THE LAST LEGEND
AWAKENED
THE LAST LEGEND
AWAKENED
J. B. Wichterich
With Art by Joshua B. Wichterich
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Text copyright © 2014 Joshua B. Wichterich
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher.
Bible versions - KJV/NKJV
ISBN-13: 978-1495305795
ISBN-10: 1495305791
Acknowledgments
I thank God for loving me. He has blessed me in so many ways while leading me through this literary journey. He has inspired me on so many levels and transformed my broken pieces into inspiring art. God has turned my darkness into light… Jesus is my heart.
I thank my beautiful wife for loving my dreams and my bright son for making me feel like a warrior of a dad. I love ya’ll.
I thank my family and in-laws for supporting my aspirations when it was hard for me to. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if it wasn’t for every one of you.
I thank my dad for raising me up to be a man of God—and my mom and my little brother for being the only fans of The Last Legend when I first began its pages. The journey was long, but fun. I appreciate your interest and feedback greatly.
I thank all of my friends and co-workers for inspiring me. You never allowed me to quit.
I thank my pastor. Through you, God has spoken to me on many occasions.
Contents
Introduction
-13-
So It Begins
-17-
The Burning
-25-
Princess Marrisa
-38-
Tairren
-49-
The Lady Natalia Ducre’
-62-
A Royal Surprise
-79-
Mid-Day
-88-
A Blue Heart
-104-
I Am Called Natas
-124-
A Night Of Fear
-156-
The Night Is Late
-178-
The Wing Pendant
-193-
A Moment In Time
-207-
Darker Times
-223-
The Watchers And The Guardian
-247-
The Whisperers In The Forest
-270-
Heavy Burdens
-282-
The Book The Tree And The King
-298-
Silver Stones And Dead Bones
-311-
The Black Forest
-334-
The Awakening Of The Three Keys
-349-
Revelations
-382-
Full Circle
-396-
To my beloved son, Joshua Jr.
Always keep the light within your heart and let them know Him through you…then show them the way.
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5-7 KJV
History is the past that unravels the present, opening the doors to an unstoppable future… But there is some history that has been long forgotten—like the gifts of nature. This history has been taken for granted and passed down as a legend—an age old tale, like the seasons of earth. And then, just like the small details of earth and the many phases it entails, legend is soon forgotten. For the world has witnessed so many great wonders—and has forgotten them… Pity to those who do not know it, for they are lost—pity to those who have forgotten it, for they are weak—and pity to those who do not heed it—for they are cursed…
…The Legend is this… So long ago, before the beginning of time—before the lives and dreams of man, when the being of earth was but a thought, and before the great veil of night was sprinkled with light—before life itself began to dwell, there was a kingdom of light, that still is. This divine domain was called Nevaeh—and sparkled in the deepest region of the great veil, on the outskirts of the still darkness. A great king of light ruled over this kingdom with his tangible love and kindness. In all of his splendor and bravura, he was passionately worshiped by his people. And amongst this grandeur kingdom were his warriors, beings of light called Legna. These Legna were his knights, his Legion of Light who followed him till no end, who fought for him and the freedom and love he bestowed upon them.
But among these warriors of light was a knight whose heart did not shine as bright as the rest, an Archlengna called Lucif. He was captivating and gifted, commander-in-chief of the Legion of Light and at The Great King’s right hand. But just like the dim and blistering tip of a flame, the Archlegna’s heart was also dim and blistering—and above anyone else, craved power, to be worshiped like that of The Great King.
The deceiving Archlegna presented to The Great King all of his fabrications, of what he could do for him, what great things he would grant him—like that of the earth and all of its magnificence—under one condition—if he would bow down and worship him, praise him for everything he did…
The king knew of what was in Lucif’s heart, for he foresaw it—he knew everything that was and was to come—including that of the creation of man and earth and all that was imparted upon it. Lucif did not understand that everything he did was through The Great King’s spirit, that The Great King could do any mysterious and impossible thing on his own will. The Great King saw the wickedness in Lucif’s heart and the jealousy in his eyes, and he had compassion and sympathy in his heart for Lucif—for The Great King is always good. He pitied Lucif and casted him and his followers out, exiling them unto the darkness and away from Nevaeh, The Great Kingdom of Light.
…Many years had passed like a faint breeze, and within those years the king had done many great and mysterious things—like that of the creation of Earth and man and everything that it consists of. So many miracles were done by the king of light—so many that one merely cannot count them…
Lucif and his followers fell upon the earth like an angry bolt of lightning, ravaging the mighty king’s creations. Lucif’s revenge was great and he loathed The Great King, doing everything in his power to stop the king’s good works. He came upon the earth to steal, kill and destroy—everything that was good… With malice in his heart and nastiness on his tongue, Lucif conjured up an immense plan to conquer The Great King, a scheme that was even more intricate than one’s lifetime. He spread his fabrications to his followers, his Nomeds, who ate up every word from his black tongue. All it acquired was timing, the perfect sacrifice and the perfect place—the Kingdom of Minslethrate.
Minslethrate was an ancient kingdom and was called The Golden Lands, for it was the land where The Great King first bestowed his people upon, establishing the first settlement of light. Even though Minslethrate was small, it was very beautiful and prosperous, blessed, having an abundance of vegetation and livestock and was amongst the purest of rivers. Out of spite, these were the lands Lucif chose to infiltrate and plant his seeds of iniquity—to ravage like a great disease… And so, those seeds gave birth to darkness. After years of torment and pandemonium, the dark lord waited in the darkness for a thousand years in the deep chasms of Minslethrate until that time came…to reign in darkness and in flesh…
The time is now… Catching the scent of the perfect innocent and lost blood, Lucif ascended from the dark chasms and the shadows o
f the forest…finally snatching up what he yearned for…
PROLOGUE
So It Begins
All she could do was run—as fast as she could. Screaming would do her no good, no one was around. How did she get there? Where was she? Who or what was she running from?! All of these questions ripped through her throbbing head as she ran away from—something…
It was cold, too cold—and dark. Her hands and bare feet were like ice as she ran through the great stone halls of the castle. At least she thought it was a castle… The wet, cold air was heavy and smelled of thick mildew in the dark spaces around her. The halls were long and the stone walls reached high up until they disappeared into the darkness of the black abyss above her. There were torches scattered about the hall which barely lit the horrifying and damp place. The torches seemed to laugh at her as they cascaded dancing shadows across the stone walls. Spider webs and deep cracks stretched along the walls, creating a mural of twisted shapes and images.
The breathless girl had to stop, just for a moment, to breathe, to rest her aching feet and legs, but not for too long—because it was coming, closer. She could feel a presence growing in the dark air, a presence that she had never felt before. It didn’t feel good—it felt horrifying and evil, like all feelings of hope, love, and happiness were sucked from the world, away from her. She could feel it everywhere, all around her now, like she had been shrouded in a thickly woven mantle, made from prickly ivy and course hair. Her chest burned as she sucked in the stale, cold air of the atmosphere that masked her whole body.
Scaling alongside the moist, spider-webbed stone wall, she began to run again, but couldn’t. Her burning legs wouldn’t allow her to run anymore. She made her way to the nearest torch. The fiery light burned bright above her head as it crackled and popped. The warmth emitting from the fire felt somewhat comforting against her frozen skin as it sent rays of goose-bumps through her flesh. She leaned against the stone wall, not caring about the fuzzy mildew that seemed to be covering the moist stones. She looked at her hands and bare feet which protruded out from beneath the long black gown she was wearing. Her hands and feet were bruised and scraped raw. Dirt and dried blood was scattered upon her once clean and smooth skin. But she couldn’t sense the pain, for the feeling of fear and numbness of the cold was too strong upon her frail body.
Her chest, half covered, heaved to and fro as she breathed heavily. The front of the black bodice she was wearing was loosely fastened, revealing her pale skin. Instead of the usual white material of an under garment, her milky skin was revealed. A red pendant that hung upon her chest showed elegantly against the ghostly complexion of her skin. The blood-red pendant she wore sparkled under the fire light, revealing its splendor. These weren’t her garments. She would never wear such ragged and inappropriate garbs, especially her being of royal blood from a very respected and powerful family.
It seemed that she had just arrived to the kingdom, marrying young and beautiful, learning their ways and customs, their language and religion. She was confused and frightened, wondering what had happened and how she had gotten in the predicament she was in. It was morning when she had snuck off to explore the strange and beautiful lands of Minslethrate. Content and curious, she wandered off into the fields and forests, yearning to find something new—and that she did... A dark presence caught the scent of her innocent blood… Having a weak flame burning in her heart, she fell asleep in a strange and dark forest, and awakened in fear and in darkness in a cold and wet chamber—alone and scared, and seemingly—hunted.
Her long black hair cascaded down her back and chest, making her beauty appear haunting and dark. Her mysterious almond-shaped eyes were dark, lined with thick lashes, and her elegant bone structure of her face was brushed red from the cold air.
“I see you…,” said a low and whispering voice. The voice seemed to come from everywhere! It echoed down the dark and morbid hallway, making her numb skin crawl.
Her heart pounded even more as she began to cry hysterically. The whites of her eyes were stained red as heavy tears flowed and her hands shook as if electricity ran through them.
“What do you want?!” she screamed out in the Minslethratian language. Her accent was thick and she was all choked up, making her words barely recognizable.
She began to walk backwards, away from where she thought the treacherous whispers came from.
“Carnage…” The haunting voice emitted from a black figure which stood still and menacingly down the hallway.
The whisper pierced her heart with fear.
She could see that the figure was covered in a long, black hooded cloak. The torch above it barely allowed her to see who or what it was. The terrified girl’s breath showed in the cold air as she attempted to run again. The dark hall only went one way—straight. All of the massive wooden doors on either side of the hallway were locked, or stuck! As she attempted each door, she looked back. Horror shot through her body as she could see that the figure came closer! Every once in a while she could see it as it passed beneath each random torch. It didn’t seem to be running, walking, or even moving at all for that matter, but motionless and gliding across the stone ground!
She ran until the hallway ended abruptly, past two long flowing, tattered curtains. All of a sudden she was outside. She panicked as she realized that she was on a balcony—a dead end! The moon was deviant, dim and red, peaking in and out of the black clouds. The wind whipped at her long black hair and gown as she ran into the cement railing of the balcony, nearly falling over it into the dark earth below. She leaned over the ice-cold cement balustrade, screaming out—to no one. Parts of the old balustrade crumbled and crashed down into the blackness of the night. The balcony was high up, really high, overlooking an abyss of dark trees and a black river that ran alongside the jagged rocks of the cliff’s base, on which the small castle sat upon.
Her intuition was correct; she was in some sort of castle, a tall and treacherous tower which seemed to be high atop the bottom cliffs of a mountain side. The sphere of the ice-cold moon revealed its face brilliantly now as the clouds passed by it. It seemed to gawk at her, laughing with its blood-red orb. Everything about that night was strange and frightening. Where was she? She didn’t recognize anything! She couldn’t see anything but moonlit trees and miles of field, as far as the eye could see.
“We have been waiting…,” a low and frightening voice said from behind her.
The terror-stricken girl turned quickly to discover that the black figure was now standing right in front of her, her face nearly touching its own! The smell of death emitted from the thing, burning her nostrils and eyes—and her heart.
…The girl’s screams echoed across the dark and cold night sky, carried by the wind to the black trees and fields beyond. The only witnesses of what had happened that night were that of a flock of bats that flickered through the strange moonlit sky…
Almost thirty years went by like the passing of an ill wind. Like in the days of the ancestors when the lands were much younger, innocent blood was spilled upon the earth by the malevolent hearts of man, who ate from the insidious seeds that Lucif had planted. Sorrow and sin continued to ravage the earth and the lands of Minslethrate as the ancient wanderer, Lucif, whose wicked heart was still enveloped by blackness and envy, lived like man upon The Golden lands.
He had possessed the body of a young queen named Karnidge, and ruled The Golden Lands of Minslethrate after the death of King James, with a lust for innocent blood—and absolute supremacy. Drunken by evilness and power, Queen Karnidge demanded to be venerated like that of a god—having anyone brutally burned at the stake on command if she was denied her idolization. Then, after five years of foul ruling and pandemonium, subsequent to the thirty-year reign of the late King James, the body of Queen Karnidge was cursed and became deathly ill. She could reign no more—and her wicked flesh finally died…
The kingdom was taken up by her young son and heir to the throne, Prince Julpen, who tried to light the fla
me of Minslethrate once again. As time passed, Julpen became an acceptable king, and he married the beautiful Princess O’nessa—and they were the new successors of Minslethrate. During the beginning of the forty years of King Julpen’s reign, Queen O’nessa spread her love and kindness upon the people.
After some time, they had a daughter whom they called Marrisa. After the first two years of Princess Marrisa’s life, Queen O’nessa mysteriously became ill—and died. She left the kingdom and the royal family in a state of sadness and darkness... As Marrisa grew to the tender age of six, she began to show traits of her mother, becoming lovelier at every waking moment. The people of Minslethrate began to see a pattern of love and kindness in her—giving them a glimpse of hope once again.
But over the forty-year reign of King Julpen, the wicked spirit that had been dwelling in the darkness, lingered on still like a foul scent. The darkened spirit traveled from one lost and barren heart to another, waiting for the era when darkness would have the chance to reign over all creation, when the lake of fire and deep pits of hell would be full and earth would be lost and all on it would bow down and worship the lord of darkness…
Book One
Awakened
CHAPTER 1
The Burning
The ominous sky looked strange and haunting as the people of Minslethrate began to congregate in the town square. The sky had many shades of dark-gray with billowy clouds that loomed over the small kingdom. Some of the clouds were such a dark-blue and heavy looking, that they seemed as if rain would come pouring out of them at any minute. The air was cold and bitter winds blew every now and then, sending cold shivers down the backs of the onlookers.
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