Into the Darkness

Into the Darkness is a story by Varkanax39, detailing the beginning of Shardak's role in the Second Multiversal Civil War.

Prologue
The caverns below Roxtus were silent. No Rahi dared to stir in the twisted depths of the earth, and no voices broke the quiet. It was as if a dark hand had settled over the caves, draping the entire underground city in a dark shroud. All was still, save the torches that still burned with shallow, feverish red light.

The tall, shadowy Elemental who strode through the darkness like a wraith paused for a moment, his dispassionate gaze surveying the cavern. The stench of death filled the air, and as he entered the broken gathering chamber that had been created for the Skrall, he knew instantly he had come to the right place.

Once, this had served as a secret meeting chamber for the leaders of the Skrall race. The dark being could still see the faded remnants of their insignia engraved on one of the walls. Several centuries later it had been used as a center for the growing Alliance of Xaterex, before the cataclysm came fifty years ago and flung this twisted city below the depths of the earth.

Now, it was simply the Crypt.

Very few Rahi dared to live here, for the sheer concentration of dark energy was too much for their weak minds to bear. Even though it had been many centuries since dark power was last used here, the malevolence still lingered there like a half-remembered echo reverberating through the ebony stones themselves.

The Elemental surveyed the gathering chamber, raising one ebon-armored claw to tear away an ancient spiderweb. His armor, which shone like polished obsidian, seemed to glow even brighter in the shadows. The Elemental’s keen vision easily noticed the emerald armored being attempting to cloak himself in the shadows of the Crypt.

"Give it up, Windeus, I know you’re there." hissed the Elemental. The emerald being turned, his cold eyes fixing on the Elemental’s face.

"Skorpix. Where are the others?" Windeus hissed in his snakelike voice.

"Near." said Skorpix cryptically.

The Elemental’s conversation was suddenly cut off by the scraping of chains against the cold stone floor. A twisted, shadowy figure seemed to rise out of the depths of the cavern. The room’s shallow torchlight illuminated a horrific face that appeared to be a terribly burned and melted Spinax Hound head fused with that of an Elemental. The long chains the fusion carried as weapons sounded like nails scraping across iron as she moved to join Skorpix and Windeus.

"Do you bring the prisoner, Nex?" asked Skorpix. "Bring him before us."

"No." said Nex in a throaty voice sounded uncannily like the growl of a Rahi.

"I have him." said a new voice, cutting Nex off. The three Elementals turned to look at the tall, athletic Dark Hunter carrying two protosteel daggers. Her emerald eyes stared contemptuously at Nex and Windeus, and as her gaze met Skorpix’s her eyes turned guarded. She and Skorpix were both rivals for the Emperor’s favor, and while this conflict never became overly hostile, the feeling of mutual dislike was obvious.

Following the Dark Hunter was a gaunt Glatorian. His red armor was torn and bloodied, and his eyes haunted, as if he’d seen so many horrors that his soul had died, yet his body forced to live on.

"So you managed to take him alive, Lariska" Skorpix hissed, already wondering how he could discredit her in the eyes of his superiors.

Lariska tossed her head contemptuously. "Oh, please. This one barely put up a fight. I’ve had more fun with the Shadowed One’s training dummies on Odina."

The Glatorian stirred. His crazed eyes fixed on Skorpix, and recognition flared within his haunted pupils.

"No! I won’t-"

"Be silent.” said Windeus. His voice carried a slight tremor this time. “One of our number is not yet here. She alone will speak with you."

"What? Who do you mean? What do you want from me?"

"The Veiled Ones were forced to break his mind, and even then they didn’t get the full story." said Lariska.

"And you never will!" snarled the Glatorian. He seemed unafraid of them all, but Skorpix felt his mind recoil from the sheer darkness encased in this chamber. "I'll tell you nothing more.!"

"Oh, that I very much doubt. We are masters of...forceful persuasion." said Windeus silkily. “But you can avoid this most terrible torture if you tell us the secret you’ve been hiding from us. Where are the Shadow Hunters?” The emerald elemental snarled the last five words.

"My secrets will die with me." said the Glatorian, but his eyes were slightly fearful now. Skorpix had to admire his suicidal devotion to the rebellion’s cause, no matter how foolhardy it was.

And because he knew what would happen now, he almost pitied the Glatorian.

"My secrets will die with me." said Xandrek, voice faltering as his gaze fixed on the tall, dark Elemental Prince of Earth. Once, he had been one of the most brilliant minds in the rebellion’s armies. Now his mind was torn apart by the Corpsian’s torture. They had broken his spirit and power completely.

Later, they’d taken him back to his cell, and he’d hoped they were finished, until the evil Dark Hunter Lariska came for him. And he knew that those who met the Shadowy Ones rarely lived to tell the tale. These Elementals had once ruled all of Xaterex with their power before the Shadow Cataclysm. Now, their power broken, they had scattered, only a few remaining allied with the Empire.

''But if they're here...that means the Empire is going to begin a new campaign. But what? If there are any celestial bodies beyond the Xaterex and Solis Magna Systems, the Empire would have conquered them by now.''

As if in answer to his defiance, the torches flickered and dimmed.

Lariska’s smile faltered.

Skorpix and Windeus tensed.

Nex muttered something unintelligible and shoved Xandrek toward the shadows, which appeared to be writhing, as if recoiling from something more terrible then they. Xandrek, now irrationally terrified, staggered backward as he noticed the fifth Elemental in the shadows, where before there had only been darkness.

Dread froze his soul as he looked into pitiless red eyes that glared out from behind a slitted mask. The being that stood before him clutched a scepter in one hand topped by a black and scarlet orb, from which shone a dark light so terrible he flinched and looked away. As he was forced to lock eyes with the being, Xandrek noticed that its hands were pale gray and tinged with green, like those on a corpse.

"Bow before Eostra." snarled Skorpix. "Bow before the annihilator."

"No." gasped the Glatorian. "No, please. I’ll tell you everything! I’ll-"

A chilling hand seemed to close over his throat, choking off his voice. The dread being spoke, her voice harsher then any Veiled One.

"Bring it closer." Xandrek saw the raw terror in Nex’s eyes as the green Elemental shoved him to the ground before Eostra. A terrible scarlet light shone down on him from the scepter, bathing him in the dark illumination.

"This pathetic being is shielded by another." the Glatorian recognized Eostra’s scratchy voice. "He has been nearly broken. Let Eostra take him."

"No, please, no." gasped Xandrek as he was engulfed by sheer terror. The world was spinning all around him, but he could still see Eostra’s nightmarish Kanohi as she ravaged through his mind, exposing the secret he had fought so hard to protect from the Veiled Ones, the secret that the leaders of the resistance had trusted him with.

When he had been taken by the Veiled Ones, he had lost all fear of death. He knew there was no escape, but had continued to use the powerful shield one of the rebel commanders had given him to protect the one secret that could destroy the rebellion utterly.

But now Eostra and the other Shadowy Ones knew his secret.

And he had found out there were things far, far worse then death.

Xandrek felt the world begin to fade, felt his vision dim as Eostra’s shadowy power began to spread through his body, chilling and burning him all at once.

''Let me die. ''He thought. ''Let me die now. ''

Then something deep within him erupted like a flame. He couldn't die now. He had to find a way somehow to stop the Shadowy Ones from returning to their full power. If they did, there would be no hope for the rebellion. Slowly his eyes flickered, as if awaking from a stupor.

"I’ll kill you all." He snarled defiantly. "The rebels granted me Elemental power. I’ll bring these caves down on top of you."

Nex looked uncertain now, but Eostra stayed completely cold and emotionless, as if the Glatorian’s threat meant nothing to him.

''Does nothing scare her? Does she feel anything save the hunger for complete power?'' Xandrek wondered.

"You have no power against me." hissed her chill voice.

“You were burned once. One of your members betrayed you. I’ll finish the job.” Fire flickered into existence at his fingertips. Now all of the Shadowy Ones except Skorpix had backed away from Xandrek and Eostra. The two beings, Elemental and Glatorian, seemed to stand still for a moment, then Skorpix’s wingblade slashed down at him. Xandrek ducked the first blow, but the second struck him in the chest. He traded blows with Skorpix for a few moments, then broke away. The small flame he’d created had become a fireball now. As Skorpix drew back to strike again, he threw his arm forward.

Suddenly he was lifted off his feet and flung against the wall. Slowly the caves came back into view, and as his vision cleared, he saw Windeus standing over him. Looking around wildly for an escape route, he realized with a sinking feeling there was none. Skorpix barred one way and Eostra the other. Even if he could escape the three Elementals, Lariska and Nex were still guarding the exit.

He tried to get to his feet, but Eostra’s dread power held him still. Slowly she raised the scepter and pointed it at him.

The Scepter of Darkness. Xandrek thought in horror. He knew exactly what the scepter did, and it terrified him as much as Eostra did. Fire danced for a moment in has armored hand, then flickered out. Seeing his last defense fail, he knew he was dead.

"We know your secret, Glatorian.” said Eostra, pointing the scepter at him. “We have no further use for you."

He was conscious of every detail. He saw Eostra’s corpse hand tighten around the scepter. He saw Skorpix’s dispassionate red gaze scorch him from the darkness. He saw the black lightning arc from the Scepter of Darkness and strike him.

Pain tore through him and he screamed once before his body crumbled to ash.

And in those last moments, he felt acceptance begin to overtake the fear of death. Who was he to think he could challenge the might of the Empire and live? He would die, and soon, the rebels would all die as well. There was no way he could avoid his fate, no way any of them could.

Then the darkest of all shrouds enveloped him and his world went black.

Chapter 1
Shadows obscured the moons of Spherus Magna, draping the city of Intax below in a dark shroud. Ominous clouds moved slowly across the sky, occasionally allowing the glimmer of a few stars to shine through the shadows. For a moment, the stars illuminated the golden-armored being striding through the seemingly abandoned street in the city below. Then, as if they had never been there, the stars vanished.

Shardak looked at the cloudy sky, realizing this would be a deceptive night. The clouds offered him perfect cover, but if the stars chose to shine down on him, he would lose the darkness that protected him.

I'm a Toa of Light, yet I use the shadows to hide me. Shardak thought wryly. His emerald eyes scanned the empty street, searching for the being he knew was following him.

There! A flash of crimson armor slipped through the shadows and vanished once more. Shardak allowed himself to relax, knowing it was not an enemy now. While he had suspected someone had followed him here, he had no idea whether it was a friend, an enemy, or worse still, a Veiled One.

Wandering in Intax during the night was punishable by death.

"Thar, is that you?" said Shardak, his voice barely above a whisper.

A red-armored Glatorian appeared beside him, causing Shardak to nearly jump in surprise. He hadn't realized Thar had been following him so closely.

"The Veiled Ones are everywhere tonight." said Thar quietly. "They're watching the end of the Eternal Game."

"The Eternal Game?" said Shardak with mock excitement. "Who's left?"

"Serrakaan, Dredzek, Tabaris, and Fairon. There's one more, too. A Kodax."

Chapter unfinished...

Trivia

 * The Combat forms were created by The Slicer.
 * This page won Featured story.
 * The battle that Skorpix shows the captured Toa on board the Shadow Destroyer is the same battle fought at the edge of the Void in chapters 28 and 29 of The Eternal Game.
 * This novel was originally a short story titled Dissolution, set on Xaterex IV. After The Eternal Game was finished, Varkanax39 needed to fill the gap between the two stories and began writing this, cancelling Dissolution.
 * Into the Darkness is the 7th longest page on the wiki.