Hades was reached by a trip into desolation. Kaeloria's previously vivid colors gave way to a monochrome palette of grays and blacks. The air got thick, every breath an attempt against the approaching darkness. Once magnificent and breathtaking, the mountains now looked like skeletal giants, their jagged tops cutting through the evening veil.
The trip tested mental as much as physical stamina. The ground grew more dangerous; the road meandered across failing bridges and over perilous valleys. The silence was stifling, broken only sometimes by the sorrowful howl of the wind or the raven's caw.
Riding in fierce concentration, my horse's hooves set sparks against the rocky ground. The skeletal thrall lumbered next to me, a morbid comfort in this barren scene. More from a need to break the silence than from any hope of a reply, I found myself chatting to it.
I murmured, "Cheer up, old friend," caressing its bony shoulder as we neared our destination. "We nearly are here. Just a few more miles, and the underworld will be our cosy hug"
The thrall stayed still, its vacant eye sockets fixated ahead. I groaned, a humorless giggle breaking forth from me.
"Indeed, you are correct. Not exactly somewhere for a vacation." Now I was losing it. I couldn't believe I was talking to a skeleton.
We arrived at Hades' mouth as the sun started to drop and long, spooky shadows stretched over the terrain. The woodland marking the entry stood in sharp contrast to the vivid vegetation of Kelsoria. Its trees twisted and gnarled, their branches like skeleton fingers. The air smelled like decay, and a thick dark mist hovered on the ground to hide the road ahead.
I got off, the long trip stiffening my legs. My horse was tethered to a nearby tree, its frightened whinnying resonant in the still woodland. I turned to face the thrall; its skeleton shape stood sharp against the last of the light.
"Stay here," I said, speaking deliberately. "Polish the horse. I'll be back not too far off."
The thrall lolled its head and its skeletal jaw clicked. I inhaled deeply, sharpening myself for the trip ahead. The woodland appeared to throb with an invisible energy, a tangible darkness calling me in-depth.
At the brink of the woodland, I stopped and tightened my clutch on the staff. The voices of the dead grew louder, like a chorus of warning.
They growled, turning back. "Your road is not this one. Death calls you down into the night."
I shook my head; their voices stoked my rebellion. My voice a low growl, "I will not be deterred," I said. "You're not real, you're just a distraction"
I entered the woodland with a surge of blood magic, the gloom covering me like a cloak. The ground under my feet was soft and yielding, and the air smelled like rot. My senses sharpened, my blood magic thumping under the surface, I moved carefully.
The trees loomed above me, their twisted canopy covering out the last traces of sunlight. The mist whirled about me, its chilly tendrils brushing across my flesh. I was alone, a loneliness that bit at my soul.
Walking for what seemed like hours, the road veers and turns to carry me more into the heart of the woodland. The silence was stifling; only the odd twig snap or leaf rustle disturbed it.
I shivered down my spine as a guttural growl suddenly rang across the woods. I whirled around and reached for my dagger automatically. From the shadows a figure emerged with quick, silent motions. Though its skin was pale and transparent, its eyes gleamed with a terrible green light and its form was humanoid.
The undead monster lunged with claws spread. I hardly had time to respond; my blood magic surged in reaction to the abrupt threat. I created a shield of red energy to stifle the attack from the beast.
The beast hissed with open fangs. It circled me with shockingly erratic motions. My heart thumping in my chest, I tightened hold on my dagger.
"I didn't come here for a fight," I answered, my voice shockingly steady. "I'm merely passing through."
Once more, the undead beast attacked with its claws shredding across my shield. I staggered back, just evading its assault. I had to finish rapidly before more of its type started to show up.
I drew a blade of crimson energy with a blast of blood magic, its edge humming with strength. I sliced at the thing with the sword cutting through its ethereal skin. Its form shimmering and dissolving, it let out a piercing howl.
Breath coming in rapid gasps, I stood over its remains. Though the meeting had rocked me, I had survived. I was not by myself in this woodland. Here the dead strolled, their appetite unquenchable. Is this why it was called the forest of death? Was there no Hadesor any of the gods I thought but just death? That was oddly comforting but unsettling at the same time because it was just as dangerous.
Turning to resume my trip, a fresh sound stopped me in my tracks. A low, guttural growl, nearer than it had been. I whirled around with a raised dagger.
It was not another zombie thing though, that emerged from the shadows. It was my own skeletal thrall, with vacant eye sockets shining a terrible green glare. Its bony fingers quitched, its motions no longer erratic and uneven.
"What the...??" I stammered while my head whirled. I wasn't the most powerful mage but I knew that it wasn't supposed to do this, it was to remain loyal to me so why was it this way? Why didn't it seem to recognize the one who created it anymore?
The thrall extended out its claws. My blood magic raging in defense, I hardly had time to react. I parried its attack, the dagger contacting bone in a spark shower.
"Stop!" I yelled, my voice carrying over the trees as I tried to side step it. "I am your master!"
Still, the thrall paid little attention. Attacked once more, its motions driven by a basic anger. My heart thumping in my chest, I sidestepped and swirled. Though I couldn't let it kill me, I didn't want to destroy my own creation.
I cut the link between us, the bond holding the thrall to my will, with a blast of blood magic. Its motions stumbled, its gaze darkened. Its bones clattering against the woodland floor, it fell to the ground.
Standing over its remains, a tsunami of regret swept over me. I had constructed this creature with some life in mind. And right now I had been obliged to destroy it.
"I'm sorry," my words were almost audible as I tucked my dagger back.
A cold breeze over the woodland carried a voice that froze me to the very bone.
The voice rasped, its echoes echoing over the woods. "Welcome, blood mage..Welcome to the Forest of Death." .
No, this wasn't another test. Kael had nothing to do with it. This was just the way the forest was. It didn't let trespassers easily but so far I hadn't seen any other threats.
Or at least not yet.