Fan fiction:Winds of the Kae Huron/Chapter 8: Prophecy of the Final Day

Winds of the Kae Huron is a fan fiction piece by Nephilim, originally posted in the Diii.net Fan Fiction Forum. The fiction series was reposted on January 29th 2004. You can find more information on Winds of the Kae Huron article.

[e]

Chapter 8: Prophecy of the Final Day

And the voice of Bul-Kathos did not sound for some time, and he left Man to ponder what he had spoken of creation. But it would not be silent forever.

For the Ancients came to me in a dream, and spoke of how the world would end - when fate ran dry and no more would destiny dictate the doom of this world. For chaos is the will of those who would undo all that the Great and Ancient King had worked to protect.

And I was shown the end of the world.

There will be fire and shadow, and from that unholy union will spring forth three powerful Lords upon three pillars of smoke. I have seen these Lords.

Upon the pillar of white smoke is an aged man, with a Light upon his brow and a lie upon his tongue. In one hand he holds the will of Men, and in the other, he holds an urn filled with the ashes of many dead. From the white smoke spills the wailing of dread spirits, and they profess great Hatred for all who lived.

Upon the pillar of black smoke is a great man of stature, clothed in ruined silks and torn shawls. He has two faces made as one. One visage is a demon, who laughs at the folly of Man, and the other is a man of much wisdom, who is weeping. Clasped in his hands, with many fingers, is a great maul, under which is the rubble of many cities. His smoke is as silent as yesterday's battlefields.

The third pillar of smoke is red like blood. And at the top of this pillar is a child, standing with a spear in his hand atop the broken bodies of an old man and a great warrior. The child laughs at me, for in his other hand is my nightmare. The smoke is a face who shrieks with great terror: "Woe, woe, those warriors who wander, for ye shall be struck down in this hour and made as ruin."

The smoke of these Lords shall flood the earth and flow through the mouths of Men. The smoke shall rise and blot out the sun.

But a great Warrior who is Not a Man, shall hoist a sword of white fire and rally many Men behind him. He shall strike at the World with his sword, and from that blow will issue three fragments. One filled with storms and voices. One filled with gold and the sounds of battle. And one made of flesh, filled with blood and many whispers.

The Three Brothers will be struck apart, and the skies will rage, as the Warrior who is Not a Man leads the mortal world against their rivals, who desire nothing but their demise. Many will die, and the sun shall fall, but the Three Brothers shall be buried at three of the four corners of the World. And the Fourth Corner shall not be touched, for there the World is contained. And four Guardians will be made.

Wizards will guard Destruction in the South, and ensure that Black Smoke does not choke Man's peace.

Scholars will guard Terror in the West, and ensure that Red Smoke does not blind Man's reason.

Faith will guard Hatred in the East, and ensure that White Smoke does not suffocate Man's love.

And the Ancients of Bul-Kathos will guard the World in the North, and none shall pass the might of those ones.

But lo, there is but one place where even the Ancients may not tread. So great is its power and so mighty its secret. And this place is the Eye of the King - Nulholla Peak - where there lies a thing which shall test the children of the Eternal King. And if they prove worthy, Truth shall rain upon them, and they shall whoop in joy and song. And in the darkest hour, Truth shall be the only light within the lands of my people.

"Aid us!" the Nephalem shall cry, and the sons of the Eternal King shall answer. "We shall!" And a warrior shall rise from their ranks and clasp the Sacred Charge, which shall forever be a sign of their Chief.

The Warrior who is Not a Man shall throw down his sword into a great abyss, and then leave this world for ten thousand days. And the world will be a Sanctuary where mortals shall sleep peaceably, despite the petty wars of Men. And the eyes of children shall open to a new age. The sun will rise, with a golden halo about it.

And I beheld a man beneath the earth, with a crook the colour of blood, leading children to their death. Kings of man shall falter, and the might of strong steel will fall as nought. Brother shall smite brother, and a great voice shall tremble through the veins of the world. Many will hear, and many will come. A jagged star shall fall out of the sky and pierce the black heart of a wicked king. Men shall run from their strongholds, deaf and blind, crying: "Who has done this thing?"

And they shall converge upon the fallen temple. I saw many Men rush towards a burning fire, whose light seared their flesh. This is how it is to be - many sons and daughters of flesh shall cross a great chasm, but fall on the last step and be lost forever. But one blow shall strike true, and blood will flow as a river as the fire dies.

Man shall whoop with joy. "Evil is no more!" they will say. "Man need not fear sin any longer!" they will say, too.

And here I beheld a monstrous whore with hair of blood and a chalice full of many foul things. She rides atop the back of her brother, a great beast with many teeth. They are the siblings of agony, and delight in the tortures of man. At her feet are many women, prostrated as before the Immortal King, whose eyes have been taken from them; they have no eyes. And they despaired and wept with rage. A circle of tortures surround the brother and sister, and beyond them stand the fire reborn. Anguish shall consume the blind, and the Hero of the North, who arises once more, shall fall.

And a child will cradle Terror in his breast as the heart of man falls under the shadow. A Wanderer will pass through the ancient lands, trailing chaos in his wake. The Three Brothers will be reunited as the mortal world trembles before their might. And so it was foretold that the Three, once reunited, would be shattered again - And the last of them would set his sights on the holy mount. The warnings held that their defeat would be illusory - that the final gambit had yet to be played.

The white fire will be renewed, and my people will suffer as never before. Ruin shall come to many kingdoms, and the shadow shall linger under many kind moons. The Sacred Charge shall fall from the hands of the Chief of my people, for lo, your king is dead. But do not despair, for a warrior of your own shall climb the great plains and take up the Ancestral Guardian. New strength shall flow through him, and all my people. He shall be your Chief, and the sons of the Great and Ancient King shall be reunited firstly since the dawn of time.

This is what I have seen, and it is what shall be.

References

• Nephilim
• Original Post