Story of Kings

Chapter 18

It's time to wake up.

Kane opened his eyes, his bloody hand laying before his face, covered in a fine layer of powder. He closed his hand, gritting the dust into his hand; it was stone. Kane tore his eyes away from his hand and to his surroundings. He was lying face down in a desolated city, not unlike Volissa, god-king Zuan's city. Kane's eyes narrowed at the memory, last thing he remembered, he was in Zuan's capitol, Volissa, making his escape from a hoard of angels. He had been causing a distraction after an angel alarm had sounded to ensure his new... friends? Allies? Got away safety. He had made it underground and had started his trek back to the Black Underground's base, but then nothing. What had happened?

Before Kane could give it any more thought, a clattering sound tore his attention away from his thoughts and back to his surroundings. A standard had fallen to the ground not far from where he still lay. Pushing himself up, Kane made his way over to inspect the fallen flag. Upon recognizing the banner, Kane glanced back up and checked his surroundings again. The city seemed to have been desolated in a battle but there weren't any bodies as one might expect. Dust still hung in the air, fires flickered in smoldering pockets, and blood still clung wet to the ground and destroyed granite yet there were no bodies lying in the rubble or crows circling overhead, all was silent and empty.

Kane glanced back down to the standard, one that belonged to god-king Maz, which like everything else didn't make sense. Maz had fallen in battle centuries ago in the Demon War, his capital city was laid siege upon by a demon horde, and its Broodmother, Lissalia, had defeated Maz in single combat.

Lissalia.

The name was like a whisper in a dark cave, echoing its faint threat in his mind. In the height of his power, Kane had feared little but always had he steered clear of that demon Broodmother. If he had to credit the angels with doing anything good, it would be for slaying that infernal monster with their ancient trap on the night of the Blood Moon.

A faint, echoing laughter rang out which tore Kane's attention away from his thoughts and once again back to his surroundings. The laugh ran a chill through his being that set him on edge and put him on guard, yet the source of the eerie laugh eluded him. The sound didn't fit with his surroundings, it felt cold and removed where the empty battlefield still radiated energy, and it echoed in his mind as if they were in a confined room or cave despite being in the open.

"Who's there?" Kane called out to the desolated city but was only met with silence in response. Scanning the horizon in a full rotation he still saw nothing but rubble and destruction for miles around, no hint at the origin of that laughter, or an explanation of the empty battlefield. It just- was.

But why was he there once more? Kane had been present for that ancient battle long ago, but he had just- been there. He hadn't played any special role, nor had he been note-worthy, he had simply been one among the masses, fighting but for neither angel nor demon.

Kane's brow furrowed, why was he there? Wasn't he supposed to be somewhere else, doing something else? Something important? And if the battle of Maz had happened so long ago, why was he there as if it had only just ended?

"Why can't I see?" He murmured to himself before realizing he didn't know why he had said it, then further realizing that he couldn't actually see that well, the dust of battle that hung in the air was a thick haze. Had it been like that from the start? Kane narrowed his eyes as he peered down at the banner. What was its importance again? Why couldn't he remember, did the haze permeate his mind as well?

"Do you remember?" A soft voice said behind him.

Kane whipped around with hands raised in a puligest's guard, prepared for combat. His focus faltered though as his gaze settled on a young girl. At least, he thought she was young, it could be hard to tell with angels at times. She stood facing him in an old style of angel garb, one that marked her as a trainee in a palace of a god-king. She had apparently taken part in the battle as evidenced by her uniform being dirty and bloodied as well as the short sword she held in a loose grip. She also had the grime of battle smudged across her face though it did little to hide her perfect, angelic features which were framed by golden hair that held streaks of blue and waved like the ocean. Her body boasted the curves of being fully grown yet her eyes lacked the aged look of experience and instead reflected uncertainty mixed with fear.

Kane's mind was trying to break its way through the haze, trying to process enough to make a response but without realizing it he replied almost on instinct. "Do you?" His tone was serious but lacked the harshness one might expect. He almost sounded... sad. Kane's brow immediately furrowed, what was happening? It was as if he were two people at once and only sometimes held control of his body.

The gold and blue haired angel only lightly shook her head. "How long must we do this?"

"What do you mean?" Kane asked, seemingly himself. "Who are you, what is this?" He knew he had so many more questions but the fog in his mind seemed to dampen and restrict him.

The angel's brow furrowed. "You attacked us; don't you know?" She said without ridicule, then changed the direction of the conversation. "Who are you?"

Kane was taken aback by the sudden change. "I thought you knew?" He asked, shaking his head. "We must continue then, for I shall never stop, and I know neither will you." Immediately Kane furrowed his brow, what did he just say? Had that been him? Barring his teeth, Kane mustered every ounce of will he had and forced his thoughts forward. He looked at the angel in their sapphire blue eyes. "What is this, what's happening?"

"It's me, Kane, it's Evelyn. I've got you; you'll be alright." Recognition fired through Kane, it was Evelyn, how did he not see that sooner? This must be what she looked like as an angel and while something about that nagged at the back of his mind, the odd feeling faded away before he thought anything of it.

"Evelyn," Kane gasped, his tension evaporating. "Where are we, what's happening?" He didn't know why she was there with him, but nothing seemed inherently wrong with it either.

"It's okay, we got you," she said, her calm and smiling expression betraying the urgency in her tone. "You'll be okay, we're going to heal you, you'll be okay."

Kane gritted his teeth, nothing was making sense and his anger was rising, it rose in his chest as a searing sensation that swept through every fiber of his being, a sensation that quickly turned into a searing pain. Looking down at himself, Kane was surprised to find a gaping wound in his chest, a black, sickly-looking fissure over his heart running up his neck and cleaving down the length of his torso. It was the last thing he remembered before everything faded to black.