Shattered Kingdoms | Book 2 ✔ (REWRITING AS 'THE EXILED KING')

Chapter 30 - Fallen

"That's the end of that pesky mage!" The masked sorcerer said gleefully, and sealed up the hole in the ground with a quick flick of the wrist.

"Who are you?! What- where's Leyon now?! What did you do to him?" Jason shouted.

"Boy! You have no sword! You are useless and yet you hope to save him? Pathetic. I've sent him to the bowels of earth... you'll NEVER see him again," The sorcerer sneered, pointedly ignoring Jason's question about who he was.

"Now, come on Veidar. We haven't all day. HE needs us," The masked sorcerer said, and turned around, walking away from Jason and the rest with the undead king in tow.

"Hey! Wait! I never- Stay where you are!" Jason yelled, lunging for the sorcerer.

Taryn grabbed Jason before he could go further and pinned him in place, whispering, "Not now! He could KILL us all!"

They watched in silence as the sorcerer disappeared into the forest.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Jason yelled, facing Taryn furiously.

"What was what? You would have died. That sorcerer meant business, and we can scarcely afford to lose the Golden Guardian so early in the game! Look at the bigger picture, Jason!" Taryn grabbed Jason's shoulders and shook him, "Come ON! You didn't even have your sword and you barely know how to use your powers! There was nothing you could have done!"

"What should I have done, then? Just waited and watched?!"

"Maybe you should have!" Taryn retorted.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt the moment, but did you say that he's the golden guardian?" Adrian asked, walking up to them.

"Huh? Yeah? What about it?" Taryn asked, turning to Adrian.

Adrian glared at Eryna, saying, "You told us that you would lead us to the guardians! You didn't say that guardians were your FRIENDS!"

"Eh... small misdirection..." Eryna said, not looking sorry at all.

Taryn and Jason looked at the two with confusion.

While the others were bickering, Eryna had comforted Elvina as best she could and Cress took care of Aidan's still unconscious body. Ryhon rarely travelled with them anymore, ever since the death of Aelron.

"I see that he has certainly stirred things up, in my absence."

A large rune appeared in the sky above them and a glowing shape slowly emerged. When he straightened, the others could see that it was a human. He had short white hair and luminous red eyes and was dressed in elaborately decorated silver armour.

Adrian sighed in exasperation, "Oh, not another one! Get lost! We're trying to solve an internal conflict, here."

"Oh my... how could you possibly hope to battle hordes of demons when you're fighting among yourselves? This is pitiful," The man continued, "I could have slaughtered you all right now, but that would send fate spinning in the wrong directions. You will rise against the demon armies, and you will meet the mastermind behind everything. Then you will be killed by him. Until you have accomplished everything you should have, you cannot die."

"Who in the name of Pelos are you, to say such things?!" Jason yelled.

"Uh J-Jason...?" Cress tugged on Jason's sleeve to get his attention.

Jason turned, irritated, "What?"

"T-That's Garyth. I can sense his malicious aura," Cress said nervously.

Garyth laughed, "That's right, demon! I'm Garyth Herus. Don't worry. I won't kill you all just yet. You have yet to fulfill your parts in destiny's plan. And don't even think about attacking me. You'll never succeed. Lady Aeliyas looks after her own, afterall."

Cress's eyes widened when Garyth answered him, and he backed away a step.

Taryn looked at him oddly, "What did he mean by calling you a demon?"

Cress looked away, but began to speak.

Long ago, there were two archangel breeds. Both were created by Pelos, but the first worshipped him, and the other directly followed Cassiel, the first archangel. Those who followed Pelos were loyal, but one among them betrayed Pelos, sneaking to Aeliyas's side. Furious, Pelos banished the entire race to the Abyss. Only those who devotedly served Cassiel escaped his wrath. Those who 'fell' from the heavens became known as Darkangels. The Princes of that race became cursed to succumb to an illness before they reached adulthood. The Darkangels did not chose their princes by heritage, but by divine choosing. It is said that Pelos took pity on the race, and ensured that they would not die out. Each generation, there is a Darkangel child born with stark white hair and jade green eyes. Each is the chosen Prince. Cress was born as the latest prince, and it was only by Aidan's intervention, and the joining of their souls, that Cress escaped the same death that had claimed his predecessor.

"So this young prince is actually a demon," Garyth finished with a smirk.

He adopted a thoughtful look and said, "Speaking of demons, there's someone I'd like you to meet, in honor of you being my fated enemies, and all."

"Come on out, my loyal servant," Garyth called, and a teleportation rune appeared next to him. A figure with long dark hair and ghostly white skin stepped out and looked over the scene with indifferent eyes.

"RYHON?!"

Garyth turned to Ryhon, saying, "Call the demon armies. It's time to finish this off, once and for all."

Ryhon nodded and withdrew a blood red demon horn from his cloak, raised it to his lips and blew.

Instantly, large portals swirled into existence and the sound of many tramping feet could be heard, shaking the ground.

The first of the demons stomped out of the portal. It had crimson skin, dark and twisted horns and a fiery mane of hair. It had claws for hands and hooves for feet, and in those claws it held a large mace. The demon had leather armor forged in the fires of the Abyss, to withstand the demon's own blisteringly hot skin.

It walked up to Garyth and knelt, saying, "My army is ready, my Master. Say the word, and we will crush these fools and destroy Dargon!"

Garyth nodded, then looked upon the crestfallen faces of Lirya's companions, "Let the final battle begin!"" He shouted, raising his hands as if to embrace the sky, "I shall become Emperor of the fallen world of Dargon! Demon generals - Kill every one of them but Lirya Thronesgar! I want her alive, do you understand?"

"Now, wreak havoc upon this miserable world!" Garyth said, with a crazy smile on his face.

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First Completed: 06/07/2020

Published: 30/08/2020

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We are nearing the end of this second book. Stay tuned for more!