Ironsides Family/Bowie/Chapter Four
Demon of Dwilight, Chapter Four: Wanderer Going On Mystic
As the Demon of Dwilight leaves D'Hara for good he returns to Sallowtown for the first time since his expulsion. The Black Army searches the city for Bowie's son Winter, but instead find the resilience of the Sallowsians.
Crossing the Desert of Silhouettes
The Black Army slowly marches across the bright desert. The heat and sand ache at them as much as the water rationing. Bowie had visited the desert once before, but only for a short time and never this deep. He was attempting to do something considerably very dangerous, he was going to cross straight through the desert.
Weeks pass, men starve and die, Bowie walks on. The sands rise and fall like waves and at times the wind blinds the caravan. They continue in the direction of the far off Divide Mountains. For the Black Army, this journey was both a test and a punishment. For Bowie, it was his only option.
Captain Volkrad heard Bowie speak about this desert. Bowie spoke cryptically and without explanation. He said,
- “The desert cannot be conquered. Only those who are invited to pass may live. If the desert does not want you, you will never make it out alive.”
They pass near the suspected sunken citadel of Ishkantar, but they have neither time nor energy to explore it. Such mysteries and treasures will have to wait for an adventurer or a funded expedition.
Finally, after an unrecorded length of time the Black Army reaches the West Divide. Their trek across the unforgiving desert was complete but their labour up and over the mountains had just begun.
Over the West Divide
The cold and the unending uphill march are the pains of the Black Army. Such a drastic change from fierce sand to biting rock has lowered the morale of the Black Army. The pride they earned from surviving the desert has drained as they realize the height of their new obstacle. Bowie climbs on.
At the top, many of the men freeze to death and Bowie nearly joins them, but he knows fate will not let him perish on the forsaken mountain. It would be his welcome end but fate never provides comfort. Starvation, dehydration, malnutrition and frostbite plague the Black Army who descends slowly down the West Divide. At first, murmurs of dissent spread, but there is no other salvation except to march on. They share a common suffering and begin to mold into a community under their outcast commander. Cohesion rises.
Once again, after uncounted days and nights, the Black Army survives to face another challenge. They reach the bottom of the West Divide and gaze upon a far off castle, one that none of them knew existed before. Bowie looks and sees more than just an abandoned structure, he sees a possible refuge. He thinks he sees sanctuary. Has fate led him to this place? Was the castle in the mountains always destined for him? The Black Army is renewed with hope as the sun rises and melts the frost on their chilled armour.
Discovering Balance's Retreat
Making their way to the castle, the Black Army notices how empty and desolate it is. Bowie examines the building and approves of it as a strong fortress. He is also glad that it is remote from society. The Prince took to solitude for a few days. Volkrad learned through spying that Bowie was writing constantly in his tent. The Black Army thought he was active in another academic project, but they were unaware of the implications of the work he was creating. After a few nights of recovering from their long journey the Black Army gathers to hear their Prince speak.
- “Soldiers of the Black Army, you have followed me across the worst of environments and lived. This night we dine in the comfort provided by this Castle. Give thanks to it and you may all discover something new. It will be here where we find our sanctuary. It will be Balance’s Retreat where our future rests. Mark this place as the treasure in your heart and hear my oath, ‘I shall return to this castle, claim it as my own and you will be my vassals.’ Here, in this isolated paradise we shall thrive. Though we must depart tomorrow morn, after much time and preparation we shall come back. That day will be our jubilee, our reward for all tribulations. This is our destiny!”
The men cheered and praised Bowie. Hopes and promises fed the hearts of the Black Army and fortified the drive of their leader, the Demon Prince.
The next morning they departed the sacred castle and continued to the Alley of Swords.
"The Rogue Mystic"
Moving out from Balance’s Retreat, the men discover the writings of the Demon Prince. They realize he has written something extraordinary and share the work amongst the army. They had discovered the Forbidden Journal of the Demon Prince.
When they asked why he wrote the Journal, he answered,
- “Suddenly your entire perspective changes, suddenly, you are a mystic.”
This journal reveals the incredible encounters the Demon Prince had during his journey through the desert and over the mountains. It is the source for the new religious concept known as Mysticism. Bowie was then recognized as the Rogue Mystic. The Black Army is the first to hear the truth of Mysticism and are the first converts.