Clash Of Worlds

by Philip Mcclennan

  CLASH OF WORLDS

  by

  Philip McClennan

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2015 by Philip McClennan. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means.

  Cover Design: James, GoOnWrite.com

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1: The Aftermath

  Chapter 2: A New World

  Chapter 3: Freedom

  Chapter 4: The Exam

  Chapter 5: Graduation

  Chapter 6: The Two Warriors

  Chapter 7: The life of an agent

  Chapter 8: The Forbidden Lovers

  Chapter 9: The Man In White

  Chapter 10: The Connection

  Chapter 11: A Memory Of Fire

  Chapter 12: The Search For The truth

  Chapter 13: A Temple In The Woods

  Chapter 14: Danger At All Corners

  Chapter 15: The Order Of Chaos

  Chapter 16: A Past Long Forgotten

  Chapter 17: The Project Of Chaos

  Chapter 18: Seduction And Capture

  Chapter 19: Farewell Strange World

  About Philip McClennan

  Prologue

  In the beginning, darkness moved across the face of the deep, and the Creator willed there to be light. He invited the light from the darkness. He called the light day and the darkness night. Trenkenth, the Creator of all things, could form a world as easily as an artist drawing a painting with a brush. His imagination conjured the most exotic and also the vilest of realms, and his sheer thought and will, brought these worlds into existence. Upon his journeys across the cosmos, Trenkenth manufactured two realms in particular, a decision he would come to regret. The two worlds differ in every way one could possibly imagine. The Creator positioned the worlds close together, like neighbouring moons. He created them with the intention that they would become the greatest of allies, but the events that transpired after their creation ensured Trenkenth’s dream would not be realised. The first was the realm of Underworld.

  In Underworld, the people are slaves to the king of the dark land, Kanto. Some of the inhabitants live their lives in hiding, whilst others follow the king, although they do this more out of fear rather than loyalty. A section of the Underworld is cut off from the rest. This place is known as the land of the damned, a place where the undead or the cursed are said to wander. However there is no rest for their souls as even in death, they are slaves to the dark king of the Underworld. The entire world is prison like, ruled under the brutal regime of martial law. The king uses the power of telekinesis to control the minds of his people. This power enables him to have telepathic links with any being, anywhere, allowing him to attack the subconscious of any Underworld native by simple thought alone. The world is a dark place by nature, a shadow world, that harvests evil doers. Its inhabitants are generally dark willed by nature and serve the king unconditionally until their dying day.

  The second of these realms created by Trenkenth is the neighbouring world of Alexandria. The land is the complete opposite of its counterpart. A tropical paradise, the world is full of life and represents what is good. Free will and opinion are encouraged on the world compared with the dictatorship rule of Underworld. The king of Alexandria, Zeris, cares deeply for his people and he rejoices with them in times of celebration, as well as consoling them in times of hardship. The people are his children and he is their father.

  Due to their opposite nature, the two worlds have been locked in eternal conflict, over time growing to become hated enemies. Ever since, both realms remained uneasy at the looming presence of their neighbour. After decades of tension, the two worlds finally embraced the inevitable and the war to end all wars began. Much blood was spilt and millions of lives were lost in the battles over the years. Many other worlds and kingdoms became dragged into the conflict causing bloodshed on an unholy scale. The death and despair caused as a result of this enraged the god Trenkenth for the very universe he had worked to build had become threatened. The angered Creator set his sights on the two warring realms. What followed next began a chain of events that would ensure that all worlds would never be the same again…

  Chapter 1: The Aftermath

  A sea of bodies lay scattered over the battlefield. The smell of death loomed ominously around the endless wastelands. Survivors, what few that remained, wandered around scattered as they looked for signs of life. Smoke filled the field from which the battle had taken place, the last remnant of the fires that burnt violently only a short time ago. The fading light suddenly turned into darkness no quicker than the blinking of an eye. The broken body of a man crawled across a pile of burning rubble. A large broadsword was edged halfway through his back. The man left a trail of blood as he crawled, desperately looking for someone to help him, or perhaps someone to put him out of his misery. His prayers were answered when the remainder of the sword was pushed through his body aggressively. The man laid motionless, brought to his swift death by the large man now standing over him. It was Auron, the General of the Alexandrian armies.

  Auron was tall in appearance, around six feet and four inches to be exact. His hefty build was indeed that of a war general. His long red and black trench coat blew in the wind but was severely ripped from the long battle that he had just endured. His face was bloody, but this was not his own blood. It was the blood of a hundred, or maybe even a thousand slain Underworld men. Auron wiped the blood off the copper skin of his face. His cheekbones looked like they were made of granite and his deep brown eyes were serious. Auron wasn’t in great shape now. He was heavily fatigued from battle. This had been the mother of all wars after all. A war that had caused the destruction of two worlds, a war that had resulted in the death of billions. He pulled the sword from a fallen body. The steel was smeared in blood. Auron looked up at the sky, at this newfound darkness that had overcome the area in no time at all. It’s over, he thought to himself. A flash of lighting struck the lands in the distance, setting the sky alight briefly. That is no ordinary lighting bolt. Auron’s stern facial expression changed to a more concerned look. The King…

  A flash of white light lit up the window inside a large tower. The lighting brightened up the previously dark brick walls of the room. As the lighting faded, dim candlelight remained the only source of visibility. Two men lay knelt down on one knee. They both appeared battered and bloody. The two men were kings of two different realms, the lands of Alexandria and Underworld. That is, they used to be two different realms, not anymore. The two worlds had forcefully merged together to become one, less than an hour ago, with devastating effects. The merging of two realms had resulted in the effective destruction of a whole world in itself and this was a fact that both kings knew only too well.

  Before the two knelt kings was a dark hooded figure, a creature that looked down mercilessly on the two fallen men. Small lighting sparks omitted from the outline of the hooded figure and the air around him seemed disturbed, almost as if all of him wasn’t there. The two kings shared a glance as an awkward tension filled the air. After a few moments of silence, the figure began to speak.

  “I should kill both of you here and now!”

  The two men remained bowed, too afraid to speak or even look up at the hooded figure.

  “From this day forth your world is banished from all the others. The bloodshed you have caused will not be allowed to continue.”

  The two kings did not move…daren’t not move.

  “You can do with this new world as you please. Co
ntinue your meaningless battle for control and doom yourselves, it matters not to me anymore.”

  The hooded figure revealed an old wooden staff from beneath his cloak and held it out at the two men. “I take from both of you your first born sons, they will play no further part in this. Their destiny shall lay away from this land.”

  Zeris, the King of Alexandria, dressed in white and golden plated armour, of which was blood stained from battle, looked up toward the hooded figure. “Not my son!” he pleaded, floods of tears began to flow from his eyes and down his cheeks.

  Red eyes glowed from within the hood of the strange figure and Zeris quickly bowed his head in fear. He knew he could do nothing but obey for this was no simple hooded figure at all; this was Trenkenth, the Creator of all things. It was he who had merged the two worlds of Alexandria and Underworld together. It was he who had stepped in and brought a halt to this forbidden war, a war that would surely have ended in the total annihilation of both realms had it continued. The other king, Kanto remained cold and silent. He knew his place. Kanto was the ruler of the Underworld. He was dressed in dark thin attire, unlike the amour of his counterpart, showing off big broad shoulders. He had long dark and white hair and the blackest eyes, the devil's eyes. Kanto cared little for the safety of his people and regarded them as nothing more than sacrificial lambs, stepping stones in his ultimate goal of seizing control of the Alexandrian realm. Kanto did, however, care for his own safety. He knew it would be unwise to speak out against Trenkenth, the very being that created both realms in the first place.

  Kanto was cunning, he knew to bide his time. He was an opportunist, and recognised a way to use this situation to his advantage, whilst at the same time gaining sympathy for himself. He offered the Alexandrian king a truce, an end to the conflict. A way for the two worlds to co-exist in a dominion now brought together into a single realm. With Trenkenth looking on, Zeris agreed to the truce, a pact that would ensure the safety of his people and more importantly his own life. The pair shook hands. The Creator was unimpressed, firmly believing that neither would keep their word.

  “You are both to meet me within the wilderness in one day's time, there you shall bring your sons to me. It would be wise of you to heed my warning, for failure to do so will be met with fatal consequence.” With those words the creator vanished in an instant.

  With only the two kings remaining in the room, the pair slowly raised to their feet. Here they stood, two mortal enemies, two rulers who had fought an endless war spanning years against each other. Now they finally stood face to face, with no one but each other for company. There was an awkward silence between them, neither unsure quite how to act. They were fierce warriors, not to mention deadly enemies, however now was not the time for battle. Well, this was the case for Zeris anyhow. Kanto, however, was not one to let an opportunity like this slip by. The dark king slowly slipped his right hand into the back of his belt and reached for a small dagger. He was about to pull it out when Auron appeared from a stairway at the back of the room.

  “My King!” Auron said to the king of Alexandria, making his way to Zeris’ side with haste upon seeing who he had for company.

  Kanto released the grip of his dagger. He knew he was outnumbered and outmatched now. He could take on Zeris alone, or even Auron for that matter, but despite his great skill he was no match against the two mightiest fighters the realm of Alexandria had ever produced.

  Auron drew his sword. “My King we can end this now, once and for all,” said the head of the Alexandrian armies. He had lost thousands of comrades in the war and many of their deaths were fresh in his memory. Auron took aim at the king of the Underworld.

  Kanto acted quickly, sensing the danger. “Remember our truce my dear Zeris. You agreed to it before Trenkenth himself. He will be most displeased if you go back on your word now.”

  Zeris pondered for a moment. He also shared Auron’s hatred for the king of the Underworld and nothing would please him more than ending his life here and now.

  “We need to put an end to the conflict once and for all, for the survival of our people. If there is more bloodshed then neither of us will have a kingdom left.” Kanto continued.

  Auron interrupted him. “I’ll slay him now, Underworld will fall and the war will be at an end!” Auron prepared to strike the dark king down.

  Zeris quickly held out his arm preventing Auron for lashing out. “No, my friend, the battle is over.”

  Auron looked outraged. “Sire he’s lying, this is Kanto, he has never spoken a word of truth in his life. Let me kill him now. Let me put and end to the pain and suffering he has inflicted on our people.” Auron attempted to strike his enemy down and Zeris again blocked Auron’s advances.

  Kanto remained cool and still during the pair's argument. He knew Zeris cared deeply for his people, and that if Auron struck him down, the Creator would punish his people further. He knew that Zeris would not risk that outcome.

  “My dear friend, Kanto has offered a truce, an end to the fighting. A truce that Trenkenth himself witnessed.”

  It was almost a plea from the king. They had been through a lot together Zeris and Auron. The men had been young soldiers in the Alexandrian army back in the times before Zeris came to the throne. They trusted each other, they were best friends, and Auron was his chief adviser, a man whom he trusted with his life. Auron looked on at Kanto, all the hatred he felt towards Underworld, a realm that had caused so much destruction to his beloved Alexandria came to the forefront. His grip tightened on his sword, the anger swelling through him almost reduced him to tears.

  Zeris put his arms on both his shoulders. “Auron, trust me, my friend, it is over.”

  Auron reluctantly withdrew his sword.

  “Touching,” said Kanto coldly, who remained stood very calmly with both hands folded behind his back.

  The Wilderness was a treacherous place. As its name suggested, it was an area of nothingness, thousands upon thousands of miles of derelict wasteland. The Wilderness was an area full of the most fierce and unforgiving creatures within the entire realm. The Creator had kept the Wilderness intact when merging the two worlds together. He knew both worlds feared the area. He placed the wilderness at the new world's centre, separating the now joint kingdoms of Alexandria and Underworld. Trenkenth was also wise enough to have the entire area covered with fading light. To the regular person, this would be the equivalent of sunrise or sunset conditions, a time in which the light is dimming. This was far more significant to the people of both worlds. Trenkenth did everything for a reason, and this was no different. You see Alexandria and Underworld were mirror reflections of one another, direct opposites as different as daylight and darkness.

  The realm Alexandria was a world of continuous daylight, whilst its counterpart Underworld was a world of eternal darkness. The Alexandrians genetic makeup enabled them to utilize their abilities to their maximum potential during daylight, whilst becoming jaded and fatigued during darkness. Underworld was the direct opposite, their inhabitants excelled in darkness. By having a fading light zone cast into the wilderness ensured neither world would have an advantage, each of their abilities would be cancelled out. The Creator knew this would keep the temptation for the worlds to invade each other to a minimum. However in truth, he cared little about the fate of either world now. Trenkenth was not one to annihilate an entire world just because they had disobeyed him. He had faith in lower beings, as he called them. He wanted them to find the answers on their own, rather than enforcing his own direct intervention. He did, however, wish to punish both worlds for the chaos and bloodshed that they had caused. And so the time came. The two kings appeared at the location Trenkenth had requested. Each accompanied by their close aids and each with a small child. The location was at the foot of two mountains, in a valley around sixty feet wide. The two groups came across a large stone-like structure.

  The structure was made of the oldest stone they had ever seen, having the look of something that had stood since
the beginning of time. It arched up to form a doorway that raised over fifty feet high. Thirty huge steps led up to the gateway opening and either side of the entrance were two statues. Both of them stood as if guarding the gate, and everyone present felt as if the two figures, which wielded a large stone broadsword apiece, were watching them.

  “Father, what is that?” a small boy whispered from behind the middle-aged woman who accompanied Kanto. The woman was Harriet, the most powerful sorceress in the whole of Underworld. She wore a purple dress robe that matched the colour of her eyes, as did the purple ruby that glimmered on her neck. She wielded a small marble staff, which gave her unyielding power, second only to the king himself. She held the boy’s hand as he looked on in fear. The small boy was Kanto’s son, Shadow. He was six years old and had thick brown hair. The poor boy had never been so afraid in his entire life. His dark brown eyes showed his fear.

  “Be silent,” Kanto replied bluntly to his son, not even caring to turn around and look at him as he spoke.

  Zeris, who stood only a few feet away looked on, almost feeling sorry for the poor boy. Zeris also had a small child with him, his own son Valentine whom he held by the hand. Valentine, who was around five years old and who had the golden hair his mother once had, remained silent, too afraid to speak at the sight of the two stone like guards peering down at him. Auron was stood not too far behind his king. His left hand was firmly on the handle of his undrawn sword, which was ready to be unleashed at any moment. Auron did not like this situation one bit. He hated what was about to transpire, he hated that he was stood in the wilderness, without the protection of the sun that powered the Alexandrians, but most of all, he hated the fact he was stood alongside his most bitter enemies.

  Auron had no love for Harriet, the Underworld Sorceress who stood alongside Kanto. Harriet had been a key member of Kanto’s order and had orchestrated the death of many a comrade of his. Auron would sooner have drawn his sword and struck the pair down. Kanto, who stood calmly with his arms folded behind his back, was fully aware of Auron’s building anger.