Chapter 15: Face of the Devil
Kiltan could hear his footsteps echoing loudly through the empty caves as his metal shoes pounded against the bare, hard rocks. His breath was loud and forced, trying to squeeze every single bit of oxygen out of the dusty mist that filled the air around him. It was hot, yet he felt chills creeping up his skin, and thin beads of sweat dripped from his face, splashing onto the ground as he ran forward.
The caves were empty, now only hollow stone passages that ran wildly beneath Victoria. All the creatures that had once roamed in these dark holes were gone, sent out in the attack on the cities. Kiltan could still remember coming here to train on these monsters, jumping around on the high ledges, flinging his stars at the slow, helpless monsters as he swung on makeshift rope ladders that others before him had set up. They were still there, the worn-out ropes draped down like hanging vines.
Around him, the dark rocks were beginning to turn yellow as he advanced deeper into the caves. Soon, he reached a high ledge. Below him were many more ledges that led straight down into the deepest parts of the caves. As he stared down, he took a deep breath. Yes, this is what he had to do. There was no other choice.
People were dying up there. The fear and terror that had gripped him in Sleepywood, the men had just walked into it. It was a trap, set by the Barlog. Those men were doomed. But he was not. He had faced the terror head on, and he had survived. He had to do this. He had to save everyone on Victoria from this evil.
The Barlog wanted him. It had plans for him. It made him do things to harm his fellow men, and even Heera. But not this time. He would destroy the Barlog himself, and then all evil will be gone, and he will be a hero. "You want me?" Kiltan screamed into the hollow pit. "Well then, I'm here! I'm coming to you!"
There was no more turning back. Kiltan stepped off the ledge, and dropped down the long rocky shaft, hopping lightly from ledge to ledge. "You killed my friends. You took our lands. You hurt the ones I loved." Kiltan muttered through clenched teeth. "And now you are trying to take me. You will never have me! You will fall under my fist if I have to give my life for it!"
As he jumped down, he clenched a star in his claw, gripping it firmly in his trembling fist. "I'm going to kill you." Kiltan repeated softly, his eyes constantly staring straight into the darkness of the caves. He felt a sharp pain in his hand, and as he loosened his grip on the star, he saw that the star had cut through his claw. The star was now dripping with his blood, and he brought it up to his face. "This one, I will keep for my final blow. By my blood, I promise to all you people of Victoria, I will destroy this evil now, or die trying."
A smile grew across his face, and a chuckle escaped his lips. He felt a growing pain in his stomach, seeming to claw his insides. Evil works of the Barlog. "No." He snickered. "You're not stopping me now. I'm already here. You can't stop me from reaching you."
The temperature slowly began to drop to a chill. Kiltan stepped carefully over loose crumbling rocks and powerful ice geysers. As he stepped forward, he heard a crack. Looking down, he saw the broken bones of a human rib crushed under his feet. The bones of many men fallen in the past, before becoming quick meals for the scavenging creatures that lurked in here. Looking through the darkness beyond, he could see even more bodies, buried partially under the rocks, their skeletal hands reaching up in a final desperate attempt to escape. But they were not lucky.
It was not long before he finally reached it. The huge looming marble gate studded with bright gems, the great stone pillars carved with the ancient history of past kings, and a deep passageway that burrowed into the unknown depths beyond. This was it, the entrance to the Sanctuary. Once ruled by men, now taken over by the powers of evil.
He was standing in a huge cavern, out of the tight confines of the tree dungeons. Above him was a massive rocky shaft that encapsulated the cave. The roof of the cavern was beyond sight, hidden high up in the misty shadows. From an unknown source, a pale blue light came pouring in, which seemed to provide a brief moment of peace from the dark damp caves that he had to journey through to reach this place. The light shone on the large door which stood right before him, slightly ajar, but nothing but black could be seen within.
But Kiltan knew this place. That was not the door that led to the Sanctuary. He stepped forward, onto the large rocky slab that served as a bridge to the door before him. Walking to the edge, he peered down into the darkness, which seemed to stretch downwards as deep as the roof from where he stood, extending downwards into the shadows. Carefully walking along the edge of the rock, he searched for the rope.
His eyes finally caught sight of it. It was barely visible in the dark corner that it hid in. He held on to the rope, and carefully slid his legs over the edge of the rock. Slowly, he descended into darkness. The rope rubbed painfully against his already wounded hands as he lowered himself. But suddenly, his feet fell into midair, dangling about helplessly. There was no more rope, yet he still could not see the bottom. He felt the rope slowly slipping from his grip. Desperately, he tried to pull himself up, his feet kicking wildly. But the rocky ledge above him seemed far away. He felt his fingers slipping nearer towards the end of the rope. There was nothing else to grab onto. With a final push, he reached up for the ledge, but it was too far away. His hand slipped, and he fell, swallowed into the inky shadows.
He gave a soft moan as he tried to pick himself up, but collapsed under the pain in his arm. Around him, he could barely make out the shape of the large circular pit, and a similar stone door carved into the side of the wall. Only a small hint of light from above shone down here, blocked out by the stone slab above. It seemed so far away now, like a small flicker of light that he could never reach. But that was not where he would be going. Now, his only aim was to continue onwards. He painfully staggered to his feet, but the pain in his arm would not go away. He realized he had broken his left arm.
"No, you won't stop me." He muttered to himself again, and began to stumble towards the door, his left arm hanging loosely at his side. Warm blood trickled from his lips, and he spat it out, wiping his faced with his other arm. The door was slightly opened here as well. But beyond, he could see a faint blue light. The magical glowing stones that lined the walls of the Sanctuary were still there, shining softly.
Most of the tall marble pillars still stood strong, standing silently in a straight row, leading straight towards the heart of the Sanctuary, the lair of the Barlog itself. The sound of his breath seemed louder in the bare caves, as if the pulsating glowing walls were breathing with him. Shaking off the eerie feeling, Kiltan began walking forward.
Here he was, at the end of the long corridor of the Sanctuary, as he now stood before a tall gaping hole in the wall, which seemed to have been punched out of the stone. The ground underfoot was dusty, but scattered by a large footprint. The feet of the Barlog. Taking in a deep breath, Kiltan stepped through the hole, and into an arena of stone.
The thick air engulfed Kiltan in its dry, stale stench. He was now standing on a protruding ledge, which was hanging over another dark pit. Beneath his feet, he could feel the rumble of deep breaths slowly drawn in and out, being sucked in through wet, horrible nostrils. Kiltan kicked a small pebble off the ledge, and heard its light clattering on the hidden ground beneath.
Small ledges and glowing blue walls were all that he could see around him, before it dropped down into the dark pit where the Barlog still lay hidden. "I'm here now." He muttered softly, but he was sure that the Barlog could hear him. "What do you now want? Come on, show yourself!"
For a moment, there was silence, and Kiltan could only hear the sound of his furious heart beating over the loud, deep breaths he took. Two stars were head in his right hand, while his left arm still hung like a useless but painful weight slung on his shoulder. But he ignored the pain, for now, there were much more important things going on. "Show yourself!" He screamed again.
"Kiltan, you have come." A deep throaty voice responded. Yet, it sounded not like a normal voice, but a deep growl, unlike anything that comes from this world. A sound that reeks of the dead, and of sufferings and hatred, and of pain and destruction, filled into his ears, scratching against his brain like metal rakes.
A dark, powerful was around him. He could feel it, and it was closing in on him. He felt his arms being pushed down, locked against his side, and he could not move. His chest felt like it was being squeezed by a large, powerful fist, choking him of his breath.
From the dark pits beneath came the gushing churn of huge wings as they pushed the creature up into the air. Slowly, the Barlog emerged before him, hovering overhead. For the first time, he finally saw the face of the terrible creature. No longer hidden under shadows or rain, here it was, now staring down on him.
Dark brown fur covered its face, matting up in thick twisted clumps of hair. Fat globs of saliva dripped from its pungent mouth, rolling off its razor teeth and splashing down to the floor below. But its eyes, deep red flaming balls of fire fueled by terrible malice and evil, seemed to stare right into his soul, striking terror in his heart.
"I know why you're here. You come to kill me." The Barlog spoke in its deep rumbling voice. "But is that why you're really here? Do you come here of your own will? No. I brought you here. Ever since Ellinia, you were drawn to me, and now you finally come. Do you think you can defeat me alone, when I have full control of you?"
Immediately, a sharp pain shot through his stomach, and he fell to the ground, as the Barlog released its grip on him. He felt the deep wound that was inflicted on him during the battle at Ellinia. The dark curse was now back, eating away at his flesh and skin once again.
"How can you defeat me?" The Barlog asked, seemingly laughing as it gazed down on Kiltan's pain. "But I do know of your powers. You are a powerful hero of Victoria. But what good can you do for those pathetic people, who simply run and hide when war reaches them? You cannot defeat me, but you can join me."
Slowly, Kiltan picked himself up. "You tried to take away all that I had. I will never submit to your evil ways." His voice was choked and hoarse, and his body seemed drained of all his energy. But once again, he reminded himself of why he was here. "For the freedom of all men of Victoria. That no one will have to live in fear."
Roaring to his feet, he drew out his stars, and pushing past the deep pain that was tearing through his body, he flung the stars at the Barlog. For a moment, the Barlog was stunned, but quickly drew up its wing as a shield, blocking off the attack with only a small scratch.
As Kiltan stumbled under his weak feet, he looked up just before a searing ball of fire knocked him back, slamming him against the wall. The attack knocked the wind out of his chest, and he lay on the ground in pain. Looking down, he saw that his armor was already slightly torn. And beneath his armor, he saw the dark cursed wound growing, the same black, pulsating growth that had nearly consumed him in Ellinia.
"Do you see why you cannot defeat me now? I control you! Continue to fight me, and you will die!" But no, he would not give in to this terrible creature, and Kiltan stumbled to his feet once again. "By my blood, I promise to all you people of Victoria, I will destroy this evil now, or die trying." He repeated his promise once again, and saw a glimmer of red drip from his hand where he had cut himself with his star.
Giving a powerful shout of strength, he pushed himself forward again, but this time, the Barlog was ready. Before Kiltan could fling his stars, he felt the deadly claws of the Barlog swiping at him once again, ripping through his armor. This time, he lay still on the ground, taken aback by the blow. His body was battered, his arm screaming with pain, and the dark cursed attack of the Barlog was growing in him once again. How would he defeat this evil beast? He did not know, but he would try.
For the third time, he picked himself up, but this time slower and in greater pain. But the Barlog was no longer looking at him. Instead, its glare was fixed at the entrance of the Sanctuary. There, standing before the mighty Barlog, was Heera. Immediately, joy filled into his heart as he saw her again, for never had he though that he would see her once more. But along with his bliss came dread, for now Heera too was in danger against this beast.
"Kiltan, are you alright?" Heera exclaimed as she ran towards him. But in a croaked voice, Kiltan tried to shout for her to turn back, but she could not hear his weak voice.
"Leave us now, or suffer the pains of death." The Barlog spoke to her. But she replied with a rain of arrows, distracting the Barlog for a moment, as she ran towards Kiltan. "Are you alright?" She asked again, as she reached him.
"I'll be fine. But you must leave, it's too dangerous here. I must do this; I cannot let you die here." Kiltan croaked in reply. But suddenly, a bright flash caught his attention. He saw the ball of flame flying towards them, but they could do nothing to stop it, and both were knocked back.
Kiltan fell painfully on his shoulder and rolled to the ground, landing on his fractured arm. Grinding his teeth in pain, he pushed himself up onto him knees, and then saw Heera lying in front of him. Now, he could finally see her face. Tears were stained on her face, her flawless skin hidden under a mess of dried tears, dust and blood. Slowly, she picked herself up. "I won't leave you here alone. If you die, then I die with you." She choked, as she drew two arrows, anticipating the Barlog's next attack.
"No. This is what I must do. I cannot let you suffer my pains." Kiltan said. "You must leave me. I know I shouldn't leave you like that, but please, I have to do this."
"You already know I'm not leaving. Come now, and do what you must and I will stand with you all the way." Heera replied, and helped him to his feet. With a massive roar, the two were instantly engulfed in shadows, as the Barlog descended over them. Heera shot off her arrows, while Kiltan flung two stars at it with what remaining strength he had.
The Barlog swung to the side, but could not avoid all of the attack, and two arrows struck it in its side, although only causing a minor discomfort to the beast. It then drew back its wings, and swooped down at them.
"Get down!" Kiltan shouted, and pulled Heera by the arm as he dropped to the floor. Turning his face away, he could feel the Barlog scrape past as it flew overhead. And then, the Barlog passed, and he looked up again. He could still hear the beast, hovering somewhere in the high flickering shadows, its wings beating down with large noisy flaps. As Heera slowly stood up, another roar rumbled through the caves, and Heera immediately shot off her arrows to the source of the sound.
But mere arrows did not stop it. Like a huge bat, the Barlog descended from its shadowy curtains in a dark blur. Kiltan reached up for Heera, but the Barlog was too swift for him, catching him off guard. Where Heera once stood, she was now gone.
The Barlog had knocked her back, all the way to the opposite wall. Her body slammed against the wall with a sickening thud, and fell limping down to the ground, as the Barlog retreated once again to its shadowy hide.
"Heera!" Kiltan screamed, as he quickly staggered over to Heera's motionless body, constantly calling her name. But his voice fell to a low murmur as he finally reached her. His trembling fingers slowly brushed over her chest, his eyes turned away, for he did not want to believe what he saw. But as his fingers touched the wound, he broke down in tears, his face pressing against Heera's cold face. "No, this cannot be true. Heera, answer me, please!" Kiltan screamed at her, his fingers clenching at her face, trying desperately to shake her awake. "You cannot leave me like this!"
"What more chance do you now have?" The deep, throaty voice spoke once more. "Do you wish for me to kill everyone else on Victoria before you finally realize that I cannot die?"
But Kiltan barely heard the Barlog speaking. He was lying over Heera, holding her tightly in his arms. He could feel her blood staining on his skin as it seeped through his torn armor. "No, you cannot leave me like this." Kiltan whispered in her ear through trembling lips. "Heera, I love you."
For a moment, he simply held her tight, but she made no response. And then, through his bloodshot eyes, Kiltan turned his gaze up into the shadowy roof of the Sanctuary. He could see the blurry figure of the Barlog calmly hovering above. It did not need to attack, for it had already attacked his last source of hope and happiness. It was confident it had won, and stared down on Kiltan with a mocking gaze.
"You pitiful creature of hell." Kiltan softly said as he slowly rose to his feet. "You leave me with nothing more in this world. But no, I will never fall to your evil ways." He drew a finger across his chest, and rubbed the warm blood between his fingers. "By the blood of my love, and for all of Victoria, I will make you feel the pain of men."
In its hand, another ball of fire slowly formed, caged within its spiny yet powerful fingers. Letting out a victorious roar, it flung the ball of fire straight at Kiltan, but this time, he didn't move, and the fireball struck at where he stood, smashing a deep hole into the ground. Its malicious eyes gazed down into the dusty cloud that was slowly beginning to settle.
"You always hid in the shadows, waiting to strike from your cowardly hole." Kiltan spoke. He was now standing on a high ledge that was at level with the Barlog. But no longer was he the injure man who wanted into the lair of the beast with little hope. Now, he no longer even felt his broken arm, or the many scars that covered his face and body, or the growing black wound that was still rotting away at his stomach. And now, what little hope he had brought with him, was all gone. He knew there was no hope left for him. But no longer was he fighting with hope of ever seeing a victorious return to the surface again, for that hope was dead. Now, he was going to die down here, with this evil creature that had caused him such terrible pains. And so, before he finally falls, he would strike at this beast with all his might, for one last time. "Now it's my turn to attack." He muttered.
Immediately, the Barlog roared in anger, and slashed its claws at Kiltan. But the swipes passed right through him, tearing into the wall behind. Kiltan faded away in a wisp of thin smoke, disappearing like a hidden shadow.
"How does it feel now, to be helpless against an unseen enemy?" Came Kiltan's voice from the shadows above. With a roar of rage, the Barlog began to fly up towards the source of the voice, its claws held out ready to strike. But in a blur of flashes, the Barlog fell back, its body struck down with many stars, which pierced deep into its unprotected hide. It raised its wing up as a shield, ready to block off any attacks, but immediately deep cuts pierced into its back. Swinging around, it hurled a fireball into the darkness, but it struck nothing but empty walls.
"Why, Kiltan, do you fight what's inevitable?" The Barlog growled, its eyes constantly darting around, trying to locate Kiltan. "Why do you reject the fact that you have nothing more to fight for? Your only hope lies with me."
"Hope? What hope do I still have in my life?" Kiltan replied, but his voice seemed to come from everywhere, hidden somewhere beneath the thick shadows that clung all around the Sanctuary. "You took everything I have! What more do you talk of hope!"
And with that, Kiltan let out a curling shout, as he screamed out all his pains, anger and madness. He was here, now standing before the creature he most despised, and he boiled with a raving anger. The shout echoed through the Sanctuary, enveloping the Barlog in his painful cry. Taken aback, the Barlog began to slash out in all directions, its claws ripping through the walls of the Sanctuary like paper, yet the terrible shout continued, filling into the Barlog's ears, and for once it felt fear. An unseen enemy, burning with madness, hidden in the shadows. A barrage of stars flew down onto the Barlog, seeming to fly out from all corners of the Sanctuary.
Suddenly, a star pierced into the eye of the Barlog, blinding its left eye, and it grabbed at its eye with its claws. Roaring in pain, the Barlog let itself fall to the base of the Sanctuary, its huge pawed feet landing on the hard rock ground. Once again, it was back in the shadows, and here it waited silently, its sharp claws drawn back, ready to strike, as its glare kept constant watch above it, ready for Kiltan. The shout had died down, and now there was silence. The Barlog drew in deep, exhausted breaths, as gushes of blood poured from its eye, and the many other wounds in its body. It felt a light ripple at its feet, and in the dim light, saw that it was standing in a gathering puddle of its blood. Its dark fur was now matted red, with many deep cuts running along the length of its body, with the sharp spikes of the stars still scratching at the flesh beneath its skin. It stood motionless, and waited in silent pain.
Suddenly, it felt a deep cut struck into its back. It began to reach back with its claw, but immediately drew back in pain, as it felt a large wound boring its way through its skin, tearing through its vulnerable flesh, chopping through its body. It began to choke, sputtering out blood as it attempted to speak. It scratched its claws helplessly on the ground, digging into the rock with quivering claws. And then, it let out a painful gasp through chokes of blood, as its stomach exploded outwards in a shower of blood and organs.
Slowly, it turned its head down, and saw a figure standing there before it, dripping in its blood. Kiltan stared silently back at the dying beast, and he wiped the blood of his face. In his hand, he held up a star. "With this star, I swore to kill you. And so I did." And with that, he let the star fall to the ground with a high metallic ring, and he walked away. And for the first time in many long days, as he bathed in the glorious blood of his enemy, and heard its cry of pain and death, Kiltan felt peace. A strange, yet wondrously joyful peace.
Indeed, he was alive, but now he had nothing left. His tired feet dragged him over to Heera, who still lay in the same spot. Her face was now growing white, and her skin cold. "What hope do I still have in my life?" Kiltan repeated what he had said in the face of the Barlog, but this time slower. "What hope do I have left? What life do I have left?" And he ran his fingers over Heera's face.
Her body was broken, severed into two pieces, torn apart like a rag doll as the Barlog's claw had pierced her chest, and smashed her against the wall. He fell to his knees, and a mix of tears and blood dripped onto her face. "Look, my love. It's all over now. We won. The Barlog is dead, and it's all over. Come back, its over, there nothing more to fear." Kiltan whispered softly to her, stroking her gentle hair. But he knew there was nothing more he could do. Heera was gone, left lying peacefully in the lair of her fallen enemy.
Holding her cold hands in his, he laid over her, weeping silently, yet it seemed so loud within the silent Sanctuary. No one came, no pattering of feet to see what happened to him or Heera. No one. He was alone, and alone he remained, as he wept over Heera's body in the darkness of the Sanctuary.