Chapter 1

Part 7: The Last Son

Chapter 1

Several years have passed since the defeat of the heretic angels. The last threat to peace has been vanquished; in times of peace both heaven and hell have forgotten war, forgotten strength. Ivan himself has grown old, his body not as ripe with energy as he once was. He thinks everything Sousan dreamed has come to realisation.
  The angelic council themselves have grown soft, since the defeat of their sworn enemies. Their judgments are less stern and even give Ivan a hand if needed. As well as being a ruler, he is now a proud father. One day he hopes one of his son will take the throne.
  Matius meanwhile has become more lonesome as time passes, will little friends he lives by himself. He likes living alone anyway he likes time to himself, something he rarely had back in the days when Dervish was still alive. Still with heaven and hell at peace he can never forget that vision, it was like something from a bad dream. The heretic angels believed it to be a prophecy of what was to come, but now that twenty have passed Matius has since dismissed that prophecy as a lie as do the many that was there. However…

One day Ivan is walking down the corridor, passing several people.       Dressed in normal robe garments. Why wear protection when there is no wars? He always used to wear his soldier uniform back in the day, he would wear it with pride. Now it’s a remains as a reminder of what life was like back then. He looks at himself in the mirror, seeing time hasn’t helped him. Where his skin was young it has grown in age. His skin has become saggy in places, stretched, even fragile.  Wrinkles mark the many expressions he’s expressed in his lifetime, some he regrets he ever made. It’s hard to think that I was once a powerful fighter Ivans thinks, looking at his skinny reflection. Even my collar bone shows through looking at it in surprise.
  Ivan turns away from the mirror complacent. I guess this is what you was feeling father when we were born Ivan thinks. You felt that your time as ruler was coming to an end and that you had to let the young generation take over. Still I’m more than happy to let one of my son’s take the throne.

Ivan walks towards the throne room pressing his wrinkled hand against the door still saddened by his father’s death. Nervously he walks inside as men are cleaning the bookshelves of the throne room.  One of the cleaners looks towards Ivan smiling, “Ahh Ivan it’s good to see you”, going down the ladder in greeting, “how are you keeping?” . Ivan gives a weak smile turning towards the cleaner, “Alright I guess… now that there is peace I can relax a little more”. The other cleaner overhearing the conversation turns towards Ivan placing books back into their shelf. “Yes things have sure got boring alright. Everyone is a bit too relaxed, hell there isn’t as many criminals as there was back then”. Ivan pauses in thought, “yes the past sure was interesting”….
  Ivan suddenly thinks of something. “When Sousan was still ruler…did he write a lot in his life?”, Ivan questions turning serious.  “Sousan?.. he did a lot of writing during his time in the army. It was a way of remembering the past”, the cleaner replies. “Do you think it’s possible that he wrote a diary during his time on the throne?” Ivan going deeper into the conversation. “I would think so… it was a hobby of his after all”, the cleaner replies placing more books into the shelve. Ivan looks at the bookshelves, remembering Sousan’s collection of books and scrolls. “and where would his writings be taken to?” The other cleaner looks down adjusting his glasses, “They would have been taken to a special library, where knowledge of our past rulers would also be held. Why do you ask Ivan?” Ivan lowers his head looking to the throne imagining his once alive father, “because it’s been 25 years since my father’s death and not once have I looked into his past.  Who he knew… his brother Kravos… his thoughts, I know nothing of him!.. But there is something else”
  Both of the cleaner’s look at Ivan in surprise. “I want to know why my father was afraid of Dervish. He knew something that we didn’t and I want to find out”. “Ivan your brother was a monster, nothing more. Your father had good reason to be afraid of him”, one of the cleaners blasts going down the ladder. “He could have been SAVED!”, Ivan moans, “If…if Sousan had given him the love he needed he might have not turned out this way. He would be with us right now, but because of his growing hate towards Sousan he lost control” Ivan pauses in silence, “I just don’t understand but I need to…I need to know why Dervish was forsaken…”
  The cleaners stop working touched by Ivan’s words. “You do have a point Ivan” the cleaner with glasses points out, “Dervish was never treated as a son by your father. I don’t understand it myself, as a father you are always suppose to help your kin whatever the situation”. The other cleaner walks towards Ivan, “I too am curious, Ivan I will take you to the library where your father’s writings will be. Whatever you find, promise us you will tell us?”. Ivan gives a smile, “of course”. The cleaner gives a smile, “follow me”.

They walk down some stairs, Ivan walking closely behind the cleaner . “You know Ivan It’s very rare that someone like you wants to know the history of their father”, the cleaner compliments walking down the stairs, “I must warn you though this library hasn’t been used in a long time”. Ivan looks at a candle as he passes it, “I believe history is a great teacher. Learning about the past can create new views of the present. Especially if one is to walk the footsteps of previous rulers” The cleaner gives a smile, approaching the steel door well fortified. He goes into his pocket taking out a steel key, twisting it in the lock. Unlocked he swings the door open ushering Ivan forward. “Well here you are. I’ll leave you in peace, I hope find what you’re looking for” the man bows before heading to the door. “I hope you find what you’re looking for shutting the door leaving Ivan in peace stacked with books.

Ivan notices a desk on the right hand side of the small library littered with books and scrolls, some composing from the moisture and age. Nerved Ivan makes his way towards a desk littered with pieces of paper and dust, sveral books with torn pages and cover damage. To this this chamber holds the history of the past rulers… what a disgrace Ivan thinks noticing a cover it’s words faded. In frustration Ivan moves the old books aside, pieces of loose bits of noting fall. Ivan satisfied then blows the dust on the desk, rubbing it away with his robed arm watching the dust fall. The desk Ivan turns back towards the many books, which are shelved in the room.

  Ivan starts looking through the books, bringing them over to the desk moving through the pages hastily. Ivan learns new about the past rulers but nothing on the writings of Sousan. Frustrated he looks back at the shelving, looking for any indication of a letter order. He looks closer at a piece of metal, covered in dirt. Gently he rubs it away revealing it to be a F.  In realisation Sousan starts looking for the other pieces of metal letters placed on the shelving. Wiping away another he finds S, giving a smile in relief.
  He starts looking through the books in the S section, looking at the inside pages, looking for Sousan. He finally finds some books belonging to Sousan placing them onto the desk. Satisfied he opens several of the books before finding one, which grips his attention, a diary of his time together with Kravos.

He goes through several pages finding out something interesting. “Today has been a fun day, me and Kravos were fighting with wooden swords. It was fun and father is happy with us:. Ivan moves scans through the pages reading another entry, “Today fataher has told me that my power has unlocked. I am excited at this news. Kravos has also found his but I am scared of it”. Interested Ivan turns some pages over reading another passage. “I am starting to like my power. I can create light with my hands. Kravos is jealous he is not talking to me”, annoyed Ivan quickly flips over a couple of pages coughing in reaction to the dust.
   “Me and Kravos have been training in the academy. Father says he is proud of us. Kravos is growing in strength, mastering his power”.

Ivan giving a smile turns a couple more pages, nearing their adulthood. “Kravos is becoming more determined in training. It scares me a little but I just think he wants the respect of our father. He just wants to be the new ruler than anyone but our father, doesn’t like his attitude”. Ivan frowns curiously remembering Dervish’s personality, perhaps there is a link between them Ivan questions turning another page. “Today Kravos lost control over his power, he ended up killing his own trainer. He claims it was an accident, but I question this. I think his emotions are getting to him, he isn’t hiding his powers are he used to”. Ivan moves through several more pages.
  “Finally me and my brother have graduated from the academy and we start our first mission in a weeks time. It’s a great day to remember, Kravos managed to keep his power in check”, Ivan reads going through more pages. “We went on our first mission today with a squadron. We ended up fighting some angels and several of our men died. Dervish lost complete control killing many of the angels. I think the men have grown afraid of him, as have I”

Ivan starts to grow frustrated, what is his power d****t he thinks to himself turning more pages, “Today I saw Kravos’s anger in the flesh. We were out today on a mission and we ran into some powerful angels, they dominated us killing several of our men. Kravos just lost it, his power over whelmed him his skin blackening. I think the angels realized the threat he was as several of them placed many seals on Kravos trapping him, in many barrier seals. Much to my amazement he was able to destroy those seals using his own power to erode the sealing’s. Me and our men watched Kravos tear the angels apart, not before taking his anger out at the wildlands. I managed to stop him in time, but he’s left a scar on the wildlands”.
  Ivan’s eyes widen in realisation. He’s Kravos son Ivan utters to himself, his throat going dry. Back to reality Ivan quickly moves through several more pages his eyes moving through the pages. He turns another page realising many pages have been torn out leaving him in confusion. Ivan then turns over many pages reaching the last few pages his eyes looking at the entrys. “Today is a special day my wife tells me that she is pregnant, I am excited at this news yet my stomach twists at this news.  I guess I am getting old for this era but I feel something is wrong”. Ivan turns several more pages reaching the last page, “I am filled with sadness on this day as my wife is no longer with me. Although she is no longer with us I have two great sons who I trust will bring a new era. There are many who believed that only two sons were born, that is a lie” Ivan’s eyes widen in shock reading the line again. “There was one more son…but I could not bring myself to kill him for he had my wife’s eyes. In secret I had my last son passed down to someone in order to protect them. I still do not understand what my wife means by “I fear for our worlds future” but I think in due time I will find out”. Ivan slams the book down, looking upwards…

Matius.

 

 

 

Author's Note

Still in process of editing

Reviews

[dw817]

⊰ℛℛ⊱
It looks to be the start of an epic tale. If you ask me, and you haven't, but if you did, I have an entirely different view of Heaven and the beyond. I think - it is beyond the standard hell heaven epochs.

Angels, devils, they are all figments of what is written in a single Book. I say, peruse beyond this. Find your own niche. Develop your own universe. Make it magnificent and mighty. Wonderful and weird. That's what we readers like. :)