The Warlock's Wrath

Chapter One

“What are we doing here, Martha?” the red-haired girl with a small tattoo on the side of her face and a nose ring asked the other girl walking beside her along the almost empty narrow street somewhere in London.

Both girls were Americans, as was obvious in their dress and the way they spoke. They were dressed in dark jean trousers and wore identical black shirts with rather disturbing markings on the front and back. They wore soft soled sneakers, which made walking easy. Their hair were dyed differently with rather flamboyant colours and their makeup was applied in a rather dark and fearsome fashion.

“I told you I was led here in the trance,” the girl called Martha replied. She was chewing gum with vigour as she stared at the numbers on the buildings they walked past. Most of the buildings had small shops, but there seemed to be little or no patronage of whatever wares the shops held.

The girls were high school students on vacation in London. Martha was the daughter of a widowed very influential American billionaire businessman who could afford to send his daughter and her friend to any part of the world she wants for vacation, as a way of compensating for the countless months he stayed away without seeing his daughter while on business, he let her have anything she wanted as well as go anywhere and with whoever she wanted to go with.

Martha and some friends at school had developed some interest in the occult after coming across some books dealing on the topic, hidden away in a bookstore they had gone to get some books from, and even though she had not been able to conjure spirits like they saw in movies, they had been fascinated by what they read in the books.

That was when the trances and dreams started coming.

Initially she did not understand them, but after a while, they started making sense to her, and it was in one of her trances that she was directed to this little narrow street in London. The moment the school session was over, she got her father to arrange for her and her friend to take a vacation to London.

“Where are we going?” the red-haired girl called Jo asked as she walked along with her friend.

“We'll soon be there,” Martha said. “Trust me.”

The building they stopped at was one of the oldest on the street. The walls were old and full of cracks with most of the windows covered with wooden boards. There seemed to be nobody in the building. There was a small antique shop inside. The windows of the shop were dirty and the entire outlook was shabby. A small, dirty sign hung at the door indicating that the shop was open, but there did not seem to be anyone inside the shop as the girls peered through the dirty windows into the gloomy interior.

Martha pushed the door and it swung open with a loud eerie noise that made them jump. The girls stood there on the street staring into the dark interior, reluctant to go any further.

“I don't like this place,” Jo said in a very low, faltering voice. “Let's get the hell outta here.”

Before Martha could agree with her, a voice which made them jump again came from within the gloom. The voice was cracked and sounded like a loud shriek.

“Well, come on in,” the voice which belonged to an old woman beckoned to them. “What are you standing out there for?”

The girls slowly walked through the door and into the dark shop. An old lamp was the only light in the shop. As their eyes got accustomed to the dim light, the girls could make out an old woman sitting behind an old wooden desk with some books she seemed to be reading laying on the table in front of her, though the girls could not imagine how she could see the letters on the pages with such poor light.

The old woman looked to be about eighty, but they noticed her eyes which shone as brightly as that of a young adult. There was also something strange and dark about the eyes that the girls could not put their fingers on, but they both had the feeling that there was more to her than meets the eye. She was dressed in a shapeless old gown which seemed to have seen better days. Her hair, long and white, fell in an untidy manner over her face. She opened her mouth to smile, revealing browned and rotting teeth.

“You've finally arrived, dear lass,” the old woman said staring straight at Martha. “I've waited quite a long time for you.”

“Do...do you know me?”

“Right from the day you were born,” the old woman laughed. “Just as I knew you'll be walking into this shop one day to fulfil your destiny.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Let's get the hell outta here right now.” Jo declared, grabbing Martha's arm as she started to drag her towards the door.

“You'll do no such thing.” the old woman's voice was like a clap of thunder as she rose from her chair. She was very tall and stood very straight for a woman of her age and frail looks. She raised a thin, wrinkled hand covered with dark spots and instantly the door swung shut behind the girls.

The girls dashed for the door, grabbed the knob, and pulled trying to open the door, but the old wooden door surprisingly did not budge, but stood strong and firm against the pounding and kicks the girls rained on it.

“Let us out of here right now,” Martha had fished out her Samsung smartphone and started to dial but noticed there was no service bar on the display screen. She tried to place an emergency call, but the call would not connect.

“Stop wasting my time and yours, Martha,” the old woman spoke softly as she walked towards the frightened girls. “There's a lot to be done and very little time to do it.”

“My...I...how...?”

“I knew your name before it was given to you,” the old woman answered her unfinished question for her. “Now let's get down to preparing you for your great destiny my dear.”

“What destiny?”

“You'll soon find out my dear,” the old woman practically glided in the air as she went over to a shelf and pulled out an old dusty book bound in what looked like animal skin. She turned to face them. “Both of you may sit down. Let's be a bit more civil here, don't you think?”

With no other choice available to them, the girls sat down on the two vacant chairs in front of the desk the old woman had been sitting behind.

The old woman glided across and sat on her chair. She laid the book on the table before them and stared from one girl to the other with a smile on her face. Her eyes finally rested on Martha.

“This here, my child, is your destiny,” she finally said in her new voice which was surprising to be coming from such an old woman. “This book was written centuries ago for you, for the appointed time when you'll come of age to use it. That time has come and you cannot shy away from it.”

“What is it?” Martha asked fearfully. “What are you talking about? What am I supposed to do with this book?”

“You will know,” the old woman said. “I can only give you directions. The rest you will know when the time comes.”

“What's in the book?” Jo ventured shakily.

The old woman did not take notice of Jo but kept her eyes fixed on Martha who was getting very uncomfortable with the way she stared at her.

“I do not know what is in it, nor can I read it,” she said to Martha. “But you will be able to read it. You and you alone have the power to read and understand it, and only you must do what is within these pages.” She stabbed a tiny shrivelled finger hard on the book and the girls were surprised the finger did not break off.

“I don't understand what you want me to do or any of this mumbo-jumbo,” Martha cried, jumping to her feet. “What's all this about my destiny and you knowing me even before I was born and all that. Are you some sort of blackmailer? My dad can pay top dollar if that's what you want, but just let us go you're really starting to creep me out.”

“You'll fully understand everything once you start reading the book,” the old woman replied as she pushed the book towards Martha. “The book will guide you. Come my dear, don't tell me you're not curious to find out about your real destiny and the power that could be yours? What's the harm in finding out?”

“I don't think you should be doing this...” Jo started to say, but the old woman cast her a venomous stare that scared her to silence.

“Silence, slave of the chosen one!” she rebuked Jo in her thunderous voice. Her hair seemed to stand on ends as she spoke. “Your only purpose is to serve her and not to voice what you think?”

Jo was trembling and even Martha was frightened even though the old woman wasn't talking to her. The old woman's features softened almost immediately as she turned back to Martha.

“Take the book, my dear,” she said. “Begin the journey into your destiny. Achieve the greatness meant for you.”

Martha slowly stretched out her hand and picked up the book from the table. It felt light and she felt a strange sensation run over her body as she touched it. She felt bonded to it in a strange manner. The old woman smiled another toothy smile as she rose to her feet again. She held out a small envelope, and placed it in Martha's free hand.

“You'll know when to open this,” the old woman said folding her arms in front of her. “The book will guide you to your destiny of greatness. You may go now my child.”

The girls slowly rose to their feet. The door of the shop flew open as if it was aware that the meeting had come to an end. A cold breeze blew around the girls and for a moment, they shivered, and as quickly as it came, it passed as if it never happened.

The girls walked gingerly towards the door constantly turning around to look at the old woman. She just stood there with a smile playing on her wrinkled face.

The girls stepped into the small and narrow street, and instantly, the door slammed shut in their faces. Silently, they started retracing their steps down the street the way they had come.

The old woman stood silent for a while then let out a loud, unearthly sound which seemed to be laughter. The old building vibrated momentarily at the sound.

A strange transformation started to take place. She flickered slightly, becoming transparent for a while, and started taking another form.

Her old white hair started to turn black and gradually changed into beautiful, long hair. Her wrinkled and spotted face started losing the spots and the wrinkles gradually faded, turning her face from that of an old woman into a very beautiful young woman. Her old clothes brightened and transformed into a beautiful, white, sleeveless gown, held at the waist by a belt which seemed to be made out of diamonds. A pair of white mighty wings with blood red tips rose from her back.

Onoskelis, one of the many fallen angels cast out of Heaven along with Lucifer by the host of Heaven, has fully manifested.

The once gloomy shop now shone with a bright red radiance. She flickered once more and faded away. The red light slowly faded away with her. The old shop was dark and quiet.

The decomposing body of an old woman believed to be the owner of the shop would be found some days later by neighbours and reported to the police. An autopsy would reveal she had suffered from a heart attack, which wasn't strange or abnormal for a woman of her age with her medical history.

The girls found the small Fiat Martha had rented for their stay in London and hurriedly got into the car. Martha dropped the book and the envelope on the back seat of the car and pulled out the car keys from her pocket. She dug it into the ignition hole and turned it, bringing the small engine to life.

She steered the small vehicle out of the parking lot and they were soon on the road driving towards Briyon Hotel at Hyde Park where they were staying. Neither had spoken a word since leaving the old antique shop and the weird old woman with the extraordinary message for Martha. Martha drove quietly, moving the car expertly through traffic with Jo simply looking out of the window at the buildings they passed without really seeing anything.

Martha finally brought the car to a stop in front of the four-star hotel and got out from behind the wheel. Jo got out, slammed the door behind her, and started for the hotel entrance without looking back. Martha grabbed the book and the envelope from the back seat of the Fiat, and tossed the key to the approaching uniformed porter. Without a word to the man, she hurried into the hotel after her friend.

Jo was standing at the door of their suite when she finally caught up with her. She pulled out the key card from her pocket and inserted it into the slot beside the door. The door opened as the light changed to green and the girls pushed into the room closing the door behind them.

Martha dropped the book and the envelope on the small table at the center of the room and flopped into one of the sofas in the room. Jo stood staring at the book with a look of fear even though she struggled not to show it.

“What are you going to do with that book?”

Martha shrugged silently. She was also staring at it as it lay there on the table before her.

“Try and figure it out I suppose,” she finally replied. “I don't understand everything the old hag said but I'm very curious to find out what's in that book and what it's all about.”

“I still don't think any of this is a good idea,” Jo said turning her head round slowly. “I can accept our interest in the dark arts and all that, but then we were just fooling around, weren't we? This is way too serious and I don't like it.”

“I don't know Jo,” Martha replied eyeing the book again. “I don't know what to do. The old woman made it quite clear what I must do and I don't think it was an offer; it sounded more like an order.”

“But who's going to enforce it?” Jo asked. “We can just throw it through the window and someone else can find it and figure out for themselves what this is all about.”

“I do...” Martha started but Jo interrupted her furiously.

“Oh for God's sake!” she picked up the book before Martha had time to stop her and marched to the open window.

“No Jo!” Martha exclaimed jumping to her feet.

“Good riddance,” Jo said and flung the book out of the window as hard as she could.

Martha reached the window as the book went flying into the air. They expected it to start making a downward trip to the busy road below, but the book just hung suspended in mid air, rotating slowly, then, with such speed, it shot back into the room. A strong wind lifted Jo from her feet and slammed her hard against the carpeted floor. She cried out in pain. Martha turned to see the book gently float back to the table and landed exactly as she had left it. The envelope, which had fallen to the floor, rose into the air and inserted itself into the pages of the book.

Martha ran over to help her friend back to her feet. There were unshed tears in Jo's eyes as she winced in pain and stared at the book ominously.

“That book is evil.” She declared backing away towards the wall.

Martha stared at the book as it lay there and hesitatingly started walking towards it. She felt like it was beckoning her to approach.

She touched the cover, running her fingers on the soft, old skin then, for the first time since they got the book, she opened it.

The pages were brown and wrinkled with age, but there did not seem to be any breakage or tear on them. There were writings on the pages in a rather ancient and long lost language she could not make out. There were also some drawings, some of which she could make out as the solar system, though she could not tell their meaning.

“How am I supposed to read this?” she finally said, closing the book and backing away from it. “I can't understand a single thing written there.”

Suddenly the room became cold. The girls looked about in panic as the windows started sliding open and close before their eyes.

A smoky form started to emerge, but didn't seem to fully form, near the table where the book lay.

“When the time comes,” a voice, so chilling yet soothing at the same time said, “You will be able to unlock the secrets therein.”

As quickly as it had formed, the smoky form disappeared and the windows stopped moving. The temperature of the room returned to normal.

The girls ran for the door. They opened it and ran out from the room slamming, the door hard behind them.

Cathy McBride stood looking out from the window of her twelfth floor office down to the street below. People and cars hurried about, heading in different directions, as the business day started to come to an end for the low level workers on Wall Street.

Cathy was the founder and owner of one of the biggest investment companies in the country and for her, business was never over, as she kept late nights looking up deals and investments which could move her company higher up the rungs of Forbes list of richest companies.

At fifty two, she had never been married. A tall, rather beautiful woman even at her age, she made do with a paid companion whenever the urge for male company arose, which wasn't regular.

Her accountant, a small, dark-haired man in his late thirties, who she turned into a millionaire when she picked him out from the small town accounting firm where he would have stayed the rest of his life, sat quietly in front of the large, glass desk staring at his boss. A Dell Inspiron mini laptop lay open on his laps while his finger idly tapped one button or the other once in a while as his attention was fixed on the woman who controlled a great deal of financial and political power in the country.

They had just closed a deal with Sony Japan and, from his estimates on their side of the deal, the company was on the verge of becoming one of the ten richest companies in the world. The deal would make Sony and her company, Cornerway, one of the biggest and richest companies in the world with outlets scattered all over the globe.

Daniel Fisher was impressed. He was more than impressed. He felt like jumping to his feet and dancing around the room, sweeping his boss off her feet, and spinning her around till that hard, never smiling face cracked and laughed for joy. He had never imagined himself reaching the level he had attained in life. As a junior partner in a small, rundown accounting firm in a small town in Missouri, he had never envisaged himself becoming a force to be reckoned with in the global financial and business cycle. Fifteen years ago, he could hardly make enough to keep the shirt on his back, the main reason why his wife had left him for a used car dealer back then.

The transformation came so suddenly almost after his wife had left him. He had done some basic accounting work for Cathy McBride, who was in the little town for some business he couldn't remember, and needed an accountant to help her seal a very important deal as her own accountant had been delayed. She had taken a liking to him afterwards, bringing him to Cornerway and from there, his fortunes had changed over the years.

He couldn't help smiling as he remembered when his ex-wife had heard of his good fortunes and dumped her used car dealer husband, hoping Dan would accept her back with open arms. What a shock she got when she saw what he could afford, and the kind of women begging to get his attention. He had turned her down hard and she had crawled back to whatever rat-hole she had crawled out from, cursing her luck.

“Once we sign the deal with Microsoft,” he said with a voice laden with excitement. “There won't be any company in the world to match us.”

She simply nodded. Some things about her always bothered Dan. She never seemed to smile. Apart from her mandatory laughter and smiles during a business negotiation or television interview, he had never seen her smile or laugh, earning her the name Ice Queen among the staff of the firm who had gotten to know her, which was relatively few despite the large workforce. She wasn't used to interactions with low level staff members.

She had never taken a vacation since he started working with Cornerway. She was always in her office whenever he arrived for work, making him wonder if she slept in the office instead of in her multimillion dollar Manhattan mansion.

She had declined countless offers by him and other company executives to join them for a drink, dinner, Christmas, anything, only attending mandatory business outings and dinners. She seemed to revolve around her work and nothing more.

He knew about her gigolos who did not know the identity of the woman they were paid to satisfy sexually and didn't seem to care as, they were handsomely paid to do something they would have done free of charge. Cathy was a very attractive woman, even at her age. Dan had always fantasized asking her out on a romantic date, but he suspected thoughts like that could cost him a job that was making his dreams come true, so he checked his fantasies and made do with the high class call girls he usually patronized.

She did not seem to share the excitement of their latest accomplishment with him. She never did. It always seemed like nothing was enough. Once the deal with Microsoft was signed, Cornerway was looking at topping the Forbes list, but even that seemed not to impress her.

“Maybe we could go out and celebrate,” he suggested. “And pray for the best with the Microsoft deal. The people at Microsoft already look positive about the business plan.”

She said nothing, and he felt awkward, wishing he could take back his offer.

The room suddenly felt hot despite the air conditioning, and Dan started to sweat under his expensive English suit. He had felt like this on several occasions over the years and hadn't yet understood why it happened.

A warm breeze blew by Cathy and she turned casually, taking in the flickering dark form materializing by the wall as she turned her eyes to Dan. The accountant could not see the figure as it was invisible to his eyes.

“I'll think about your offer,” she replied in a calm voice. “Maybe we just might. I have some personal things I need to do now so if you could excuse me. I'll let you know what I've decided within the hour.”

Dan was more than happy to leave the room. She always did that whenever he was getting that feeling as if she sensed it somehow. He immediately felt cool again as he left her office, like it always happened. He had to see his physician about this issue. He wasn't comfortable anymore with the clean bill of health Doctor Neville was giving him; maybe he might even try another doctor.

He marched off towards his office at the end of the corridor from Cathy's office, acknowledging congratulations from some company executives he had to get by to get to his office.

The dark form gradually took solid shape. It was the shape of a young man with well-oiled blonde hair, dressed in a black biker jacket, and tight black jeans trousers. He wore a pair of big, black Timberland boots.

Cathy was not deceived by the physical appearance of the young man. She knew a messenger when she saw one, had learnt over the years to feel them. Messengers were demons sent by Lucifer to his faithful subjects, bringing them instructions from the King of Darkness, and to assist them if the need arose. For a physical manifestation of this nature, they usually possess any of the many willing, or unwilling, human vessels they could find, usually dead bodies.

“What brings you?” she asked blandly as she strode over to her desk and sat on her comfortable chair.

The demon smiled and walked over to stand before her. He placed a pair of gloved hands on the glass desk and stared down at her.

“The master said to warn you as he is right now sending messengers to warn all his other worshippers in all the other orders of great danger,” the demon replied without moving. “You're to be ready for whatever happens.”

“What are we to be ready for?” she asked, getting on her feet, holding the demon's gaze.

“Even the master does not know yet.”

“Has Heaven decided the time is up?”

“No,” the demon replied with a frown and broke eye contact. “The master's job is not yet over. Heaven understands that and Heaven never breaks a deal. Even Heaven doesn't know what's going wrong, though, they too have sensed it as we have.”

“What can we do then?”

“The master does not know what it is, but warns that you guard that which is in your possession, carefully,” the demon smiled a wicked smile. “You know what I mean.”

“Has...has he escaped?”

The demon laughed. “Impossible. Even he does not possess the power to escape but then, another might follow in his path. Just be careful.”

Cathy nodded slowly and sat down again. Her face, which usually lacked any form of emotion, was now portraying worry and fear. What could be happening that even Heaven has no answer to?

“I won't have minded rolling in the hay with you,” the demon strode about the office. “You're an attractive specimen, I must say. But then, won't want to break poor Daniel's heart would I? The young man can't help wondering how it would be in bed with you, not that you haven't noticed. You don't need your powers to deduce that now do you? Why don't you make his day? But first, ensure that what you have is safe.”

With that, the demon faded way into the air and the room temperature which had gone up like that of an oven, even with the powerful air conditioner, returned to normal again.

Cathy sat there motionless for some time as she contemplated what the demon had just said. She didn't dwell much on his closing remarks, though the thought also crossed her mind, but then she had more crucial matters to deal with immediately.

Cathy McBride was the leader and grand councillor of the Blood Brotherhood, a position she had earned upon the death of the former leader Karl Finch, killed sixteen years ago by the members of the brotherhood on the orders from Lucifer and Heaven for daring to threaten creation and disrupt the role of man in it.

Cathy was once a small town girl herself with no family, forced to fend for herself through any means she could, until she met Robert Devore, the founder of the Blood Brotherhood.

Devore showed her the way, lifting her from her lowly status into the world of the powerful. He introduced her to the brotherhood, where she traded her soul and gave all her allegiance to Lucifer in return for everything in life she had ever dreamed of, or feared to dream of.

She was rich beyond her wildest imaginations and had power to influence people she never believed in all her life she would meet, let alone interact with them like equals.

Then Devore disappeared without any warning, leaving no trace as to what had happened to him. Even Lucifer had not been able to provide the answer to that question, but everybody suspected that Karl Finch somehow knew what had happened to their former leader.

Karl's death had put her in charge of the affairs of the brotherhood, and she was the voice of Lucifer to the other members of the brotherhood.

Lucifer and the host of Heaven had left, in the care of the brotherhood, the four daggers borrowed from four of the seven riders of Armageddon, along with the book which, Karl claimed had the secrets of creation with which he had been planning to overthrow Heaven and Hell, and assume power over all creation. The book she kept while she left the daggers in the custody of the four brothers who had carried out the terrifying task of putting their eternal souls on the line by attacking and killing Karl Finch.

She bolted up from her chair and marched over to the large oil painting of herself she had commissioned an up-and-coming but talented artist seventeen years ago to make for her and now hung on the wall opposite her desk.

Behind that painting was a state-of-the-art, custom-built, wall safe which the manufacturers had assured her was impenetrable, an assurance she had come to believe after several attempts her competitors had made over the years to gain access to the contents of the safe had failed.

The safe security was of several rigorous steps. The painting was a part of the security which hid a titanium steel back, with a mechanism to roll it back, after some protocol had been fulfilled.

Cathy touched a precise part of the painting with her thumb and a brief green light flashed out from a tiny hole running through the thumb. Then, a section of the painting moved, revealing a touch pad and a QWERTY keyboard. Cathy pulled out a tiny key hanging on a chain around her neck and inserted it into a small hole beside the touchpad and a small humming sound started. The touchpad came to life and a recorded voice welcomed her.

Cathy placed her right hand on the touchpad and a green light ran through her hand, transforming the touchpad into an LCD screen which required a twenty letter password. She instantly typed the code into the keyboard and after another loud hum, the painting rolled back to reveal the door of the safe.

Any mistake with the first procedure would require a reset of the entire system which only Cathy had the authority to do.

There was a knob on the safe door, but getting through the knob was not an easy task for a prospective thief who by some miracle got past the painting. The knob required a series of precise turns which must be done within a particular space of time, or else the system resets. Two tries would alert the administrator, being Cathy. Getting through the knob revealed another touchpad where her handprint was checked again. The device was equipped with technology to detect whether there was life in the hand, should her hand be cut off and used to open the safe. It was also equipped with the technology to detect her stress level through her palm and determine if she was under duress. Any of both would set off an alarm and bring all the security guards and all the available officers at the nearest police precinct to her office, coupled with the sealing off of all exits from the office until help arrived.

Getting through the touchpad revealed an eye scanner and a voice scanner, both also designed to detect life and stress.

The heavy door of the safe rolled open the moment she was through with the last of the security protocols required to unlock the safe where she stored highly sensitive materials.

Inside the safe were piles of large envelopes and files containing business documents or items of personal interest, along with documents which many of her competitors would pay top dollars to lay their hands on, but her interest wasn't in any of those documents.

She pushed them aside and brought out a large leather pouch carefully bound with leather straps. She undid the straps and opened the pouch. Inside the pouch lay the book she had been entrusted with. The book she had been instructed to guard with her soul.

She fastened the straps again and put the pouch back with the other contents of the safe. She stepped back and pushed a button beside the safe and the door rolled back into place. The door with the knob swung shut with a mechanical sound and the painting rolled across the door.

The book was safe. She was going to call a priest to sanctify the place. Even if Karl managed to get back from Hell which was highly unlikely, there was no way he would be able to get through a sanctified safe and get to that book.

She pulled out the Nokia smartphone she had just acquired from her pocket and dialled a number from the contact list.

A heavily accented voice answered at the third ring.

“The council needs to meet as soon as possible,” she said quietly. “I have a message to relay to everyone.”

“I'll notify all the council members and get back to you within the hour,” the man at the other end replied. “Mind if I ask, is it bad news?”

“I have no way of telling.”

“Very well.”

The line went dead and she put the phone back into her pocket. There was no need to worry. With the resources Heaven and Hell can provide and their determination to forestall any plans by Karl Finch or anyone who follows in his path, the book would forever remain safe and the balance of creation would be maintained.

Picking up the handset from the phone on her desk, she punched a number.

“Mr. Fisher's office.” the voice of Dan's secretary came through.

“Tell Dan to come to my office right away.” she said.

“Yes Ms. McBride.” the secretary recognized the voice on the other end of the line without any introductions.

Cathy replaced the handset on the cradle. The book was safe. Maybe she can indulge herself just a bit. She had pushed herself too hard over the years. Maybe the demon's suggestion may come in handy.

A knock came on the door and Dan poked his head into the office. She couldn't help noticing the excitement and tension he was struggling to hide.

“Come on in Dan.” she said, then flashed a smile.

Dan noticed it wasn't one of her mandatory business smiles. This one looked genuine and how beautiful she looked with it. He would always remember that smile for as long as he lived.

The old church stood there broken and forgotten as grass and trees covered it from sight. People rarely came towards this part of the village and nobody knew what had happened inside the church many years ago. The villagers simply went about their business without a care in the world.

The cemetery had remained undisturbed since after that night. Once in a while some kids would come to play around it. Grasses and w**d had grown all over the place except for a small clearing where no plant seemed to be able to survive in.

On some nights, the ground will quiver slightly and a cry would ring out from beyond. It had weakened as the years went by as stronger forces kept the great evil buried underneath the earth from breaking out.

There have been regular visits to the burial site over the years by members of the Brotherhood and agents of the church to ensure the grave remained intact. On such visits, more containment spells and prayers would be made by both sides over the grave ensuring that what was buried in it would never find its way out.

The fate of all mankind and all of creation depended on The Warlock never regaining freedom and both sides were very concerned that he remained dead and buried than roaming the face of the earth ever again.

Over that spot where his body was laid to rest, not a single plant grew over it. It remained bare as the day his remains were laid in it. Once, a lone figure was seen by a very drunk villager making its way through the bushes towards the old cemetery. The man could have sworn the figure had large wings but he decided it must have been the alcohol clouding his mind.