WoS Chapter 4

When Malkuthe finally awoke, the mark on his leg burned fiercely. All around him, the battlefield was stained dark with blood and the world seemed to spin. The stench of dead Klakkra filled the air.

He felt something in his paw and when he opened it, there was a mangled black feather in it. Malkuthe stood up gingerly, wincing ever so slightly. The three other chieftains looked at him, faces painted with concern. To his surprise and utter embarrassment, Saffyre stepped up to him.

She nuzzled him and he felt his face heat up as her snout touched his. But that feeling vanished when she suddenly whispered "I am Sa'Maihan Sar'haiel."

The burning sensation in his leg grew as all of a sudden the mark had turned green and something like goo was spreading from it. With horror-stricken eyes, he looked at Saffyre. He saw the other chieftains gawking at him and shouting at Saffyre to do something about it. Saffyre told them that she would in as sweet a voice as she could muster and she began chanting.

"Keh ma Sa'Maihan, Sar'haiel...
Garhe malhik..."

Malkuthe screamed in pain as the ooze buried itself in the strands of his blue fur and caused them to fall out. The ooze traveled up his arm and split in two.

"Keh ma Sa'Maihan, Sar'haiel...
Garhe malhik..."

Where ever the ooze passed, pinkish exposed flesh showed through. Malkuthe's face was contorted in agony.

"Keh ma Sa'Maihan, Sar'haiel...
Garhe malhik..."

When the ooze had ravaged his entire body, portions of his skin began to rot at an accelerated rate and everything else turned pebbled dark gray. All voice left Malkuthe and he wasn't even able to wince.

"Keh ma Sa'Maihan, Sar'haiel...
Garhe malhik..."

The darkness spread onto Malkuthe's eyes and they turned black as night. The ooze reappeared near his mouth and forced it open. Malkuthe fought as much as he could, but it was not enough. The ooze entered him and his very conscience started to wax and wane.

"Keh ma Sa'Maihan, Sar'haiel...
Garhe malhik..."

Everything that was Malkuthe was gone. He now breathed through holes in his neck that were colored orange and emitted a strange glow. Steam rose from them and swirled into the sky. A long crest of bones ran down his back and even those emitted smoke. His eyes were now entirely black and glaring. His memories remained, but he was a whole new being. He lived only to serve Sa'Maihan Sar'Haiel, holder of his soul, master of his being.

To everyone's surprise, the new Malkuthe bowed low to Saffyre who then took to the skies and proclaimed. "Keh ma Sa'Maihan, Sar'haiel Malkuthe Highwind. Keh ma Sarhan!"

"I am holder of soul, master of being to Malkuthe Highwind. I am the Master!"

Her wings melted from her back and they were replaced by massive wings of golden flame with motes of black. Solid obsidian forms floated behind them and even Saffyre changed. She became more beautiful, more fierce and more mature.

"Kill them if they follow." she told Malkuthe who nodded his compliance. She took off and Malkuthe looked around at everyone and flew away. He did not even know his own name anymore.

radu gwaked at what had happened, he had done nothing, and was to shocked to move. malkuthe, his dearest friend, had become something else... whatever it was it was not malkuthe and it was not even ceree. he did not even notice that the entire time his markings glowed a bright golden color, signalling evil and much more. they didn't stop until both the thing that had once been malkuthe and 'saffye' where at least a mile away

he almost felt tears brimming at his eyes from malkuthe's fate. he began to wonder if malkuthe's condition was cureable? radu doubted that his ability to draw in curses and pain would help, nor his repellance to magic. but then radu remembered something, a thing that had been so distant it was almost forgotten... Radu was heir to the highwind tribe, and since malkuthe could basically be considered dead Radu was the new cheiftan. he gulped at looked at the other cheiftans in hopes they would deny Radu and nominate someone else

A purple Ceree and a seemingly plagued dragon stood high atop a cliff off the shore of Alriiea, on one of the isles in the chain of islands called the Mother's Necklace. The dragon that seemed undead stood behind the beautiful purple one. The world appeared to shudder when the purple one spoke.

"My, my, Malkuthe, you look much stronger in that body than you were as a Ceree..." she said slyly and with outrageously seductive tones. What had once been Malkuthe bent his neck to the side and stared at his master with eyes devoid of emotion. "You were much better-looking and better smelling as a Ceree though."

The purple, a Ceree called Saffyre, used her magic to transform into a tall elven woman with a beautiful face and luscious curves and a well formed bosom. She looked behind her, and saw a Malkuthe staring at her expectantly. She walked over to him and smiled, she patted him on the head and rubbed him on the snout. The being that had once been Malkuthe playfully cuddled her hand.

She looked into those big black eyes and saw a soulless servant ready to follow her to the death, not that she was sure she could still die though.

"A single nick was all it had taken to draw blood from Oath. She drank the drop, feeling the strange taste slide down her throat. A muffled curse came from the Eternal in corporeal bonds. 'Fool!' Oh how Oath had snarled at her after that."

She shook her head to clear it of the vision. It was a memory from her very first life. Even now she could still taste the blood on the back of her throat. Oh how had she regretted turning the first creature to love her for who she was into an Agador, a servant. She had had to, though, and now was not the time to regret.

She sat on Malkuthe's foot. The other had grown exponentially when he had been changed and even at her height, she fit snugly in the crook between Malkuthe's leg and his tail. Malkuthe shifted and Saffyre ran her hands over the strong muscles that rippled as Malkuthe moved, almost adoringly too. Maybe she should try to know what it was like to be in love.

It was a pity that the new Malkuthe now had a scar running from his eye down to his jaw, she cursed the klakkra that had bestowed that upon him. She had had to carry him off with magic because his ability to fly had gone with his memories. He simply did not know how to do so anymore.

"Would you like to have a home where you will be accepted, Malkuthe?" She said endearingly. After all, the new Malkuthe was one of her first and best creations. "Don't worry, we'll go back to where our ancestors once came and we'll make a fresh start there." she said.

"Come to think of it, you looked better as a Ceree. We'll see what we can do about that." With a different tone of voice, Saffyre mentioned how much better it would be to have a beautifully handsome Ceree beside her as a ruler than a hulking piece of rotting meat.

With a snap of her fingers, Malkuthe began to shrink. He looked at his master as though pleading to keep his old form, but she hushed him reassuringly and that was enough to quiet his protests. When he was about a hand taller than he used to be, he stopped and he started to regain color in his flesh.

Skin turned a pale pink as Malkuthe's form filled out with meat. Fur began growing over the now better-toned muscles that covered Malkuthe and the strands better defined them. The scar vanished and Malkuthe opened dark blue eyes. His fur was now a very pale blue that it was almost white, just like he was when he was a child. One last thing stood out, on his neck was a leather collar with a gold inset that said Agador Sa'Maihan Sar'Haiel.

Saffyre returned a few of his memories such as how to change form and how to fly. He changed then and there to a form that would better fit his master's current form. A young blue-haired elf with a single plume sticking out of his scalp. He was a beautiful young man, observed Saffyre, even more with that collar that he fingered wonderingly, like a child. A different light, though, shined in his eyes, one of a grim determination to follow. Saffyre wanted to laugh out in glee.

---

Jade held a shaking Erithe close to her. Thunder rolled in the distance and jagged bolts of lightning arced through the darkening sky. Every last one of the Agile Talon that was still alive was still there, looking in the direction where Saffyre and Malkuthe had flown off in stunned silence.

Malkuthe had done as Saffyre had said, kill anyone that tried to follow them. Those that had been stupid enough to do exactly what Saffyre did not want them to do had died horrible deaths. Malkuthe did only one thing, stare at them with those soulless black eyes. Within moments they themselves were turning black, letting loose wordless screams that curdled Saffyre's insides. Slowly, they fell apart, piece by agonizing piece. Their heads and hearts remained until the last moment and they were very much alive until the last moments when they exploded into clouds of black ash.

Soon after, Saffyre had returned wondering why Malkuthe had not followed her. Malkuthe had told her in a voice that was like a pet that did something wrong and was pleading not to be punished that he had forgotten how to fly.

Saffyre looked around and laughed in amusement. In amusement! The turn of events was enough to have made Erithe retch up more than once. The ground was still stained a few paces away where Erithe had vomited her stomach's contents.

She then wrapped Malkuthe with magic that Jade could not see and lifted him away with her. When a few more of the Agile Talon were stupid enough to follow, she had laughed and said something about hard-headedness. She said she would spare the lives of those ones and Erithe had sighed in relief until she saw Saffyre turn them into month-old babies.

The scene that followed was of utter abandon. Shaking Agile Talon warriors returned to the hold and announced their own versions of the story.

Erithe had fainted.

Radu shook his head sadly, saffye who they had all trusted had committed such a powerful crime. Frozen with fear and hate also not wanting to take chances with his magical resistance, he stayed put while some brave souls where turned into ashes or children. He walked out and helped carry some of the now new borns back to the agile talon village. Here he was promised that if there was enough time these children would be raised into better warriors than before. He bid caleth adieu for now, and told algaisia to follow him
"I am the chieftan of the highwind until we can retrieve and heal malkuthe, will you be my gaurd?" he asked not waiting for an answer

He began to head back, sharing a sad glance with the other cheiftans. He began to wonder how to tell the highwind of this most unfortunate event. He wouldn't fully be leader of the highwind until he got a certain artifact from malkuthe, so he was temporary cheiftan. He sighed... And then a strange feeling rose in his chest, making him snort a confused purple flame... After awhile he remembered what it was "hope" he whispered. Something in him told him that malkuthe had not stayed a monster long, but he was still saffye's servant. He rememberedvwhat h
is mother had once told him

"never give up hope"

Seraph woke up to the smell of dead Klakkra and the smell of evil. He went to where the smell of evil was. It was near the coast of Alriiea. But once he got there, he got hit by the smell of pure evil. A being, filled with evil, as if the being was pure evil itself. The Dark One would be like a playground bully compared to this kind of evil. He stayed back, knowing that if he came closer, he would cease to exist. If he would fight the Dark One and this evil, he would need an army and an alliance. He took a deep breath and went back to the lake where he slept. " I swore to myself not to do this, but I guess I have no choice."

Caleth howled with rage as Saffyre betrayed them, the twisted new form of Malkuthe destroying those who dared to attack. He couldn't believe it, wouldn't believe it.
This cannot be true! He had to force himself to accept the fact, and as the battle ended, he returned to the Agile Talon clan, bringing some of the ceree-turned-newborn with him. Radu was there, but he stayed away from him. He seemed to have been good friends with Malkuthe, so he left the ceree alone to grieve, instead stalking over to a tree, angrily raking his talons across the bark.

-----------

Liara shuddered as she felt the immense wave of evil from Saffyre.
'Selaio nostrum,' she whispered, light surrounding her so that she would be protected from Malkuthe's darkness. When they'd finally left, she followed the other ceree at a distance, hiding out of sight. Liara kept the light around her body in case any dark magic still lingered in the air.

Algaisia shook his head, "I have reason to believe he is dead. We need to move to another place before we are attacked." was exhausted, but he was fast nonetheless. He retrieved his arrows and healed other wounded. He strode quickly from place to place, finally back to Radu.

Easy was walking still, he was destracted by his brooding. He was so destracted he didn't notice the strange light. He bumped into a strangely colored ceree surrounded by light. He blinked and stepped back "sorry I didn't notice you there -" he stopped his apology and stood there dumbfounded as he looked at the strange ceree before him. He looked at her colorful markings... Exotic he divided was the best way to duscribe them

he was suddenly reminded of his yellow markings that laid accross his purple fur. He blinked "uhm hi, your not from around here are you?"

Having calmed down enough to be able to think logically again, Caleth hurried over to the clan leaders. He watched politely, interested in what they had to say about the matter, curious if they'd handle it the same way he'd remembered the elders' discussion back in the Great Divide.

-----

"uhm hi, you're not from around here are you?"
Liara jumped as she heard someone speak to her, and turned around to see a intricately marked...well, some sort of creature, like the ones she'd been watching.
'No,' she smiled, slightly nervous, keeping her spell up in case the newcomer was actually an enemy. 'I'm from...far away. I've been wandering, trying to find others like me, find out what I am,' she sighed. 'But it appears I've walked into the middle of a...a terrible war I know nothing about.'

Radu sighed "yes, it is terrible isn't it? i'm sorry you had to get involved" then he blinked rather confused at what she had said before that "what? you don't know what you are?" he seemed shocked "why your a Ceree of course, the last of the dragons, childern of the great mother" she seemed not to know anything, where was she from? his mind pondered, though he was still slightly staring at her strange coloration... but then he stopped himself, he didn't like it when people stared at him, he figured she didn't either "do you really know nothing?" he asked trying not to sound offensive

Malkuthe had whimpered when his master had muttered angrily about the weather. He wanted to keep her safe from the rain, but she wouldn't let him. He was disappointed by that. The only thoughts that ran in his new mind were "I must please master... master must not be disappointed..."

Deep inside, a single memory of what he once was was buried. He kept it buried though, he wanted to be an Agador forever. "Master makes me happy..." he thought.

---

Saffyre had wanted to giggle when Malkuthe had offered to keep her from the rain that now soaked her, but she had refused. After that, she muttered angrily that her powers couldn't affect the weather and Malkuthe whimpered because of that. She had smiled at his whimper; a faithful servant indeed.

She took off, her wings of golden fire barely even touched by the rain. Malkuthe gave a start, and she could tell what ran across his mind right then. She was no mind reader, but she knew very well what an Agador could be thinking. She laughed.

Malkuthe was now flying behind her, growling. He was most probably berating himself for not being faster; Saffyre would have to reassure him he did nothing wrong. As they flew, the winds became colder and the sun became blotted out.

They were nearing the Frozen North.

---

Sleep after the massacre was difficult for Jade. Somehow, she knew that if she did, she would be drawn back to that dark place. She did not want to follow in the footsteps of Malkuthe.

Earlier that day, as the chieftains had been discussing, a courier arrived on the scene. He then announced what Malkuthe had planned, and as reluctantly as could physically be possible, both chieftains agreed.

They were to leave at the first moment that the Dark One becomes free.

Malkuthe had known all along that his end was drawing near.

---

Erithe grieved in her home. Her ladyservant knocked at the door, but she made no move to open it. "It was all my fault! All mine!" she sobbed.

Nine dead, four turned to newborns, and that was not counting those that had died in the attack. Erithe felt that it was all her fault, not being there when the attack was first noticed. She felt it was all her fault because she could not defend them. Her love for battles was quickly vanishing.

Her ladyservant entered, bearing a carcass that she set down beside the door. "Chieftain, if I may, the death of our brothers and sisters was not your fault." said the servant.

"You are not responsible for the decisions of your people. They are responsible for those. You're not responsible for a rock that suddenly decides to fall down a cliff and break someone's neck or blind someone by a hit to the eye." said the other.

"Thank you, Che'mal, I appreciate your words." said Erithe, brushing a tear from her cheek.

Liara tilted her head to the side. 'I...I...' she paused, not wanting to sound stupid. 'No, I don't.' Blushing, she looked away, but the word ceree sounded familiar all the same.
'Are you ceree too?' She was hopefull, wanted to believe that, but at the same time was uncertain.
Now what? If he says no, you'll be alone again, with naught but a name.

radu smiled warmly at her, if not a bit embarassed. then he nodded and spoke "yes i am a Ceree. you don't have to be embarassed, i don't judge" then he blinked "i don't think i caught your name. i am Radu" silently he was wondering, if she has never met another ceree, how does she know to talk like a ceree? he mused

"Behold, Malkuthe, Mal Haran Shah'Haien, The Gate of the Many Worlds." said Saffyre, pointing to the massive golden gate that stood stark against the white landscape.

They flew towards it and Saffyre commanded Malkuthe to clear the area in front of it. Malkuthe was all too happy to comply.

The gate was exquisitely gilded and carvings flowed from top to bottom. The gold caught the sunlight and cast a yellowish glow onto the snow that was around it. The carvings on the gate were so perfectly crafted that they seemed to be alive.

Near the base, three circular alcoves predominated the carvings. Inside the alcoves were three other carvings. One was of the Gelendrian Bloom, one was a rose and the other a lily. "The Ancestors really were prepared for anything. They even provided a way out if ever the plane should start destroying itself." said Saffyre wonderingly and in awe at the same time.

Saffyre went to a peculiar carving of a book on the gate and then she placed her alerons on the corners. She pushed and out popped the book, on its cover were runes that said "Codex of Ages."

'I remember being talked to by my parents, but all memories of them have long since faded,' she explained, 'it's been a while, after all.' Liara sighed, thinking about the scenes of destruction she'd just seen.
I thought it would be perfect once I found my kind. But now that I have, it seems like hell is about to open on them. Yet - not everything is bad, perhaps there is still hope.
'My name's Liara,' she smiled at Radu.

Radu nodded and smiled,Liara. He thought it was a wonderful name "it's been a pleasure meeting you, Liara" then he frowned a bit suddenly sorry for her . He paused and gulped "I'm sure your a bit dissapointed. You travel out to find your people, and when you do you find that the dark one us rising"

"and i am Algaisia, and now that all the formals are out of the way, perhaps we could move camp?" Al growled from behind them. He was angry and sad at all this loss of life. "we dont want to portray where we are."

Caleth heard the three talking and padded over.
'Yes,' his voice rumbled, 'Algaisia, you are right to say that.' He frowned, glancing back at the clan leaders - surely they would make the right decision? 'Last time something like this happened, my clan didn't move,' Caleth sighed.
'They died because of that decision. Let us not make the same mistake here.'

----

'Well, yes,' Liara tried to smile. 'But I'm not afraid. I've found what I've been searching for all this time, and I finally feel like I belong. If there's a dark one,' she snarled, 'let's pound his bones into the dirt!'
She couldn't stand pure evil. Every fibre of her being was made from light - her magic and soul - and the idea of such darkness made her blood rise.
And hopefully I'll gain friends here.

Radu smiled "i like your determination..." then he noticed conleth's look towards the clan leaders. this brought up once again something he would of preferred forgotten. he was the highwind clan leader, at least for now. he sighed and looked at the other clan leaders "conleth if your waiting for them to make a decision, then you are also waiting on me, new leader of the highwind" with an annoyed snort radu unwillingly trudged over to the other clan leaders

radu really hated politics, even in dire situations like this... politics where politics

The next day, Malkuthe awoke and saw no Saffyre at all. Fear suddenly enveloped him and he thought "Has Master left me?". He shook, and he started mewling like a newborn, calling for 'master'. He sniffled and told himself that he would do better off to do something productive that he could show 'master' when she returned.

Malkuthe fondly remembered the first day that 'master' had bestowed him with powers. All he had had to do was stare at the others and they crumbled to dust. He tried to remember that and summoned a ball of magic in front of him.

The ball jittered around and shifted color. "Master wouldn't be happy with a ball that changes color..." said Malkuthe, pouting ever so slightly, dissatisfied about not making something that could make 'master' happy.

He threw the ball up angrily and it exploded. It rained black drops and that was enough to turn every form of life in a half-mile radius to dust.

Malkuthe placed an Aleron in his mouth wistfully when he saw Saffyre approaching on the horizon. He wanted to look as cuddly as he could when 'master' came so he could be petted.

"Cute." said Saffyre with a smile when she came to a running halt before Malkuthe. She looked around, smiled again and then asked. "Malkuthe, what did you do?" she said, stroking his forehead.

"Let me show you, Master!" said Malkuthe, tail wagging excitedly. He summoned the ball of magic again and Saffyre gave an approving nod at the results.

"Just, don't use magic without my consent next time, Malkuthe..." said Saffyre pleasantly, all the while stroking Malkuthe's collar.

Seraph regretted this choice badly, but he had no choice. He returned to where he slept, a lake northeast of the Forbidden Peaks. " If I have to defeat the Dark One and that entity of pure evil I must do this." When he reached the lake. He concentrated. He was building huge amounts of magic in him. He recited an incantation. Something about water revealing hidden secrets. " This may take some time. The barriers are strong."

having seen that the cheiftans where following malkuthe's final plan to evacuate... radu sighed and began to walk back to the highwind clan. he dawned his cloak, but this time he left the hood down so people could see his face. he gathered his few belongings and walked to the highwind village

once in the village he informed the now grief stricken elders of Malkuthe's fate and what had to be done. the elders in turn announced this to the villagers. many cried and wailed at the fate of malkuthe but radu calmed them surprisingly well. slowly preparations began for the village to evacutate, people gathering what they could carry, some loading carts, etc... radu had never seen the village so sad as they where now

Saffyre smiled at the apparent meekness of her new pet as she sat opposite him across the fire. She peeled back one of the pages near the middle of the codex and gave an audible gasp at what she saw. Malkuthe looked at her with concern painted on his face. Saffyre dismissed it. It was going to be a long night. "Malkuthe, go back to your clan, tell Radu that we plan on opening the gate of the worlds to sow chaos across the land. Let's just see what they would do about it."

She sighed as she saw her pet fly away, buffeted by strong ocean winds. The history of Sa'maihan Sar'haiel was a long an painful one. Each of those memories occasionally presented themselves clearly to her. But if that was the price for the power she now possessed, she would happily accept it, after all, she could now match the Dark One strike for strike, with some power to spare.

She could even challenge all creation if she wanted to, but she was still bound by her earthly body. She knew that if she could just create a plane, or maybe even just create a world in an empty one, she would be granted immortality by the very laws that the Astrailun themselves presented. She wanted to laugh, she would become one of them, one their most hated enemies, because of their own laws.

That was not even a thought from Saffyre. It must have been someone who had been Sa'maihan Sar'haiel in Sylfe recently. She could sense that in that past life, she wielded more power over the eastlands than she could fathom. Oh how she wanted to laugh more than ever.

the village had been cleaned out, now all that remained where the empty huts where ceree had once lived. Radu and his clan members eyed it sadly. radu turned his head, not really sure where to go. now the highwind truellly was his clan, and he didn't know how to be a real leader "why did malkuthe forsake me to this terrible fate" he muttered as he started walking, the highwind had gone from hating him, to not really knowing what to think of him, and now to not only accepting him but seeing him as their leader within only a matter of days

as he walked he squinted at the sky and his markings glowed faintly, as he saw a strangly familair shape

Malkuthe landed atop a cliff overlooking the evacuating villagers. He definitely acted like either a child or a very loyal pampered pet. He sat there, on his haunches, tail wagging while whistling a merry tune. Some villagers looked up and were petrified, others still went on without noticing, until they crashed into the motionless ones.

The scene was pleasing for Malkuthe because he was sure it would please 'master'. "Radu!" he called out almost playfully. Tail still wagging, he wanted to remember everything so he could report back to 'master' and please her with what he was able to do.

He looked at the gathered Ceree. A few elders were moving towards him. Disappointment flashed across his face, 'master' was not going to like this. "Master wants me to tell you that master told me to kill anyone that comes near me other than the one that master wants." he said blankly. The elders were so stubborn, but they stopped in their tracks when all of a sudden one of the elders exploded in black dust.

"Radu, master wishes Malkuthe to tell you that master and Malkuthe will open the gate of worlds to sow chaos all over sylfe. That's all, oh and master wants Malkuthe to tell you that you're free to try to stop master." he said, grinning sheepishly like a child, satisfied that he would be able to do exactly as 'master' told him to.