Remus stood in the middle of the Abyssal Maelstrom. The eye of the storm.
The swirling mists gave way to a massive chamber carved deep into the rock. In the centre of the chamber stood a gate, its structure composed of intricately carved stone and glowing runes that shimmered in the light. The gate was enormous, stretching up into the sky and spanning several feet across. The arch around the gate was framed by two towering pillars, each etched with mystical symbols and runes that glowed with a brilliant, pulsing light.
Remus approached the gate cautiously.
The crystals on the gate hummed and glowed brighter, responding to Remus's touch.
"I wonder how crazy a person would have to be to enter a magic gate at the centre of the mist that drives people insane?" Remus said to himself. "Here goes nothing,"
Remus stumbled into the blinding light that enveloped him and found himself standing close to Autumnshade, where his company was located in the Midlands.
He saw Andrea, King Belsarius, Annabelle, General Tacitus, Arch-Maester Pompey, and some royal guards gathered together in deep discussion. They looked up in surprise as he approached. Andrea ran and hugged him.
"Remus! You're alive!" Andrea exclaimed.
"I never doubted it," Annabelle said with a smile, relief evident in her voice.
"What's going on?" Remus asked, looking around at the tense faces of the group.
"You've been missing for a year," King Belsarius said. "We were invaded by beings calling themselves Shadar-Kai. The Northlands fell first and now Oldtown has fallen. I fear that we don't have much time before they come here looking for me. I'm glad you're here to help us and I apologise for any mistreatment that I made you suffer."
A guard came into the room and whispered something into King Belsarius's ear. "It's the Shadar-Kai," King Belsarius said. "They're here already."
The Shadar-Kai were tall and slender, with an average height of around 6 feet. Their skin was a dark shade of grey, almost black, they wore their hair long and had long, thin fingers wrapped around swords made of Dark Soul Swords.
They had sharp, angular features, with high cheekbones and narrow eyes that are often a deep shade of purple or red.
"They're too many," Remus said. "We can't defeat them here."
"We need to get out of here," Arch-maester Pompey said, his eyes darting around nervously.
"They are watching the entrance," King Belsarius said. "They will follow us wherever we go."
General Tacitus held up a hand. "Wait. I have a plan," General Tacitus said firmly.
General Tacitus began to explain his plan, and Remus listened intently. The plan was risky and would require a sacrifice from some of his automatons, including his three most powerful ones. Remus hesitated, but he knew that this was their only chance.
As the Shadar-Kai entered Autumnshade, General Tacitus and his Automaton guards engaged them in battle, buying time for Remus and the others to escape. The scorch swordsman, wind archer, and stone guardian fought fiercely, their metal bodies clanging against the Shadar-Kai's weapons.
Remus and the others rushed towards the hidden tunnel while the Automaton guards continued to hold off the Shadar-Kai. As they made their way through the tunnel, Remus could hear the sounds of battle echoing behind them.
The Shadar-Kai were swift, nimble and graceful, with almost dance-like movements, they moved with an almost unnatural fluidity that made their flowing clothing adorned with intricate patterns and symbols hypnotic. They dodged the attacks of the automatons with ease.
General Tacitus was barking orders, directing the small group of Automaton guards to take up strategic positions to cover Remus's retreat.
The Scorch Swordsman, a towering figure made of molten metal, was wielding his fiery blade with deadly precision, his eyes glowing with an inner flame. He sliced through the Shadar-Kai like a hot knife through butter, leaving a trail of smouldering bodies in his wake.
The Wind Archer, a lithe and graceful automaton with wings made of shimmering silver, was unleashing a hail of arrows on the Shadar-Kai, taking them down one by one with unerring accuracy.
The Stone Guardian, a hulking brute made of granite, was using his massive fists to pound the ground, causing shockwaves that sent the Shadar-Kai flying.
Despite their valiant efforts, the Shadar-Kai kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless. The Automaton guards were falling one by one, their metallic bodies clanging to the ground.
General Tacitus knew they had to buy time for Remus and the others to escape, and he made the ultimate sacrifice. He charged headlong into the fray, his body a blur as he took on the Shadar-Kai single-handedly.
The automatons followed his lead, throwing themselves into the fight with reckless abandon. The Scorch Swordsman burned brighter and hotter, his metal body melting and reforming with each swing of his blades. The Wind Archer's arrows were now raining down like a storm, felling the Shadar-Kai with every shot. The Stone Guardian's massive fists were now glowing with an inner light, his strikes hitting with the force of a landslide.
General Tacitus and the automatons fought with everything they had, determined to buy Remus and the others enough time to escape through the hidden tunnel. It was a brutal and bloody battle, with the Shadar-Kai throwing everything they had at them.
In the end, General Tacitus and the automatons fell, their bodies shattered and broken. But their sacrifice was not in vain, as Remus and the others were able to make their escape through the hidden tunnel, with the Shadar-Kai none the wiser.
Remus and the rest of them emerged from the tunnel into the safety of the forest outside of Autumnshade. They all breathed a sigh of relief, but there was no joy in their hearts. The loss of General Tacitus and his automatons was heavy on their minds.
"That was a brave plan," Remus said finally, breaking the silence.
"It was necessary," King Belsarius replied solemnly. "We'll honour General Tacitus and his Automatons for their sacrifice."
Remus nodded, feeling a sense of duty and responsibility to honour their memory.