Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Two soldiers are walking along the corridor near the throne room on guard duty talking to themselves. “I don’t understand why we even do this job anymore”, one of them questions casually walking along the corridor. “Quit complaining, it’s a job alright. If Ivan feels he needs someone to guard this corridor then he’s entitled to do so. He is ruler anyway”. The one soldier thinks about it turning to his friend, “Yer you’re probably right. Better to be on the safe side”.
  As they walk they hear something in the distance as both stop. “Do you hear that?”, one of the soldiers questions nervously looking ahead. “Yer…. Sounds like, like sand” Several seconds pass then both notice the corridor is getting darker. “This isn’t right, what happened to the light?!”, one of the soldiers exclaims panicking. Just as he says the body of a soldier flies through the corridor, his body turning to ash. Both soldiers suddenly shake in panic, both turning to run. Before they can even speak the huge wave of ash catches them as both soldiers become one with the wave of destruction.

In the throne room several robed men; followers of Ivan are talking waiting for Ivan. “Where is Ivan, he should be here now”. His friend turns towards him, “last I heard he went to the sword room. Don’t know why he’d go to that relic of a place”. The other robed man looks towards the throne door, “Leave the old man be, he needs places like that in remembrance of the past” As they are talking the large double doors burst open as a man clad in armour runs inside sweating in panic. “We must go, now!! He’s BACK!” The two robed men turn towards the panic stricken man confused, “Who, is back?”
  Just as he says this loud screams can be heard from the double doors catching everyone off guard. The robed men urgently look towards the double doors in panic, “Everyone shut the doors! Shut the doors!!” Many of Ivan’s men quickly burst into the throne room hearing the news, rushing immediately to the double doors, pushing with all their might.

“Come on men! Give it all you’ve got!!”, one of the robed men commands, pushing with his all.  Suddenly the doors suddenly slam, as the edges of the doors start to blacken. Everyone looks in horror as small trails of ash start to burst through the gap. Losing their concentration the doors burst open throwing everyone back. Many of the soldiers find their footing looking into the open doors, through the darkness of the ash.

Dervish finally appears walking through the cloud of thick ash, looking at the soldiers with malice. One of the men grits his teeth sweat going down his face. “This is impossible…He should be dead…”, he utters backing away. “No…this can’t be happening”, another soldier protests through fear, his lip throbbing. One of the robed men looks more concerned noting the direction Dervish came, ”He just came from the direction of the sword room!”, one of Ivan’s robed men blasts turning towards Dervish, “Where is Ivan! What have you do to HIM!?”. Dervish slits his eyes, looking into the eyes of the man. “Ivan is dead. Along with his son and the rest you...” . One of Ivan’s servants gets overwhelmed in anger tears running down his face. “You MONSTER!!”, he screams bursting forward towards Dervish withdrawing a sword. Quickly a cloud of ash attacks him from the right sending him flying into the throne room wall.
  Dervish ignorant of the blackening servant takes another step towards the soldiers in intimidation. “It’s been soo long…far too long”, he utters, “hell has grown weak in my absence”. He takes another step as everyone pauses in fear, ‘and now… it’s time to claim what’s rightfully mine!” 

One of Ivan’s bodyguards looks in anger gesturing towards everyone, “Everyone! Stop him at all costs! Don’t let him near the throne!” Several soldiers snap out of their fear charging at Dervish, swords raised. Dervish quickly reacts outstretching his right arm as it disperses into an ash cloud, spreading towards the soldiers. Unknowingly to him a soldier had got high above bringing his sword down into Dervish’s ash head, the sword cutting away though layers of ash. Pieces fall on to the floor, breaking into mere flakes. Irritated Dervish quickly turns his head focusing on to the now stuck sword as it starts to blacken.
  In panic the soldier leaves the sword backing away, “Just what the hell is this guy!?”, the soldier stutters witnessing his sword being reduced to nothing. “He’s Dervish!”, one of the older Soldiers replies watching as Dervish fights the soldiers, “One of Sousan’s sons. We thought he was dead!” . As he says this Dervish’s arm rips through a soldier, his body breaking away as everyone watches in fear. “Everyone back away!!”, everyone turns seeing a robed figure near the large book shelf quickly drawing shapes into the air, as lines of light grow in intensity of blues. Dervish twists his head seeing the figure in anger. Before Dervish can react the robed figure launches the magic at Dervish, a huge blizzard fills the throne room blinding everyone from the winds.
  The blizzard gone everyone gradually lowers their guards looking at a large block of ice containing Dervish, the floor frozen itself. Several soldiers look in nervousness approaching the ice. “Is he…”, one of the soldiers questions in doubt looking at Dervish’s frozen body. “Yes”, the caster of the magic proclaims relaxing his hands, “that’s fourty inches of ice around him. There’s no way he escaping that!” Several of the soldiers relax, breathing slowly.

“What makes you think you’re SUPERIOR to me…?”

Everyone freezes looking back at the block of ice as several huge cracks violently start covering the ice surface. Everyone starts to backs away watching as the ice soon starts to break under Dervish’s presence. Several of the soldiers run towards the throne room doors, gripping the doorknobs for dear life. “Blast you open!”, one of the soldiers shouts violently truing to open the door. “To proclaim you’re better than me is insulting enough”, Dervish utters hatefully, “but to use the power of heaven HERE?!” In anger he breaks out of the ice prison screaming in fury. “Ivan was no match for me! What makes you think you even have a chance?!”   Everyone suddenly looks towards the throne as they can hear movement behind the windows.

  Suddenly trails of ash break through the throne windows attacking the soldiers without mercy. Several of the soldiers try to retaliate hacking at the thick ash clouds only to no avail, Dervish then rises up eying towards one of Ivan’s followers as the soldiers attack in disarray. Calmly Dervish walks towards one of Ivan’s followers who backs away towards the throne his hands scattering on the throne steps. “Keep away from me you monster!” he stutters as several soldiers fall to Dervish.  

  He takes several steps towards the throne, as the bodies of Ivan’s soldiers fall around him. Quickly Dervish grips the follower’s neck raising him into the air. Struggling to breathe the follower clutches tightly onto Dervih’s arm, his hand blackening. “You’re no son!.. You killed your father, your own men… and now.. You killed your brother…Hell will never accept you as ruler!” . Dervish shakes in anger killing the follower, his body breaking into ash. “You’re wrong… I will make hell great once more. Heaven and earth will both burn and I’ll become the greatest ruler ever!”
  Finished he then turns his attention to a book placed beside the throne, curious Dervish reaches down picking it up. He flips several pages before stopping on a page which grabs his attention his eyes scanning the page. His face suddenly starts to shake with anger as Dervish blackens the book (soldiers come to the throne room and pledge their royalty to him. Dervish commands them to find Matius)

Back in the streets of hell Matius makes his way home after buying items from the market. Reaching home he shoves his hand into his jean pocket, looking for the keys. Accidentally he drops the bags, creaking open the door. Noticing this confused he grabs the bags, realising his mother must be home. “I’m back”, he shouts shutting the door, looking at the ceiling. Puzzled he rests the bags on the dinning table, “mum where are you?”. Nervously he walks up the stairs entering each room only to find no sign of his mum. Confused he heads back down the stairs again, looking into the kitchen. Worried he walks outside again noticing a crowd has gathered outside.

“What’s going on?” Matius demands walking towards them. One of the men turns towards him, “look at the palace man! look at it!”.Matius moves forward through the crowd, before pausing in fear. A soldier breaks through one of the royal throne windows, as black smoke billows out spreading outwards, pieces of ash rise into the air in search for something spreading. Concerned he heads towards the Royal Palace, several people watching him in surprise.

  He nears the palace walking through a market, trying to quickly pass people amongst the crowd. He then notices several soldiers up ahead, deep in conversation. Matius quickens his pace, as one of the soldiers turns his head in Matius’s direction.
  “There he is! Get him!!”, the soldier shouts pointing at Matius . Matius pauses in shock before running back through the market avoiding the people passing by. He knocks into one of the stalls, knocking over the fruits and food onto the stone floor. “Hey! Watch it!!” the man shouts out in anger as Matius pays little notice. He keeps running through the market brushing aside people. “Stop that man!”, one of the soldiers shouts shoving a civilian aside. The soldiers quickly move through the market with little care as they knock over people in their rashness, smashing fruit on the street. Matius quickly looks ahead seeing boxes piled up alongside the side of the market; quickly he leaps onto the boxes making is way to the rooftops.

On the roof Matius quickly gets down watching as the soldiers catch up below stopping. “Damn…where did he go?!”, one of the soldiers questions looking around the alley. “Let’s just split up and keep looking”, the other blasts looking at him. Matius watches, as the soldiers split up heading in different directions. With the coast clear he drops down into the now unoccupied alley staying close to the shadows.. He cautiously walks through several market alleys before hearing the sound of marching. Quickly Matius hides behind several crates in the alley ahead. Many men clad in armour and robes move through the market crowd, many people watching in fear. Upon further notice Matius notices the men robed in Dervish’s armour with his symbol embellished on their uniforms. He quickly crouches in cover before heading down another market alley, people all around him.

It starts growing dark as the alleys become less inhibited.
Just when he thinks he’s hears more footsteps behind him. (Guards find Matius). As one of them charges Matius quickly unsheathes his sword parrying his attack as more join in. In anger Matius focuses his power sending several soldiers flying into a large house. With space Matius hesitantly turns towards the soldiers panting, “Why are you doing this?” he questions as another soldier charges at Matius, in annoyance Matius knocks the soldier down. “I’m sorry Matius, but this is how it must be” Matius recognising the voice looks ahead seeing a familiar figure walk through the crowd of soldiers, a body guard of Ivan. “………..what is going on here?”, Matius questions lowering his sword, “I’m sorry Matius but…Dervish has returned”,              replies as his soldiers look glum. Matius’s eyes widen in shock, “but how?! I defeated him” One of the soldiers looks to Matius, “we don’t know, all we know is he’s back and he wants you captured. We tried to fight him but…there was nothing we could do. He’s just too strong”, he utters sorrowfully. “What do you mean?” Matius questions still braced for combat, “what happened to Ivan?!”. “Ivan’s dead, Matius”, the bodyguard explains, “Our leader has fallen”. Matius falls silent, looking back to the soldiers, “Let me help you, together we can stop him”.       Lowers his head, “I’m sorry if he knew he would kill us”. As he talks more soldiers enter the empty space. “I’m sorry Matius but you must come with us”. Before Matius can respond one of the soldiers behind slams him over the head, as everything turns black.

Author's Note

Still in progress, ignore grammar problems