Land of Madness

by B T Litell

  “Is Vor’Kath stronger or weaker than you?” Joshua inquired.

  “He had grown strong with the power he has been given. His nature as part of the Vor clan is not this chaotic. He has aligned himself with a power that is unknown to us. Be wary facing off against Vor’Kath, as his fall might draw his ally from the shadows,” the Vor cautioned.

  “Thank you for answering our questions.”

  “We will be watching your progress. Farewell, traveler.”

  The Vor left the view of the doorway and the doorway disappeared. As the mirrored door closed, the Mages unlinked their spells from each other. With the threat removed, the guards relaxed, raising their pikes and leaving the ring. The Master General dismissed the guards around the King, who approached Joshua to discuss the ritual. The King had a curious look on his face.

  “It sounds like we did not learn enough from that ritual. What will you do with what little information you gained from this, Mage?” the King inquired.

  “Now that we know the Shadow Knight’s name, I can begin reading through texts to see what, if anything, is known about him specifically. Also, the Vor said his powers came from a powerful entity, and I can research his powers to try and find who gave him those powers. If we can find the source of the power, we can learn his weakness and how to defeat him,” Joshua reasoned.

  “What if his powerful ally comes after us for disrupting whatever plans might be in place?”

  “Your Majesty, that is a risk that has to be taken in this instance. Whatever Vor’Kath is planning must be countered or we could lose the world to Madness, as I’ve explained to nearly everyone throughout this quest. I mean no disrespect, saying this, Highness,” Joshua explained.

  “Mage, I sense urgency, not disrespect. But be careful of your tone in the future. So, you have to research more now? Will you need any additional resources for that?” the King requested.

  “No, your Majesty, I will be fine researching on my own,” Joshua reassured.

  “How much time will you need for the research?”

  “It’s difficult to put an exact time on this, but it will take at least a few months, if not longer.”

  “I will grant you the time you need for this, provided you can find what is necessary to stop this threat. I want you to report directly to myself and the Master General in three months with an update. All three of you,” the King demanded.

  “Thank you, your Majesty. I will get to work on this right away,” Joshua assured.

  ***

  After the King, Master General, Mages, and soldiers had left the courtyard, Joshua stayed behind to speak with Týr and Michael about their findings. Because of the promotion ceremony, Michael and Týr had been given the rest of the day, and the next day, off to rest and get their new uniforms situated. This meant they would have plenty of time to catch up with Joshua, something all three wanted a chance to do.

  The group headed to a pub around the corner from the castle. The pub was relatively new and was really only there for the soldiers to have a place to unwind after their shifts. Morale among the soldiers had risen drastically since the pub had opened a few months prior, something the Master General would surely appreciate. Concerns of morale issues were always stacked on his desk, Michael imagined. Or perhaps those concerns never went any higher than the Captains who surely heard the complaints.

  The pub was dim, even in the middle of the afternoon. A few oil lamps provided enough light to see the menu the pub owner handed out to each of his patrons, notice when they were running low on drinks, and not much more. Few wanted to actually see the food they were eating, as it was only appealing to an ale-soaked stomach. The soldiers would complain about the food, but that would likely mean there would be no food served. No one wanted to patronize a pub that served no food.

  Týr sat against the wall, which gave him the best view of the whole pub. Michael sat to the right and Joshua sat to the left. One of the pub maidens brought three tankards, likely filled with lager, to the table, already sure of what the two Sergeants wanted. She had, correctly, assumed the Mage would drink the same thing. After downing the first tankard, quickly, the group finally started talking. Before long, they had a table full of empty tankards, and the light coming in through the front windows of the pub had diminished severely as night fell upon the world.

  Shortly after their fifth lager, the same bar maid brought over trays of fried fish and potatoes, one of the staples on the menu. The three soldiers wolfed down the greasy fish and potatoes, feeling weariness setting in as they started another round of drinks. The beer was good, cold, and frothy, something they were all thankful for. Nothing could ruin a day like a warm, flat beer.

  When the group finally left the pub, they staggered into the street. Michael stopped walking and, wavering, looked around to get his bearings. He knew he lived in the barracks, which should have been…west…of the pub, though he didn’t remember which way was west. Or east. Right as he started stumbling toward a building, he hoped was his barracks, Joshua had an idea.

  “Why don’t I make a portal for you to get to your barracks?” Joshua suggested.

  “That would be great,” Michael replied through hiccups.

  “Describe your room for me,” Joshua requested.

  Michael described his room, but because every barracks room looked the same, Joshua couldn’t picture the specific room enough to create a portal. Finally, Týr said he could make sure Michael got home safely, guiding Michael toward the correct building. Michael staggered behind Týr, following his guide as best he could before finally reach his room and fell into his bed, his armor still on. He groaned, having laid on his sword. Sitting up awkwardly, he removed his sword and belt, placing them on the floor and laying back in bed. Darkness descended as his eyes snapped shut, now that he was in the comfort of his bed. Just as he had every night for so long, Michael slept with the same nightmare that had haunted his sleep for more than a year…

  Chapter Seventeen

  …About six months later…

  Joshua, Michael, and Týr stood outside the King’s office for their quarterly update. Inside his office, the King shouted at someone, the sound of screaming bled through the door. The guards to either side of the door shared a sidelong glance between themselves, their eyes wide. What the King was yelling about couldn’t be heard, but his voice carried a heat and fury that none standing in the hallway wished to receive themselves.

  The Master General’s door cracked open and the man stuck his head into the hallway. He called down to the trio standing outside the King’s office and told them to wait inside his office while the King continued his tirade. Clearly, they didn’t need to know the identity of whoever was the target of the King’s ire. Not that any of them would have complained about not having to stand outside the office.

  “I didn’t think it appropriate to have you listen to the King yelling at anyone. Do you have an update for the King?” the Master General inquired.

  “I do have an update, but I feel it best to tell the King directly. I apologize, Master General,” Joshua stated.

  “There’s no reason to apologize, Mage,” the Master General reassured, tapping the ashes from his pipe. Looking up from his pipe he continued, “You can sit and wait if you would like. We might be waiting here a while.”

  “Thank you, Master General,” the trio replied, nearly in unison.

  ***

  “I understand you have an update for me,” the King stated, his voice raspy from the yelling earlier.

  “Yes, Highness. From my reading, it appears that Vor’Kath has aligned himself, more than likely, with a being of the Shadows known as Kalathan. The power of dark lightning, teleportation without the use of portals, and several other powers he has acquired have all been tied to Kalathan in one way or another,” Joshua averred.

  “What does this mean to us?” the Master General inquired.

  “It means two things potentially: Vor’Kath is much stronger than I anticipated, and he migh
t also be capable of resurrecting himself from the Shadow Realm. If he can resurrect himself, that means killing him is not an option for removing him as a threat.”

  “How can that be possible?” the King wondered.

  “I thought the same thing, but it seems that Kalathan has been encountered in the past, though I don’t know exactly when. I imagine it might have been part of the first Mages’ War. His body was destroyed, but later he returned, as if having never been wounded. There is little documentation available beyond that, I’m afraid,” Joshua clarified.

  “How do we combat the potential for resurrection? I need to make sure my Kingdom stays safe.”

  “I completely understand your concerns, Highness. I have found a series of spells that will help us to bind Vor’Kath to an island, as recommended by the Vor we questioned. As she told, there is an island north and west of here that has been overrun by the Madness that, I believe, Kalathan started in this world. It shouldn’t be a problem for us to trap him on that island and imprison him there. From that point, we would just have to maintain the prison spell to prevent his escape. Now, the hard part is actually casting the spell. This is not a spell that one Mage alone can cast. It requires ten Mages casting in unison, or it will fail,” Joshua mentioned.

  “I knew you would try to find a way to not kill the bastard,” Týr scoffed mostly under his breath.

  “What’s that, Sergeant?” the King inquired.

  “Sorry, Highness. I just don’t think that we should show mercy to this monster, and now instead of killing him, we are looking at letting him live,” Týr replied.

  “I agree that death would be the best solution, but if he can raise himself from the dead…” the King started to say when he was cut off.

  “We don’t know that he can do that, Highness. This is all speculation.”

  “Cut me off again, and you will see what else is speculation, Sergeant. Do not test me patience again,” the King growled.

  “I’m sorry, Highness. I just am not fully on board with this plan,” Týr apologized.

  “Highness, you should know that Sergeant Týr lost his sister to Vor’Kath during the attack in Erith. It’s clearly still a sore subject for him,” Joshua interjected.

  “I didn’t know about that, Sergeant. I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. But you should avoid cutting off royalty in the future,” the King stated. His demeanor had changed upon hearing this new information.

  “This plan sounds risky. What would you need from me?” the Master General inquired.

  “I simply need nine of the strongest Mages who will need to learn the spell with me, and a squad of Mages to keep us safe when this battle happens. Also…” Joshua started, then trailed off.

  “Out with it, Mage,” the King demanded.

  “I have been examining a map of Shemont in search for the safest place to fight Vor’Kath, when he actually attacks. According to Michael’s premonition, the attack happens in the market after the south wall is destroyed. But it’s also possible that other mines will be set to overtake the city and surround our soldiers. The best place for our defense against Vor’Kath is in the courtyard, where his spells will be less lethal to the remainder of the city compared to if we fight in the market or anywhere else in the city. I know this presents a danger to you and your family…”

  “You’re damn right it presents a danger to my family, Mage!” the King shouted and slammed his fist on the top of his desk. He paused to calm down before he continued. “That being said, you are right. The risk of fighting Vor’Kath in the market or anywhere else in the city is too great to my people for me to allow that to happen.”

  “So, will you permit us to use the courtyard for our battle, Highness,” Joshua queried.

  “Provided myself and my family can be out of the castle before it starts, yes. If we aren’t out of the castle, I need you to stall him elsewhere, until we can escape,” the King replied.

  “Provided we have control over the situation, we can do that for you, Highness,” Joshua assured.

  “Do you have anything else for me, Mage,” the King probed.

  “I have nothing else at the moment, sire,” Joshua replied.

  “Anyone else have anything for me?”

  “No, Highness,” Michael and Týr replied in unison.

  “Then go back to your assignments. Mage, I want you to continue looking for information on how we can defeat Vor’Kath, even if it involves not killing him. I have never dealt with an adversary that could withstand death. Now, before you say anything, Mage, I know that is only a possibility and not a promise of powers he possesses.”

  The trio clapped their fists to their chest then filed out of the King’s office with the Master General following closely behind them. With the door closed, they discussed the plan of moving forward and everything else that Joshua thought he could find on the subject without asking the Sorcerer’s College or Anselin for any further information.

  “If you need to reach out to anyone else, let me know first so I can inform the King. Reaching out to either Anselin of the Sorcerer’s College may be disliked by the King as our relations with those entities have been strained in recent years. If needed, I will take the brunt of his ire if we must reach out to either place. There’s no reason for you to be the target of that man’s adamant wrath. They have been quite volatile in the past. If I know we need to reach out, I can convince the King to agree to such arrangements. He trusts my counsel,” the Master General stated. The look on his face implied he wanted to say something else about the College, though he simply left it alone.

  “The Madness was not created by the College, Master General. That was caused by unsanctioned sects of Mages that started practicing rituals there,” Joshua clarified.

  “Still, The King may be wary about asking them for help getting rid of a malignant Vor working for Kalathan. That is a bridge we will cross when it’s needed.”

  With nothing else to be said, the trio left the castle, and returned to their assignments. Týr wasn’t scheduled to be on duty until later that evening, and Michael had finished his day’s assignment before the midday meeting with the King. Both headed for the pub near the barracks for a few drinks and some food they would regret later. Týr decided not to drink as he had to be on duty later, and that was frowned upon. As Sergeants, they had to set the example for the other guards, otherwise their authority could be compromised or questioned at the very least…

  Chapter Eighteen

  …Sometime later…

  Vor’Kath stood on the balcony of his assumed tower. He had enjoyed the grounds, as it had greatly grown to his liking. The servants maintained the tower much better now that they had a master, and with that alone, the already tower felt very accommodating. Perhaps when all of this was over, he would take up permanent residence in here. Perhaps. It was secluded, unknown, and incredibly remote, three qualities he preferred in choosing a home. But it was still in the mortal’s world and he hated their world so much. Their world was far too fragile for his liking, too delicate. When considering the tower as a home, he already knew the forest where he had left Audro, his behemoth of a Minotaur, was close enough that teleporting there and back was not overly demanding on him.

  Of all the things that Vor’Kath had found in the tower, perhaps the most useful was a trinket that allowed him to communicate with others, using Magic, without the need to actively cast spells. The trinkets, there had been a pair of them when he found them, had proved to be incredibly useful. The other side of the pair had been given to Kalathan, the nightmarish monster who had given him his enhanced powers. Granter of powers that he was, Kalathan was far from an agreeable being. Vor’Kath only dealt with him when it was absolutely necessary.

  Regardless, when either of them wanted to communicate, they simply had to grab the stone, or rather what looked like a stone, and the other stone would begin to vibrate. The vibration would continue until the other stone was touched. This made it convenient to talk to the Dark Lor
d Kalathan, though Vor’Kath really preferred not speaking with him. And he assumed that Kalathan preferred not to speak with him. He was very much a behind the scenes manipulator of situations.

  Vor’Kath felt his stone begin vibrating as he found himself thinking about the trinkets. The vibration was gentle, enough that one would notice the vibration but not enough to be a nuisance. Vor’Kath grabbed the stone that hung from a small necklace he wore, tucked under his robes to keep the trinket safe. Almost immediately, Kalathan began speaking, not waiting for Vor’Kath to acknowledge the desire to speak.

  “You’re stalling,” the dark voice that came through the stone growled. It was times like this that Vor’Kath was thankful for Kalathan not wanting to meet face to face. His wrath was greater than anything he had experienced before. Not something he wished to face again.

  “My lord, I promise we are ahead of schedule. The army is growing as we speak…” Vor’Kath started before getting cut off.

  “You’re stalling, and you make excuses for your lack of progress,” Kalathan continued, his voice grew loud enough to shake a tapestry that hung on the nearby wall.

  “I apologize, my lord. I am working as fast as I can. Progress has slowed because…” he was cut off again.

  “I don’t care why your progress has slowed. You need to fix the deficiency now.” With that, the stone, which vibrated throughout the conversation, grew still. Once again, Vor’Kath found himself thankful that the stone only communicated voices. He dreaded seeing the facial expressions that came along with this conversation.

  I cannot wait until this endeavor is over, Vor’Kath thought to himself, as he worked his way down the spiral staircase within the tower. The stairs went around the edge of the tower, so at points where the tower narrowed, there was less space for two people to walk side by side going up or down. This was an oddity that Vor’Kath liked as it meant the tower was easily defendable from above, and fewer people could funnel their way up the stairs at a single time. It was further proof that the tower was meant to be occupied by someone who enjoyed a certain lack of visitors.