GODS OF ASEROTH: The Prodigal Son: A monster is born

by Asher, Yarid

  Virgil smiled and got up to help his mother but Buntius kept on talking to Leosher

  “We have to do something about Geluna” he said while grabbing the tea from his daughter who was serving everyone “Son, you should come to the Union meet with me tonight. The prophet wants to meet you.”

  Adne and Virgil were very happy because Leosher belonged to one of the poorest families, but he was invited to the Union. The Union was a group of powerful people in the town and from around the town, that were planning a resistance against the evil rulers of Thraenus. All of them were the believers of Asurot and Dadurot.

  “Can my brother join me to the meeting tonight?” Leosher asked humbly “I would prefer if he was with me.”

  Buntius smiled at Virgil “Of course he can come. We need a brave young man like him in our Union too.”

  When he finished his tea, he got up and started to lead the way to the place where the Union was set to meet. He left his daughter in the burrow to help the old woman take care of her chores and took the brothers with him. They walked on the stony roads through the rain, towards the burrow of the prophet, Lamfari. He was very wise and the whole Union consulted him for guidance.

  When they got there, they were warmly welcomed, for they were with the leader of the Union. Buntius got Virgil and Leosher registered as the members of the Union, and took them to the bed chamber of Lamfari. There, he lay, weak, weary and tired. He had been like this for over ten years. He was blind and his eyes were grey. There were no pupils in his eyes but he still looked majestic and glorious, even though he wore rags. His hairs were silvery white and his face was wrinkled with dirt stuck in them. His beard was long and had a mustache. He was brown in color, just like Leosher, just a little lighter than him.

  Virgil and Leosher went close to him to sit but suddenly, Lamfari started smiling. He got up and sat up in his soft bed. Then, everyone in the burrow gathered around and sat down to listen to Lamfari.

  “I have found the perfect lad for this journey. Does anyone have any objections or questions?”

  “Yes!” said an old man from the back, with a pipe in his mouth. He was the greatest wizard in the entire kingdom of Gelus “Who is the lad?”

  “Leosher is the chosen one. He has a pure heart and a will to protect the ones who cannot do so for themselves. He also has a secret that no one other than I know.”

  Virgil looked at Lamfari “What do we have to do, because where my brother goes, I shall go and that is final.”

  “Let me tell you the story of what happened in the beginning first, and then I’ll tell you what you all have to do.”

  Lamfari told them the story of the gods, the son of Asurot and Shamaun. He also told them about the three rulers and how they were to be defeated. All of them knew about their own queen, the evil witch of Gelus, Geluna but only a few knew about the other two.

  Leosher had been thinking after the story and had many questions and when he could not hold them back anymore, he broke in “I am a god?”

  “I did not say that” said Lamfari while smiling “What makes you think you are a god?”

  “Virgil and my mother found me on the lake and I am brown in color just like the baby. That’s what makes me think I am the god, son of Asurot.”

  “Very well then” said Lamfari in a loud voice “We have found the son of Asurot. The gods told me that Leosher was the diety but I had been waiting for the right moment to announce it and today, I think is just the right moment.”

  The council was shocked but very happy as well. They all congratulated but it all stopped when Lamfari dismissed them. He held back Virgil and Leosher and after all had left, he began talking to them

  “You have to kill the three rulers but to kill them, you shall find the hidden valley which holds the weapons. And after you have defeated the rulers, Thraenus shall be yours. There is one more thing the gods expect you to do,”

  “What is it?” Leonidas asked hastily.

  “You are expected to find Samael and kill him as well, after you gain control over entire Thraenus. After you finish these tasks, you will fulfill the purpose that Asurot sent you to Thraenus with.”

  Virgil smiled and asked “I assume we are going to have to defeat Geluna first, but how exactly are we supposed to do it? Many have tried but all have failed.”

  “Like I said, you will have to find the hidden valley. The valley holds the weapons of destruction. They hold the power to desolate the rulers and their empires. Many have tried to find the valley, claiming to be the son of Asurot, but all died, for the journey was overwhelmingly hard.”

  “What weapon are we supposed to use for Geluna?” asked Leosher.

  Lamfari got up with his staff and walked up to Leosher “You will have to figure that out for yourself.”

  “I understand everything but there is only one more question I shall ask, where is the valley?” Leosher asked “I have to know where we are going.”

  “Why do you think its called the hidden valley? Its because no one knows where it is” Lamfari laughed “But I know the general area you could try to find it in. To get to the area, you will have to go over the misty mountains, through the black forest and into the caves. And only then, you would be halfway done. Then you would have to go through the land of the dead but beware, for if you turn around, you will turn to stone. After you cross the Land of the Dead, you will reach the great sea, cross the sea and you will see mountains, mountains that only you can see. That is the valley, but when you get to the valley, you’ll have to find the weapons in its bosom.”

  Virgil was little suspicious for Lamfari was contradicting himself “I thought no one knew where it was, but you seem to know exactly where it is, where the valley is.”

  Lamfari smiled “The gods told me.” He paused and thought about telling them more about their journey but he had already told them everything he knew “Yes, that is all. Now, you are going to need companions for your journey, to train you and to protect you. Do you have any in your mind?”

  “No, I am sorry, I do not have anyone” said Leosher but then Virgil looked at him “Yes you do. What about Usere and Urey?”

  “Ah yes. Let me go and write a letter to the brothers.” Leosher parted from the Union and Virgil followed him.

  Lamfari sat alone in his burrow but then one man came to visit him. He was the same old man with a long, white beard and a pipe in his mouth. He was in the Union. He was the greatest wizard of Gelus, Azar. Lamfari sensed his presence and finally talked “I have a favor to ask from you, Azar” he said “Will you do something for me?”

  “Yes, Lamfari” replied Azar “Anything for you.”

  “I want you to give proper supplies to the brothers. They are peasants and have nothing, therefore supply them with proper things.”

  “Lamfari, I will do that and may I ask you something?”

  “Yes, go on.”

  “I would like to go on the journey with them to train and protect them. After all, Leosher is the prince of the gods of Aseroth. He has to have some skills to go against everything he is meant to.”

  “I figured you would say that. Is it possible that your sister will join them too?”

  Azar smiled and took the pipe out of his mouth and blew away the smoke “Yes, She would love too.” He paused “But I would like to leave now. I have to make preparations.”

  Lamfari excused him and he left. He wrote a letter to his sister, Neiham, an enchantress and a potion maker and the master charm caster of Gelus. Both siblings were very close and highly successful with a love for magic.

  Azar went back to this house and began writing a letter to her. He grabbed the quill, dipped it in the ink and started writing on a piece of paper, under the candle light:

  Greetings, My dear sister,

  I hope everything is fine. I have a special message for you. As you know, the son of Asurot, the prince of all gods, is supposed to wipe out all evil from this world. For your information, the lucky day has come. Lamfari has decided
to send the boy out to the journey of getting the weapons, to defeat Geluna, and he has chosen you and I to accompany him. All I ask is that you come to the outskirts of Geluna, as soon as possible. We will be leaving soon and we will leave without you, so better come fast.

  Your brother, Azar.

  After writing, he rolled up the piece of paper and tied it to his phoenix’s leg. The phoenix flew away into the sky and took the letter to his sister. In the same manner, Leosher wrote to his friends, Usere and Urey:

  Greetings,

  I hope you are still into bounty hunting. As you know, I always had a love for adventure but I could not leave with you to the distant lands, for I did not have the means to. I just found out that I am a god and that I have to defeat Geluna, the evil witch. I would love it if my best friend, Urey and his brother, Usere are beside me while I complete the task. Come to my town in Gelus as soon as you can.

  Your friend, Leosher.

  Since Leosher was not rich, he wrote it on a piece of parchment and tied it to his pet dove’s leg. The dove flew and went to the land of elves, outside Gelus, in Strinthius. There, the elves had a giant colony in which they lived but there was no harmony, no matter where you went.

  The brothers received the parchment and came to Leosher, as fast as they could which was in a week. The day after Usere and Urey arrived, Neiham arrived at Azar’s house as well. She had brought gifts for Leosher and Virgil, for she was happy that finally the days of hardships were about to end.

  Azar took her to the Poppins brothers’ house, (Leosher and Virgil’s house) that morning and told Leosher that they were supposed to go with them. Leosher loved the idea and introduced the Elf brothers to Azar and Neiham.

  Urey was an elf, who used a bow and arrows to hunt and made a living out of it. He had long and luscious black hair and was pale in color. He was tall and had a clean face without a beard and mustache. His eyes were green and ears were sharp and had a point to them. He wore a deer skin coat and did not wear rags like Virgil and Leosher did, for the elf brothers were a little rich because they hunted bounties and received plenty of money. He was a witty man with a great sense of humor but he knew the difference between being disrespectful and being funny.

  Usere was the twin brother of Urey. He looked same but there were some differences. Usere was very serious and rarely joked, only on happy occasions and special events, and he had a thick beard. His hairs on his head were short as well and he carried a broad sword instead of a bow and arrow. While his twin, Urey, had green eyes, Usere had sky blue eyes.

  They both met Azar first “Hello, Azar, I am Urey” he said joyfully, while moving forward to shake his hand “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  Usere did the same thing. He greeted Azar and shook his hand. Then both of them met Neiham. She had a pointy hat and had short white hair. She was a little short, and a little chubby. She had slight wrinkles because of old age but smelled like roses. She was very jolly as well, just like Urey. She met the elf brothers and then moved on to Leosher “Son, it is a pleasure to be at your side” she said “I am proud to be a part of this journey.”

  “Same here, madam, it is an honor to work alongside such magnificent beings like you,” he paused and laughed “But I am magnificent too.”

  Neiham nodded gave Leosher a gift. It was red leather, battle skirt and golden armor made of steel. She also gave him two spears that were golden at the tips. Then she moved onto Virgil. She greeted him and gave him a steel chest armor. It was silver, unlike Leosher’s, for gold represented royalty and greatness, and silver was a little below gold. Then she gave him two battle axes too.

  After everyone was done meeting and greeting, Azar went to the front of the dirty room and announced “We will be leaving at dawn tomorrow. I have rounded up six horses and we will take them on our journey. It is going to be very hard and tough to handle, for we are going over the misty mountains, through the caves of the shape-shifting serpent and through the land of the dead, therefore, be prepared to go against anything and everything. The townspeople are holding a ceremony, commemorating Leosher’s bravery and courage. They have a special gift for him and for the rest of you as well.” He paused and looked outside through the window to check the weather “And pack some warm cloaks and coats.”

  After he was done talking, he went outside and into his mansion-like house. The elf brothers went to the inn in the town to get some rest but Neiham stayed back. She went to Adne, who was in an empty room, sitting and weeping, for her sons were going to leave.

  Neiham, being a kind hearted woman who knew the pain of losing sons for she had her own son killed by Geluna, comforted her….

  Soon, it was nightfall and everyone went to sleep.

  CHAPTER 3

  Everyone in the town woke up before dawn and got everything ready for the ceremony. Everyone gathered in the town square and put a throne like chair in the middle. When it was finally dawn, they took Leosher and put him on the throne. Then, Azar and Virgil brought Lamfari out and the ceremony began. Lamfari came close to Leosher and put his hands on his head and started:

  “May the blessings of the gods be with you and may they protect and pave your way through the hardest parts of this journey. May you get guidance when you most need it and you shall be blessed with a bright mind to make calculated and good decisions. Though you are a god, may you always have the attitude of a commoner, calm and humble and may you never fall into the hands of evil.”

  Then he called out for the crown and Adne brought it to him with her old ragged hands. He felt where it was with his hands and put it on Leosher’s head. “You are now the new king of the new empire that will be ever expanding. May this empire soon expand over the world.” When he was done, Meagon brought forth a red, Warrior-king’s cloak. Leosher slipped it over his shoulders and got up to address to his people

  “I promise you that the reign of terror and evil will no longer prevail and I proclaim that we shall be free.”

  He was now looking exactly like the prince of gods in his red cloak, golden armor, and leather battle skirt and leather sandals. His long hairs were tied back and his beard was giving him glory. This was the beginning of the peaceful era of Thraenus.

  After the coronation ended, Buntius lined up the warriors, including the Poppins brothers, the Elf brothers, Azar and Neiham. Lamfari blessed them all with oil and then departed them. Everyone sat on their horses except Leosher, he went to Meagon to say good bye. He kissed her and afterwards he went to his mother and said goodbye. After he was done, he sat on his black horse and rode away with the rest of the warriors. They rode out of the outskirts and followed the stream that flowed all the way to the icy mountains and continued towards the southern shore of the kingdom….

  After a day’s journey, they reached the top of the icy mountains. There they stopped and set up a fire. It was cold and there was not one living or dead creature except for the brave warriors but Azar had his staff and was on guard, for he felt the presence of something. Same was the case with Usere, he was on guard and alert, but the others sat around the fire and roasted the deer they had killed at the foot of the mountain, to eat.

  “So, Leosher,” said Urey “How does it feel to be a god?”

  “It feels good, knowing that you have power and you are one of the gods, but I do not feel any different than before.”

  Just as he was talking, they heard a thrashing sound. These were the ice giants. These were magical creatures that lived on the mountain and blocked the path of travelers and only let the soldiers pass through. These were one of the first lines of defense Geluna had. These giants blocked the path of anyone, trying to reach the green castle of Geluna. The giants were as big as a noble fir. There were three of them in number but they were big enough to wipe out entire towns. Usere and Azar quickly got up and began fighting, to buy the others some time. Leosher grabbed his spears and joined the fight as well and Urey followed him by shooting arrows at the giants.

  It was worthless for Urey
to fight them, because his arrows were being absorbed by the giants. Virgil even tried cutting their heads off but it was hopeless. They just simply picked up more ice from the ground and placed it on their necks.

  Everything seemed pointless until Neiham brought forth a fire basilisk from her cards. She had a set of magical cards with magical creatures trapped within them. They were old cards that Azar had given her. The cards were green and brown in color and were in a ragged condition. She used these cards in fights and was effective in many battles. All she had to do was hold the card and call forth the beast with her mind and she did so, right now.

  A basilisk made of fire rose up into the sky and came down upon the giants like the suns. Everything lit up in the night sky, for the light from the basilisk was so bright. It was like a thrid sun in the sky which came out at night. The giants instantly melted and stopped. Everything calmed down instantly and everyone took a deep breath. Their cold was now gone, for the fire from the basilisk had set the trees around them on fire but soon, the giants started to come back to life for they were still in ice. But Azar quickly put his staff on the ground. Just as the tip hit the ground, a blinding flash of blue light came out of the head of the staff. This flash sent the giants flying off of the mountain and into the cavities. There was a moment of silence again, but then everything ended.

  Azar looked around to make sure they all were save and then put his pipe back in his mouth and sat on a rock “We have to be more careful from now on. We almost got seriously hurt. Everyone has to be attentive at all times or the risk of losing lives is imminent.”

  Leosher smiled “We are the best. Who can mess with us?”

  “Beware Leosher” warned Usere in his heavy voice “Do not let your cockiness take over your reasoning, for it will be your downfall.”

  “I think we all should go to sleep now” Urey smiled and cheered up the atmosphere “We have a long journey to look forward to tomorrow, and pretty she-elves are waiting for me in my dreams. I do not wish to keep them waiting any longer. ”