Sword from the Sky

HORROR WAS NOW THE MASTER OF THE PALACE. The people ran in and out of the burning flames and into the ravaging clouds of dirt; they ran from what was most terrifying to them, creatures made of a featureless shadow. The visreh had infiltrated and infected the whole of the palace, and people were seen jumping from palace windows and from the roof of the structure.

  Waves of visreh crashed through the many halls and rooms, and in numbers they would jump on the guards and palace staff, munching on them like they were feasting on pristine meat, straight off the bone. People were wailing and spitting up appalling sounds. Destruction came through deafening blows to the palace by what seemed to be huge balls of decayed earth crashing into the palace and tumbling down the walls. These makeshift bombs appeared out of thin air, as if they had been birthed from a supernatural force. This bombardment was followed by tornadoes of dirt flying inside the many levels of the palace. These storms walked the halls, killing everything in sight and drowning the people of the land with their black, rotting earth. If the people of the palace had not been stripped of their flesh by the visreh, then they were filled with mud and soil, with dirt spilling out of their overstuffed mouths and ears.

  Outside of his room, Druuk heard the screaming of the souls within the palace. He tried to sit up but barely managed to do so. Elba quickly came upon the prince to assist him.

  “Elba, you must leave and be with Luca,” Druuk said while trying to stay seated.

  “I’m not going to leave you alone, my prince,” Elba said. “Luca is protected in the school.”

  “Yes, but you have a protection that most people do not,” Druuk said. “You know this.”

  “Luca has his own special protection,” Elba said. “He doesn’t need mine.”

  “Depart from me, Elba,” Druuk said. “I’m of no use to anyone anymore. Leave here. You must go and be by Luca’s side, for you’ll go with him on his exile as I requested.”

  “Luca has plenty of people who would go with him and be his protector,” Elba said, taking a cold, damp cloth and patting the prince’s head. “I’ll stay here by your side.”

  “Elba, do as you prince commands you,” Druuk said. “We’ll talk of this no more.” He took her hand in his. “This will not be the last you will see of me. We both know this. Make sure Luca understands.”

  “I will, sire,” Elba said reluctantly, and she bent over and took Druuk’s head in her arms and kissed his forehead. “Goodbye, my prince.” With that, Elba rushed to the door and lost herself in the madness of the palace.

  Moments passed as Druuk sat waiting in his bed for the dirt of the land to come and consume him. Fortifying his spirit and inner peace, he had finally managed to drown out the horrid screams coming from every nook and cranny of the palace, but he was still somewhat restless. So he reached for his night desk with great effort, and out of a drawer, he took out a pen and a small scroll. He laid back and began to write one last song of life. This certainly put a smile on his face.

  And then a knock came at the door.

  “Elba?” Druuk said.

  The door opened and in came a young boy.

  “Luca?” Druuk said.

  “No, father,” the beastly boy said.

  “You again,” Druuk said as he quickly penned something down and set the scroll in a small, metal box he had with him.

  “Yes, me,” the boy said with pity.

  “So you’ve finally come for me, Logrec,” Druuk said.

  “Of course,” the beastly child said with the blood-red armor. “You always knew I would come.”

  And the door closed behind him.