Djara

Demons

Darkness fell on the Tomb of Kamora.  The ruins lay atop the cliffs by the port of Kith-Gar.  Just like the Tomb of Katchu-Pek, the ruins were from the End Times and had been sealed to stop entry by unwitting thieves or fools.  Few knew the way into the depths of the broken white towers.  It was the Peytahns who named the ruins as the tombs of their lost heroes and gods.  And these ruins were dedicated to the Peytahn goddess of vengeance.

At the sealed portal of the Tomb of Kamora stood Eylana Visharl and the vampire demon Mia-Karla.

'So... this is the resting place of the remains of my people?'  Mia-Karla looked at Eylana and beat her black, leathery wings, through the dark night air, with impatience and anger tempering her voice, as she spoke.

'Yes, this is where they were sealed in.'  Eylana's tone was non-comittal.

'And you want me to help you get them out?'

'Yes.'

'And why, when the Shardahn Temple went to so much trouble to shut them away in the dark, would you want to free the rest of the Barracoi?'

'The Temple must be rebuilt... and your people must do the rebuilding?'

Mia-Karla just laughed.  'Now, I know old age has addled your brain, sister.'

'Contained within the Barracoi are the six elements: fire, water, air, earth, dark and light.  All the last vestiges of the old gods.  If they come together, with a purpose, they could rebuild the Shardahn Temple.'

'And what purpose did you have in mind?'  Mia-Karla was doubtful that her people, who had been designed as weapons, would ever come together to do good.

'To stop the Kula-Mar and rebuild this world, anew.'

'The Kula-Mar are dead and gone.'

'Only nine were slain.  The Elder, the second in command and their Over Lord, still remain.  And there is The Prophecy.'

'Prophecy?'

'Until the Kula-Mar have truly left, the world is in danger of being consumed by The Void.  We have to find a way to stop The Void.'

'Hmmm.  You know we were made as weapons?  Our art is in dealing death, not in making life.'

'But who's to say you can't change?'

'Oh, we can change alright, but not into anything you would like.'  Mia-Karla smiled at the woman in front of her.

'In any case, are you willing to help free your people?'

'That I will agree to.  Do you know how to get in?'

Eylana just nodded in answer.  From a pack, Eylana drew out a torch and a tinder box.  In moments the torch was alight.  In the flickering light of the torch the portal to the Tomb stood before the two women.  On the double doors of the Tomb of Kamora there were carvings of lions' heads, with writhing snakes around them.  Below the ornamentation was a small metal panel.  Eylana placed her hand against the smooth metal, and the panel slid back.  Within the recess revealed, were a set of small metal cubes, with Old Tongue symbols written on them.

'The code is Taro Mahn: in numbers that's 1, 1, 8, 4, 1, 4, 2 and if added together they come to 21, which adds to 3.'  Eylana rotated the small metal cubes.  A grating sound broke the silence and the double doors swung slowly open.  Eylana pulled a long white staff from her back and banged it on the flagstones in front of her.  A serrated blade appeared at the end of the Peytahn staff.

With the staff in one hand and the flaming torch in the other, Eylana moved forward, signalling Mia-Karla to hold back.  Ahead of the open doors were more flagstones, which were marked with more Old Tongue symbols.