The journey turned into a complete nightmare. In the distance, as I sped along, the same scene repeated itself endlessly: villages in flames, destruction, and chaos. It was as if someone up there was determined to turn my path into a sightseeing tour of misery.
What the hell was happening? The screams, the explosions, and the sound of breaking wood left me in total confusion. It felt like all these places were being attacked at the same time.
I managed to avoid trouble; if I had intervened, I'd probably be dead by now.
Was Eldrek alright? I asked myself that more than once as I crossed the forest, not stopping for a single breath.
The salamanders turned out to be the perfect creatures for this journey. Their heavy steps and the heat they emitted kept the forest beasts at bay. Stealing them had been a good decision, though I never thought I'd need them for something this urgent.
When I arrived at Eldrek's cave, I drove the carriage as far in as I could. I jumped down and ran to the back, calling his name at the top of my lungs.
"Eldrek!"
As I entered the deepest chamber, I saw him sitting there, staring at the ground and sipping tea. His serene expression made it clear he was already aware of what was happening outside.
When he saw me arrive, he stood up slowly and approached me with that calm demeanor of his. He placed a hand on my shoulder, something that would have reassured me under different circumstances.
"I'm glad to see you're safe," he said in his deep voice.
Still breathless from the run, I blurted out, "Eldrek, what the hell is going on out there? I've seen several villages under attack." I needed answers, and fast.
Eldrek sighed and turned slowly, moving back to his spot by the fire. "I don't know for sure, but it seems these attacks aren't random," he finally said, as if he were still processing the gravity of the situation.
"I don't know exactly who's behind this, but it seems they've taken control of certain creatures and beings. They've started attacking for no apparent reason."
As I paced back and forth, trying to process his words, a growing unease took hold of me. "I saw those damned elementals destroy a village, and I thought they were looking for me… but when I saw several towns going through the same thing, I figured something else was going on. We can't just sit back and do nothing, Eldrek. If this keeps up, there won't be anything left standing." The desperation in my voice was obvious.
Eldrek nodded. "I agree," he said in that tone of his that suggested he'd already considered every possibility. "I've been in contact with some of the tribes I make weapons for. I suggested we keep a constant line of communication; if this gets worse, we'll need to be united to come up with a plan together."
I looked at him intently. Eldrek had lived many lives, and if he hadn't seen something like this before, I knew the situation was worse than I'd imagined.
"I've seen attacks before, Zhavros, but never in multiple places at once. This isn't normal," he added, with a gravity I'd rarely seen in him.
I crossed my arms, turning everything over in my mind. "We have to find out who's behind this," I said, feeling the urgency rising within me.
"We will, but we must be cautious," Eldrek replied. "The best thing would be to talk to the tribes. Joining forces will be essential."
I nodded, though my mind was still unsettled by what I'd seen in the mountains. It wasn't the time to talk about that yet. The urgency of the situation demanded our full attention. I'd tell Eldrek about what had happened up there later.
In the following days, we both set out with the carriage and salamanders, gathering information and staying in touch with tribal leaders and warriors.
Eldrek met with several of them, and the situation only grew worse with each step. What had initially seemed like a series of uncoordinated attacks was beginning to take shape as something far darker and more dangerous than we had imagined. The warriors attempting to defend their lands were outnumbered and always defeated.
Eldrek and I met with representatives from various tribes, and even some adventurers were present. Everyone was agitated, their voices rising, demanding we take action immediately.
"We can't keep going like this; we have to stop them as soon as possible," one of the warriors said, his face painted with desperation. They knew that if we united our forces, we might have a better chance of success.
One of the tribal chiefs stepped forward, his expression serious and determined.
"I've discovered the location of the being behind these attacks," he declared, instantly capturing everyone's attention. Eldrek, ever cautious, looked at him with suspicion.
"And where did you get this information?" he asked bluntly.
The chief held his ground and responded firmly, "I spoke directly with an Aasimar."
In that moment, disbelief spread among the others. It was rare to encounter one of them; those beings seldom mingled with mortals, living secluded from the rest of the world. But the chief continued, undeterred by the skeptical glances.
"This Aasimar discovered the location, and her information is reliable. She's asked us to gather a group of warriors for an attack."
Excitement rippled through the room. Everyone seemed ready to rush into battle without a second thought.
"If we attack together, we can defeat him," said several, already encouraged by the idea of fighting alongside the Aasimar.
I couldn't hold back any longer.
"Don't get carried away just because we'll have a few Aasimar with us," I said, raising my voice to make sure everyone heard me.
"Maybe we know where he is, but we have no idea who this being is or what army he controls."
Eldrek, beside me, nodded and backed me up with his usual calm tone. "Zhavros is right. If they've been able to organize simultaneous attacks on several villages, it means they control far more creatures than we imagine. We mustn't underestimate this danger."
Despite our warnings, the others seemed more focused on revenge than caution. The anger and pain over what they'd lost—loved ones, homes, their lands—were stronger than any logic. "We must act now," they insisted. And although Eldrek tried to make them see that we needed more information before charging into battle, it was in vain.
The decision was already made. A small army would be formed to march and attack the dark being's lands, meeting the Aasimar at a designated spot to attack at dawn.
Frustrated by the recklessness of the warriors, Eldrek and I made a different choice, mainly because I couldn't fight without my magic.
"This is a pain, but we won't go with them," I told him. He nodded, sharing my thoughts. "We'll stay away from the battlefield to study the enemy from a safe place."
Frustrated at my inability to fight, we had no other option but to use this chance to observe from afar.
— — —
At dawn the next day, Eldrek and I distanced ourselves from the group of warriors, letting them go on their way while we traveled in the carriage, the salamanders leading us.
After a couple of days on the road, we arrived at a village overrun by creatures. From a distance, we noticed a tower standing tall in the center of the place.
Eldrek frowned, as if he recognized something.
"This is strange," he murmured. "That village looks like Nethria… even the tower in the center is similar." I didn't like the implication in his tone.
We moved to some nearby hills where we could watch what was happening without being seen. What we witnessed next was overwhelming.
The Aasimar, leading the charge, advanced with their troops toward the infested village. But suddenly, creatures of all kinds appeared from every direction, surrounding them and breaking their formation. That's when we saw him.
From the center of the village, a figure emerged, distinct from the others. Cloaked in darkness, he walked toward the battlefield, and the creatures moved aside, terrified. The darkness surrounding him was so menacing that I could feel its chill even from here. But beyond his power, there was something that made him even more dangerous: intelligence.
Instead of launching into a direct offensive, he manipulated the Aasimar, forcing them to scatter. Like fools, they fell one by one into his trap, and whenever he faced them, he made sure it was one at a time. From the beginning, he had controlled the fight, bending it to his will.
The sight burned me with pure frustration. I clenched my fists and let out a shout of irritation: "Damn it, Aasimar! Is it really so hard not to fall like idiots into a trap?!"
Each time one of them got close, he dispatched them in seconds, without a shred of mercy. Amid the chaos, one Aasimar woman caught my attention; she stood out from the rest, cutting down creatures with impressive efficiency as she tried to make her way to the dark figure. I could see the urgency in her movements, but no matter how hard she tried, she never managed to reach him.
In the end, when she saw her companions falling one after another, outnumbered and overpowered, she was the one who gave the order to retreat. Only a handful of warriors managed to escape, following her lead, while the dark figure watched them with the same calm he had at the start of the massacre.
The battle had been a true massacre, but also a harsh lesson for those who thought sheer strength alone would get them anywhere.
When it was all over, I collapsed to the ground, and Eldrek and I sat in silence, watching the ruined battlefield. Frustration and anger took hold of me.
"Damn it!" I growled under my breath, cursing not only the creatures but also the being who had unleashed this chaos.
"If only I had my powers…" Beside me, Eldrek looked more affected than I'd ever seen him. He seemed disturbed, saddened by the loss of so many warriors he'd known. He looked at me, and with a heaviness in his eyes, placed his large hand on my shoulder.
"Zhavros," he said quietly, "we'll have to part ways from now on."
I looked at Eldrek, puzzled. Why would he ask something like that?
"But there's only one purpose: that we'll both work tirelessly on a plan to bring down this dark being. We can't make the same mistake as these warriors; we need to be cautious and gather all the information we can. When we're ready, we'll join forces again and end him."
For the first time, I saw tears in his eyes. I stood up, the anger still burning in my chest, but nodded with determination. "I'll do everything you said," I promised him. "And besides… I'll find a way to get my powers back, Eldrek."
Eldrek didn't doubt my promise for a second.
We shook hands firmly, knowing that day marked the beginning of a long and arduous journey. A path where both of us would be willing to do whatever it took, until we met again and put an end to the darkness.