Chapter Two - Death of the False King

Amos looked to the village chief for answers. "What's happening?" The Village Chief smiled and looked at Amos as his power surged forth.

"Your power has awakened, Lord Amos. Kill the False King who sits on your throne, and I shall tell you about yourself when you ascend the throne." Amos looked to the old man, a hint of confusion in his eyes but it quickly faded. 'What does he mean? How could he know about me? Guess I'll find out when I come back.' Amos thought to himself and started to stand up, a twinge of pain shot through his side, but he ignored that now. Looking at Astra, Amos smiled and reached out slowly, rubbing the top of her head again.

"I'll be fine," he whispered to Astra before turning to the village chief. "I'll need a guide and anyone willing to fight." The other villagers, though grateful to Amos, none stepped forward. None, save for a single man who looked older than everyone there

"I can show you the way, my Lord," he said in a raspy voice and motioned for Amos to follow him. Amos went to follow him but was stopped by a tiny hand grabbing his shirt gently. He turned around and looked down at Astra.

"Please don't die, Lord Amos," She whispered with tears in her eyes. The village did their best to care for her, but she was still alone. Amos was the only one who showed her such affection since her parents died. Amos gently removed her hand and smiled.

"Hey, if i truly am your Lord, then have a little faith in me, huh?" He smiled and chased after the old man. Weaving through the streets, this old man was more nimble than his age suggested. The tall mountains behind the castle grew larger as the walls grew closer.

Arriving near a cracked wall, the old man stopped and closed his eyes for a moment. Muttering something to himself, the old man's body started to glow a dark red. Once he finished muttering, his eyes shot open and he gently extened his hand, touching the wall ever so slightly. Amos was shocked when a small, man sized hole opened in the wall without a single sound. "Come," he motioned with his finger and stepped through the hole. Amos followed behind him, feeling a sense of familiarity with this world. He felt relieved at this thought and looked at the old man.

"Why has nobody come after him before?" Amos finally asked after thinking to himself for awhile. "Surely, if you all attacked, couldn't you kill him?" The old man remained quiet for some time. They stuck to the shadows along the way, avoiding the patrolling guards. A giant stone doorway stood in front of them, guarded by a sturdy looking wooden gate, blocked their path.

The old man stepped aside and looked at Amos. "That is a story for another time. For now, it's time to teach you to control your powers. First, focus your energy on a specific part of your body. Let the energy envelope that part of you and then release it all at once." The old man instructed as Amos stepped forward.

"Okay. Focus my power into my arm," He spoke to himself as he lifted his right arm up in front of his body. His right arm started to shake violently as he started channeling his energy. Amos looked at his arm in amazement. He was shocked it actually worked. Looking at the door in front of him, Amos slammed his fist against the door. The air around the door bent as Amos' fist slammed into the wood, causing the wood to shatter into tiny pieces.

"Wow. I'm amazed that worked." He looked to the old man who had started moving forward again. Following on his heels, they walked through the large hall as alarms started ringing. Confusion spread throughout the fortress as to what was happening. Approaching another set of doors, they swung open and a dozen or so demons rushed out to greet them.

Amos' eyes went wide at the sight. "What the hell? They don't look human. What's going on?" He looked to the old man whose appearance had changed. He now looked similar to soldiers in front of them as he rushed forward.

"Leave this rabble to me. The False King is just ahead. Survive and I'll tell you everything, youngling." Amos watched in awe as the old village chief tore these guys apart with nothing but his claws. Seeing that the old man wasn't even breaking a sweat, Amos took off running down the hall.

Running at full speed, Amos managed to clear the hallway before more guards arrived to stop him. Standing in front of Amos was one last door between him and this false king. Pushing the door open, Amos stepped inside cautiously as he peered into the dark room.

"Welcome," A voice boomed from the shadows and the room was lit up immediately by torches on the wall. "Son of Zareth. You are alive, after all. Guess Baal failed to kill you," the voice rang out again. Amos stopped when he saw what was sitting on the throne. A giant blue devil, with several horns protruding from his head. Amos was shocked when he saw how large and ferocious this man appeared.

'No wonder the villagers never tried this alone. I can feel his powerful pressure even from here.' Amos thought as he started to move towards this devil one step at a time.

'Ha. Even your followers abandoned you. They sent you to die for them, Son of Zareth. Kneel before me and pledge your loyalty, and maybe I'll let your village live." He tilted his head back and laughed maliciously. Amos now stood in front of this blue devil, his whole body shaking uncontrollably.

"I'll make you a counter offer. Kneel before me, return this throne and the kingdom to its rightful owner, and maybe I'll kill you mercilessly instead of torturing you for the rest of your life." Amos spoke softly, but the power surging through his body, made even his whispering voice sound like a booming roar. The castle shook with each word and the False King fell silent. Terror showed in his eyes at this immense display of power.

"This can't be. Stay away." The devil shouted and ordered more men to his chambers. "Kill him. Don't let him near me." The guards looked at Amos and then grew fearful as another burst of energy surged forth from his body. Turning to face the blue devil, they threw down their weapons and bowed before Amos. "Cowards. Every single one of you." He nearly spat out his own blood in frustration. He went to look at Amos but he was nowhere to be found.

"Above you." Amos spoke and as soon as the devil went to look up, Amos put his whole arm through his head. "Die." Amos said in anger as he exploded the energy in his arm, completely destroying his enemy's head and upper body. Blood shot out in all directions, splattering Amos' body with little red drops. The demons who followed him all grew fearful at this display of power.

"He really is Zareth's spawn. His body enhancing magic is unrivaled. You would do well to remember the strength of your new king." The voice belonged to the old man. He slowly walked into the throne room, dragging a dozen or so guards behind him. "Nobody else needs to die." The old man continued and looked at Amos, a soft smile on his face. "What do you say we get this place cleaned up, your highness?" Amos nodded in agreement and looked to the guards.

"Start by cleaning up this mess. And point me to the nearest bath. I would like to clean my wounds." Amos demanded of the guards who immediately went to work cleaning.