Legacy
Chapter 7

The Valleyof Death was a vast stretch of land that spanned as far as the eyecould see. It was bordered on the north and south sides by steepslopes that made fleeing difficult for anyone unfortunate enough toreplace themselves in need of escape.

Not longago, the immense plot of land received its name from a horriblybloody battle that took place upon it. An ambitious king had gottenthe idea to conquer his neighbors in order to strengthen his own ruleand expand his territory. Under the recommendation of his newadvisor, the king started a war he was sure he couldn’t lose.

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Thousandsof soldiers had flooded into the valley, all in the name of theirbeloved king and kingdom. The smell of blood permeated in the airlike a lingering perfume and the screams of dying men served as musicto the day’s horrific festivities. The number of dead rosedramatically with each cruel moment that passed. And with each sideso staunch in their objective, it seemed the fighting would come toan end only after one army had been completely obliterated.

Atop one ofthe slopes stood the power hungry king and his advisor, a man who hadno real plans to help the king increase his power, only his own.

It had beenall too easy for Shadow Kahn to gain the king’s confidence. Telling the corrupt monarch that someone as wise as he should beruler of all lands was merely reinforcing what the king alreadybelieved. For Shadow Kahn knew that once a man had tasted power, hewould inevitably want more. And Shadow Kahn also knew that any manwho desired power could never have enough.

“What afine morning for battle this is,” declared the king. “It won’tbe long before I’m the ruler of everything that you see. Afterall, what good is having power if you don’t know how to properlyuse it?”

“Yes,this is turning out to be a most prosperous feeding ground,” saidShadow Kahn. “So long have I waited for such bountiful sustenance. Yet . . . I hunger for more.”

“What isthis hunger you speak of?”

“Eachlife that is taken in vain is but another morsel to whet what hasbecome quite the insatiable appetite,” said Shadow Kahn. The factthat he was staring ahead and not at his king made it seem as ifShadow Kahn was speaking more to himself than to the man who hadasked the question he was now answering. “I fear I may never getmy fill.”

“Are youmad? How can you be taking pleasure in this? Bloodshed is anecessary evil, but one should never revel in it.”

“Do youreally think that your opinion counts for anything?”

“Youwould be wise to bite your tongue,” exclaimed the king. “Yourspeech is bordering dangerously close to treasonous.”

Sage hadappeared from the surrounding woods and quickly made his way behindthe king. He swiftly drew his weapon and ran it through the king.

“Yourdesires and my desires were never one in the same,” said ShadowKahn, not bothering to look at the man to whom he was speaking. “Imerely went along with what you said until I no longer had use foryou.”

Sagewithdrew his blade, then kicked the dying king down the slope.

A thick fogbegan to roll into the battlefield, making sight nearly impossible. This brought an immediate halt to the battle, but not the bloodshed.

The soundof flesh being torn replaced the sound of clashing steel.

Neitherside was spared, as spears that came from out of nowhere rippedthrough their targets with deadly precision.

With thebattle having taken a horrific turn for the worst, soldiers beganfleeing. But their escape would not be allowed.

Spears of amuch larger size began thrusting from the ground, skewering thesoldiers unfortunate enough to step in the wrong place. Somesoldiers were cut completely in half from the larger spears, whileothers were impaled and left high atop the valley.

With theirattention focused so intently on the battlefield, neither Shadow Kahnnor Sage noticed the lone soldier making his way up the slope. “Forthe king,” he shouted before running his blade through Shadow Kahn.

Rather thanfocusing his glare upon the soldier, Shadow Kahn turned it on Sage. “I thought you were supposed to be protecting me,” he said.

Having noexcuse for his inability to protect his master, Sage lowered hishead.

“How Ienvy those who can still feel pain,” said Shadow Kahn, eyes lockedon the soldier who was now trembling before him. He then placed hishand upon the soldier’s face. When he did so, the man’s brainsexploded out the back of his head.

Acting asif the sword was nothing more than a thorn in his side, Shadow Kahnremoved it and tossed it away. Not bothering to stay for the end ofthe horrible show, Shadow Kahn took his leave. “Come,” he toldSage sternly.

Havingalways feared his master’s wrath, Sage did as he was told.

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