The Absolution
CHAPTER II:
The Soulless Cometh:
"There is no heaven. There is only HELL. Expellian nature itself is impure, and has always been doomed to an existence of ignorance... until now. Pain and torment are the forebears to enlightenment. To become one with The New Lord is an honor well-deserved by all of Expel. You will be saved. Saved not from suffering, saved not from pain, but saved as fate and righteousness intended to happen... as I intend to happen. And you... you shall be mine, Kayla, you shall be mine...."
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Kayla awoke feeling as if a thousand pounds pinned her to the ground. Darkness was all around her, and it was all but impossible to tell what time of day it was. She must've been out for hours, and had little energy to move even if there were no obstructions.
"Hello?" she managed to whisper. "Is... anybody... out there?"
Of course nobody could hear her, but it couldn't hurt to try, could it? After awhile her vision seemed to improve; from overhead a faint moonlight poured through debris of hay, straw and wood. This she presumed had broken her fall, saving her life – a blessing that occurred in vain since those very debris now kept her confined.
"This will not be my grave!" Kayla mustered, trying harder to free herself. Her struggling caused a few stones to tumble to the ground; however, she soon began to feel that it had all been for naught. She felt cold and damp, and the trickle of water she now noticed from overhead signified the presence of a light rain.
A quick clanking, rhythmic as the sound of a drum, grew in Kayla's mind. It must be the result of a headache, she thought. As the clanking became louder, though, she realized that there were actual people approaching. Armor-clad people.
"Milord, do you really think she'd still be around here?" A young voice spoke.
"This location is directly below her tower," an older, wiser voice spoke. "I speculate that Kayla perhaps escaped through the window. God-forbid if anything happened to her, she would be lying right here."
"People, looking for me!" Kayla thought. "Help me... help me please...."
"But there's no trace of her anywhere," a more gruff voice replied. "It's getting too foggy out anyway, we should call off the search."
"And what about what The King said, Dias? If we don't find her now, he'll serve our heads on a silver platter to the rest of the castle!"
"... We must return to the castle," the wise voice spoke.
"Milord? Why the change in mind?" the younger knight's voice panicked.
"I've just felt a disturbance, Ashton. The King might be in danger."
"You and the King have always been very secretive about such matters," Dias spoke. "But you are the second in command, and your intuition is more than reliable. I've seen you wield your powers in the past. The king might very well be in danger as you say. We should head back."
Second in command, Kayla thought? The wise voice must belong to The Heraldic Leader, Petrus.
"And what about Kayla?" Ashton wondered. "Are we to just leave her out there?"
"Well, if she's dead, she isn't going anywhere anyway," Dias replied.
"I just Pray that this is the right decision to go by," Petrus stated.
With that, the clanking that was Kayla's hope to freedom now became the frustration of her lifetime. Dias even admitted that Petrus and her father were very secretive individuals. Was that not among the reasons she ran away in the first place? She was almost glad that she hadn't been found by them. She just hoped that her father would be okay....
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The fog and the dampness were already taking their toll on the trio of would-be rescuers. The chill of the night seemed to seep through to the bone. The rust on the Knights armor was already showing... odd to happen in the course of only one rainy night. Because of this, Petrus was further assured that evil was already weaving its plans as the trio traversed back to Castle Evermore.
The latest surge was the most significant of them yet. Although Petrus still had no clue as to who or what stole the Crest of Souls, he could assess with certainty that both the thief and the artifact were still inside the castle. Perhaps Clother was wise to increase the immediate guard around himself after all. But no chances could be taken. And if the castle still housed both the artifact and the evil, Kayla was further away from danger anyway than if she were to be returned.
After a short while, the three found themselves back at the main gate. Many guards were patrolling the perimeter... perhaps the keeper of the artifact had not struck yet.
"Amazing," Dias noted. "Those guards must've been standing out in this weather all night, and yet they seem not the least bit phased."
"Such resilience is indeed unusual," Petrus agreed. Things just didn't seem right.
"Should we go back, then?" Ashton wondered. "Things seem to be in perfect order. They will only spot us with no Kayla and report us to The King!"
"No, we must press on to the castle!" Petrus replied.
"But everything is fine!" Ashton argued. The two organisms on his back seemed to grunt in agreement.
"Everything is not fine! You know not even an inkling of what I've felt or experienced, and as second – possibly first – in command, you will obey my order."
"Are you suggesting the King might be dead?" Dias wondered.
"There is more to this situation than meets the eye. We will march up to those gates and check up on the King personally, with or without Kayla. Follow my lead."
Dias and Ashton flanked Petrus as they approached a guard standing near the main gate. The droplets of water trickling down his armor glistened in the moonlight, and he seemed almost surreal as he stood waiting for Petrus' order.
"Open the gate so we may see King Clother," Petrus requested.
"We do not yield to your order," the guard spoke. "We only follow the Lord now. And so shall you...."
"And what might 'Our Lord' want us to do?" Petrus mocked. Something was definitely terribly wrong with this situation.
"He wants you... to die!"
With that, the soldier drew his sword as Petrus retreated behind the two mercenaries!
"I knew this would happen!" Ashton yelled as he narrowly avoided the lunge the soldier replied with. Felling the traitor provided the trio with no victory, as a swarm of bloodthirsty guards soon surrounded them from all sides.
"Listen," Ashton continued, "We're sorry that we couldn't get Kayla back! We did out best!"
"Shut up!" Petrus ordered. "This isn't about Kayla, the King is dead! This isn't of his doing! These guards are not themselves; their souls are not with them. I can tell!"
"Well then, destroying these small-fry shouldn't be a problem, then," Dias replied as he slew two more guards.
"We must pull back before we become overwhelmed!"
"Good plan!" Ashton agreed, barely escaping death as a spear nearly skewered his abdomen. He returned the favor with his own sword. "But where should we go?"
"Just run!"
The three retreated away from Evermore Castle, away from their land, as dozens more soldiers marched on to hunt them down.
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Time has no meaning when you're on the brink of death. The only realities are coldness, loneliness and despair. Past memories of your life are your only companions, if you're even able enough to think clearly. For Kayla, this too was a challenge, as consciousness in itself was both a blessing and a curse.
The debris felt heavier now, that much she knew. She knew it so well, though, that the rest of her life was only a blur. If she remained conscious, the pain would remain unbearable; if she lost consciousness, though, Kayla would die. Perhaps Death intended it to end this way.
No, that was preposterous. You controlled your own fate; fate didn't control you, right?
"It was I who decided to run away... and I ended up like this," Kayla cried. "Please... somebody help me...."
Hope was faint for Kayla, her willpower all but drained. The light of Heaven became almost blinding. She felt herself being lifted up off of the Earth, lifted into gentle yet strong hands. Was this the perfection of God? Some of the pain – but not all of it – melted away as Kayla found herself gazing into the eyes of the savior himself!
"Princess Kayla! Are you all right?"
"Wha-?"
"You were trapped under some debris. I found you by chance, but we must get out of here!"
The moonlight still blinded Kayla a bit, though as her vision cleared she could tell that she recognized this person. She had definitely seen him somewhere before....
"We'll be doomed if they catch us!" His voice also sounded familiar to Kayla as well.
"Who's... they?" she managed to utter.
"No time to explain!" Indeed, Kayla could hear a half-dozen footsteps encroaching on her companion and she as he ran into a nearby alley.
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"Every moment now, I can feel the artifact being put to its new owners' unholy uses. Any man can see the power it holds. There is no longer the Empire of Cross, Dias, for our own are now the minions of who or whatever holds the Crest of Souls itself."
"Why did you and King Clother keep the legend a secret from everyone, anyway? To think that it was right in our Castle all along!"
Petrus furrowed his brow, hoping Dias would not only understand but accept his reasoning. "The artifact was a danger to everyone and everything throughout the world. We could not let that danger fall into the wrong hands."
"But could you not have afforded it more protection? We could have helped protect it, couldn't we have? It has fallen into the wrong hands."
"There were guardian spirits protecting it, Dias, those that used to be of the Knighthood of Tria. Entities were protecting it, only it was those that have already passed among the dead."
"But if you told us sooner, then Ashton might still be with us!"
"We don't know that he's dead," Petrus retorted, "We were simply separated upon our retreat from the castle gates."
"Over a half dozen soldiers who never seem to tire are hunting him down! If he knew the truth he would not have hesitated and they would not be on his tail!"
"And what makes you so sure that nobody is on our tail, Dias? There is still hope left for Ashton... and Kayla too."
The fog was becoming a bit less dense now; Petrus and Dias could now see a few blocks down the city street. "We had better take cover, and tread lightly," Petrus suggested. "Who knows what ungodly senses are present in the minions of Evil. The night in itself might not be a burden on their sight."
Creeping along a few shops until finally finding an alley, the two hoped to travel between buildings, in the search of Kayla and Ashton. Petrus would honor the King's wish of seeing his stepdaughter remain safe and unharmed.
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"You look bruised, Kayla," the young man told her as he wrapped a bandage around her bruised arm. As she settled in the warmth the fireplace in their makeshift shelter provided, Kayla remembered this youth as one of the mercenaries guarding her very room!
"Who are you?" she wondered, finally looking into the eyes of his personal companions as well.
"I am Ashton, and the two dragons on my back are Gyoro and Ururun," he stated, petting his buddies as he did so.
"I remember seeing you guard my room." Kayla was one to speak her mind.
"Yes, that was me, and my pal Dias. A thief stole some family artifact, and was thought to still be roaming about the castle. We were stationed at your room to keep you safe."
"Oh," Kayla cried. "I ran away because I thought my father thought I was the thief, and it was the last straw...."
"We were sent away to look for you - Petrus, Dias and I, but we had to return to the castle on Petrus' order. The soldiers went crazy, attacking all three of us."
"My father is very protective of me," Kayla responded. "Did he want you dead if you returned without me? I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to put you guys in danger!"
"It's alright, milady. That's what I thought, too, but Petrus said that it wasn't the King's doing. He said that those soldiers lost their souls. Lost them to something... evil....
"Does this mean I will not be returning back home? How's my father handling this?" Kayla worried.
Ashton hated to break the truth to her. "Well, he's-"
A loud crash, as unexpected as thunder and far more dangerous, shattered the boarded window adjacent to where the two were seated. Splintered wood and shattered glass nearly cut Kayla and Ashton to ribbons; Kayla especially was lucky to remain unscathed because she wore no armor.
Emerging through the new opening was a large soldier, barbed mace in hand, evil seeping from his very gaze. His eyes became fixed straight into Kayla's:
"I'm going to kill you."
"Kayla, step back!" Ashton yelled, as the soldier swung his mace in her general direction. Though he missed, Kayla panicked and tripped over a nearby chair... fair game for the guard if not for Ashton's quick thinking.
Parrying his swing, Ashton thrust his left sword directly into the solder's helmet, killing him instantly. Ashton wondered if they could truly be killed as two more soldiers poured into the room, climbing over the debris with unnatural nimbleness.
"Kayla, upstairs!" Ashton ordered, as the two had already blocked all entrances from the outside. Kayla was thankful that she could run a bit faster now that her blue skirts were no longer an impediment, despite her injuries.
The first guard Ashton was able to fell without a problem; the second, though, delivered a timely blow with his gauntlet that sent Ashton reeling back in pain. The soldier used this opportunity to make his move – not on Ashton, but upstairs to where Kayla fled.
"Nave, you will not get away with this!" Ashton yelled as he tried to get up, but the blow must've broken his leg. He fell, his face colliding with the rough, wooden floor below.
"Death... always finds a way," the guard mocked. "And soon, it shall be the ONLY way."
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A faint silhouette of rooftops was all Petrus and Dias had to go by when navigating through the back streets of the city. Even for these seasoned veterans, following this path was just as difficult as traversing through a labyrinth. Petrus blessed the moon for being full – that much he knew – for the fog would have obstructed any light reflecting from any less that the complete circle.
Petrus broke the silence. "Who knows how far the reach of evil extends. There might be no safe haven all throughout this city."
"You said earlier that the souls of those who attacked us are gone. I mean, how can you tell these things? How can you feel the fabled artifact of legend being put to use anyway?"
"Dias, my studies in the magic arts have sensitized me to any flux in the magic stream. It was I who discovered that The Stone of Souls resided beneath Cross Castle in the first place. Think of magic as an ocean... I can feel any significant changes in current that are meant to be... and those that are not meant to be. If a whole congregation of humans lost their souls, I can feel it. Unfortunately, I cannot feel only a couple mingled in a crowd with souls. That is the peril this city now represents... not only the guards, but our very townsfolk can turn on us as well. And we will have no way to tell until they strike, for the Soulless are now mixed with the living in these parts."
"We should hear a struggle then," Dias concluded, "If these so-called 'Soulless' desire the eradication of those with souls. And why have we not been affected yet?"
"I cannot tell for sure," Petrus warned. "Remember, nothing is absolutely certain anymore."
The duo came to a rather shoddy household; broken glass and debris were strewn around an interior lit by a fireplace. What caught their attention most, though, was the faint silhouette of a man lying face down!
"It seems they have already struck," Petrus concluded.
"Wait a minute," Dias said, "That's none other than-"
"Could it be?"
The duo approached the man with caution. As Petrus said, nothing was certain anymore. Could this somehow be a trap? As the two moved into a better position to see the whole figure, they saw that it was none other than Ashton!
"He's not dead," Petrus stated, "But he's out cold."
An ear-shattering scream, loud as the cry of the wind, resonated throughout the house. This awoke Ashton; despite his surprise at seeing Dias and Petrus, he only uttered out one sentence:
"Kayla is in danger!"
Sparing not a moment too soon, Petrus and Dias ran upstairs to the sight of a guard kneeling on a bed over Kayla. His sword, held high in the air, he prepared to thrust down straight into Kayla's heart....
"Get away from her!" yelled Dias, as he sliced the solder's head clean off.
A bit of the blood from his open jugular found its way onto Kayla's dress. She would have normally been mortified and traumatized over such a thing happening, but in a situation like this, the bloodshed almost seemed to be a blessing. Oh, well, the dress was no good anyway....
"You saved my life! I now owe both you and Ashton. Wait... what happened to Ashton?"
"He is safe, Kayla milady. Injured, but safe." Dias replied, blowing. "You look like you've been through a lot. My name is Dias, and Petrus is right behind me."
"Ashton told me about you!" Kayla gasped. "You were also guarding my room. So much has happened since then."
"We all have a lot of explaining to do," Dias reassured. "But for now, you need your rest."
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Time passed. How much time, Kayla could not assess. The debris seemed to eschew Kayla further and further from hope.
Sinking further, eyelids getting heavier, she felt deja-vu settling in as Death once again seemed to rear its ugly head.
Voices - whispers of the Damned – called for Kayla to join them. The voices grew in her mind; grew both louder and more numerous. Some of those voices she could recognize.
"Kayla... Kayla... are you awake?"
And some voices, strangely, seemed unusually pleasant....
"Kayla, it's me!" Could it be... Ashton?
"You were dreaming," an older voice spoke... the voice of Petrus. Kayla was fully awake now, sitting up in the very bed she almost died in. Faint rays of sunlight shone through the boarded windows of the second floor, and she could make our Dias standing by Petrus' side as well.
"You're all here!" Kayla smiled. "I thought I was dead for sure. It must have been a dream... I was under the debris again. I heard Death calling for me...."
"That is all past now," Petrus reassured her. "And the morning seems to have staved off The Soulless for now."
"The who?" Kayla was still lost.
"I haven't yet told Kayla all that I know," Petrus replied, sparing a glance at Dias. "The time has come to explain all."
"And then we will be leaving this city," Ashton added; he, too, had finally been informed of the grand secret.
"But bear with me, Kayla milady, for there are still some things that are a mystery to even me."
"I'm all ears, Petrus. I'm just glad to see all of you again." She glanced at Ashton, smiling, before turning her gaze onto Petrus, awaiting both the good and the bad....
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"That's right, you little wenches. Run. Run far away. Go away from that which you do not understand. It is fools like you, fools that skimp on their responsibilities, that fully deserve the lessons I offer. And you, Kayla. You deserve the grace of matrimony with the God of Death itself. With... me. As I told your father, running away never solved anything...."