"Interesting," I muttered looking at the state the once majestic mares were in.
After ensuring that nothing remained of the paladin camp, I found the decrepit shack that Nathaniel had mentioned. It was used as a makeshift stable to keep the horses close by in case of a somewhat swift getaway. Canopies were built to shield the poor creatures from the elements providing them some comfort in the wilderness. The horses were tied by their reins around large wooden posts driven deep into the soil. What was meant to keep horses from running rampant now was responsible for their demise.
A total of forty horses laid dead on the ground below covered in a brown haze that swayed with wind from Orion's wings. The air had a foul smell to it that seemed out of place for the recently dead. It was almost as if a thousand corpses pushed through the veil between living and dead to get anyone's attention to their unmarked tomb. I remember reading about such a foul smelling haze before during one of my earlier travels. If I recall correctly, the haze was a type of poisonous air with the strength to kill any living thing with one breath. Miasma is the name that I believe the author had called it and described it as a rare natural occurrence that usually happens when masses of the dead reach are left to the elements.
I had Orion circle the area around the shack hoping to find a way inside without touching the miasma. Unfortunately it seemed like the entire area was covered by the deadly haze with no points of dissipating. I did find another paladin posted to keep an eye on the horses a few paces from the canopy that headed toward the camp. My guess is that the poor bastard tried to make a run for the fresh air that waited just at the edge of the forest. Though he was an enemy, I hoped he realized that it was already too late for him and took his own life before the unbearable pain began.
"Erebus," I said the name inside my mind hoping to get his opinion on what to do next.
I waited for a few moments waiting for him to respond, but was met with only silence. I took a gamble on hoping he was waiting for me to speak my mind. "Erebus," I repeated his name making sure I had his attention, "I possibly found the lair of Khokbus's followers, but can't reach it. Miasma is covering the entire area around it with no signs of breaks to slip through."
After a few seconds his whispery dead voice rang in my mind, "Allow me to see, little sparrow."
Instantly, the area below me changed to that of the Hunting Grounds. I stood in the clearing next to a throne made from vines and stone. Erebus's figure sat like a king governing his domain with his head resting on his shadowy limb. His burning eyes seemed to not notice my sudden appearance as if I was just a pest unworthy of his time. I stood quietly observing the spectre as he viewed the world through my eyes.
Seconds grew to hours as I stood waiting for his counsel on the matter that lays before us. Shall I say, that is what it feels like anyway when one grows bored. Time was nonexistent in Penumbra so I couldn't tell how long it's been since allowing Erebus to take control of my body. I passed the time tossing a black orb like the one that killed the paladins far into the woods as the pack of shadow wolves chased after it. They each would fumble for it like a hunk of meat freshly carved from a roasted pig.
As I played fetch, my mind began to flutter with possible locations to build a kingdom from the ground up. Siegfried was a possible candidate due to it being a travelers hub and the business that followed. I was sure I could negotiate with Momma Joan and the other elders about having Siegfried the capital. Though idea after idea flooded to the surface of my mind, so did the possible ruin that could follow. I knew not many would willingly visit a town overrun with monsters and undead. I also knew that the remnants of Lokdis's paladins would march at such a town hoping to do their god's work and seek vengeance for the lives I had taken in the process.
The next possible location that I had in mind was the Grotto itself. Being underground provided a natural defense to ward off intruders and was already home to monsters. More fortifications could be made to help reinforce such a natural barrier. Guard towers and houses could be constructed around the cave entrance. Such buildings would add a more subtle touch in keeping my subjects safe. On the other hand, time would be an issue to keep ourselves safe along with the issue that no one would set foot in a city of monsters. Distance was also a main issue to think about.
Sighing, I sat with my back against the throne as I watched two cubs roll around a few feet in front of me fighting over the black ball. I watched as a large dire wolf made her way to rest beside me and placed her head on my lap. Chuckling, I began to run her soft fur sending black wisps of shadow into the air. Her fur was soft like a freshly stuffed pillow waking to be cradled in an infant's slumber. We sat there watching the two playful cubs case each other for what seemed a calming eternity.
Erebus's whispery voice broke the tranquil silence as it sent an involuntary chill down my spine. "Interesting," he muttered as the two fiery orbs flickered as if laughing, "it amazes me how much he has grown throughout the centuries. For his power to be this grand, he must have disobeyed father's orders just as I had."
Like Vilra and Khokbus, Erebus was one of the twelve primordials. It is said that he was considered one of the strongest deities that roamed the world in times of old and was one of the older gods. He was once known as the Lord of Shadows and the Envoy of Darkness that ruled from his demiplane of existence known as Penumbra. The same demiplane that I now watch over as his warden. He was also known as the Rebellious One for disobeying his father's rule by meddling in the lives of us mortals. For such a crime, he was forever sealed away in Penumbra never to see the world he cherished.
[(Demiplane? That could work for the kingdom that I planned to build. I could make a pathway that connected Siegfried and the Grotto allowing trade to go undisturbed along with providing a means to escape danger. I could also place an entrance in one of the abandoned rooms in Shade's Grove. The mana needed would be great, but it would be worth the days spent resting if it meant safety for their sakes. I'll have to discuss this with Vilra and Erebus later when I'm free to do so.)]
Extinguishing my excitement, I stood and patted the dirt off my ass or as best I could with one arm. "And yet he's still roaming the world with followers in tow," I mockingly said, "guess parents do tend to have favorites."
The both of us shared some laughter before becoming serious once more. "I believe I can shield us from the miasma," Erebus muttered tapping the throne in a rhythmic tune, "but for how long, I'm not entirely sure. Miasma isn't the same as the shadows you and I control."
Putting my hand on my chin as the real world began to return. "It seems to have the same characteristics of air," I pondered watching the clouds of brownish yellow gas swirled from Orion's wingbeat, "I don't recall reading about it in the testimony of the little fox's uncle. Maybe it's some kind of warding mechanism."
[(If we could get rid of the miasma on the surface, I would be able to focus on warding against it below. That being said, if I simply had Orion flap his wings continuously and send it away then another part of the area would be infected.)]
I pondered what to do as I gazed at the vapor below and the victims it had already taken. Besides the horses and paladin, I found a lone shepherd tending to his sheep caught in the middle of the poisonous gas. Unlike the paladin, the poor sap died facing the sky allowing for all to see what happens when trapped in miasma. Just as I had read before, the shepherd's eyes were ringed by blood that trailed down his cheeks. Black veins popped to the surface along his paled complexion as if all the warmth of his body had been taken away. He looked like the victims that had fallen to a plague.
His sheep didn't look much better than him. Their lush white cotton was reduced to nothing more than shriveled scraps to be cast aside. Plump bodies had deteriorated to skin draped over blackened flesh. They would have given their caregiver quite a sum of gold for the fine cotton sought by every tailor and clothes maker. A small exchange for the care they received from the lad, but now squandered. At least they died alongside their shepherd especially if there was none to replace him.
"If it helps little sparrow," Erebus whispered in my mind, "I recall a match between Khokbus and a flame elemental. A match that Khokbus barely won due to his miasma being quite susceptible to the elemental's flame."
I pondered over this information as we made another sweep of the area. Even if I was protected though for an undetermined time, there was no guarantee that Orion was safe against the effects at hand. I didn't want to risk his life even if he would be revived a month or two later, that is if I survived. A small black flame danced to life in my palm as I contemplated Erebus's information. To be frank, I was willing to try anything to make sure both of us made it back alive. There was a lot of planning yet to be done for the kingdom I sought to build.
[(Might as well try.)]
The black flame soured from my palm with a flick of the wrist and took the shape of a ball through the air. I watched as it struck one of the deceased horses a few paces from the shack setting it ablaze. Suddenly a chain reaction occurred as the flames grew to envelope the other corpses. An explosion sounded, sending debris soaring everywhere and forcing us to fly higher for better protection. I felt the wind off a stray arm brush against my hair as it whizzed by just barely striking my side. My eyes widened at the sight of what happens when flames and miasma are mixed together.
Everywhere that the miasma hovered was now a black stain on the earth below. The corpses of the majestic mares were reduced to ash from the sheer heat from the flames. From the air, it looked like a skyrock had fallen from the heavens above as if a god's purifying fist to destroy such a horrid area. Outlining trees sat along the ground reduced to firewood waiting for lumberers to have their pick. Bits of the shepherd and his flock fell from the air only to rest forever apart from each other. The destruction capability was grand yet the shack remained standing and untouched by devastation.
A shimmering barrier came to life as black flames continued to burn around it hoping to reach the wood beyond. "Figured as much," I muttered as I willed the black flames to extinguish.
I urged Orion to land near the barrier as it returned to normal, hiding in plain sight ready to protect the entrance. Using a spell that my mother taught me, my eyes moved over the white dome searching for a weak point. Depending on the capability of the user and quality of the spell, most barriers had a certain weak point that if struck by an equal or more powerful force would break the barrier leaving whatever it protected defenseless. I cursed under my breath as I could not find any such point meaning whoever casted this barrier was a master of their craft. Someone that could pose trouble if met head on below especially since they would know the lay of the land more than I would.
"Master," Orion spoke as he stood next to me in his human form, "shall I be of any assistance?"
I shook my head placing my hand on the barrier that shimmered into existence once with a faint blue tint. A jolt of lightning went through my arm as my vision changed to a lone figure sitting on a throne and bound in chains. I felt his racing heart as archers readied their bows upon command. The tightening of his chest with labored breaths as the arrow pierced his flesh to prolong his death. I saw the shimmer of a blade before darkness had taken hold with the fading sounds of cheers.
[(Mortem Syn, powerful ones as well. I wonder how many people died at this spot. Now the question is, was it a warning or something else?)]
"Orion," I placed my hand more firmly against the barrier, "use mana sense to keep an eye around us. My attention will be focused on breaking the barrier. If the explosions didn't alert anyone inside then this surely will."
Without waiting for his response, I poured mana into my palm where a dark crimson aura began to radiate. Closing my eyes, I focused on the surrounding shadows from the undisturbed trees to the shadows hidden within the shack. I felt their pull trying to resist my call to arms hoping to stay where they belong. More I focused on calling on the distant shadows beneath the crashing falls and the shadows within my clothes. I imagined all the shadows forming around the domed barrier drowning out all the mana born from light.
"Incredible," I heard Orion whisper behind me.
Though it may be, the barrier was still holding its form resisting the weight of shadows wrapped around it. Within my closed eyes, I saw the faint sparks of purple lightning radiating throughout the darkness attempting to free the barrier beneath. Jolts of pain screamed throughout my arm with every shadow replacing those that had been destroyed. Blood drizzled from my mouth from the prolonged pressure my body was under. I felt my consciousness begin to fade away, unable to keep up with what had been used. Still, I continued to tighten my grasp knowing I was in danger.
The one thing I had wished to happen began to take shape as light began to break through each growing crack like that of a mirror. I roared the incantation as my goal was within reach, "Corrodere! Umbra Devorantis!"
At once, the shadows over the top of the barrier began to shift into a moving mass resembling the head of Tartarus' serpent I had consumed. Large red eyes gleamed in the darkness as the sound of glass shattering filled the air with each tightening muscle. The barrier continued to free itself with even more shuddering lightning that broke through small gaps of the devourer serpent. With each second, the pain became more excruciating as my spell continued to squeeze its coils tighter and tighter until its head towered over the precipice of the barrier. More and more shadows replaced missing scales broken free from the shadowy serpent unfazed by such little damage.
I opened my eyes and yelled as the serpent plunged head first into the barrier with the force of a falling skyrock, "Devour!!"
I watched as the serpent of shadows broke through the barrier sending cracks throughout it as it plunged into the ground below. Its coils tightened around the barrier walls following the head as twinkling shards fluttered fading away into the world once more. Like dominos, the barrier shattered letting the captured dust free to blow with the wind. It was like watching small embers dance in a calm breeze of a warm fire before dying out. I felt all the conjured shadows return to where they belonged as the support of the barrier faded away.
Without such support, I fell to my knees as the world around me became somewhat quiet and shrouded in darkness. Such was the risk of using a newly learned spell, especially one that would be considered high-tier. It was a gamble that paid off even if most of my mana was drained in one sitting. I didn't care as long as the barrier was no longer in our way of finding Khokbus' followers and running a blade through them. Followers that oddly come charging through the door to stop the destruction of the barrier that protected them. Unless something unseen was waiting to be played down below.
I felt Orion support my weight as he helped me to my feet. His eyes were filled with worry for my safety, "Please rest a little, master."
Smiling, I pulled two vials of a blue liquid from my pocket and downed them. The taste was like eating a charred shoe mixed with a hint of wolfsbane for a more bearable taste, but the aftereffects were sublime. I instantly felt refreshed as a wave of energy washed over me like a gentle heat relaxing my muscles. It was like all the mana that was expended had been completely restored or to an amount that allowed my body to function like normal. My vision and hearing returned to normal as did some of my complexion. I was able to push forward with my goal laid out before me.
It didn't take us long to search the rotting shack for a hidden passage that led deep into the earth. Though it was like walking into an endless abyss, I could see the stone steps though the faint haze of dust and miasma filled air. To my relief, Orion was protected from the air through the link we shared. Each step, I would look behind me to see if he was feeling alright and each time he would nod his answer. Sighing, I focused on the walls made from rough dirt held back by carved stone depicting a horned firgure's story through unclear scenes. On the top of each supporting wall, runes of an unknown origin still glimmered a faint blue as if telling what is unfolding in each carving.
"Icdari," Erebus whispered with a hint of joy, "the tongue of the Gods. The origin of all languages developed over the centuries. To see it once more fills me with unprecedented joy I thought was lost."
"Dumb question," I muttered as the final steps came in sight, "can you read it? Might be useful later."
"Hmm," I felt Erebus working his mind, "It'll take some time, but if I look back through your memories later then I could possibly tell you for sure. My guess however i--"
Erebus's voice cut out as pain ran rampant throughout my mind when we stepped through the threshold at the bottom. Pain that felt like thousands of tiny blades swimming throughout my head trying to find an escape from their prison. Blood filled my mouth as I tried to refrain from screaming out in utter frustration. The worst part was the hundreds of Mortem Syn that played out in my vision. Each scene became more and more intense with each new soul playing out their deaths that ended with being stripped and impaled to the wall. All led up to a single vision of a horned figure restrained to an ivory throne with pleading eyes.
Seeing my face contorted into a mask of pain, Orion rushed to my side. I felt his arms wrap around me as he helped me to the nearest wall, "F-Master, is everything alright?"
I didn't say anything as I allowed the pain to subside. I found some comfort in the darkness of my eyelids hoping to soothe the pain a little more. When the pain was somewhat gone, I looked to Orion. I smiled hoping to comfort his worried gaze, "I'm alright, but something about this place isn't right."
[(That figure in the throne was Khokbus, but why would a Death God be restrained to his throne with barbs? Was it him that showed me the visions of such death? Did he partially sever my connection with Erebus?)]
Sighing, I placed a hand on the wall to support my wobbly legs before continuing forward. Some distance away the altar mentioned was in sight with an all-seeing eye watching our descent. That was the least of my worries as the wall was not stone or mounds of dirt, but of something smooth that reminded one of preserved bone. Taking a few steps forward with the aid of Orion, I turned and observed the area I once was. There hanging on the wall like some brick was the complete well preserved skeletal remains of a small child.
My horror continued to grow with each corpse along the wall in a spiralling dome shaped cavern. Bodies of different lengths and heights arranged in such a fashion that the supported dirt was covered by such death. Their broken limbs pierced with wooden stakes ensuring they would forever be bound to the spot without the reprieve of an eternal rest. Corpses of adults of each race stripped and preserved like fine mortar used by the most professional of masons. Some were nothing but skeletons while others still had masses of sagging flesh attached and warm hues to their skin. There were hundreds upon hundreds on display around the cavern being an eerie atmosphere fitting for the Khokbus' followers.
"Good Evening," a woman's cold profound voice echoed throughout the cavern, "I take it you're responsible for disrupting my prayers to the Great One."
Searching for the voice, I found a shrouded figure kneeling before the altar that wasn't there a second ago. I watched as the figure rose to its feet like a wraith leaving its body for a midnight hunt as she turned to face us. Her face was covered in darkness provided by her hood except for the lower jaw that was hidden behind some kind of ceremonial half mask made to resemble a snarling beast ready to kill. Bony fingers caressed a freshly cut out heart still beating as the poor owner watched with a horrifying gaze at the altar's feet. I took note of the ceremonial stole draped around the woman's neck.
[(Guess, we interrupted something.)]
"So you're the infamous Jackal I've heard about," the woman hissed as two more figures appeared from nowhere and carried off the body and heart, "or should I call you by your birth name."
I just smiled as Orion and I made it across the large bridge. "Either will do," my eyes narrowed, "you'll be dead soon either way."
The woman's body contorted as laughter boomed from underneath the mask. "That is yet to be seen," she sighed as two more hooded figures rose from the darkness.
I eyed the trio as the figure on the left whispered something into the woman's ear. Even after enhancing my hearing, I could only make out the slightest syllables or the faint mention of Vaniel. My focus then turned to enhancing my vision to see under the tallest of the trio's hood, but that too was out of reach. It was like something was hindering my magic from properly functioning. Still I continued to reach into the darkness of the hood and found a slight glimpse of the sewn monstrosity hidden beneath.
"Excellent!" the woman's extremely cold voice broke my focus, "it seems that our time must be cut short offspring of Zachariah. I'm afraid I can't personally attend to your demise just like your father and mother."
I tossed a misericorde as I yelled, "I won't let you go until you've answered for their deaths!"
"Foolish child," the woman chuckled as the figure on the right caught the blade by allowing it to pierce its outstretched palm, "such tricks do not work here."
A dark portal came to life just in front of the altar that held a swirling black vortex inside. I watched as five figures began to form. Each wore a mask of different animals from a serpent to my name sake as if some comedic joke. I watched as each figure bowed as the woman made her way to stand before them like some goddess waiting to be given offerings. I eyed each figure as Morrigon formed in my hand ready to taste blood.
[(At least I can still access my weapons, but that might be all. I must come up with a way to get out of here and destroy this place from the surface. Wait a moment?)]
It was then that I sensed a faint hint of sorrow coming from the figure clad in nicely crafted leather armor and black scarf tucked under a raven mask. Its eyes never left me as it rose to stand with the other masked ones however I noticed something dangling from its right hand. I didn't know if it was some kind of trap or something else, but I allowed myself a good glimpse, an action that I regretted instantly. The object was attached to a silver chain well hidden by the figure's gloved hand that allowed enough slack for it to be seen by my eyes only. A chill went down my spine as an all too familiar pendant spiraled before me with a picture of my family inside.
Quickly, I pulled my pendant free bringing tears to my eyes as new found questions popped in my head. My vision returned to the figure who's eyes spoke volumes of disapproving my much needed outburst. Eyes that I had seen throughout the years that gave me comfort in my darkest of nights. Eyes that laughed when something was found to be funny or filled with sorrow when something sad happened. The eyes that I longed to see once more ever since that night and the years that came afterward.
[(F-father?)]
As if answering my unspoken question, the figure gave the slightest of nods hoping to not be caught by the others around it. I took a step forward as the woman and the figures began to step through the portal one by one, "I do hope to see you again," the woman spoke as my eyes watched the Raven disappear, "that is if you survive. I look forward to seeing if what the rumors say about you are true. Ta-ta!"
I watched as the woman backed into the portal along with one of the hooded figures. However, I barely noticed as my mind flooded with more questions than answers. If my father truly survived, why didn't come save me from that hell I lived through? Why did he not appear before Uncle and stopped him from selling me into slavery? Most importantly, why join the ranks of the Eyes of Khokbus? All of these questions and more began to spread deep into my mind, blinding me of what was happening in the cavern.
The sound of contorting bone brought me back to my senses as one of the corpses plopped down from the ceiling in front of us. Its shattered bone cracked and popped as it lifted off the ground like a spider with its arms and legs bent the wrong way exposing the freshly broken bones underneath. Like an owl, the corpse's head turned to face us with its blackened maw dangling from one hinge while the other hung loose allowing the tongue to run free. I watched as its body twisted the right way and stood as stiffened joints came loose once more. The zombie gave a shrill screech as two more bodies crumbled behind it.
Looking at the other corpses, I saw that each was pulling themselves free from their resting places without care for their dismembered limbs. Blue orbs filled their long deceased eyes as yellow gas expelled from their dead lungs with each grunt or screech. Several converged together into a pile of bone and gore that took life on itself as Abominations towered over us. Multiple outreaching limbs formed the creatures' ragged fleshy hands and feet. Others formed massive Bone Golems that crushed everything underneath its rolling mass.
More and more undead rose to tear our flesh from bone and assemulate our beings into their hive. I turned to the hooded figure and found that my speculation was unfortunately correct as it usually was in dire situations. The figure was an undead known as a Ghoul which usually dwell in abandoned cemeteries feasting on the corpses laid to rest. Ghouls were much more intelligent than the average undead and had immense body strength that is used to reach prey no matter what shelter protected them.
I felt Orion press his back against mine as we became surrounded by volumes of undead. It was only a matter of time before we would be swept under and devoured like roasted lamb. My mind ran through each possible solution but one problem remained. Whatever we chose, the factor of a horde of undead would be left unchecked to do as it pleased and a kingdom unaware of such danger. Knowing this, I chose to do the only thing I thought would help achieve both oppositions, but at a possibly great sacrifice. A sacrifice that I alone should make if it meant the lives of my subjects like any good king would.
Focusing on the tether that bound Orion and I, I severed our contract at the cost of some mana that could be regained with the last of the mana potions I carried. "Master," Orion turned to me with a confused and frightened gaze, "wh--"
I wrapped my arm around him saying my farewell, "It's the only way to ensure that Breura and the Grotto are ready for such an opponent."
I willed a small portal to flicker to life that led to my mark on the shack's doorway. "If I may I have two final requests," I whispered into his ear as the growing undead crept closer, "destroy the entrance so that none shall escape. Then the second, watch over Nyxis and everyone for me, old friend."
With my requests made, I gave Orion little time as I shoved him through the portal. His one word bringing a tear to my eye as he faded away, "Father!"
I smiled as I felt a jagged bone pierce my side sending pain screaming throughout my mind. In one successive move, I brought Morrigon diagonally across the zombie's chest, slicing it in half. I watched as its severed body crumbled over as black flames began to consume its rotting flesh preventing it from regenerating or piecing itself back together. My mind was like the clearest of springs in a midsummer heat as I carved a path to the entrance where the undead began to congregate. Though one armed, I continued to move the two handed weapon around like the finest of spear using keeping the undead at bay as the sound of explosions sounded behind me.
Smiling, I rested Morrigon on my shoulder and reached into Penumbra for what may be my final time. "If I'm to die here," I placed the snarling Gramr mask, "then I'm going to fight like a dämon and take you lot with me."