Tales of the Ulendra, part 1
Page 4
Destruction and UnionOrmydian observed all the different peoples of his chosen world before deciding which one he would have destroy the others. They were a people that lived in a valley covered mostly in forests. To the East lay yet more forest and then a desolate dessert, the South a vast ocean. To the North there were mountains. But to the West there was a land full of people; strange people by the world’s standards, but Ormydian felt that this was the people he would let his chosen ones invade. He took a shape that inspired great fear and respect in the valley-people; indeed, to them he was a deity. It served his purposes and he let them build a temple to his honour. From there he could then give commands to his people, and they would obey without question.
The temple was a twisted reflection of the Great Temple of old and Ormydian wanted it so, for he believed his own mission on this world was a twisted reflection of the original mission he and the other Ulendra had had. Even though he really knew nothing of that mission’s true nature. But surely, he was now the evillest evil person that ever existed, regardless! An earth-shattering boom shook the grounds around the temple as he laughed in admiration of his own grandeur, and his loyal followers fell on their knees and begged him to have mercy upon them. And mercy he had, for he slew only a few of them; those, whose existence offended him the most. This because he knew he needed them to fight his war for him.
Four years had passed since Ormydian assumed the role of the valley-people’s god-king and the day of the attack had now come. All warriors, indeed every single one of the people was now a warrior, gathered within the temple and listened to Ormydian’s words. He told them to be brave and show the evil people no mercy. He told them of the great rewards they would get and of the songs people would write about them for all time to come. These were things that the valley-people cared very little about, but they feared and admired their god so much and that was the reason why they went to war. The warriors marched out towards the land of the infidels, while Ormydian stayed behind, smiling sinisterly. With his power he had now brought misery upon yet another world! He conjured a mystical channel to his dark monks in the dark lands of chaos and told them of his great achievement.
“Verily, Master, the very Universe shivers in fear of your supreme might! Let us chant for your glory!” they said to him.
After a lot of chanting, Ormydian told them to stop. He called for the greatest of the dark monk generals and strategists to prepare for him a scheme, which he could use when his war had started. Then he closed the channel and used his fearsome powers to see where his army was. It was still a day-and-a-half’s journey from their target. For a moment Ormydian feared that he would grow bored, but then he heard someone entering the great hall he was in. It was two people, two females. He felt great power emanating from them both but from one of them in particular, and it was a familiar power, too. The less powerful of the two came up to him and spoke to him, but he cared little for her words. Instead he realised whose power it was that he felt. It was that of his friend that had fled from him all those ages ago. His friend Alfibel had returned and brought some person with her. He did not recognise the other person but surely they were both there to put and end to his existence. Ormydian distracted them while gathering his power. Then he used it all to crush Alfibel once and for all. She had no chance to fight back and her body struck a wall with great force. Then he turned his focus to the other one that apparently cared much for Alfibel for she screamed and fought with great bravery. But even so she was no match for Ormydian who threw her away as if she was but a leaf. She moved no more but she was still alive, something which Ormydian intended to correct very soon.
But then, a voice called his name. It was Alfibel who commanded him to back away from his would-be victim.
“Come here and battle someone of your own size!” she shouted.
Amused, Ormydian then said:
“And that someone would be you?”
He laughed and changed his form into that of a large and terrible beast, with fire and smoke coming from its mouth and nostrils, and teeth and claws that could cut steel with ease. Alfibel dodged two swings of the Ormydian-demon’s claws and then changed her own form to match his. She grabbed the fiend and threw him through the outer wall of the temple so that he landed in the forest outside. The Alfibel-beast followed swiftly, even though the injuries she had sustained in her previous form had still not healed fully.
With her claws Alfibel slashed at Ormydian but he quickly came to his senses and threw her away. Then he transformed again, now into an even larger and even more terrible demon. It howled a heart-piercing howl. Alfibel was now too weak to muster another transformation, so instead she ran away, luring the huge beast to follow her. She reached a stone wall and could run no further. The demon approached her and prepared to destroy her. It shot out a beam of tremendous power at her, but Alfibel jumped to the side and the beam hit the stone. The great wall was turned into little pebbles of rock, and the ocean on the other side began to break through and flood the valley. Alfibel was washed away, but the demon followed her, too big to be affected much by the massive amounts of water flowing from the shattered mountain. The beast took a grip around her throat and lifted her out of the water. Alfibel was now totally defeated and she knew that there was now only one way left for her to defeat Ormydian. She threw off her shape and turned into her true essence.
A great vaporous cloud came from Alfibel’s body, which the Ormydian-demon was holding. Soon she had turned completely into that form. The cloud was greyish white, but coruscating with a blue light and shining. The demon thought that in this form, the true form of the Ulendra, she would certainly be able to defeat him. His demon-form was so deformed that it was not capable of meaningful speak, but instead Ormydian sent his thought to Alfibel, who seemed to be gathering herself to strike him:
“So be it! Behold my true form, and despair!”
Ormydian’s true form was fearsome. The great demon turned into a huge cloud, much like Alfibel had, but this cloud was completely black. It towered like a thundercloud and indeed lightning from the cloud struck the tops of the trees in the valley. Fierce winds blew from it, creating waves on the water filling the valley below. Ormydian sent thunderbolts at Alfibel and they hit, but did little damage. Alfibel, even now in her true form, was still too weak to defeat Ormydian, and she knew this. Therefore she flew towards him, ignoring the lightning thrown at her, and entered the dark cloud. She gave up her own unique identity and forced her essence to merge with Ormydian’s.
A shock wave from the cloud spread out over the water-filled valley, knocking down several trees on the shores. The cloud turned grey and transparent; it shrunk and split in two. One of the two clouds floated towards the forest and disappeared. The other made a portal emerge from out of nowhere, which it flew though and was then never seen again.
In the chaotic lands, in the temple of the dark monks, the essence of an Ulendra appeared through the link that Ormydian had created. But the being that formed from the essence was not Ormydian; it was him but at the same time someone else. The dark monks where confused at first but since this being had their Master’s essence in him, he must be worthy of their allegiance.
“Master Ormydian,” they said, “you have changed but we still know you and will follow you always!”
The being answered:
“Yes, I have changed. There was a great battle, and I am no longer Ormydian. I am now Orvarus.”
And this Orvarus was now very tired and needed to rest, but he assured his monks that he would soon take up his predecessor’s designs and avenge his defeat.
Last modified 2006-07-23 22:23:13