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Chapter 4 Away from the Reflection

There it was. The real start of his journey. Kane looked up at the perilous looming mountain and stared at it with eyes wide open.

"This mountain will be the death of me," muttered Kane. He was right. The Unda range stretched from one side of the great river to the other side. Almost one thousand miles wide. But to just get over one side to the other it was a good one hundred miles.

He could see everywhere that the mountain was covered with forest area everywhere he turned. Thinking it might be better if he wasn't out in the open. Vultures were swarming above Kane peering down at him, as if Kane was about to die any minute.

Kane took a sigh and went forth. The path was steady for the rest of the day. Kane figured he made at least a good couple miles. He set up camp early in the evening. Even though covered by the trees he could still hear the vultures screeching above him.

When Kane slept that night, he had the same dream of Linden in Kane's bedroom with a knife. This time the dream went a little further. It showed Linden above Kane with the knife held high and Linden was about to swing it down when Kane woke up suddenly.

Kane sat up quickly and his breathing was quite heavy. It was the middle of the night and his fire was dying down. A fluster of birds could be heard flying up as if disturbed. Kane peered around and smelled something, or someone.

A twig cracked and Kane looked around nervously. He was too nervous to call out or even stand up. Even too nervous to breath. Kane heard the faint footsteps of someone, coming closer...closer...another twig cracked but it sounded far away. More steps could be heard but off at a different direction.

Closer, closer, and closer the steps came towards Kane, but suddenly, they stopped. Two thuds were heard and Kane didn't dare to check what happened only until daylight would he go see.

Daylight came and Kane didn't sleep at all. He didn't hear anything else that night. He got up and slowly walked around where he camped. What he found surprised him. They were Orcs, disgusting pitiful creatures they are. Goblins, as they are called by the men. Kane searched the Orc body and found that the Orc had been stabbed multiple times with a knife. When Kane found the other Orc he found that it too had been stabbed multiple times.

Kane wondered who did it and why they did it. Then Kane thought of the two elves that were killed. Was that the same person who killed these two Orcs? Kane's mind was flustered.

Kane headed off early that day and the path was starting to go up and it became harder for Kane's feet. That day Kane found many Orc prints. He could recognize them because sometimes an Orc or two would pass along in L'usuma when he satyed with Linden.

The next day on Kane's journey the path started to go a little more steeper as he got closer. During the day Kane came across a very pecuilar tree, but it wasn't the tree that was pecuilar it was it's roots. All of the roots were pointing north another root seemed to point at Kane.

A thought crept back into his mind, "Morrey...." he had not thought of Morrey for quite some time and it was so disturbing for him watching the great kingdom of Morrey burn down. He had many nightmares about it. Also nightmares of the men of Wvyern coming to find him.

Just at that moment a whizzing sound was heard. Kane looked up and saw an arrow hit the tree almost hitting Kane's head. Three more arrows soon followed coming nearer to Kane's head.

No more arrows were shot but Kane noticed that blood was on the arrows. Kane knew he wasn't hit by them but the blood was spilling down the tree trunk and onto the ground as if controlled. It spelled out "Kane" when it hit the ground.

Kane was shocked, he looked around and saw no one. He wondered if it was the same person who killed those Orcs and Elves was watching him right now. As if waiting for Kane to make his next move.

Off in a short distance was the person watching Kane. He moved in closer to see him. Just at that moment Kane turned around and saw him but all he saw was himself. Like a reflection, but his reflection was smiling, Kane was not.

The reflection disappeared and a faint trail of words as heard, "It's your fault..."

These very words scared Kane and made him tremble. Could it have been his fault that Morrey was destroyed? He didn't know, he didn't want to know. He sighed slowly and looked around again. Seeing no one he started off again.

The voice played over and over in his head. Kane thought he was going crazy on the brink of insanity. His brain playing a big prank on him, but it wasn't. It was all real. Kane didn't realize that.

That night, Kane made a small fire, but had a very hard time sleeping. He kept seeing that reflection smiling at Kane with that evil look. What Kane wanted to know was why it looked exactly like him.

Just as Kane was about to fall asleep another whizzing sound was heard. Kane woke up terrifed and heard a thump and some mumbling.

"Blast it! Not again!" it said.

Kane realized it was right next to him and two big white eyes were staring at Kane, "Is that you Kane?" asked the creature.

"Shade? Shade? Is that you?" asked Kane. He was a little relived that it wasn't another arrow or someone out to kill him.

"Yes! It is me! So you remember me!"

"What are you doing here Shade? Were you following me? Have you been following me?" asked Kane sounding a bit gruff.

"Dear sir, I haven't been following you. I come up on Mt. Unda all the time. I know every place from Morrey down to Rydain. Like i've said I've been all over Raisher, except for Malidorian. No Minilia has ever traveled down there. No human has except one." said Shade.

"You know about Malidorian?." asked Kane.

"Yes I do! I know quite a bit of history on it if you must know," said Shade.

"Oh please tell, I can't sleep much anyways. A good story would do."

"Well long ago way before Morrey even existed or Rydain for that part there was a great Wizard. Ibion Xalacar. It was said he made a ring, a ring that he put all his power into so he'd be remembered for all the ages to come. Ibion named it the Ibion Ring."

Kane stared down at his ring wondering if it was indeed the same Ibion Ring of old, "Ibion used the ring to become immortal and it made the King of Akadar, who was not on friendly terms with anybody really, very jealous. The King offered Ibion all the richs he had for the Ring but Ibion would not yield. This made the King of Akadar very mad so he sent forth an army to capture Ibion but the army was stopped by the Dwarves of Kadainakin which blocked the way to the kingdom of Raisher."

"Shortly after, Faladar, the ruler of Malidorian, heard of this Ibion Ring and he too greatly desired it. He sent forth his most viscious generals including Valazagoth and Flindar son of Faladar. It was called The Great War and Ibion. The most bloodiest war Raisher has ever seen. Raisher had the help of Beraligur, Filliet, Akadar, Wvyern, Kadainakin. With all their help they wiped out the Malidorian army."

"After the war Ibion was no where to be seen. Neither was his ring. The rest is legend, some say he went their and slayed Faladar and started the Dragon Masters clan. Others say he died by the hands of Faladar. No one really knows for sure." Shade took a deep breath and sighed.

"I've heard the name Valazagoth mentioned before. Who is he?" asked Kane.

"Valazagoth...hmmm...oh yes! Valazagoth is the Guardian of Malidorian. He was created by Faladar himself. He is neither living nor dead he is shadow. It is said he can be at two places at once. No one has ever seen his face not even Faladar his master. It's said he's still alive but no one knows for sure. All I know is anyone who tries to venture in Malidorian is never seen again."

"Lovely stories Shade." said Kane and he was quite pleased with Shades story telling abilities.

"So where are you heading too again?" asked Shade.

"I'm heading down towards Rydain. It seems like I'm not any closer than when I started." sighed Kane.

"I could help you find it! Like I said I know every place from Morrey down to Rydain! I'd be happy to help you!" Shade said with enthuism.

"Really? You would?! I'd love that! It's been lonely on the road." said Kane.

"Yes, I know every stream and place to find food up here also."

"You are in my debt Shade."

"Oh no need! It is I who is in your debt! You're the first person I've come across who hasn't tried to eat me or step on me." chuckled Shade.

Kane smiled for once and his worries were all gone for now. He hadn't smiled in awhile. It seemed ages to him. Kane's ears perked up as he sniffed something foul in the air. He looked to his right and could make out two yellow lights coming slowly his way. He got up and put out the fire.

"Quick! Hide!" whispered Kane to Shade.

Shade scrambled up a tree while Kane hid behind one. When the lights drew nearer Kane could hear two people talking.

"Why must it always be us doing this boring work," muttered an Orc.

"Didn't you even listen to Florbuse? He said we need to be checking out these areas. Some prowler killed two of our men while out on patrol," said the other.

It was two Orc guards. kane was holding his nose, they smelled so foul and terrible it was hard to breath. How can they stand that stench he said to himself.

One of the Orcs took a sniff of the air and looked down at the ground and saw a fire had been put out not too long ago, "You smell that?" said the Orc.

"Yeah I do. Smells pretty bad. I hope none of them dwarfs from East Unda haven't been tresspassing here. They know what happens if they do." said the other.

"No...It smells different. Not a man or Elf. Something fouler."

Kane decided he'd make his move. He looked from behind the tree and saw the two sniffing the air. He moved to ther other side and the Orcs backs were turned. He stepped out but he stepped on a twig and it cracked.

The Orcs quickly turned around and saw him, "Well well well! Won't Florbuse be happy. A Gargoyle! I thought Wvyern exterminated them?! I guess they forgot one." said the Orc.

"Well let's be the ones to kill him!" said the Orc but when he turned to look at his partner he was down on the floor dead with his intestines spilling out. Kane had jumped him as the other was distracted.

The Orc was about to strike Kane when Shade, who was hiding up in a tree, jumped on the Orc and ripped it's eye out while Kane scratched the man's belly letting his intestines too flow out.

Kane smeared most of the blood off with his hands and looked at Shade who had a very bloody face, 'We better get you cleaned up. You know of any streams nearby?"

"Yes sir I do, follow me," at that Shade and Kane went nearby to clean themselves off. Kane took this oppertunity to fill his waterbag up.

"It'd be best if we made camp near this creek in case any more Orcs come by tonight or in the morning." said Shade.

"Yes you're right but let's not make another fire nor the next night we will keep watch now," said Kane, "I'll be the first to keep watch I'll wake you in two hours."

"Allright sir," as soon as Shade said that he quickly fell on the ground and went to sleep. Kane picked him up gently and put him off to the side so he didn't crush him by accident. He smiled watching him sleep and then peered around him.

Kane let out a deep yawn as sleep was overcoming him. The moon was waning and it was past midnight. Kane thought a lot about the path they should take.

"It shouldn't take more than a week or a fortnight to make it over this mountain. But the problem is what about the great River we must cross?" Kane sighed and shook his head not wanting to worry about such things till later.

Kane looked down and gazed at the Ibion Ring in wonder and in fear. He thought about Linden's story if it was good or bad. Something strange happened to the ring it started to glow a dull violet. He always thought it to glow red.

The violet color gave way for a moment then grew into a brighter violet color. The ring started to glow violently and Kane's hand was shaking from the pain that was seering into his hand. A small white ball crept out of the gem on the ring and started to grow and grow then it flew off! A small bright flash was heard and Kane was too terrified to see what happened.

Two hours had past and Kane woke Shade up for the watch and Kane fell asleep dreaming of the incident with the ring.

Kane woke up that morning and found Shade asleep at his side. Shade quickly arose and climbed onto Kane's shoulder. Kane got up and walked over to where he thought the white ball had hit. He looked around and saw a skull. It was inhuman and looked to be an orc's skull.

"What is that?" asked Shade.

Flesh was still on the skull and insects could be seen eating away at the remaining flesh. Kane shook his head as the images crept back into his mind from last night. He gasped and realized the ring had done this.

"It can't be....." Kane said, "could it have known I was in danger?"

Kane peered around and saw a bow and a quiver. Where the other body parts where he did not know.

Kane told Shade of what happened and they thought they had best be on their guard today. An hour later they headed off after having a lite breakfast and packed the belongings and tried to cover their camp as best as they could.

The path kept getting steeper and steeper. Kane and Shade could see no end to the path. It didn't even appear to reach the top. Each step they took, it seemed to get colder little by little. Even though it was in the middle of one of the hottest summers Raisher has ever seen it was cold. Kane put on a spare cloak and Shade hid under it to keep warm.

It was a little past noon when Kane came to a stop. They had found an Orc camp that looked trampled and destroyed only a day or two ago. A fire was still burning. The bodies could not be seen anywhere. Kane looked down at the ground and found some tracks that made his eyes wide open.

"Well i'll be...those are Gargoyle tracks if i've ever seen them. But there aren't any Gargoyles around here for miles except for you." said Shade peeking out from behind of the cloak.

The reflection that had been following Kane had enter his mind, "No...it couldn't be....what does it want?"

Images of Linden flooded his mind, images of Linden with a knife coming into his bedroom late at night ready to stab the small child in the bed.

Kane gasped and looked around. A flutter of birds could be heard flying off and crowing. Kane thought he saw a shadow moving past his eye. Everything started to spin and Kane fell.

Shade ran out from under the cloak and hid up into a tree. When he saw many shadows coming his way, "What is it?"

Everything went black for Kane. He saw he was out upon a field. The grass was swaying back and forth. He saw a himself but as a child running on the field as if running away from something or someone.

"There he is! Get him!" yelled a voice from far off.

Why were they chasing me? Kane thought but it seemed so long he couldn't remember. He saw himself fall onto a rock that stood alone. An old man appeared suddenly followed by two men.

"There he is Lord, now what?" said one of the men.

"We do as Ibion commands, the plan shall commence." said the old man, "I will take him into my keeping until he is ready....."

The image faded and went to Linden's cabin. The day of Linden's death. Kane saw himself taking Linden's body and burying it. But off in the distance kane thought he saw a shadow. As his image was burying Linden he thought he saw Linden watching Kane. Not as an angel but as if he were still alive.

Another shadow was next to Linden but Kane could not make it out but he made out these whispers, "Remember to follow him and make sure he doesn't die, not yet. He has plans for him. Be his shadow."

The image faded to black and Kane woke up seeing blackness around him. It smelled foul and the air was very stuffy. "Captured again I see..." Kane sighed as he wondered what happened to Shade.

The prison door opened and a disgusting Orc came in and kicked Kane, "You tresspasser, I have heard that you have been killing Orcs and now that news spreads you killed Elves in L'usuma. I will be having the pleasure of killing you and your cellmate." The Orc spit on Kane but he had no energy to fight. An arrow had hit Kane earlier and he was weakened and poisoned.