Dragons are just cool, two must be better.

Here is artwork by Designer Dreams, that I think is a good way to start of the new year.

Slain Dragon

Here is artwork by Ben Flores that depicts a hero after a long battle.  Personally I would collapse and sleep after I had slain a dragon.

More Cowbells, I mean Dragons

Here is a trained dragon entitled Dragon Rider by PersonalAmi.

Alswag II

This is a continuation from an older post to see part one of the story click here

“Those eyes are creepy?” Strilla closed the window now blocking their view of the new eye that had just appeared on the post outside. She shivered knowing full well that the black and purple eye with a white iris stared at her through the curtains. Alswag had told them it was the Eye of Lebersana, something that they didn’t understand, but they now feared greatly.

“Yes they are.” Galler put his hand upon her shoulder.

Galler saw her breathing increase. So he rubbed her hands trying to calm her down.

Strilla quietly asked. “Are we going to live?”

“Of course we are going to live through this.” Galler placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face.

“It is just that,” Strilla stopped. She closed her eyes and then sniffled and began to sob. “It just seems that no matter what we try, it keeps getting worse.”

“Hey.” Galler now embraced her holding her tightly. “It’s okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She cried. He stroked her hair leaned forward and spoke into her ear. “Strilla, this will end. Then you and I will tell this to our children one day.”

Neither of them responded to this. Perhaps if they were in higher moods Strilla would’ve outwardly protested to inform Galler that he shouldn’t have said that, while inwardly wishing he wouldn’t stop thinking things like that. Galler also realized that perhaps under normal circumstance this would’ve merited some response, but even he to felt the heaviness caused by Geltarbard.

Strilla sniffled before saying. “This horrid nightmare we have to live. I feel neither hope nor disappointment. It is like living in a stale state where all we know is misery, to wish for joy seems pointless for it isn’t constant like the despair that keeps a steady emotional level.

Galler shushed her. “Strilla?”

She closed her eyes, leaned into his chest and cried some more. “Strilla, you did the right thing, you brought Alswag here. He will stop this.”

She quietly pled, “Please don’t let me die.”

“Die?” Alswag asked her.

“I’ve dreamed the same dream the past couple of weeks. A dream where I find myself standing in my house, the doors and windows are closed, but a shadow is standing outside my house trying to get in. With great strength it rattles the panes and door. I hold the shutters and doors trying to keep it out, but no matter how hard I try, it always manages to come in. Then I wake up.”

“It is just a dream.” Galler stroked her cheek.

“Is it?” Strilla asked.

Galler remained quiet, he hoped for the strength to make her smile once more. He felt utterly useless and devoid of any courage.

Alswag knocked and stepped in. “Galler.”

Galler turned towards him. Alswag only acted like nothing happened. “I need you to ride out of town with me.”

“What?” Galler asked.

“Trust me you need to see this.” Alswag turned and left the outside.

In a few moments they rode out of the town on the main road. Alswag had brought a small chicken with them.

Galler, stopped when he saw a giant worm lying across the road. Galler found worms rather disgusting because of their horrible shape. He often hated spotting them after a rainstorm.

Yet this one was a good four feet round. Only the horse could’ve jumped it.

“What is that?” Galler said with disgust in his voice.

“That.” Alswag answered. “Is a wall, for lack of a better word.”

Galler turned towards him but Alswag held up the chicken that now clucked wildly. He chucked the chicken towards the worm like thing a good thirty feet away. The chicken managed to fly down to a landing. Galler watched as the chicken squawked and trotted away. As it got within ten feet of the worm like wall, a quick dark shadow shot out between the folds grabbed the bird and pulled it back into the wall.

Galler could hear for a good while the screams of the bird as it clucked its last few moments.

“The demon is planning on keeping us in.” Alswag spoke calmly to a horrified Galler.

Galler didn’t feel any better, he felt like he would become sick as he turned and asked. “What’s the demon planning on doing?”

“Trapping us in.” Alswag instructed. “He will slowly encircle us and suffocate us till we are doomed.”

Galler now panicked and knew that awful wall would be coming towards him.

Galler jumped when Alswag tapped him on the arm. Galler looked over at Alswag who had a look of concern on his face and said strongly, “Let’s head back into town.”

They turned their horses and trotted up the bend into town where people were making commotion. The two rode further into town to see that various people were packing up their gear. “What’s going on?” Galler asked Alswag.

Alswag didn’t answer but rode forward to see Ildolf arguing with Kesnick the mayor. “Nothing you say will make me stay!” Ildolf roared at Kesnick.

“What’s going on?” Alswag ordered as he rode his horse up to the two.
“Nothing that concerns you.” Ildolf spat at Alswag.

“I didn’t ask if it concerned me.” Alswag steadily replied back staring down Idolf.

The mayor responded timidly. “The people want to leave I tell them they can’t leave, the demon won’t let them.”

“And I say to Sebol with that.” Ildolf pushed the mayor forcefully. He turned and angrily went on. “I am not going to stand here and let some hellish creature ruin our lives.”

“You can’t leave.” Alswag said.

“You can’t order me around.” Ildolf walked closer to Alswag who still stayed on his horse. Red was rising in Ildolf’s cheeks as he went on. “Just because you tell me something, I don’t have to listen.”

“I’m not ordering.” Alswag calmly stated, not giving into Ildolf’s taunts. “I mean that it is physically impossible for you to leave. The demon has set up a demons barrier, nothing can leave except evil, and the only thing coming in will be more evil or victims.”

The people in the town who had gathered to see the fight now murmured. They were expressing their worries about a demon who literally trapped them.

“Trying to scare us?” Ildolf sneered. “You like to come in and have your way with the people. Steal their treasure, play with their women and when it is over, go on your merry way, while the people have been infected by you.”

“Silence!” Alswag didn’t shout but had a volume to his voice that none dared speak back. “I am not here to battle with you. I am here to fight this demon, now you can sit there and throw insults and act stupidly, but I am not here to debate you. I am here to make sure that Geltarbard will die in revenge for all that he has done to you and your ancestors.”

Ildolf moved forward to do something, but he stopped at the scream that echoed through the air. Alswag rode off in the direction of the scream. On the other side of the village he saw something long shoot through the air towards a window. It broke through and then pulled a teenage girl out of the window and back through the fields.

Charging after where the girl flew off, Alswag leaned onto the head of the horse.   He then saw the same long something shoot through the forest over his head and past him and in moment retreated clutching another girl away from the village. Alswag pulled a sword out of his cape and held it ready for the next snatch. It then shot through the air again, Alswag swung up and sliced at the long extending object. He cut it, and the stub retracted and Alswag clutched the falling end to see a hand. The hand wriggled but Alswag through it away.

His horse stopped and he flew off.

He got up and looked around, to see his horse had fallen to the ground, screaming in pain. Alswag then smelled the scent. He pulled his sword from his cape again and held it aloft as he saw several wolves circling him.

They snarled and growled as they closed him in, now the pack slowly advanced. The horse tried to get up, but a wolf bit its neck and it squealed as it died.

One ran forward and bit him.

“No!” He screamed looking down at his arm. From the bite, there came many little spiders that crawled out of the wound and up his arm. “Don’t believe it.” Alswag told himself. The spiders were red and looked like they had been made up of flesh. He pulled out his crossbow and fired at one of the wolves. The others backed up, but Alswag knew that he had to kill the wolf that bit him. Alswag saw a red centipede crawling out of his wound and up his arm.

“Find the wolf.” He fired at another wolf and it died. His breathing increased as he frantically looked around. Another wolf came up and bit his leg. He shot this one immediately.

Frantically looking down at his arm he now saw flapping coming out of the wound, and then a small bird flying out of it, but a different lump fell out of his wound, and looked like a dead bird that had suffocated in his flesh. Alswag fired at another wolf. Then another, Alswag fell down to the ground panting. The wolves circled him. Alswag heard hissing and saw a snake pushing its way out of his wound. He fired at another wolf and it fell down. The snake disappeared as well as all the other critters. The wound was now just a plain bite. “Good.” He then fired rapidly at the other wolves in the pack. He then looked down at his bite marks, just plain bleeding. He hated Doongal Wolves; the venom in their wounds caused awful hallucinations until the dog that bit you had died.

He quickly got up and ran off in the direction that the girls had flown to. Running through the trees at a dizzying pace he finally came to a clearing where he saw something large slowly moving through the forest. Alswag had never seen a creation like this, for it looked like a giant blob of flesh wrapped in a giant roll with feet sticking out of the bottom. It was naked but being so wrapped, none of the offending human parts stuck out. It had a bleeding stub on one side, Alswag immediately knowing that this was the thing that grabbed the three girls, and an arm on the other; and a sack had been slung over it’s back where the girls must be. Alswag charged, but the other short stubby arm shot out and punched him down.

Alswag jumped back up, but at once it punched him down again. Alswag sat up and aimed his crossbow and fired, but with a flick of its arms it deflected the blow. Alswag lowered his crossbow and stared at the thing. He walked after the slow moving object, but couldn’t get close because it kept punching him away. It deflected every shot that he fired. Alswag wondered what advantage he could use, but he couldn’t think of one.

As he followed the snail pace monstrosity, Alswag regained composure and he thought about the arm, the one he had cut off. After all he had cut it a distance away, perhaps he was too close and it could easily hurt him. So he planted his feet in one spot and fired at the slow retreating thing.

It deflected the blows as he suspected, but it kept moving. As it went further Alswag kept firing. At one point Alswag let out a scoff, this had to be funny if it weren’t for the fact that three girls had been kidnapped. Finally a shot burst the arm off, and left scorched skin on the end of the stub.

Alswag sped after the demon and fired at its legs, causing it to fall down. He then stabbed into the rolls several times before it gasped loudly and died. Alswag took the sack off of its back and opened it. Pulling out the three teenage girls, neither of them squirmed but rather they were calm in an intoxicated state.

“Girls.” Alswag said to them.

The one said, “Where would you like us?”

Alswag grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently; she closed her eyes and then shook her head before waking up. “What happened?”

Alswag straightened up. “Good question.” He shook the other two to wake them up as well.

“Let’s get back.” Alswag told the two girls.

He walked up to the demon’s corpse. He pulled out a large knife used for butchery. He cut open the bulging chest of the monster and sliced through the entire chest cavity.

Alswag moved organs and vitals around, over and over again. “Where is it?” Alswag muttered.

One of the girls said, “What are you doing?”

Alswag then pulled out the knife and muttered under his breath. “It’s not there”

He wiped the knife on the ground. “Geltarbard must control this demon.”

***

“Those eyes are creepy.” Strilla coldly stated to Galler.

“Yes they are.” Galler replied gazing at the one that grew like an infection on the tavern. Galler shivered as the thought unnerved him slightly.

The two of them had try walking away from the eyes, but no matter where one went, there were eyes everywhere. These eyes like a weird mold appeared more frequently around the town, and were moving inside of buildings; Galler knew that these eyes would haunt his dreams.

“I know I brought this evil upon us.” Strilla moaned.

“You saved us.” Galler immediately told her.

However, Strilla grew more depressive as she continued on. “No if I hadn’t gotten Alswag none of this would’ve happened to our village.”

“You are right Strilla.” Alswag replied behind them. They both turned to see him. He went on, “The demon would’ve ruled you all. Yet, because of your acts Strilla, he must now act with even more ferocity. That is why we must continue on and kill the demon. Strilla can we talk in your house?”

Strilla shook her head yes in agreement, and the three of them headed back. Closing the doors and windows, the room became more darkened, but the purplish eyes glowed mischievously in the dark.

“I saved the girls that were abducted.” Alswag sighed. “Then I went to collect its heart, but it is missing.”

“What?” Galler commented. “How can a demon live without a heart?”

Alswag explained. “All demons were wizards, who twisted themselves in the dark arts. Some are powerful like Lebersana and become great evil sorcerers. Sometimes they aren’t powerful or strong enough and can’t keep a hold of their power and they end up mutilating themselves into the horrific monstrosities we know as demons. What always happens, is their hearts become jeweled in the process.” Alswag pulled out of his cape a brilliant green gem the size of a ball a child would throw around. “This is a heart of a demon I slaughtered years ago.”

Alswag dropped it in a basin of water. The water immediately turned to golden pearls. “The demon hearts are extremely important. A demon can live without its heart, but that means something controls it.”

“What do you mean?” Galler stuttered out.

“Someone is controlling the demon, but who?” Alswag continued.

“Geltarbard?” Galler stated.

“He may be the lieutenant, but he isn’t the one causing the chaos.” Alswag clarified. “Someone is purposely setting the demon to attack the village.”

“Why?” Galler could never think of someone in the village that would hurt people like that.

“Because,” Alswag explained carefully so that they wouldn’t miss his intention. “You convinced everyone to stop paying the demon. That was where they got their riches. So he used the demon to attack the people. To get them to bow down into submission again.”

“You mean,” Strilla wiped her nose. “That the demon isn’t the monster that has been causing this mess?”

“I’m afraid so.” Alswag answered.

Strilla gripped Galler’s hand tightly. He felt pain, not from her squeeze, but rather how he treated her just a few minutes earlier.

Alswag looked at the little light that was seeping into the room. “Demons. Demons are more like animals, they can be controlled, but they don’t have the patience to be cunning like a human. Some, manage to exhibit more patience to play more cunning tricks on their victims, but in the end, these cons don’t even last a month. Whereas an evil sorcerer can wait and gather strength and more strength until the moment when they will strike. No Geltarbard may be controlled by someone, someone who loves the power.”

***

The suns lowered and darkness covered the village. Galler worried about Strilla, she had been lucky so far, but this could mean the end for her. She could easily be destroyed in the fight.

The eyes on all the walls glowed in the darkness perfectly illuminating every detail of the eyes, down to the veins that ran to the irises. This did nothing to ease Galler’s sour mood.

When this was over, Galler wondered what to do. Galler would be touted a hero. He could easily take Strilla anywhere. Galler thought for a moment, this may be penance, but it would also be a chance for him to start over, a chance for him to have happiness.

A howl came from the distance. Galler quickened his breath. Alswag only commented, “They are getting ready for the battle tonight. Keep your wits about you?”

Galler swallowed before he spoke. “How are we supposed to fight off an entire army of dark creatures?”

“We have some advantages.” Alswag stopped and turned around to him. “Don’t fear.”

“I don’t know.” Galler nervously replied.

Alswag saw him shiver. “Try to stay calm.”

“I’m not as brave as you.” Galler stuttered slightly.

“No, and I’m not as brave as you think I am.” Alswag stepped back to him. “My first demon I ever hunted, it was a terrifying night.

“I along with my friend, we had found the creature, it had been mutilating the little boys of the village. So we went into its cave. It could turn into rock, so we decided to lure it out by pounding on the rocks of the cave. I still remember hitting the rocks, oh was that an awful experience, for each time I hit a rock, I shook violently for I knew it would be the moment of my demise. My friend finally hit the right rock and at that moment, it revealed itself.

“We defeated the demon.” Alswag placed his hand upon Galler’s shoulder. “However, that fear I felt that night, I still feel tonight. Don’t kid yourself, you will never stop fearing, for fear is what protects your body.”

“How do you deal with it then?” Galler asked him.

Alswag didn’t respond for quite some time. He finally replied, “I remember why I’m doing this. I give myself a reason to fight. That gives me the courage to face these monsters down. So only you can tell yourself a good enough reason to fight.”

Galler took some deep breaths and straightened up. A chance for happiness, a chance to live a good life; that was what Galler would be fighting for. For years, Galler had been told by some that he would be pathetic and useless. Now he had gotten away from all that and would be able to become his own man, a man that would hopefully have Strilla by his side. He stood up straight. “I’m ready.”

“Good.” Alswag said. “This is going to be a big night. Just remain focused, think before you leap and try to keep calm.”

“Right.” Galler tried to sound convinced.

“Will you be all right?” Alswag scanned him noticing a few hints of oncoming collapse.

“I think, I’ll make it.” Galler tried to convince himself more than Alswag.

“Right, just stay behind me as best as you can.” Alswag turned and led the way. Galler followed. They hid behind a few crates and from here they could see most of the Village.

It remained quiet; there were no insects, birds or other small animals making noise. Even the wind stayed still as if trying to avoid the nightmare. Alswag heard the heavy breathing of Galler, who would occasionally mutter to remind himself to stay calm.

The moon rose and all of the eyes turned red along with the eyes of the moon. Then the moon went dark that no light came from it except for the red eyes of Lebersana. Two red eyes from Sezorum shone down upon the village and the multiple red eyes in the village shone out from where they had stained on the walls.

“They control the moon?” Galler wheezed.

“No.” Alswag ordered. “They covered it. That is the darkness of Lebersana. The very evil that they want.”

Horns blasted in the distance and immediately this was followed by many screeches and squeals. Alswag turned quickly scanning the alleyway, “Keep on the high ground.”

“What?” Galler asked.

“They are attacking.” Alswag said over the horn blasts that kept repeating.

Alswag pushed Galler towards some crates forcing him to climb up on top of them. When Galler straightened up atop the stack of crates there were even more screeches echoing through the night. Loud screeching, and trampling of little feet, then they came around the corner. A horde of small long furry things, they had no head, and they appeared to be all tail, looking like a giant furry centipede, they charged Galler and Alswag.

Alswag pulled out his big crossbow and fired it at them, obliterating all of the pests into ash. But only more came after this pulverized heap. Alswag reached into his cape and pulled out a glass lamp. “Turn that on.” He tossed it Galler.

“How?” Galler replied.

“Twist until it turns on.” Alswag fired off more shots at the onslaught.

Galler twisted the top of the lamp over and over. He couldn’t spin the top off, but he wondered if it even worked, for he kept spinning it and nothing seemed to happen. Then it started to glow. He continued spinning it over and over until it finally glowed brilliantly.

“Give it to me.” Alswag had just fired another shot. He took the lamp and chucked it at the creatures. Immediately a white fire came from the broken fragments and advanced the little horde. They fled from this fire. The enchanted fire pursued after the pests, burning nothing but the very little demons that swarmed Alswag and Galler.

Alswag bent over, relieved that he had chased off the horrid rodents, but straightened up when he heard screeching. “Mogs!” Alswag screamed out.

Coming from the air were thousands upon thousands of the hellish little bats. They broke into windows and opened up houses allowing the awful rodents to run in. Making an evil plague that invaded the town with horrific fury.

The white fire kept the little monsters away from Galler and Alswag, but it didn’t keep the mogs away. Alswag and Galler crawled down upon the ground trying to stay beneath the reach of the Mogs, they reached the street and Alswag fired a few shots and ash rained down.

Then the ground shook and Alswag turned to see the giant crustacean lumbering down the street. Alswag immediately charged the giant monstrosity, Galler realized that Alswag had taken off and then followed. Alswag swung his sword at it, but it swung its arm knocking him to the ground. Alswag rolled and then looked up to see a pointed foot coming down upon him. He rolled over just before the foot spiked into the ground next to him. Looking up, he saw it stepping over to him. He kept rolling away and Galler swung his sword at the arm of the crustacean, but it swung back and knocked Galler off the ground. Alswag swung at its leg and cut off the bottom part of the limb. The creature lost its balance and tumbled into a nearby building. Dust exploded from the wreckage that the creature caused. This though did cause the creature to be caught in the rubble and it moved violently to get out of the rubble. Alswag climbed up over its back and over the head ready to stab. He raised his sword to stab the top of the head, but the creature hit the wall knocking it over onto Alswag. Galler then cut its arm off, causing it to screech and howl. Alswag pushed the wall off of him, lifted up his sword and stabbed the face. He jiggled the sword around till the squirming creature died.

Alswag grabbed the sword and pulled it out. Then the dead body broke up into smaller versions of the crustacean, they were the size of cats and they immediately scattered, scampering to wherever they could.

Alswag stomped on one, and then another. Galler had slid down to the ground on the lowering pile of the little crustaceans, but one had crawled up his leg and under his pants. He squirmed as the pattering of little feet climbing up his leg toward his groin. Galler smacked the crustacean and broke it.

Galler shuttered as he now could panic about where the gross thing headed. Alswag came out of the house and towards Galler.

“Those things aren’t deadly?” Galler asked.

Alswag shrugged his shoulders. A particular scream broke the noise of the ruckus and both of them turned to see Geltarbard flying off with Strilla.

“No!” Galler screamed as he rushed after them.

“Wait.” Alswag tried to catch up with empowered Galler.

Galler pursued vehemently, for he wasn’t going to let it take Strilla away from him. Alswag couldn’t help him as Alswag had just been grabbed by a host of Mogs that flew off with him.

Galler followed Geltarbard up the mountain. The climb was not difficult, but not something that a person could do running. Galler kept on running up the mountainside, he wasn’t going to lose Strilla; he didn’t care that this climb would kill him, he had to make it up there. He saw Geltarbard a couple of times; knowing now that the demon was taking Strilla into its lair.

Galler ran up into the crevice to where the lair lay, but guarding the lair, was a pack of wolves. They snarled as Galler held up his rusted sword. “Die!”

They charged him, but he swung his sword far too quickly and with great strength. He cut through one’s skull and brought it down. Then swung his sword towards another. With each strike, Galler only had one thought on his mind. Strilla. Strilla. He had to keep her safe. He had to make sure that nothing bad would happen to her.

They all jumped on him and bit Galler multiple times. As Galler felt the wolves bite his arms before letting go, Galler would thrust his sword forward, knowing full well that he would kill all of these wolves, one by one if he had to. The air filled with demons that all screeched and howled at Galler, but he sliced through all of the wolves till they had all died. Then the demons disappeared.

Galler numbly charged through the body parts that made him queasy the last time and slid down the entrance into the cave. On the floor he looked up to see Strilla stuck to the wall, only her hands had been bound, so Galler cut off the mucous strapped around her wrist.

Galler freed Strilla before he smacked against the wall. Galler looked down to the tail that wrapped around him. Barbs stuck out and scratched Galler; he felt intense burning from the scratches and then he could no longer feel his body. The tail let Galler go and he thumped to the ground, he couldn’t move his arms or legs. He turned his head to see Geltarbard pick up the sword. It walked over to Strilla, who cowered on the floor, the demon stroked her face and she cringed.

“You are brave.” The demon said to Galler.

“Why do you care?” Galler spat back, it was all he could do for he couldn’t move any of his other limbs. He could only say insulting words at it, insulting words that would only antagonize it.

“In the days before your village,” Geltarbard began to monologue. “I recruited young strapping men to fight for me. Little did I know one would turn against me. Now I must follow them.”

“What are you talking about?” Galler quizzically replied.

The demon sneered. “Really, think about it. Did you think I was the evil that plagued this town? Do I run a mock through the town by sleeping with the women and killing the men? What use have I for treasure? No, I must obey my master. The master who controls this town.”

“What?” Galler felt his fingers move a little bit.

“Sorry.” Geltarbard said. “I wouldn’t want to destroy someone as ferocious as you. However, I have no choice. He wanted to kill you.”

“Why?” Galler kept forcing his fingers to move; now he could get the hands to move a bit more.

“Simple.” Geltarbard stood over Galler. “He wanted Strilla. He wanted her, and she fancied you. He couldn’t have that. Especially after she helped you convince everyone to not pay tribute. He grew angry and called me out of my slumber.”

Geltarbard raised the sword up and Galler closed his eyes, but he wouldn’t feel anything. He heard the sound of the sword penetrating flesh, now knowing that he had died. He opened his eyes ready to see the sword in his chest, but he saw Strilla kneeling beside him with the sword impaled through her chest. She fell down to the floor and coughed out blood. Galler weakly started pushing himself up, he pulled the sword out of her chest and stumbled towards the trembling demon. He raised the sword with all of the strength he could muster and pushed it on the neck cutting the head off of Geltarbard who had fallen to the ground cowering.

Galler fell down and crawled towards Strilla and embraced her. “Strilla.”

She cried and chuckled at the same time. “It’s okay. I just wish I had told you that I loved you.”

“I know.” Galler cried. “We’ll make it. As soon as I get my strength back, I will take you down the mountain.”

“No Galler.” She awkwardly placed her hand upon his cheek. “No, let me stay here with you.”

Galler sobbed. Strilla whispered slightly. “I feel a great warmth Galler. Give yourself to him, Galler.”

“What?” Galler asked.

“Give yourself to him, and we shall be together.” Strilla then closed her eyes.

Galler then screamed. He sat there holding the body of Strilla and he felt all feeling leave his body. All he could feel was the tears being pushed out of his eyes as the grief overcame him.

“It was nothing personal.” Geltarbard responded.

Galler turned around and saw the head of Geltarbard looking at him. “Why the Sebol are you still living?”

“I am the foreman of the demons. I can’t die till they all die.” Geltarbard explained.

“How do I kill them?” Galler had put Strilla down.

“Simple.” Geltarbard replied. “Command me to kill them, they shall die immediately. When that happens, I shall die.”

“Who controls you?” Galler asked.

“Best you not know about certain things.” Geltarbard responded.

Galler crawled over and picked up the head shaking it. “Tell me!!”

“I should whisper it.” Geltarbard spoke with a wicked grin.

Galler held Geltarbard close to his ear. Galler moved the demon head away. “Really?”

“Of course.” Geltarbard said. “I am as good as dead. I have hated my slavery, I want to get them back.”

“Do you know about the curse of Ogres?” Galler held the head ready to crush it.

“I do.” Geltarbard replied.

“Tell me, and then command the demons to die.” Galler ordered.

“As you wish, hero.” Geltarbard complied in a very mocking tone.

***

Inside a different cave sat piles of gold, treasure and jewels. The mayor Kesnick hastily stuffed a bag with the handfuls he pilfered from the closest piles, all the while muttering. “They aren’t going to blame me.”

“So.” Alswag said to him.

The mayor jumped dropping his bag. He quickly replied. “This isn’t what you think?”

“Isn’t it?” Alswag stepped into the Mayor’s point of view. “It looks to me like the mayor controlled those demons. That way they could do what he wanted them to do, hoarding up your treasure. What a perfect system, you gain all the wealth and don’t have to get your hands dirty.”

“You have no idea what you are talking about.” The mayor kept eyeing the satchel he had just dropped.

Alswag advanced him. “You are a disgrace.”

“Yes he is.” Another voice said behind Alswag.

Before Alswag could react an arrow landed in the mayor’s chest and he fell to the ground. The mayor whined out, “I was too weak. I should’ve done something by now.”

Alswag turned around to see Ildolf holding a bow. “Welcome mister Alswag to my private horde.”

“Aren’t you quite the actor.” Alswag stared Ildolf down.

“Thank you.” Ildolf sneered lowering his bow. “With the demons upsetting the local populace who would suspect me?”

Alswag didn’t answer.

Ildolf chuckled, then he mused as he went on. “I come from a long line of people who have always kept the town in check. One of my forefathers, years ago, defeated the demon Geltarbard and then brought him back to life. Now that he controlled him, he could use this power. The poorest man in town soon became the wealthiest. When people paid the demon the right to live.”

“Then imagine, if you will, suitors that come along. These suitors take the heart of the young women he craves. So he once again uses the demon to take away those suitors. That is what we had. A perfect system, and the rumors kept it alive until recently.”

“Until Galler upset the status quo.” Alswag suggested, trying to fit the story together by this suggestion.

“You see, I received the demon’s heart years ago. As a teenage boy, I was quite good looking. Geltarbard had patrolled the land for years, taking over other demons that came by. So a force of them stood ready for my use. That strange one you defeated today, Gweldong, I found out that he could snatch anyone away so quickly. It was so much fun being a teenage boy, and is still quite a fun nightly activity. I had him snatch the girls out of their rooms, in the night; I had my way with all of the beautiful women of this town. I loved it. Young, single, married, it didn’t matter. I enjoyed it all.

“Then that Galler came in. He stole the heart of Strilla, I who had made sure that she remained pure. So I could take her on as mistress and eventually a new and younger wife. He convinced everyone in town to withhold tribute this year. That was when I knew I had to act.”

“So you brought this upon your own people?” Alswag pulled out his sword.

“Of course. It is power. Alswag. Power that runs the world, and I possibly couldn’t let that little fec ruin what I had going.” Ildolf snapped. “She is beautiful, I saved her for myself. I mean she is mine, what makes him think that I can’t have her. I can’t let that little fec go in and lie with her. I know he wanted to, she was mine, not his. But I haven’t been able to kill you yet, why is that?”

Alswag responded. “Because you foolish friend. There are other powers at work.”

Ildolf fired his bow, but Alswag jumped out of the way far to quickly. Ildolf growled, “You are going to die.”

“No!” Galler screamed. He stabbed Ildolf in the chest. Ildolf looked down to see a sword sticking out. “Thanks to you.” Galler told him. “She is dead.” He pushed Ildolf down onto the floor.

Galler looked over at Alswag. Alswag walked over and looked through the robes of Ildolf. He found 8 different jeweled hearts and pocketed them.

“What a jerk.” Galler commented. Then he shook even more. “What a jerk.” He then hacked the body of Ildolf over and over. “She is dead because of you. You did this to her. You did!”

The entire town had celebrated that they were alive till the morning’s light for when the demon Geltarbard died, the eyes disappeared and the veil of darkness disappeared along with all of the mogs and other monstrosities that tormented the village that night. They all went quiet when they saw Galler coming into the village cradling the body of Strilla. He had covered her face. He carried her body towards her house. Her mother dropped down and cried out when Galler came to the door. Galler placed her body lovingly on the bed. He then sat down next to the bed and stared down at the floor.

Alswag didn’t bother Galler, but merely kept a distance. Galler remained by her side for many days, even as they carried her body down the street and buried her in the cemetery. With the found treasure, all of the people insisted that a grand monument be erected over her grave. So that all may know her as the one who brought about the end of Geltarbard.

However, Galler remained a silent sentinel at her graveside, day and night he never left her graveside. He only stared at the mound that now covered the one he loved so much. People in town brought him food so that he could eat. He ate very little.

The rain poured down on her grave, but he still sat there. During this rain Alswag walked up to him and stood by him. “What will you do now?”

“Leave.” Galler didn’t look at Alswag, this was the first time Galler had said anything. “This town reminds me too much of her. I came to this town to escape. Now I know sorrow follows me wherever I go.”

“So what’s your plan?” Alswag interrupted this rant.

“I’m going to travel, never staying in one place long. That way nobody can ever know me, and love me. I won’t hurt another person.” Tears escaped Galler’s eyes as he bent his head down.

“Come with me.” Alswag told him.

“What?” Galler looked at Alswag.

“Come with me. You are good in a fight. I could use you.” Alswag held out his hand. “Whatever treasure I find is yours. Only give me the hearts.”

Galler stood up. “I guess it is somewhere to go.”

“No.” Alswag answered. “Like I found out when the demon killed my friend, it is a way to forget the pain.”

“Does the pain ever leave?” Galler asked.

“Let’s ride.” Alswag turned and left.

Final episode of The Quest.

Sorry this is late, I did eat at a Japanese steakhouse tonight, and it was rather good.  So onto tonight’s revue.

As we know, we are down to Patrick, Shondo, Andrew and Lina.  These four woke up in the camp, thinking nothing had happened.  When after exchanging morning greetings with the Queen, Sir Ansgar and Crio, a bunch of Ranas invade the camp.  These strange reptilian like creatures chase them out of their camp, and they are ambushed on the road.  The Queen then asks to see the Chief.

They are taken to the Chief who sits on a throne and next to him is a hooded creature that mutters.  The Chief talks to them, wondering why they are on his lands.  The Queen explains that they have been exiled from her castle because of Verlox.  However, the chief fails to see why this is any of his concern, Lina steps forward and this makes the Chief wonder more about these Paladins.  He then gives each of the Paladins a chance to explain their plight on why they Ranas should let them go.  However, he gives each of them a time limit that he measures with a miniature hour glass, that obviously is a minute.

Sadly, the strange side henchman turns out to be the Vizier, and his moment of treachery is realized.  He has been siding with the Ranas to get them to join Verlox and overthrow the Kingdom of Saenctum.  They then lock them up in cages the Paladins are each conveniently placed into their individual cages, while the Queen, Ansgar and Crio are placed into a group one on the ground.  Then comes the round of bewailment, self pity and other forms of pointless debasement as they realize they have hit a low.  The Queen tells them that this is a challenge by the Fates, and that is when they realize that their cages that are hanging, are on dowels and they could slide their cages towards the end where a knife is hanging down.  In order to get over to the end of the track, they must use a rope to lasso a peg that is stuck in the ground and pull themselves over.  None of these people were cowboys or cowgirl, because it took a long time before anybody got there.  It was Andrew who got out first.  He then went around pulling down knives and giving them to the Paladins and also to Ansgar and then they escaped.

Of course once they were out, the Ranas came by to check on them and realizing their escape chased after them.  Into the woods they ran.  It was then that Sir Ansgar told them they were close to where they had built their original camouflaged bunker.  So they ran there and regrouped.  Sir Ansgar told them about their only way to escape from the Ranas and the Dark Soldiers was to go through the bog that had a hideous Banshee.  It is mentioned that the Fates will know how to appease the Banshee.  So they meet the fates, letting Shondo, Lina and Patrick face the fates challenge for the day.  These three go to the bog where they must cross a swamp on floating platforms and rickety bridges, doing this they must carry a platter with three pears on it.   If they spill one, they must go back and start over.  It looks like Lina will win it, because she gets the furthest, after all, Shondo and Patrick are both heavy footed.  Yet, Lina loses her fruit and falls in.  She even loses her tray.  Shondo goes over to the banshee and presents the offering.  The Banshee is blind and feels around.  Shondo guides her hands towards the fruit.  He wins the fates challenge.  Leaving Patrick and Lina ready for Banishment.

This is quite a challenge for Shondo and Andrew, because both are so good, and neither is really annoying, as to suggest that people use any sort of vindictive actions in a vote.  The voting comes and Andrew stands behind Lina, and Shondo behind Patrick.  The fates inform Andrew who won the mark that day that he must make the deciding vote.  He goes with his first choice and chooses Lina.  Patrick is banished.  Shondo and Andrew don’t settle to well with the decision, they really wonder if this was a smart choice.

But now it is time for the grand finale, the next morning the three remaining Paladins, along with the Queen, Crio and Sir Ansgar are walking down the road.  When they hear riders coming up.  They get off the road and hide.  Sir Ansgar tells them to run for it while he creates a distraction.  He runs out and fights the dark soldiers that overpower them.  Crio leads them through the forest till they find the fates who make their first appearance in the day.  Time for the final passage.  The Queen bids the Paladins farewell and to trust in the Prophecy, then her and Crio leave.

They must ride horses to a trail where they will follow instructions on what to do.  After getting off their horses, they run through an obstacle course, the first challenge is to take their swords and cut vines.  The vines when cut open spill beans, and in one of these is a map.  There is a map for each of them.  So they start hacking through the different vines, Shondo finds his first and runs off to the second challenge.  Lina then finds hers and follows.  Andrew cuts all of his vines down and is frustrated.

The second obstacle is a balancing test.  They each have a large scale, and must balance the six objects perfectly, when this happens they can go onto the next quest.  Shondo who has proven great physically has the same problems as the Hulk and struggles with this, even though he has a great head start.  Lina comes and starts working on the challenge.

Finally poor Andrew finds his scroll in a pile and then runs off to the second challenge.  Lina balances first and runs off to the third challenge.  This third challenge is the first sieve challenge, the first two to pass it, continue on.  Lina reads the instructions.  Basically there are three storm cellar type doors that contain ogres inside of them.  They must weave a large chain through the loops in a criss cross pattern like shoelaces on your shoe and down to the lock.  Lina starts, Andrew has balanced his and runs towards this next obstacle.  He doesn’t see the chain in a pile on the side, and runs back thinking he left his chain at the last challenge.  All the while, poor Shondo can’t get the balance to work properly.

Lina remains calm as she feeds the chain through the loops.  Andrew comes back and notices the chain on the ground.  He then starts to thread the chain through the loops, and gets his chain through all of the loops realizing that he did it wrong.  So he has to pull it out and start over.  Finally Shondo balances his scales and gets ready for the “Shoelace deal from Hell” as he calls it.

Lina completes hers first and runs on to the next challenge.  The two men are struggling and Andrew gets his chain in a knot.

Lina who reaches the fourth challenge, finds that it is a arrow shooting competition.  The first of the remaining two to get a bullseye lowers the drawbridge and can cross and is the One True Hero.  So she starts firing, being flustered she doesn’t get a bullseye, but she has plenty of time.  Andrew finishes his threading first and wins the challenge.  While he runs off, a disappointed Shondo is called back to the Fates and is banished.  He then places his piece of the Sun Spear into the altar and leaves.

Andrew runs towards the fourth challenge.  Meanwhile, Lina, is decorating the ground and target with many near misses and hits.  Finally she plants one, just as Andrew gets there to read the instructions.  Andrew is called back and just like Shondo is banished.  Lina runs across the bridge and comes before the Fates.

The Fates instruct her to assemble the Sun Spear with the other eleven pieces.  She creates the shaft and attaches it to the head piece and then when this is powered up, the other 11 Paladins are called back and asked to help with the completion of the task.  They are to defeat Verlox and vanquish him to the shadows.  Sir Ansgar meets up with them and he vows to fight for Lina.

They go to meet the Queen and Crio who aren’t where they are suppose to be.  Sir Ansgar tells Lina of the passage and instructs her to go through it.  Him and the other Paladins will create a diversion so she can go up and defeat Verlox.  Sir Ansgar quietly leads them up to the bridge and then they charge.  Dark Soldiers hold the ground as best as they can as these twelve cut through.  Lina crosses the moat and goes up running through the back passages of the castle.  She makes it up to the tower room where Verlox is waiting.  He monologues about how she needs to give him the spear.  She then fights him.  She pushes Verlox to the ground and is about to stab him when the Vizier comes out from the shadows, pulling a dagger he is ready to stab Lina.  Sir Ansgar comes through the door and holds a sword up to the Vizier’s neck.  Instructing Lina to finish him.  Lina fires the spear into Verlox’s thorax and he is vanquished.

Much cheering and celebration goes on.  The next day, the Paladins leave and are bid farewell in royal fashion.  Lina is the hero of Everrealm and the One True Hero for this season.  Once they are gone.  The camera zooms in on the Vizier’s cell, he moans to the person that it took them long enough and he is freed.

The Quest Episode 3 or The Feller’s Wedge

This week was somewhat of a very stunning and disappointing week on The Quest. Starting from last week when the queen was poisoned. We begin this episode with the important people of the kingdom and the Paladins gathered in the queen’s chambers. She is going ill and all of the Vizier’s tricks aren’t working. So the Paladins are sent to look through the collection of scrolls to see if there might be a cure for the Queen’s ailment.

Of course it is chaos as the people go through the various scrolls wondering which of them might actually work, and it doesn’t help matters when more scrolls are piled on, when there is very little effective communication. Finally a list of the symptoms of the queen is given and Patrick finds the scroll with all of the correct symptoms. They then list the ingredients, most of them are common but one, Dragons Tears.

Crio tells the Paladins where they might find all of these ingredients, in the woods there is an old Hag who collects all sorts of things. She would more than likely have the Dragons Tears.

The 10 Paladins follow Crio into the woods where they head to the shack of the Old Hag of Purgwell. This old woman comes out and greets them in her fashion, telling them how they must complete the task in order to get all of the ingredients.

What they must do is go through a series of walls, each one with ten doors. Each Paladin must go through their own door. On the other side there is are stumps with the ingredients. As they cross through each wall, the number of ingredients lessens. So it would start out with ten then go down to seven and eventually down to one. To make the challenge more difficult, they are each given a key. Then they must go through each door, the first one has tar and gunk covering the lock that they must uncover to reach the keyhole. The second one has rope and the challenges go on. So that it is not just merely a foot race.

Patrick and Andrew take well to this challenge and are practically neck and neck. Meanwhile, Christian, who has been in the fates challenge every week since the show began, loses his key and in a futile effort looks for his key. Most people get through the first wall, while they get stuck on others, one wall they are required to dig under the door like a dog would.

Finally Andrew makes it through to the last one and claims the dragon tears. He runs around and hands the ingredients off to the hag who instructs him how to mix them properly. They smoke and the antidote is ready. They run to the castle and administer the antidote to the queen. She comes back to life and thanks Andrew. Andrew is presented the Mark of Wisdom.

However; Christian, Bonnie and Jim are the three poorest this week and must face the Fates challenge. This week, they must grind clay down to powder and place it on scales evenly to get the scales to float within the golden wire rims that they are in. If they don’t touch the upper rim or lower, then they win the challenge. Bonnie comes out triumphantly first with Jim in close second. However, despite the fact that Christian just isn’t able to do much, the group decides to give him a second chance and vote for him to stay on. Jim is banished.

This creates a wedge between the group. Like the proverbial “Feller’s Wedge” Christian will split this group down the middle and a war will break out between the Paladins. Shondo, the most athletic in the group, is upset and more than likely will survive near the end, which will make him a terrible enemy. More than likely he will do all within his power to make sure that all those six who voted for Christian are eliminated before he is.

After Jim leaves, the Paladins are asked to help out in the courtyard by performing menial tasks. When an alarm sounds warning of an imminent attack. The group uncovers weapons and then the show ends.

It always worke…

It always worked better when we used Gelflings.

The Dark Crystal

Alswag I

Alswag the Demon Hunter

Geltarbard of Deselwar

Part I

Dedicated to my friend and pal

Jacob

~From the World of the Seven Suns…~

Her feet ached from marching endlessly along the dirt road, tired, she still limped on while her muddy dress smacked her chins sending a stinging sensation up her right leg that made her hiss occasionally. She groaned all the while going up and down the little rises in the road.  Strilla kept on trekking through the pain for she knew that this was the only way to save her village, for the only hope left was Alswag.

The suns lowered as the evening approached, and she painfully pressed on through the rocky canyon that had nothing but sagebrush growing next to the vacant road.  She blinked her eyes, feeling the stinging coming from above her cheeks caused by the suns burnt face she now bore.  After nothing but unending supply of this parched scenery, the canyon finally turned and a vista opened up.  She now could see down through the mouth of the canyon to a town that was her destination.  Eyes fixed on that town she moved down the road, the darkness of night crept up and she could see the lights coming on but she sprinted on through the pain and exhaustion till she finally made it to the gate of the city.

Knocking on the closed gate, the porter opened it up.  “Who are you?”

“I’m Strilla from Delsawar.”  She responded.

He looked at her through the opening, “What brings you to city of Heldgard?”

She wanted to say that it was here to find Alswag, but she merely reported, “My uncle lives in this town and I need find him.”

He looked at her for a few moments.  “Well, all people must be scanned before they come into the town.”

He came out through the door and held out his wand and waved it over her.  She didn’t know what to expect or what to feel.  For nothing happened.  The porter put his wand away. “You aren’t a threat.” The porter stepped back through the door letting Strilla enter.

“Thank you.”  She told the porter as she walked through the door and into the town.  The porter locked his eyes on her, Strilla felt uncomfortable, because she knew that this man looked at her like this was her last moments in life.

Walking through the noisy streets she remembered now that all in her village considered this a wicked town.  Sermons were preached about the wickedness of the outside world, being only thirteen she still knew the nightmares that her mother told her of what they did to people outside the town.  Telling her it was best to always stay home and never leave.

Even though she was thirteen and had begun to rebel against her mother, she still feared this town.  She knew that if she came here something terrible would happen: but however, her village had come under siege and she needed the help of Alswag, the Demon hunter, for only he could free them from this nightmare.

The people in the streets stared at her hungrily; she felt a small pang in her stomach.  With each jejune laugh she knew that it was the prelude to her death that would be in one of these dark alleys where her bones would rot in the mud of the street.

She approached a large tavern near the center of the town, the ruckus coming from the inside made her stop on the outside and peer in.  The merry noises coming with the music, laughing and cheering wasn’t the sound of happiness, rather she knew it was the riotous sound of debauchery and wickedness.  She could hear women screaming with delight and people cheering along with vicious words being spoken and many other unsavory conversations going on.

She couldn’t think of these things.  She had a more important task at hand, she had to find Alswag; she took a deep breath and entered.  Walking inside she immediately coughed at the thick smoke that assaulted her mouth and nose.  The air in the room had a weight from the reeking heat.  People drank and scandalous women danced in raunchy moves, but she stayed on her mission and walked up to the bartender who looked at the young girl.  “Go home.” He told her.  “Nothing can be so bad that you would come to a place like this.”

“I want Alswag.”   Her voice croaked a bit, for she knew several people looked at her and she wanted them to look away.

He looked at her, “He doesn’t entertain the likes of you.  Just go home.”

“I need his help.”  She pled trying to keep her voice calm for she heard the scruffs of a barstool.

“I’ll give you what you need.”  A bearded man next to her said.  He snatched her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap.            The men around laughed, as he locked her into a strangling embrace.  “Let’s say you be with a real man tonight.”  He belched from underneath his shaggy beard.

“Let me go!”  She hit him with her flailing arms but he kept a tight grip on her.

The whole room laughed.  “Look girl, no one cares about high and mighty in here.”  He laughed from under his beard.

One of the heavily painted women came up and poked her flat chest, “I don’t know why you want this one, after all she is scrawny.”  She poked and prodded Strilla more.  “And probably doesn’t even know the ways of a man or what they want.”  Strilla couldn’t escape no matter how hard she struggled.

“She is fresh meat.  I get to be the first one.”  He chastised the floozy. He flung Strilla over his shoulder and she screamed.  “I get to open her cave for all the world to enjoy.”  He looked at the tavern that cheered him on.  “Are there any in here who would like to take her from second and so on?”

Several cheered out that they would.  So he took her out back and a gang of drunken pathetic men followed after.  She screamed out for help, but all in the room merely cheered on the gang rape that would happen.  For then she would become a regular here, one who would become one of the many sickly women that entertained here.

Out in the back, one of them grabbed her dress and tugged, a rip erupted through the air.  She gripped it tightly and screamed.  “Help!”

They slammed her down onto a crate.  Several people walking by only laughed as they passed by the scene.
“Don’t worry.”  A stinky one who slammed her down belched out.  His breath reeked as if he hadn’t brushed his teeth, ever.  “No one is going to come for you.”

He put a hand on her mouth that stifled her scream.  Her eyes followed the other hand that he reached to the top of her dress to pull it down.  Strilla felt her chest convulse violently, she knew what was going to happen; then an intense hot wind blew through the air blasting Strilla’s face with lots of small pebbles.  The man let go of her and screamed looking down at a stump where his hand was, the acrid odor smoked from the small bits of hand that were blasted everywhere.  He screamed for his hand that was no longer there.  The entire group turned to see a man in a trench coat and cape, bearing a sword and a crossbow advancing down the street.

“I believe the young woman has asked that you leave her alone.”  The stranger advanced.

“Let’s teach this stanch a lesson about interrupting us!”  The one with the burnt off hand roared as he stood up and ran towards the stranger.

“Now hold on.”  The stranger ordered and the man stopped.  The stranger counted the men with his sword.  “This hardly seems an even fight.  One against seven.”

“That’s what you get.”  One of them balled his fists.

The stranger replied, “You should at least get twenty more, than it’ll be a more even fight.”  He swung his sword at the one he had just blasted the hand off of and sliced the other hand off, then it flumped down to the ground.  “I can’t have you left to entertain yourself.”  The stranger dryly informed him.  “That’s what got you into this trouble in the first place.  Not to mention calling someone a stanch is always an offensive thing to do.”

The rest advanced him, but he quickly swung and chopped another arm off, he backed up screaming for an arm that no amount of squeezing was going to bring his arm back.  The remaining five nervously shifted their feet deciding in their drunken stupors what they would do; three of them seized the stranger.  He kicked in the chin of one who fell and was met with a punch from the stranger to his face sending him to the ground, the stranger grabbed him and chucked him into another.  The last one jumped up on the stranger he swung his fist down into the man’s stomach.  The man bent over and staggered away, the stranger kicked the knee of this one.  He fell to the ground his leg now awkwardly bent after having the knee broken and swung backwards.  There were two left, one ran away and the one remaining who originally grabbed Strilla seemed to be the size of a bear pulled out a knife.  “Let’s see you fight like a man.”

“You mean, you with a knife and me without any weapon.”  The stranger raised his hands.

“Yes.”  The bearded man replied crazily.

The stranger whipped off his hat. “All right, I’ll fight like the man, and you a coward.”

The large man lunged knife down, the stranger dropped to his knee and punched the large man in the groin.  The large man fell down dropping his knife as he clutched his crotch.

The stranger held up the knife, “I could take this knife.”  He pointed it at the right temple of the large man, “and jab it straight here, but I promised to fight like a man.”

The stranger raised the knife high into the air, ready to swing it down upon the beard man.  Then the stranger sprung his hand forward and pinched the bearded man’s nose and he screamed.  Then the stranger pulled and twisted his hair.  “Isn’t this more fun.”  The stranger said and then pushed the guy to the ground.  The stranger kicked the dagger up and then flung it down just below the groin of the man, he looked at the knife that was only a few feet away from making his shame more miserable.

“I shouldn’t have fought you so hard.”  The stranger towered over the bearded man.  “I missed.”

The bearded man fell backwards with his eyes crossed.  The stranger stared at the others, “Anyone else like to have a round?”

They scampered away, wounded and frightened, none of them willing to even look behind.

The stranger put his hat back on and walked up to Strilla with his hand held out.  “This is no town for a girl of your age to go walking around alone after dark.  What possessed you to go into that tavern all by yourself?”

She only breathed heavily for a few minutes before responding.  “I was looking for Alswag.”  She took his hand.

“So you thought he would frequent that kind of establishment?”  The stranger pulled her up.

“I hear he can kill demons.”  She let go of his hand still keeping her eyes locked on him.  “The vilest of the vile.  He would be at home there.”

“Stories always grow each time they are told.  Perhaps you heard wrong.”  The stranger picked his weapons up.  “Besides, he may kill demons, but does he really want to hang out with their followers?”

She didn’t respond for she didn’t know what to think, she only wished to be back home with her mother.

The stranger patiently waited for her to respond, before he finally spoke.  “Well you must be hungry?”

“I could eat.”  She quietly replied but a face of hunger grew on her face.

“In that case,” the stranger held his hand up pointing down the street.  “I shall feed you supper.”

She followed as they walked down the road towards another pub, this one a lot less noisy.  A sign on the outside read ‘leave weapons at door.’

Strilla noticed that the man who escorted her in, didn’t drop his weapons at all, but rather took them to a table by the fire.  People in the tavern watched him walk across but didn’t say anything or protest.  “Give this young lady, all that she wants.”  The stranger told the innkeeper.  “I’ll pay for it.”  He left the room, and Strilla noticed that people, all around her, hurriedly talked in hushed tones about her.

A woman came up and filled Strilla’s stein with a hot drink.  It had a spicy taste as it heated her up as it went down her throat immediately bringing relief to Strilla.  The woman said to her, “You must be in real trouble, if Alswag will come in with you.”
She gulped.  “That was Alswag.”  Her throat burning.

“Yes.”  The woman responded flatly.  “Didn’t you know that?”

“Alswag the Demon hunter.  He didn’t tell me his name.”  She told the older woman as she wiped her mouth.

“That’s how he is.  He seems more interested in talking to the damned than the living.  Girl, you best stay away from him.”

“I need his help.  My village is being terrorized by a foul demon.”  Strilla spoke with intensity.

“Honey, it is just best if you leave it be.”  The waitress told Strilla.  “Nothing good ever comes from getting into company with Alswag.”

Strilla ate the rest of her meal in silence.  When Alswag came back in and sat down at the table across from her.  He leaned back.  “So tell me about this demon of yours.”  Alswag looked her straight in the eye.

“Excuse me?”  Strilla stuttered.

“Come now child.”  Alswag went on.  “I know several things about demons and know the looks of those who are terrorized by them.  So tell me.  What is this foul thing that terrorizes you?”

She took a deep breath before she began.  “It started a couple of weeks ago.  Every year we must provide a tribute of wealth and our best food to the demon Geltarbard.  For this he spares us and shows us his mercy.  No one has seen this demon in a long time.  So someone in the village thought it would be wise to challenge this tradition, and so we decided to not give our tribute.

“The night after we didn’t pay tribute, the demon struck.  He soared over our houses and broke open the windows and abducted all the babies and toddlers.  None of the children fewer than two have never been seen since.  As the weeks progressed he abducts older and older children.”

Strilla wrung her hands as she looked at Alswag intently.  “I know this was an off chance, we have nothing, but we desperately need your help.  Stories are told of all the demons that have been banished to the dark abyss because of you.  We could find something to pay you with.”

Alswag kept his gaze upon her, showing no disbelief or belief in her story.  “Price will come later.  What proof do you have beyond a story that you are being terrorized by a demon?”

She stood up and lifted up her dress a bit to reveal a wound on her chin that wasn’t healing.  Alswag leaned in to look at it more closely. “That certainly is a demon scratch.  I have a salve that will take care of that.”

She dropped her dress.  “Will you help me?”

“A village in trouble.”  Alswag sat back in his chair. “Of course I will come and take care of this demon.  We shall leave in the morning.”

“My village is in trouble.”  She sat down whining.

“You are tired.”  Alswag replied not changing his demeanor, but at the same time giving off an aura of authority.  “If you came to tell me, odds are that something is aware that you have come.  Let us leave under daylight, when I can see better.”

Strilla wanted him to leave immediately and was upset that at every turn he would constantly tell her no.  She was upset that a man would tell her no.  Her village clearly had a problem and his first reaction was to sleep.  As she tossed and turned through the night, she only thought of how much time they were wasting.  It was pretty bold of this man to say no to her.

You know, she was pretty use to getting her way, and she only thought of how impressive it was that he showed such strength and determination against her.

She was thirteen after all, and she had started thinking about the fact that she would be married one day, and that is a quality she had never thought of.  Was it a quality?  She couldn’t decide.

Strilla accompanied Alswag on the journey the next day.  She had never gone on a horse-riding trip before and was most excited when Alswag pulled gold out to purchase two horses for the journey.  They now rode up into the canyons in the silence.

Strilla noticed Alswag with his short black hair under his hat.  He had a cape that seemed light, but at the same time, durable.  She had never really spent time with a man before now.  As they rode the day on, he didn’t do much talking, but she kept staring at his profile, noticing how his shoulders were broad and cut against the wind.  She wondered what it would be like to have those shoulders stand in front of you, wielding weapons in your defense, then have those arms turn around and cling you close to his chest to comfort you.

“So, how many demons have you hunted?”  She asked him timidly.

He kept looking forward without looking back at her.  “Many.  Many.  Events so horrid that you shouldn’t hear the details.”

Strilla then shook her hair a bit.  “Why did you come and decide to help us?”

“Your wound is received from a demon.”  Alswag replied.  “I know my demon wounds.”

“Will I be okay?”  She spoke as if she had just lost her arm.

“Yes.”  Alswag kept looking forward surveying the scenery.  “An elfish friend of mine, by the name of Okira has told me how to heal demon wounds.  That salve I put on should heal the wound shortly, you should be good in a day or two.”

“Do people get jealous of you?”  Strilla posed fidgeting with her reigns.

Alswag looked back at her with a quizzical look on his face. “For what?”

“Nothing,” she immediately blushed.  “Thank you for coming to save us.”

Alswag turned and looked forward.  She went on quickly trying to immediately make up for the misspeak she just did, “I mean, you are a really nice guy and I like you.”

He quietly sighed and thought, Great another yipping little female that will have her heart broken when I leave.

She continued chattering away the entire time.  Alswag said very little, yet this didn’t discourage Strilla from continuing on her conversation, or her talking at him.  She talked about all sorts of things, eventually working her way into gossip about what was happening in her village and around her friends.

“You know.”  Strilla still continued excitedly while Alswag had mostly ignored him.  “My friends tell me stories.  They tell me how they have nightmares about flying out into the woods at night.  They are then overcome by a shadow.  They are sore the next day, I wonder if that means anything.”

Alswag only thought Does this girl ever shut up?

They rode for the day, until finally the suns lowered. Alswag turned and said, “We need to make camp for the night.”

He built a fire, and she pulled out the trundle that he had brought.  She set hers up next to his.  She smiled wickedly.  She was only after all thirteen.

“What do you think you are doing?”  Alswag asked her.

“I just.”  She jumped and looked up at him.  “I mean, you are protecting me.”

Alswag replied, “Strilla.  You do realize that you ran away from a demon.  Demons don’t like their prey to run away from them.  Now you are coming back.  It will most likely attack on the road.  That is why you shall sleep near the fire.  For these creatures don’t like the fire.  I shall patrol and keep watch.”

“Don’t you need to be alert for the day.”  Strilla tried to point this out.

“Let me worry about that.”  He said to her.  “Now go to sleep.  I shall make sure nothing happens to you in the night.  Whatever you hear, whatever you think you see, stay by the fire.”

She scooted closer to the fire and fell asleep.  When she was fast asleep, Alswag put his trundle on top of her to give additional warmth.  Then he stoked the fire and walked out into the night.  Muttering under his breath, “I hate being an old man crush.  I don’t know whether to be flattered or not.”

Strilla woke up to find that Alswag had gone, but the fire still roared into the night.  She wondered what had woken her up.  She then heard her name called out from the cold dark night.  She got up and walked out into the still forest.  She felt the coldness numb her instantly as she had stepped away from the fire.

“Alswag.”  She called out into the darkness.  No response.

Then she heard him reply.  “Over here Strilla.”

She walked up to him.  He had his shirt off.  The moon Sezorum radiated off of his skin and she looked at him while intense emotions went through her body.  He held his hand out to her. “You have feelings of a woman.  Feelings for me?”

She only stammered.  He smiled. “Come child, so that you may no longer be a child, but a woman.  A woman that knows the ways of adulthood, you shall be mine tonight.  You shall feel things that you could scarcely imagine before tonight.”

She felt her knees go weak as he placed his arms around her and lowered her to the ground.  He knelt over her.  Holding his hand over her.  She didn’t want to stop this.  She looked up into the eyes of Alswag, they didn’t seem like his normal searching eyes, but they had an air of desire and hunger.  He lowered down when heat blasted his head off.

Strilla screamed as the body remained up and the chest ripped open to have a bat like creature jump out of the thoracic cavity, screaming at her.  The real Alswag swung his sword up at the head of the foul creature making a hard thunk against a trunk while its body flew over and fell down.  Four more of the pesky bat like creatures came out of the body.  Alswag pulled Strilla way and swung his sword at the new assailants.  He cut hands and slashed, but the pesky little creatures managed to stay away from him.

One flew up to him and he sliced it down the middle into two.  Two of them grabbed onto his cape and bit down, they immediately backed off clenching their mouths in pain.  Alswag swung his sword and cut those two.  The fourth one flew off into the night screaming.

“I told you to stay by the fire.”  He picked her up and hauled her back to the fire.  “Now stay here for the rest of the evening.”

“What were those things?” She asked.

“Don’t have time to explain it now.”  He instructed her.  “You just stay here.  They have been watching you.  That is why they did that hoax.  Now stay near the fire.  I need to find its nest.  These creatures can’t stand the intense light that the fire gives off.”

Strilla woke up to find that clouds had overcast the entire region.  This made the entire landscape feel unwelcome, as if the very forests were conspiring against them.  “How much farther to your village?”  Alswag walked up behind her and startled her.

She screamed.  “Don’t do that!”

She breathed in and out more.  “You don’t startle people like that.”

She continued to breathe and looked up at Alswag who only stared her down.  She finally responded.  “Another day or so.”  Strilla didn’t like how he popped out of nowhere.

Alswag replied.  “I haven’t found the nest.  We must be cautious.  No suns out today, these creatures can’t stand the sunslight, but with the cloud cover they will be able to attack during the day.”

They loaded their horses and continued on.  “What were those things?”  Strilla asked ahead to Alswag.

“Mogellas or Children of the Night.  Some call them Mogs.”  Alswag responded.

“Mogs?”  Strilla responded.

“According to legend they are the personal army of Lebersana.”  Alswag explained while scanning the canyon peaks for the flying beasts.  “It was said that Father Kekorum denied Lebersana from having children, so Lebersana created his own children.  Children that could attack, but Father Kekorum banished them to the night.  Now they serve Derek of Vedaines.”

“Who is Lebersana?”  Strilla answered.

Alswag looked back at her.  “You aren’t a witch?”

“No.”  She responded.  “Magic is banned from our town.”

“And yet, you have the need for demon hunters.”  Alswag turned to look forward.

“Is Lebersana bad?”  Strilla had never heard of this person.

“The original evil wizard.”  Lebersana explained.  “One of the four sons of Kekorum, he corrupted the orcs, goblins and giants into his own dark and twisted purpose.  He still fights a battle.  I believe he is the Great King of Evil.  He works along with Derek of Vedaines, that evil spirit, to corrupt the souls of all men.”

“They are real.”  Strilla had never heard these stories before, but something inside of her twitched, as if for the first time in her life, she became aware of an unknown evil that had always resided in the shadows.

“Evil is real.”  Alswag continued on.  “Evil is very real.  It secretly waits and plots, trying to overthrow the good that is spread.  Derek of Vedaines has sworn eternal hatred towards Father Kekorum.  Derek, along with his lieutenant Lebersana, uses their influence to corrupt the souls of men.  They twist people’s desires into wicked uses and then entangle them in their very plots, that way their prey can never escape from their custody.”

“If Lebersana is the lieutenant, how can he be the Great King of Evil?”  Strilla commented.

“There is a prophecy that states, that one day, there shall arise a son.  A son that was promised much, but for that which he thought he was denied, shall he destroy all in his way.  He shall take Derek by his very corporeal being and plunge him into his stomach.  He shall make nations weep, he shall make all wicked wizards and sorceresses fall rule to him.  Yet, nations shall not say that he is evil, but rather shall say, he is good and misunderstood.  Because of the foolish traditions of the wizards, have you done this to one who did not agree with you.  These things shall they say, while the Great King of Evil shall secretly bind them all, one by one.  He shall use great power, power that he has corrupted.  Only shall the Great Last Hero arise and defeat him.  For the prince’s quest must be completed.”

“Where did you hear that?”  Strilla said.

“One of the wizards said it.”  Alswag explained.  “Yes the wizards use their magic to banish evil from the world.”

“Are you a wizard?”  Strilla questioned.

Alswag didn’t answer for a moment, but finally said, “I was.”

“Was?”

Alswag turned to look back at her.  “I did terrible things.  I did terrible things with magic.  I am trying to right my wrongs.”

She didn’t press on the conversation, but knew immediately that Alswag had something dark and secretive that he hid.

By afternoon, the forest in the canyons had become denser, and Alswag knew that something hid behind these trees waiting to come out and attack.  He could sense their eyes watching behind the moss covered pines and aspens that populated the forests of the canyon.

Alswag could smell a horrid stench in the canyon.  The stench that he knew came from the foul creatures that attacked them the night before.  The wind blew abruptly and the horses stopped and neighed.  The horses bucked trying to throw off their riders.  “What is it?”  Strilla screamed as she gripped onto the reins.

“Mogs!”  Alswag turned when he heard Strilla scream more.  Alswag jumped off of his horse.  He ran over and caught Strilla as the horse bucked her off.

“Get down on the ground.”  Alswag threw Strilla onto the ground.  For a large cloud came towards them, it was a swarm of Mogs all reaching down for them and screaming.

He pulled out a different crossbow from his cape.  This larger one he aimed at the terrible bats that flew down towards him.  As they flew closer, he fired.  The blast punched a hole in the cloud as it shattered the bodies of creatures and they fell down to slowly die.

He fired again and the cloud became thinner, but now all of the trees began to explode with many Mogs flying out from all directions.  Alswag fired at the advancing horde, but they swarmed Alswag.  He landed on top of Strilla trying to shield her.  He didn’t have anything in his cape for this.  They picked him up off of Strilla and hauled him down the road.  Landing hard he turned to see them carrying Strilla away, who screamed loudly into the air.

He ran after her, firing off his projectiles and cutting down all of the little bats that flew right into his face.  He could destroy them but there were too many and they flew away with Strilla higher and higher.  Alswag followed the mogs as they retreated up the face of the mountain to an old cottage that sat on a cliff.

The mogs brought Strilla into the small cottage where a giant bulbous object wrapped around the edge of the room, like a giant worm, and ended at a large beast that was like the other smaller creatures.  This larger and uglier mog looked down at Strilla, with saliva falling off of its teeth and splashing down onto her.

All of the creatures stood away as they looked at Strilla, the large queen screeched.  The mogs then screamed and screeched, they showed their claws and jumped up and down.  They didn’t come towards Strilla, but they showed her their very terrible strength.  Strilla felt a cold sensation sweep over her body.  They would do something to her, something awful.

A loud horn burst through the cottage shaking the walls.  All the creatures grabbed their ears and curled into fetal position.  Alswag burst into the cottage and fired a wand at the creatures; they all turned to ash and blew away.  Alswag swung his sword up at the queen and cut her in the face.  She scratched back at him, but he backed up and swung again.  This match repeated several times, but was over when her head had been cut off and rolled on the floor.  On the floor it still tried to screech, but Alswag stabbed the head and the queen’s head died.

Alswag turned towards Strilla who cowered on the ground.  He helped her up.  “This is the nest.”  Alswag looked around at the horrid conditions.  “These are nocturnal animals though.  What possessed them to come and attack in the daytime, especially the living?”

“What?” Strilla asked.

Alswag replied, “They’re scavengers.  Not attackers.  In fact, they even eat stuff that other scavengers won’t.  However, something must have recruited their help.  We have to be more cautious.  Something knows that you are coming Strilla.  Something knows that I could bring about its demise.”

Strilla tightly gripped her reins the rest of the trip, it was close to dusk when she finally saw her humble village of Delsawar; she felt elation at the fact that now she had come back to the safety of familiarity.  She galloped her horse into the town square feeling better with each passing stride.  Someone looked up and said, “Strilla, is back.”

“She is here.” Another person announced.

“Did you bring him?”  Another asked.

Strilla stopped her horse and dismounted right next to the monolithic stone in the center of the square.  All the people in the village came out to meet her.  Alswag noticed all of the people congregating around her, from old to young, they all looked happy to see her; Alswag could immediately tell that Strilla was a very popular girl in her village.  A large man came towards her and said, “It is so good to see you back home.”

“Thank you Ildolf.” She told the large man.

Ildolf put his arm on her shoulders.  “Don’t do that again.  Many terrible things could happen while you are out alone.”

Ildolf turned, along with the rest of the village to see Alswag urge his horse into the center of this gathering.  With Rapt attention they all stared at him, each with various differing looks some wondered if he would bring ill, others wondered if he was the salvation they looked for.  He dismounted his horse.  “I am Alswag, Strilla here has informed me how the demon Geltarbard has come in and ravaged your lives.  I will do the best I can to make sure that this demon is gone and dead soon.”

“Don’t anger it!”  A voice cried out.  They all turned to see the mayor coming up, a dumpy sort of man, he nervously spoke.  “It’s just we have lived in peace until that dangerous idea was introduced.  Now our very lives are in grave danger.  Let us appease it and get back to the way things were.”

“Perhaps you are mistaken.”  Alswag responded.

“Look, Mister Alswag.”  The mayor stuttered.  “You may kill them, but that demon will also attack.  How many more people will be killed, how much more of your children will be killed.”

“The demon won’t stop.”  Alswag said.  “This demon won’t be appeased by your payments now.  It knows it can get away with anything.  I must kill it and make sure that it never comes back to life.”

Ildolf then told the Mayor, “Kesnick.  You clearly have lost it.  You have failed as our leader, and now we must trust someone else.”

Ildolf turned towards Alswag.  “Please, whatever price.  We will gladly pay.”

Mayor Kesnick uttered.  “This is Geltarbard, he has ravaged our homes for generations.  We are stuck here.”

“Really.”  Alswag answered.  “What makes you entrapped in this location?”

“There are evil powers here.”  The mayor said to Alswag.  “Powers that you can’t understand.  This is no demon’s curse.”

“Enough you foolish little person.”  Ildolf chided the mayor.  “Strilla here has come a great distance to make sure that Alswag came.  She has shown courage, let it not be muffled by your cowering.”

Alswag walked with Strilla back to her house.  She turned to him, “You could stay the night.”

“No.”  Alswag replied.  “I have work to do.  Demons do most of their hunting at night.”

“Right.”  Strilla replied.

“Mister Alswag here.”  The voice of Ildolf came from behind them.  Alswag turned to see him.  “Strilla, Mr. Alswag here knows proper behavior.”

He came up to Alswag and spoke in his ear.  “She is just a child.  Don’t read into it.”

Alswag turned towards him.  “This isn’t my first demon hunt.”  Alswag then walked forward.  “I have much to do tonight.  Trust me, I do this to hunt demons, not to go get idle fancies.”

Ildolf stared him in the eyes.  Alswag stared back, “What do you do?”

“I’m Ildolf.  My family is very prominent.”  Ildolf smiled.

“What business are you in?”  Alswag pulled out a crossbow.

Ildolf took a step back.  “We have a vast amount of wealth.”

“Very well.”  Alswag turned towards Strilla.  “Stay inside.  You have done your part, let me do mine.”  Alswag then turned to Ildolf.  “I believe you should get home to your wife and children.” He then turned and walked off into the edge of village.

Alswag found the butcher and asked for rancid meat, which he took and hid by some stables, and then Alswag sat in some bushes beyond the stables.  He waited patiently for the demon to come and attack; he sat there a long time till his right knee grew stiff.  He sat back and let it come out, so he could flex it.  He needed that knee for any chase or attack.

Time passed, and the night remained too still and quiet.  Then the dogs howled, and many birds cawed.  Alswag looked up at the moon Sezorum.  The eyes of the moon began to glow red.  “The sign of Lebersana.”  Alswag pulled out his crossbow.

Fluttering and rustling of the trees intensified and strange beast noises began to call out into the night. Alswag knew that evil loved to be theatrical for that was how it frightened its prey.

A large lumbering object burst through the trees.  It was a giant crustacean on the bottom with its six legs, but the upper portion looked like a preying mantis with very sharp arms.  This monstrosity stood twenty feet tall as it roared into the night.

Alswag slowly stood and got into a position ready to pounce.  The creature came to the meat on the ground and consumed it with disgusting mastication.  Alswag jumped out and shot at the creature and blasted a hole into its shell.

It screamed and turned to Alswag.  Alswag swung his sword up at the ugly thing’s arms.  It bolted away but Alswag pursued and kept on its heels.  He shot at its back leg and it lost its foot.  Hopefully this monstrosity didn’t regenerate limbs, or at least not quickly.  The thing slowed down, and Alswag saw that he could jump onto it.

He jumped but felt himself snatched by strong claws on his shoulder and then flown off.  He glanced down at the retreating ground and then over at his shoulders to see a hand on each one.  They were black hands with long fingers and razor sharp claws that dug into his chest as it squeezed.

He looked up to see the muscled torso of a man with a pointy-head and wings flying him away.  It looked down at him and said in a deep drawl.  “Foolish human!”

Alswag reached into his cape and pulled out a dagger and stabbed into the arm of the creature it flicked its arm away and tried to claw at him, but Alswag swung the dagger again.  It dropped Alswag, who fell like a rock down to the ground but he grabbed his cape and flipped it turning it into a parachute.  He now gently sailed down to the ground.  On the ground, he ran through the bush.  He had lost the demon.  It didn’t come back for another attack.  He had also lost that crab thing.  He had heard about Demons having pets, but had yet to actually see one until now.  The large creature was obviously the pet of the demon.

Alswag heard something run behind him.  He stopped and it stopped.  He turned around and aimed his crossbow up at it, ready to fire at the thing.  It didn’t move, but Alswag knew that the demon would run away.  Alswag picked up a rock and chucked it at the bush.  It hit something and immediately a man grunted in pain and Alswag ran over and pulled out a young man.  “Idiot!”  He yanked the young man out of the bush.  “What makes you think you can attack a demon?”
“I can fight.”  He pointed out.

“That’s nice.”  Alswag went on.  “However, this is my hunt.”

“It’s my problem.”  The young man went on.

Alswag let him go, the young man shuffled about and picked up his rusted sword.

“You were the one that told everybody to not pay the tribute.”  Alswag deduced who he was by looking at him and what he said.

“Yes.”  The young man responded.

“What’s your name?”  Alswag asked him.

He answered, “My name is Galler.  I only wanted to make this right.  Also, I wanted to show Strilla that I also can fight demons.”

“Oh.”  Alswag acknowledged who he was.

“I’m just as tough as you.”  Galler immediately replied.

Alswag hoisted his crossbow onto his shoulder. “Look Galler.  I’m older; she’s at that point in her life where she has crushes on older men.  However, I’m pretty sure that she still has her heart set on you?”

“You mean, she still likes me.”  Galler replied hopefully.

“Sure.”  Alswag quickly agreed.  “Now why don’t you go back home.  Don’t’ get yourself killed for her.”

A scream came from the village.  Alswag quickly turned. “That’s my cue.”

“I’m coming with you.”  Galler chased after him.

Alswag had many years practice running after demons, however, Galler kept up with him rather amazingly.  They arrived at the home that the screams came from.  The door had been ripped open.  Alswag looked around and then looked up into the night sky to see a large bat like creature flying away with a person.

Alswag aimed his crossbow ready to fire at it.  But the crab creature snatched him and ran off.  Alswag dropped his crossbow and sword, as all he could do was watch where the creature took him.  Alswag swung his legs trying to kick the arms of the monstrosity.  However, it kept him away.  Alswag reached into his cape when the beast stopped and threw him forward.  Alswag hit the ground and smacked against a rock.  He looked up to see Galler climbing on top of the beast.  Galler flung the sword into arm of the creature and it smacked back at Galler.  Galler flew through the field and landed roughly on the ground.  The monstrosity placed a leg on top of Galler.  It reached its head down and roared.  Alswag pulled his crossbow out of his cape and fired it at the creature.  The shell cracked and burnt flesh smoked from the new hole in the creature.  It turned and ran away.

Galler breathed shallow and quickly as Alswag approached him.  “Are you all right?”  Alswag asked him.

Galler looked up at him.  “Thank you for saving my life.”

“Thank you, for saving mine.”  Alswag put the crossbow into his cape.

“You have another one.”  Galler pointed towards where the crossbow went.  “I grabbed yours.”  Galler looked frantically around.  He had misplaced the weapons of Alswag.

“Relax.”  Alswag replied.  “This is a magic cape.  I can never lose my weapons.  I just reach in and pull them out.  Even if the weapon is lying miles away it comes right into the pockets.”

“That is incredible.”  Galler smiled with envy.

“Yes.”  Alswag replied.  “Now if only I could track that demon.”

“He always flies up to a small canyon.”  Galler told Alswag.

“You know this?”  Alswag questioned him.

“Yes.”  Galler replied.  “I have tried to right my wrong.”

“Take me there.”  Alswag ordered.

“Sure.”  Galler timidly responded.

Galler led the way up a hike through a small canyon; they reached the area where Galler had found the demon.  Around the entrance of its lair were scattered the remains of several people.  Hands and foots mostly, with the occasional eyeball sitting on a red soaked pile of dirt.

Alswag stopped at the smelly and flea infested field; he turned to Galler.  “Anything you know about the inside of the lair will be helpful.”

Galler nervously chuckled.

“You’ve never been in.”  Alswag responded.

“I know I said, I was brave.”  Galler explained.

“That’s okay.”  Alswag put his hand on Galler’s shoulder.  “I’m scared to go in.”

“How do you stop being afraid?”  Galler asked.

“You don’t.”  Alswag gripped his crossbow.  “You learn to not mind it.”

Alswag walked in and Galler closely followed him.  Into the hole and sliding down into the small cave they now had entered the lair of the demon.  The rocky corridor had a thick layer of mucous on the walls and it grossed out Galler.  Galler tried to keep his cool.

“What is that?”  Galler gagged at the sight.

“Don’t know.”  Alswag held his crossbow up, ready to fire it at any movement.  “Keep quiet.  We don’t know where the demon is.”

They stepped further and heard moaning.  Alswag looked for something to move, but it didn’t.  Then moaning was heard again.  It came from a pulsating section of mucous.  Alswag pulled out a hunting knife and cut the pulsing section.  Cutting the skin to the moist center they pulled out a girl about eight years of age and all covered in gooey substance.

“She came from the house that you were just at.”  Galler explained.

Alswag went around and started looking at all of the pulsating mucous sections on the wall.  “There are more children in here.”  Alswag said as he started to cut them out.

They went through and pulled out all the girls in the walls.  Galler said, “It’s only the girls, where are the boys?”

Alswag knew that the boys must be what they saw outside.  Alswag handed his crossbow to Galler.  “Listen to me.  Take my crossbow and lead these children back to the village.  I’ll stay up here and wait for the demon to return.  Fire at whatever comes up to you.”

“I can help.”

“You are.”  Alswag pushed the crossbow into Galler’s hands.  “We need to think of these children and get them out.”

Galler led the children out of the cave.  When they were gone Alswag pulled out his sword.  “Now I have made the beast even angrier.  When is he coming back, I wonder.”

Galler had brought the children home and now waited at the road that went to the trail that led up to the demon’s lair.  He watched this road the rest of the night till the light of the suns had come up.  The suns climbed higher giving more light to the village below when Alswag finally returned to town.  Tired and crestfallen Alswag looked at Galler.  “Not out here.”  Alswag said this, noticing all of the people gathering around to hear him.

The two of them went into Strilla’s home.  Strilla’s mother made Alswag some porridge and Strilla sat down close to Alswag.  Galler looked at her acidly and Alswag pushed Strilla away.

Alswag cleared his throat.  “After you left, the demon never returned, neither the monstrosity.”  Alswag narrated.  “I explored the cave, there was nothing there, no jewels, treasures or any other gold.  It was like the creature doesn’t care for them.”

“So where is the gold?”  Galler asked.

“Is that all you care about, the gold?”  Strilla said in a condescending manner to Galler.

“No, he has a correct point.”  Alswag replied.  “If it’s taking the gold where is it?”

“I’m sorry, I thought I had found the creature’s lair.”  Galler apologized.  “I guess I didn’t.”

“Don’t.”  Alswag interrupted him.  “We got the children home.  I believe though that the demon keeps the treasure elsewhere.  That lair must be for preserving the children to be eaten.”

“Do demons eat people?”  Galler asked.

“They can.”  Alswag explained.  “Most of them don’t eat anything.  They spend their days conjuring up dark spells and other things.  My guess is that those children were for the purpose of feeding the monstrosity that Geltarbard keeps around.”

Galler looked down at his hands.  He breathed very quickly as he was now frightened of what he had gotten himself into.  Strilla’s mother brought the porridge to the table and Alswag tore into it like a refugee.

Strilla looked at Alswag and then at Galler.  Galler only cleared his throat.  “What evil is this demon up too?”

A scream erupted outside.  Alswag turned towards the sound.  He stood up and walked out the door.  Galler and Strilla followed him.  Alswag went straight towards the center of the town, where the scream came.

In the center of town there stood a monolithic stone.  A metal fence with pointy spikes circled the stone, and spiked on these were the heads of little boys.  All of them with their eyes ripped out.

One woman cried out her son’s name and sobbed loudly as she collapsed.  Almost all of the people in the town outwardly became angry at this sight.  The rest were shocked into silence.

Alswag looked at the writing beneath this sick display, it read ‘Kekorum Bart Reist Kekom, Mart Maras Bramris: Gwillum Othelon Meldoshasty Reenold.’

Alswag stood straight up.  “The Demon is using Pure Mitrodian to defile Father Kekorum and Mother Mart.  He says, by Father Kekorum and Mother Mart I take away your sight.”

“What does that mean?”  Strilla grabbed Galler’s hand and squeezed it.

Alswag replied.  “It is based upon an old legend, basically Geltarbard is warning us, that he will make us all follow him, by showing us his truth.  Or his fear.”

Alswag motioned that that they should walk over to a wall.  The three of them did so, and Alswag explained in hushed tones.  “The scriptures say that, Father Kekorum can cast out all fear of everything by showing us truth.  If only wee seek that truth.  If we refuse to see that truth, then we are left to our fears.  There is an old story that talks about a demon showing a man nothing but fear, and this man became evil itself.  Geltarbard is using that legend to invoke fear.  He is letting us know that we shall be consumed by him.”

Strilla screamed as she looked at the monolith.  Galler looked at it and jumped back.  Alswag now looked at it.  An eye opened up in the stone monolith.  It looked like a human eye, but the eye coloring was backwards, the pupil was white and the white part was black.  The iris was a deep purple with gold that separated the black from the purple.

“The eye of Lebersana.”  Alswag commented.  He then recited almost religiously, “My eye sees all.  There is no secret that I shall not find, there is nothing that I shall not tell the Great King of Evil.  I shall tell him all that I know.”

More screams erupted as eyes appeared on the walls all around the village.  Walls of the homes, on fences, trees, carts, posters and anything else that wasn’t living, did the same eye open up, the eye of Lebersana.  It didn’t move, but it looked realistic and like the illusion of an artist, no matter where you stood, the eyes were always gazing at you.

To Be Continued…

Great King of Evil

The following is a prophecy of the Three Knocks of Evil.  Not much is known about this prophecy, but there is much speculation about who the characters are.  For though Derek of Vedaines is often portrayed as the harlot, there are many who wonder if the Great King of Evil isn’t Derek of Vedaines.   Some argue that it is Lebersana, but some of the people have a worried thought, that the true terror will be that the Great King of Evil has still yet to come.

There shall come a day, when men shall search long and far for the magic of Father Kekorum and Prince Amador, but the fire shall not be there.  The world shall be cold, just like when Immanie froze the world. 

In the cold, the people shall wonder far and wide, but nowhere shall the truth be found.  In pieces shall they hear it, in scattered remnants shall they feel it, but they shall not be satisfied, for there shall be none to give the magic.

In this dreary world, there shall be no crops of goodness.  There shall be no fruit of joy, rather people shall eat the dry remnants of misery, and they shall eat the cankered pods of despair.  In this dark and pungent air, they shall seek longingly for the works and magic, but Father Kekorum shall not hear them.

Derek of Vedaines shall have his sickening harvest of corruption.  Like a loose harlot he shall hold the nations of the world, they shall cleave unto his ample bosoms of lasciviousness.  The works of darkness shall they praise like a forbidden lover in the night.  They shall sell the virtues of their wives for the pleasures of Derek of Vedaines.  Men shall come from far and wide to play his sick and twisted game.

Then when Seraphix rides again with his glorious light that shall shake the world, shall evil knock three times to preserve its mistress.  Three times shall it knock, the three powerful knocks to keep away Seraphix.  And I did see the first knock.  The great King of evil did send out a plague, an awful plague of death.  The people became death itself, and pled that others join them.  The people loved the death and the darkness that controlled it.  They had no will but for the death that now consumed all.

Yet when the darkness climbed to the moon, it was vanquished by a powerful tongue.  The people gloried in Seraphix for the time.

Yet evil knocked again the second time.  This time a great hair shall grow from the one head.  This head shall control all.  The hair shall entangle and it shall appear beautiful, but it shall suffocate and not release its victims.  The hair sends anger and frustration, and while the people were mingled with grief one did come forth and say, The Great King of Evil has need of us.  Let us stand together, and we shall bring down this terrible magic that does sweep our land.

The people shall grow angry and yell at Seraphix and say, Why dost thou make us free from death only to be entangled by hair.  Would it not been better to have died then to live with this hair.  This hair is so strong not even many mighty men shall cut it free.  Not even the powerful tongue shall cut it.  But the tongue shall scream forth dragons that shall devour the hair.  The mighty hair shall be gone, where once was thick and plenteous hair, shall be baldness.  They shall all see the ugly skin beneath the hair and loathe it.  Then shall the people say, we love thee Seraphix and the tongue for this hair did try to entangle us but with dragons thou didst save us. 

Then shall the Great King of Evil go to the harlot and say, For a long time you have ruled, you who ruled the nations have truly failed.  I shall take the power of Lebersana that you like a dotard wield.  The day shall come when the people shall long for you to rule.  The day shall come when people shall cry for the days when blood flowed in the streets.  For I shall make them bleed, I shall make blood flow from their nostrils and ears, from their privies, from their mouths, from their ears.  I shall make the mother devour her child, and I shall make the husband watch.  I shall destroy all of it, and you, little harlot shall be forgotten, for they shall say, his words are like scorpions, his fingers like sharp knives, none shall escape him, for he sits upon a throne of bones, in a bed of skin and bathes in blood.  All shall fear him and tremble.

He shall stand like a horrible nightmare above the mountains.  Even Sezorum shall no longer be a terror in the night, for all shall pay obedience to him.  They shall bow and say, there is none greater than thee oh bloody king.  You devour widows and orphans and your dross is bitterness.  We wait for thee, for if we don’t thou shalt kill us.

This is the third knock of evil.  With a mighty hammer shall he scourge Kristanna with fire.  He shall take control of all the nations, he shall set up his terrible empire.  All those who cry beneath him shall be killed if they silence not their tears.

Yet, shall a feather come, feather of the great bird.  Father of the moon shall take the tongue and rebuke the awful king.  The king shall fear him.  With the tongue shall the father rebuke the king.

The king’s mighty empire shall be scourged into nothingness.  His servants shall hide in the darkness of the world.  His diligent shall profess not to know him, and his nightmare shall be over.  The Great King of Evil shall hide in the shadows mourning for his day to come.  He shall be injured but he shall grow again into a more fierce and horrid form.  The people shall not see the day when he comes.  Then shall the father of the moon be dead.  There will be none who dares to oppose his rule.  The nations shall fall quicker before the great King of Evil.

Yet, when I wept, Amador comforted me and said, I have overcome the world.  Though terrible and mighty is he, yet shall I burn him for his touching of the tongue.  He shall be hunted like an innocent rabbit by merciless wolves.  He shall devoured like the Ligorn to the Mibelyol.  With my fierce and mighty tongue shall I rebuke him far greater than any shall know.  All shall know of the day when the Great King of Evil shall rule this world.  Yet, shall they never forget the day I free this world from his grasp.  It is not his world but mine.  Who now has the courage to stand up behind me?  Who now will have the faith to let me heal them?  Who in this world shall do that?  Those who do shall all be greater than the Great King of Evil.

Trideane of Icastra

The following is from the Rigormacher, in this text, we see a prophecy about the rise and fall of the Trideane.  Extremely rare, since very few ever mention the fall of the Trideane, in fact in most of the texts that involve the Trideane, we simply learn that the Trideane shall never fail and shall save the world. 

            However, there is much debate among many of the scholars of Kristanna about the actual reality of this Trideane, most have attributed this to mean that Father Kekorum, Prince Amador and the Flame will one day save the world.

            This exert was written by Keliforn, a wizard who had many writings.

 

Darkness existed upon the land, for there was found neither wisdom nor nourishment.  People did wander about, starving to hear from Prince Amador, but he refused to listen.  They did want Father Kekorum to hear their petitions but they raised not their voice.

            Because this people do refuse Father Kekorum, Prince Amador, the Flame and the wizards there are none left to protect them from the great dark storm.

            Yea a great dark storm shall come upon the land, a storm that all shall fear, for the storm shall bring death itself.  None can escape the storm, and its antlers do push the people from their homes.

            In the night the people do not wake in life, but wake to death.  Their grand palaces lay crumbled; their goodly homes are left desolate.  Only the creature shall take up residence in their forsaken cities.

            I heard crying and mourning in those days, for one walked by a city and said, “Where are all these fair people?

            They then walked by a road and said, Shall my God, Father Kekorum, truly take away all people.

            Then they walk by a home and say, Surely there is nowhere safe.  Surely Father Kekorum and Prince Amador have forsaken us.  Thus the people will be sad at the storm, they shall cry and wring their hands.  They shall beat upon their chests and cry, death is upon us.  Not even the elves whom we despise can save us.  Who can escape the clouds of death?  There are none who can.

            Yet shall Seraphix pierce the clouds and command the clouds retreat.  Then shall Seraphix call forth the Trideane of Icastra.  At this shall the people rejoice for they shall break the claws and antlers of the storm.  They shall be three wise warriors who will wield a tongue at a host and the host shall fall before them.

            Praise ye the Trideane of Icastra, set up by Seraphix.  Guided by Father Kekorum and Prince Amador.  Hail the Trideane, protector of the weak, love to those unloved.  Glory and honor shall follow them.  Wisdom and wealth poured upon them.

            The land shall be forsaken of its storm, but the people grow restless.  They forget their god and the Trideane that did protect them.  They begin to murmur among themselves and say, should not the storm have naturally passed away.  Did we need the Trideane to save us?

            Then shall the people demand that they depart.  They shall cry with one voice and say, Thou art a curse to us, shame and dishonor shall be our longing.  Then that great plague rise from the ground.  Rising from broken fragments that great plague shall sit upon a throne.  The people shall bow to it and say, Thou lets us live according to our pleasures, thou grants us much pleasure.  We swear fidelity to you.  Teach us of your great secrets of Lebersana.  Teach us of your ways of the night and we shall follow you.

            Yet shall rise from the Trideane a hero.  The Great last Hero.  Corey’s strength shall rise.  Yes shall that fallen nation of Icastra rise with him and all their power shall come forth and say to the plague, thou accursed, go back unto death, leave this people alone.  For a people should be ruled by their god and spared by their messiah.  Yet you take upon yourself powers not belonging to you.

            You sit arrayed in robes, but you are corruption and deceit.  From you no good thing cometh, for not even that old trickster Derek of Vedaines be able to pass you by.

            Remember now, when I speak.  Remember the Trideane of Icastra and its glory.  Remember its strength and power, though the plague shall cover it.  With great vengeance shall Corey’s seed bring death to the plague and all those who have joined with it.

            From the Trideane shall peace come.  From the Trideane shall magic rule.  All three of them shall be remembered as heroes.  Their works shall be talked about for years and no parent shall forget to tell their child of their wondrous works.