DeKramarr stood slightly behind Lord Vaskar, they were in the dark hall that served as both the mess hall and the throne room. Lord Vaskar was leaning on the pane-less window sill, looking out onto the land of Barrendara. It was a dark desolate place; once fair and green with pale blue skies, now the black landscape blended into the blood red sky, marred only by dark clouds. The once rich green soil now covered in ash. The charred remains of trees dotted the landscape. Large boulders and crude ruins of houses stood out starkly on the horizon; their occupants long since murdered or enslaved.
The Castle itself was very primitive, built out of stone and decorated with the bones of enemies. It was big and hideous, a mixture of many types and forms of architecture, that was once proud and strong, was now ugly and menacing. The dungeons went deep and were filled with the smell of decay. Rotting flesh could be smelt throughout the land. This was a castle built for War. Armouries and training rooms took up most of the Keep, the rest given to servants and Vaskar’s private quarters. A wall of red flame twenty feet high surrounded the castle. There were towers every couple of hundred feet or so, guarding them was an evil that neither eats nor sleeps, they were mountain trolls in other words. This stronghold was impenetrable-none could enter or leave without Vaskar’s leave. There was no escape from this Fortress of Evil.
The hall was full of Gשdiants, goblins, men, trolls, sprites and other evil creatures that do not belong to a single species were eating, gambling, fighting or stealing. Decrast and Vanthr prowled the hall scavenging food from floor, plates, mouths and hands (more often taking the hand with it), as well as picking fights with each other or with other occupants of the hall.
Vaskar spoke lowly to DeKramarr so that he had to listen hard to hear it above the mêlée.
“Proceed at once to Carlorn-Crome, find GRrack’s* Brothel, when you reach it, ask for Jon*. Put forward our state of affairs and our proposition. If he still does not believe you give him this-he’ll know what it is regarding, Zar anKar!”
Reaching into his robes he brought out a small dagger. Its hilt consisted of a fanged human skull, on its brow sat a crown and through the skull was driven a sword. Retrieving this from his master, DeKramarr bowed and replied;
“No kar norN koru hark Tarpak.”
~*~
DeKramarr took his time saddling SvarrKarr his SarrVeck. Mainly because it was a very dangerous task, and merely escaping with instant death by the temperamental monstrous beast would be lucky, DeKramarr was plotting his course mentally. Jon lived in the fourth garden of Carlorn-Crome, so to correspond with that he would need to go to the Arasken Plains**. SvarrKarr, the most savage and brutal of all the SarrVeck also the only one gifted with speech, turned to his rider and grinned through sharp pointed teeth.
“What terror do we wreak today?”
DeKramarr placed his helmet on his head.
· GRrack (pronounced grr-rack), Jon (pronounced Yon)
** If (when travelling between worlds) you wish to go to a specific place-one must find co-ordinates that match on their own world.
“Quiet” he said as he swung himself onto the rough hide that served as the saddle kicking SvarrKarr forward “Today-we ride”
And with that, they leapt through the open gates and rode down the charred bone strewn paths, remnants of past enemies, and out into the blood red dusk.
They reached the Arasken Planes by midnight, the name meant ‘Pain’ in Elven. It was where the last battle for the Immortality Stone had taken place-where his master had been defeated-and the dragons had come to the aid of the Elves. He smiled. If only they knew, what it was now going to be used for, the irony. It was sparse grassland. Flat, so he located the cairn that had been erected in honour of Queen Naladría, with little difficulty. The warrior reached into his pocket and brought out eight stones of various shapes and sizes threw them at random uttering,
YOU ARE READING
The Immortality Stone - The Cardinal
FantasyWhat would you do if you woke up in a different world? Where there were Wizards and Talking Trees and Elves, would you accept it? No, of course you wouldn't. You'd think you had gone off the deep end! Which is exactly what 16 year old, Sameeca Yarro...
