The Chaos of Estia : Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Skylla

The next day, Amos was the first to rise. He sadly stared out into the sunrise. Inside his head, he had started putting things together. He didn’t want to tell anyone what he really thought until he was absolutely sure, but he was sure that someone would eventually ask him. Right now, he just wanted to get to Berser and talk to the rightful king Icarius. Hopefully he would then know for sure who he was.

When the sun was fully in the sky he roused the rest of the group and set out on what would be their last day before they reached the Aurorian Sea. Like most of their stay in Eaidon, this leg of the journey was quite peaceful. Apart from himself, Amos noticed that everyone was in a cheery mood since it seemed they would soon get to rest for at least a few days.

Even with as cheerful as they were, it was still a long day. The began the day shortly after dawn, and it wasn’t until after dusk that they reached the port.

Alastor led the way, looking very proud, as if he had just conquered an entire nation or captured a dangerous criminal. He led the group into a small building on the edge of town.

“This is me house!” he said. “It’s the only place I’ve know’d other than the seas until I met up wit’ you. ‘Tis where we’ll be stayin’ the night.”

“When’s the last time you were he Alastor?” asked Vairo. “The place is a filthy mess!”

“Well… it was, er… just a few years ago s’matter of fact. Not too long a time away from home for a pirate mind ye.”

“Well, I for one am glad we don’t have to worry about staying out in the open tonight,” offered Amos. “Mess or not, I would like to thank Alastor for opening his home up to us.”

“Yer welcome lad!” Alastor aimlessly waved his arms around inside hit little hut. “Y’all settle in. I’ve to go check up on me mates.” Alastor quickly turned and left toward what Amos had to figure was the tavern.

“I think I’ll go have a look around as well,” said Vairo. “See what this ‘town’ has to offer in the way of provisions.

“This place is a mess!” said Amos, “let’s clean it up before Alastor gets back.”

Cleaning up the house wasn’t that hard the way Amos and Hera did it. They simply shoved all the rubbish onto a small attic-like loft overhead, leaving most of the house clean and awaiting its owner’s return. The only problem was that Alastor didn’t come back.

***

A figure wearing black robes stood outside of a small cemetery during the darkest hour of the night. A dim, yet sinister, light was given off by a nearby torch. This figure, although the face could not be seen due to the darkness, was very skinny and rather tall. As he waited he grew increasingly impatient, and soon began slowly pacing around the cemetery. He was shortly joined by another black-hooded figure that cautiously approached him.

“Master, please forgive my lateness… I have led them here as you requested,” said the man. He, like his master, was covered in black robes and a black hood. Both of their voices were sinister and rough.

“Good – Good! You have done well. Are you certain they do not suspect you?”

“Yes, Master. They bought my simple story without too many problems. I’m not sure about one of them though, he seems different than the rest. He may suspect me of something, but certainly not of the task you have asked me to do.”

“Good, let him suspect whatever he wishes now! They are already in my trap.”

“What are your wishes, Master.”

“Go back to them and wait. You will know what is to happen when the time comes.”

“Master, may I now know what it is you plan to do?”

“I suppose... Since you have done so well… Very well, you see, you have them on the site we established so long ago, right?”

“Of course, Master.”

“Well, make sure they do not leave it, for in a few hours time I will come with my lesser servants. Together, we will take them and eliminate the only ones who can defeat our great lord Chaos.”

“So it will be done by morning, Master?”

“Yes, when that pathetically weak sun-god they call the Phoenix rises today, it will be doomed.”

***

A few hours before sunrise Alastor and Vairo finally returned.

“Sorry mates,” Alastor said. “You see, I’s be drinkin’ some a dat good pirate rum, and lost me track of da time.”

“It’s alright, Alastor. We cleaned up your house. Now there’s actually a place to sleep. Where were you Vairo?”

“I was taking care of some business…” Vairo said as he shot a quick glance at Alastor. “He looks a bit drunk,” Vairo pointed to Alastor. “You ought to be off to bed.”

“Yah mate! I be a lil bitty drunk. Sleep be –good idear.” With a collective yawn Alastor, Amos, and Hera all fell asleep. Vairo stayed awake, watching the front window of the house like a hawk.

A few minutes after everyone else fell asleep Vairo noticed that the moon had come out from behind the clouds, and he could now see almost as if it were day. Suddenly, a ghastly, black-hooded thing appeared in the window.

“Its about time you showed up!” said Vairo, in the hoarsest voice he could muster. “I was starting to think you were never going to come.”

“Yes, my servant. I was delayed, but now the time is here. Where is the boy?”

“He’s over there.” Vairo pointed at one of the little mounds of cloth against the wall. “Shall I kill him or do you want the honor?”

“Let me do it! I’ve been waiting almost a month for this moment!” The man in the black hood pulled his weapon, a gun like Vairo had, out of his robe, briefly took aim at the cloth mound Vairo told him to shoot at, and fired.

Hera woke up and immediately grabbed her sword and shield. She was on her feet seconds after the blast. The black-hooded man let loose an insidious laugh.

“You’re to late little girl!” he shrieked. “I’ve already killed Amos, ‘the chosen one.’”

Vairo began to chuckle as Hera screamed every curse she could think of. How could she let this happen? She hadn’t known for sure, but she definitely suspected Amos was to be their savior. She should have been guarding him. She noticed the other lump of cloth move. Alastor must be rousing from his drunken slumber, she thought.

“Oh, by the way,” Vairo began laughing even louder. “You know how you said I was your servant?”

“Yes, I am your Master,” said the hooded figure.

“No, you just shot your servant.” Pulling his gun out from inside his cloak, Vairo let loose a punishing volley of bullets at the figure until he had none left.

“Hera, what the hell’s going on?”

“AMOS! I thought you were dead.” She tackled him to the floor.

“Why, what happened?”

“It seems that Alastor betrayed us,” she said.

“No… Alastor didn’t betray us. That man is not the pirate you knew. From your stories you faced the deception of the Occator in the Great Forest?”

“That’s right, but it didn’t kill Alastor, it just tricked him into thinking he was dead, Vairo.”

“That’s probably what it told you, right? This is not, nor was it ever, Alastor. Alastor, your friend, did indeed die in the great forest. This… is the Occator.”

“Very good, Vairo. Very good! I applaude you.” Somehow, the hooded man hadn’t been phased by the bullets. “But you know… I think you have more to worry about now than the dead body of the Occator. I am Skylla, the supreme commander of the Legion of the Fallen, or as you called us, the Undead Army, from Kratos. Chaos has sent me, its most trusted and loyal servant, to kill Amos… and all who aid him in his quest!”

“You have the wrong man! I don’t have a quest!” pleaded Amos.

“You’re right… You’ll never have anything ever again!” It hissed.

With this, the hooded figure, Skylla, threw off its cloak to reveal its decaying body and dove for Amos. For once, something had happened that Vairo did not expect and he, along with Amos and Hera, screamed as loudly as possible and ran out the back door of the house.

“WHAT IS THAT!” cried Hera.

“I don’t know,” grunted Vairo as they sprinted towards the docks. “What I do know… is that we have to get away from it. We’re going to commandeer a small vessel from these pirate scum.”

Skylla was still right behind them, and now other undead, zombie types were appearing from behind every building and around every corner. It seemed that there were even more of them here than there were back in Kratos. A nightmare, thought Amos. That’s it! This is just a nightmare… when I wake up this’ll all be a great laugh.

But Amos soon realized he wasn’t going to wake up, in fact, chances were that he was going to die after all. There were too many of these Legion of the Fallen soliders. Hera, Vairo, and he were rounding corner after corner in the pirate town, ducking into ally ways, and climbing fences and buildings, but soon, they found themselves in a dead end.

“I have you now!” hissed Skylla. “Soon you will join my Legion!”

“No!” yelled Hera, thinking back to the first time she met Amos, the time Chaos destroyed her home, and the earlier time when they escaped these evil creatures. “We’ve escaped your clutches once, we can do it again!”

“How?” hissed one of the other creatures.

“What are you going to do?” taunted Skylla, “have Vairo shoot me again?” All of the creatures laughed. “Do you want to know a little secret before you die?”

“No! We’re not going to die!” yelled Amos.

“Okay, since you insist,” Skylla shined a wicked, toothless smile. “There is no real hope for this world now, it is certain that Master Chaos will soon devour your precious sky bird you call the Phoenix. The people Chaos kills will then belong to me. The people we kill will belong to me. Your souls will belong to me! And I hate you! I HATE all of you. I can punish you like you never thought possible. I–”

In the middle of Skylla speech, a great fireball erupted over the horizon, but it was still more than an hour before dawn. Upon seeing the great fireball, Vairo cracked an enormous grin. It’s coming! He thought. I’m finally going to get to see it up close!

“Oh I hate the sun!” Skylla winced. “You there!” he shouted to a dozen of his men. “Kill them… Kill them now.”

NO! Vairo screamed inside his head. Just a few more seconds.

Fortunately, Skylla’s grunts did not have guns. They merely had ancient swords and spears. Hera and Amos stepped up to face them. They hacked away limbs, heads, and speared the gruesome creatures through the stomach, but they kept coming. Amos and Hera backed off and tried to climb the wall, but Vairo began to pray.

Suddenly, Vairo’s great hope was achieved. A large, brilliant light plummeted between them and the creatures. In a few seconds, and with much squinting, Vairo could see a young bird in the light. The newborn Phoenix! He thought.

The creatures, frightened by the intense light, dropped their weapons and ran. Skylla, too, dropped his gun and ran as fast as he could. When all the creatures had fled, the Phoenix slowly walked to Vairo and stared at him very strongly. Amos and Hera, who had obviously noticed the bird, were in complete awe. For a full minute, the Phoenix stared at Vairo, then Vairo whispered something completely inaudible to Amos and Hera. As suddenly as it came, the Phoenix left, and Vairo fell to his knees, pocketed Skylla’s gun, and rejoiced.

“It’s true! It’s all true!” he rejoiced. “The new Phoenix. Amos. The prophecy is going to come true!”

“That’s great!” yelled Amos, “but those creatures are still out there! We need to hide!”

“Yes! The Phoenix said to go to the docks, and we will find–”

“Wait a minute!” interrupted Hera, “The Phoenix didn’t say anything. It just stared at you!”

“Trust me, Hera,” returned Vairo. “It told me something very important. It said that its dieing mother is waiting for us at the docks, and that the old Phoenix has cooled enough for us to ride on. We’re flying to Berser!”