I’ve been working on this story for nearly 4 years now so I believe it is time to post it. Thanks for everybody’s patience in waiting for me. Hopefully I will not disappoint. This story explores the psychological darkness within people in a fantasy type setting. I actually have used people as basis for my characters and hope I am able to cover a wide range of feelings so that everyone can relate to at least one character.

In a quest to stop a strange void from growing within a farmer’s field, the hot tempered Helaina travels with a mysterious man named Elluko. They are led to an isolated crumbling cathedral where a sad group of people reside. But what is their connection to the strange void?

The Council of Sorrow

“The Knight of Rage”

He went up to the stone almost forcefully. It stood in the center of the cathedral. The one he had helped reconstruct. It had been crumbling all those years ago, but he and the girl had helped rebuild it. Others had come, but only a few stayed. The cathedral was still crumbling, but it would hold for now - at least long enough for him to see his death, which could be tomorrow or in 50 years.

He should have died yesterday, he knew it. It was as if he wasn't supposed to be there. It was as if everything was plotting to kill him: the sky, the trees, the rocks, the people. It was mostly the people. They were to be distrusted. So he drove them all away except a few. A few who weren't affected by his threats.

Except the girl. He could never insult the girl. Why couldn't he insult the girl? Wasn't she there to kill him like the others? He would watch her. He would watch the others. At least there were only 4 of them. Except the girl. It was always the girl. He could trust the girl, couldn't he?

He smashed his hand upon the table that held the rock. It should have crumbled, but it didn't. Perhaps he was weaker than he thought. No, that couldn't be it. He touched the stone. It would make him feel better. It would take away his pain. The stone would speak to him. Tell him good things that he longed to hear. Things about the girl. About the world. About his greatness.

He touched the rock and even though it was cold to the touch, he felt a strange heat inside him rising up into his chest.

So you come back my dear Champion, Knight of Rage.

He was the Champion, the Knight of Rage. That is what the dear stone called him. He was special. He was mighty. It told him so.

You are a great Knight. All praise you. If only you were not cursed...

It told him the same thing over and over again. And even though it hurt him to hear it, he never stopped listening.

Everyone is against you because they envy you. They hate you. They cannot love you because they will die. So you see? You must accept your fate and continue to live as you have.

He had to accept it. He knew that. He would never change. The world would never change for him and he could not mold it because that would be selfish. He had to live... maybe for the girl.

Live for Despair.

It spoke of the girl.

Protect the Lost.

The boy. He had almost forgotten about him. But wouldn't he try and kill him if he could. How could he protect the killer?

Do not trust the Past.

He already knew that. The old man. He could never trust him. He was like his father, distrusting therefore couldn't be trusted. He knew that the old man would kill him if he turned his back. That is why he slept with his knives and all his precious axes. They knew how to protect him. The old man would not be able to kill him without feeling their bite first.

And fight the Crazed.

Fight her? But she had no weapon, but her words. He couldn't trust her confusing words. He would fight her. For he had words of his own. She would not slip in her words to cast one of her mind spells. She would die even if she was a woman.

The stone laughed mockingly. He gripped the stone longing for its cold warmth. It gave none. He hugged it to his chest hoping it would speak again. It just laughed. Like the woman! He hated the woman! But how could he hate the stone?

They all hate you, even the girl...

Had the stone said that? No! I couldn't be.

You will die by them all. They will kill you!

It said it so spitefully. He dropped to the floor in despair. It always said that. At the end. He smashed the stone. He always smashed the stone, but he never wanted it to break. Not really. Deep down, he wanted the stone. He wanted its company. It's freezing words. The warm feeling that came afterward. And it didn't break. It simply laughed mockingly.

You poor stupid knight.

It said that. He realized then that the voice was a woman's. He hated the voice. But he loved the stone the voice came from.

You're destined to lose...

He was destined to lose everything he ever won, if anything at all. He never accepted gifts so he couldn't accept the girl. Not completely. It would die. She would die and then he would die. Because they all wanted him dead in the first place.

The old man came in. What was he doing here? He wanted the stone.

He can't have the stone though it is for all of them. He hit the old man out of the way. The man ran away bleeding, but he wouldn't remember that it was the knight who hit him. He would think it was a ghost from his past.

He wanted to hit them all. Except the girl. It was always the girl. He wanted the girl. But he couldn't have the girl. Because he was destined to lose.

Yes, that's it Champion. Give me your pain. Give me your sorrow. Build the hole in your heart and in the world. Let everyone know how you feel.

He screamed in rage and the stone cheered. He fell down in tears and the stone was silent. He wept for who knows how long. They all wanted to kill him. He was destined to lose. And the girl... who was the girl? Why was it always the girl? If not for her, he would have let them kill him. But he couldn't. No, they wouldn't get past his weapons.

They wanted to kill him and he would lose everything. And the girl... it was always the girl.

Pain! Sorrow! Let it grow! Let it simmer! Let it suffer.

It was chanting, but he was too low to the ground to see the stone. He lay there almost hopelessly. He couldn't stop the tears, nor the blood. He couldn't stop the pain. He couldn't stop the sorrow. He couldn't stop.

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That was sort of the prologue. Stay tuned for the next chapter for the actual story. Thanks for reading.