Legend of Parocaav: The Quest for Redemption (First Draft)

Chapter LIV: The Man Behind the Scar

The black aura completely surrounds Kraag, flowing from the top of him like smoke. His left hand sparks and he trusts in Roku's direction. A ball of pure dark energy shoots at her. She cuts through it with one of her blades and it explodes on impact. The blast throws Roku off balance and she loses her grip on her blade. Just before it hits the ground, Kraag appears and grabs it. He touches Roku on the shoulder with one finger and the aura disappears at the point where they touch. Another small explosion knocks Roku further off balance to the point where she topples over.

Roku grabs at the wound on her shoulder and her hand glows white to heal it. Kraag looks down at her with pity. It shortly turns to sorrow and a small sense of regret. For a moment, he sees his little girl that he lost all those years ago. He believed her to be dead. Now before, is Riinah. The only thing he truly cherished. Memories from the past flash before him.

~~~~

"Lord Xivaac. The woman I have been seeing will be bearing my child in a few months. You have to understand why I must leave," Kraag tells him with a stern tone.

"You will do no such thing," Xivaac says instantly.

"It's not a request."

"You may leave until she is old enough to suffice for herself. No longer. That I will allow."

"We shall see if I come back."

~~~~

Blood drips down onto the floor. Kraag wipes blood from face, a new engraved scar very tender to the touch is felt. Through blurry vision he looks at Lance just in time to see him laugh. He looks around to see his castle in chaos. His people lying dead all around. Riinah has been lost and Synn is furious by all that has transpired. The pain on his face was nothing compared to the pain he can feel in his heart.

"Irony. Isn't it Kraag?" Lance jokes.

"Shut up you bastard!" Kraag roars.

"If any man deserves such a fate, it's you!"

"I said shut up!!"

"You've lost your throne, wife and child. You may as well go crawling back to that insidious God of Darkness."

~~~~

The stairs leading up to Xivaac's chambers has never seemed so endless. Kraag runs his fingers along his scar as he walks up the tall tower. A physical reminder that will forever haunt him. The day he lost everything that truly meant anything to him at all. A reminder of when he did have to crawl back to the Dark Lord. The day he would never again have a chance to free himself of the darkness.

"I hope my people will know that every wrong I have done has been to protect them from Xivaac," Kraag sighs under his breath as he knocks on the wooden door.

Xivaac replies from the other side of the door, "You may enter Kraag. I knew you'd be back."

Kraag walks into the room with his head held low and his eyes looking straight at the ground. After all that has happened, the last thing that he wants to do is look this evil being in the eye. The door closes behind him as he enters the middle of the room.

"No need to be so glum. You knew that the Resistance would eventually find a way to get to you," Xivaac sighs, "Why do you think I always told you to never get involved with mortal emotions and needs?"

~~~~

"You knew! Didn't you?!" Kraag yells as he bursts into the throne room.

Xivaac and Karleigh watch him walk up to them. A sour look is sprawled across his face and it is clear he is angry.

"What is troubling you now?" Karleigh laughs.

"You knew my daughter was alive, didn't you!?" Kraag demands to know.

"For months now. I knew you'd discover she was a Bringer of Hope," Xivaac begins.

"Why do you think we sent you to kill that alchemist while they were there?" Karleigh finishes for her husband with an evil smile on her face.

"I'm not one of your pawns!" Kraag screams at her.

"You are right about that. You are more like a rook," Karleigh teases him.

"I'll bet my daughter and her friend will defeat you. Both of you," Kraag snarls as he walks out of the room, "You're playing on the losing side of the chessboard! Hope you know that!"

~~~~

Kraag snaps back to reality and looks down at his injured child. He had done this to her. She was lost for all these years. The words she had spoken were true. She was only his daughter by blood. He was no father to her. A tear rolls down his cheek and drips to the ground.

"Riinah. I'm sorry. When you were born, I swore I'd always protect you.... now here I am.... causing you harm," Kraag pauses for a moment, then continues once Roku looks up at him, "I never truly believed you were dead. I always had faith. When I found out you were alive.... I began to have the same feelings as when you were born. I wanted to leave the Elite Forces. I wanted to make sure you would stay alive, and I needed to help Sammi achieve her goal of gaining power to see Drayk again. I cannot serve Xivaac anymore. You must live to carry out your destiny."

Roku stares at him, unable to find any words to speak. The man she had seen as such a cold hearted killer, now seemed more like a real man. Her eyes water as she looks away.

"I don't ever expect you to forgive me. I don't ever expect you to understand," Kraag says as more tears run down his face, "Just know that I do love you Riinah. I always will. You are my little girl. Always remember.... that I'm proud if you, Bringer of Hope."

Kraag takes Roku's blade in his hand and points the blade at his forever broken heart. She looks back up at him just as he does.

"What are you doing?" Roku asks.

"Now I will be able to escape the pain that lies beneath this cursed scar," Kraag replies as he pushes the twin blade through his chest.

Kraag drops to the ground and blood quickly pools underneath him. He smiles at Roku just before he breathes his last breath. The old age catches up to him and his body disintegrates into ash. His remains blow away in a light gust of wind, leaving no trace of the King of Ice. Roku tries to sit up, but is unable to do so. All of her anger turns to guilt. She was wrong about the man with the scarred face.