Shadow's end

Chapter 4: R'odash the Betrayer

About 11 million years ago, a Shad'raa destined to change his people was born. His name was R'odash of the line of Sh'aard, Councilman of War. He had a wonderful childhood of happiness and prosperity. He showed much promise in his ability to fight, and quite quickly it became clear that he would possess the greatest combat prowess that the Shad'raa had ever seen. Already at age ten, R'odash could overpower a squad of elite trained veterans of the Great Recapture and at age twenty, he was the largest and physically fit Shad'raa to ever walk among them. Quickly, he rose through the ranks of the military and at age sixty he had proved himself to be worthy of the sixth seat in the Council of Elders making him the youngest council member to ever join their ranks. However, it wasn't long before he started to show signs of physical and mental changes. The other members of the council were starting to be concerned for R'odash but he kept dismissing their concerns claiming that everything was fine and going just the way he wanted them to. This proved to be the last they would see of R'odash. A year after this statement, the Councilman of knowledge had disappeared, leaving the city in panic. The head of the Council, fearing the worst ordered a city-wide search. It wasn't long before they found what befell R'odash. They hadn't found the Councilman but they found his private journal and what they found within froze their blood and chilled their hearts.

Day 22, Month of Failure, Year of Darkness

Finally! It has happened! I have been appointed to take the sixth seat on the Council and become Councilman of Knowledge. However much I would have loved to succeed my father as Councilman of War, I am greatly honoured to receive this position of great power and even greater responsibility. I will make sure to prove to, now my brethren and sistren, that I am capable of the mantle they have given and I shall proudly bear it. I shall start by visiting my charge, the Great Library of the Council. It will be a challenge, for I am not bookhardy, as are most of my fellow Shad'raa, but it is a challenge like any other and I shall treat it as one of my foes on the battlefield. This truly is the most excitement I have felt since my first battle. I will relish it as much as I can before I start my first duties as Councilman. I only have one concern, however, and that is the hope of not drastically changing and becoming corrupt with all this power at my disposition. Maybe all the knowledge at my disposition will wisen me beyond the point of corruption. At least, it is an incentive to gather all the knowledge I can to reach that point.

Day 24, Month of Failure, Year of Darkness

I have made many shocking discoveries today about our people. The first is the discovery that our history is all wrong. When the ancient Shad'raa were turned to their darkened states, it was not a spell the Darkness put on them but rather the use of persuasion. To hear Drash'aa's account of it, the Great Entity need only talk to you for this transformation to happen. Some would be quite infuriated to discover this but I understand the reason why this was hidden from the people. It is dangerous information to simply let loose on them. Chaos would surely erupt and some would certainly embrace this inner darkness. The second shocking discovery is the ancient powers that the Shad'raa once possessed. Pyrokinetics! Who knew that we all were able to control flames at will? It is incredible! A shame that we are no longer able to use this ability and are now restricted to the ways of the soul. Certainly for myself as my Soul gift is an Ijrupah Lobweh, a Black gift. As is known to all, a Black gift is a Soul gift that permits you to cause harm to one through the means of their soul. Mine consists of damaging one's soul physically and thus rendering them mine to control absolutely. Their mind is destroyed and they become my puppet. It is most likely the blackest of gifts that the Shad'raa have seen and it has been quite the ordeal to resist the urge of using it. But nonetheless! It is quite captivating to read about all of these unknown facts. I have been called for my first duties as Councilman and must put my questing for knowledge on hold for the moment. Once I am back, however, I will certainly keep reading. There is much for me to still read and discover about our people.

Day 30, Month of Failure, Year of Darkness

I am a fool as are all of the Shad'raa. We are being deceived by the ones who are our leaders. I have made a discovery that no book could teach me and that none on the Council would have dared to admit. I spoke to Councilwoman Drash'aa about something that bothered me. I expressed my concerns about the Black gift. I told her that maybe it was not such a horrible thing to embrace it. Maybe by embracing it, we could learn to control it and use it for purposes that would benefit us all and find a way to find good out of them. I stated that maybe the simple fact of having us repress these gifts is the cause of the loss of control in us. What she did next showed me a glimpse of who she truly was. She turned to me with sparks of pure hatred in her eyes and when she spoke, her voice was different, like she had been possessed. She told me these exact words: If you spew such filth in my presence again, I will strip you down of your rank and I will have you executed! And when it comes to it, I will personally disembowel you and feed whatever comes out to you! The shock I felt at that moment cannot be put into words. But I am glad I got to see the truth for, when she left, I returned to the library to study some more. But I felt something within me, a strong burning and I had to release it. That is how I discovered that I am pyrokinetic. When I first used my flames, I felt incredible. It felt right and it was then that I made a realization. We Shad'raa have been suppressing what the Council calls the Dark spell when we shouldn't have. What the Council deemed to be a curse is actually a gift. This "inner darkness" is actually our true potential, the true face of the Shad'raa. I must tell the people but I know they will not listen. I will just have to embrace it myself and show them that it is the truth that has been kept from them. I just hope that the council do not discover what I am doing before all is said and done.

Day 29, Month of Failure, Year of Shad'raa

It is almost complete. Once my transformation has been completed I will be the perfect Shad'raa! But, my plan has changed. No matter what I do, the people will shun me, call me a traitor. That is why I must flee. They will not accept me in my true form and they will try to kill me when I refuse to leave (for I will refuse once transformed due to the power trip that I shall feel) and I do not wish to do any harm to my fellow Shad'raa once turned. I will now complete my transcendence and the Shad'raa will never hear from me again.

A torn page from R'odash's journal

I am transformed! It has not been long now, but I feel like I could challenge the Great Entity Itself! But this power, it seems, comes with a cost. I am hungry and, it seems that no matter what I consume, nothing will satiate me. It is getting worse by the hour and I fear that it may be the death of me. I must find something quickly or I fear my perfection will last but a few moments...