A falling castle, a rock giant and a demon

[Chak' Ysshirr]

When Chak' Ysshir saw John of the Grey Rose and Gwyn, his wife, near the castle of Vashikar he knew something was happening. The guard's wife seemed bad injured.
- Spiders in the castle, Chak - said John. - Don't go in there, I'll bring men...
When they left to Troll's Bane, the lizard stared at the castle. Then he heard that noise. A noise coming from the ground. From under the ground. For a moment, in an odd way, the sound remembered him of the eternal silence of the abyss, under the Waters: both were a sign that something was about to happen.

Axes, swords, armours... and the sound of eight-legged creatures moving. They could not go inside the castle, because there were too many spiders and few antidotes for its poison. And they could not force the spiders to go out. So they waited.
- So, where is Aristeaus when his city needs him? - asked John. - The work ended up in the hands of Troll's Bane's guards.
Chak turned to him.
- Though your help isss appreciated, John, no one asssked for it... - said Chak, emotionless.
- Shall we go back again, then?- asked John with a smile.
- I sssaid your help isss appreciated... - answered Chak.
But, if it was a coincidence or destiny that brought Aristeaus there in the moment those words were spoken, no one will ever know. He asked of what was happening and after he was told, he drew his axe and entered the castle. Because he was there. He was there for his city. Chak, Wiergraf, Fooser and John followed behind him.
The underground was filled with spiders. They fought them, trying to avoid it's poisoned attacks as they could. When the spiders were all laying on the ground, unmoved, they heard a noise. Chak knew what it was. It was exactly how it used to be under the Waters, the silence the abyss used to bring.

The castle was falling.

They started to get out, one by one, as the sound of crumbling rocks followed them. When they left, many people were staring at the castle from outside, not knowing what was happening or what to do. Aisteaus stared at his castle as it crumbled. Chak looked to him, but there was nothing he could do.
- Weee! Spiders! Never saw real spiders before! - a small figure shouted right before he entered the castle running.
Aristeaus followed the halfling and many others did. They followed the halfling to the underground and from outside, everyone heard the sound of a rock falling.
Chak and Wiergraf entered the castle again.
- We're blocked down here! - they heard from the underground. - There is a rock blocking the way!
Then silent. Their only way out was the old tunnel through the mines. That's probably what they did, but... what if there were more spiders on the way?
- I'm going down... - said Chak' Ysshirr, holding the grip of his axe and heading to the stairs.
- Chak, don't, you'll be blocked! - shouted Wiergraf, but no use.The lizard already had jumped down.

- Chak, can you hear me? - he heard Wiergraf's voice saying from the upper level.
- I'm fine... I can't find Arissst or anyone...
Though he was alone and the danger of more spiders coming was a reality, the lizard Ysshirr started to look for Aristeaus and the others. But he founded no one.
- Chak! Aristeaus is here! He got out from the tunnel! - he heard Wiergraf shouting again.
- There isss a rock on my way up...
- Use the old way, the tunnel!
Chak turned to see his way but, but then... that noise. The same noise again. Closer. He turned to see where it was coming from. And then a wall felled apart. There was a big hole in it. In front of the hole, was a giant rock.
Chak looked to it, surprised. A giant spider showed and started to walk to the golem. The creature was smashed with one hit by hands made of rock.
Chak' Ysshirr started to look for a way out, while the golem fought another spider. When he headed to the tunnel, his way out, he heard the sound of stones being broke. Turning back, he saw the giant rock eating rocks. That was it. His way out.
He got near the golem, which stood unmoved. Chak' Ysshirr looked to the stone that was blocking his way up. If only he could attract the attention of the rock giant...
Then something glowed red in the forehead of the golem. It was a ruby. Chak felt happy for the spiders to have shown for a moment. He searched his back and took a red ruby out of it. One single ruby he got from the spiders. It was his only way out.
- Here... - he said, putting the ruby on the ground, near the rock giant. - A ruby...
The ruby on his forehead shone and he ate the one on the ground and again, stood there, like a statue. Chak examined him. The golem seemed to look back to him with two holes on where should be eyes. The rock giant almost seemed as if was waiting for a order.
- That one - said the lizard, pointing to the rock blocking his way. - Could you grab that ssstone...? It'sss blocking our way up...
The giant rock looked to the stone and walked slowly in it's direction while Chak heard Wiergraf's voice and many others shouting in the upper levels for him.

- It's on the basement, holding the ceilling - said Aristeaus. - Everyone, out.
- ...
Chak suddenly approached the stairs and said:
- Thank you.
On the underground, he could hear the suffering sound a stone creature holding an entire castle with it's stone arms.
They went out.
The castle was falling. Crumbling and breaking. Chak was staring at it as if the entire castle was someone he knew long ago.
- ...
It was the orc that brought them inside again. Chak didn't know the orc, all he knew was that the orc seemed to be a murderer and that he was entering the castle and he should get out. The lizard and Wiergraf followed behind the orc to get him. And when they went down, they saw the effort the giant was doing to hold the castle. The ruby in it's forehead shinning weakly.
Chak remembered of the ruby he gave to the golem and started to gather more rubies from the people from the town. But Persephonie seemed to didn't care. Also, the other orc, seemed to have stolen two rubies which Jeremy gave to Chack.
A smile. But no one saw it. It is said that the smile of a demon can be the most frighting thing to see.
- No... not now... - said Chak, his breathing getting faster and faster. His eyes starting to glow red. - Hurrrr... Hurrrr... SSSSSSSSS!
He turned and entered the falling castle running, heading to the stairs. Fooser followed him, but he pulled the other lizard.
- Get away from me, lizard... - said Chak. - Get away... hurrr... hurrr...
Ysshirr went down and stared at the giant rock. Trying to control the shaking of his body, he placed the rubies he could gather on the stone body of the rock giant. Somehow, it seemed to don't work. The ruby on the forehead of the golem shone for the last time and felled to the ground. And the golem became lifeless. Chak' Ysshirr got the ruby and put it inside his bag.
- You sssaved my life... you sssaved everyonesss life... - said the lizard, but he could not say anything anymore. The demon was winning. His eyes glowed red again and became red.
- SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! - he shouted.
Wiergraf came down, looking for Chak.
- Oh, no - said the orc. - Not berserker...
He tried to calm Chak down, but no use. The lizard only walked to him, with his mouth open, showing his sharp teeth.
The orc walked up again. From there, they could hear the noise of tables being broke and stones being thrown.
Wiergraf went down again.
- Chak - he said -, think about Mary. She needs you, not the berserker or the demon inside you. It's Chak that she needs.
- .....marysssss......... MARYYYYYSSSSSSS! - he screamed. His body fell and it seemed as if he was fighting with himself.

When they got out, Wiergraf was carrying Chak, the lizard seemed very weak.
- Falling cassstle... ssshould kill... the demonsss... inssside of it...
Then he passed out. And the stones started to fall.

[Chak' Ysshirr]

The next day made Chak' Ysshirr think. The ruby with no glow was in his hand when he entered the castle of Vashikar.
He went down, to the basement, and there he saw what seemed to be a big unfinished statue. The statue was holding the ceilling, so the entire castle waslaying on it's arms. On it's head there was a small hole.
- You ruby... - said the lizard. - Here...
He took the ruby out of his bag and placed it on the ground, near the golem. Nothing happened.
- Thisss belongsss to you...
Chak got down and grabed the ruby. Looking to the forehead of the statue, he placed the ruby in the empty hole. It fitted perfectly.
With a flick of his tail, the lizard Ysshirr left the basement.