Spirit Riser CHAPTER THREE

Chapter Three-

The sky darkened and on an island just off the Duskvelden coast, a castle made from black marble loomed in the darkness. It's peak was touching the black sky and inside, Lord Raven was deep in talk with Imperial Ministers.
"My Lord," a short and timid man spoke. "There is talk that the Varix Elder is planning a revolt of some kind."
"So I have heard," a cold and harsh voice spoke. It was full of hatred and anger. "Ankiel is planning to awaken the new generation of Spirit Risers' to their powers. He must be stopped."
"My Lord, there is no way that action can be taken tonight. It is Mid-Moon and the Spirits' will show anger towards you. The Varix Elder would not dare to find the first Spirit Riser tonight nor on any other occasion. You are a good leader of Duskvelden."
Lord Raven nodded his head and mumbled agreement. He cast a glare at the five ministers in the room. He was making a selection. His eyes came to rest on a broard shouldered man who had long black hair. Everyone associated with Lord Raven had black hair, it was his way.
"Thoth, I have an errand to run. I am Lord Raven, the Lord Raven and I show no fear of the Spirits'. Assemble a troop. You are going to Varix tonight," he ordered.
"Very well my Lord. But will we arrive in time?" Thoth asked.
"You shall if you want to keep your head attatched to your shoulders," he said maliciously. "Take a good troop of fifty men and attack Varix. Leave no stone un-touched. I want Ankeil here by dawn and bring the bratty teenager too."
Thoth nodded. He dared not disobey his master. He strode from the room and left for Varix.
"My Lord, what if the Spirits' do show anger towards you?" asked the timid minister.
"Let them," he said dryly. He evidently had no fear of the Spirits' no matter what powers they possessed.
He sat back in his chair watching as the Imperial Ministers done his work for him. They were writing down official documents for executions which were supposed to be written by Raven but were not. A laugh came from somehwere in the room making him stand up from his gold throne.
"Who dares laugh in my domain? When I permit you to laugh, you may laugh. Show your face?" he roared.
A laugh sounded again, and a third time. Anger bubbled up in Raven and he stalked the room. Large stides took him ever closer to the culprit. It was coming from a side-door which was locked from the inside.
"A locked door will not keep you from me," he said raising his hand to the keyhole and muttering a few words in Old Tongue. The lock clicked and the laughing stopped, replaced by a startled gasp.
There, crouching down was Lan. Lord Raven's most loyal minister.
"Lan. Why do you laugh?" he boomed demanding to know why someone would dare commit such a crime.
"Because your plans are useless. You cannot stop The Shaman. The Shaman knows you have sent an army. He knows when danger is coming, he can sense it." Lan laughed again.
"What are you talking about?" asked a new minister. He was a large man with a tattoo on his hands. They were of Raven's in flight.
"My true Master is preparing the Spirit Riser as we speak. He will tell him the story of The First Spirit and The First Demon and then, he shall see the birthmark and your fate shall be sealed Lord Raven." Lan looked Raven in the eye. Anger was brewing and as he watched, red flashes as bright as lightning danced in his pupils.
"Execute him. Now. Bring the block and some knifes. A slow death for a trator," Lord Raven ordered. A minister opened the door and gave two guards orders. They arrived not long after with a large wooden block and several knives varying in size and shapes. "Lan, I thought I could trust you. It seems that I was wrong. Before you die, you shall tell me everything that the Varix Elder knows. The Spirit Risers', how does he know of them? Where did he hear the prophecy and, what does the prophecy actually say? I have waited fifty years since my rein began to hear it."
"You want to know everything? It is tough. I would rather die than tell my Masters secrets."
"I can assure you trator that you shall not die until every last ounce of your masters knowledge is revealed to me. I have my ways and means of making people talk," he lifted a zig-zagged knife and ran his finger down the blade. It sliced with even the slightest amount of pressure and a drop of blood fell from his hand to the black marble floor.
Lan knew of Lord Raven's ways. Torture before death. It was how he dealed with the worst criminals. They were sliced, fed to rats and often left to rot before their execution. Lan knew that the Raven intended his death and he didn't care. He had been a follower of Ankiel for seventy years. He only had worked for the Raven to report to Ankiel what was happening in the empire.
Raven walked towards Lan with the zig-zagged knife in hand. He slid it ever so gently over his skin drawing blood. When he had stopped, he did not life the knife, but dug deep into Lan's fleshy torso.
"Now Lan. How long have you been working for The Shaman?" he asked sliding the knife in further.
Lan yelled in pain. He knew that it would only get worse but he had to keep quite. When no answer came, Lord Raven turned the knife ninty-degrees clockwise so that the knife was now horizontal. It twisted past Lan's stomach and he wretched. Still no answer and the knife was yanked out violently leaving a gaping hole in Lan's side.
Lord Raven walked back to the block where the knifes were laid out. He picked up a circular blade. He looked at it and watched light bounce from it to the ceiling. This time, Lan had to speak. The pain was excrutiating and to releive his pain, he gave in to Lord Raven.
"I have worked for Ankiel for seventy years..."
"Seventy years. How were you granted such a long life? Only I have the power to live till I am thousands of years old. Does your master possess these powers too?" He smirked and whipped the circular knife across Lan's face.
"Yes. As a Shaman, he lives longer but created a potion to enable life until your ten-thousandth year." Lan let a tear leave his eye. He was letting Ankiel down. There was no way the Spirits' would welcome him to the Spirit World.
"I see. Now, my next question is; what is the prophecy?" The knife was whipped across his face again.
"The prophecy. Don't you mean prophecies? There is the main Spirit Riser prophecy and one for the first Spirit Riser himself...:

"When the time does dawn and evil have spawned,
the six shall awaken to their powers of which their bodies  adorn.
The One from ancient, Three  from Old and the two from new,
Their destiny is true.
Together they must  bind those whole.
The six of which they seek,
Hide awaiting, the day,
When they will be rised and end the reign.

"A boy, the first of them all,
The one who's life is sad in all,
The loss of those dear,
the sense of fear.
A boy, the first,
The rite passed upon birth,
a mark, the mark, that they have all,
be clasped to his chest,
The Swirl and the Flick, the small amazing Spirit Riser tick.

"You should call your army back. By the time they reach Varix, the Mid-Moon celebrations will be underway. You will be too late."
"What do you mean, we shall be late?" another whip of the knife.
"I mean what I say. The Shaman will have left and the Spirit Riser with him. They will have gone where you least expect to look. Even I do not know where they are going."
"Very well. My soldiers are the best Duskvelden has ever seen and they shall capture them wherever they go. Now, how does The Shaman even know of the Spirit Risers'. Not many people do." Lord Raven now had a normal knife and dug it into Lan's other side.
"It is his job," Lan replied in between ragged gasps.
Lord Raven paused for a few moments and thought. The Shaman. I am sure I have heard the name in the past. The Shaman... I know I have. Legend speaks of the Ultimate Shaman and his quest to rid Duskvelden of evil. I shall not go that quietly.
"Okay Lan. So, The Shaman intends my death does he. I have heard legends. Prophecies too. There are more than seven prophecies of the Spirit Risers' and you know that.
"I shall not spare your life. But, in your own blood, I shall make you write a note to The Shaman. Tell him of your defeat. Tell him that Lord Raven knows about his plans and as soon as he is captured, he shall face the executioners block," he said thrusting parchment in-front of Lan. He then passed him a raven feather quill to write with.
Blood was gushing from Lan's several wounds. He picked one and dabbed the quill in the crimson liquid. He wrote slowly, still in a lot of pain.

Master, The Shaman,
                                                 I have sinned against you and I am sorry. Lord Raven caught me and learnt of me deciet. Please do not blame yourself. I am to face the executioners block in the moments to come and the Lord wants me to let you know, as soon as he catches you and the Spirit Riser, you too shall both face the block.
He tells me to write of my defeat and how you shall not win in the battle against evil. He also knows of the prophecies and says that there is an eight prophecy. Why have I never been told this?
Anyway, as I face up to death, I pray that the Spirits' allow me into The River of Souls. If not, I shall wonder the world screaming, never with a purpose. My sins against you may never be forgiven.

Your LOYAL servant,
Lan

No sooner had Lan finished writing his name had be been dragged from his seating place and towards the block.
"Any last words?" Raven asked mockingly.
"May the Spirits' forgive me and may they trap you in the sky for eternity with The First Demon."
The executioner walked in the room. He brought with him a chill and Lan shuddered. He was afraid his Spirit would not be granted eternal rest in the Spirit World. He muttered words in Old Tongue about redemtion and rest. The executioner had brought with him a hefty black axe with a raven carved into the blade.
Lord Raven oppened a scroll of parchment and read from it; "Lan of Divakin, Duskvelden. You have been placed under immediate execution y the block. Your crimes against this land and your Lord, Lord Raven shall not be forgiven. As you roam through the world, I pray that you ponder on your crimes."
Drumroll began and the axe was raised. When it came down with a foul swoop, Lan let out a gasp moment before it came in contact with his flesh and said the word: "Thiazu".