The Lord of the Slaads-The Heart of Chaos

Chapter XII-The Parting of Ways

Hours before, right about the time Scarr, Rickalas, Ki'lak and Alastair first teleported from Faryal, they find themselves in the throne room of Urik'daan, it's empty' no one but Scabies is present and as soon as they teleported into the room, he had a nasty fright. "That did not drain me as much as I thought," Scarr mentioned, as Ki'lak gave of a secret smile, "in fact it did not drain me at all," Scabies got up from his chair which sat by the throne and walked over to greet them, they all bowed to him and so Scarr introduced him to Ki'lak, he already knew Lord Alastair.
Scabies looked at Ki'lak with a most curious expression, as if he sensed something familiar about him, "it is a pleasure, Ki'lak," he whispered as he turned to face Lord Alastair to speak to him, "it is good to see you again, other council lords have begun to arrive, I will have some guards take you to them," after he called for the royal guard a few moments later they came through the door, Scabies told them to take Lord Alastair to join the other lords of the Azzard, they did as they were commanded and left the room with Alastair following behind. Scabies then proceeded to explain that King Tirian had already filled him in on the events that transpired in Hydra and he then turned his back to them all.
Scabies stood there for but a moment trying to get his head around it all as none of it made any sense and then he began to speak, "I can not believe he is back, or how he keeps coming back, I buried him in that tomb over two thousand years ago," he's obviously talking about the wizard and as he finished speaking Rickalas began to wonder, that if he's been trapped in that tomb all this time how in the Nether could he have been around nine hundred years ago and also in Earthrealm four years ago. "It was locked with blood magic, only the direct line of Eldest could have broken it," Scabies finished.
Rickalas already knew that it wasn't a coincidence that he could break the lock when Caleb had failed to do so, "it is funny you should say that," Rickalas mumbled as Scabies turned to look him in the eye, "It was I that broke the lock on the tomb and I found this upon the skeleton of the wizard," as he took the ring from inside his robes Scabies took it from him and eyed it curiously. "Impossible, only one was...," as he's interrupted by someone finishing his sentence, "...was ever made," Rickalas interrupted. Scabies frowned upon him for being so rude and said that it's impossible to forge without dragon fire and the gem can not be replicated.
He then stated that the ring should not be inside that tomb as he had seen it nine hundred years ago and neither this nor the other ring looks like a fake and Rickalas then told him that he had the ring in Earthrealm but it was stolen from him by the wizard. Scabies proceeded to speak, "the last time I saw this ring, tell me what you know about the second great war," they proceeded to explain all they know about it all the way up to Caleb vanishing to Hydra.
Scabies eyes lit up to learn that Caleb is alive and well, he also said that it warms his heart to hear it as he continued to speak, "yes I always thought Azzur was more than meets the eye too and truth be told I have no idea what happened to him," he stated that it was said that he fell during the battle of Plutopua although not everyone believed that perhaps he wanted everyone to think he died. "I am going to tell you a story now, a story of what really happened to the kings of old, a story I should have told you Scarr a long time ago," they all moved a bit closer to him eager to listen as Scabies began his story.
******
The story will continue in the mines of Plutopua on the 18th Maimakterion 1000 ABM just before Caleb finished telling his version of events, although now we are going to follow the steps of Scabies and the kings of old. "Sire, a large army is making way towards the city, what are your orders," he said, Sharaf said to assemble the army to meet them in battle and told Azzur and Girian to go join them. "Sire, if the wizard is here than we need to get you out of this city, all he has ever wanted was to destroy our bloodline," Scabies whispered.
Sharaf intuitively knew what Scabies was proposing and he would never agree to it, "no, I will not abandon my people besides there is no way out of the city, we are surrounded," Sharaf answered, Scabies told him, "there is a way, if you would follow me," grabbing King Sharaf by the arm and urging him, Antar and Allam to follow him. "Go, me and Caleb will hold him of," shouted Razzak, as Scabies led the way out of the mines, Sharaf, Antar and Allam followed him, they left up the grand staircase carved from sandstone into Urik'daan.
They were in the northwest wing of the fortress and they needed to get to the throne room located in the southeast wing and all the while they could hear the sounds of catapults outside the city walls bombarding them with large rocks. As they were running down the hallway Sharaf stopped them and spoke, "we are not going anywhere," he paused waiting for the others to stop he finished, "without my wife," Scabies smiled and walked towards him, "I would not have it any other way sire," he laughed, Sharaf because very curious as to what he meant.
Scabies told him that she is the line of Kay' not like he didn't know that, although not the direct line and she is needed to keep the Thesulac bloodline pure, "it is where we are heading now sire," as he nodded at Sharaf and in turn he nodded back they continued their descent down the corridor to the spiral staircase on the other side and when they arrived they began to climb them. This spiral tower is on the southwest wing of the fortress, when they reached the third floor they went through a door and found themselves upon another corridor and the corridor is in an L shape.
One corridor went off towards the northwest wing and the other corridor went off towards the southeast wing of the fortress, they followed the corridor to the southeast side and halfway down the corridor they turned to a double oak doorway. "Go sire we will wait here for you," Scabies promised, as he finished speaking Sharaf pushed open the doorway and entered. It's a fairly medium sized room, it's dusty with laundry everywhere and pots and pans in a small kitchen area. Definitely not fit for a queen, this room is set aside for the queens maids.
Sharaf is looking towards the set of stairs going up into the right side of the wall, he went up them and entered the room at the top. It's clean, full of beautifully decorated things and the bed looked so comfy Sharaf just felt like diving in. As he entered the room someone tried to attack from behind, he turned to face them and quickly caught their hand before the object in question collided with his head. As he turned around, he noticed the object is a shoe and he laughed, "Oksana, we have to go now," he said, as she quickly put her arms around him, "Plutopua is falling," he finished.
As he smiled at her and kissed her on the lips, she cried, "Sharaf, I thought you were the enemy," he grabbed her by the hand and led her out of the room to rejoin the others, "I can hear them, circling the city like a pack of wolves," once they had rejoined the others they all continued down the corridor towards the throne room. At the end of the corridor it split of into another L shape and they went through the door at the end of the corridor where there's another spiral staircase. They left the spiral staircase on the ground floor and next to the door they came out of there is another door, which is a back route into the throne room.
They went through the door and found themselves in a sort of study area with a will lit fire keeping the room warm, they ignored the room and turned left towards another door with a large brass door handle, they opened the door and walked through and they saw the throne on their right. "So where is this way out than," Antar asked, as he looked around the room looking for any clues as to where it is, "you are standing under it," laughed Scabies as he pointed to the large archway sticking out of the wall.
It started on the other side of the door went up into an arch and over the throne. The throne itself isn't against the wall as it's about three or four feet away from the archway and the archway came back down on the other side of the room which is on the other side of the throne. "Excuse me," questioned Sharaf, as they were all looking around and above them wondering what he was pointing to, "the archway," he sighed, as they all looked at the arch wondering how that could be a way out. "It is a portal, it is locked by blood magic, your blood Sharaf, the direct line of Eldest himself," Scabies finished.
The others looked at him, not knowing whether to believe him and thinking as Scabies Thesulac finally gone mad. "Ok, so how does one open the portal," Sharaf pondered, Scabies smiled and proceeded to answer, "cut your hand," told he, so Sharaf took out his sword and slightly cut his hand from his index finger down to his wrist at a vertical angle. "Place your hand on the archway and whisper, apertus," and Sharaf did as he said, he placed his blooded hand on the archway and whispered apertus, which means open.
As he did that the archway sprung to life, ancient writings began to appear on the archway all the way around it, the writing glowed blue and was always there engraved in the stone you just couldn't see it as it had worn away over time. After a few moments of the arch powering up, a portal snapped open in the centre of the arch, which caused Sharaf, Antar, Allam and Oksana to back off out of fear as they've never seen anything like it before. "What in the hell," Sharaf cursed, as he and others admired what he had created and feared it at the same time.
They stood gazing into the shining blue rippling jelly like substance when Scabies muttered, "that is your escape," as Sharaf moved to touch it Scabies continued, "you need not fear it, it is manly a point to get you from A to B in no time at all," as Sharaf touched the portal he found it warm to touch and it felt as though it's trying to suck his hand into it so he pulled away. "I have always thought you was more than meets the eye, general Thesulac," Sharaf speculated, Scabies gave him a warm smile, "All these centuries, you have always knew things no one else knew," Scabies didn't say anything, he just continued to listen.
Sharaf continued by saying that he never once questioned him and also that he trusted Scabies with his life and that it seemed to have paid off, "I do not want to abandon my kingdom," as Sharaf finished he turned to face the portal and he contemplated what will happen in his absence. "I know you do not Sharaf, it is not the city the wizard wants, not really," Scabies lectured, as Sharaf turned back around to face him, "it has always been to end your bloodline and what is a kingdom without a king," Sharaf smiled because he understood.
If he flees than at least his bloodline stands a chance, he knew the kingdom would be secure if he leaves it in Scabies's hands, "you know I have the gift of foresight," Sharaf reminded Scabies, "I have a prophecy for you, nine hundred years from now my heir will return, he will have this ring in his possession and he will have no idea of his heritage," Scabies nodded as Sharaf continued speaking, "and you will show him the way, one year of darkness shall blanket the world and you will no that it is the time of the kings return," Antar, Allam and Oksana said their goodbyes to Scabies and disappeared through the portal.
Sharaf remained behind for a few moments, "I will remember now go sire," urged Scabies, as he said that they both interlocked arms and Sharaf began to speak the words that will be the last Scabies would ever hear him say, "with me gone the kingdom's going to need someone to guide them, to watch over them until my heir returns," Sharaf whispered, Scabies smiled as some part of him knew what's coming next, "I name you guardian of the Azzard and protecter of Azurdenea, I know of no one else more worthy and none I trust more than you," he continued.
Scabies nodded and accepted his most honourable offer, "this is goodbye forever, it has been an honour to have known you General Thesulac," he smiled, after he finished speaking he let go of Scabies's arm and disappeared through the portal, never to be seen or heard from again. As soon as Sharaf disappeared through the portal, Scabies heard a loud cry coming from behind him, as he turned around, he noticed it was the wizard.
He's gliding towards him in a blinding fury, so Scabies took out his sword and held it at arms length ready to repel him as soon as he got closer. When the wizard got a few inches away from the portal behind Scabies it snapped closed and the archway went back to sleep, as soon as that happened the wizard too vanished and was never heard from in the Azzard again. Until now.
******
In the throne room back on Plutopua it's now present day and Scabies had just finished telling his story, Scarr, Rickalas, and Ki'lak were still mesmerised by the story, "I believe the prophecy that Sharaf spoke of that day has been fulfilled," Scabies claimed as they all agreed with him, "Rickalas Kay, or should I say Thesulac, I know you are this heir, future king of the Azzard, if you would follow me," Scabies led them all to the balcony outside the stain glass windows on the other side of the throne room, he began pointing to the mountains to the left of the gap of Plutopua.
Scabies explained to Rickalas that he has a long road ahead of him in uniting the kingdoms as Sharaf had done before him, "you must earn the right to lead, trust in your abilities and you shall prevail," he spoke still pointing to the mountains he continued by saying Sharaf won the hearts of the people everywhere even outside the Azzard. "Kings from around the world would line up to pay homage to him, some even called him emperor," he continued by saying that the gods from upon Olympus forged the three kings faces in the mountain where Scabies is pointing.
They created them so that all Azurdenea will know that the three kings created the golden age of their time. As he finished explaining they all stood quiet for a moment, in honour of a once great king and that's when the light started to dim. So, they all looked towards the suns and they saw it, Artuvia had began to block out the suns, "no it is happening again, just like Sharaf prophesied," Scabies gulped as they continued to watch the blue planet block out their sun light, "just like it happened two thousand years ago," he finished.
They all stood there with their jaws outstretched and fear in their hearts as they have never seen anything like this in their entire lives, except Scabies of course, "will now be a good time to light this place up like the fourth of July," sniggered Ki'lak as Scabies, Scarr and Rickalas turned to frown at him not understanding what he said, "excuse me," Scarr barked. Ki'lak smiled to himself and added, "oh nothing," they looked back away from him and back up at the planet, "Scabies, what happened two thousand years ago," Ki'lak asked with Scabies turning to face him wishing he hadn't asked and looking like he had seen a ghost he began to speak, "the first great war," he cried as he proceeded to tell the story.