call me what you will. Answer your question yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor would have closed his eyes if he had any. So this was the answer to all the riddles. Vagmor had suspected something similar, but never this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know, don\u2019t you,\u201d whispered Morker in his head, \u201cwhat I am? Jandar has fought me for the better part of his life. Ullar has always sensed me in his forests. Einar sensed me, and tried to drive me from his halls, though he never fully succeeded. Vydar entertained parts of me, while ignoring the rest. Only Utgar recognized me for what I was, for I had always been with him. He saw my potential, though I must admit I kept the full consequences from him. He made Valkrill for me, and for a time, all was well. But then you came along, and had to spoil everything. You ruined Valkrill for me, and I had to go back to Utgar. However, things had changed in my absence. Utgar had begun to grow; Taelord and the others had sensed it. I tried to return to my old haunts, but they were unfamiliar to me. Finally, Utgar could contain me no longer. One of us would have to triumph over the other. Naturally, he was no match for my might, and the result you see before you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor\u2019s mind was churning with the information he had received. It all made sense now. And he was powerless to stop it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morker\u2019s voice laughed again in his head, reciting an ancient line, one that Vagmor had only heard once before in its entirety. \u201cA nameless fear, impenetrable, consuming all in its path. A dark terror that drains the hope and comfort from all about it; an unnamed death, lurking in the heart of every living thing. It is I, this black plague, which has been set lose from its natural bonds. It is this dark disease that now ventures out from where it first gained its freedom, seeking to consume all, every living thing, until only it is left, and the void of my emptiness is completed.\u201d Morker laughed again. \u201cVery soon, Vagmor, very soon Valhalla will be mine. And then I will take you too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d said Vagmor. \u201cThere are those that will oppose you always.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJandar?\u201d mocked Morker. \u201cHere is your Jandar\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An image flooded Vagmor\u2019s mind: Jandar\u2019s quarters, as he had once known them. Jandar, his skin withered and black, lay upon his death bed, Raelin weeping by his side. From out of the open window, Vagmor could clearly see the courtyard littered with the bodies of Jandar\u2019s men, either slain or fallen to the unseen plague. The scene looked very similar to Utgar\u2019s fortress. \u201cYou think Jandar can oppose me?\u201d asked Morker. \u201cHe is but a wisp, as easily blown away as a trail of smoke. You have seen how easily I overcame Utgar, powerful though he was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor could stand no more. \u201cBy the power granted me,\u201d he thundered, \u201cI banish your very existence from the universe!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morker only laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor stumbled back, his power drained. Morker was right, he could not destroy him. \u201cWhy, Morker, why? You know I could easily destroy Utgar or Valkrill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy must you fail now, Vagmor? I think you know the answer to that. I was born in Utgar, a little spark, a small flame. I was merely a thought. He nurtured me, poured his very being into me. When the war came, he fed me all the misery and suffering heaped upon him, and I grew. He gave me a mind, Vagmor, until I could think for myself. I fed off of the magics coursing in his veins, and I began to speak to him, subtly at first, but then more and more boldly. He gave me a form, in his mind, an insatiable hunger for quiet, the kind of quiet that only comes with the grave, the end of all things. As his strength waned, mine grew, and our places shifted. I drove him on, instead of him driving me. I drove him to crush Jandar and his puppets, to wipe them from the face of the earth. And then, as I have already told you, Utgar created Valkrill. In my absence though, Utgar began to see what destruction I had wrought, and he began to become afraid. He began to call back his minions, release his prisoners. When I tried to return to him, where I had been created, his mind was hostile to me. I could not live there, and I burst out, consuming Utgar, my maker, as I did so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut now you see, Vagmor, I don\u2019t need Utgar any longer. His desire for destruction, his wish to kill, that is me, I am his will, and I can exist on my own, such is my strength. I am too strong for you to kill. I now sit here, slowly draining the life from Valhalla. When I am full, this land will be no more, and I will move on to more fertile grounds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor slumped against the dead body of Taelord. Morker was right. Even he, Vagmor, could feel the darkness of Morker slowly clouding his vision. Valhalla was lost. All would perish to this plague, unless\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy lord, the duel is not over.\u201d Sir Denrick\u2019s blade clashed against Jandar\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMore traitors!\u201d Jandar yelled, turning to Denrick. The two of them exchanged blows for a few minutes, but Denrick was no match for the skill of Jandar, and he quickly fell, his head cloven in two. Drake, however, had had enough time to recover himself and get a firmer grip on his sword, and now stood ready to face Jandar once again. Jandar rushed at him, his left wing trailing pitifully on the ground, but before he could reach him, something large and white thudded to the ground between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStop.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Drake and Jandar lay on their backs, staring up at the massive form of Nilfeim. Raelin fluttered down, anxiously watching Drake. Concan hung just out of reach of Jandar\u2019s blade, should he consider turning on him as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are both half mad,<\/em>\u201d said Nilfeim, \u201cand if you would but pause in your senseless dealings for a moment, you would see this. Look about you, Jandar. Your armies clash against each other, tearing each other to shreds. Drake, these men look up to you. Command them to stop. This plague, this sickness, this is what it wants. Do you intend to humor it, or fight it?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Drake and Jandar got up shakily. Raelin flew instantly to Drake\u2019s side and helped him up, and Concan warily approached Jandar. Nilfeim remained between them, swinging his head from side to side, scrutinizing each one in turn with his hard blue eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake slid his sword into his sheath, and waited for Jandar to do the same. Jandar, however, remained where he was, staring up at Nilfeim with an odd expression on his face. Drake saw in an instant what was coming. Jandar was too far gone to heed Nilfeim\u2019s words, and in one motion, he swung his sword at the white dragon\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Pain seared across Vagmor\u2019s body, but he did not withdraw his hands. Cautiously, he probed the center of the blackness within Utgar. He felt nothing but thick mist, but he cupped this in his hands, drawing it out. The mist was hot in his hands and throbbed as if it had a heart. Vagmor closed his glove on the smoke and left the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou cannot kill me, Vagmor,\u201d said Morker, though all trace of laughter was now gone from his voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo?\u201d said Vagmor. \u201cShall we find out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo spell you know of can end me,\u201d persisted Morker, but Vagmor did not stop. \u201cYou can hurtle me from the highest cliff, but I shall survive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor paid no heed to Morker\u2019s whispered words, but rather hid his mind from him. Morker tried to break through, to see his darkest thought, but he could not. Therefore, he turned to other, more natural, means. It was this that Vagmor had been hoping for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor\u2019s glove was entirely melted by the time he exited Utgar\u2019s fortress. Morker began to seep into Vagmor\u2019s strange matter. He found it difficult to enter Vagmor, due to the fact that he was not human or kyrie or any other species that he had encountered before, but he managed it. He flowed into Vagmor like a thick syrup, diluting him, and spreading his curse throughout his strange body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo\u2026 no\u2026 You can\u2019t do this Vagmor!\u201d said Morker, sensing at last his enemy\u2019s thoughts. \u201cThink, think of what you could do with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done plenty with you already, Morker,\u201d said Vagmor, even as he felt the plague begin to cloud his mind. \u201cAll of which,\u201d he added, \u201capparently wasn\u2019t enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor stopped, and Morker saw through his eyes the crater of the volcano upon which Utgar\u2019s fortress sat. Only here, in all of the Volcarren, lava still flowed. And still, it appeared to be but a faint trickle from this height. Vagmor raised his hand, and a shimmering portal appeared before him. \u201cKelda,\u201d he said, speaking to the portal. The flat disk shone and contracted, and then remained steady. Kelda appeared within its depths, seated on a hard floor. She looked up, surprised, and Vagmor saw that her face was spotted gray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKelda,\u201d he said, his breathing becoming difficult as he fought Morker, \u201cI will not be able to return. You will know when the plague has left you. When that happens, you may leave the castle, but no one is to approach the Volcarren for at least a year. When you do, do not do so alone. Evil still brews here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVagmor,\u201d said Kelda, rising. \u201cWhat\u2026 What do you mean you won\u2019t return?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou will understand, Kelda,\u201d said Vagmor. \u201cSomeday you will understand why.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelda\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cVagmor, no\u2026no!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vagmor nodded his head once at her, and then fell, falling towards the shimmering ribbon of lava far below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou mindless fool!\u201d spat Morker as he fell. \u201cThink of the things you could have done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI did,\u201d replied Vagmor. \u201cYou were made by Utgar, and you must inhabit a living thing to spread your evil. You need a tool, like anyone else. However, once in that living thing, separating yourself from him is not such an easy task. And if that vessel is destroyed with you in it, you, too, are killed. Utgar himself placed you in Valkrill. I didn\u2019t kill Valkrill, but his body was weak enough for you to flee it on your own when you banished me. You overwhelmed Utgar, and thus freed yourself, but you cannot escape me. I am the prison meant for but one purpose, to contain you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNO!\u201d shrieked Morker, but his cry was interrupted as Vagmor struck the lava.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

With a clash of steel, Drake met Jandar\u2019s blade. Nilfeim reared backwards, snorting, as he realized what Jandar had nearly done. No words came from Jandar now. Instead, he dueled Drake with a strength that was not his own. Drake was only just able to block blow after blow, but he was forced to back up constantly, losing ground with each step. And the more ground he lost, the closer he came to the gate to the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concan, infected with the disease as he was, flew to Drake\u2019s aid in beating back Jandar\u2019s furious assault, but he was little help. In a stunning move, Jandar flipped his sword around, wrenching Drake\u2019s sword from his grasp and knocking Concan to the ground at the same time. Jandar easily whirled his blade upwards and held it with both hands above his head, its tip pointed at Drake\u2019s chest. Concan struggled to get up, but he was not fast enough. Jandar planted a foot on Drake\u2019s chest and drove his blade downwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

In that moment, Morker, far, far away, seething in Vagmor\u2019s body, felt the heat of the lava consume his enemy, the one upon which he depended for his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

With the force of a dragon\u2019s wing shoving air from beneath him, Jandar was grasped from behind and pulled to the ground. He hit it heavily, and his other wing broke, his sword clattering out of his hand. Kelda stepped before him, and lowered her spear to his throat. Jandar, however, made no move to get up. As she watched him, Kelda saw the insane light in Jandar\u2019s eye go out, and the grayness slowly leave his skin. She looked down at her own hand, and saw the same effect. She slowly raised her spear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake sheathed his sword a second time and approached Jandar, still wary. Jandar blinked his eyes as he looked at him, as if he were waking up from a particularly sound sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDrake?\u201d he said, his voice cautious, and not the loud rumble it had been. Drake did not reply, but merely nodded at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you all right?\u201d asked Kelda, helping Jandar to sit up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAside from an ache in my head, and a weariness in my arms,\u201d said Jandar, glancing at Drake, \u201cI believe I will be fine.\u201d He then leapt into the air, his wings newly mended by Kelda, and, thundering out over his capital, said, \u201cMy friends! Cease your battles, for we fight our allies! The plague is gone; that which Utgar sent has been defeated!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silence slowly fell over the milling army as Jandar floated back to earth, and they realized that the curse had left them. Jandar retrieved his sword from where it had fallen on the ground, and sheathed it. \u201cCome,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are wounds to heal, hurts to forgive. Let us mend them now before they become scars, both on men and this land.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drake knelt before Jandar, his head bowed. \u201cForgive me for my words earlier,\u201d he said, \u201cI believed them to be necessary. You have my loyalty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy friend,\u201d said Jandar, raising him to his feet. He looked steadily into Drake\u2019s eyes. \u201c\u2026I never lost it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tear slipped silently down Raelin\u2019s cheek. It fell to the ground, silent, but it was a tear of happiness. Utgar\u2019s terrible plague, his awful wrath which had assumed a form of its own, was gone. Her general was back.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thread for feedback: https:\/\/www.heroscapers.com\/community\/showthread.php?t=49664 A tear slipped silently down Raelin\u2019s cheek. It fell to the floor, where it landed, soundless, as she watched her lord and general, Jandar, bent over a desk littered with papers. The ancient kyrie\u2019s head was bent against the top of his desk, his eyes closed. Silence reigned with Jandar. Raelin … Continue reading Darkness<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-single-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1260\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiction.armyoffour.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}