The Dark World part.08

     In the dark depths of the Black Kain’s palace resides a hidden chamber, a large dark cavern with walls that remind one of the petrified remains of some ancient giants intestinal lining, blackened as though burnt. In the far end of this chamber stands a massive arc, a device looking like a gnarled black tree bent in half indeterminable which end would be the base and which the top embedded into the black marble platform. Easily fifty feet at its peak this odd structure dominated the attention of any who walked into this imposing chamber, not that any would dare enter here given the lord of the castle’s decree that only he may enter the dimensional portal’s bay.

 

   Normally used for the coming and going of diplomats and secret deliveries for the palace, as he insisted that any normal merchants worthy of his presence traverse the distance of his kingdom. This day the Black Kain will use for a new purpose, he has risen with the dawn, as close as something that could be called a dawn in this world of perpetual twilight. This day he has come down to the portal not with an air of nobility awaiting his diplomatic guests, or secret liaisons, no this day he comes like any sorcerer intent to make a pact with ultimate evil; a situation whose irony is not lost on the demon lord.

 

   He carries in his black armored claw for a hand the shadowy black book his mother had given him the night before. Its pages nothing more than solid shadow, see through, with no writing on them save for those pages which sense the intent and desire of their holder. This could not be known to Black Kain, no in fact no pages in the aware tome show him anything, their writing would glow blue or purple to show their need or use to their master. This book shows nothing, although he can not know this he can feel an ill-intent or violent vibration from the book. Its very binding tingles in his hands as though trying to electrocute him. He does not know the cause, but wanders at what spell his mother must know the make one page glow in red and shift to letters that he can read when he looks directly upon it. However should his gaze even slightly shift from directly at the page the letters would shift back to their incoherent forms.

 

    This spell is one he can not fail at or else something far worse could come about, the very page warns of this in his heading and description of the spell upon its page. It warns that should he fail to correctly call the goddess of chaos and evil from the forsaken stripped world

 

   “What ever that means” he thinks,

 

   then a greater evil may come forth that would devour all in its path as chaos its self from the sea of all chaos may be unleashed upon the world of the summoner.

 

   A laugh escapes Black Kain’s throat, “unleash Chaos? I wander if even the Empress would be able to fight back such a monster…if such a thing is a monster.”

 

   He shakes his head, he has no worries, his memory is perfect, he has spent the night perfecting the words, the sounds, and the mystical symbols. This day he will summon the goddess of chaos and sick her upon who ever wins the battle between his brother and the demon general.

 

    He has activated the portal, flashes of light in the form of archaic symbols flash from his hands as words if they could be called words fly from his mouth like many flaming bats from the jaws of the gates of the first Hell. He felt the power of the book surge through him, channeled through his hands and mouth and into the portal changing its swirling blue pool of energy into a dark shade of red and black. With a flash the color changes into a candy cherry red and the hum of despair it had begun to emit changes to a sickening feeling as though raw sugar had been poured into his stomach.

 

   He can’t imagine the cause, he had recited the spell correctly, nothing was wrong, the portal did not change until thirty seconds after the spell’s completion. He couldn’t have done anything wrong. A deep rumble shakes the palace as a black sphere appears from the cherry red swirl. Bolts of red lightning and white fire erupted from the portal, something inside struggling with the confinement to break free.

 

    As the sphere dissipates Black Kain fails to see a hand appear from the shadows the reclaim the book and pull it into the ether, and the slight laughter of Fira un heard under the roar of the forces with in the sphere breaking the spell and breaking out.

 

    What now stands before Black Kain is not what he expected, a tall pale woman of an impossible build. Her lavish bosom body scantly clad in what looks to be a black bikini, her dark red almost black hair framing an exotic face with pointed chin and high cheek bones, her dark blue eyes off setting her pale complexion. Her ears are adorned with silver skull earrings, and a black collar around her neck connected to shoulder pads which seem to either be floating over her shoulders or defying the laws of physics by how they could be connected to the straps of her top as they hold up an ankle length black cape, whose darkness makes her pale barely clothing body seem to glow. Her arms and legs not distracting from what is clearly the center of her attires focus, her large high held breasts, as her arms have elbow length black gloves and her legs knee high, high heeled boots, with a dragon scale armor up the front and back causing the side smooth leather to accentuate the shape of her well toned legs.

 

   The woman smiles at the handsome man in the odd black bug armor in front her. With a smile and bow the Black Kain begins to speak when he stops, noticing a motion behind the woman. From behind her steps a much shorter woman, a woman who looks to be of Japanese descent, with short black hair, and wearing an outfit the complete opposite of the first woman. The Black Kain could only think to describe this white robe and cape with its gold trim as the attire of a priestess from some magical kingdom, the white and silver laced cane she holds furthering this image.

 

   The smaller woman looks at the Black Kain and back again at the tall woman, “uh” she says addressing the taller woman, “Rhulan? What….what just happened?”

 

   The taller woman identified as “Rhulan” holds up her finger to “shush” the smaller woman and with arms crossed says, “Hollia, I think our questions can be answered by this…I take it, demon, in front of us.”

 

   The smaller woman “Hollia” with eyes wide looks at the Black Kain, “Demon?” she says startled, “Are you serious?” She looks up at Rhulan’s smiling face, and tries her own awkward yet unsteady smile before stepping back and a little behind Rhulan.

 

     Rhulan looks at the Black Kain and with brow raised says, “Okay demon boy, tell us what you think your doing or else I’ll just Omega Fire-Ra you and what ever the hell is past those doors over there back to the depths of Hell…unless this is Hell, in which case back to Chay-Ko-Naka the goddess of Hell or what ever you believe in.”

 

   The Black Kain smiles, “I take it then that my spell was correct, you would be the goddess of chaos. In that case by the rites of the spell that summoned you, you are contracted to my service. I am to understand you crave battle against worthy opponents, in that case I have just the thing for you. The demon general of the fifth legion of the Empress of all Eternal Darkness. The vile demon general thinks to take over my lands; of course for one as grand as yourself this may seem like a trivial matter. I assure you he is a most powerful adversary and one as the book says, one you may find tantalizing to fight. I know you may not want to take my word for it. I have assurance that a show is in order. My…foolish brother is challenging the demon general to a battle, that battle will take place at my brothers coliseum in a matter of one hour.”

 

    “And?” says Rhulan, “you want us to save your brother?”

 

   The Black Kain laughs, “Of course not, I wouldn’t ask the goddess of chaos to do such a minor thing, no his battle shall be a testament to tantalize your tastes, It will show you just how dangerous and powerful the demon general is. My brother is no shabby fighter, nore really was our…other brother. He was weak by our standards, but more than enough to slaughter the average demon. The demon general killed him two days ago, as well as destroying his entire palace to nothing, razing it not to ash, but too bare rock in a single attack.”

 

   “What ever.” says Rhulan, “Fine, we’ll watch this little fight, and I guess take the winner. I am guessing that’s the contract right? And then you open back up this stupid looking dimension door and we go home right?”

 

   “Of course.” says the Black Kain, “but I must ask, as it is prodding my curiosity. Who is the…that holy maiden looking figure behind you?”

 

    Rhulan turns to the smaller woman, Hollia, “that,” she says with a smile, “is my spunky side kick.”

 

   Hollia’s tense demeanor suddenly vanishes as she rolls her eyes, “spunky side kick?”

 

   “Good,” says Rhulan, “knew that would get you all loosened up” she gently shakes Hollia’s shoulders in mock play, “Now come on sweetie, this will be fun, fight some demon lord, then go home. Just another adventure of swords and sorcery.”

 

   Hollia eyes Rhulan up and down, “From how you’re dressed you look ready to have *some fun* but look at me, does this look like fighting and adventure clothing?”

 

   Rhulan shrugs, “Yeah I was kinda wandering about the silk robes and silver staff.”

 

   “I was in the middle of holy maiden training exams. They require this outfit when taking them, especially when the High Council is watching. I was in the middle of a demon exorcism demonstration when that orb thing grabbed me and dragged me here. I kinda thought you did it, till this rock-star guy fessed up.” Rants Hollia.

 

    The Black Kain looks at Rhulan, “you are the goddess of Chaos right? You do look the part, and your aura has…shall I say a very dark nature to it. But this other one…a holy maiden?”

 

    “She’s with me demon!” snaps Rhulan, “and if you think of touching her I will personally show you what chaos magic can really mean when I rearrange your innards and your ass in ways you can’t begin to have nightmares about.”

 

   Hollia looks down at her feet and blushes bringing a raised brow from the Black Kain.

 

   “I meant no harm,” he says, “simple curiosity. I wouldn’t have imagined a chaos goddess to keep a holy maiden as…” noticing the increasingly scornful look from Rhulan he thinks better of pursuing the matter further.

 

    “In any matter,” he says as a large screen with a black scale like trim comes down from the ceiling, “I have this lovely screen on which to watch my brother’s fateful battle against the demon general. If you wish I will have my loyal servants bring foods befitting the grandest of diplomats. This chamber is after all a private location in which only diplomats and honored guests may enter.”

 

   “Do as you wish.” says Rhulan, “but first at least tell us your name.”

 

   “oh,” he says taken back, “my deepest apologies, being in your granduar has clouded my judgment. I have forgotten my manners, I am The Black Kain, son of the Queen of Carrion and Lord Necrose, ruler of the Eastern Kain Land…and soon ruler of all Kain Land.”

 

   “I am Rhulan, goddess of the darkness…and chaos.” She gives Hollia a look of *go along with it* “and this is my…consort, friend, traveling companion, or what ever else you want to call a side-kick, Hollia…uh, second goddess of chaos, er, something along those lines, only shinier, and whiter, and holy maiden-esque or something.”

 

   She eyeballs the Black Kain, “of course.” He says remembering once meeting with a woman named Fira who called herself the Lady of Chaos, thinking, “chaos, does not mean entropy as my mother has said, but disorder. Well two chaos goddesses for the price of one, I suppose being a diety that being holy shouldn’t have been un-expected. The first one thankfully seems to be in charge. She must be the one the spell meant to summon. Best not to question them on those celestial matters they spoke of.”

 

   After his long pause and clear indication of internal dialogue during which Rhulan and Hollia couldn’t help but look at each with a look of “what is with this joker?” he looks back them, “I shall call my servants at once to bring a table and food for you to enjoy as we watch the battle.

 

   Turning to summon his servants via what is obviously a telephone on the wall he doesn’t see or hear Hollia ask Rhulan, “goddesses of chaos? You don’t think that…”

 

   She is shushed by Rhulan again finger to lip who whispers, “yeah, looks like the goddess wasn’t kidding about that title thing. Don’t worry. We’d better not give them any more clues by talking about stuff about back home, wouldn’t want this asshole seeing it coming when you sacred fire his ass from behind.” She chuckles a little under her breath, “yeah and loot his palace for all its treasure.”

 

   “Now miss Rhulan,” protests Hollia in a whisper, “maybe he isn’t a bad guy, after all the goddess teaches us that there is the potential for good in everyone’s heart.”

 

    Rhulan eye-balls her, “yeah, the same goddess who said to us personally that she created the universe we live in as an experiment and place to store her shit.”

 

   Before The Black Kain can return his servants are already coming through the door in a flurry carrying a large table and everything to adorn it with, demon chefs popping out clearly already prepared trays with things that look like roasted animals, of some sort or another in them with fruits of various kinds including some such as Gold Blossom petals and Twilight Strawberries that Rhulan and Hollia recognize.

 

   “I was prepared,” he says, “for any sort of being to come through the portal, be it ancient elder squid god or a young beautiful woman. My chefs prepared all manner of food ahead of time awaiting my call.”

 

   A red light begins to flash on the screen, “the record button,” he says with a smile, “my brother likes to keep to a schedule for his little tournaments, or rather displays of power over his subjects.”

 

   He turns the screen on as they all sit at the table, the Black Kain down at one end with Rhulan and Hollia on the side of the table’s length opposite the screen to watch in full in front. It shows a man looking identical to the Black Kain only with red armor on one end, a man Rhulan and Hollia guess at once with out the need to exchange words is the Red Kain. On the other end is a man in black clothing and cape.

 

   “That must be the demon general.” says Hollia, but to no response, Rhulan’s face is a look of concentration Hollia has rarely seen.

 

    “Who is that?” she says in a demanding tone to Black Kain, causing him and his servants to freeze for a moment.

 

   “The demon general.” He says

 

   “yeah you said THAT.” she says, “but does the bastard have a name?”

 

   “oh,” thinks the Black Kain a bit embarrassed, “well, yes, lets see. My mother the Queen of Carrion told me he was my father’s old lord. Lets see, his full title was god of darkness, not simply the general of the fifth legion. Hmmm, well our names are usually titles as well as names so I suppose it escaped me.”

 

   One of his servants, a pale man with bald head and pointed ears leans down and whispers in his master’s ear.

 

   “Oh of course,” says the Black Kain, “his name is Rhoan.”

 

   Rhulan simply goes, “hmmm,” with crossed arms as the announcer on the screen is still bragging about the exploits of the Red Kain, a rather dull string of adjective and boasts about things that mean nothing to Rhulan and Hollia.

 

   Hollia with genuine concern looks at Rhulan, “uhm, miss Rhulan, is something wrong?”

 

   Rhulan shrugs, “Oh don’t worry your pretty little head, its nothing terrible. Just…unexpected.” A wide smile crosses her face as she begins to shake with anticipation and excitement, “oh yeah, very unexpected, I wanna see this, definitely.”

 

    She thinks to herself silently focusing on the screen as the announcer gets to the end of his speech and exposition about the contestants to the cheering of the all too close to the ring crowd, “Oh yeah, I’m right I just know it. Okay ass-hole lets see how good you’ve gotten in two fucking thousand years.”