A Bride for Jeshona Part 2

     Here is the 2nd part of the Prologue from my book, “A Bride for Jeshona” entitled, “In Leviathan’s Chamber”:  

     He could feel his heart beating and soon became aware of every part of his body: his breathing, a slight pain at his shoulders and back, his feet, legs, chest, head, and even the tips of his fingers. He swallowed, his mouth dry, his lips chapped. The air felt stale, humid and cold. It smelled musty. The back of his neck itched a little. He shook his head and chose to ignore all sensations.

      Then he set his mind on the task before him: to open the door. His armpits and forehead dripped with moisture. He tried desperately to suppress his nervous fear. After taking a deep breath, he lifted his hand to the shaft and pulled it to the side. It made a deep clanking sound that broke his attempt at silence. Now he knew that Leviathan was aware of his presence. The king had most certainly heard him unlatch the door and knew that someone was there. There was no turning back, no room for cowardice or trying to escape. Leviathan punished cowards more harshly than the bearers of bad news.

      So Ultuvar accepted the inevitable and channeled his fear into an angry rage. He surrendered himself to his destiny. His thoughts turned back to the battle and the detestable taste of defeat. Losing himself in anger, he pounded his arm against the door, flinging it open.

      Before his eyes could see anything in the room he screamed horribly. The scream scraped the inside of his throat so harshly it sounded as if blood would follow behind it. Then his eyes madly searched the room until they found the figure of the king, Leviathan, standing in the shadows next to his throne with his face to the wall, unmoved by Ultuvar’s abrupt entrance.

      Ultuvar’s fear tried to creep up on him again, but he shook it off with his anger and roared out his message. “Our armies are broken and retreating! The battle is lost!”

      Leviathan remained silent, still facing the wall. He wore a long black robe and tightly fitted boots. As he stood there, he seemed lost in contemplation, his arms crossed in front of him. The room was quiet, dark, and very empty.

      Ultuvar frowned. He thought that maybe Leviathan had not heard him. “My lord, the battle is lost.” He spoke again as if trying to wake the King from sleep: “We are defeated!”

      Leviathan slowly turned his head back toward Ultuvar. When his eyes caught sight of his messenger he slightly tilted his body in a smooth motion like that of a snake. His eyes were dark like the hair on his head and like his facial hair, which he kept trimmed to a goatee. He peered deeply into the Ultuvar’s eyes as if piercing him with a sword. The king’s expression changed from a blank stare to a frown that curled up his lips.

      His entire body suddenly tensed up so that the veins in his neck became visible. Like a ferocious beast about to strike its prey his body was still. Then he began to breathe heavily, his chest heaving upward as he inhaled air. His hands curled in to the form of claws and his teeth showed like fangs. Every muscle in his face tightened furiously. The rage in Leviathan’s heart was building itself up like a dam about to burst and he held it back as long as he could.

      Then he screamed. His whole body shook ferociously and the room seemed to shake with him. Leviathan’s shriek thundered far more powerfully than his subject’s previous shrill.

      Ultuvar’s body froze, his eyes wide open. When the scream had ceased the terror returned to his heart in full force. He began to tremble and his voice weakened to a breathless whimper. “We must retreat to Kosmon, my lord, in the lower kingdom. If you remain here Gadlon’s forces will find you and you will surely be killed. Come away, my lord, for the sake of your life! Let us make haste!”

      “Death to you! Pathetic creature! You dare to command me?! What are you to me?! Do you delight in this?! Are you eager to retreat in disgrace?! Death to you!”

      Ultuvar lifted his hands in protest. “No, my lord, I only…”

      But before he could finish his sentence, Leviathan quickly pulled a long dagger from his belt and stuck it into Ultuvar’s stomach. Ultuvar’s body jolted at the sudden blow. His jaw dropped open and he shuddered, staring at his master in disbelief. Leviathan then wrenched the dagger out of Ultuvar’s innards, letting him fall to the floor in agony. On his knees Ultuvar desperately held his stomach with his hands. In horror and amazement he stared at the floor, his own death staring back at him. He writhed and groaned in pain, falling down head first while King Leviathan stood by with a smile. Ultuvar finally gave up fighting for his breath and died there like a dog.

      Leviathan looked up, now ignoring his victim, and resumed his thoughts. He paced around the room, walking over the dead body when necessary. No words came to his mind, only a quiet rage, that itself and nothing else. It consumed him.

Next time part 3…