Imperium - Dynasty Begins Ch. 07

Aliana watched his eyes. There was no sanity in his eyes, only misery. Resignation to whatever plan he concocted inside his mind. She had to close her eyes; the sight of his eyes were too much for her elven senses. She could feel every bit of his emotions. Several moments passed; finally, she felt her hair being let go. Then the noise of his heavy boots clanking on the metal floor.

She lifted herself off the ground and wiped her tears away. Gingerly she followed him through the tight corridor and into the cockpit.

Inside she noted two seats one next to another. Samael sat behind the console and started working the procedure for taking off. Still watching him, she used the seat next to him and watched his fingers do series of commands. What their meaning was or what they did only his troubled mind knew.

The ship lifted off the ground. The landscape shifted on screen. She couldn't feel anything. Not the engines. Nor the gravity pulling her into the seat. The ship moved lifelessly off the ground and in the air. Still cloaked, it moved slowly over the town and towards the forest and snowy mountains.

The woman sat near him and asked, "Where are we going?"

His fingers were busy for few moments before answering, "There are ruins scattered about. I want to make sure it's not on this rock before moving to another planet."

"Don't you think we would feel the book if it was here?"

His focus remained on the console in front of him, a map of the land suddenly popped and he pressed a spot on it, "I have to know. We'll hover over the land and sea; several times should do the trick. If you feel anything, tell me."

"And what if I don't?"

"Then we move on -- and on, until you die. Then I come back and find another. I'll repeat the process until I find this book you speak off."

She shook her head, "If it's even real. It's ancient text. Don't you think we elves would be off this rock if it was real? The ghosts, elders and demons are just tales we tell our children."

Samael worked silently. Ignoring her last remarks. Infuriated, she said, "You're crazy if you think this is real. A madman."

The ship moved across the valley and into the hills. It hovered without any noise over the lake and further into the wilderness, slowly approaching the mountain range. They noticed several large creatures fighting for dominance. Samael guided the ship using its advanced programing to guide it towards the spot on the map resembling ancient buildings. Quickly, the ship turned and soundlessly moved towards the planed path.

The woman gasped, "Bastard!!!" She started, "The Ruins of Khazad'um. We must leave now. It's a cursed place. Quickly! Move us!" She shouted. She suddenly felt fear, terrible fear ingrained into her from birth. With something else, deep down she felt longing. Terrified she exclaimed, "Madman, you are utter mad man. Why are you going there? We'll die."

"Do you feel anything?" The man quietly asked.

She grabbed her head, "Cursed, wretched place. Why have you brought us here?! We'll be cursed for all time!"

"Tell me; what do you feel?" Samael repeated.

"Fear. Terrible misfortune will befall us." Aliana repeated the words her parents and grandparents taught her every day.

His eyes watched the woman's expression, "Anything else?"

"No one has come here in thousand years. It doomed us once."

"What -- do -- you -- feel?" He slowly asked.

"Longing." She quietly stated.

For the first time his lips formed somewhat resembling a genuine smile, "Good," he said as he moved the ship towards the dark ruins.

The ship swerved left to right. Samael looked for a safe space to land among the rocks and stones. An uprising near the gates, seemed to have enough space for his vessel. Satisfied, he set the ship on its course to the clearing on top of the hill overlooking the dark gates of the Khazad'um, it's black walls embedded deep into the mountain.

The cold dark steel stood erect for thousands of years, untouched by time. The structure was made out of high walls fifty paces thick. The gates, made out of magic steel, were big and heavy. Specially imbued magic was used to move them up and down. They were used only when large armies traveled through. Towers high and menacing looked over the valley. Behind Kazhad'um was thick wall of mountain.

The dark structure looked menacingly whoever dared to intrude it's walls.

He set the ship's safety turrets. The board flashed and he started walking quickly, his heavy boots echoing in the empty corridor. Behind him the elf was quickly following, "You don't plan to enter that wretched place. Are you?"

Samael reached a locker, he let the scanner read the palm of his hand. As it finished, he heard the locker click open. Every kind of weapon greeted him as the locker started the opening procedures. The locker looking smaller on the outside than it actually was. He took out his blade, gun and a picture of a woman and a child.

Aliana's eyes went wide as she saw the picture for a brief moment, "Who's that?"

The man growled silently, "None of your business." And with that he walked to the door.

"Are you going inside?" She repeated the question.

"Yes," he whispered, "and you're coming with me."

At his words she gasped and tried to run. But before she could take two steps, she felt his fingers around her scalp, pulling at her hair, "Either you come with me on your own, or I drag you inside. Take a pick."

She tried to tug away, however, his grip and strength were immense.

"Alright," dejectedly she said, "I'll follow you. But I won't like it, you hear? I won't like it."

The ramp was down when the door opened. Samael's boots and her shoes echoed on the ramp as they stomped their way down to the ground. They watched the immense building stare them down. Aliana felt odd sensations flooding her. Fear, nervousness and sense of belonging all accumulated, making her slightly unsteady on her feet. Nothing could've prepared her for this. Its gates seemed to send them away, instead of welcoming them in. Whispering menacingly in the wind.

They walked abreast towards the tall dark door imbedded into the wall. The birds were chirping then, slowly everything started to quiet down. Soon not a sound could be heard. They stopped.

The air suddenly felt cold and heavy. Samael watched as a dark mass started to form in front of them. Black cloud of pure vile energy started to swirl above the ground. The grass and plants caught in the vicinity slowly started decaying.

"What is that?" the elf gasped.

The man grimaced, "An annoyance."

The mass slowly formed into a being of skull and bones. A white and blue flame glowing on top of its head. Its eyes were black and hollow. Void of nothingness. Finally, robes wrapped around it's form. Dark and degraded by time. A hood concealed its head, bony hand extended and pointed at Samael.

"What do you want from me?" The man growled.

The being simply let the hand point towards him, "Leave me be!" enraged, Samael shouted at the creature.

Unfazed the being kept pointing at the man, the elf finally stated, "You've fallen that low? To engage with death? What do you seek that's so important to forget your humanity?"

Samael finally spat, "None of your damn business, ELF. We're going in."

He started treading the grass that was still alive and green. His heavy boots treading the way, bending and imprinting into the grass wet with morning dew. Carefully avoiding the dead ground.

The being watching carefully from the dark shadow. Observing every step the man took on his way to the building.

The elf, Aliana, treaded carefully, eying the decomposing being carefully. Every step she took the more fear she felt. The longing deep inside was shut off by the eerie sense of foreboding. Her high elf senses were telling her to run and forget about the man and his ill-fated mission. However, the thought about implant and the next potential victim made her stay.

Samael felt no fear. He felt only great grief. Every step he took, the images of what he had lost overwhelmed him. As he neared the gates, gold letter inscription appeared on the doors.

"What does it say?" he whispered through his teeth.

She took a long gaze at the inscription, at first she mumbled to herself, the words in front of her instilling fear in her. Finally, she glanced at Samael who stood slightly in front his back bent over as if he was leaning on something. She took a deep breath and slowly repeated the inscribed words.

To enter these gates, blood must be spilled.

Samael stood for several moments, digesting what he had heard. Slowly he took the blade that was safely tucked away behind his back. The Elf flinched, but eventually relaxed as she saw the man use the blade on the palm of his hand wiping it along the lines on the wall. The runes started to glow eerily.

The gates rumbled. They started to open.

Slowly, they started to drag themselves open. Both parties heard grinding of stone as the large door kept opening up. Letting them through.

Dark wide corridor greeted them. They could feel the rush of stale air as they proceeded to walk onward. Many lamps started to ignite as if on command. Dark blue flames illuminating what they could. Sizzling on their metal containers.

"Magic flames," silently the elf commented as she noticed the bizarre look Samael gave the mysterious lights.

The braziers kept lighting their path. The old granite road was slowly replaced by a much darker stone and slabs as wide as Samael himself. The path started winding further down into the ground. With Samael leading they started treading down, one step at a time. The lights slowly lighting the dark abyss beneath them.

Aliana's unusual curiosity seemed to replace her impending sense of doom. Every new level they came to she gasped in awe. They spent walking for several long hours, her feet numb from the trek they traveled. With no end in sight. Finally, she had to speak up no matter how her captor reacted.

"These ruins are amazing. I expected the walls to protect a town or a city. But apparently they do not." She gasped quietly.

Samael grunted, "Perhaps the houses are further down." The man glanced into the abyss looking for its end, but he couldn't see anything. He had to admit his own curiosity was slowly coming through. At some better times he sensed he would like to come here and explore the cursed ruins from beginning to the end.

"I've never seen an ancient ruin without garbage or trash. No matter what planet I went to, what ancient civilization I came to discover their ruins would be boiling with information. The people who lived here would have to leave something behind no matter how insignificant."

Samael didn't say anything. The man contemplated on the path he had to travel to get here, the long granite road made him think about his past. And he needed something to ocuppy him, the end was near, he could feel it.

They walked for another hour before they came in front of a large door made out of strange and thick metal. Nothing like they've ever seen. A screen that was dormant suddenly turned on. Flashing brightly red. Samael slowly walked to the side and gazed at the inscription on the screen. Slowly, the strange words moved on the screen.

Confused, Samael glanced at the woman behind him, she moved carefully until she, too, could see the words drift up on the strange console.

"Do you know the language," Samael's question echoed in the empty cavern.

Aliana watched mesmerized, after several minutes of silence she quietly expressed her thoughts, "It's the Language of the Ancient ones."

"Ancient ones?" Samael wondered.

"My ancestors. The ones who came from the other side. This is a crude translation, but it's demanding, not asking, of our verification. Once we present that the doors will open."

Samael thought for a brief moment, then suddenly took Aliana's palm and pressed it on the red screen. Shortly, the red changed to light blue. Something happened and the giant doors clicked soundlessly dragging open.

Their feet echoed in the quiet darkness as they walked into the dark room.

The lights started to come on. Aliana gasped, because in front of them were rows upon rows of heavily armed robots kneeling on the floor. All of them were uniformed. Upon further inspection of the room, Aliana particularly came to the conclusion that there were countless more behind the darkness still appearing as the light struggled to come on.

The chamber was truly vast. As they advanced they noticed the floor was starting to slant, every several steps. The only way they could tell the room was slanted is because the center of the room was several feet below them. As they gazed at the giant metal frame surrounded by a set of stairs.

The two moved down towards the center of the room.

The statues of robots almost seemed alive. Every step they took a new figure appeared more vividly than the last.

They noticed the statues immense weapons. Strange circular blades, and guns that seemed too big to carry. Almost as if created for these bulky statues.

Aliana was first who noticed the odd panel on the beginning of the finally drop. She approached it and clicked the button to turn the strange translucent panel. For few seconds nothing but silence filled the air. Then she jumped as the floor started to move and something started to emerge from the floor.

Samael watched as a dark black oval ring slowly emerged from the floor.

"What is that?" Aliana gasped, she could feel the burning hate emanating from the ring.

She quickly covered her mouth. Her whisper echoing loudly in the giant room. Her question was ignored. Samael's attention was fully on the odd ring.

Something in the air changed and Samael moved forward, treading toward the dark ring. Aliana wanted to warn the man but she held her tongue, his aura abruptly stopping her in her tracks.

He reached behind his back and unsheathed his dark blade. He pulled it across his palm and smeared the blood across the rim of the ring.

A crackle of lighting filled the air. Deafening noise soon followed. Humming so loud the woman covered her elven ears. She could hear something else. Behind the humming.

A portal slowly opened.

A miasma slowly seeped through the portal. It was thick whirlwind of pure energy. Corrupting whatever it touched. Changing the color of surrounding metal into something else. A color Aliana could not describe. Only that it utterly horrified her.

Samael lowered his hood for the first time.

The gray hair, black eyes and something else. An aura of pure hatred slowly seeped out.

While she was watching Samael for the first time, the air suddenly felt cold, icy cold, she could hardly breathe, her attention quickly shifted to something appearing on the portal.

A long bright red limb slowly emerged. Followed by another. Then a full grown being appeared. A winged monster. She had a hard time describing what she was seeing. Her eyes barely grasping on the horror before her.

"What do you want?" the monster spoke for the first time.

Its voice sounded strange. Without an echo in the giant oval room. Its head bobbed few times from side to side. As if inspecting the people and the objects in the room. It's sunken eyes scanning everything for few seconds.

As if on que it rested on Aliana. And she felt her soul shiver.

Aliana felt its eyes burrow deep into her. Dark, hollow eyes reading her most intimate secrets. The monsters featureless face seemed to crinkle into a smile as it felt her darkest secret.

"You knew." Its smile was so vile, she felt scared at its sudden realization.

Samael ignored the monster's words, "I want you to summon this woman to me," he held the picture to the monster's sunken eyes.

It studied it for few moments, before it's face crinkled into something that resembled a smile, "Ah, you want her. Seems like you have a deep sodden history with her. I want something in return. Blood." Its eyes rested eerily on Aliana.

Samael moved and took her palm, dragging the dark blade across her skin, "Fuck. I should've been more specific. Alright. Wait here." With that it moved through the portal and disappeared.

Waiting for few moments another form appeared. But now it was in a form of an alluring woman. So pretty, one couldn't avert his or her eyes.

The woman rested her emotionless eyes on the man and grinned. Her evil grimace twisting into something resembling a smile.

Before she could react Samael was jumping towards the woman, the dark blade shimmering in the dim light. The woman moved faster than she could see, taking the blade in her hand and breaking the man's hand.

Samael was on his feet, clutching his broken hand, defiantly standing despite his immense pain.

"You want to kill the mother of your child? Such arrogance."

Samael spat on the ground, "Where is he?! What have you done with my son?!"

For the first time the woman's features radiated happiness, "He's here and there. Everywhere mostly." She laughed at her joke.

Samael screamed his rage. The woman cackled in joy.

"If you want you can follow me. Find him." With that she disappeared into the purple haze.

Samael felt the pure vile energy that bent steel, ate flesh and twisted the mind. What would happen? He thought for a second.

Without any lost breath, clutching his broken hand, he walked slowly towards the purple haze. He let his foot test the dark haze. Letting it absorb the energy that seeped through the portal. Samael felt his being getting devoured by the pure energy. The warp. The pain was transcending. His mind split in two.

Aliana gasped. She understood what the man wanted to do. She wanted to stop him but before she could say anything his form moved through the portal.

Aliana watched as his form finally disappeared.

Samael was no more.