Skulls

It was the sixth night since Kai had fled the border fortress, since his encounter with the apostle known as Zodd and the Crimson Beherit. The Crimson Beherit, he knew little about astrology but it was enough to know that the time of the once in a 216 years eclipse was coming, the nocturnal festival, but even then he didn't feel to be at comfort around something that could warp the land and summon the four. Against any apostle, Kai could at least escape if not beat them, but the same wasn't true if he was against the Godhand. Then whether the captain of the White Hawks was one chosen by the Idea of Evil or he was just a cog in the grand machinery of fate that would deliver the Beherit to its chosen, that was something Kai didn't know, he wasn't even a novice at reading fate and the one expert who could tell about the coming didn't give any answers to Kai in these past nights.

'Frustration... Frustration is poison to one's mind.' Kai thought, remembering the words of his old ageing mater. 'Especially a sorcerer's."

He set his camp, resting one night in the wilderness of the forest after taking a long-awaited bath in a nearby lake. Feeling the cold air on his skin, winter was here.

"Well," Kai let out a cold sigh, resting near the embers of the slowly stifling flame. "Better get going before it gets dark, ain't gonna accomplish much freezing over here."

His horse nearby snorted in agreement.

"Okay...Okay..." Kai said saddling her up and then extinguishing the dying embers of his camp with a kick.

They headed into the mountains. The ride was a treacherous one, it only got colder and colder. Kai was used to it, he knew how to manage the heat in one's body even without magic, something taught to him by Kushan masters from who he learned the basics of magic. Soon they found themselves on a winding trail, leading further up into the forest-covered mountains. Kai turned to the left, and after about another half hour they rounded up again and finally came upon a flat rocky spur. He sighed at the sight of the small wooden trading post, stable and all.

"Finally..." Kai said, dismounting the mare and leading her towards the waiting stables. Just then a woman stepped out, smothered in fur clothing, seeing Kai she gave a friendly wave and hurried across.

"Good day, sir." She smiled, her face cheerful in contrast to her tired eyes.

"Good day, I would be grateful if you rub down my horse, give her some feed and a place to rest for the night," Kai said with polite tiredness, "I could use some of the same myself."

"Sure, sir." She said rubbing her chin. "We could all that and more but I gotta see some coin first. We prefer silver but we'll take copper too."

Kai reached into his pouch and shoved a handful of bronze coins into her outstretched hands. The woman quickly counted out the money and gave Kai the rest back.

"That will cover your horse. Go see John inside for the rest of your doings."

"Much obliged," Kai said, stuffing the remaining money back into his pouch. He took the Cursed Thorne off the saddle and headed for the trading post door.

"You take care of that horse," Kai called after her.

The woman crackled, leading the big mare away. Kai turned and pushed open the door.

"Close the damn door!" A fat man called across the room from where he sat huddled around the crackling fireplace. "Where you born in a barn?!"

Kai did as bid, ignoring the other man as he strolled across the room, ducking to avoid the low-hanging beans from which hung dried meats and musky-smelling herbs on his way to the counter. The man behind the counter was in contrast opposite to Kai, where Kai had black hair and strange crimson eyes, the man was bald with common brown eyes, while Kai was slender and lean, the man was Weasley thin, old, and sickly looking. Kai nodded in approval as he noted the well-stocked shelves behind the smiling proprietor.

"How can I help you, friend?" The man said wiping his hands on a dirty-looking apron.

"You John?" Kai asked.

"No," the fat man smirked from across the room, taking a long hard pull on his whiskey bottle, "He is the King of Midland."

"Ignore him." The proprietor whispered as if scared of being overheard. "He is drunk, that's all."

"I need a hot meal and a room for the night." Kai continued. "Think you can manage that."

"He couldn't manage a fucking brothel." The fat man sneered.

"I am getting tired of your mouth, friend," Kai said rounding on the other man.

"Not your friend." The man replied sitting up straighter.

"Then stop running your mouth at my way," Kai said, crossing the room towards the fat man.

"I'll say whatever I damn please." The fat man jumped to his feet, his face flushed with liquor and rage.

"Listen," Kai said. "I have been in a real bad mood for the past month now, so open your mouth just once, just one more time and see what happens."

The fat man went to do just that, but before his words could pass his lips Kai rammed a gnarled fist into his face. There was an explosion of blood and teeth and the fat man sat down hard. Completely unconscious.

"Now what did I tell you," Kai said flexing his knuckles gingerly, "Some morons are always pissing on the wind."

"You there!" Kai called the skinny man behind the counter who wringing his hands together nervously, "Grab hold of this asshole's legs."

"What are you going to do him?" He asked hurrying over.

"Throw this rotting lard out," Kai said hooking his hands under the big guy's arm, "he is stinking up the place."

"You don't mean to throw him out, do you?"

"Why do you give a fuck?"

"Please, James Patrick came from real bad folks. I don't want any feud with them."

"Point them in my direction then."

Then he went for the door followed by the skinny man. Both men were inside after dropping the fat man outside in moments.

"Now, about that room?" Kai asked.

"Oh, sure-sure." John grinned as picked up a bottle of liquor from a table. "You came here at the right time, a day ago all the rooms were filled - all three of them."

"Soldiers?" Kai asked.

"Almanians?" John replied.

"Almanians? What are Almanians doing here in midst of a war?"

"Treasure hunting? Looking for the Lightwood treasure."

"Lightwood treasure?" Kai raised his brow. "Never heard of it."

"You haven't," John asked, looking genuinely surprised, "It's a local legend, in fact, people have heard of Lightwood treasure all over the region and beyond."

"Never heard of it."

"You must have. Micheal Lightwood was a hunter. Nearly a century ago he came across a dying bear, and tracked it all the way to a hidden old cave. They say Micheal found a bunch of treasure up there, old gold, gems and all that-"

Kai interrupted. "Sound like a bunch of hogwash to me."

"The Almainans didn't think so. They brought a whole mule team and all manner of equipment for digging."

"Just show me the room, will you?"

So he did and left quietly after helping Kai unpack the few essentials he carried. Namely; a human skull kept on a table near his bed, his few journals, his alchemy kit, spears and potion bottles among other things. Then Kai threw himself on the bed and let out a relaxing groan before turning his face to the human skull kept on the nearby table.

"You still sleeping in there?" Kai asked looking into the hollow skull's eyes.

He waited for a reply but never came.

"Whatever..." Kai sighed and moved his head towards the ceiling. He was above the ceiling until he heard the sound of a dozen horses moving towards the trading post followed by a woman's scream.

Kai jumped off the bed and grabbed the Mortal Thorne before making his way outside. He spotted John swinging open the door and followed him.

"MARY!" John shouted running off to the bleeding stable girl who sat in a leap in front of a dozen horsemen. A side of her face was swollen.

"I am sorry..." She cried as Kai approached.

"This is him.. it was this man." Kai heard a familiar fat voice, he turned to see James Patrick, still with a bloody nose and split lips sitting upon a horse among the riders. He looked at Kai and sneered. "You shouldn't have mess with me, traveller."

"You hurt James and think his cousin will let you leave this village alive." A large gruff rider said.

Kai looked up at him. "You his cousin?"

"We are all his cousins." A voice said from behind among the riders.

"And you are here to kill me for that?" Kai asked.

"That's right," James said

The gruff man chipped in, "And there is no talking out it. Someone is dying here today."

"Why does it always come to this? I am not even getting paid," Kai sighed, relaxing his body for a moment then lunged at the gruff man and stabbed the golden spear into his throat. Blood sprayed as Kai pulled the short spear out and the moment the man's horse beneath him yelped, he jumped onto James Patrick who was sitting beside and pulled him onto the ground.

James screamed as his face hit the ground and Kai's finger was shoved into his naked eyes. It made a squishy sound but that was enveloped by James' loud scream. Then Kai stabbed him in the throat.

A nearby rider pulled out his sword and swung at him, but Kai was quick to dodge with a side step and with the same motion he pulled the rider down by his sword. The rider resisted, gripping the saddle with his legs but then a hand grabbed his face.

"Give me your face," Kai shouted and pulled hard, taking the flesh off the man's blood-covered skull, the cheeks, the lips, the nose and even the eyelids. The man screamed and fell.

Kai turned to the other riders and glared. The horses backed off, Kai just stood and watched as they fled into the forest.

------------------------

In midst of this, something else entered Kai's room while he was away outside. Something in heavy armour skeletal design wearing a skull helmet appeared in the room through a portal cut into the void and it stared into the human skull resting on the table.

"It's been some time since I required your service." The skull knight said. "The eclipse is coming."

There was no reaction from the skull.

"Read my fate-"

The skull didn't react.

"-This is my request."

The skull didn't react.

"Let me see the wave of causality."

For moments nothing happened. Then drops of blood streaked from the empty skull socket like tears.

"KING...." An echoey voice came resounding from the skull. "WHAT...."

Two crimson dots of red light lit up inside the skull's hollow sockets, they turned brighter and luminescent crimson smoke flowed from the sockets into the air.

"What is it thou see?" The voice inside the skull reverberated, the crimson smoke rippled with every word it spoke.

"Doth thine eyes.... see it... King? Gaze into my mine crimson miasma."

The Skull Knight looked into the hollow crimson eyes and a scene formed in his mind.

"Men laid bare... desiccated on the ground of flesh and blood, abandoned by the trusted hawk... the nameless blade... one falls.. one rises... damnations. The third eye opens. The veil falls. The beast feeds and warms its gullet. The Outsider watches... one will wish death upon his flesh... but no mercy will be given, for none he hath gave. The rising five shall signal wars end. Woe and triumph. The mortals will know from them... bloodshed. Armageddon for all. Mortals, Apostles, nightlings, elves, mages. In the light, they all will..."

Then crimson smoke faded away with so did the light, and the skull again became inactive but not before saying.

"Fare thee well, Old King."

The space behind the Skull Knight split open like paper revealing pitch-black darkness and he hovered back into it while saying to the skull, "Fare thee well, Warlock."