Spirit Blood: Genesis of War

The night was thick with tired and war worn men and elves. Hope was a teetering thought going one way and then another as the swarms of drones and creatures continued their attack. Droplets of rain began to fall upon the battle stained ground further hindering the sight and morale of the allied armies. And then, as if weighed down by the heavy drops of rain, the drones began falling to the ground one by one. As they hit the stony ground their bodies melted as if the rain was causing them to evaporate. The other creatures began to shake their heads as a feeling of a loss of power came over them. The darkened shroud that veiled Talkain lifted revealing the bright stars in the moonlit sky. These events worked to spark the armies enthusiasm and frighten the shocked creatures into attempting to retreat into the sanctity of the forest far outside the city walls. Few of them were able to escape the light now returning to Talkain.

Jason and all the others began to allow smiles to cross their weary faces. They cheered at the sky as if the rain was the victor in the battle, but there was something more supreme at work here. They could all feel it. One by one the Malvra soldiers began to shout the high name of Shiloh into the heavens above giving thanks and praise to Him. For no other reason than His ultimate will should they have been victorious this night. Even the unbelievers began to shout followed by the elves of Sherlin-Dea who joined in the praising by shouting “Shiloh” in their own tongue. Even Amon, having suffered so much through this entire ordeal, could no longer keep his long face while surrounded by the cheering going on around him. TaeAnne opened her eyes feeling the cool drops of water on her face.

“Amon?” She managed to whisper through the pain from her broken nose.

“My dear sister,” he exclaimed softly, her head in his lap. “We’ve won. We’ve actually won. It’s all over now.”

She smiled up at him as her tears mingled with the drops of rain on her face.

Makaylen walked out onto the now washed clean steps of the castle. He was relieved to watch his blood covered body be washed clean as well by the rain. The cleansing rain did sting, but nothing hurt so wonderfully in his life. Jason happened to look up the steps and see his new friend standing in the rain.

“Makaylen!” Jason called out, nearing him. “We did it! We’ve won!”

Makaylen nodded with a faint smile upon his pain ridden face. When Jason was close enough he saw the many wounds covering his friend’s body.

“Are you okay my friend?!” Jason asked.

Makaylen smiled at having been called Friend. Not until this moment had Jason ever shown a sign that he viewed him in that way.

“I’m fine, but next time you get to fight the big boss at the end. I have a feeling you’d do better than me anyway,” he answered slowly, gripping his sides in pain.

Terrell ran up the steps, a large smile covering his face, to join his two comrades. Makaylen raised a hand into the air eventually getting the attention of everyone there.

“This victory was paved on the blood of many fallen comrades, as well as those still living. With the alliance of the Elvin kingdom and the two human kingdoms of Talkain and Malvra, let us hope for many years of peace and prosperity amongst them.” Makaylen looked to Amon and bowed in respect, “Now, King Amon, what do we do next?”

Amon felt a sudden pressure come over him being seen as the one ruler now in charge of all of Talkain. He felt a soft grasp on his shoulder as TaeAnne looked up at him and smiled. Amon looked to Jason hoping he would intervene and rescue him from having to answer, but instead Jason only nodded.

“Yes, your Majesty,” Jason replied, “what is your next move?”

Amon gently removed TaeAnne’s head from his lap where Lockefren knelt down to take his place. He stood up and looked around him at the many faces staring and waiting for his answer. Next to Jason, Makaylen and Terrell he could now see that Moira, Jashel, Nephida, Davien and Bildan had also exited the castle and joined in the celebration of their victory. Finally a thought came to him as he looked up and around at his new family with a new found confidence.

“We rebuild! Better than before!” He answered to all who bowed their heads recognizing him as the new ruler of Talkain.

Another round of cheers filled the air.

Slowly crawling along the sand covered floor was Canoes, leaving a trail of blood behind him, as he made his departure down a secret corridor he’d had the entrance to placed in the arena should he ever need to make a hasty escape. Coughing blood, he was trying desperately to make his way to the outside where he knew he’d find healing herbs. Even without his Spirit Blood, healing himself with the help of the herbs was not beyond his skill. He crawled several feet in the darkness when a familiar voice echoed from behind him.

“Well, well what do we have here?” The voice asked mockingly. “I’d say a failure and a weakling.”

Canoes raised his head trying the best he could to look around him, “I know that voice.”

Baylor stepped over his sprawled out body and stopped in front of the wounded man. His long fur lined coat and silk robes softly raked over Canoes’ head causing him to wince from the movement on his skin. Canoes could only hear the sound of hard shoes walking across the now rock floor and see the glow of a newly lit torch moving behind him until the light was directly in front. Baylor placed the torch he held in his hand in a holder on the wall revealing to Canoes who was there with him.

“Baylor,” Canoes excitedly spoke out, “if you help me out of here I will forgive your insolence and cowardice by not killing you.”

Baylor let out a slight chuckle before he spoke to seemingly no one, “Did you hear that? He said he would forgive me.”

From behind Canoes another voice answered, “I did hear my lord. What a concept that he should forgive you when it was he who failed.”

Malik walked over Canoes’ body as Baylor had and joined him in the light of the torch. Both men looked down at their one-time master in a superior manner.

“How true,” Baylor replied, nodding at Malik.

“Traitors!” Canoes spat as he yelled at them.

The two men began to laugh manically at the once great overlord of the feared Dread Army.

“You have no idea what’s really going on here, do you?” Baylor asked as he knelt down and aggressively grabbed Canoes’ face so he could stare into his eyes.

Canoes tried to hide his wince of pain as he spoke full of pride and cynicism, “Enlighten me.”

Baylor dropped his head and nodded to the standing Malik behind him. Malik hurried over to Canoes as Baylor stood and began to slowly continue to walk down the corridor where Canoes was headed. Malik lifted the heavy man on the ground and helped him to follow behind Baylor. Baylor lead the way standing straight up, and not his usual slumped over posture, walking with a confidence never seen from him before.

“You’re different Baylor,” Canoes observed out loud. “I’ve never seen you like this. Why now?” He asked heatedly believing Baylor to have jumped on a chance to punish his master for past beatings.

Again Baylor lightly chuckled, “You really want to know answers, don’t you?” He kept a slow pace,

not looking behind him as he continued, “I will tell you then Canoes. The man you know as Baylor was once an actual man over ten decades ago. He was the only living person to have ever found the ancient ruined city of the Diabolous. This city was appropriately named CalTesch which means Doom in the ancient tongue.”

Baylor came to the end of the corridor and flicked a small switch hidden on the wall in front of him; a switch unknown to everyone except someone who had overseen the construction of the hallway. An opening appeared which lead into the middle of the Forgotten Forest. The corridor had been built underground all the way to a small grotto where everything was guarded from view by a heavy mist. As the three remaining men of the Dread Army walked out into the dense forest, Baylor continued talking.

“You see no one else had ever laid eyes on the city where some of the Diabolous had regrouped and strengthened themselves after they had pulled back from a small defeat. Not even the Celestians knew of the city’s whereabouts. With the final destruction of the two Xythanian races, the city was neglected and crumbled apart just as the city of Xythan. Still to this day the only person to have found Xythan was your old mentor, Nathan.”

“Some say Shiloh himself, with the Golden Spirit, destroyed the city so no one could ever learn of their ways. This story isn’t too unbelievable since the great Shiloh knows and sees all, at least so his followers say.”

Baylor continued to walk and talk as Canoes finally lost any ability to walk and was being drug by his former High Priest. Canoes was trying to listen to every word this small man was saying, but he was slipping in and out of consciousness from the pain his now frail body was having to endure by Malik’s harsh treatment of it. Malik did not seem to show any bother having the burden of Canoes’ heavy body weight added to his own frail frame. Canoes tried to speak, but he couldn’t stop hacking up clear blood.

Hearing Canoes’ condition behind him only made Baylor grin all the more, never turning to face the injured man.

“Stay with us Canoes. I still have a use for you…well, your body at least,” Baylor snidely remarked.

Malik joined with a snicker as Canoes eyed him, confused. Unlike the dead bodies Baylor and Giselle had manipulated to become their soldiers, Canoes’ body was still alive and would suffer great pain to accomplish what they had planned for him.

“I’ll continue my tale of Baylor…Baylor was a Xythanian like yourself, but without your annoying half-breed flaws. He embraced the Spirit of the Diabolous rather than try and control it, as you so ignorantly did, and became one of the most dangerous and notorious warlords across Krysala. But, to every villain there must be a hero, and this hero was none other than Nathan. In his youth and prime he rode out to face Baylor and single handedly wiped out the entire army Baylor controlled. You see, again unlike yourself, Nathan knew to embrace his power rather than try to control it. Nathan was far more powerful than he ever revealed to you, for good reason I suppose.”

“After Baylor’s unexpected defeat, he went into hiding. Wounded and vastly reaching death, he happened to stumble upon the ruined city of CalTesch. While there he discovered the great temple of God Chaos. There he made a vow to give up his spirit to him if he could have ultimate revenge upon the very people of Krysala and all those who carried the bloodline of the Xythanians. Chaos of course agreed to such a plea, for he too despised the creation of the Almighty Creator God, Shiloh. After taking Baylor’s spirit, Baylor’s body lay in wait; not dying, rotting or decomposing, just in wait for the day in which Chaos would decide it was the right time to use his body for a vessel of destruction.”

“That day, however, never came. Instead, Chaos saw your potential and placed in the body of Baylor a spirit of great evil; a spirit from an abyssal prison where it had been bound for centuries. One day that

spirit, in Baylor’s body, was found by none other than you. I, my dear former master, am the flesh of Baylor but the soul of someone much darker, much more frightening.”

“The time is coming and it is coming very soon. I too need a champion to lead my soon-to-come army. I am going to raise up a city in the image of CalTesch and bring forth the true tyranny and destruction of Krysala. Your war against her will be golden days in comparison to what I’ve planned. You are going to be fortunate enough to find your way into the realm of spirits where you will meet the true spirit of Baylor. While there you two can share your regrets with one another in deciding to make an oath with God Chaos. You are both fools, I’m afraid to say, and neither of you could have possibly foreseen the true ramification for your decision.”

Baylor began to laugh uncontrollably. His menacing laugh caused the creatures of the forest to hide in their homes for a veil of true evil could be felt walking in the mist. Canoes hung his head and fell into unconsciousness again. Even being asleep to the world around him, he could still hear this horrible laugh ringing in his mind as if to torment his very soul.