Chapter 2: The Darkened Ruins
Kiltan appeared in Sleepywood in a flash of light. He slowly got up, and looked around him. Apparently the tremors that he had experienced had also affected the surface. The great majesty of Sleepywood, once alight with the life giving magic's of nature, had now crumpled under the weight of its own turmoil. Green was the grass that once carpeted the city, now crackled under the foot of Kiltan, as they had been charred, set alight by the flame of a fallen light stand. Now, the great hollow tree threatened to collapse on itself, bits of barks falling off the roof, as a constant creaking sound could be heard. A vibrant rest house, the Sleepywood Hotel, that had once served its many tired out customers, was now desolated. A great slab of the tree had collapsed into it, piercing the roof and slicing into the hotel. A quick death it was for anyone poor soul that had been unfortunate enough to be inside at that moment. Kiltan shook his head, as he stood in the dark cavern that once ran alive with the sound of excited men and women. A downcast dread lay in his heart, as he said a quick prayer for those that had called this place their home.
A small groan was heard besides him, and he suddenly realized why he had come back here, which was to try and treat Heera of her injuries. Her wound continued to bleed profusely, and her blood now stained onto the dried grass. But she was fully aware of what was happening, and she had also taken in the tragedy that had befallen Sleepywood. For a moment, she had forgotten her pain, and tried to stand up in hope of finding any survivors, but immediately her legs buckled under her, and Kiltan quickly held her up. They both looked towards the Sleepywood Hotel, and knew that this was not the place that they should seek aid. Kiltan reached for his scrolls, getting ready to transport them both to Lith Harbour, but all he felt was the leather lining of his pockets. Frantically, he searched for any other scrolls that he might have carried with him, but his pockets were empty. He turned to Heera, and she shook her head, knowing full well what he was about to ask her.
"We are stranded here. You are unable to walk, so we must make camp here for the night. We will set out only when you have recovered." Kiltan said, his voice quivering slightly. He knew too well the seriousness of the situation. Heera stood up, pushed herself away from Kiltan, and started to walk off towards the exit. "No! You are too weak! You must rest for now!" Kiltan shouted, his voice echoing against the empty hollow tree. Heera gave a soft moan, and the pain in her legs overwhelmed her, and she fell to the ground. Kiltan ran up to her to find that she had passed out. The strength she used to try to walk had consumed her last bits of strength, and he picked her up, and started to walk towards the Sleepywood Hotel. He looked at it, and its dark windows seemed to stare back at him, a cold, deadly glare that dared him to enter. He did not like it, but there was no other choice. He pushed open the wooden doors and entered the building.
The doors swung open, and the hinges gave way, causing the door to crash to the ground. In a way, that was better, as what little light that still glowed from outside now streamed in. But what the light revealed was not something that Kiltan wanted to see. Before him, he now saw the lobby of the hotel, but where the stairs once were, a crumpled pile of wood skewered the ground. He looked at it, and nearly staged back in shock as he saw an arm reaching out from beneath. He gasped quickly, and immediately turned his head away from the view. But the image remained in his head, as he kept seeing the hand, brutally amputated by a falling log, lying on the ground, with nothing more then a feeble hope of escape. He saw these images even with his eyes shut closed, but he dared not to open his eyes for fear of what he might see. He slowly sank down into a sitting position, and there, he clutched at Heera, his face pressed tightly against her, tears rolling down his cheeks. He had never felt the true purpose of a human life, and treated all men as he pleased, not caring for minute feelings. But now, as he sat in a town whose life was taken away fro it so rapidly, he felt for those who died. How it must have felt in the final moments of their lives, before being crushed under the awesome power of nature, a force they could no overcome, as their existence was removed from this world onto the passing life.
But now, as he sat there, he held onto Heera, and he felt her warm body, the body flowing through her veins, the thumping of her heart, and he knew that not all hope was lost. He opened his eyes and stood up. He took a deep breath, and slowly walked up towards the area that the counter once was. Every step he took, he could feel the burden of death tugging at him. An overwhelming urge to stop what he was doing, and give up, a feeling that there was no hope in life, and that all was lost. But thinking of Heera, he steeped forward. He held on a strong face, desperate to hold onto his sanity, not to succumb to the deep dread that now burdened his heart. He felt like he was alone, surrounded by the blackness and death, mocking his every move and watching him, waiting for him to die. But he was not alone in silence. Heera's breath could be heard, and she struggled to keep alive. That alone, the love for her pushed him onwards. He knew what he had to do, and he took another step forward.
He leaned on the counter, and looked up. There, he saw the cupboards that held the keys to the sauna area. He had been here countless times, and knew where the items were kept. Inside the sauna, to a storage box on the left, there was a first aid kit. He climbed over the counter to get to the cupboard, but his feet did not land on the ground, but something soft, cold, dry. He knew what it was, but he had already looked down, and once again, terror struck him. On the ground lay the hotel receptionist, a huge gash against her head that bleed a pool of blood. A blank, cold stare looked straight up, straight into Kiltan's eyes.
A feeling of pure fear and dread struck Kiltan like a spear, driving into his heart, as he stumbled backwards and tripped over himself. His eyes would not close, as they were wide with terror. His hands groped wildly, not knowing what he was supposed to do. His mind was a blank, and only death lurked in his mind. He rolled into a corner, and there, he huddled up into a ball, and cried to himself. Heera could not be heard, and now, he was alone. Only the sound of his sobbing filled the room, and he swayed, thinking of nothing but the thoughts of death on his mind. He was enveloped in darkness, and emptiness that he could not describe. He felt the presence of death, like a phantom, standing now before him, looking at him with a cold, dead smile, mocking his futile attempt to cling to life. He felt the cold breath of the ghostly figure as it leaned towards him; a constant deadly smile on its face, for it knew it was winning.
A scream pierced through the room, and suddenly, Kiltan awoke to his senses. He immediately stood up, but fell down again as his legs gave way. He had no idea how, long he had been curled up on the ground, wrestling with fear, but now, his brain thought clearly. Heera was the only thing that was on him mind, as he quickly stood up again. The light from the door illuminated the ground, and in its light, Heera lay down, wriggling helplessly. "Heera! Heera! " Kiltan shouted, as he jumped over the counter, and grabbed her tightly. He held her tight, whispering softly to her. He felt it was ok now, that they were together again. But Heera continued to struggle. She pushed him away, and then screamed again at the top of her voice.
Kiltan was shocked, and immediately tried to grab her again, but once again, she pushed him away, with greater force this time. But now, Kiltan did not try to grab her again. When he had tried to hold her the second time, he had glanced into her eyes, and what he saw was a cold, blank stare. Her eyes had rolled back into their sockets, and a white, blank stare looked straight at him, the same blank stare that he had seen in the eyes of the receptionist. He was stunned, and for a moment, he did not know what to do. He sat down, and for a while just blankly stared at Heera, who continued to struggle on the floor. What was he to do, what was going on, he had no idea. But then, he heard a laugh, a deep, maniacal laugh. His eyes slowly turned to Heera, and now, she stood there, illuminated by the light. She wasn't screaming anymore, but still, Kiltan felt the presence of an even greater threat that now was standing before him. There, against the glowing light of the doorway, stood Heera, her face a cold blank, her skin pale as bone. Her hair was matted, and against the glow of the light, her face now covered in shadows, she advanced.
He knew that whatever stood before him, it was not the woman he loved, but a creature, a possessed demon, that had come into her body. Amongst the ruin of a dead town, here he now faced a monster that he could not kill, for that would mean sacrificing the life of his beloved. "Heera, please, wake up. Heera, listen to me." He desperately begged, but his words were of no effect, for Heera was too weak to fight the creature inside her. She let out another blood curling scream, and then, she sprang onto Kiltan. Her mouth was stretched wide open, and a row of yellow, sharp teeth had grown. She pounced again, a direct aim at his neck, but Kiltan jumped away. Tears striking down his cheeks, he kept whispering Heera's name, willing her to come back. He was not only fighting the demon, but his own emotional torrent as well. He was psychologically drained, and the terror he faced had left a scar in his heart. For now, he knew that he could avoid her attacks, but not forever. He knew he could kill her right now, but he still felt hope, a hope that she would live again, a hope that she could fight the demon within.
Another swift attack and she jumped straight at him, and once again, he avoided it. "Heera, answer me. Heera, I know that you are there. You are strong, you can fight this. Heera! Listen to me! Fight!" He was now ecstatic. He screamed at the demon, not once attacking it. Another relentless attack, as the demon charged at him. Kiltan was now welled up with mixed emotions, nothing he had felt before. A concoction of rage, fear, despair, and hatred, now built up inside his mind. His face was flushed with blood, and he tried to comprehend the situation. His breath was heavy, but he was not tired. He just wanted it to stop. Stop! Why, he wondered. His cheeks were sticky with dried tears. He did not know what to feel, as he stared at Heera. She was building up for another attack, but now, Kiltan did not bother to try and dodge. He stood there, stretched his ands out, and shouted "Heera! This is me! Come, kill me, I challenge you!"
Then Heera suddenly stopped. Her eyes were still a cold stare, but she had stopped moving, and now stood there, facing Kiltan. Then, she laughed, a high pitched, evil laugh that pierced into the heart of Kiltan, a feeling of dread and anguish. He clutched at his chest, and slowly sank to the floor. He kept his eyes on Heera, who now stood before him, a dark silhouette of terror. Then, a deep voice spoke. "You puny human, bound by feeling and emotions." A demon, a hell spawn sent from the below, now stood as a deadly figure before him. It drew closer to him, its breath against his face. Its mouth stretched open, as it got ready to sink its teeth into his neck. Kiltan closed his eyes, but even as the demon drew near, he whispered "Heera, forgive me, for I have failed you. We will meet again, in the next life."
He waited for his passing, but then, another massive shriek came from the demon, its screech deafening against his ears. This was not like anything he had heard before. He looked up to see the demon stumble back, clutching at its heart. Then he saw it, an arrow of light, shining with the holy powers of magic, pierced the demon through its heart. He looked up, and upon a high platform, he saw a man, a cleric, wielding a mighty staff. He had a large gash along the side of his face, but he was alive, a survivor of the tragedy. Again, he held his staff, and from it glimmered a light that broke through the darkness of the room. The demon screeched in pain, and shielded its eyes from the force of holiness. Then, with a powerful force, the light shot from the hands of the cleric, and with searing force, pierced the demon in the stomach. It now was screaming in extreme pain, as it trembled, blood leaking from its eyes and mouth. "Heera!" was the first thought that came into Kiltan's mind, and he ran towards her. "No!" came the shout from above, as the cleric jumped down and ran towards her. He held his staff up, and a searing light burned from the tip of the staff. "Be gone, creature of the under world, demon most foul! Do not again return!" the cleric shouted, as he jabbed the staff into the heart of the demon. With a scream, light began to engulf it, and its screaming slowly faded away. The cleric continued to whisper enchanted magical words, with his hand outstretched above her head. Kiltan looked on with a renewed hope.
Then, Kiltan caught side of a silhouette slowing moving in the shadows. A phantom, which was nearly invisible as it stumbled away into the shadows. It was a skeletal figure, and it clung to its heart where it had been struck by the arrows. A feeling of rage now was ready to burst out against the demon, but just as he prepared to attack, a hand grabbed his legs. It was Heera, and with a new strength, she got up and hugged him. Over her shoulders, Kiltan watched, as the demon stared back at him, slowly backing away, a shadow that slowly faded into oblivion. But now, all he cared about was Heera, and he cast his eyes down onto her, relieved to be able to hold her again. Then, they both looked at the cleric, who had saved both their lives. He was smiling, but it was a weak smile. He had endured the same fate as Kiltan, and they were all drained. Out, it was the only thing on their minds. Away from the horrible place of death, they stumbled out, helping each other along the way. As they looked up, they saw the streaming light of the sun creep into the cavernous hole of Sleepywood. It was still in ruins, but under the light of day, the devastating threats of the darkness no longer haunted their minds.
They stepped out into the sun, a great load taken of their chest. And then they heard voices. They looked up, and saw an oncoming party of people heading towards then. A search party, in search of survivors had come. On seeing the three, they pushed through the bushes and rushed to their aid. The three survivors looked at each other in joy, for now they were in safe hands. Medical aid was given where possible, and soon, they were being escorted back to Henesys City. Kiltan walked with a light heart, for now, his burdens were lifted. He had survived the fear, the pain, the torment that possessed the ruins, and now, he was confident that the horrors were over.