by S L Gassick
Inside was the strangest story of a magical coin, much like the Kalad, that had sent a man insane. It stated that during the Great War of Killicka, a small group of Knights from an unknown Valhalla had stumbled upon a desolate wasteland whereupon they found a strange piece of gold, glowing like fire.
During the night, a stray Titan looking for loot came across the group of Knights, he found the gold piece and killed the man silently in his sleep, so as not to wake the others. However, the Knight’s body rose up from the dead almost immediately and began to attack the Titan and his fellow Knights. It wasn’t just a fight but the vicious mauling from a madman. The Knight who told the tale barely escaped alive and when he came back to show others what had happened, there was no trace of anything. Everyone and everything had just disappeared. Including the coin.
Although Milius was a sceptic at heart, he believed that every myth starts with a truth and he couldn’t ignore the coincidental nature of this case in accordance with his.
“This story has been buried here for countless years. How would the Dark Clans know about this coin? Let alone that it was in this very Valhalla. This mole must be exceedingly cleverer than I give him credit for.” He continued to try and read to see if this was indeed the missing artefact but there was nothing else. The story was certainly lacking facts and in any other case it would have been deemed an old wives’ tale, but from what Milius had seen, he was ready to believe anything.
“Hello Milius.”
He looked up to see Cyrene standing over him with a small smile on her face. He thought she looked extremely attractive, in a cute way.
“Hi Cyrene. Any news from the Knights?”
“No, I’m afraid not. They are not allowed to send kyu transmissions just in case. Surely you know that, it being a Special Op case?” she looked at him quizzically.
“Yes I do. But you know, I was just wondering … if there was … anything at all?”
“Well no. However, it seems your brother has disappeared.”
“Oh, I… haven’t seen him for a while.” He felt his face get hot and wondered why he was blushing. He had lied many a time before and it did not matter, why was he acting so strangely?
“Theus knows. He wants to talk to you, he’s in the courtyard.”
“What?” Milius felt like he was in trouble. He rose from his seat and followed Cyrene towards the courtyard where Theus was standing looking at the statues above him against the huge pyramid structure surrounding them. Milius considered that they would look like ants from the top of this pyramid, just mere specks of dust in the grandeur of Norheath.
“I feel sometimes everything is so bland here,” Theus stated, “we need a bit of colour, don’t you think?” Milius nodded but he didn’t really know what the old man was talking about. “Follow me.”
Theus led him towards a guard tower and they ascended the long trip up the stairs to reach the top. Along the way guards bowed their heads or saluted them as a sign of respect but Theus merely ignored them. The silence was almost stifling. Theus seemed to have got some of his old strength back and was not as exhausted as Milius would have thought.
Once they reached the top of the final set of stairs, the world opened out to them like the parting of a sea. The afternoon light had created a beautiful orange glow to the land and beckoned them in like a cosy fire.
They slowly began to take a stroll along the top of the wall. Suddenly, Theus came to an abrupt stop and shooed away two nearby guards so that they were alone. He took a deep breath and looked over Norheath.
Milius stood next to him and placed his hands on the cool stone wall. Below them was the hustle and bustle of life and in the distance there were mountains upon mountains, as if the world carried on forever and they were the rulers of it all. Theus bent over with his face staring down to the ground, his arms pushed out against the wall, stretching like a child might do, then pulled himself up straight and opened his mouth slightly. Then closed it. Then opened it again to speak.
“Milius … I need your help.”
“Yes Sir.”
“Now listen. I am fully aware that your brother has gone off with others in search of the Kalad and I am proud of them. But they are following their own destiny now, and you need to follow yours.”
Milius was startled. The old man always seemed to know everything that was going on, every little secret. Yet as much of an honour as it was to be asked on another mission, he felt he was still recovering and had not realised that his head had taken quite such a beating on that horrid night of the Undead until after a few days. It had left him sleepless at night-time with awful headaches during the day.
“I can try to fight Sir but my injuries were quite more substantial than I at first thought. It might take some time before…”
Theus interrupted. “No, no. Nothing like that. You told the Council how you saw these creatures. How you will work towards finding some kind of answer.”
“I did. Yes.”
“What have you found?” Theus suddenly turned round and glared at Milius with cold, dead eyes. It startled Milius and he almost wasn’t going to say anything for fear of what Theus might do.
“A silly myth from the Killicka Wars. Nothing substantial.”
“Then do not waste any more of your time,” Theus sighed. “Everyone here knows you Milius. They’ve heard these silly stories about you. You think you are some great warrior?”
“I do not think I am anything, Sir. Just a servant of Norheath and of Gaea.”
Theus clasped his hands together and turned towards the village down below. “What do you know of the Old Religions, Milius?”
“Only what I was taught Sir. Nothing more.”
“Your answers are infuriating, but never mind. There once was a time before Gaea, even before Titans, that this earth was broken up beyond belief. People believed in many different gods and idols and fought endlessly about which one was true, about what land was truly theirs. Then there were religions that even pre-dated those. Some scholars from these Valhalla’s [DG18]call all these silly stories facts. What do you think of them?”
“I…” Milius paused. “I don’t know, Sir. People believe what they are shown.”
“That’s not true either. People believe what you want them to believe. Has anyone actually shown you Gaea?”
Milius did not like where this conversation was going. “I do not understand what you are telling me, Sir.”
A dark look came over Theus’s face. He looked as if he was ready to burst into a fit of anger. Milius noticed that his headmaster’s fists were clenched and that he was almost shaking. Then out of nowhere, it quickly dissipated. Theus sighed, and smiled reassuringly, as if nothing had happened.
“Nothing, my young friend. But don’t be so naïve and arrogant to think you know it all!” He laughed. “You are quite special, young man! But don’t let it go to your head. You are not to fight or waste time researching the Kalad. I know all I need to know about it anyway. Instead, I wish you to be at my beck and call at all times and to assist me in preparing this Valhalla for a potential battle. You are one of the finest Knights here and have experience with these creatures that other more senior Knights do not.”
Milius went pale. “Battle, Sir?”
“Stop making me repeat myself! Yes, battle!” He suddenly went quiet, a bird called out in the distance and there was a small rustle of leaves from below them. “I know why the Dark Clans have taken this artefact. It is for an army that will surpass ours by thousands upon thousands. This mole of ours might be too close than I like and therefore, as you can be trusted I hope, you shall help me with the battle plans.”
“Yes, Sir!” Milius was nervous but extremely excited. He felt his skin shiver in the cool wind.
“Then go and rest. I will call for you.” Milius bowed and began to walk off. “Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yes, Sir?”
“Find this mole, Milius. And kill him. Whoever it may be.”
Milius p
aused and looked back out across the land.
“Yes, Sir.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Shui was resting in his chambers having his feet massaged by an attractive young woman and his head rubbed by an enormously strong, stocky man. The chamber was like most of the mansion, elegantly designed. There was fresh fruit on a table beside him and the red velvet couch he lay upon matched the golden artwork and furnishings that surrounded the room.
The woman who attended to his feet wore a long, sleeveless purple silk garment that was cut off above the knee revealing tanned, muscular thighs. Her face was dark with slightly oriental features and her eyes a magnificent shade of green. Her long, black, exquisitely kept hair was tied back into a ponytail with a purple band and her full, pouted lips were also a matching colour.
She sat almost completely still and rubbed Shui’s long pale feet with such graceful movement it almost looked like a dance. The man was as dark as the lady and they could have been described as siblings had it not been for his sheer size. It was clear there was an element of Titan blood within him which had made him so powerful. His body looked like a suit of armour with just small tight, black shorts keeping his dignity intact. Every dark hair on his head looked as if it had been arranged perfectly and his thick eyebrows over his heavy eyes gave him an air of vanity yet his manner and clumsy rubbing hinted at a slight awkwardness.
Shui lay back in his black silk robe and let the calmness enter him. He felt sublimely at peace and his hangover from another night of festivities had almost completely faded. He dreamt of himself as a young boy, swimming along the river Athrokaas without a care in the world, his best friend Cortius swimming beside him, beaming his smile when his head popped out of the water, both excited that they were winning at some game he could not quite remember. Shui co[DG19]uld almost smell the thick humid air of the jungle he once grew up in, the trees blotting out the intensity of the sun above them and the refreshingly cool water soaking into his skin as he swam down the river.
Cortius stopped.
“We can’t go any further Shui! Our mothers said so.”
“Are you scared Cortius? There’s nothing down there, it’s just so we don’t go too far! They make up silly stories.”
Cortius wasn’t smiling anymore.
“They are not stories, Shui. My brother died fighting against the people of Gaea and that’s why we cannot go there. They will kill us if they see us coming down.”
Mosquitoes had started to crowd in front of their faces; they swatted them away in irritation as the insects preyed on their warm skin.
“Listen to yourself! You sound scared and weak! We are supposed to be the future of the Clan, remember? We can look after ourselves anyway.”
“Easy for you to say. We’re not all as good at all this kyu business as you, Shui.”
“It’s not about how good I am. I work hard so I can become the best. One day Cortius …”
“Yeah, yeah,” he interrupted, “one day you’ll lead this Clan and right all the wrongs they ever did to us. So you keep saying. Wasn’t it us who started it?”
“Bah! It was thousands of years ago. Who is to say it isn’t all made up? Just because we didn’t want to join them we’re banished? It’s ridiculous.”
Cortius screwed up his face and fell back, pretending to die of boredom.
“Cracking Hell, Shui! Not all this politics again. You’ve been listening to that mad preacher of yours.”
“He’s not mad! He will change the world one day.”
“Yeah well,” this time Cortius faced away from Shui to back down along the river, “not everyone agrees with him. He’s not exactly innocent is he? They have their bit, we have ours. Why mess it up?”
“You really are scared aren’t you?” Shui laughed.
Cortius turned around and swam towards the forbidden end of the river, Shui followed him close behind before Cortius stopped and stood up.
“See I’m not scared!” he shouted. As he did so Shui heard a slight ping go off from a nearby tree and suddenly felt a pleasant warmth covering his face until he realised that it was blood. When he wiped it away he saw Cortius no longer had a head, it had been an explosive kyu spike from somewhere in the trees.
Shui screamed and there was some rustling in the trees; two voices were arguing and were starting to get louder. Shui began crying and found himself punching the body of Cortius in the water, he didn’t know why. He thought at the time it was because Cortius had been so stupid as to have gone off like that, but the real reason he realised later was different.
One of the voices in the trees boomed out: “We are Soldiers of Gaea and order you to head back or we will shoot you and any others on sight!”
“There are no others!” Shui shouted back and then with his temper burning, his headless friend floating in front of him, there came a burning sensation in his chest. He could no longer control it, it was consuming him, he closed his eyes …
Shui jerked up and scared both the man and woman that were attending to him. He realised it wasn’t the dream that awoke him. Something was approaching …
He quickly marched across the room, opening the heavy doors to reveal the man Nayakax had fought upon the Valhalla, [DG20]standing in the corridor. Without his hood he was like a walking ink blot, something close to a human outline but not human in the slightest. He was formless and with no distinguishing features, he was nothing yet something. He was a shadow. Something rose up from his body and from what looked like a hand or similar, was a small golden coin.
Shui had felt it ever since this minion had his hands on it. He was amazed to see it was actually a rather beautiful coin, a lot smaller than he had imagined. Miniscule shapes and waves were carved into it and drew his gaze around and around the coin, trapped in its eternal message.
“Finally!” Shui snatched it from his grasp and the shadow of the Dark Clan member suddenly changed from a dark shadow to reveal a human face - scarred, tortured, with two missing eyes, no bottom jaw and flesh hanging off the bone. Had it not have moved, it would appear to be just a standing corpse. The few tufts of hair from across his bald, scabbed bluish-green head were rough and grey. He looked so tortured that you could almost feel how much it ached to be resting in peace with every passing second. Shui bent down from his tall stature and kissed the poor soul on the forehead, and as he did so, the body collapsed onto a pile on the floor. Now it was just a mess of bones and decomposed flesh.
Shui turned around to see both the man and woman massaging him had fainted in shock. Shui giggled and stood in front of a full length mirror against the wall. He grasped the coin tightly within his fist and as soon as he did so he felt as if a million souls had invaded his mind. There was an overwhelming sense of transcendence and Shui felt a power on a scale he had never witnessed before. Then, almost as quickly, there came a booming voice which rattled his skull.
“Who is this?!” the voice boomed.
“It is I, Shui,” Shui replied, not sure where the voice was coming from and realising it was all a bit too much for him to take at the moment. He quickly placed the coin in his mouth, cringed at the taste and moved it to his cheek so as not to interfere with his speech.
“It is I, Shui” he spoke, rather garbled.
“Who?”
“Sh… Shui.” But his name had come out even more garbled than before. He took out the coin from his mouth. “Do I really need to … Shui, my name is Shui.”
“I have not heard of a Shui before,” came the voice. “Who are you? Where is my coin?”
“I am leader of the Dark Clans, Sir. Your coin?”
“Yes. Stolen from me a long time ago. How come you have it? I can sense that already you have stolen many a dead from me. I feel them walking the Earth this very moment.”
“The Dark Clans wish to raise an army of the dead so that we may become the most powerful force on the Earth. Once we have done so, you are free to have them back.”
“So now I answer to you?!” the voi
ce roared.
“Forgive me, Lord. I will only use them for a short time to assist the defeat and total annihilation of my enemies, then they will be passed back to you, and to thank you, we will release you from your chains of the Underworld by giving you free passage to this world.”
It suddenly struck Shui that it was good no-one could see him right now for he could imagine he looked rather ridiculous standing in the mirror, talking to himself. He hoped the Lord of the Underworld could only just hear him and not his thoughts. He began to think of rabbits. Fluffy white rabbits. Nothing but rabbits.
“It is an interesting offer. I see times have changed on Earth.” Shui could sense a story coming on. “Since I was cast down here when Earth was in ruins, I have only had my dreams to keep me sane. Tell me Shui, do you still have trees? Grass? Oceans?”
“Well, yes.”
“In this war you will have. I do not want you destroying the beauties of Earth. I want to cast my gaze over it once more and have the sun shine down on my face. I have been trapped here for so long with a magic that cannot be broken.”
“Where is ‘here’ exactly? Hell?”
“If you call it that. But I am in another place. One where I have nothing but the tortured souls of my defeated army to keep me company in an eternity of pain. That coin you hold keeps us here. A man, a powerful man, sent us here to be kept prisoner. There is but one way in or out and without my golden coin, I cannot leave.”
“A powerful man? Gaea?”
“There is part of me in that coin. Part of my kyu which allows you the power you have to control these dead, a power I once used for my own advantage that resulted in me being here. I advise you to be wary Shui, but let it be known that if my coin does not return, you will feel the full force of my power through that very coin – and you will not like it.”