The Reclaiming: The Keepers Saga: Volume Two

by Dillon McNaight

  With these words, the girl turned back around and continued to walk north along the simple stone path. Teeca grew more cautious as she contemplated turning back. Deep in her heart she wasn’t sure that she was ready to meet the Jailors, if that was indeed where she was being led. Would she be able to convince them to listen to her plight? Or will they simply turn their backs to her… or worse. She needed to know, and was prepared for whatever lay ahead. Her surroundings grew colder the longer she walked behind the young child, or illusion of. The sky became less and less blue, and more gray and stagnant. The very air she breathed seemed to change and become more toxic. Were they getting close to the Gates? They walked for several more hours, though it did not seem that much distance was being travelled. They almost seemed like they were walking in circles, though the path never turned or strayed. The mountains to either side of her grew closer and steeper, constricting the path to only a few feet wide. As she ran her hand against the cold rock, it seemed to have an almost slimy feel to it. She could hear the faint caws of crows in the distance. Her skin turned white and she could see her breath, similar to when she was in the presence of the Shade. Fear crept into her heart as a thick fog began to grow around them, blocking everything out of sight. She could barely see the young girl in front of her now.

  Teeca yelled out, “This is no weather of the world. Who’s doing is this?”

  The girl ignored her and grew more out of sight as she disappeared into the fog. The steep canyon walls also vanished into the fog, and the Angel was soon left alone in an empty void. She stopped and turned around, but the path that laid behind her was no more, lost in the mist. She circled slowly as she searched for the young girl, but she was nowhere to be seen.

  Teeca’s eyes and tattoos illuminated and she held up her hand as her Sapphire ring shined bright, and said, “I am in no mood for games, child! Reveal yourself!”

  With these words, the Angel stretched her hand out, facing the ground. The Sapphire shined brilliantly as a strong wind cascaded from her hand, and upon hitting the ground, spread out, blowing the fog away. As the mists were lifted by the Angel’s conjured wind, a large stone circle was revealed, and at the center of it, stood the little girl… though she did not look the same. Her eyes were burning red, and a thick black smoke swirled around her feet. She had the look of malice on her face. Teeca lowered her hand as her ring faded, though her eyes did not. She then pulled her hood off, and dropping the cloak to the ground, revealing her true garments. She bore a gleaming set of silver plated armor strapped down over a thin silk dress. Her long black hair rested against her back as her revealed tattoos blazed in purple fire.

  “You are no child,” said the Angel in a low and deafening voice. “I am not going to ask you again… who are you?”

  The little girl flashed a vengeful smile as she replied, “Do you really need to ask that question after all this way? I assumed the fabled Angels of Aya to be cleverer, and less ignorant.”

  The smoke around her feet began to spread in a circle around the two, creating a sort of arena in which the two beings of power stood facing each other. The sky also changed to night, with no clouds, and a pitch-black, star-painted backdrop.

  The sudden realization of the girl’s identity entered the Angel’s consciousness as she said, “…Valkyre.”

  The girl’s smile faded at the mention of her name. “Well done, Angel of Aya, Guardian of Ela, Keeper of Rings.”

  The little girl then combusted as she transformed into her true human form. When she stepped out of the hazy storm, her appearance changed drastically. She no longer resembled a small child, but an exceptionally tall woman, with deep purple hair draped over a simple tan robe. Her tall and pointed Drykan ears pierced through her long hair, and her skin stayed the same color as the girl. The conjured storm around them only intensified with the Jailor’s transformation.

  “Tell me Angel, when you entered my domain, what did you expect to find?”

  Teeca did not falter in her stance as she replied, “I expected you to reveal yourself much earlier. You must be curious of my arrival, for never have one the Angels of Ela stepped foot in your legendary domain. I simply request an audience with you. You must be made aware of the travesty that the Dark Lord has released upon this world.”

  The Jailor’s face grew solemn as she said, “Before I agree to council, answer me this one question. Did you know his name?”

  Trying not to be unraveled by the question, Teeca replied, “Did I know who’s name?”

  Subtle tears began to grow behind the Jailor’s gray eyes as she said, “My son’s. Word reached me that you had a different name for him… Bloodfang. Tell me, did you do it yourself? Did you kill my son?!”

  Teeca’s heart sank at the discovery that the rogue Jailor was indeed her son. She was prepared to be confronted on the Jailor’s death, but she was not prepared to learn his true identity.

  “Magdaran…,” said the Angel in a soft and empathetic voice, “his name was Magdaran, and he set my home ablaze, killing hundreds. A day doesn’t go by that I forget.”

  Valkyre struggled to maintain her usually stoic expression as she replied, “You are not worthy to speak his name! He was still my son, despite his many faults. I don’t know what caused him to attack your people unannounced, for that was not the son I knew… that was not MY son!”

  “No… it was not,” said the Angel, slightly lowering her guard in a forced attempt to appear sympathetic. “I have reason to believe that Magdaran, your son, was influenced by the Dark Lord himself, or by his agent of death, the one I came to speak to you about.”

  Valkyre’s face grew sour as tears streamed down her cheeks as she replied, “That is impossible, I… we… would have felt something. You dare come to my domain with these lies?!”

  Teeca grew angered at the Jailor’s denial as she replied, “There is NO lie in my words dragon! A demon of Alvane, who goes by the name Archimus, laid ruin to the Kain’s capital, and destroyed the symbol of MY people, just before he took the life of the Keeper of the Staff! You may have been blind to his arrival, but I was NOT! I witnessed it with my very eyes!”

  The tears in Valkyre’s quickly evaporated at the Angel’s insult as she said in a thunderous reply, “BLIND?! You say that I am blind?! I see all… I KNOW ALL!”

  With these words, the Jailor erupted in a black inferno causing a massive shockwave to knock the Angel off her feet. Teeca quickly revealed her purple wings as she stopped and hovered in the air. Through the growing cosmic storm, two large horns emerged as smoke draped off them. Teeca’s eyes and tattoos blazed in purple fire as the dragon’s commanding head arose from the smoke. Next came two front legs, and behind her, giant wings that stretched wide and high. The dragon’s long and snake-like neck rose high above the smoke-laced ground.

  “I MEAN YOU NO HARM VALKYRE!” shouted the Angel. “STOP THIS MADDNESS AND ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU THE TRUTH!”

  The purple tinted and elegant dragon, all the size of Calthrog, replied in a deafening and ground shaking voice, “You foolish Angel, I am NOT threatened by the likes of YOU! I am the Guardian of the Gates, Jailor of the Damned, and the Master of Wills… it is not YOU that brings ME HARM! YOU COME TO MY DOMAIN AND MAKE DEMANDS OF ME?! YOU ARE NOT PREPARED!!!”

  The Jailor then arched her neck as it began to grow bright and swollen. She then released her jaws and blasted an inferno of white fire towards the Angel. Teeca quickly reacted and raised her jewel encrusted hand in front of her as her Diamond ring shined bright with power. As the dragon’s flames reached her, she used the ring to expel the blaze, causing it to spread around her in a sphere. The dragon’s white fire spread all around her as Teeca then used the Sapphire ring to extinguish the flames.

  “DO NOT DO THIS!” shouted Teeca as her brilliant wings held her in the air. “YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF! TAKE MY MEMORIES FOR YOUR OWN… SEE THAT I TELL NO LIE!”

  The dragon did not heed the Angel’s words, and threw down her outstretched jaws toward
s Teeca. She quickly diverted Valkyre’s attack and flew behind the dragon. Valkyre roared in defiance as her massive body turned around, breaking the stone beneath her with each step.

  “I WILL NOT GIVE IN TO YOUR LIES WITCH!” bellowed the dragon with hatred. “I WILL AVENGE MY SON FROM YOUR TRECHORY!”

  She then released another wave of white fire as Teeca once again blocked it with her rings. While distracted by the flames, Valkyre whipped her long tail at the Angel. Teeca tried to react in time, but was struck by the dragon’s leathery tail, and came crashing to the ground. As she hit her head, blood began to pour down her flawless face as her vision became blurred. She quickly shook away the blow as the dragon prepared to once again strike her. Teeca took her hand and sent a massive fireball flying towards the dragon’s head. Valkyre roared in pain as the flames scorched her head and neck. Teeca then put her hands together and gathered enough energy, before she then released it, sending a shockwave of power towards the dragon, causing her to stumble backwards. Teeca quickly used her wings to once again take flight, and hovered above the proud Jailor. Even though she did not have her Ruby ring of life, she was still able to command the elements in the ground. Suddenly, as the Angel raised her gripping hands, massive roots riddled with thorns broke through the stone platform and climbed towards the sky. As the dragon stumbled to her feet, the thorny roots constricted around her body. As the conjured roots continued to strangle her, Valkyre’s dragon form vanished in black smoke, and her human form emerged unscathed from the roots. She walked towards the hovering Angel, with her eyes ablaze, and body bathed in power. She then held out her hand, as the same black essence of death the Shade possesses, escaped and raced towards the Angel. Teeca was helpless to stop the ray of dark magic as it consumed her, causing her wings to disappear and her body to fall to the ground.

  Valkyre then said in a controlled, yet demanding tone, “You fight well, Angel of Aya, but you are no equal when it comes to the power of death, for none are.”

  The pain that the Angel felt was like none that she has ever experienced. She struggled to stand, but could only crawl as the dark magic siphoned the life from her body. Her rings of power battled against the Jailor’s, but only prolonged the inevitable.

  “Please… you MUST BELIEVE ME!” begged the Angel as Valkyre walked closer. “ARCHIMUS MUST BE STOPPED, OR HE WILL RELEASE THE ENTIRETY OF HELL UPON THIS WORLD! PLEASE… YOU HAVE TO TRUST ME!”

  Valkyre held her hand strong as tears once again began to fall from her engulfed eyes. Her voice grew more emotional as she said, “None of what you say will bring back my son… your words fall on broken tears.” She then suddenly stopped her onslaught of dark magic upon the Angel, causing Teeca to fall on her hands. Valkyre then said in a soft and sad voice, “Just leave… leave me alone, for that’s what I am in this world… alone.”

  Teeca struggled to push herself up with her hands as she saw the Jailor solemnly turn and begin to walk away as the world around her began to turn normal again. She tried to say ‘stop’, but was unable to speak as her body recovered from the Jailor’s death-hold. She had to try. She could not let Valkyre leave without convincing her of the Dark Lord’s betrayal. Before she could conjure the right words, the Jailor suddenly stopped. Valkyre felt a new presence, one that she was not supposed to sense outside the Gates. She turned around, facing the injured Angel, as a hazy figure began to take form between them.

  “It cannot be,” whispered Valkyre in disbelief.

  The figure continued to take its translucent form as it revealed itself to be the dead Drykan teen Dreyvan.

  “Please… stop this,” said Dreyvan, “the Angel speaks the truth!”

  The Jailor walked up to the shade and said in disbelief, “How is this possible? Nothing escapes the Gates without me knowing it.”

  Dreyvan walked over to Teeca and helped her up as he said, “I was released by the demon she speaks of, and countless others. The Shade Lord moves as he pleases, invisible from all eyes.”

  “You mean to tell me that there are more of you?” asked the Jailor. “Who is this Shade Lord you speak of?”

  Finally able to clear her throat, Teeca then said, “Archimus. He is the brother of the late Kaelithus, well, he was. It is unclear how much of his soul remains. Alvane turned him into the shade that he is, and gave him the power to release the damned from the very Gates you guard, and have guarded since the birth of Kranos.”

  Dreyvan then added, “The Generals were the only ones who knew he existed. It’s unclear who commands who, but they are working together nonetheless to destroy the Kain, and after that, the Ela.”

  Valkyre walked up to the teen and said with caring words, “But why were you sent beyond the Gates to begin with? You do not seem unworthy of Aya. Why would your soul be denied entrance?”

  “They all were,” replied Teeca, “every Drykan. According to this brave young man, Alvane denied all his children entrance to Aya so that he may one day release them, and bend them to his will.”

  Valkyre grew furious as she said, “Why would our Lord keep us in the dark on this matter?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have any more answers,” replied Teeca. “Now that you mention it, where are the other Jailors?”

  Valkyre looked saddened as she said, “Gone. A long time ago, the Generals, and myself included, accused Valerian of something terrible, and he left. Now I see that I was wrong.”

  “And Valnor?” asked Teeca.

  Valkyre acted as if she didn’t want to speak of him, but said, “He also left, shortly after our son fell. I have not seen either since, and do not know where they are, for Jailors can remain hidden from all those we choose, even our own. I am all that’s left to guard the Gates, in which I have failed. I should just vanish into the nothingness, and leave this wretched world forever.”

  Teeca’s eyes were caring as she walked up and took the Jailor’s hand in hers, and said, “You are wrong, you are NOT alone! Together, we can have our revenge against this demon! Together… we can rewrite the history that is being stolen from us!”

  Valkyre smiled at the Angel’s kindness as she then looked at the Drykan teen.

  “Please, my Lady,” said Dreyvan, “please stop him. Only you can save us now.”

  The Jailor looked deep into his eyes and saw his vulnerability and desperation, and knew that he was genuine in his plight… but that was not enough to sway the proud Jailor.

  “I hear what you ask of me,” said Valkyre as she released Teeca’s hands, “but I am afraid that I cannot help you. To be a Jailor, is to be neutral. I am sorry… but these are my final words. I wish you best fortunes, and for a future that is not stolen. I will fade away into the nothingness that awaits me, for I am no longer able to perform my purpose.”

  As the Jailor took a step backwards, Teeca cried out, “WAIT! You cannot go, you HAVE to help us!”

  The Angel reached forward to once again grab the Jailor’s hands, but Valkyre simply vanished into thin air… and was gone.

  Though the Angel of the Forest failed to solidify her union with the Jailors, the Lord of the Shades was not blind to their meeting. He has been made aware of the teen shade’s betrayal, and who he told the Angel to find. He feared that once the Jailors were made aware of his presence and influence over Magdaran, that they would soon turn against him. As powerful as he is, he knows that he would not win a battle against all three Jailors. He is unable to sense their presence like the other Guardians, and does not know their locations, or if they even remain in Kranos. He hopes that they will ignore the Angel’s request and remain neutral, but needs to be prepared if they don’t. In case his worst fears are realized, he must make sure that his legacy lives on, and that the Dark Lord’s objectives are continued. He needs to strike the home of the Ela while it is vulnerable. He knows that the Angels Kalorah and Glammdreing, as well as the Golden Army and their leaders, travel to the City on the River. Now was the time to strike while the Forest is vulnerable, but his ever-growing Shade Ar
my needed Commanders to march them to war against the Ela. Lorkath and a third of the Shade Army travel in secret to Menethiel to join with the Generals and prepare for the inevitable retaliation from the Kain and Ela. The remaining shades number in the thousands. He cannot lead them himself, for fear that the Jailors will be coming for him, so he needs to separate himself entirely, and draw the Jailor’s attention to him alone in the Black City.

  The escaped Captain, Krin, flew to the Tower of Drathion in Drokkin after his battalion was overrun in the Kain village of Greenglen. After he landed on the massive tower, he succumbed to his wounds from the Keeper’s enchanted arrow. Archimus found him, and drew the poison from the wound before transporting them to the ruined Black City. Once he was healed, he asked for his help with a task. Krin agreed, more out of fear than obedience. Before Lorkath left for Menethiel, he told Archimus the location of a tomb, deep beneath the city. A long time ago, before Lorkath was made King, there were three Overlords that commanded the Drykans. Lorkath was one, and the other two were named Zelka and Bruukar. After the defeat of the Kain, Lorkath was named King by the Overlords. Although Lorkath would soon become immortal with the help of the rogue Jailor Magdaran, the other Overlords were not. They would serve as the last Overlords of the Drykans, for they now had a King. Zelka and Bruukar would later succumb to mortality, many years before the Separation. In honor of their lives and service to the Dragonkin, Lorkath built a mighty tomb deep beneath the city of Kuul’Drathor. There, they lay side by side in sturdy stone sarcophaguses, with their bodies wrapped in linen cloth. They were also surrounded by the treasures they accumulated throughout their long lives. Almost a thousand years has since past, and although the Separation destroyed most of the city, the deep tomb was left intact.

  Archimus saved the great Overlords for last, for he did not want to insult their memory by raising them as shades, but now was the time to reunite their souls with their bodies so that they may lead the shades against the Ela. As they approached the entrance to the tomb, Krin prepared two torches to light the way down the long and deep passageway. The door to the tomb was sealed with magic, and were opened by a series of verses that only Lorkath knew. As Archimus spoke the words not heard for a millennium, the ancient stone doors creaked and cracked as they slowly opened. Years of dust and decay fell from the doors as they opened wide, revealing a narrow walkway.