It was dark. That was the limit of his knowledge at this time. He could not see anything, but he refused to let his fear overcome him. After all, he was to be chosen as a new Warlord, and Warlords have no fear. Especially of the dark.It had been hours since he had been led into this large, though poorly lit, room. After some time he thought his vision would clear, but that was obviously an incorrect assumption. He knew there were four others in similar situations at this very moment. He was mildly curious as to who these other men were or whether or not they would be successful in acquiring Lord Talpa's approval for rank of Warlord.
"Cale..." A voice called in from the darkness, startling him. He saw a thin rectangle of light appear on the floor. He followed the light with his eyes to the tall familiar figure of Anubis, another soldier similar in experience and rank as himself.
"Anubis? What is it?" Cale asked. Anubis stepped into the room and a narrow corridor of burning candles lit his way towards Cale.
"Cale, you must come with me. Lord Talpa has made his decision. You have been invited to the Council Chamber. Follow me." Anubis said. Cale nodded and followed Anubis from the dark room. He was led down a thick, stone hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. Anubis stopped him right outside an enormous wooden door. "Wait here." Anubis said and walked through the door. Cale snarled and turned his eyes away in disgust. He hated how Anubis had grasped his powers so well and so much quicker than he. Talpa always took note of quick learners, which meant that Anubis would most certainly be promoted. Anubis came back quickly.
"Well?" Cale asked impatiently. Anubis snorted at him.
"Careful, or that insubordinate attitude will get you in trouble. Follow closely and keep your mouth shut, boy." Anubis growled. Cale took that as a challenge. He stepped in front of Anubis and stared him down.
"You are not my superior, let alone my better, so you be careful. You wouldn't want that pretty little face of yours to get mangled, would you?" Cale chuckled. Anubis heaved a sigh through his nose and roughly pushed Cale through the now open doors.
Two others were already waiting in the Council Chamber, which obviously meant one of the four soldiers chosen for inspection did not make the cut. They both looked up at Anubis and Cale. Cale only knew one, by reputation. The other was a complete stranger.
The one Cale did know of was a stuck up perfectionist commonly known as Dais. He had the image of a pretty boy and he made Cale smirk in disgust. His hair was almost a bleached white, but it seemed to change color when the flames of the wall torches flickered, like spider silk. He had the lightest blue eyes, which seemed a bit too innocent to be those of a Warlord. This boy may be a bit more dangerous than his looks allow. The other man was, for lack of a better word, creepy. He had a sickly bright green hair color and his eyes were heavily lidded, almost like that of a snake. Cale was unsure what he thought of this one.
"Sit, Cale. Next to Sekhmet. Lord Talpa will arrive momentarily." Anubis said and pushed him forward. Cale snarled but obeyed. So, the creepy man was Sekhmet. He certainly looked more devious than any of the other inhabitants of the chamber. Sekhmet glanced Cale up and down, unsure of him. Cale was a little offended. Before he made his move to announce this problem, a cold wind came from somewhere ahead and chilled him thoroughly. This was not a freeze that could be warmed away. This was evil. Talpa.
"I am pleased to meet my new Warlords. I welcome all of you. Now, as I am quite busy and unable to lead you four into battle myself, I have decided to select a leader for you. He must be strong and able to readily accept leadership." Talpa said. Cale bit his lip, trying to hide his worried smile. Being by far the strongest of this group, he would be a high candidate for leadership. Of course, there was always that stuck up Dais to get in his way...
"Master Talpa, have you already a man in mind?" Dais asked. Cale rolled his eyes.
"Possibly. Before I make any decisions, I will observe you all. I will make my choice clear when I am satisfied. You are all dismissed." Talpa said and vanished from the Council Chamber. Anubis bowed low and quickly left the room. Cale quickly made it to his feet and crossed his arms. Dais was already leaving but Sekhmet had stayed behind. He watched Cale for a moment. This made Cale uneasy.
"What do you want, Snake Eyes?" Cale asked. Sekhmet laughed aloud.
"Snake Eyes? Interesting. I apologize if I may have disturbed you, but I was simply sizing you up. I always do that to try to figure out what my opponent may be thinking. It's a useful battle tactic." Sekhmet smiled. Cale smirked.
"Oh? And what was I thinking?" Cale asked. Sekhmet laughed again. His laugh was just as creepy as his appearance.
"You were wondering who might be your toughest obstacle to obtaining leadership of the Warlords." Sekhmet said. Cale glared at him. Sekhmet smiled and almost slithered by him towards the door. "If I were you, I'd be watchful of that Dais character. After all, he is the new Warlord of Illusion. He will most certainly be a tricky fellow, wouldn't you say?" He laughed. Cale harrumphed. He was becoming annoyed with this odd man.
"I will be watchful of both him and you." Cale said and vanished. He wanted to at least try to intimidate this Sekhmet. He left in a shock of crimson light but as he left he heard more of that creepy laughter instead of any sound of fear or awe. It was a simple trick and it had been stupid of Cale to think he could induce any feeling of fear from Sekhmet with such games.
He reappeared in a temple looking building. It was sheathed in darkness, but a welcome darkness to Cale. He shook his head and headed over to the only lit area. It appeared to be an altar of sorts. It was supporting an evil looking helmet with two swooping spikes protruding from either side. The red facemask was down and seemed so animalistic. This was the helm from the armor of Corruption, the Jackal's Armor. Cale smiled when he hefted the weight of the helmet in his hands.
"I am Cale, the Warlord of Darkness. I will be the leader of the Warlords and that fool Dais will have nothing to say of such matters." Cale chuckled. He lifted his face and laughed out loud.
Unknown to Cale, Sekhmet was right outside this Temple of Darkness. He had heard everything. He smiled as he turned to walk away.
'That fool boy will never be a leader now. He is too headstrong and greedy. Talpa will see this. My path to success is clear.' He thought to himself and walked away into a puff of light.
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Dais was sitting in front of his mirror again, practicing one of his favorite tricks. If he could concentrate long enough on both of his eyes, the color would fade from the pupils out and his entire face and body would lighten to white. It was difficult, but if he held this concentration, he could fade to invisibility this way. Of course, there was a simpler way of becoming invisible and fading, but Dais enjoyed this way. It involved deep concentration. When observed, however, most consider him to be impossibly vain. After all, he would be sitting in front of a mirror for hours on end keeping up his concentration. He didn’t care, though. He wanted to prove to Master Talpa that he could perform any trick in any way possible. It would be an example of his strength. Talpa would certainly take that into consideration. A knock on his door broke his concentration and his eyes returned to their pale blue color. Dais snarled and rose to his feet."Who disturbs me? This had better be important." Dais growled and slid open his door. Sekhmet was standing there, a look of impatience creasing his brow. "What?" Dais asked. Sekhmet inclined his head and smiled. Dais allowed him inside.
"I simply wanted to ask how you were faring, that's all. Don't be so upset." Sekhmet said, slightly shaking his head. He blinked a moment or two then gasped. "Oh, I forgot. Cale told me he would like to see you. Something about a challenge of true strength, or some such nonsense. No tricks, he said. I wonder what he's planning?" He bit his lip. Dais furrowed his brows.
"I do not understand. Cale wishes to challenge me? What for? I have done nothing to him." Dais said. Sekhmet shrugged.
"It's possible that foolish boy wants to prove himself to Lord Talpa, or some silliness like that. You know, I've never found that Cale character to be that cunning. He probably has some fantasy in his mind about becoming the leader of the Warlords. I honestly doubt something like that will ever happen." Sekhmet sighed. Dais looked at him suspiciously.
"Does he think if he challenges me I'll lose? What a ridiculous notion! I am much stronger than that boy could ever dream and I am twice as brilliant. He'd never survive." Dais said and waved away the idea. Sekhmet smiled.
"Does that mean you'll back out of Cale's challenge? Dais, that sounds rather cowardly." Sekhmet said and shook his head. Dais snarled.
"Coward? Me? Never! Ha, I'll accept that clown's challenge. I will take great pleasure in showing how weak and unsuited Cale is." Dais snorted. Sekhmet smiled again and bowed his head.
"Well, with my message delivered, I guess I should excuse myself. I wish you luck, Dais. Farewell." Sekhmet said and backed out of the room. He slid shut the door behind him and smiled evilly. "That gets both those weaklings out of my way. My leadership is inevitable." He chuckled and vanished.
Inside, Dais was fuming. He glared hard at himself in his mirror.
"That stupid boy thinks he can defeat me?" Dais asked out to no one. His reflection shook its head, but he didn't move. Another trick he was playing with. "I'll show him. I'll kill him." Dais snarled. His reflection smiled.
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"Cale!" Dais shouted. He was waiting in a cleared field, an odd weapon at his side. It was a set of six extensor blades attached to one center handle. He held an expression of anger in his eyes. Cale appeared in a shock of crimson light, his expression one of puzzlement and impatience."What is it, Dais? I'm busy." Cale asked. Dais' eyes flashed with outrage.
"I am here to fight you! Arm yourself!" Dais shouted. Cale raised an eyebrow in question.
"I don't believe I understand you. Why do you want to fight me?" Cale asked. Dais snarled.
"Arm yourself, fool. I have no patience for talk right now. I am no coward and I will prove my strength to you." Dais growled. Cale blinked.
"Dais, have you taken leave of your senses?" Cale asked. Dais snatched up his extensor blades and set battle ready. Cale was confused, but his mind wandered back to an early conversation with Sekhmet. 'If I were you, I'd be watchful of that Dais character. After all, he is the new Warlord of Illusion. He will most certainly be a tricky fellow, wouldn't you say?' Yes, this Dais certainly was proving himself tricky. What was he planning? Then it hit him. Dais was planning to prove to Talpa his strength. What a futile plan! He could easily beat Dais without even calling on his armor. Well, if Dais wanted to fight so badly, Cale would fight.
"I warn you one last time, boy. Arm yourself!" Dais shouted. Cale smiled and held out his hand. An enormous No Dachi sword appeared there.
"If you are so eager to die, I am only too happy to assist!" Cale shouted and rushed forward. Dais jumped onto his right foot and struck out with his blades. Cale blocked with his enormous sword.
"Do not underestimate me!" Dais snarled and struck out with his empty fist. Cale tilted his head and dodged, brining up his sword to meet with Dais' arm. Dais was quick and fell back. Angrily, he struck out again and clumsily dropped his blades. Cale took this opportunity and knocked Dais back with the hilt of his sword. Before Dais could react, Cale slashed. Dais sharply turned his head with the blade's arc but barely made it alive. He had been badly gashed. He raised his arm and covered the left side of his face. Before long, his entire arm was soaked in his blood.
"You evil..." Dais muttered and took a step back. Cale simply blinked. He couldn't believe what he'd just done.
"Dais..." Cale stammered. Dais lowered his arm, revealing a sight Cale would never forget. The entire left side of his face was gushing blood. It was nearly impossible to discern any physical features in all that gore. His left eye was completely covered. It shot fear into Cale when all he could see was the bright, icy globe of Dais' right eye, the only color other than deep red on his face. Dais was breathing heavily, his teeth clenched. He would not cry out. Instead, he slowly picked up his extensor blades and stood, glaring at Cale with his one right eye. "I'm...sorry. I didn't mean to..." Cale muttered. Dais shook his head.
"Save your pathetic apologies. A warrior is never sorry for an advantageous move." Dais snapped angrily. Cale inhaled sharply.
"Is this pointless battle over now? I don't know why you had to fight me, but it is finished." Cale said, a little unsure of himself. Dais shook his head and smiled.
"No. Not yet. After all, of all things, I deeply believe in an eye for an eye, don't you?" Dais snarled. Cale stepped back, unsure now of Dais. Quickly, too quickly for Cale, Dais rushed him with his blades. Cale tried blocking, but Dais had a new supply of energy from his newly opened hatred. He pushed down Cale's sword sharply, gritting his teeth. Though not exactly what Dais had planned, one of his blades struck out into Cale's face, hitting him in his left eye. Smiling maliciously, Dais used his left hand and scratched down hard with the blade. He left a large gash over Cale's eye. Cale jumped backwards, dropping his sword, and covered his eye with his hands. Dais was not satisfied with this seemingly small scratch and lunged forward again. Cale tried blocking with his hands, but that was a futile attempt. Dais could not see all of Cale's face, the left side was quickly becoming stained with his blood, but he lashed out anyhow. He could feel his blade had definitely hit him. Cale cried out in pain.
"I will kill you for that, you insolent little flea!" Cale growled. Dais had stepped back and was breathing heavily again. Cale stepped forward, but his knees buckled. He was in too much pain to wreak his vengeance now. He grit his teeth in anger.
"We are even now." Dais breathed. He, too, fell to his knees. He dropped his blades and held his face in his hands. Cale slowly opened his left eye, wincing from the fresh pain. To his relief, he could still see. He was positive it would not be the same for Dais.
Glancing up with both eyes open, though a little fogged from the blood, Cale could see Dais had collapsed. Feeling a little weak himself, he laid down a moment on the ground and shut his eyes.
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"Are you awake yet?" A familiar voice asked. Cale opened his eyes. To his horror, his left eye wouldn't open. He raised a hand to his face and was relieved to feel a bandage covering the eye. He hadn't been blinded after all.Cale looked around and saw Anubis sitting next to him. He did not look happy.
"What's wrong, Anubis?" Cale asked. Anubis glowered at him.
"How could you ask such a stupid question? I decide to spend the day meditating and am rudely shoved out of my trance by Sekhmet. He comes rushing into my room, shouting something about Dais and you having killed each other. I run out with him outside and there before my eyes are you and Dais lying face down, blood everywhere! Now, I don't know nor care how this all started. Talpa will punish the both of you accordingly. I just want to tell you personally that I am very disappointed." Anubis sighed angrily. Cale was a little confused.
"Why do you care how Dais and I act? It is of no concern to you." Cale said. Anubis snorted.
"It is now. Talpa personally appointed me Leader of the Warlords earlier this evening. I suggest you rest now. You'll need to be full of energy when I come for you later. You have a lot of explaining to do." Anubis snarled. Cale's face fell. So he had lost the highest rank attainable for a Warlord. He would have to find out from Sekhmet how this had happened. If this were due to Dais, he would have two things to strike back at him with. Anubis noted the expression on Cale's face. "Something wrong, Cale?" Anubis asked. Cale raised his gaze.
"No." Cale muttered. Anubis shrugged and rose. As he made his way towards the exit, Cale raised his hand, almost to stop him. "Wait. How is Dais faring?" He asked. Anubis shook his head.
"Not well. He has lost all use in his left eye. He will be tested by Talpa to see whether or not he will still be able to perform as a Warlord. I must honestly say you fared much better in this battle than he." Anubis sighed and left. Cale slouched and averted his eyes towards the ground.
'So, I've blinded him. Well, it was his own fault. He was foolhardy to challenge me. His scars will forever remind him of his childish behavior. And mine shall remind me...' He thought and his hand went to his bandage. Carefully, he unraveled the cloth from around his head and let it fall. Hand shaking, he touched his closed eye, feeling a cross shaped scar starting a little above his eyebrow and ending just on his cheekbone. He sighed and shook his head. Though consciously he was unaware, his heart made a vow that day. Greed would now forever be a symbol of his. He would now forever be known as Cale, the Warlord of Darkness and Corruption.
The End
