The King of Chains

Opening the old brown door Joseph stepped into the lair of the old women. He’d heard many rumours about the so called oldest witch and he knew that he risked much going to her, but he needed her ancient knowledge for the fight ahead of him. Before he was in an old store of forgotten trinkets but after stepping through that door Joseph found himself in a dark and damp cave.

Waving his hand in front of him Joseph summoned the spirit of the lamp to light his path. A small bright orb appeared in front of him and began zipping around him letting out a childish laugh, but as Joseph stepped forward the laughing stopped and the spirit took its place in front of him. Walking deeper into the cave Josephs senses were assaulted with an old musty smell of damp books, looking down he could see the floor had been covered with old books made damp by a small stream flowing down into the cave.

A terrible shriek filled the cave and Joseph tensed up, getting ready for anything.
“Who has stumbled into my web? Went the spider to the fly, Hehehe” Squinting his eyes ahead he couldn’t make anything out of the darkness ahead. Raising his hand up Joseph showed his palm to the darkness.

“Do not try anything foul creature, I need only think it and you will be destroyed” A spiral pattern began to glow on his palm, but the darkness merely cackled back at him.

“Ooohh! A summoner has come to pay me a visit! It’s been so long since one of your kind has come to me... now what can auntie do for you my child? Hehehe”

“You know of the duels correct? Soon I will be facing against someone who can summon the one called Kaiadas” the shriek sounded again yet this time was mixed with a terrible cackling, the noise made Josephs ears hurt.

“Hohoho! Hehehe! You would fight the King of Chains! I thought you brave enough for merely coming to me... but to fight that creature... it seems bravery is ever the mask of the fool! Hehehe!”

“Witch! I stand by your ancient contract, you must answer my question! Tell me everything about the King of Chains!” The terrible noise stopped abruptly and for a moment Joseph thought she had left.

“.... No need to get impatient son... auntie will answer your question... The story of Kaiadas is a long and sad one... and for us ancients it haunts us still”

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Long ago in the realm you call the spirit world there existed a kingdom of shining glory called Nolybab. It was not as grand as the water spirits realm, nor as perfect as the realm of the fey but still it was a shining beacon for hope and justice against the darkness. It was here the spirit worlds greatest warriors were born and raised within the order of the golden flame.

Kaiadas was the greatest of them.

The pinnacle of martial and magical might Kaiadas would descend from the heavens to beat back whole armies from the realms of darkness. Yet Kaiadas was a humble knight who gladly served his monarch in their mission of protecting the realms against any invader. It is truly sad then that in end Nolybab would fall to terrible invaders.
The realms of darkness had grown tired with being unable to attack the realms of light or even each other, for the golden flame would even protect them for the sake of balance. A terrible council was formed between some of the mightiest realms of darkness, yet even some of the realms of light joined this movement, and together they formed an army of unparalleled might.

No one knows how long the fighting lasted, some say days, others say it took years but despite the bravery and might of the Knights of Nolybab the kingdom burned. Kaiadas was at the centre of the battle slaying all how came his way, even a Galcasa demon who all said was immortal was cut asunder by Kaiadas’s mighty powers. For him the fighting carried on even after all of Nolybab was burnt to ash, for in his battle fury he hadn’t even noticed the day was lost.

When his last opponent fell to his blade Kaiadas found himself alone. As he looked around at the burnt ground he thought at first that someone had transported him from his home, but as he stretched out his powers he was gripped by an intense misery as he realised he never left. What did he do? He did what anyone would do.
He went mad.

The only witness of all this from the other realms was said to be a tiny fairy, and with its tiny heart broken by the things it saw it fled. Simple minded as a child it went to its King asking why no one sent them help, but perhaps it would have been better if the little fairy had never asked.

“It is none of our business... we protect our own borders”

Horrified at the answer the little fairy fled its kingdom and flew over all the realms with tears in its eye. What it saw burnt a dark resolve in its innocent little heart. The realms had begun open warfare with each other, even the realms of peace began to use their powers to try and extend their borders. Madness and chaos engulfed everything as notions of balance were thrown out the window, and the little fairy swore vengeance against all the realms.

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(To be continued)