Kalador chapter 2

II

The smell of burnt flesh filled my nostrils as what remained of the fiery power coursed through my veins; I was invigorated. As I stood amongst the bodies with seared flesh, I felt tremendous satisfaction. These peasants had been given a choice and they chose poorly, now their voices will no longer be heard; (as if they mattered). To think it had only been a few days since this power was given to me was overwhelming.
As I took all this in my mind began to go back to when I was but a small child. I had always been different from others around me. The village kids wanting to play, they thought me odd that I didn’t. I had my mind on other things other than rollicking in the fields with them.
I wasn’t privileged enough to have been born in the Age of Enlightenment, a time where the races were taught of the true gods. I was born long after that, after the gods had forsaken Kalador and left it to ruin.
My parents always considered me peculiar, I suppose. They were people of meager means, and even less intellect. I never considered the finances; money was an evil necessity to me. I valued knowledge more than money.
My mother loved me the best she could, and I’m sure I hadn’t made it easy. I chose to spend as little time with them as possible and keep my mind on my studies. They thought of me as being lax. A grin formed on my face as a thought came to mind, “If only they could see me, now.”
My father was the worst of my parents, by far. He was a very uncouth individual and I hated to even be around him. He thought I was wasting my life away with my nose in books, and told me so in his “own special way” often. He wanted me to be a farmer like him, squandering my life away in the dirt alongside him; being his personal slave was more like it. His view of me never changed all the way up until the day he died; at my hand. After all these years the emotion of remorse has never entered my heart.
My sister was my only sibling and was five years older than I. I liked her a little better than my parents. She never thought of me as being strange, she humored me many nights by listening to me ramble on about the gods and the world of Kalador. Though she never admitted it, I believe it interested her. She left home when I was just eleven stricken by love. I can’t say as I blame her, at least she got off that farm. I haven’t seen her since, that was twenty-four years ago.
I would have to say the person I felt the deepest for was a former teacher I had. He instructed me on the prophecies and the history of Kalador. But in time we took different stands and I had to turn my back on him. Now, my power has surpassed his.
My only friend and the one I trust is my Master, the one god who hasn’t abandoned this world. The others tried to destroy this land through storms, pestilence, and all matters of chaos. They caused the agony of many, yet they call me evil. They did all this because their hearts were filled with jealousy and anger.
When the gods left the council refused to stand behind Kalador. Instead, they ran and hid like frightened women. These men and women of power I had grown to respect had now succumbed to mere peasants. To think they wanted me to follow them.
All that will soon change. The council will bow before me and I will rule supreme. I will answer to only one, and his bidding will I do. I have surrendered my will over to him.
I have caused great pain and confusion along the way, but nothing worth having ever comes easy. Many sacrifices have been made on my journey to this point and I assume there will be more ahead. It matters not to me what I must do. I have come too far to turn back, now. They will pay for what they did to him…they will all pay.