Chapter 5

I leaned on my sword, surrounded by dead bodies. We had gained entrance to the city of Kadara well enough disguised as Silent Prophets, but after Vi and I had reached the city center another Silent Prophet had challenged us. I recognized him: Aran Darkblade, the Dreadlord's lieutenant. I bluffed my way forward, but was recognized and attacked. Not by Aran: he left as soon as he realized that we weren't going down without a fight. The undead that the Silent Prophet had thrown at us were lying mangled in heaps where we had slain them.

They had taken Vi.

The rage at them would only intensify, and give me strength. For that I gripped it, held on to it, fed it, and allowed it to grow. Anger and rage would be my weapons.

A voice spoke in my mind. "This is not the boy I trained. The one I trained would never use the weapons of darkness of his free will." The voice of Reynar Thule permeated me, and for a second I thought of the utter evilness of the tactic I was using.

I didn't care. So be it. If I had to use darkness to free Vi, the darkness I would use. If I could find a way to use the powers of darkness for good, then I would do just that. Even if it meant forfeiting my honor.

At that thought, the red and grey colors of shear faded slightly, giving it a darkened color, as if it had been tainted. However, I felt it increase in power, and I wanted all the power I could get my hands on.

I wonder… If using only a small amount of darkness for good gives this kind of power, what would happen if I wanted to rely solely on dark power? I could be the most powerful being in the world, more powerful the a first-class wizard-

I shook my head in disgust. How could I have even considered that? Darkness only led to more darkness. Shaking off the fleeting desire for power, I continued through the ruined city.

I hope I can keep going. I've got to find Vi! I'm going to make those evil so-called prophets pay ten times for this! If Vi is hurt-

I heard a scream, and whirled towards where it was coming from. As I watched, I saw an orb of darkness appear, and out of it stepped an apparition that I had hoped never to see again.

The Dreadlord.

"Well, Kylar, it's good to see you again. Have you remembered your duties yet?"

"I have no duties to you, Dreadlord." I spat. "Come on; let's settle this once and for all!"

"I am afraid that I have other matters to attend to." He brushed some imaginary speck of dirt from his shoulder. He was wearing black and white robes that seemed to glow, and his long white hair seemed to sway gently. The white hair seemed to contrast with the fact that his face looked about twenty or thirty, many years before your hair should be white. "But if it is a challenge you wish for, here is one you may enjoy. I merely hope that you will remember your duties before she slays you."

With that, he disappeared, and another person appeared in his place. A blonde female, with bladed steel knuckles appeared. She seemed sad.

"I really don't want to hurt you, Kylar, and I hope you can forgive me for what I have to do."

"Huh?" I was startled. "What do you mean?"

"You mean…" She seemed on the verge of tears. "You don't even remember me?"

"Wait, I remember who you are, your Arlene Blackclaw, but I don't see what that has to do with me."

"You don't even remember that night we spent together? Fine. I see how it is."

"Hold on." I held up my hands. "Can we talk about this calmly? I don't want to kill you."

Her features softened for a moment. Then another portal of darkness appeared, and Illidan Flamewheel appeared.

"What is going on here?" He snapped. "Arlene, follow your orders and kill him. He has become an enemy to our order."

"No… I can't." She seemed at the verge of tears. "I love him."

Can you say: WHAT?!?!?!

"If you cannot eliminate him," His Charkams glowed with fire, "Then I will."

He charged me and nearly took my head off. I was rapidly blocking his strikes, but was still bewildered by Arlene's words. Was she my girlfriend back then? Were we really in love? I did not know, but I did know that now I loved Vi, and nothing would prevent me from loving her.

That thought distracted me, and Illidan used that distraction to knock Tainted Shear from my hands.

Wait a second. Tainted Shear? When did I start calling it that?

When you allowed some Darkness to mix with the light. Tainted Shear answered back.

Noted. I responded mentally.

The spike from one of Illidan's Charkams was at my throat. I thought I was about to die when a fierce bolt of lightning bulled him over, dealing him a nice claw pattern on his cheek. Arlene Blackclaw began ripping at him with her claws, and ended up throwing him across the street. Right before he hit the ground at a force that might have killed him, he disappeared through a portal of darkness. He barely escaped the balled lightning that Arlene threw after him.

"Are you all right?" Arlene asked me.

"I… I think so… Why did you save me?"

"Because I have been having my doubts about the machine that the Dreadlord is building." She seemed conflicted. "If it turns out that he is using it not to help the world, then I will have no part in his scheme."

"You mean you really don't know?" I said, surprised.

"know what?"

"That he means to wipe out our entire world."

Her eyes widened. "Come. We cannot talk here. I will take you to a safe place." She wrapped her arms around me and teleported us far away.

We appeared in a small room. When we stepped out of the portal of darkness, I stepped quickly away from Arlene. She was beautiful, to be sure, but I didn't want her kissing me. I loved Vi, and nothing would ever change that.

"What machine is he building?" I asked.

"He wants to build a machine that amplifies his power to use black lightning; he learned how to use it from me."

"What's black lightning?" I asked.

"It's this." She stretched out her hand and a bolt of lightning, black in color, raced across the room to burn a hole in the wall. "It's not that hard to do, but it's very devastating. A hundred bolts like that and you could wipe out an entire city."

"That's probably what he means to do." I began. "You don't know what a Dreadlord is, do you?"

"Not exactly. I was told that it was a being of immense power whose goal was to cleanse their world of destruction."

"Not exactly. A Dreadlord is a man who has made a deal with demons and has thus gained the powers of darkness. He is an extremely dangerous man whose ultimate goal is the total destruction of his entire world."

"I don't believe you, Kylar." Arlene stuck out her chin. "You could only be saying that because you were sent here to capture a Silent Prophet. I should throw you to the undead, which are actually called krul, in case you forgot even that."

"You don't believe me? Let me take you to the city of Elanor, in the east." Before she could protest, I grabbed her, and willed as hard as I could for the darkness to take me to the city of Elanor. A wave of black rolled over us, and suddenly we were in front of the inn where the children were taking shelter.

A middle aged man in white robes started up at our arrival, and raised his staff to cast a spell.

"No Mavin!" I yelled before he could act. "She's a friend." He seemed about to speak, but I cut him off. "No time for chatter." I flung open the door to reveal the frightened orphans. "their all orphans, their parents slain by the Dreadlord. Now you have to help us, Arlene, I'm begging you!"

I could see the fear and indecision on her face. I could relate: if I was right, then everything that she had believed since infancy was a lie, and her dreams were now shattered.

"Kylar… Arc…" She hesitated. "I am so, so sorry… If I had known… I mean… It's just…" Then she burst into tears.

When did Arlene Blackclaw get so fragile and emotional? She used to be a vigilant soul in the quest of the Dreadlord. Now she is being swayed to our side so easily?

She threw her arms around me and wept.