by Asher, Yarid
Everyone was having fun except for Leosher and Meagon, both of whom still sat on the castle’s lookout.
“Leosher, are you alright?”
“Yes I am fine. What am I, a child that you need to ask?”
“Can you please let your arrogance go for just a moment?”
“I am not arrogant—you are being unreasonable.”
Just as they were talking, a flash of light occurred behind them and out of the smoke came of Dadurot. He wore the same things he wore in the afternoon. The only thing different about him was his smirk; it was more evil this time.
“What are you here for?” Meagon got up and said possessively, “You do not belong here; you belong down there, in the festival with the rest of them, enjoying.”
“You are a feisty one,” Dadurot said with a lisp “The perfect match for someone as talented as Leosher.”
“What do you want Dadurot?” Leosher got up angrily with his fists clenched and said in a heavy voice “I do not have time for your garbage.”
“I am your well-wisher, let me explain,” Dadurot moved forward and started talking to Leosher face to face, over the sound of the drums, trumpets, cheers and blasts from the fireworks while colorful lights flashed in their faces from the fireworks.
“I was the creature that visited you in your dreams. I was the dark creature that tried to move the shield away from your face. I knew this was going to happen to you, for I knew that they were using you.”
Leosher was shocked “I am sorry I did not listen to you but now, how do you plan on helping me?”
Dadurot laughed under his breath and continued talking “I can help you achieve the status that you desire, I will help you bring down Virgil, I will help you bring Aseroth tumbling down, but there are some things you shall do for me in order for your desires to be fulfilled.”
“What do I have to do?”
“You have to serve me, sell me your soul and be my slave.”
Meagon knew that Leosher was heartbroken to such as point that he would do anything to get his power back but she herself was a bit skeptical and that was smart and intelligent, for Dadurot was not a trustable person, he was known throughout all the other 7 realms as the wickedest of the rulers of the underworlds of all the 8 realms.
“Leosher, beware, for I do not trust him. He is a wicked and twisted individual.”
“Be quiet Meagon, you do not know how much pain my heart is in this moment.” Leosher looked back at Dadurot “I am ready, I sell you my soul, but what do I gain?”
“You gain dark energy. You will be able to use the dark energy which is undefeatable.”
Leosher was slowly drifting into selling his soul but Meagon, being a good wife tried to stop him “Leosher, evil never beats good; darkness never beats light. You do not know what you are about to do.”
“Shut up Meagon!—this is the only way I can beat Virgil.”
Dadurot grinned and continued “I proclaim you my dark horse!”
He grabbed Leosher’s shoulders and opened his own mouth, wide open. Dark black smoke and golden light came out of his mouth and went into Leosher’s body through his mouth, nose, eyes and ears. It was overwhelming for Meagon to even see.
The process was long and painful and Leosher was slowly lifted up into mid-air and slowly Dadurot let go of him. Leosher levitated in mid-air while the smoke and light entered his body and gave him dark energy. The more dark energy that went into his body, the more evil he grew and after a few seconds, Leosher emitted a blast of golden light and a little bit of black smoke and fell on the ground and when he got back up, his eyes were golden and body was dark black with golden veins showing throughout his body. There was a golden tribal mark on his left forearm and tt looked weird because sometimes it looked like a drawing of a dragon but sometimes it looked like hundreds of sharp twists and turns. It constantly moved around as if it swam on Leosher’s arm.
He was truly a dark horse which represented evil, a magical dark warrior in Thraenian mythology. Leosher looked angry and intimidating. His voice was hard to understand, for it was too hoarse and just his presence made the ground shake. Dadurot laughed at his creation but Meagon cried, for she was scared for Leosher because so much dark energy was surely going to attract the guardians and so much evil was surely going to get him thrown into the darkest pits of Ratarus.
“I am here for you…” Leosher said in his hoarse voice but he stuttered a bit, for he was not comfortable calling someone his master, “….Dadurot!” he did not call him his master. He was too arrogant and prideful to do so.
“You are undoubtedly the strongest being on the planet again, but first, if you wish to keep these powers, kill Samael, and free Shamaun and his forces from Ratarus. They will aid you in taking over the whole universe.”
Meagon still was not comfortable “Leosher please, we will figure something out, please do not do this. You look hideous and this man is evil, do not make him your master.”
When Meagon said that, Dadurot smacked her in the face. She fell backwards which made Leosher very mad. He screamed in anger and suddenly tore out of his “Dark horse” cocoon and returned back to his old, brown self. He had left his demon form which was controlled by Dadurot and now was back to normal again. He was very angry and he walked forward and stood very close to Dadurot “If you EVER touch her again, I swear I will rip that arm right off!”
Although Dadurot had not anticipated this reaction from Leosher and him getting out of the demon form, he stayed calm “It was an accident—calm down.”
Dadurot knew Leosher was too strong minded to be controlled but he took the risk, for he planned to use Leosher to get the thrones and in the end, kill him to get them for himself.
“Are you alright,” Leosher looked at Meagon who was one the ground, “Get up.”
She got up and walked towards Dadurot and stood in front of him “You are off the hook this time but trust me, if you do that one more time that will be your end.”
Dadurot smiled mockingly and then looked at Leosher “Now that you are back to your old self, go kill Samael and get closer to your goal.”
“Where can I find him?” Leosher asked “Tell me and I shall kill him.”
“You will have to find him, for his location is a secret to save him from the guardians, none know about his location.”
Leosher nodded and kissed Meagon aggressively and jumped off of the cliff, unto the crystal bridge. He went inside the castle and went towards the army stables where he planned on getting a horse. This was the place where all the animals were lined up for the army to use in battle but since all were at the festival, there was none guarding them. The castle was empty except Ezhak who was sleeping soundly in the farthest yard of the castle, the yard where Leosher’s marriage had occurred.
Even the stables of the castle were magnificent. They had gold plated pillars and cobble stoned floors which were covered with hay and feces of the animals. It was a long room with two windows, North of the entrance and a giant door, West of the entrance. That was the door which was used to take the animals out to pasture in the yards of the castle and those who did not pasture, were fed meat but separately.
The stalls where the horses were kept were East from the entrance where Leosher came in from. They were filled with strong horses, the horses of the best kinds. Most of the horses were white and brown but there was one that caught Leosher’s eye. It was in the corner and it was black, total black just like the night.
It had a mane like that of a lion and it had very muscular and toned legs and had long hair on its legs. Its eyes were big and yellow and his teeth were pearl white. Its tail was hairy as well and it was tall, about as tall as Leosher was.
Leosher liked this horse and quickly pulled him out of its stall and jumped on it but stopped for a moment, for he did not feel the flutter of the cloak he usually felt, which reignited the fire in his heart.
He did not have his scythe either but then he remembered that it was still in the yard,
waiting for him to claim it. He grabbed the horse by its mane and rode it out to the yards where Ezhak slept. He was sleeping next to the scythe and a part of his long, scaly tail was on it. Leosher saw the golden scythe with the help of the light that was produced by the fireworks and the moon. It glimmered.
He walked over, quietly, trying not to wake him up and tried to pull the scythe out from under him but his tries were futile, for he could not do so unless he picked his tail up.
After a few careful, yet futile tries, Leosher yanked it out from under him because he had gotten tired of waiting and even though Leosher succeeded, he had woken up Ezhak and soon he stood tall in front of him and scared his horse back into the stables. Ezhak looked furious in all the colorful lights from the fireworks.
He stood tall in front of Leosher “What are you doing here my lord?”
“I am not the king anymore. You do not have to call me your lord.”
“I do,” Ezhak said while stretching his huge wings, and yawning “You were the one who freed me from the guardianship therefore, you are my lord—anyways, why are you here? And what were you doing with that horse?”
“I am going to find Samael and kill him and that horse was my ride.”
“Why,” he asked “Why are you to kill Samael?”
“I have my reasons, now go back to sleep for I have work to do.”
“Do you know where he resides,” Ezhak asked while trying to smile but his smile came out like a grin, “Because I know and I can take you there if you let me, my lord.”
Leosher thought for a few moments while staring at the ground and then looked back at the gigantic beast “Yes, take me to him.”
Ezhak nodded and kneeled down and put his head on the ground so Leosher could get on his back and just as Leosher jumped on, Ezhak bolted in the sky. Leosher held unto a thorn at end of his neck tightly and held his scythe in his other hand tightly as well and Ezhak flew over the festival and soon he went above the clouds.
“Where is Samael?”
“He resides in the south eastern parts of what used to be Agnithius. He resides there with his wife and some of his own military. You will have to be very careful, for his army is made of the best fighters.”
“I will be, and how is it that the guardians do not see him?”
“I do not know much my lord,” Ezhak said in his growling voice “But I believe his wife, Temuna has to do something with it.”
“Well how do you know it?”
“I was flying around and I recognized him but lucky he didn’t see me, or probably he has forgotten about me.”
It was to be a long journey but due to the fact that Leosher was riding a dragon, the time it took was much shorter. Ezhak flew as fast as he could and brought Leosher to the ragged castles of Samael by the dawn of the new day.
Leosher jumped off of him and stood before the gates of the castle which was a shabby pile of rocks. It looked as if it would break with a single touch but somehow, it had been standing strong for a long time.
The castle was in a discreet location. A part of it was on a rocky cliff which looked over the sea. It was located in the southernmost part of what used to be Agnithius, at the very tip, and Mount Dabbacan, the place where Ratarus resided, was visible from there but vaguely. The castle was surrounded with a thick green forest and the front of the castle was barren lands.
Leosher stood before the huge wooden gate with Ezhak at his side and his scythe gripped tightly in his hand, ready to fight.
“Samael,” he yelled out “I know you reside here and I am here to wipe you out of existence. Now you and I both know that this is the day you die, come out and fight.”
There was a moment of silence and only the wind was heard but then came out a roaring voice “You must be truly mindless to come here. Do you know to whom you address?”
Samael came and stood on top of the high walls of his castle. He wore a battle skirt, almost like the one Leosher used to wear when he left the outskirts of Gelus. His torso was bare and he had a long black beard and thick mustache. His hairs were short but had a thin, long braid that came out of the back of his head. He wore ragged sandals and was covered in dirt and all of his glory that he once had was gone and now he looked dirty. He also had two battle axes in his hands, which he was to use to fight Leosher.
When Leosher saw him, he smirked “I know exactly who I am talking to. You are the coward who hid from the guardians for over 2 millennia. You are the coward who hid and blew away 2 millennia of his life, being scared of imprisonment.”
“That was wise; I am wise, what you are not, for you do not know what I am capable of.”
“You are not capable of doing any task, not even the simplest. You have no power, for you divided all your power into your friends, which I have slain already.”
Samael laughed at Leosher’s arrogance and continued conversating “Do you seriously believe that nonsense? I am the cunning scoundrel who imprisoned his own father. Do you think I would leave myself helpless? I gave those three imbeciles my own powers, but only a third. I still have more power than you could ever handle. And to top it all up,” Samael was joined by his wife, Temuna, who was one of the remaining wizards. She wore a green dress and had fully rouged lips. She also had black nails and her hairs were dark black dreads. She was also brown in color, almost like Leosher, just a little lighter, and had a fresh skin.
Samael continued talking “I am married to this rogue beauty, Temuna. She alone can kill you.”
Leosher laughed and mocked him “I cannot wait till I get my hands on you. I will kill you and I promise you, it is going to hurt.”
Ezhak laughed to support Leosher and spit some fire on the ground but he stopped laughing, for he knew both of them had no chance against Samael.
Samael and Temuna laughed too and suddenly, the wooden gates of the castle fell and Samael’s men ran out. They wore thick armor made of steel but since the armors were old, they had holes and flaws in them which were patched with rocks. They had ragged swords but the swords had a dark aura which was the dark energy of Samael.
He only had swordsman. There were no archers or any other type of soldiers, just those who wielded swords and the number of soldiers was low as well; there were only about 50 men but those 50 men were highly trained and though they looked as if they could not beat Leosher, they were filled with the same evil Leosher had. It was as if the dark energy was given by the same person, and most probably, it was.
The soldiers were pale and their eyes were fully blood red. They had long dirty nails and were bare foot.
It was not long before the battle began, when Samael, who stood on the wall, signaled the men by pointing towards Leosher and yelling “Kill him!”
There was distance between Leosher and the men but just as the men started covering the distance, Leosher made his move. He threw his scythe into the crowd with such a speed and strength that many could not see it coming towards them. He followed the scythe with the same speed and strength and just as the scythe hit its target it took out at least 5 of the men and killed them and following the scythe was Leosher’s knee. He jumped in the air and came down onto the crowd, knee-first. The impact was great which dismantled the forces even more.
Ezhak helped Leosher by throwing fireballs into the fight and buying him enough time to get back to his scythe so he could begin the massacre.
Leosher slid from under the legs of one of the soldiers, who stood with his sword ready to kill him, and grabbed his scythe. He quickly got up and swung it with the aim of decapitating the soldier, and he succeeded at it. Leosher killed the soldier and continued to fight. He was untouchable, for that much dark energy in a god’s body who was meant to be a great fighter, was overwhelming. He was too fast for any of the soldiers’ sword to even scratch him. He was too strong for them to hold him down and he was too cunning to be tricked.
The battle was over quickly, for Leosher and Ezhak were too good in battles to die and Ezhak’s doubt was proven wrong, for
he saw Leosher standing in puddles of blood and a mountain of bodies.
“Your end is here,” Leosher looked at Samael and smirked but for some reason, Samael smirked back and Temuna was not standing beside with him.
“Are you sure?” Samael said “I am not the one who is about to die” and just as he said that, Temuna came out of the gates and pointed her wooden wand which was wrapped in vines, towards Leosher. Black ropes shot out of her wand, just like the ones Lutman used. They were nasty and shiny and looked like tar, only more elastic.
The ropes wrapped around Leosher’s body and incapacitated him. They were overwhelmingly strong, for even Leosher was not being able to break free. Ezhak quickly spat fire at Temuna to kill her but Samael intervened. He grabbed Ezhak’s neck and swung him. It was a spectacular scene, for Ezhak was thrown away like a rag doll and he passed out just as his head hit the ground, for he had never experienced such a thing, but Samael thought he had died, therefore he left him alone.
“Leosher,” Samael laughed “Did you really think you could break free? My wife, Temuna is undoubtedly the strongest witch in the whole world, and the most beautiful too.”
Temuna smiled and spat on Leosher’s face and said in her shrieking voice “You are to die in our dungeons, and your body shall rot!”
She flicked her wand and another strand came out which ultimately covered all of Leosher and then, the whole thing turned into marble. Leosher was now encased in a black marble coffin. Temuna looked at Samael and kissed him “He is an imbecile. Now take this, and throw it in the deepest dungeons of our ragged castle. We shall use his power to kill the guardians and be released from this eternal run.”
“I like the way you think.” Samael appreciated her and picked the coffin up and took it inside his ragged castle and went into the dungeons. They were dark and wet. They were the strongest part of the castle, for this was the only place which was not built by stacking up giant boulders. There were many cells with bones in them; these bones were of soldiers that did not listen to Samael and Temuna. There was water dripping from the ceiling and the walls were green with algae.