Clash Of Worlds (2 page)

“My dear friend, Kanto has offered a truce, an end to the fighting. A truce that Trenkenth himself witnessed.”

It was almost a plea from the king. They had been through a lot together Zeris and Auron. The men had been young soldiers in the Alexandrian army back in the times before Zeris came to the throne. They trusted each other, they were best friends, and Auron was his chief adviser, a man whom he trusted with his life. Auron looked on at Kanto, all the hatred he felt towards Underworld, a realm that had caused so much destruction to his beloved Alexandria came to the forefront. His grip tightened on his sword, the anger swelling through him almost reduced him to tears.

Zeris put his arms on both his shoulders. “Auron, trust me, my friend, it is over.”

Auron reluctantly withdrew his sword.

“Touching,” said Kanto coldly, who remained stood very calmly with both hands folded behind his back.

The Wilderness was a treacherous place. As its name suggested, it was an area of nothingness, thousands upon thousands of miles of derelict wasteland. The Wilderness was an area full of the most fierce and unforgiving creatures within the entire realm. The Creator had kept the Wilderness intact when merging the two worlds together. He knew both worlds feared the area. He placed the wilderness at the new world's centre, separating the now joint kingdoms of Alexandria and Underworld. Trenkenth was also wise enough to have the entire area covered with fading light. To the regular person, this would be the equivalent of sunrise or sunset conditions, a time in which the light is dimming. This was far more significant to the people of both worlds. Trenkenth did everything for a reason, and this was no different. You see Alexandria and Underworld were mirror reflections of one another, direct opposites as different as daylight and darkness.

The realm Alexandria was a world of continuous daylight, whilst its counterpart Underworld was a world of eternal darkness. The Alexandrians genetic makeup enabled them to utilize their abilities to their maximum potential during daylight, whilst becoming jaded and fatigued during darkness. Underworld was the direct opposite, their inhabitants excelled in darkness. By having a fading light zone cast into the wilderness ensured neither world would have an advantage, each of their abilities would be cancelled out. The Creator knew this would keep the temptation for the worlds to invade each other to a minimum. However in truth, he cared little about the fate of either world now. Trenkenth was not one to annihilate an entire world just because they had disobeyed him. He had faith in lower beings, as he called them. He wanted them to find the answers on their own, rather than enforcing his own direct intervention. He did, however, wish to punish both worlds for the chaos and bloodshed that they had caused. And so the time came. The two kings appeared at the location Trenkenth had requested. Each accompanied by their close aids and each with a small child. The location was at the foot of two mountains, in a valley around sixty feet wide. The two groups came across a large stone-like structure.

The structure was made of the oldest stone they had ever seen, having the look of something that had stood since the beginning of time. It arched up to form a doorway that raised over fifty feet high. Thirty huge steps led up to the gateway opening and either side of the entrance were two statues. Both of them stood as if guarding the gate, and everyone present felt as if the two figures, which wielded a large stone broadsword apiece, were watching them.

“Father, what is that?” a small boy whispered from behind the middle-aged woman who accompanied Kanto. The woman was Harriet, the most powerful sorceress in the whole of Underworld. She wore a purple dress robe that matched the colour of her eyes, as did the purple ruby that glimmered on her neck. She wielded a small marble staff, which gave her unyielding power, second only to the king himself. She held the boy’s hand as he looked on in fear. The small boy was Kanto’s son, Shadow. He was six years old and had thick brown hair. The poor boy had never been so afraid in his entire life. His dark brown eyes showed his fear.

“Be silent,” Kanto replied bluntly to his son, not even caring to turn around and look at him as he spoke.

Zeris, who stood only a few feet away looked on, almost feeling sorry for the poor boy. Zeris also had a small child with him, his own son Valentine whom he held by the hand. Valentine, who was around five years old and who had the golden hair his mother once had, remained silent, too afraid to speak at the sight of the two stone like guards peering down at him. Auron was stood not too far behind his king. His left hand was firmly on the handle of his undrawn sword, which was ready to be unleashed at any moment. Auron did not like this situation one bit. He hated what was about to transpire, he hated that he was stood in the wilderness, without the protection of the sun that powered the Alexandrians, but most of all, he hated the fact he was stood alongside his most bitter enemies.

Auron had no love for Harriet, the Underworld Sorceress who stood alongside Kanto. Harriet had been a key member of Kanto’s order and had orchestrated the death of many a comrade of his. Auron would sooner have drawn his sword and struck the pair down. Kanto, who stood calmly with his arms folded behind his back, was fully aware of Auron’s building anger.

“Something bothering you Master Auron?” said Kanto with a smirk.

“Shut up!” Auron snapped back, the grip on his sword tightened.

Kanto began to laugh. “Such a temper! What’s the matter? Feel like avenging a few of your dead friends?” Kanto looked smug.

Auron began to shake, struggling to contain his hatred.

“Do you have any idea how many of them I killed with my own hands?” mocked the king of the Underworld.

Auron interrupted him. “Shut up, I’m warning you!”

“Auron stop!” said Zeris, stepping between them. Zeris hated Kanto’s words as much as Auron did, but the king had to look at the bigger picture. A battle here would begin a war once again, a war that would end both worlds. Although he hated the Underworld king, the consequences were far too great. Auron calmed a little after his king’s words.

Harriet now began to laugh. “Do not worry my king,” she said to Kanto. “He is exactly what you said he was, a coward.”

“COWARD?”

Auron drew his sword; Harriet quickly pointed her staff to meet Auron. Fire began to appear from the end of the staff, almost as if a magical spell was forming.

Suddenly a huge bolt of lightning struck the gate and the two stone statues began to move. The stone creatures seemed to come to life and they both looked down at the group whose attention was quickly taken from each other, towards the stone figures who were now most definitely gazing upon them. As the smoke cleared from the lighting bolt, a cloaked figure could be seen standing in the middle of the gateway. It was the same cloaked figure that had humbled both kings only a day earlier. It was Trenkenth, the Creator of all things. All present began to look concerned, especially the two small boys who hid behind the adults. All were fearful except for Auron, who looked more intrigued than afraid.

“The time has come,” Trenkenth said from the top of the steps. “Bring them to me.” The god referred to the two boys, the pair he intended to exile from this world.

The boys began to tremble. Zeris held his son tight, rubbing the hair on top of his head. “It’s ok son,” he said to the boy softly. “Remember, you’re a hero. You have saved your people. Be strong!”

Kanto showed no such concern for his son. He remained stood still, arms folded behind his back as was his way, not evening looking at his son. He turned to Harriet. “Take the boy to him.”

Kanto had no desire to get any closer to Trenkenth than he already was. He felt the Creator had more distaste in his heart for him than the other king, and he honestly felt uncomfortable at the thought of being so close to someone that could strike him down at any moment.

Harriet looked less than thrilled at the prospect of coming face to face with Trenkenth and was hesitant.

“Take Him!” Kanto said with a more dominant tone in his voice.

Harriet feared the Creator, but she had also learned over the years, much to her misfortune, that to defy her king only led to pain and suffering. She reluctantly took the boy named Shadow by the hand and led him to the foot of the first step which led upwards toward the large gateway.

Auron walked up to Zeris’ son Valentine and knelt down before him. Auron realised this was the last time he would likely ever see the child of whom he had grown fond of over the years. The boy had tears in his eyes and Auron wiped one of them away with his hand. Auron gave an Alexandria salute by putting his fist to his chest. The salute was rarely used, only given to the bravest of warriors. He then looked into the eyes of the boy. “Be strong little one, may all of Alexandria be with you.” Auron rose to his feet and looked up at the Creator, and then to the two stone guardians who, not even for a second, had taken their eyes off him.
I cannot defeat them.
Auron knew he was powerless to save the boy and, therefore, stood back.

Zeris walked his son to the foot of the step, alongside Harriet and Shadow.

Auron and Kanto stood side-by-side, a little further back.

“You coward,” Auron muttered under his breath to Kanto without looking at him.

Kanto, who in turn didn’t look at Auron either, smirked, clearly gaining a little satisfaction from Auron’s disgust of him.

Zeris and Harriet began to slowly ascend the large stone steps, holding their respective child by the hand. They passed several fire torches upon the stairway as they slowly advanced. With each step they took, it was as if the giant stone guardians grew. The size difference between them and the creatures became even more apparent. However, in the middle of them, lay the most formidable figure of them all, the Creator, who had now revealed his large wooden staff from beneath his dark cloak. The group eventually reached the top of the stairway when the god began to speak.

“Stop where you are,” Trenkenth commanded.

The quartet quickly halted in their tracks. The Creator gazed upon each of the four that were stood in front of him, carefully observing each of them for the same amount of time before moving on to the next. All of them felt as if the god-like being was looking deep into the depths of their souls. A cold shiver went down each of their bodies. The two small boys were frozen to their spots, unable to speak, think or even breathe.

The god looked at the two boys and raised his hand that emerged from deep within his cloak, “Come to me.”

Valentine grabbed onto Zeris in fear. The man tried desperately to comfort his son. Harriet pushed Shadow in the Creator’s direction; the force of the push knocked the boy to the floor, right at the feet of the Trenkenth. Shadow, lying on the floor, slowly looked up at cloaked figure, who picked the boy up and placed an arm on his shoulder. The Creator now set his sights on the other child. Zeris held his son, trying hard to keep his own emotions together.
I must be strong for my boy.

“Zeris release the child now,” commanded Trenkenth, who was beginning to lose patience with the Alexandrian king.

The two mammoth stone creatures raised their large swords up high and pointed the tips down in the direction of Zeris. The king and his son Valentine looked up at the guardians.
I have to let him go.
Zeris looked at his son. “It is time Valentine, I will always be with you here,” said Zeris, who pointed to the boys heart. The king gestured over in the direction of the Creator, “Go on.”

Valentine nodded and slowly approached Trenkenth, taking his place at his side.

Kanto, Zeris, Auron and Harriet looked on as the Creator raised his staff. Lightning began to form in the sky above. They all looked up at the gathering storm. A huge lightning bolt appeared and struck the top of Trenkenth’s staff. Then he slammed his staff down hard, sending out a spray of white light that blinded everyone in the area. As the light faded, Trenkenth and the two boys were gone, and the guardians were stood motionless by the edge of the gateway, silently watching on.

Zeris looked up at the empty gateway one last time.
My son, please forgive me.

Chapter 2: A New World

Rain poured down hard against the pavement causing a rippling effect on the puddles that scattered here and there. A black leather boot stepped into one of the puddles causing the water to disperse. A man in a large black trench coat and a grey hat walked two small boys down a dimly lit street way. Several of the street lamps on the road were broken meaning the narrow road was scarcely lit. Even those that worked flickered on and off, lighting the street for a few moments before casting it into darkness once more. Either side of the narrow road was a long row of terraced houses. The man walked the boys along the street a little further before coming to a halt outside one of the houses. The front door had a golden plate towards the top of it with the words
Bel Grave Orphanage
engraved on it. The man reached for the door and gave it three loud knocks. The door remained closed. He knocked again three times. A hatch on the door opened up revealing an old looking woman. She looked carefully at the man before closing the hatch over. The sound of several bolts being unlocked could be heard from the other side of the door. The woman opened up the door and stood at the entrance staring at the man and then down at the two boys.

“I have a delivery,” said the man.

The woman looked down at the boys, who looked totally bewildered as to what was going on. The old woman looked at the man once more. “Let me see your papers.”

The man reached into the inside pocket of his trench coat and pulled out a set of documents. He handed them over to the old lady who read through them as best she could in the dimly lit doorway. After a few moments, her attention went from the documents to the two boys.

“Come with me,” she said to them.

They all entered the orphanage apart from the man who departed immediately without so much as saying goodbye. The woman took the boys coats off and threw them into a nearby basket before leading them down a long corridor. Darkness filled the corridor apart from the odd glimpses of moonlight that shone through small windows in the distance. They reached a large door at the end of the corridor and came to a stop. The lady reached into her pocket, revealing a rusty old metal key. She put the key into the lock and turned it slowly before opening the door.