The sound of chains dragging across the floor echoed throughout the halls.
"Did you hear that?" asked Senna, tense from the sudden sound. Her body was also tense, causing her to jump at the touch of Lucian's hand.
"I did, but there's nothing to be scared of right?" Senna's anxiety was calmed as he let out a light-hearted chuckle.
"Yes, for as long as we're together-" Senna started their verse,
"No peril shall befall us." and Lucian finished it. They smiled at one another, confident in their strength. The two of them were closer than the two relic weapons they wielded, inseparable.
"Shall we?" Lucian asked cheekily as they started down the hall. Not shortly after, Tormented seemed to spill from the walls, blocking their path. The two smiled at one another as they both dashed into combat. Deftly, Senna tore through the vanguard of wraiths that stood their ground, the blazing shots of light tearing through their spectral form.
"Now Lucian!" In response, Lucian charged a shot and fired upon the wraiths that threatened to encircle Senna. Running into the fray, Lucian blasted through the horde along side Senna until they managed to meet up again.
"You're getting sloppy Lucian, it took you more than three shots to get rid of that ghoul." Lucian became flustered but was not about to let it get to him. Standing back to back, they fired into the Tormented that had finally gathered around them. A barrage of light pierced through any that dared to come close enough to bring harm to them. They seemed to fire for what seemed hours until the dust had settled. Charred clothing laid on the floor along side armor pieces and rusted weaponry. Lucian was out of breath, but Senna wouldn't have it as she helped Lucian back up.
"Seems like you can't handle a teensy weensy horde of Tormented." teased Senna, he tone playful.
"I can handle a few Tormented. After all, the thing that's making this hard is you nearly pissing your pants back-" With that retort, Lucian was smacked on the head with the still-heated relic gun Senna held.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Hmph." Senna was blushing furiously, with Lucian having won this round.
"I'll get you back when we're done cleaning out this cursed vault." Pouted Senna, obviously feigning anger. The two were as playful as they were serious in combat.
"Ha. I'd like to see you try." The two once again headed down the hall, ready for the next room to cleanse. The halls were well-maintained, yet the cursed relics that were stored in the vault were damaged yet clean. Screams and cries were heard as they drew closer to the large door protecting the main vault. The screams were so loud they could not hear one another, but they had suffered more than this before. With unbridled confidence, they burst into the room. The room was filled with the Black Mist that plagued to rest of the shadow isles.
"Seems like nothing's-" Suddenly Lucian was cut off from the sound of chains from earlier. The Black Mist was now blocking their field of vision as the chains grew louder and louder. Something was obviously off about this vault. The screaming and chains were now a deafening crescendo. They couldn't pin point where they were coming from, so panic rose within them as they tried to guard themselves from the unknown. Then as suddenly as it had came to life, the sounds stop.
"S-Senna?" Lucian turned to Senna as she wore a determined look, simply staring into the darkness. A moment a silence had passed, but Senna still had her guard up. Lucian went to snap her out of it until Senna shouted.
"Jump back!" Doing as he was told, he leaped back, a hooked chain flying between the two. Instinctively, Senna fired five shots towards the source. Then everything went silent again. Suddenly, the mist retreated towards the source of the hook, revealing a specter that spewed a ghastly green aura. A skull-like head floated atop a hulking body donning a coat of leather and bone. On his left hand was a glowing gauntlet which held a lantern locked with a rusted key-lock. In the other he was holding a hooked chain, the hook glowing with the same aura as his body.
"What are you doing Lucian, Fire!" Even if the two fired at the specter, he would simply dodge or deflect it with his gauntlet or hook. Dropping to one knee, Lucian tried to fire at his exposed backside, but that hope was shattered as the hook clawed through his chest. Rolling his chain out across the floor, the specter reeled it back, tripping Lucian. Suddenly, Lucian was sent flying back out of the room.
"Lucian! Where are you?" Senna could only help but to call out to Lucian as she was single-handedly warding off the specter. A green mist had surrounded her as chains seemingly whipped out at her at breakneck speeds. Every time that would happen, she would fire back at the source in retaliation. Once again she called out. No answer. A few more strikes were traded between the two before she tried again. Again and again would she try to call for Lucian but to no avail. All hope seemed lost until Lucian called out to her.
"Senna! Help me I'm trapped!" Being the person she was, she dashed towards his voice. Every time he called out, it grew in volume. She ran with everything she had until she reached the source.
...
I could hear the footsteps of Senna as she approached the door. As soon as she had arrived, the sound of her footsteps became silent.
W-wait... What happened?
"Senna!" No response. Something had been lit under me as panic filled me.
Is she alright? I... I need to help her!
With all my strength I charged into the door, however it did not budge.
Again!
The door didn't budge.
Again!
The door didn't budge.
Again!
The door didn't budge. I started to lose hope. I started to kick and punch the door, my fists, ankles, and shoulder all swollen from the repeated strikes. Shortly after another charge came.
The door didn't budge. Another charge.
Please!
The door cracked slightly near the frame. That alone gave me hope. However, I was too late. The specter's hook had cleanly pierced her chest as it held her up.
"S-Senna..." With no mercy, the specter wrenched the hook and pulled, her ribs cracking and falling upon the floor in a disgusting spray of gore. Her body fell to the floor, he body a mangled mess of flesh and spurts of blood. Without heeding the blood that was on him, he reached out to a bright light at the tip of his hook.
"Ah, a fine specimen..." cracked the specter's voice, obvious that it was not used often. He examined the light and soon locked it within the lantern. The lantern screamed as he opened the door, the sound of a thousand tormented souls begged for mercy. Slowly he raised the lantern and listened to it. Among it I heard Senna.
"Lucian!" I couldn't do anything, I was too tired and too scared to move. The specter turned to me.
"Not ripe." With that he took his leave, with me unable to do anything. Slowly the tears soon fell from my eyes, the Black Mist taunting me.
...
Three days later.
The Mist... What could possibly be there?
With patience the monk lumbered down the hall towards the gathering of mist. When he had arrived, the Mist seeming clawed at a corpse, too mangled for it to be usable. By the looks of it, Thresh had harvested the soul of the poor human.
Such a shame...
He planted the blade of his shovel into the stone, the stone around it upturning itself and cracking. Slowly, the earth revealed a wooden coffin, rotting from misuse. Gently placing what remains into the coffin, the monk hoisted the coffin upon his back. Turning back around, he sauntered back up the stairs...
Arriving back at the monastery, he reached the graveyard he had tended to when he was once alive.
"I'm sorry little one, your soul did not deserve eternal damnation. However, I shall give your body its Final Rites." Digging a hole, the monk murmured a long forgotten prayer as he dug the shallow grave. Placing the coffin atop his back into the grave, he covered it with dirt once more.
"I am unable to give you a gravestone, but I can impart you a seed I found..." Reaching into his cloak, he retrieved a seed and planted it upon the grave.
May this land never defile this grave.
"Give it up Yorick, this is all for naught." hissed the miss, the figures unable to physically harm him. He paid them no mind and stepped out into the gnarled forest.
"The land will kill such a fragile seed, it will never break free from the cursed earth." Once again he stayed silent, simply wandering around the forest looking for answers that would never be found.
"You are a madman, speaking to a body with no soul." the Mist taunted, the figures within it unable to physically harm him. The tear protected Yorick, and he knew it. Still he simply trudged through the withered brush of the one Blessed Isles. Suddenly, a breeze came in. It was rare for wind to blow into the Shadow Isles, but it usually came from the ocean. Picking up his pace, Yorick headed to the tree line, the gnarled trees becoming more scarce. Breaking through a the tree line, he is met with a man sitting on the edge of the cliff looking out into the ocean, two relics sitting beside him.
"Who are you." It did not sound like a question, rather it sounded like a demand. His tone was cold yet scratchy from crying the past couple of days. Yorick stayed silent as the man picks up his pistols and stands to face him. The man's brows were now furrowed, the relics aimed towards Yorick as he once again spoke, this time clearly.
"Who. Are. You."