Chapter 2

As Kael followed the servant Kara, he wondered what his father wanted. The last time they’d been together was when his father had taught him summoning and binding incantations. ‘He seemed really pleased at the time and praised me a lot, only to leave me alone for weeks.’

Hundreds of eyes in the dark followed the puzzled Kael’s figure as he walked behind Kara. The gazes held a little affection, but more than the attachment, they held awe and reverence.

Kael’s chamber was located at the end of a tunnel that ran out of the Great Chamber. The air in the passageway was cool and mist covered the floor. But Kael paid it no mind, for in the dark, it was all the same. From within the Great Chamber, the two could be seen drawing nearer. Their footsteps grew louder and the echoes grew clearer. As they walked past the chamber’s doorway, Kael withdrew from his thoughts, and instead began to admire the figure of his father’s servant. What he admired was not a handsome face or shapely limbs, for Kael’s sense of beauty was based on where he grew up.

What Kael admired about Kara was his entire being. Standing at six-foot-seven, he was a mountain of muscle. His skin was pale white, and his eyes glowed yellow in the dark. This huge being moving about in butler’s clothes made for a peculiar sight. And yet, this was just one of the many oddities Kael had grown used to over the years. He regarded him as family all the same. In fact, it had never even occurred to the boy that he was the truly odd one in this place.

After walking in silence for a few hours-the kind of time it took to move around this place-they arrived at the doors to his father’s chamber. The size of the great hall was so immense that it’d take Kael a year to reach the other end. His father had once told him that it was designed to accommodate the ones living down here who were huge in size.

As for when this Great Dark came into being? That his father wouldn’t say.

As the two reached the entrance, the two massive doors, excess of a hundred meters in height, inched apart. What was odd was how the doors made no sound as they swung back little by little.

Kael followed Kara inside.

“Son, step forward. Today is an important day of your life.” His father's voice was calm and, as usual, the air trembled as his mouth birthed words. Kael had to admit that he had never truly seen his father face-to-face before. There had only ever been his voice, and that was enough for Kael. The boy didn’t care: he was odd that way. Growing up in the Great Dark, he had learned to accept most things without a hitch.

“Greetings, Lord Father. May I ask as to why I’ve been summoned? And hello, Uncle Azog!” Kael replied in an overly formal manner, except for the greeting he extended to his uncle, upon the mention of whose name a smile crept onto the boy’s face. It wasn’t as if he could see Azog; he presumed the fellow would be present.

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“Hehe. Kiddo, you’re growing by the day. The reason why your father has summoned you is because it’s time for you to go out into the world.” Azog chuckled. The affection was evident in his voice, but the stunned boy had no mind to think about it. This was his dream Azog was talking about!

He knew so much about the world above-perhaps more than anyone who lived in it-yet he could only depend upon his imagination to picture it. After a brief moment of being stunned, he burst out with words.

“Are you serious!? I cannot wait! When do I go and to where? What about you, father, will you be coming with me?”

“Calm yourself, son. We must accomplish some things first. For reasons you don’t need to know for now, we need to restrict some of your memories. As you travel and live in the world above, these memories will become available to you over time. There are people out there who’d hate you for who you are and from where you come.

“As for accompanying you, you’ll naturally not go to that world alone. I shall send your uncle Rache with you. He does dote on you, and out there he can teach you everything you need to learn. I'll even let you bring some of your pets. What about your hounds? And maybe your pet raven too? How does that sound?” The voice had been somber at first, but as it continued to sound out, traces of cheer and humour made their way in. As for what his father found so amusing, Kael couldn’t tell.

“As you say, father. When can I come back here?” Kael was a bit anxious about the whole matter. He was only a thirteen year old boy, after all. He would miss his home a lot after a while.

“You can come home whenever you wish, but don’t be in a hurry to return. You will find that time passes faster up there than down here, endlessly so for one as old as me. Oh! And do mind that most of the people up there are quite simple. They crave others’ possessions and act in passion and for desire. Your uncle Rache will teach you about this as well, I suppose. Shall we begin? You will fall asleep after we seal some of your memories. Once you wake up, you will be with your uncle Rache in the world above.”

Kael was a bit hesitant at first, but then gave a solemn nod. A moment later, a darkness that was somehow thicker than his surroundings enveloped him.

For a while the chamber was silent.

“Bael, why did you seal his memories? That was nearly all the knowledge he has from this place other than his elementary magic. I realize that with his knowledge he would be a godlike existence up there, but is this really necessary?” Azog’s doubtful words echoed through the hall.

All of a sudden, the chamber shook from a rumbling laughter. Two red glowing orbs materialized in the dark. They were the size of boulders, and looking closer, they seemed to be two scarlet eyes.

“He needs to work his way up in the continent. It would be far too easy for him to destroy the world above if he had all his knowledge and power at his disposal from the start. I want him to learn from their way of life first. As time progresses and he forms his own experiences, then when his power is at its peak, he can do as he wishes. Besides... would it not be hilarious if he entered a holy order? With no signs of what he truly is, what can they do? The mention of my name alone would make their souls escape their bodies. Seeing through my powers is a dream too far fetched...” The laughter slowly abated and the chamber was once again covered in silence.