Chapter VII - The Unholy Night

Meanwhile, Thesus was at the edge of the stream skimming smooth pebbles all the way down it, while Ferald was still at the table, thinking about his next move, "Need i remind you" Thesus shouted to him "Time is of the essence". Ferald was too focused to hear him, he raised his hand and picked up the exposed bishop, he slid it across, next to his pawn.

Ferald let go of his piece. And leaned back in accomplishment. Thesus looked back at him, " have you moved?" he asked. Ferald looked back and nodded . Thesus looked relieved and let out a sigh "Finally!" he walked up the steps, rubbed his hands together and looked at his opponents move "Is that it?!" he asked with a surprised tone "blimey i thought you 're going to pull a checkmate move the time you were taking". He simply looked upon the board and simply plucked his bishop and copied what his opponent did.

Ferald was sweating from the stress. "Did you really just copy me?" he asked Thesus, he simply looked at the bored, then looked at him and simply replied "it's not copying, its strategy." Ferald knew that he was playing mind games on him, but it still made him angry. He wanted to strike at Thesus, not with his fist but with his mind, he picked up his bishop and took out Thesus' newly placed piece.

He knew that it was a waste of a piece, but he wanted thesus to realise that he was willing to sacrifice his most valuable pieces just to put him in check.

Meanwhile in Salus…

Bells chime across the whole of the town, the city's cathedral was signalling the turn of midnight, all the priests are in the main hall; a tall, long room that was lit by mounted torches on each column. Scriptures and murals were mounted also, but the main one was featuring the battle of Dumont: a fierce and bloody fight against man and giants. All the priests sat around a statue, attending midnight mass. Praising the God Dirim, and hoping he blesses good fortune upon them….Thud…..Thud…..Thud. Three bangs from different directions echoed throughout the room. One of the monks attempted to open the door...but he couldn't, it was bolted shut from the other side. Suddenly the room got quite cold...and a breeze came through the room however there was no window in sight. Tension grew as the torches went out all at once. Extinguishing all the light in the hall… the priests were startled and they were beginning to let fear take a hold of them but their faith was still strong…Silence…

Suddenly, the room was filled with a burning orange light. The priests looked around them and realised the murals cast a light. They burned ferociously as the people inside started to panic. They ran to the doors like a flock of sheep. Fearing for their lives… But the doors felt hot against their hands as they were pounding onto it. It got so hot it burned to the touch. The priests backed away, holding their scouldered hands from the heat that was being emitted from the doors. Fire started showing at the base of the door and within an instant, it went up in flames. The men rallied in the middle of the room, no way out. Nowhere to hide. Yet out of the flames . they saw a figure walking towards them. They were astounded and also terrified. What kind of being could summon itself through fire?. The figures came closer and closer until they literally stepped out of the flaming doors. Each brandishing a sword made of a rod of fire. The priests baked into the far end of the hall, cowering behind below the burning mural. One of them shouted "What are you!?!". The three figures met in the middle. Looked upon the band of holymen and started to walk towards them. They were all dressed in ancient black armour, all with different abstract helmets on yet no face, their cloaks glowed with embers and and they emitted a black smoke-like trail behind them. They walked towards the group and encircled them. Raised their swords up simultaneously and slashed at the crowd, each cut was smooth and clean as they slaughtered them all, their blood spilt on the statue they were praising, and coated the floor in their blood. The outside of the cathedral was set ablaze, flames reaching higher than its tallest spire, coating the entire building in its almighty glow. Screams could be heard from inside. And then silence...only the crackling of the fire could be heard. People tried to put it out with buckets of fire to stop it spreading however they knew it was no good. Suddenly an unholy screeching howl could be heard within the compound. Then nothing. The flames slowly died down and the cathedral started to collapse.The bells tolls died out as the cathedral became no more.

Under the same stars but many, many kilometers away… there laid a forgotten city at the heart of the realm. Old and ruined, covered in vines and crumbling from the years it has stood over the years. A cold breeze flew around this place. It looks like it was left abandoned for centuries. There was silence apart from a dripping noise,but there was no water around it...deep into the depths of this place it kept dripping, dripping onto the cold marble floor and creating a pool of blood...it dripped from a hand, falling off its razor sharp nails.