Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Deep underground where light cannot shine Matius’s limp body is being carried down a long damp stairway with wet bricking. Near black except for the candles hanging along the wet walls. Two men carefully carry his body down the slippery stairs, one slow step after the next for fear of slipping. A thin man carrying his feet raises his head. “Geez he sure is heavy” he utters out of breath, “you wouldn’t think someone like him could be as heavy as this”. A big man holding his shoulders raises his head agitated. “Shut yer trap! We can talk more when we get him down these stairs. When the master has his way with him”, the other bemoans in annoyance. They continue carrying him cautiously down the stairs, trying not to slip, as they walk down, Matius’s eyes suddenly move under his eyelids. Slowly he lazily opens them, still to weak to react. The thin man looks at his face in suprise, “hey...Hey! He’s waking..” he shouts looking at his partner. “Leave him, we are near the bottom”.
  They both finally reach the bottom of the stairs entering a large rectangular room, with barely much light. The sound of water can be heard dripping down the venting in the depressing damp place. Together they carry him sluggishly over towards the other end of the room, water dripping all around. Together they both lean him against a large wooden pole, before heading towards the walls grabbing the chains that dangle from them to hold him in place. “Are you sure this will hold him?”. The thin one asks unsurely, looking at Matius’s body. The big one turns while fixing the chains onto his arms, “he had the chains specifically built for him. He might be strong but there’s no way he will break these”. Testing them he pulls one of them, testing it’s resistance. Satisfied he twists his head, turning towards his partner. “Okay we’re done here let’s move, I don’t want to ne here when HE arrives”. Finished he walks with his friend hastily walks back towards the stairs. Matius weakly opens his eyes watching them go up the stairs, hearing the dripping water.

Several seconds seem to pass as the air grows colder, Matius himself shivering. Then from the side of the room Dervish appears from the shadows giving of smoke, which spreads through the air. He moves slowly forward towards Matius, savouring the moment. Matius raises his head noticing him, his eyes widen in surprise. In retaliation Matius fights against his chains, the chains shake violently and tense under the strain. Dervish watches bemused giving a smile in delight. “Surprised to see me?” he utters humorously. Matius raises his head in defiance, eyeing Dervish coldly. “How did you survive?.. I fought you and I watched you die!!”” Dervish pauses in confusion, clouds of ash suddenly stop in movement. “No... I did not die”, Dervish announces, “I was merely sealed away” Matius lowers his head in ignorance, “Sealed?.. What are you talking about?”. Dervish twists his head recklessly gripping Matius’s throat. “That sword was nothing but a mere tool, Nothing more!”, he immediately releases his grip from Matius’s throat, calming himself down.
  He looks back at Matius, “I guess Ivan had hoped to seal me, since I can no longer be killed”. Dervish shifts his gaze onto Matius, “You yourself have died so I can’t destroy you as much as I’d love to. You have got in my way for far too long” Dervish turns back towards Matius now calmed, looking at him with respect. “Still there is something which interests me about you”. Matius hearing these words raises his head slowly, signs of anger fade away. “What do you mean”,  Matius asking confused. Dervish keeps quiet, purposely keeping Matius on the edge before finally speaking. “When I killed my brother, his last words to me that there was one. One person who would stand in my way. I ignored those naïve words, how could there be another! That’s when I learnt the truth, there was not two born on that night, but three”. Dervish turns towards Matius, “That last son was cast out, away from the royal palace and left for adoption. ”That son is you Matius… You are the last son”.

Everything falls silent in the room with the exception of the dripping of the falling water. Matius remains silent finding it of difficulty to digest. “You’re lying!.. You must be!”. Dervish looks at him pitifully, “I’m sorry but it’s the truth”. Matius lowers his head-annoying Dervish, “You should feel honoured. There are few people who have royal blood running through their veins”. Dervish turns away from Matius, “I myself have learnt that I’m not Sousan’s son as I once thought. I have the blood and drive of Kravos running through my veins. It’s fitting…we are but reflections of each other. You… you represent the purity and kindness that is Sousan and me… Kravo’s hunger for power and destruction courses through me”.
  Dervish pauses in though, “Now with the two of us left it’s time we talked. I’m going to give you a choice Matius”. Matius raises his head in interest ready to hear what’s to be said. “If you join me we can stand atop this world, like gods.  We can make hell great once more and be praised by heaven and hell alike, we could have everything we dream. You yourself could start over in your life; have a new life free from all these lies. All you need to do is submit to me”. Matius raises his head knowing he speaks truth, tempted. “So what about it Matius?.. Yes or no?” Matius calmed lowers his head in thought. “I’m growing impatient… Answer now!”.
  Matius raises his head, “You are right in what you say. My life has been a lie and I’ve been the one to pay for it. My friends deserted me, I’ve had to face life alone”. Dervish gives a little smile. “But when I think about it, all this has happened because of you. I lose my friends because of you, I lost my pride and life. I lost everything I cherished! You attacked earth, you killed my friends and now you’ve killed Ivan! There is no way I’ll ever join forces with you…NEVER!”.

Dervish shudders in anger, hastily walking towards Matius, “So be it. Know this though; yours and Sousan’s bloodline ends here. This place is a secret prison for the worst criminals, who comes here never, comes out alive. You cannot die, but you will remain here till the end of time! No one will hear you screams, your cries… you will become forgotten”. Dervish starts to walk away before turning back. “Oh and don’t worry about your friends and your adopted mother, I will take good care of them. For as long as you are trapped here, nothing can get in my way. For soon I will destroy heaven itself and the people and Earth will fall in my rage, and this time you WILL not stop me! All will remember my name once more, and you will become a mere memory!” Dervish looks down at the necklace around Matius’s neck turning aggressive, “I will relieve you of this”, his ash hand grasps onto the cross necklace around Matius’s neck. With a strong tug Dervish breaks it off, the beads scatter across the floor. Dervish grips the cross before letting it drop to the floor, breaking into pieces.
  “Goodbye…Matius”, Dervish utters looking back at Matius once more before fading away into the shadows. Matius remains still, silent, lost for words. He closes his eyes falling to blackness.

The days pass by, as Matius remains alone in the lone dark prison, far from the excitement and joy of the hell streets above, the presence of the bright glowing sun. He really misses it; he wishes he could see it just once. The only light here is the withering of the candles, some days he’s fortunate to get company of the vermin, which live down in the sewers, their habitant is now his. 

  The days stretch by as Matius endures torture and anguish day after day, now nothing more than a prisoner. Each day he cries, and each day he bears scars from the day past. He screams at the injustice, wondering why he’s been forsaken. Every weak Dervish meets him, seeing Matius as a broken man, satisfied with his state.
  Two months have passed, as Matius barely resembles a man who achieved soo much, with colour fading in his eyes, his body growing weaker as the days pass he feels that hope is but fading away.  As Matius has changed, so to has hell itself. Dervish has begun creating an army once more, freeing the servants of his to do his bidding. Even with the power of fear he has brought over men of Ivan to his side. The men closest to Ivan have already fled from hell taking refuge in the wildlands. mourning the loss of their leader, and wondering what their place is in this harsh world.

Deep down in the prison below, in one of the tunnels two guards are walking on guard duty talking to themselves. Laughing at something funny, their armour shaking to their heavy footsteps. As the guards disappear from view a figure quietly drops down into the tunnel, causing little splashes. Turning he notices shadows on the tunnel walls growing in size as voices become clearer. Immediately he heads over towards the shadows, watching the junction. Then some guards walk down the tunnel dressed in torture gear talking between them completely unaware of the stranger’s presence. With the guards gone, he moves himself from the tunnel walls and heads down towards the junction the dripping of water in the damp tunnels him companion.

Matius meanwhile remains fazed, lost in time. Unsure the day, the hour, he has lost count of the days he’s been held here. Suddenly Matius awakens hears footsteps from the staircase. From the shadows a figure quickly approaches Matius, looking at him through bandaging. Without hesitation he unseaths a set of swords, slashing at the chains holding Matius. Noticing his weak condition the figure lowers his hood revealing red pale eyes. “Matius... Matius, the stranger shouts. Hearing an echo of his name his eyes suddenly widen, raising his sore aching neck. “Oh thank god you’re alright!”, the stranger replies in relief. “Who are you?”, Matius weakly asks, his eyes still to weak to fully open. “I’ll explain everything later, right now we need to move”, the stranger replies grabbing Matius.
  They quickly head up the staircase in haste before arriving at the tunnel crossroads once more. The stranger stops holding Matius trying to remember the way, their feet soaked in water. He suddenly notices shadows at the far end of the tunnel quickly hiding in the shadows ushering Matius to keep silent. They watch as the soldiers pass by before quickly advancing further, crouched low. They reach another tunnel revealing a manhole on the roof of the tunnel, steadily the stranger leaps into the air before gripping the ladder… (they both escape from the prison and head into the wildlands. Dervish finds out a soldier betrayed him, killing him).

 

“Who... are you?” Matius weakly asks still weak from his torture. The stranger walks ahead lighting a torch giving some light in the rocky hill cave. “The stranger then turns to Matius pulling his hood. “I’m Ivan’s son”, he answers taking several things from his bag, placing them on a large stone surface. “You’re probably thinking how I know you right?” Matius unable to speak gives a slight uncomfortably. “Ivan told me about you. When you both took down his brother, saying how impressed he was. He only talked about you not to long when he found he was your brother”, he then grabs a glass and starts pouring in some liquid, “he told me to find you out it was of high importance”. “I didn’t understand at first, but now. Everything makes sence”, as he’s helping himself to a drink Matius suddenly loses consciousness.

When Matius’s eyes open he finds himself being carried through a canyon area of the wildlands. “The group of people will be relieved I got you out of that hell hole”... As they walk some soldiers suddenly rise up, swords naked looking towards Ivan’s son. “Who goes there?” one of the men demands, sword out. “I’m Ivan’s son...... “ he shouts out unconvincingly. “You’re a liar!” One of the shouts, “I knew Ivan and he told me he never had any sons!” Fustrated... removes his scarf around his head in anger. “I am HIS son”... and what about Ivan?” one of them demands. “Ivan’s dead!” .... barks out in anger, “Dervish killed him!” Ivan’s men suddenly fall silent. “That’s just not possible, he’s dead surely?”