Clash Of Worlds

by Philip Mcclennan

  Both Zeris and Auron knew the man, Vincent Xavier, a haunting figure from their past. It was Auron’s intention to pursue the former traitor that had now made the dark lands of Underworld his home. He wished to hunt the man down and settle the score once and for all.

  I have not forgotten Xavier. I will never forget!

  The king was strongly opposed to the idea, not wishing for Auron to risk his life on a task that was fraught with danger. “Let him rest in peace Auron,” Zeris said to him. “His soul is damned and he is cursed to live for eternity with the guilt of his treason.”

  Auron pressed the king again and again, but he would not change his mind. The knight reluctantly agreed not to pursue the man and retired to his chambers. The next few nights Auron found little sleep. Always his mind was on the traitor who roamed free. He isn’t paying for his sins, thought Auron. From his bedside, he looked over to his broadsword, which he always kept leant against the wall no more than an arms reach away. He looked at the blade, dreaming of cutting the throat of Vincent Xavier, the so-called Dark Archer. I should have brought his head back to Alexandria. Auron regretted the mercy he had shown his old friend. How can I simply go on about my business when I know he roams free? After much deliberation, the king’s longest serving Knight set off on the long road to the Dark Forest anyway. He had never disobeyed the king before in all his many years of service. This time was different, however, for this time it was a personal matter. He knew that it would forever eat away at his soul if he did not at least seek the traitor out. Apologies my king, but I must go.

  The king looked out from the balcony of his chambers. He had a clear vision of Auron leaving the castle. Zeris sighed and shook his head before making his way back inside his chambers.

  Auron journeyed for many days on the dangerous road to the south in search of the cursed Dark Forest of the Underworld. The knight was a legend of Alexandria and many knew his face, therefore he kept just off the main path. He wished to keep his journey as discreet as possible and travelled via the mountains or the woodlands when he could. He had a personal score to settle and didn’t wish for any unwanted guests getting in his way. This time I will kill you, Xavier, no one will interrupt us! After eight days, Auron reached the Alexandrian border. The warrior arrived at an area known as the Wilderness, a place that separated the two realms from each other. This was the most dangerous place within the joint world of Alexandria and Underworld.

  The Alexandrian’s abilities were enhanced in sunlight due to their genetic makeup whilst the people of Underworld were at their strongest under the shadow of darkness. Within the Wilderness, however, neither race had the advantage of sun nor darkness for this land was cast in fading light. It was neither day nor night within the Wilderness, a place forever in a state of sunset. It was for this reason that neither realm had an advantage when engaging in combat within this region. The area had become a derelict wasteland because of this. The conditions nullified the advantage of each race, which was exactly what Trenkenth the Creator had wanted. The disadvantage the Wilderness posed disheartened both races to venture into it, and each of them would be risking death by stepping into the opposing realm of their enemy.

  Auron knew this all too well. He knew by stepping into the Wilderness, and then eventually into the realm of Underworld, his legendary skills would be greatly diminished. Only the greatest of warriors would survive in that terrain. Auron was as good a fighter as they came though. He knew that all his years of training and battle experience would at least see him able to defend himself within that dark nightmare like realm. Besides, the enemy that he sought was originally of Alexandria. Whatever the myth of this Dark Archer, he was of Alexandrian blood, and, therefore, shared the same weakness as Auron.

  The Alexandrian General pulled up the hood on his robe, disguising his face as he entered the region of the Wilderness. He feared no man, but he didn’t wish to get into conflict until he found the Dark Archer. Auron was legendary for his fighting abilities within both realms, even going toe to toe with Kanto, the king of the Underworld during the Great War. The pair fought in a brutal battle, which until then, Kanto had known no equal on the battlefield. Auron became almost as feared as Zeris himself within the Underworld realm after taking on the king in battle and living to tell the tale. Only two people had ever faced the Underworld king and lived, the other being the Alexandrian king Zeris. Indeed, many people argued that Auron was indeed stronger than his king. This did not matter to Auron however. The pair had been the best of friends since a young age and hence had never done battle.

  Upon advancing through the Wilderness undetected, Auron finally passed over the border into the Underworld realm. Since the end of the Great War, and the merging of both worlds, it was rare for Alexandrian’s to venture into the dark realm. Some small factions of Underworld folk had settled in the outskirts of Alexandrian, but this was because the rule of Kanto was not as pleasurable as Zeris’. Kanto ruled the Underworld realm with fear and the people were slaves to his will. The entire realm was essentially a prison and those who were lucky enough to escape had settled inside the safety of Alexandria.

  Alexandrian’s had no great wish to visit their neighbouring realm, however. Auron became more cautious as he crossed the broader into the realm of eternal darkness. He was in Kanto’s domain now and every soul he encountered from here on in was an enemy. Auron struggled to see in the darkness at first for it had been many years since his eyes had witnessed night. Remember, Alexandrian is a realm cast in eternal day and, therefore, many of its natives would never have seen the darkness in their lives. Auron’s adjustment to the darkness was slow and he set onwards with caution, drawing his sword in case an intruder lay nearby.

  The knight passed through the Misty Swamp, a deadly area on route to the Dark Forest. Due to the combination of darkness and mist, visibility within the swampland was almost none existent, meaning it was tricky for Auron to negotiate. Progress through the Misty Swamp was slow and many times Auron almost lost his footing in the swamplands, which would have meant certain death. The swamp was enchanted; meaning anyone who fell into it had no chance of getting out. Every person who had ever fallen into the swamp had perished. If you looked closely enough into it, you would be able to see the bodies of men who had lost their footing and with that, their lives. They lay there trapped; their souls unable to leave the lifeless bodies due to the magical force that lay within the swamp. Auron had heard of the enchantment from Bremusa and took great care in passing through it.

  His progress through the swamplands was so slow that he set up camp for a few hours in order to rest, taking the time to replenish his strength with several rations he had picked up on the journey. After running out of food several days ago, Auron had taken to hunting wild beasts to clench his hunger. He knew that engaging the traitor in the woods what not be an easy task, therefore he took care to conserve his strength, setting up camp and sleeping when he could.

  Thirty-eight days after he had set out from Alexandria, Auron reached his destination. He stood on the edge of a cliff and the forest loomed in the distance. Auron picked out the map that Bremusa had given to him, looking for the safest passage. The warrior left his horse outside the forest. A horse of Alexandria could sense death a mile away and the forest reeked of it. Auron sensed it too. The stench of death is everywhere. Auron tried a few times to get his horse to ride through, but his efforts were in vain. The animal feared the forest more than it feared him.

  Auron slid through the forest like a silent predator. He wanted to use the element of surprise in order to take the traitor unawares and so took great care to stay hidden. He used the tree’s to shield himself from view. He never forgot the warning Bremusa had given him back in Alexandria. “Don’t ever leave the path,” she had told him, and he never did. The forest was silent, not a sound could be heard. Strangely enough, Auron never came across any form of wildlife inside the woodlands. It seemed even the animals were afraid to dwell within these parts. He searched
the forest for hours but found nothing. The forest was huge in distance and it would take him days, maybe even weeks to cover the whole area. Still, Auron had no plans on leaving until he had done what he set out to do. Then suddenly, Auron heard something in the distance. It was a sound of a horse walking along the pathway not too far in the distance. In horse…in this place? Alexandrian horses were afraid of the stench of death, but a horse breed in Underworld was more accustomed to the aroma. The Alexandrian knight was aware of this all too well and the thought made him uneasy. Auron had remained close to the path that ran through the forest. He had been careful enough to negotiate in such a way to never be fully visible, though, hurrying from tree trunk to tree trunk. Auron wished to catch the creature by surprise as he knew the Dark Archer would remain hidden if he seen him coming. You see Auron and the traitor used to be friends many years ago, in a time when the demon like creature was a man. The horse was getting ever so closer and the footsteps were becoming louder. Auron peeked out from behind one of the tree trunks and could see a figure riding on horseback in the distance. The figure wore a black robe, which was difficult to see in the gloom of the forest. In fact, Auron had first thought that there was no rider on the horse until the animal got a little closer. The horse rode at walking pace on the pathway. Auron presumed the rider had also heard the tales of the creature in the woods and was, therefore, riding with caution. The knight was unclear if this was the creature he sought. So much was myth and legend when it came to the demon inside the cruised woods. In fact, there were very few that had seen him in living flesh.

  With this in mind, Auron took a deep breath and stepped from behind the cover of the tree’s and onto the pathway.

  The rider, who was several yards further along the path up ahead, came to a sudden halt. Auron and the rider stared at each other in silence for a few moments.

  “Who goes there?” shouted Auron, finally tiring of the silence.

  “You dare ask me that in this realm Alexandrian?” said the hooded figure who sounded not at all pleased to be questioned. The rider dismounted from his horse and began to slowly walk down the pathway towards Auron.

  The Alexandrian reached for his steel slowly, placing his hand on the sword handle, but he did not draw it.

  “If you draw that sword you shall never leave this place,” said the hooded figure as he continued to advance forward slowly.

  Auron stood confused for a few moments, wondering how this person knew his identity. “Since you know my name I would very much like to know yours.”

  “I need not tell you anything. You will leave this forest Auron while I still allow it!”

  Auron, never someone to back down from a challenge, began to dislike the tone in which the man spoke. Still, he tried to remain civil. After all, he was in the realm of Underworld and he was the one trespassing. Part of the peace agreement between the two worlds hindered on each race staying out of the others realm unless they had the approval to be there from the opposing king.

  The hooded figure had now walked to within around twenty feet of Auron and came to a halt. “I’ll say this again, leave here at once.”

  Many men have died at my hand for less. “I Apologise for my presence in your realm, I am here only for a short time,” said Auron, gritting his teeth as he tried to sound as sincere as possible.

  The hooded man reached for the top of his robe and removed the hood to reveal his face.

  Auron’s eyes narrowed as the man was revealed to be Lucius, the son of Kanto, king of the Underworld. Lucius was twenty years old, stood at around six feet two inches and had long white hair, which was rare for someone of Underworld blood. His white locks glowed in the darkness like stars in a clear black sky.

  The legend of Lucius was infamous within the Underworld realm and it rivalled that of Auron’s in Alexandria. As the son of Kanto, Lucius had inherited many of his father’s skills in battle and was one of the fiercest warriors either world had ever known. He was the General of Kanto’s armies and was known to be as merciless in battle as his father had been in times gone by.

  This was a dangerous time for Auron. He still hated the Underworld with every fibre in his being, but he knew that the realms were now at peace. If he was to seek out a fight with Lucius here and now, the peace treaty could be threatened and a repeat of the devastating Great War would be at hand.

  “What business do you have in this realm Auron?” asked Lucius, who had now grown curious as to why the Alexandrian was present in a forest that had such a low survival rate. Lucius himself had no great desire to venture into the forest, but he had a mission of his own which required him to pass through it in order to get to his required destination.

  Both stood firm on the pathway, blocking each other’s route. Auron became increasingly nervous about the situation, as he didn’t wish to engage Lucius in combat. He didn’t fear Lucius, Auron feared no man but the need for care and not reigniting a feud was greatly in his thoughts.

  Lucius seemed less caring about the situation. He was much younger than Auron, and, therefore, had not seen the misery and death caused during the Great War. He had less of an understanding about what his actions could unleash. It was also true that Lucius cared less about keeping the peace than Auron. Lucius became increasingly arrogant as he and Auron continued to talk, which began to irritate the latter.

  By now, Lucius had guessed the purpose of Auron’s visit to the realm. “So you seek the Dark Archer, the forsaken creature. Legend has it the demon lurks within these woods?”

  “What business is that of yours?” Auron replied, clearly having tired of being civil. You test my patience boy.

  “What business is it of mine? You have no business being in this realm Alexandrian! Besides, all who have seen the creature have perished, you should be thankful he hasn’t come across you,” Lucius said rather smugly.

  Auron did not wish to waste any more time bickering with the Underworld warrior and was eager to get back to the original task he set out to do. “I have a debt that needs to be settled with the creature Lucius, it is no concern of yours. Be on your way and let us bother each other no further.”

  Lucius had no such desire to leave the Alexandrian deep within Underworld territory, albeit the cruised forest. “You have no domain here Auron. I tell you one last time, leave these lands at once before I draw my sword and end you.”

  As many of his victims had discovered, once Lucius drew his sword there was no going back. Once he started something he never stopped, not until everything in his path was dead.

  Auron showed no fear, though, there was no man in this world that could strike such a feeling into the legendary knight. He is as arrogant as I was at that age. “Just who do you think you’re speaking to boy?” said the Alexandrian, clearly angered by Lucius words. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. Step aside boy before I do something I’ll regret.”

  Lucius began to laugh at Auron’s taunt. “So easily rattled you are Alexandrian. You’re threatening me now? I’m sure you realise you have no chance of defeating me within this realm. Your powers are weakened here.” Lucius referred to the endless darkness that engulfed the Underworld realm.

  Auron knew without the aid of sunlight he would be at a distinct disadvantage if they drew swords, however, the conversation seemed to be heading that way. Auron never backed down from a challenge though for he was not the typical Alexandrian knight. He was still more than capable of holding his own, even when fighting without the aid of sunlight. The one problem Auron faced however was that his foe was no regular man either; it was Lucius, the most infamous warrior around these parts. The two were evenly matched when fighting on a level playing field, but here, in Underworld, Lucius had a clear advantage. Still Auron’s pride stopped him from bowing to the young warrior’s wishes. “I have no desire for conflict with Underworld but I shall not be leaving until I’ve done what I’ve come here to do,” Auron said defiantly.

  Lucius smiled. He had never met him in person befor
e this encounter, but he had heard the stories of how wise Auron was. Still the young Lucius was arrogant and no one had ever dared challenge him before. He, like Auron, was undefeated in battle. Lucius now wished to do battle with the Alexandrian, to teach him a lesson for daring to speak out against him. Lucius drew his sword, much to Auron’s surprise. His weapon of choice was a double bladed sword, the same sword that his father had used during the Great War.

  “You would draw your sword? Our realms are at peace!” Said Auron. So he will not yield? So be it…

  High above the squabbling pair, something moved amongst the trees. A shadow like figure moved from tree to tree. The shadow seemed that of a man, but no man could have possibly moved as this thing did. It jumped great distances, gliding as it landed on the branches without the need to balance itself as it touched down. It stayed near the upper regions of the trees; much like an eagle flying stalking its prey.

  The figure was the creature that Auron had set out from Alexandrian to hunt. The demon, originally an Alexandrian in time gone by had developed extraordinary jumping abilities when he was cruised by the Creator, Trenkenth. You see, Trenkenth had deemed that it was the actions of this beast that had begun a chain of event’s that had started the Great War. He had betrayed the people of Alexandria and allied himself with the enemy, Underworld. After the bloodshed had ended, the Creator had cruised the man once known as Vincent Xavier, mutating his body into a half man, half demon form. Xavier was always at war with himself, suffering an inner turmoil with the demon inside him. He fought every second of every day to keep the demon from taking hold of him completely, fighting with all his might to keep it buried deep within his soul. The creature had been nicknamed the Dark Archer by the people of Underworld due to his wielding of a mystical bow. He had the ability to jump into the top of the highest trees in the forest from its lowest point. It is said that the Dark Archer was able to jump over fifty feet in the air if he so desired.