Gods, the Epic Trillogy.

Caleb pulled his hat down over his face, and stepped under suitable cover from the rain.  The dark sky hung heavily down, as the mists from the falling rain rose from the ground.  The long depths of the Egyptian desert, fell back to near non-existence, forcing a feeling of apparent isolation upon the small and darkly lit town, in which he stood.  Pulling his coat further down over his shoulders, Caleb remembered why he had come to where he was.  He needed to remember, for it was all that was left in his life.  Days past, he had searched for further revenge, as the rage of fire he still felt, flooded into the mortal world. Tchernobog was dead, yet Caleb still felt a need for vengeance, for what he had done.  He also had the Cabal on his mind.  His confrontation with them was not yet over, even though their great leader had fallen.  He was now on a mission of revenge, against everything connected to him.

Over the weeks, Caleb had found what he needed to know.  He had beaten his own, and now he had to face a greater challenge, as it was all to erase those thoughts from his mind.  Stories told of one who was of pure evil, and a dark legend in his own right.  Egyptians feared him, and forced him to live alone, in this god-forsaken town.  This town of ghosts, with a history once filled with tragedy.  Few knew of this place, and Caleb could understand why.  The man with no name that he needed, was told to have a murderous past.  He sounded like Caleb's kind of man.  As Caleb snapped out of his thoughts, he could feel a dark figure close behind.  He spoke with an unsurpassed confidence, as this may have been his only chance.  "I am searching for a man."  Caleb stood ever vigilant and awaited his imminent response.  The dark figure drew closer and stepped, with shadows falling back, into the dust ridden light.
"Your in luck Caleb, all the women have left this town."  A small bout of laughter followed his words, as his hand fell to Caleb's shoulder.  Dust flew into the air, as the figure of Caleb stood still.  "Laugh damn it Caleb, I get so few here to share a joke with.  Time alone has changed me a great deal, from what I once was."  Caleb turned to face the man, his coat following a few moments behind.
"Jokes rarely make me laugh.  Give me something to shoot, and I might reconsider."  A smile slid across the face of the man.  "You're alright Caleb.  Little on the boring side, but I guess you've had your days." Caleb cut in quickly.  "I have."

"Good, then you sound like the one I have been waiting for.  My name is Horam, and I know of your name because I have awaited this day, for a very, very long time."  The dark figure of Caleb turned, forcing the light from the face of Haram, who turned away, as if loosing the concentration he once held.  With a light cough, close to that of laughter, he spoke.  "Truth is Caleb, news travels fast in these parts."  He swung his hand out, presenting Caleb with the silence of a deserted, rain soaked town.  This time Caleb laughed, if only to gain Haram's respect.  He stood back, so that Haram's face could be once again seen by the light.  He was an elderly man, with hair tied back, and a light unshaved beared covering his chin.  He wore a dark brown coat, quite unusual in appearance, that's collar covered most of his neck.  Haram turned and walked into the rain, as if not feeling it's soft touch.  "Come Caleb, there is little time, and much that must be explained."  As Caleb walked with Haram, the conversation continued.

"Caleb, there is little I do not know.  Over the years, I have collected a great deal to do with the 'underworld', that I feel should all become accessible to you.  However, I have taken what information I believe you need to know, and placed it in a small scroll, named Askham.  With it at your side, you will make many decisions.  If you read it well, you will make those that are correct, while if you do not, you will be unprepared for what you will face.  Do you understand me Caleb?"
"I see no reason why not, show this information to me."
"In good time Caleb."  Haram paused his walking and turned to face Caleb.  "This scroll, the one named Ashkam, holds much info that is now long lost and can not be found again.  With it comes a story, one you must remember should things go wrong for you."  Haram placed his hand on Caleb's shoulder, and smiled.  "Yes Caleb, your revenge will come, but it will not be by bullets alone."
"A pity then."
"Perhaps for you, but you must trust in me to give you what you want.  Walk with me should you wish to hear this story."  Haram continued his walk through the town, leaving Caleb standing alone.  The rain subsiding, Caleb remembered back to why he had come.  He ran and then slowed to be by Haram's side.  "We will see old man, bring this story by me."  Haram knew, that his time, was almost also at hand.  This time, the gods would pay for what they had done.

"The story I have to tell you Caleb, comes from a time in Egypt's past, when an earlier forming of the Cabal was at hand.  A great Egyptian priest, who held awesome power, wrote a book that held a great deal of magic.  This book was later split into two tomes, that helped the priest create a magical pathway down to hell.  This pathway, under the city of Varkahn, became the focal attention of the gods, as they themselves could not even create such a thing.  Not long after, a large assault using the Cabal was directed towards the priest, and taking the tomes that he held, away from him.  When the priest had been captured, the gods, who could not use the tomes made a deal with him.  They would give him something that he did not have, if he would open up the hole to hell he had made.  Still angry with the gods, the priest was left with little choice, and decided on taking their only offer.  Now Caleb, the pathway down to hell still exists, and I am the only mortal alive to know where.  I also have the power to destroy the tomes Caleb, and that is a wish of mine.  If you can get them from the gods themselves, not only will you enrage them beyond imagination, but you will also be helping me."

Caleb looked to Haram with a glint of vengeance in his eye.
"I would not do this for you."
"I did not think you would Caleb.  Do it for yourself, though do not underestimate your chances of succeeding.  I may have seen the future Caleb, but there are more lines of time in which you exist, and some may not have the ending that I have seen."  Haram took the hat from Caleb's head, and held it's brim over what he held in his hand.  What rain still fell bounced safely from it to the ground.  One over the other, he held them out for Caleb to see.  "Take the scroll Caleb.  It is the second I have written, for the first was done long ago.  With it you stand a chance of survival."  With the scroll now in the hands of Caleb, Haram drew them both to the side of a wooden house.  As the last patters of rain fell, and the sun drew from it's hiding behind the clouds, Haram lay down a map on the ground.  He took out a knife and lay it by the maps side.  "Take the flight just out of Cairo, and fly to the destination the knife shows you to."  Flicking the map up in the air, Haram then drew down to pick up the knife.  In a motion of effortless speed, the knife was flung into the airborne map, to land pinned against the wooden wall of the house, with a thud.  Both men drew closer to take a more accurate look.  Haram looked to Caleb, who stared at the knife, embedded deeply in the wall.  "That Caleb, is where you will dig.  Take the map, the scroll, and all the weapons I have.  Cairo awaits you my friend..."


The Scroll of Ashkam
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