Chapter 2

Azazel had warned him not to use his blade's power for an unworthy purpose, so Lilith and Varzoth found what they thought was more than a worthy purpose. Lilith had found a convoy that always traveled along the outskirts, they were said to have unimportant prisoners in it. Which just meant unimportant’s who figured out what was really happening, Lilith and Varzoth told Azazel what they were doing. He said no of course, but they reminded him that he couldn’t control anything about them anymore because of the forge. He basically whatevered the situation and let them leave the cave, but made them promise they’d come back.

“There it is.” Said Lilith snapping him out of his thoughts, he looked into the distance to see a convoy of five crates each with people in them. “Get there, stop them, and get the people out.”

“You always say that. But then there’s more to the plan.” Complained Varzoth.

“And you catch up, now come on.” She snuck easily through the desert sand almost unnoticed from the sheet she put above herself. She’d given him to do the same, and left him to do the rest. He put the sheet over himself, and hid his blade in his belt. He put a mask over his face, and followed Lilith through the storm. The convoy was five crates, and many unimportants. Lilith wasn’t much for planning, but she had a good one for this mission. She thought they’d bring all of them to the village, and let them prosper. This Varzoth agreed with. Varzoth, while walking through the desert, noticed Lilith looking back at him every now and then. It felt good to have a friend again, especially after he’d lost so many. It felt good to have someone looking out for him. Lilith started walking in the dust of the convoy’s wheels, Varzoth proceeded to follow. Lilith pointed to the cage next to them, and she went to another. Varzoth looked through the sheet, and saw the two guards and their commander. He just hoped that his sword worked. Varzoth grabbed the side, and pulled himself up. He threw his sheet away and grabbed his blade, creating a fire bolt as he did. He shot the fire bolt at the commander, it hit the man and he yelped.

He looked to his men, “Who did that!?” he yelled, the men shrugged. “Well don’t do it again.” Said the commander shrugging off the fire, Varzoth could tell it hurt.

Varzoth prepared another fire bolt, but missed when thrown. Before the guards noticed the fire bolt, Varzoth heard Lilith beating up all of the guards on the carriage behind them. He decided to follow her example, and make quick work of the guards. He grabbed his sword, and summoned a fire spirit. Varzoth jumped at the closest guard, a skinny, maybe nineteen year old demon. All he needed to do was knock him out, he swung his sword on the flat side and hit the boy. He fell unconscious immediately, and fell to the floor. Varzoth sent his fire spirit to the rest, they shrieked at the sight of the spirit. Varzoth swung his sword at the other guard, but missed, hitting the wooden carriage.

The commander took in a deep breath, “It’s an amb…” Before the commander could finish their sentence Varzoth shot him with a fire bolt, the commander was hurt. Varzoth came to the front and brought his fire spirit, who shot one of the guards. Varzoth jumped to the commander, and missed a swing of his sword. The guard pulled out his own blade, not as refined as Varzoth’s, but good enough in a fight. Not this fight. They swung at Varzoth, and cut his stomach. Varzoth backed up, but sent a bolt of fire from his sword. Wait, what?

“Wow!” Said Varzoth, he just shot fire from his sword!

“How’d you do that!” exclaimed a voice, Varzoth looked to the top of the carriage to see Lilith. Varzoth shrugged, and swung at the commander. He fell to the floor, then to the road. The carriage stopped, but the first one continued. Lilith came down with her spear, and stabbed the still alive man. The man groaned, and looked at her. “Where are you taking these people?” she asked.

The man turned toward Varzoth, and looked at his blood stained blade. “It’s you, the important betrayer.” The man said, “You give yourself power to save the useless, you threaten the survival of our race and spit at it as if it’s nothing.”

Varzoth shook his head, “What do you mean by that? That I gave up life as an important for nothing? I did it for the people you were once, and are now looking down upon as you feel superior. You important’s disgust me, answer her question.” Varzoth gave that strange speech with rage in his voice, everything he said was true as well. He was happy he told this to the guard.

The man grunted, and turned to Lilith. “We were taking them to the far reaches, where they’d die. They were going to be executed for words against the Emperor.” With that final word Varzoth turned to Lilith, and she pulled out her spear. The man grunted once more. Lilith looked at Varzoth and nodded.

Varzoth sighed, “Thank you,” Varzoth pulled up his sword, “True betrayer.” Varzoth swung his sword, and cut the man’s arm and spine in half. The man went limp, the cut could never be undone. Varzoth turned away, and walked to the crates.

Lilith caught up to him, “You ok?”

Varzoth nodded, “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, you just executed a man, with the blade that’s supposed to resemble peace.” She pointed to Varzoth’s sword.

Varzoth closed his eyes, “They are blind, all of them. My people are all blind, truth has no home where they are. This is another step, but must the step be so violent?”

Lilith hugged Varzoth, “It’s hard, I know. Violence comes with every step big or small, we just have to learn to live with it.” Varzoth hugged her back.

Once they got everyone from the carriages to the village, they instructed them to begin with rebuilding the village. No more Emperor. The people kept looking at Varzoth, and sometimes people bowed to him. Azazel brought them into the caves once again, and instructed them on their next moves.

“Now that people are here we need to reform what was once our kingdom into something better, so that nobody can control us again.” Said Azazel, Varzoth kept looking back at the people they were looking at him like he was a god.

“Hey why do people keep looking at me like that?” He asked. Azazel looked over, and once he looked his eyes widened.

“It can’t be true.” He remarked.

“What’s wrong?” asked Lilith.

“Legend’s of the new Emperor is very rare in some cultures; they're branded as a symbol,” He pointed at one of the people, and at a tattoo they had. “They believe that whoever holds the Sword of Flame will be the next in line. That which is now loyal to you is considered the Sword of Flame.”

Varzoth understood the idea, but him becoming the new Emperor seemed unlikely. “Na, it’s just stories. My sword only looks like the sword from the stories, it doesn’t indicate anything.” Lilith looked at him with wide eyes.

“It means these people look to you as their emperor, that means they think you're leading them to enlightenment.” said Lilith, “This could go really badly.”

Varzoth thought for a moment, “Or it could be really good.” Varzoth had a plan, if they were to one day take a stand against the emperor they would need people on their side. Maybe these people will follow them. “What if we could convince these people to follow us, and help us overthrow the emperor?”

“Then we might be unstoppable, especially if we gather more unimportant’s.” Said Azazel.

Varzoth looked to Lilith for hope, “What do you think?”

Lilith thought for a moment, “I think we need to prepare before we do anything so drastic, and we can’t use the forge. We shouldn’t tell them about the forge at all, say you found the sword in a ditch or something.” Varzoth nodded, “We must also prepare them, a small battalion maybe?”

“Guardians.” Said Azazel, he fell to his knees. “The guardians haven’t been assembled in decades.”

Varzoth looked from Azazel to Lilith, and back at Azazel. “What are you talking about?”

Azazel smiled, “Romania shall be saved.” He announced.