Intro I Light Depletion
Shadows stretched into large fingers and morphed into figures. They weren't alive, at least not these ones. They were just copies of the shadows of people, animals, and other creatures in other worlds. Anything that casts a shadow will appear here. At least just it's shadow. Though in this place, nothing can cast a shadow. There's no light here anyway. It makes me wonder why I would seek knowledge in a place with no light. I hiked on though…
I was from the Forest of Shadow, so I could easily navigate the rough obsidian
mountain paths without the benefit of light. To make myself feel better I cast a false sun that was supposed glow warmly above me as I walked, but it's light never made it as far as the ground.
Of course, I thought as the sun slowly lost energy and faded until it blinked out like somebody stepping on a lightning bug.
That was the reason I was here. My mother's gift of light that I inherited when she disappeared nine years ago was fading, and being replaced by my other darker abilities. Though why here, exactly, was beyond me. This is where my father told me to go, after years of telling me never to come here. He said that 'this realm was reclaiming what it had lost.' What that means? he didn't tell me. Though he did tell me to be careful and watch for the Dark Ones.
"Don't cast any lights," he told me. "They can sense light from miles away."
Remembering that warning, I stopped at a little clearing in the trees high up so that I could see out into the forest. heightening my awareness I listened carefully Even the Dark Ones made noise I can hear. I lived in the Realm of Silence for a year as a punishment and lesson. Just being there could heighten your senses and increase your abilities of being silent. Normally people could only stand a week there. I spent so much time there that I could see and hear between realms. I could see a battle going on a hundred to a thousand realms deep. If a raindrop fell, I would know about it from over a million realms deep. My hearing increased faster than my sight because the forest specifically works on the hearing and strengthens it at a much faster rate.
I sure hope Dante can last out handling things by himself, I thought. Dante had to fight off quite a few demons so that I could get in. Though I was pretty certain he would be fine. Best case scenario he would be back in Mid Realm doing whatever he does when I'm not there.
I kept going, but made sure I could hear and see everything. I breathed in the cold air to see if I could sense anything that way. Immediately there was a smell of a rotting meat locker coming from down the mountain side, about a quarter mile away. I looked in that direction and could clearly see a shadow through the trees with a humanoid shape, though it's arms and legs were elongated and thin. A wendigo, I thought. They thrive here. With the lack of light and the immense amount of dark energy and fear that was so mixed with everything that you were literally breathing in creatures fear and darkness.
"Ugh, I hate the taste of darkness," I complained, spitting at the ground.
"Ssssssssillyyyyyyy boyyyyyyyyy you do not understand, do you," a raspy voice hissed through my mind. The demon disappeared, but I could hear it even though it was traveling through darkness towards me. I stepped back just as the wendigo slashed at my face with claws of poisoned obsidian. My bow appeared in my hands, arrow already nocked. I released it not thinking about it much. Turns out the arrow was an arrow of darkness, which in turn brought more power to the stupid thing. Who in turn smiled and and promptly disappeared.
"Great, now where did he go," I complained.
"Listen," said a voice catching me by surprise.
"Huh?" I say in my head. I could still feel the wendigo moving in the darkness though I wasn't sure where. Then I felt a small fire burn in my in my soul.
"Don't forget our empathy link," I heard Dante's voice say in my head. "I feel everything you feel right now, just calm down."
"Ok… ," I murmured. I breathed in again closing my eyes and calming myself, bringing my awareness up even further. In that moment… I was everywhere… I was on the edge of the lake of darkness. I was behind every tree in the realm, listening to their thoughts and using their own awareness to track the wendigo. Each rustle of leaves, each drop of dark water, every movement made by every creature in the entire realm ringing in my ears. I brought it further. I listened to every creatures thoughts every voice and sorted through each like looking through a filing cabinet. I knew everything. I knew where the wendigo was going. I knew what he carrying in his hands. The arrow I shot at him was clutched in his hands as he moved swiftly through the trees. In his head, he laughed, which sounded like someone repeatedly slashing one tire after another. "This will be a trade for freedom." he rasped. "The arrow of the wanted one in exchange for being free to feast on the bones of eternity." He laughed again as I let his mind go.
"Not today, demon." I said disappearing into the shadows and re-appeared in front of the thing with three arrows of fire nocked in my already drawn bow.
"Catch this," I yell, letting the arrow fly toward him at the speed of light. He didn't even have time to blink. The arrow hit his chest with such force that he exploded into flaming balls of demon goo. He screeched as his ghostly form was ripped apart by the holy fire.
"Thanks Dante I say in my head.
"No problem" Dante responded." And I know fire isn't that good there, but as I told you, fire generates its own light. Which brings warmth, which always brings hope darkness hates hope." Dante told me.
"Ok," I say energy still pulsing through me. I disappear into the shadows again reaching my awareness into the shadow tunnel. Remembering why I came here. I searched the minds of everything in the realm, asking their subconscious where I might get information.
What I learned was startling. The Black, the Lord of Darkness was building an army. His own energy was calling out to any spirits and souls of darkness, but specifically wanted mine. He knew that my mother's light abilities kept me from going evil, so he plagued me with a curse that slowly seeped into my light abilities. I would not have found that out had I not been here. I now have no reason to be here.
I faded into the shadows and stepped out of the shade of pine tree in the Sanctuary of the Nature Realm.