Shadow Era - Meltdown, a shadow era fanfic

The Dreaming

Pravus looked around at the city in ruins. They had come so quickly, the shadows. Under the cover of that unnatural red storm that still swirled overhead they struck, killing all in their way. Monsters born of a nightmare.

Just beyond one of the burning rooftops Pravus could see the top half of one of the largest creatures, a behemoth firing beams of pure energy from its fingertips, incinerating anything that lay in the beams path. It stood taller than most trees, and its flaming face leered like a grinning skull, lifeless yet malevolent. In the distance Pravus could hear the sounds of cackling Gargoyles as they went from house to house, tearing apart the occupants with unmatched enthusiasm. The city defenders had fallen quickly to waves of those Gargoyles, their arrows and blades unable to penetrate the rock hard hide of the monsters.

A growl caused Pravus to spin around on the spot. In the shadows a pair of glowing eyes leered at him. He started to run again, but it was too late, the Wulven was too fast. As the claws dug deep into his flesh he screamed in agony….

And woke up.

Shaking, Pravus looked out the window of his tenements. He had been having the same dream for weeks now. What could it mean? All he knew what that the dream had started once he had fallen ill with the same affliction that had been affecting dozens of people around the city. The flesh-change, people were calling it. It seemed that no medicine, no salves, no magic could halt the change. Even the greatest healers of the land were unable to stop the progression of the illness, so those infected were herded into camps to await their death. Pravus was still in the early stages, his skin has only just started to change, however he could see that even in the last few hours, the scabs had moved further up his arm. It wouldn't be long before it would reach his elbow, then his shoulder. Those in the late stages had scabs covering their face and eyes, rendering them blind. Death followed quickly after as the scabs sealed their nose and mouth.

Getting out of bed, he donned the blue robe and ensured that his hands and arms were not visible. It wouldn't be long before it was discovered that he was afflicted and sent away. Until then however, he wished to enjoy the freedom he had left, and that meant no one seeing his changing skin. He made his way out of the bedroom and the tenement, ensuring that it was locked tight. He made his way through the city slowly, enjoying the gentle moonlight as it played over the rooftops and the cobblestone streets. He nodded with a smile at the few people out at this time, most coming home from one of the many drinking establishments or brothels that were open all night.

Pravus stopped at the Three Monkeys, a rather notorious establishment, famed for the frequency and severity of its brawls, the busty waitresses, and the strength of its mead. Heading past the brick of a bouncer and through the open door, Pravus could see the bar was as lively as ever. Live music played as drunk patrons harassed the waitresses and each other, those few that still had most of their faculties were engaging in darts or tests of strength.

At one corner of the bar sat a hooded figure, quietly drinking a pint. As Pravus approached the bar the hooded figure turned to face him. He could see now that she was a young woman, lithe but obviously possessing of some strength. The first thought was that she was a warrior; however she lacked the trappings of one, wearing only simple black clothing. The only visible weapon was a small dagger attached to her belt. She stared at him, as though she was looking through him and into his soul. He could do little but stare back into those piercing eyes. After a moment, she stood up without a word and paid the barkeep before leaving. Slightly perturbed and more than a bit curious, Pravus followed her out.

"Hey!" He called as she walked away. If she heard him she made no sign.

Picking up his pace to catch her, he grabbed her arm with his uninfected hand. Reacting with blinding speed, she spun him around and pressed him hard up against a nearby wall. Pravus could feel the cold iron of that dagger pressed against the back of his neck.

"Don't touch me." She said simply.

"What happened back there?" Pravus replied, summoning as much defiance as he could muster.

"You are infected. You should be in a camp." She replied.

Pravus paused. How could she tell when his infected arm was well hidden? "Are you a city guard? Are you going to take me in?"

"No." She said simply. "Now don't move, or else my blade will find your neck."

Pravus stood still as instructed, He could tell she was staring at him, he could almost feel those eyes. It was a sensation unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

"Interesting." She whispered. "Just like the others."

"Others? Are you tracking infected people?" Pravus asked.

"Shut up." She said sternly. "Now, I'm going to give you a chance, seeing as you have helped me. Leave now, or else you will die. I have to go and prepare."

"Prepare? Prepare for what?" Pravus demanded. He could no longer feel the dagger pressed against his neck. He spun around to confront the woman, but she was gone. He looked up and down the street for a sign of her, but to no avail.

There he stood rubbing the back of his neck when the sound of lightning startled him. Looking up, he could see storm clouds approaching, tinted a vicious blood red. Realisation dawned on him. His dreams weren't dreams, they were visions. He had seen the future, seen his impending death. The woman knew this, which was why she had fled to prepare. It was almost as though she had ripped the thoughts from his mind. He started running.

Pravus continued to run as the first lightning strikes began to hit. Rooftops burned and streets shattered under the godly forces. The sounds of battle filled the air, swords colliding, the growls of inhuman monsters, the screams of fallen soldiers. Pravus could see people running to their homes, or cowering in alleyways. Some of the beasts had breached the city walls now and were starting to massacre anything they came across. Pravus didn't pause, running until he fell to his knees from exhaustion. All around him the city was burning.

Jarhead

Ka'thax the Gargoyle licked his lips impatiently as the incantions were spoken. He was itching to rend flesh, to taste the blood of the pathetic humans. Looking to his side, the others were similarly agitated. The great Shadow horde was ready to do battle, if only the Master would HURRY UP.

Finally the incantation was finished and the tear in reality opened. At first it was small, barely big enough for Ka'thax to stick his head through, but after a few moments it had grown big enough to accommodate him. He leaned back on his powerful rear legs and attempted to leap through, but was knocked to the side. Ka'thax growled as Ve'thoq pushed him out of the way, before leaping through as quickly as he could after him.

The city under siege was in the desert, but it was home to a powerful standing army. The Master had referred to it as the "City of Spears", but that meant little to Ka'thax. All that mattered was that the prey was there, waiting to be bled dry.

Human pikemen arrayed in front of the city walls, ready to give their pathetic lives. Ve'thoq was already in the middle of battle, and Ka'thax cursed him again as Ve'thoq drew first blood. Without wasting any more time, Ka'thax leapt into the fray. Once Ka'thax had closed the distance between him and his quarry, it became hard for the humans to wield their clumsy weapons, and they fell easily to Ka'thax's claws. He paused for a moment to lick his claws and get the taste of that sweet blood. As he did so, more of the Shadow army poured through the portal, and the humans were beginning to be overwhelmed. And once they caught sight of the great minotaur Talrok, the humans began to falter.

Talrok charged at the front line, swinging his massive battle hammer at anyone foolish enough to be in his way, human and Shadow alike. Ka'thax leapt out of the way as Talrok collided with the pikemen, spears snapping under his colossal mass. Bodies flew everywhere as Talrok indiscriminately butchered anyone within reach. Ka'thax prepared to charge back into the fight, to mop up the wounded when he heard Talrok roar in agony. The great minotaur fell to his knees, blood gushing from a dozen wounds, before collapsing dead. Standing behind the corpse was a human female in battle plate, wielding a pair of vicious looking swords. Seeing Talrok fall so easily, some of the Shadows paused to size up this new threat.

"Kill her!" The Master boomed, her voice amplified to a deafening volume by her magics. Shaken back into action, the Shadow army launched forward. The female moved with an incredible grace, leaping effortlessly over Talrok's corpse and slicing the throat of one of the Wulven, before spinning on the spot to impale another. A Brute swung his club down to bludgeon her, but she was no longer there, having rolled under the blow. She brought both blades up between his legs, the razor sharp iron effortlessly slicing him in two. Ka'thax was enthralled by the killing skills of this woman, and she would provide some much needed sport.

One of the Master's elite Knights knocked him out of the way as he charged into the battle. He towered over the female, and his greatsword would have easily been her height. It mattered not to her; she simply spun and weaved around the Knight's attacks as though he was standing still. She kicked out his knees and in a single sweep of her blade, the Knight's head was separated from his neck. The female prepared to meet the charge of the next warrior when she was knocked off her feet by a blast of lightning. The Master has entered the fray.

Diminuitive, with a petite figure and silvery hair, Ka'thax had heard many human males refer to her as "attractive". Personally he found her repulsive, her cruelty surpassed that of even Talrok. There was no pity or mercy in her eyes as she pressed the attack, summoning a great flame and hurling it at the female. She rolled out of the way, barely avoiding the blast. She got to her feet just in time to see the Master launch another blast of flame, large enough to immolate her whole. The Master smiled as the flames engulfed her, however she frowned as the smoke cleared.

Standing in front of the female was a giant of a human male, wielding an enormous twin bladed trident. His armour was blackened by the blast, yet somehow he had survived without any injury. Ve'thoq, who had avoided injury thus far, launched himself at the giant male, and was promptly impaled on the trident for his trouble. Ka'thax grimaced as the male tossed Ve'thoq's limp form to the side, before swinging the trident around to a guard position. The female was on her feet now, a wry smile on her lips.

The Master smiled as well as she spoke the incantation. Another portal opened behind her and Korlack charged through. Upon seeing the broken form of his brother Talrok he roared, a combination of bloodrage and anguish. He threw his left hammer at the male, the immense mass of the hammer threatening to cave in the male's skull. However the male was just as agile as the female, and effortlessly ducked under the hammer as it soared over his head. As the hammer passed over his head, the female spun around him and began to close the distance. The Master launched another lightning strike, however this time the female was ready, evading the attack. Korlack roared and stepped in front of the Master, his remaining hammer at the ready. He swung at the female, who slid under the blow. However Korlack was quicker than his brother, and he managed to grab her by the leg as she attempted to recover. The Master watched as Korlack hefted the female up and prepared the killing blow. Ka'thax grinned.

However in focussing on the female, Korlack had discounted the human male. The male's trident connected with Korlack's hammer, and with a quick twist, locked around the handle. With all his strength, the male twisted the trident further, ripping the hammer from Korlack's hand and disarming him. Turning the face the new threat, Korlack gave the female the chance she needed, and she swung one of her swords up, connecting with his neck. The minotaur released his grip on her and slumped to the ground. Unfortunately the female managed to avoid being crushed by Korlack's lifeless body.

The Master growled. Her army has been routed by two pathetic humans. She launched another lightning strike, knocking both humans back before charging up a massive ball of energy. Ka'thax knew what was coming, and started to run as fast as he could. The Master slammed the ball of energy on the ground, and it erupted in an enormous explosion of fire. Ka'thax was blasted off his feet, and the Master and the two humans were ungulfed by the explosion. Then everything went black.

Ka'thax groaned as his eyes slowly opened. He tried to sit up but his back was killing him. The Master was gone; she had obviously fled through the portal. The two humans were gone as well, whether they had been immolated or had escaped was anyone's guess. Ka'thax finally made it to his feet before beating his wings, however the pain from doing so was immense and it became obvious the blast had left his wings in tatters. Ka'thax groaned again.

Looks like he was walking home.

Supply Lines

Darkclaw slowly crept forward through the forest without a sound, deftly avoiding the myriad of broken branches and fallen leaves. His Wulven brothers moved with equal skill and grace, and the pack moved slowly forward. The Huntress was after them, and she had killed many of his pack already. Worse still, each kill seemed to invigorate her, leaving her possessed of an unnatural constitution. Every wound that Darkclaw had inflicted on her was healed the moment she ended the life of another Wulven. So Darkclaw had decided to flee, to preserve the lives of those remaining.

However the Huntress hadn't given up that easily, and had been pursuing them for three solid days now. This meant that Darkclaw and his pack were tired and hungry, not to mention their will had been stretched to breaking point. Darkclaw's only consolation was that the Huntress must be feeling the same way.

Moonstalker moved up beside him. He and Darkclaw were at each other's throats as often as they were allies, but at this very moment, Moonstalker's knowledge of the area had kept them all hidden and alive, so Darkclaw was happy to have him around. For the moment.

"This can't go on, Claw." Moonstalker whispered simply.

"Don't you think I know that?" Darkclaw retorted. "But every time we stop, the Huntress kills more of our pack. And she's still out there, I can smell her."

"We need food. We need to hunt." Moonstalker replied. "The others are talking of fighting again."

Darkclaw sighed. Already once he'd had to administer a beating to keep everyone in line. The young ones especially thought they were invincible, had nothing to fear.

"There is a settlement near here." Moonstalker continued. "It's in open ground, so the Huntress can't use the forest as cover."

"Neither can we." Darkclaw interrupted.

"Yes I know. However, without cover, we can press our numbers advantage. Plus there is plenty of food. And humans too, to allow the young ones to deal with their urges."

Darkclaw remained silent for a moment. Moonstalker raised a valid point, without food they wouldn't last long. And more importantly, tensions would boil over soon if they didn't taste human flesh. "Ok Moon, fine. Where is it?"

"Follow me." Moonstalker said as he slinked off into the darkness.

The settlement was where Moonstalker said it was. It was a small logging village, consisting of probably two dozen homes, a town hall and public house. Gas lights lined the single street, and surrounded the village itself. A pair of lookouts patrolled the outskirts together, armed with simple blades. The villagers had cleared a significant area around the village to prevent interlopers from getting too close without being spotted.

"Only two guards, this should be easy." Moonstalker said. "The pack is itching to go."

Darkclaw nodded. "Leave the guards to me. The others could learn a thing or two." He slinked forward, waiting for the guards to pass by their position. They were patrolling a good twenty metres away from the edge of the forest, so Darkclaw would have a bit of ground to cover to reach them. As they passed and their backs were turned away, Darkclaw quickly yet quietly moved up behind them, and with a flurry of strikes from his claws he killed the pair of them.

"Very nice, they didn't even get the chance to call out." Moonstalker purred. Darkclaw had to resist being startled. Even he hadn't noticed Moonstalker moving up behind him.

"Just get everyone ready." Darkclaw growled, hiding his shock with anger. "The slaughter begins now."

Moonstalker smiled and moved back to the pack. Darkclaw made a mental note to watch him carefully from now on, however now was not the time to deal with him. Now was the time to feast.

The attack was swift and brutal. Without the guards to provide warning, the pack was well inside the village before the alarm was raised. Some of the pack charged in and simply began butchering everyone they could find. Darkclaw however, took a more measured approach. He knew that the pack would most likely be short of food for a while yet, so he grabbed one of the large hessian sacks that the humans kept their grains in, emptied it, and began filling it with flesh from his victims. It wasn't long before he had more than enough to feed the pack for many more days.

Lugging the sack from house to house, Darkclaw was quite a sight, and would've looked almost humorous if not for the blood dripping from his fangs and the wicked grin on his face. The few remaining humans ran for the woods, only to be hunted down and torn apart by ferocious Wulven. Before long the slaughter was complete and the pack was feasting. But as he was moving back toward the main pack with his sack full of meat, a familiar scent beckoned to Darkclaw. He followed it, and it led him to a house near the outskirts of the village. As he moved through the house the scent became stronger to the point where it overwhelmed his senses. He felt enlivened by it, it was intoxicating. The smell of raw power. In the top drawer of the dresser he found his prize.

He grasped the Shadow Crystal tightly and let its energy course through him. He felt his muscles tighten with power and his senses heighten to unimaginable levels. His sight became so good that he could see through the darkness as though the sun was blazing in the sky. His sense of smell became so sensitive he could catch the scent of the corpses collected in the centre of the village. His hearing became so attuned that he could hear the arrow hit one of his Wulven brothers outside.

His muscles reacting instantly, Darkclaw leapt out the window and onto the rooftop of the hut opposite. He could see his Wulven brothers rallying to meet the Huntress, who had perched herself on top of one of the huts. She loosed two more arrows into the pack as they charged and began to climb onto the rooftops. She moved from rooftop to rooftop, firing arrows into the pack as she went, all the while staying one step ahead of the pack. Moonstalker had taken an arrow to the knee and was out of the fight, and despite their obvious superiority in terms of numbers, the pack was taking heavy casualties. Normally Darkclaw would be concerned. But with the power of the Crystal, he knew he had nothing to fear.

He roared, the sound splitting the air, causing both the Huntress and his pack to take pause. He leapt at the Huntress from his vantage point, his legs pushing off with such power he cracked the wooden rooftop. The Huntress readied her bow, but she wasn't fast enough…..

The Deadly Sin

Beautiful, busty, uninhibited women.

Everyone had heard the rumours about the pleasure cult in the castle on the mountaintop. It was the most common bar story told in the villages at the foot of Mount Kamatago. That those who could survive the journey to the top of the mountain would be greeted by the most beautiful women and most decadent surroundings, living out the rest of their lives in abject ecstasy. Some had set off to the castle, despite the biting cold and the unstable paths, in the hope of leaving their old lives behind. No one came back, so they either died in the attempt or they found what they were looking for.

Xaphan stared at the castle in the distance. It was much closer than an hour ago, and he could feel the excitement rising. He was new to the area, but since hearing about the castle and it's mysteries he couldn't help himself, he had to see if the rumours were true. Besides, if it was just an abandoned castle, someone would have come back and told them. There was definitely something up there worth staying for. And all that stood between him and finding out was this rickety bridge.

The bridge was a simple wood and rope affair, however the elements had not been kind to it, and much of the wood panelling had been eaten through by the moisture. It sat over a chasm easily a hundred metres deep, and Xaphan didn't doubt for a moment there were the bones of many like him at the bottom. It swayed and twisted in the wind, which was amplified by the chasm forcing all the air through it. Pulling his hood further over his head and wrapping his cloak tightly around him, Xaphan took a tentative step onto the bridge.

The first panel took his weight well, giving him some confidence. That confidence didn't stop him gripping the rope supports so tight his knuckles were white however. Taking a deep breath, he slowly but surely inched his way over the bridge, cautiously avoiding those parts of the wood that looked more rotten than the rest. The wind gusted around him and it felt at times like the bridge was going to tip over completely. Biting back the fear, Xaphan continued on, slowly but surely, until his left foot hit the rock on the other side. Grinning from ear to ear, he stepped off the bridge and stared at the massive stone arches of the entrance to the castle grounds. Excitement barely contained, he walked briskly up to the rather non-descript wooden door, pausing for a moment to think of what he [i]hoped[/i] would happen when he knocked on this door. Before he could do so however he heard the latch click and saw the door begin to open. He waited eagerly to see what was on the other side.

When he caught sight of her he almost dropped to his knees in disbelief. The woman in front of him must have been born of a goddess. Her flawless porcelain skin contrasted perfectly with her long and dark hair. Her full figure looked as though its creation was guided by a divine hand, and her face must have been crafted by angels, her ice blue eyes intelligent and inviting. The fact that she was stark naked helped as well.

"Not many come to visit us up here." She said with a smile and a slight giggle. Xaphan had to blink and ensure that he wasn't slack-jawed with lust. "You must be terribly cold, come on in."

Xaphan could barely manage a nod as the woman grabbed his hand and half led, half dragged him into the castle. As she walked in front of him Xaphan could see that the back of her was just as perfect as the front. Once they were inside she let his hand go and closed the door behind them.

"Do you have a name handsome?" She said with that distinctive giggle.

"Um, names Xaphan." He stammered, finally finding his voice. No wonder no one ever came back.

"Well Xaphan, my name is Clarissa." She replied. Her voice was intoxicating, and every move she made seemed to indicate she wanted Xaphan as badly as he wanted her right now. "Would you like to meet the others?"

Xaphan gulped. Instantly visions of oil, pillows and exceedingly large beds presented themselves to him. He pushed them back, for the moment. "Sure." He said, trying to keep the desire in his voice from being too obvious.

Clarissa smiled. "Follow me then." She said as she started walking, looking over her shoulder at him. "If you want of course."

How could I not? Xaphan thought as he eagerly caught up to her, having to fight the urge to reach out and touch her on the bottom as she walked. They walked through another door and into a large corridor. All down the stone walls were images of erotic art. The carpet that they were walking on was a rich red and of the highest quality. Gas lamps provided ample light in the hallway, giving the whole place a comforting warmth. But right now the only warmth he was interested in was Clarissa's.

"So, um, how many of you live up here?" Xaphan asked.

"There's about twenty women living up here." Clarissa replied, looking over her shoulder and smiling warmly. "Unfortunately not many men make the journey up here, so we really like to make good use of the ones who do." She said with a wink.

Xaphan exhaled to calm himself. He was going to have fun here. Clarissa led him around a corner and into a large room. Pillows were spread all throughout, and the largest bed he'd ever seen sat in the middle of the room. Everything was the finest cashmere and velour. The room was once again well lit by gas lamps, and along the walls were potted plants, their green leaves contrasting beautifully with the red pillows, sheets and carpets. However the most beautiful things were the dozen or so women in the room, all as amazingly perfect as Clarissa. Each one was individual but the one thing they had in common besides their perfect forms was their ice blue eyes.

"Everybody, this is Xaphan." Clarissa began, "he's bravely made his way to our home just to meet all of us." She said with a giggle. "Shall we let him stay?"

All of the women smiled excitedly and nodded. Xaphan felt lightheaded out of sheer joy, though it may also have been due from all the blood rushing from his brain to his loins.

"Then it's settled. Xaphan shall stay with us." Clarissa turned to Xaphan and winked again. "However before the real fun begins, we should have dinner to celebrate with our new friend."

Despite every fibre of his being demanding he carry Clarissa to the bed and get started immediately, Xaphan had to admit he was hungry, it was a long trek and he'd only had some nuts and berries to eat on the way. Besides, if the food was as good as the company, it'd be a meal to savor. "So what's for dinner?"

Clarissa smiled broadly. "Silly boy." She purred. "You are."

The Black Library

It is said that, deep within the catacombs beneath the World Spire, safe from the machinations and ambitions of Human or Shadow, is the fabled Black Library. The legends state that the knowledge within is so powerful that the Gods themselves fear it. Protected from intrusion by the immortal Golems of the Earth, none have managed to breach its sacred walls.

"It's all bollocks." Reegar exclaimed, his gravelly accent piercing the silence of the valley. "We'll get there and it'll be all about 'eye-of-newt' and 'essence of nightshade'."

Dwight scowled. "Will you shut up? You're so bloody loud everyone within 5 miles can hear us you imbecile."

Tuomas sighed. For the fifth time in as many minutes he wished he'd chosen two different companions for this trek. Dwight was used to operating in silence, as suited his profession as a thief, and the bull-headed warrior nature of Reegar had worn him down over the entire trip. Their arguments had been getting consistently more boisterous over the eight day trek. But still, despite the personality clash, Tuomas knew they'd both be completely professional once the action started. He just hoped it would start soon.

Looking up at the World Spire, he could feel his inner ambitions begin to drive him once more. As a practictioner of Pyromancy he felt he had reached a plateau. He had well surpassed his teacher, and acting as the magical defender of his town had become a hollow affair, beating back the few Fire Snakes and Carniboars that occasionally came into town. He wanted to actually lead the fight against the Shadow, to pit his might against their most accomplished sorcerers, and send them back to the hells they came from. The knowledge within the Black Library would afford him the power to accomplish his dreams.

So, having left the town in the hands of his acolyte Marco, he had recruited Reegar and Dwight, and the three of them had ventured forth. And now they were within sight of their goal. Tuomas looked back at his companions. "Leave it, we're almost there. Then I'm sure you'll find things to entertain you besides arguing."

"About bloody time. Betsy is crying for blood." Reegar exclaimed, running his finger over the exceedingly sharp edge of his battle axe. Dwight simply shook his head and frowned.

The remainder of the journey was another two hours of hard slog, coupled with the constant buzz of Reegar and Dwight's arguing. Tuomas' relief was palpable when they finally reached the foot of the Spire. Rising hundreds of metres into the air, it was a towering monument of a lost civilisation. It was a cylindrical obelisk, tapering to a point at the very top, and almost perfectly smooth bar the rows of magical runes carved into its surface. The base of the Spire was partially built into the rock wall behind it, and there was no obvious point of entry to either it or the catacombs below it.

Reegar's voice once again shattered the silence. "So where's the door then?"

"Not…. Sure." Tuomas replied, walking toward the Spire, keeping a keen eye for anything that would indicate a hidden passage.

"There must be an entry point somewhere." Dwight stated. "That mage who made it back said so."

"He was stark raving mad! How do we even know he got here?" Reegar retorted.

"Quiet!" Tuomas hissed. "Dwight, you're the thief. Can you see any signs of hidden passages?"

Without a sound, Dwight began moving purposefully around the base of the Spire. He was somewhat hesitant to touch the Spire itself at first, however bouncing a nearby rock off it seemed to indicate no magical wards shielding its surface. Somewhat more confident, Dwight began running his hands up and down the surface as he walked, until he reached the rock face on the right hand side. "Over here."

Tuomas eagerly moved over to where Dwight had found himself, with Reegar calmly ambling on behind him. "I don't see anything."

Dwight ran his finger down one side of the rock face. "A seam, here. It's faint, but it's there. Look for a lever or a button of some kind."

So the three companions began gently moving their hands over the rock face, searching for a depression, or a change in texture, or anything else that seemed out of the ordinary.

"Got something here." Reegar called out, pointing at a small bump in the rock face.

Tuomas and Dwight walked over and stared intently at the small bump. "Looks far too smooth and even to be natural." Dwight commented. "Shall we?"

He pressed on the bump and it gave way easily. A grinding sound filled the air as the hidden door slowly opened, the mechanics behind it coming to life. The trio moved over to the hidden entrance and stared into the darkness.

"After you." Reegar motioned with a smile. "Ladies first."

Tuomas stared at Dwight, cutting off the inevitable comeback before they stepped into the tunnel. With a small incantation a flicker of flame appeared in his palm, lighting the passageway. The tunnel had obviously been a major project, the walls had been carved smooth, and it was more than large enough to fit an adult. As they got further from the surface and the comforting light of the tunnel entrance, Tuomas ensured that his magical flame glowed brighter to compensate.

Eventually the cramped tunnel began to snake to the left, or so it felt. With little choice but to follow, the trio continued on. As they moved on, Tuomas could feel they were beginning to descend. Casting a glance to the walls, he could see that they weren't as smooth as he first thought. Carved into them were more magical runes, similar to the ones on the spire. Pausing to inspect them, he slowly ran his finger over one that he recognised.

"Why have we stopped?" Dwight asked, with a hint of frustration in his voice.

"I recognise this rune." Tuomas replied. "It's a very common incantation."

"What does it mean?" Dwight asked as Tuomas uttered the incantation gently. The runes along the walls began to glow, providing enough light for them to see without assistance. "I see."

Tuomas smiled as he extinguished his magical flame. The trio continued on much quicker, but it wasn't long before they reached their first intersection.

"Well, which way then?" Reegar stated, his gravelly voice echoing through the tunnels.

Tuomas stared at the intersection for a good long while before making his decision.

"Left."

The third and final Golem fell to the ground, all its eldritch life burned away with magical flame. Ahead lay the fabled Black Library. It was much smaller than expected, the stone room containing only a trio of dusty bookshelves. Running svelte fingers across each of the book spines in turn, Majiya found the one she was looking for, the Scientia Libri. Grinning slightly, she pulled the book away from the shelf. With the knowledge contained within, she would have her vengeance on the City of Spears.

In the distance she could still hear the three adventurers she'd followed arguing about which direction to turn. She shook her head as she left the Black Library with her prize in hand. Had they done their research on the Daktarii and the catacombs they'd built, they would have realised as she did….

You always went to the right.

Proposition

The hot metal prod was excruciating as Gwen jammed it into the bite wound on her arm. She clenched her teeth and held back the urge to scream as the wound was cauterized, flesh melting as it was sealed and sterilized of any lingering infection from the Wulven attack. Removing it just as suddenly, Gwen exhaled sharply before placing the tip back into the campfire, preparing it to seal the next wound.

The small campfire burned brightly, and Gwen knew that the forest animals were cautiously hanging back in the darkness, sizing up this solitary human to determine if she was a threat or not. Glancing around, her keen eyesight could make out at least six pairs of eyes in the darkness, and at least four of those belonged to decent sized creatures.

A small rabbit slowly made its way out of the darkness, its curiosity of the human interloper getting the better of it. Desperately hungry, Gwen wasted no time skewering it with a single arrow from her bow. As the rabbit died, she felt a wave of energy pass over her and the cauterized wound on her arm grew smaller. Moving over to the dead rabbit, she grabbed it and headed back to her camp, where she began skinning it in preparation for the fire. She hated eating animals killed with her bow, the unique properties of the weapon made the meat taste almost hollow. However she was grateful for the healing the rabbit had provided. Maybe now she could avoid the prod.

As the rabbit cooked, Gwen stared at the stars and considered the past and the future. Her mother had told her tales of all manner of heroes, of the warriors of her culture and their valiant battles. She remembered with a smile as she got her first bow and beginning her training, her sight and her aim guided by her parents. She remembered her first hunt and how shockingly unsuccessful it was, almost getting mauled by that boar, before her father had stepped in and removed the beast's head with a single stroke of his blade. She remembered the night time stories her parents used to tell her, of monsters and men.

Seems those stories had more truth to them than she originally thought.

When the Wulven had come, they had destroyed her village, ruthlessly tearing apart the population with wild abandon. The defenders had fought valiantly, but the Wulven had been too fast and too strong. She remembered being hidden away in the crawlspace under the floor of her house while her parents tried to fight off the unnatural menace. Through the gaps in the floorboards she saw them both fall...

Almost in tears, she grabbed the prod and jammed it into her leg wound, the searing agony bringing her back to the present, a reminder of why she fought the Wulven. Every one killed was a small piece of revenge for her parents. Every one killed was a validation of her existence, of her training, of her conviction.

And she would see this through.

"That must hurt." A soft female voice purred. With trained reflexes, Gwen removed the prod and pointed its glowing red end in the direction of the voice. Sitting across from her was a woman dressed in black, a mask covering the bottom half of her face, and her jet black hair done in a long braid.

"Who are you?" Gwen snarled,

"Relax, I'm not here to hurt you." The woman replied, pulling her mask down. "The name's Serena. They call me the Thoughtripper."

"Strange name." Gwen smirked slightly.

Serena didn't respond but simply stared at Gwen, and Gwen couldn't help but shuffle uncomfortably. Those eyes seemed to penetrate her very soul. Then Serena began to speak.

"Your mother Sarah and father Jakob were loving parents. Jakob used to take you on hunts. It was there you learnt your skills with a bow. Then the attack. The Wulven came and slaughtered everyone. Your father forced you under the house into the crawlspace, despite you desperately wanting to help defend your family. You watched as the Wulven..."

"Shut up!" Gwen shouted, far louder than she expected, prod trembling in her hand. "How the hell do you know that?"

"I am the Thoughtripper. No secrets are safe from me." Serena replied. "Apologies, I didn't want to hit a nerve, but you need to know what I'm capable of."

Gwen exhaled slowly, steadying herself. "So, what do you want?"

"These Shadow, they're not just monsters, out there to hunt and slay randomly. They're an organised force. You can't see it yet, neither can anyone else. But I can see inside their minds, and I can see they're working together. Chaotically, but still, there's an organisation there."

"Working together?" Gwen frowned. "Who's giving the orders then? Who are the generals?"

Serena shook her head. "I don't know yet. Whoever it is, they go by many names. Each of the Shadow seems to refer to them differently. Master, Overlord, The Cruel One etc. However I've been tracking movements for a long time, and definite patterns are emerging, particularly where these are involved." Serena held up a small green stone which glowed with eldritch energy.

"What is that?" Gwen asked, reaching out to touch it. She felt drawn to it, and as she grew closer she could feel herself become... better.

"It's a Shadow Crystal. They appeared not long before the Shadow started to arrive." Serena explained. "They enhance magic, natural ability, everything. You were defeated by the Wulven Darkclaw because he had one in his possession."

Darkclaw, Gwen thought. So the monster has a name.

"So where do I get one?" Gwen asked.

"That's the thing, they're exceedingly rare, found only in areas where magic congregates. There are some humans who know the power of these crystals, like myself, and have set out to find and extract them. But the crystals are hardly the pressing concern."

"What?" Gwen exclaimed. "If we get enough of these we can defeat the Shadow entirely."

Serena shook her head. "You're missing the point. The Shadow are organised, we are not. Even with an ample supply of crystals, we would be at best on equal footing with some of the monsters they command. We need to rally together, become a force. Not just city defenders, but a real army. I've seen cities burn, our forces tossed aside by a concerted Shadow assault. Even yesterday, I heard the City of Spears finally fell, the horde there the largest yet." She paused. "We need leaders. So, are you willing to help me?"

Gwen sat silent for a moment. Even though her entire being burned to extract vengeance on this Darkclaw, something about Serena overruled that. This woman had a conviction she had not seen since... her parents. She nodded gently.

"Yes."

Undercover

"Two for a dollar! Two for a dollar!" Shouted the merchant, his voice was only one of hundreds in the busy plaza. Even through the thick hood Majiya wore to obscure her dark features, the sound was deafening. An endless throng of shoppers moved around her like a great tide, endlessly browsing, bartering, arguing and occasionally purchasing. The heat generated by the sea of bodies, combined with the sun beating down on her overhead was causing her to sweat profusely. She longed to remove her hood at least, however then she would be revealing her true nature, and she'd have a lot more to worry about than just the heat.

Pushing through the crowds, a merchant with a comically large moustache stepped in front of her, brandishing a watermelon. "Can I interest you in some fresh produce?"

"No, thank you." Majiya said as calmly as she could. She sidestepped to get around the merchant, who blocked her way again.

"Are you sure? Skinny little thing like you could use some food me thinks." The merchant pressed.

"Get out of my way." Majiya growled. She was a hairs breadth away from ditching her cover and incinerating this fool. "I don't want any of your stupid fruit."

Obviously sensing she meant business, the merchant took a step back and let her pass. "Well if you do get hungry…." He called out after her.

"I won't." She replied without turning back, continuing on toward her destination.

Exhaling to calm herself somewhat, Majiya managed to navigate her way through the plaza to her destination on the other side, a small alleyway nestled between a bar and a hotel. Besides the piles of trash and refuse that threatened to overwhelm her sense of smell, the only other thing of note was the homeless man nestled off in a corner. When he saw Majiya he smiled, his missing teeth giving his grin a very sinister aspect.

"You're late." He said. "But since you're so pretty I can forgive you."

Majiya rankled her nose in disgust. "You're the one he sent to meet me?" Up close, the man smelt even more putrid than the garbage around him. His face and exposed skin was covered in sores and pustules, and Majiya was almost certain he had leprosy, or at the very least, the flesh change that had been plaguing the human cities in the west.

"Yes ma'am. Name's Tyrell." The man replied cheerily, slowly standing up. "Forgive me, the bones don't work as well as they used to." Majiya took a step back to give the man some room and her nose a break. There was another stench around the man as well, one that wasn't picked up by her nose. The stench of black magic.

"Well, what does your master think?" Majiya said impatiently.

"He will work with you. However…" Tyrell paused for a moment, as though considering the repercussions of what he was to say next. "He wants more."

"WHAT?" Majiya snarled through clenched teeth, pushing back the rage that was threatening to consume her. "The offer is more than generous. 10% plus the population of Sandakar."

"15%. My master's magic is very…. expensive…. in terms of fuel."

"I should kill you for your insolence. How would you like me to end your miserable life right now?" Majiya raised her hand, and fire began to play about her fingers.

"Oh please darling, you can't kill what's already dead." Tyrell replied, and Majiya slowly lowered her hand, the fire dissipating harmlessly.

"I should've known he'd send a zombie." Majiya sighed.

"Hey, I may be dead, but I still have feelings." Tyrell replied, grinning. "Besides, I'm what's referred to in the industry as a freshy. Only dead for a day before I was brought back. Most of the guys have been dead for months. And you think I smell bad."

Tyrell extended his hand. "Anyway, the counteroffer still stands. 15%, and you've got an undead army to help you out."

"Fine. Tell your master 15%. But he'd better be ready when I call on him." Majiya snarled, ignoring Tyrell's hand and walking back into the crowded plaza. Tyrell sighed and brought his hand back to his side before sitting down. At least he could catch a quick nap before he headed back.

Lance rubbed his upper lip. It was still red from ripping that horrible fake moustache off. But still, his disguise had allowed him to get close enough to see the dark woman beneath the hood. She was definitely with the Shadow, and obviously making alliances between the factions. Her tone and language also indicated she was definitely a leader, but was she the leader of a small faction, or the one orchestrating all of this? Either way, Serena was right about this one.

Questions buzzing in his head, It took a few moments for Lance to realise he was losing his quarry. Setting off back along the rooftops, he quickly made chase. Hopefully this woman would lead him to the answers the fledgling human resistance desperately needed.

Deadly Lover

Clarissa looked over at the fat man sitting in the restaurant. She was wearing a figure hugging red dress that, while full length, revealed a great deal of her "assets", and ensured that every single person, man or woman, was watching her out of the corner of their eye.

The restaurant she was seated in was in the city of Ravendark, a central trading hub for the human settlements in the west. It was exceedingly well defended, with great walls twenty metres high surrounding it. Archers lined the walls, and cannons were nestled in the turrets that were spaced every ten metres or so along the wall. A huge wood and iron gate protected the entrance, so large and heavy that only magic could open it.

Five days ago, Clarissa and her coven had been approached by a lowly Gargoyle named Ka'thax about an alliance with someone he had referred to as "The Master". Whilst Clarissa was apprehensive about throwing her lot in with either side in this looming war, the thought of the flesh of Ravendark at her beck and call was too good to resist. And the attention she would receive was almost as satiating as the feeding. So she had agreed, and Ka'thax had given her and her coven a list of people that The Master wanted "seduced". Arriving at Ravendark via portal, they had immediately set about their deadly work.

The fat man she was currently targeting, the head priest of the city, was drinking in the glories of her body, and Clarissa could almost see the perverted thoughts running through his feeble little mind. She felt great satisfaction in seducing the pious, overwhelming their vows with animal lust. She knew he would love with an appetite few could match. And she would ensure he would have the time of his life, before she gorged on his flesh and his soul.

Slowly standing up, Clarissa smoothed the creases in her dress before walking over to the priest. She could see him shuffle uncomfortably in the chair, and as she got closer Clarissa could see he was uttering a prayer of forgiveness to his gods. She stood in front of him for a few seconds, allowing him a closer look at her, and letting her scent intoxicate him, before gently pulling the chair out opposite and sitting down.

"Can I… help you, my child?" The priest asked. His tone hinted at his excitement, and Clarissa could sense his elevated heart rate.

She shuffled around a little in her chair, getting comfortable and giving the illusion of innocence. "I'm kind of new to the city, and I couldn't find the local temple."

"I see. Well, we have many temples in this great city." The priest replied, struggling to keep his eyes locked on her face. "I could show you where the closest one is, if you like."

Clarissa smiled irresistibly. "Please, I would love to see now, if you could."

"Um, yes, of course." The priest said, standing up abruptly. Clarissa followed as he went to the counter and paid for the meal he hadn't yet received before leaving. She walked quickly after him, giving off the air of an eager young acolyte, completely unaware of what this man had in store for her.

The streets were well lit in the city, and were far brighter than what she was used to in the castle. She shielded her eyes with her hand as they moved through the streets, and she could see people stopping and staring at her. And while she couldn't see them, she could smell all manner of bandits and other scum lurking in the alleyways, and sense their dark desires as well.

The priest turned and led her down a small street. The temple was in sight, an elaborate stone structure, with statues to the various gods lining the entrance, gold trimming on the doors and windows, and a giant dome dominating the roof line. However of more immediate concern was the gang of men who had appeared around them.

"Where are you taking this fine piece of meat?" One of them called out. "There's no need to be greedy, looks like she's got plenty to share."

"Get back you monster!" the priest shouted. Clarissa silently swore under her breath, she wanted to take care of business in the temple. However she gave no sign of anger and instead stood still, as though paralysed with fear.

"Look at her; she's scared out of her mind. Don't worry honey, we'll be gentle." Another slurred as he took a few steps toward her. Clarissa could see he had a knife attached to his belt, and the majority of the others were similarly armed. Two of the men had grabbed the priest now and were restraining him, while the others also began to move toward Clarissa. "Don't worry old man, we'll let you watch." She heard one say.

One of the men reached out to tear off Clarissa's dress; however his hand never made it, Clarissa grabbing it and breaking his wrist and arm in a single twisting motion. As he slumped to the ground in agony, two of the others drew their blades.

"Ooh, this one's got spunk. This is going to be fun." One of the men said. "Now play nice, we wouldn't want to cut you." She heard two of the men behind her move in to restrain her. Reacting inhumanly fast, she spun around, grabbing the first man by the neck and throwing him into the second. Seeing her abilities, the remainder of the men were less concerned now with carnal pleasure and more with dealing with the threat.

What followed was a massacre, Clarissa ducking and weaving between strikes, gouging eyes and breaking limbs. Necks and spines snapped under the pressure from her return strikes, and all the while none managed to actually lay a hand on her. The two men restraining the priest attempted to escape, however Clarissa thwarted their attempts with a pair of thrown knives connecting with their jugulars. When she was done, all but her and the priest lay dead in the street.

The priest was visibly shaking as Clarissa walked up to him. "What… what are you?" He stammered as she gently kissed him on the cheek.

"I am your salvation."

The Sorceress

Serena knew she was close to her destination, the mercury had taken a serious dive in the last kilometre or so, and now even the heavy cloak she was wearing did little to alleviate the cold. All around her she could see frost forming on the ground and on the leaves. There was little activity as well, all of the animals wisely staying away from the freezing cold. She had set off alone on this journey, leaving Gwen to try and recruit other forces to the resistance. However after four days of hiking she'd desperately wished she'd had someone to talk to. Still, Serena soldiered on toward the tower in the distance.

As she entered the clearing around the tower the grass gave way to snow, and the vegetation that remained visible was stripped of its leaves. The tower itself was about four storeys high, and built entirely of stone. Ice covered the surface and the tower almost glowed in the sunlight from the reflection. Serena found herself squinting as she approached the door. The metal door had sigils and wards engraved into the edges, obviously to defend against any kind of magical assault. Serena knocked on the door a number of times, however no one responded. Not letting that dissuade her, Serena pulled out her trusty lockpick kit and got to work. Serena smiled as the door opened without a sound. Wards may stop magic, but they did little against a bit of physical finesse.

Cautiously stepping inside the tower, Serena kept a close eye on the walls and floor for wards of intrusion and various other nasty things. The last thing she needed was to take a fireball to the face. Or two. But besides row upon row of dusty books, there didn't seem to be much else on the lower floor. The floor itself was bare wood, and the walls lacked any kind of ornamentation whatsoever. There were a number of braziers attached to the stonework giving off a gentle light however.

Slowly making her way to the stairs, Serena began quietly climbing, ensuring that she tested each stair before placing her full weight on it, lest any of them creak and give away her presence. Steadily making her way to the second level, she paused when she reached the top of the stairs.

The second level was obviously the living quarters. More braziers provided a warmer light than downstairs, and there was a bed, table, and two chairs. A large rug was in the center of the floor and more bookshelves lined the walls, however the books contained within were works of fiction, as opposed to magical tomes. Stepping forward onto the rug Serena felt the floor depress slightly and instantly regretted her movement.

The rug itself came to life, fibres shooting up to entangle her arms and legs. The fibres were strong and sticky, almost like webbing, and before long they held her fast. Biting back a curse, Serena considered her next move, which would have to be soon, because the sound of footsteps began to echo through the room.

"I don't like intruders." A soft yet cold voice stated from behind her. "And I especially don't like thieves."

"Had you answered the door I wouldn't have had to break in." Serena retorted. In response the webbing tightened, constricting her breathing.

"I also don't like wisecracks." The voice responded.

"I'm not here… to fight you…. Eladwen." Serena stated, struggling against the webs.

Eladwen Frostmire stepped around so Serena could see her. She was only wearing a simple dressing gown, and her brown hair was tussled and not brushed, however her icy eyes betrayed the tremendous magical power at her disposal. "Then what are you here for?"

"The Shadow…. I'm here for your help defeating…. The Shadow." Serena could feel her vision fading. If she didn't convince Eladwen of her intentions soon, she'd be one dead rogue.

For what seemed like an eternity nothing happened. Then without warning the webs slackened, then retracted back into the rug.

"Sit." Eladwen stated simply, and one of the chairs slid out from under the table. Serena, still regaining her breath, sat down willingly. Eladwen took the seat opposite. "Your name?"

"Serena."

"This is about the City of Spears, isn't it Serena?"

"No, the City of Spears is incidental, mere revenge." Serena replied. "The Shadow is working towards something else, something big. Much bigger than simply attacking cities. They're forming an alliance of apocalyptic proportions."

"On the contrary, the City of Spears is vital." Eladwen replied, shaking her head. "The razing of that city was merely a cover."

Serena leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"The perpetrator, Majiya, she stole a tome, then burned the entire city to cover its theft." Eladwen began. "The tome is called the Levitas Mortis, or.."

"The Lightning Death." Serena replied.

"Correct. You have some knowledge of the magical works then."

"In my profession, it pays to know your adversaries." Serena stated simply, shrugging. "But how do you know this?"

"I have some knowledge of divination, and the tome gives off a very specific magical aura. Shortly before the city was razed, the aura simply vanished."

"Could it have been destroyed in the fires?" Serena questioned.

"Unlikely. Like most magical tomes, they are highly resistant to most forms of damage. And should it have been burned, as long as some of it survived, the aura would still be detectable. No, Majiya stole it, and then escaped the city via magical means, most likely a portal."

"I see." Serena mused for a moment. "So what's in this tome?"

"It is the book of a lost religion, worshipped by a forgotten people. Most of it is impossible to decipher." Eladwen shrugged. "Well, by us anyway."

"So what good is a tome that can't be read?" Serena asked. "What could Majiya possibly want with it?"

"I don't know. But she is not a being of this world; perhaps she has knowledge of that lost language. If she does, who knows what she'll be able to do." Eladwen frowned. "I will help you. I will try and discover the tomes location, and more information about it."

Serena nodded as she stood up. "Thank you. I have someone helping me track Majiya, so maybe between the two of us we can find her before she finishes whatever she's planning."

"I'll talk to you soon." Eladwen said as Serena began to leave. "Oh, Serena?"

"Yes?"

"Next time, knock louder."

Nevermore

Darkclaw skulked silently through the undergrowth, his mind focused solely on the hunt. The full moon shone overhead and all around him were the sounds of the night. Ahead of him was the trio of campers, blissfully unaware of their impending doom. Muscles tensed and ready, Darkclaw released his stored energy in a single powerful push from his hind legs, sending him hurtling into the first camper, his claws digging deep into the man's chest.

The second camper, a young woman, attempted to scream, however Darkclaw reached over and ripped her throat out in a single clean motion. The third camper was already running into the undergrowth to escape his attacker. Darkclaw grinned as he gave chase. Realising he was not going to escape, the final camper turned around and drew his knife with a trembling hand…..

After dragging the corpse of the third camper back to the other two, Darkclaw sat down and removed the knife from his flank. The burst of pain from doing so was quickly nullified as his natural regenerative abilities took hold, and before long his wound was nothing more than a small scar.

As he was enjoying his dinner, a rather large raven perched on one of the overhead trees. It stared at Darkclaw with its black, soulless eyes, as a hunter would survey its prey. The stare made Darkclaw uncomfortable for some reason, and before long he found himself growling at the bird. It did not flinch, but instead calmly flew to another another tree, where it resumed its vigil on the Wulven. Still agitated, Darkclaw moved to the tree and leapt at the bird. Effortlessly avoiding the attack, the raven moved to another branch, tilting its head slightly, looking suspiciously like it was taunting Darkclaw. Really agitated now, Darkclaw leapt at the bird again, and again the bird effortlessly avoided the attack. Instead of landing however, the raven instead took flight, and Darkclaw gave chase.

Charging through the undergrowth at top speed was a dangerous affair, and many times Darkclaw stumbled on a stray rock or almost ran head first into a tree. However something about that raven meant he had to catch it. But the bird forever remained tantalisingly out of reach. Eventually they made it through the forest and into a large clearing. In the distance was a human city, surrounded by walls of stone and protected by a large force. The raven came to rest on a tree stump.

Darkclaw prepared to strike, but before he got a chance the raven began to change. The raven started to expand, and its legs grew longer. Its wings began to form a cloak, and slender arms became visible underneath them. The beak receded and the feathers on the head turned white and fine like hair. Where once there was a raven there now stood a woman. She paid Darkclaw no heed, and instead turned to look at the city. Darkclaw found himself doing the same.

Above the city, storm clouds began to brew. The night sky took on a red tone as the first lightning bolt struck. Before long fires raged in the city. Then the sounds of battle began to permeate the air, swords clashing, the roar of monsters, and the screams of the dying. Through all this the storm continued to grow in intensity, and it seemed to almost warp reality around it. The area around the city twisted and stretched in a surreal display, and then began to collapse in on itself, like water sucked into a drain, Through all of this the woman remained still, and she was the only reason Darkclaw didn't run for fear of meeting the same fate as the city.

Eventually the city disappeared completely, utterly destroyed by the magical forces. There was something else there in its place, a dark portal, larger than any Darkclaw had seen before. The woman turned to face Darkclaw. She stared directly into his eyes and said one word:

"Nevermore."

Before Darkclaw could respond, a great wind picked up, pushing the woman back and into the path of the portal. She disappeared and the portal closed, leaving Darkclaw standing alone in the clearing. Cutting through the silence however was a faint voice calling out….

"Claw…. Claw…."

"CLAW!"

Darkclaw jolted awake, almost headbutting Moonstalker as he did so. "What?" he snarled, rubbing his eyes.

Moonstalker had a genuine look of concern on his face. "You were having one hell of a nightmare. You kept calling out about a raven, and tossing about so much you woke us all up."

Darkclaw paused for a moment before speaking, keeping his voice low so the others couldn't hear. "I saw her again."

"Silver-hair?" Moonstalker frowned. "I thought those dreams had stopped."

"Me too. She showed me a city, we watched as it was completely destroyed, sucked into some sort of portal."

"What does it mean?" Moonstalker asked.

Darkclaw shrugged. "No idea." He looked around at the pack starting to settle down to sleep again. "No sense dwelling on it. Get some rest Moon."

Moonstalker walked back to his makeshift bed of leaves as Darkclaw lay down and closed his eyes. Silver-hair was bad news; she had an effect on Darkclaw, almost like she controlled him. As Moonstalker lay down to sleep, he knew that no matter what, they'd all be seeing the city in Darkclaw's dreams soon enough.

Recruitment Drive

Gwen walked past the guards at the entrance to the city of Windspire, nodding gently at them as she did so. This was the third city she had visited since Serena had left to chase the mage Eladwen Frostmire, and Gwen hoped she'd have more success here than she'd had at the other two. Try as she might, she had been unable to convince ANYONE of the impending Shadow threat.

Looking around, Windspire was bustling with activity. It was midday, and that meant that people were everywhere, shopping, having lunch, or just enjoying the day in the park, parents watching while children played. For a few short moments Gwen just stood there, taking in the carefree atmosphere. She'd spent too long in the forest.

Looking down the main street, she could see the office of the town governor in the distance. Taking a deep breath, she started walking. Maybe she'd have more luck this time...

"One more." Gwen called out to the bartender.

"You sure? You've had a few." He asked.

"One. More." She replied sternly, and the bartender reluctantly poured another shot of whisky before passing it to her.

"Your sorrows must need some serious drowning." The bartender said simply.

Gwen exhaled, staring into the shot of whisky as though looking for meaning, before gulping it down and slamming the shot glass back on the table. "Very true."

"Man trouble?" The bartender enquired.

"Hmph, men are the least of my problems."

"Well, whatever it is, you'll tackle it better sober. So no more for you." The bartender stated as he took her glass away. Gwen was going to argue but thought better of it. Besides, he was right, she needed a clear head.

The governor of Windspire had been even more condescending and arrogant than the previous governors she had dealt with. Not only did he tell her in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't help, he then had the audacity to ask her out to dinner. [i]Pig.[/i]

So Gwen sat there contemplating her next move. There were a couple more major cities in the area that she could visit, however she doubted that anyone would be willing to assist. While Serena could see the patterns behind the Shadow's movements, and Gwen had the benefit of her insight, the general populace didn't consider them much of a threat. So far, only a couple of cities had fallen, and there was no obvious connection between them. So people were happy to live in blissful ignorance of the enemy.

A tap on the shoulder brought her back to the present. Spinning around on her stool, Gwen saw a young woman standing there. She was wearing a cloak, however Gwen's keen eye could make out the armour plating underneath, as well as the tip of the concealed sword protruding from the bottom of the cloak.

"Can I help you?" Gwen asked, though the alcohol had taken its toll, and her enunciation was less than perfect.

"I was thinking I could help you." The woman replied, brushing some stray strands of blond hair out of her eyes. "Come with me."

"Why?" Gwen questioned.

"Because I can provide you the army you seek." The woman replied, turning to leave. Gwen got off the bar stool and somewhat shakily followed.

"My name is Amber by the way." The woman stated as she led Gwen through the city streets. Her tone was business like, with very little warmth to it. A tone that implied great suffering.

"Gwen." Gwen replied. "Where are we going?"

"To a warehouse in the industrial area." Amber stated simply, "We've set up a temporary home there."

Making their way through the city, Gwen struggled to keep up, both due to the alcohol and the fact that Amber moved damn quickly. She'd obviously spent some time here already, she never paused to think or to check which road she was heading down. After the first few minutes Gwen was hopelessly lost, and she made sure keeping up with Amber was top priority.

Gwen guessed it was at least another ten minutes before they reached the warehouse. It looked like it was once a storage centre for horse drawn carriages prior to Amber moving in. Opening the small door beside the main ones, Amber led Gwen in and what Gwen saw astounded her.

Inside was row after row of bunk beds, well over a hundred in total. The walls were lined with weapons, shields, lances and all manner of other weaponry. Training dummies, masks and other aids were scattered all around. Soldiers were training with weapons, sparring hand-to-hand, acting as sentries, or sitting down to meals.

"As you can see, an army." Amber said, leading Gwen through the makeshift barracks, "We have about a hundred regular militia, and…. Blake! Remember your defence!" She shouted at a young man sparring. Moving on, Amber cleared her throat before continuing. "Anyway, we also have thirty elite warriors over there." Amber pointed to one corner and a gathering of warriors, completely clad in battle plate, faces obscured by ornate helmets.

"Meet the Order of Lux Lucis, more commonly known as the Priests of Light." Amber said, with a tinge of sadness in her voice. "Unfortunately, all that's left I'm afraid."

"All that's left? Where are you from?" Gwen asked, curiosity piqued.

"The City of Spears." Amber sighed. "We're the only survivors."

"I see." Gwen said softly. That explains her willingness to help. "No one else survived?"

Amber's head dropped. "No one." She muttered, eyes focusing on the massive double bladed trident leaning against the wall.

"Can I help in any way? Do you need some food, or coin?"

Amber's head lifted again and Gwen could see her sadness was replaced with conviction. "All you need to do is point us in the direction of the enemy."

"That I can…" Gwen began, before the entrance to the warehouse burst open. As they spun around they spotted a man in black charging toward them. Amber drew her sword and Gwen prepared her bow. Even drunk, she was not going down without a fight.

"Wait! Friendly! Friendly!" The man shouted, coming to a screaming halt and raising his hands. "My name is Lance, and I have some bad news."

The Lost and the Damned

"Gravebone?"

"Yes?"

"It's time."

"Excellent."

Miller looked into the city from his vantage point along the wall pathway. Despite how boring guard duty got, at least he always had a good view. The city had a rather unique beauty when viewed from high up; the braziers provided a gentle glow along the cobblestone streets, and the various coloured lights of the pubs and clubs added variety to the landscape. Down below he could see the crowds moving through the night time stalls, sitting down for dinner, or staggering from one pub to the next.

But one thing caught his attention.

A woman running, and running fast. A man was chasing her, but he was moving strangely, almost like he was crippled with arthritis. His feet seemed to shuffle along the ground as he ran, and his arms didn't seem to bend properly. From this distance Miller couldn't be sure, but it almost looked as though his skin was…. rotten. He was definitely not right; and people were screaming and fleeing in all directions when they caught sight of him. It wasn't long before the troops arrived and peppered the man with crossbow bolts, dropping him to the ground. For a while everything settled down. But then the impossible happened.

He got up.

The man launched himself at the nearest trooper, colliding and forcing them both to the ground. From his vantage point Miller couldn't see much, but it almost looked like the man was eating the trooper. The others launched more crossbow bolts into the man, but they seemed to have as little effect as the first salvo. Out of the corner of his eye Miller caught more movement. Four more men, just like the first, were starting to appear. They overwhelmed the troops on the ground, literally tearing them apart with their hands and teeth.

"Get down there! Those men need help!" Miller's sergeant ordered. Not wasting any time, nor risking the wrath of his commanding officer, Miller ran down the stairs as fast as he could, ensuring his crossbow was loaded and he had spare bolts ready. He and his squad burst out of door and prepared to fire. What Miller saw almost made him physically ill.

The attackers were not men, they were walking corpses, husks of men. Bones and rotting muscles were visible under cracked and broken skin; eyes were missing or hanging out of sockets, the few tatters of clothing torn and dirty. Instinctively, Miller fired his crossbow, catching one in the chest. In response, the husk screamed, an inhuman, unholy sound, before it and its cohorts charged towards Miller's squad.

Almost panicking, Miller drew his sword into trembling hands and wildly swung at the oncoming husks. By sheer luck his wild swing removed the head of one of the husks in a single stroke, causing its decapitated body to fall limp to the ground. Not pausing to look, Miller continued to swing his sword at anything that moved. Limbs and viscera sprayed in all directions as the husks fell to the blades of the squad, however before the battle was over three of Miller's squad lay dead as well. It was a full minute after the cessation of the battle before Miller managed to stop shaking.

Looking over he could see Peterson checking one of the fallen, the look on his face making it obvious he was hoping for a miracle. And a miracle did happen, but not the one Peterson was hoping for. The corpse reached up, grabbed Peterson by the throat, and sunk its teeth into his face. Looking around in a panic, Miller could see that the troopers killed were also starting to rise. Behind him he heard the other two casualties from his squad shuffle to their feet as well. All discipline lost, Miller ran.

He ran and ran as far and as fast as he could. All around him he could hear screaming, and out of the corners of his eyes he could see the husks chasing, and feeding. All the while more and more seemed to appear out of nowhere. Other monsters began to appear as well, bat winged things with huge claws, giant bipedal wolves, and lithe humanoids with whips for hands. Miller knew he had to get off the streets, to get out of sight.

He ran for the nearest building, a small home. Banging on the door yielded no response, so he shoulder barged it, breaking the lock after the third attempt. Quickly closing the door as soon as he got inside, he frantically looked around for something to brace the door with. The home he'd broken into was sparsely furnished, as were most of the lower class homes in the city. However he did see a bookshelf that was small enough for him to move. Pushing with all his might he parked the bookshelf in front of the door, keeping it shut. If he remained quiet he hoped he could survive this.

Looking out the window, it was like a nightmare. Ravendark was burning. The monsters were butchering all in their path, and the city defenders were growing thinner and thinner. And every one that died defending their city rose again to attack it. He found himself wondering if the numbers of disappearances over the last week were linked to this. Considering a number of high ranking troopers, as well as religious and political figures had disappeared, it seemed likely. It would have made it easier to sneak a force into the city. But this was unlike anything Miller had seen before.

It was hell.

A loud banging at the back door startled Miller. He hadn't realised there was another way in. Pressing himself against the wall, he snuck a cautious glance down the hallway to the door. Heart beating in his throat, he prayed that whatever it was would give up and move on.

"Help me please!" Shouted the young woman. "Please!"

Another survivor. He had to help; it was his sworn duty as a defender of this city. Mustering what courage he had left, Miller slowly made his way to the door, and taking a deep breath, opened it.

The young woman barrelled in and dropped to her knees. Slamming the door and locking it, Miller knelt down to check that she was alright. Looking at her, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Are you alright Miss?" He asked.

"Yes." She stammered as Miller helped her up, looking at Miller with her enchanting sky blue eyes. "Yes, thank you."

"Um, may I ask your name?" Miller asked.

"Clarissa." The woman replied gently. "My name is Clarissa."

Council of War

Sitting down at the large round table, Serena surveyed the people also present at the meeting. To her left sat Eladwen Frostmire, the mage she had only just recently brought into the fold. They had arrived as quickly as possible once she had received the mental message from Lance. She was still queasy from the portal ride over.

Opposite her sat the warrior Amber Rain, one of the few survivors of the City of Spears razing. She commanded a contingent of a hundred and thirty warriors, and her eyes burned with the desire for vengeance.

The remaining two seats were taken by Gwenneth Truesight and Lance Shadowstalker. Lance had been the one to convene this meeting, and he was the first to start speaking.

"Okay." He began, leaning forward and resting his elbows heavily on the table, as if using them to support the weight of his words. "Firstly, I'm going to bring you completely up to speed. Most if not all of us are familiar with the individual known as Majiya. From what we can tell, she's one of the leaders of the Shadow, if not [i]the[/i] leader. And she obviously has a plan."

He cleared his throat before continuing. "I've been following her for some time now. She's incredibly hard to track, as she has a tendency to use portals to get around. Most times I've been lucky enough to sneak through before they closed, however yesterday I wasn't quick enough and I lost her completely. Regardless, I've managed to get some intel in regards to what she is working on. A ritual."

"Ritual?" Gwen asked. "What sort of ritual?"

"That's the thing, I'm not quite sure." Lance replied. "However, she's had her forces gathering Shadow Crystals from everywhere. For what I saw, she has at least a hundred in her possession. So whatever it is, it's a big one."

"Tapping that many Shadow Crystals at once would cause cataclysmic magical storms, and would consume any mortal." Eladwen stated. "Only a god could absorb and control that much magical energy."

"What about the tome Majiya stole?" Serena interjected. "Could she be using magic from it?"

Eladwen mused for a moment. "The tome is certainly of vital import, however we still do not know if she can read it or not."

"Which tome is this?" Amber queried. "Please tell me you're not referring to the Levitas Mortis."

Eladwen nodded solemnly. "The one stolen from your city temple, yes. Majiya razed your city simply to obtain that book. For what purpose, I cannot guess."

Amber frowned. "That book held black magic of the darkest kind. I know this because we had our cities researchers working on it day and night for as long as I was head of the city guard, and probably long before that too."

"What did they discover?" Eladwen pressed. "I thought the bulk of that book was indecipherable."

"I don't know about that, but from what I've heard the whole book is dedicated to a deity referred simply to as 'The Old One.'" Amber replied. "It's the remains of an ancient religious cult, long since claimed by the desert. The book dealt with all manner of elemental magic. And whilst our cities researchers were unable to decipher the specific incantations required, they did discover an entire chapter dedicated to summoning."

"Summoning what?" Serena asked.

"An avatar of their God."

Eladwen stood up abruptly. "Then we must discover where Majiya is post haste, before she can enact this ritual." She said sternly.

"And how are we going to do that?" Lance asked. "Like I've already said, Majiya enjoys using portals. She could be anywhere."

"I will try and detect her in the astral plane." Eladwen stated. "To do so, I need to meditate and must not be disturbed."

"Amber and I can get in touch with the city guard, see if there has been any reports of large amounts of Shadow activity in the nearby vicinity." Gwen offered.

"And I'll do some mental checking around." Serena said, standing up as well. "Well, let's get to it."

The four women all went off in their separate directions, all determined to locate Majiya and put a stop to her plans, leaving Lance sitting at the table by himself.

"I'll just sit here then."

Blood. Rivers of it, as red as the sky overhead. The sun was black, as though in a permanent eclipse. The ground was littered with the skulls of the dead, and the city ahead burned with an unholy flame. The air was filled with the screams of the tortured souls who had joined the ranks of the damned, and the laughter of their killers.

Eladwen stood firm against the hellish onslaught, her mind proof against visions such as these, visions that would destroy the souls of lesser beings. Striding forward along the river edge, blood lapped up against her feet, and the skulls crumbled under her boots. As she entered the city gates she could see the full extent of the horror. Not all the dead were crumbling bones, many still walked the streets. Monsters of Shadow hunted them for sport, laughing as their prey would rise from death, only to be cut down again in an endless cycle of torment.

Looking up, Eladwen could see Gargoyles lining the rooftops, watching the streets below, waiting for more of the damned to shuffle into view, or even if they were lucky, a member of the living. Sitting in the remnants of a restaurant, women of incredible physical beauty gorged themselves on human remains, though Eladwen could see through their guise, revealing them as the demons they really were.

Above, an unkindness of ravens flew overhead, hundreds of the birds operating in perfect unison, their black forms darkening the sky. Strangely however, one broke away and Eladwen watched as it landed in front of her, before morphing into a dark skinned woman.

Majiya.

"You found me." She said simply, with an evil grin. "No matter, you cannot stop what is coming." She raised her hand and a great wind picked up, knocking Eladwen to the ground.

Majiya stepped toward Eladwen, hands wreathed in flame. "Bring your army. They can watch as we destroy all you hold dear." Eladwen screamed in agony as the blast of flames from Majiya's hands consumed her, and as the vision faded and she returned to the real world, the mocking laughter of the Shadow sorceress stayed with her, fading only as realisation began to set in.

Ravendark. Majiya was at Ravendark.

The Ritual

Stepping through the portal, Majiya surveyed the carnage and smiled. The city of Ravendark was in ruins, and was truly in the grips of the Shadow. Soon, her plans would come to fruition. The two Minotaurs at her side fanned out, protecting her flanks, while the gargoyle Ka'thax remained a step behind her as she progressed through the city. He'd been useful, the lowly gargoyle being more successful than anticipated in securing the support of the succubus Clarissa and her coven. Majiya would ensure that he was looked after, provided he continued to be of use.

Ahead of her stood Gravebone, a rotting carcass of a mage, and the orchestrator of the initial assault on Ravendark. Even though his face was nothing more than a leering skull, Majiya could sense the waves of pride the violence surrounding them gave him.

"What do you think?" He said, his voice strong despite his complete lack of vocal chords.

"The carnage is admirable." Majiya replied. "I trust you didn't raise all the corpses however?"

"I have left one hundred dead as requested." Gravebone nodded. "My loyal husks can transport them wherever you wish."

"Very well. Have them meet me at the cemetery, at the mausoleum of Lord Batheon, the founder of the city."

"It shall be done." Gravebone replied. "I trust you have my payment."

Majiya tossed him a small bag of Shadow Crystals. "You shall receive the rest once the ritual is complete, necromancer."

Gravebone's lifeless face gave nothing away, however Majiya could sense the distrust pulsating off him. "I had better. Remember I control this city, not you." He replied as Majiya walked past him and toward Ravendark's cemetery.

As Majiya walked through the streets, she could see Gravebone's husks begin to move towards the cemetery, dead bodies either slung over their rotting shoulders, or more often simply dragged behind them as they shuffled along. "Ka'thax." Majiya called out.

"Yes, Master?" Ka'thax replied, coming up beside her. Since he had returned from the castle, the Master had been unusually kind to him, providing him with the freshest meat and even gracing him with a Shadow Crystal, healing his shattered wings and leaving them even more powerful than before. She obviously had great expectations of him, and if he wanted to keep his head, he would have to exceed them.

"I need you to coordinate these husks, and ensure none of them get lost or left behind. All the bodies must make it to the ritual site." She ordered.

Ka'thax nodded. "Right away Master." And with two beats from his powerful wings, he was off. Majiya cast a glance skyward as Ka'thax left before continuing onward.

"I don't like this Claw." Moonstalker whispered, "There's something very wrong here."

Darkclaw surveyed the city of Ravendark. It had obviously seen better days, and Darkclaw's keen eyesight could make out all manner of creatures patrolling the city streets. Part of him wanted to run away, but something, or someone, compelled him to push forward.

"We're going. There'll be enough food there to last us for months." Darkclaw ordered as he moved toward the city. Reluctantly, Moonstalker and the pack followed.

The cemetery gates were immense, a towering monument to the dead of Ravendark. But the mausoleum of Lord Batheon dwarfed even them. A towering two story structure, it was capped with a giant statue of the man, a warrior depicted in the prime of his life. It was a far better choice than a statue of the fat womanizing glutton he became. As Majiya stood at the mausoleum she noted the husks beginning to arrive. Ka'thax was above, and Majiya could see him counting the husks out, until he seemed satisfied and landed next to her.

"One hundred bodies accounted for Master." He said simply.

"Excellent." Majiya replied without looking at him, attention focused on the small pack of Wulven approaching her. She smiled as she addressed them.

"Darkclaw, you've finally found me." She called out. In response, one of the larger Wulven snarled and prepared to leap at her, but Darkclaw stopped him.

"You're the woman in my dreams. Silver-hair." He stated. His tone part curiosity, part anger.

"You can call me Majiya. And thank you for heeding my call. I desperately need your help, and am willing to provide you and your pack much in return."

Darkclaw was far closer now, and Majiya had to crane her neck to look at his bestial face. "Just what do you propose?" He asked, his voice feral and grating.

"Come with me, and I shall give you a permanent place to stay, and provide you with all the food your pack needs. This is something you've been wanting for a long time isn't it?"

Darkclaw thought for a moment then nodded gently. Behind him the large Wulven began to growl again.

"Then it is settled." Majiya said, almost too warmly. "Follow me and once this is over, I will provide you with your new home." She turned her attention to the Mausoleum doors, and then glanced at her two Minotaur bodyguards. "Open it." She ordered.

Striding forward, the two Minotaurs grabbed a handle each and pulled, their immense strength tearing the doors out of the concrete structure before tossing them aside as though they were made of paper.

"Careful." Majiya scolded. "If you damage any of the bodies one of you will take their place."

Within the now open mausoleum sat the sarcophagus of the late Lord Batheon. Pointing at it, Majiya gave the order to move it from its resting place.

More gently this time, the two Minotaurs picked up the sarcophagus and moved it to the side, revealing a staircase leading to the tunnels beneath Ravendark. Motioning her undead entourage forward, they began to descend.

Serena stared in disbelief at the scene in front of her. In the distance Ravendark, the trade hub of the west, was burning. A city thought impenetrable had fallen, and somewhere inside, a ritual of apocalyptic proportions was going to take place. "By the gods…." Was all she could manage to say.

"How are we going to get in there?" Gwen asked. "I can see a horde of undead at the entrance."

"A direct assault is out of the question." Amber stated, her tactical skills coming to the fore. "We will need to send in a small team first, to help draw the defenders away from the main entrance. Once that is done we can move in in force."

Eladwen opened her eyes, having remained silent thus far. "I can sense the tome, and Majiya. They are moving underground, towards something long buried. I can get us there using a portal, however at most I'll be only able to transport two of us at a time."

"Okay." Serena began, "You and I will go through the portal. Gwen, Lance, you stay with Amber and get everyone sorted. When we start causing a ruckus you need to be ready."

"This is it people, let's do it."

It was much, much bigger than Majiya expected. Within the great cavern they had arrived at stood an ancient monument, a temple to the dark gods of the past. They had been solidly descending for half an hour now, and it was now obvious why the temple had been built so far underground, as it was the only way to accommodate a building of its size. Standing at least five stories high at the top of the spires, the whole structure was laid out in a star shaped pattern. Lightning bolts were carved into the stonework, and the doors at the entrance were engraved with the symbol of the religion.

Leading her entourage down the stone pathway to the temple itself, Majiya cast a glance to the statues lining the edges, depicting the gods of this ancient religion, ruling over the people of the world, laying waste to unbelievers, defeating the gods of the more accepted belief structures in epic struggle. All were intricately carved in marble, and the craftsmanship was evident, even after centuries had passed since their creation. Yes, this is a suitable shrine to the rebirth of a god.

As the Minotaurs beside her opened the doors, the true majesty of the temple became apparent. It was laid out in a circular pattern, with bench seating surrounding a depressed central area with a raised platform, presumably where the chaplains of this particular religion would give off their fiery oratory, and sacrifices to the gods would be made. Around the edges of the central area were a series of pointed spires, like swords raised to the heavens. It felt as though the temple had been crafted solely for this moment.

"Get those bodies arranged around the edge of the central area!" Majiya boomed, the acoustics of the temple amplifying her voice to thunderous levels. She tossed a bag of Shadow Crystals to Ka'thax. "One in the mouth of each dead. No more, no less." She ordered. Ka'thax silently nodded and began his task.

Majiya turned to Darkclaw, "Darkclaw, please follow me, this is where I need your help." Darkclaw nodded silently and they began walking towards the central platform. As she approached she could see what she was looking for, the fabled Dimension Ripper.

A long forgotten weapon, the Dimension Ripper had a sordid and deadly history. It was a wicked blade that glowed red with eldritch power, and reality around it twisted and warped constantly as the forces contained within struggled to get out. Majiya could not wield it; the blade would reject her outright and absorb her very soul. In fact it was filled with the souls of many who thought they could control it, each giving it more power. But wielding it was not the plan.

Majiya instead opened the seals on the Levitas Mortis, and turned to the final chapter.

She waited until all the bodies were laid out and prepared before placing the tome down. She turned to Darkclaw once again. "Are you ready to help?" She asked gently, reaching up and caressing his face. Darkclaw nodded, before his eyes opened wide and he roared in agony. Majiya grinned as she twisted the ceremonial blade she had embedded in Darkclaw's flank.

"CLAW! NO!" Moonstalker shouted as Majiya stabbed Darkclaw with the blade. He began to run toward the platform, but was knocked back by one of Majiya's Minotaur guards. Growling with bestial fury, he commanded the pack to attack. Claws and teeth flashed as the pack attempted to reach their leader, however the Minotaur's hammers were too much, crushing the skulls of the Wulven one by one. Eventually as the last one left alive, Moonstalker had to flee to preserve his life. He would have his vengeance on that silver-haired witch.

Darkclaw's blood stained the base of the platform, running through thin channels carved into it, forming a star pattern of deep red. Once she was sure enough of the Wulven's blood had been spilled, Majiya savagely brought the blade up through his torso, almost splitting him in twain. Letting Darkclaw's limp form fall to the ground beside her, Majiya began to read from the tome:

Lux lucis nostri populus

Pario vestri ira

Recipero nostrum munia

Peto sanctus!

As the first verse was uttered, a hot wind began to pick up within the temple and Darkclaw's spilled blood began to bubble. The Dimension Ripper began to glow brighter.

Addo palma nobis

Attero incredibilis

Aufero suum fides

Ostendo lemma verum!

The wind grew hotter and faster. Some of the husks toppled from the forces, and even Majiya had to hold onto the platform in order to stay upright. In the corner of her vision she saw a light flicker and a portal begin to open. She smiled as she began to read the last verse. They'd made it after all.

Serena burst through the portal, with Eladwen in tow. There was a hot wind raging in the temple, and she had to crouch and hold onto one of the benches for support. Looking down, she could see that Majiya had already started the ritual. And with this wind blowing and preventing them from getting to her, they were helpless to do anything but watch.

And Majiya knew it. Her final words reverberated through the temple, given power by the dark magic she was invoking.

Existo meus Deus

Exorior Sto

pro nos Plumbum

nos ut salus!

The ground began to quake violently, and it felt as though the temple would be torn apart. All around her Serena could hear the sounds of rock crumbling and falling around them. Lightning arced from the spires surrounding the central area, connecting with the platform in the centre and blasting it apart. Within the ruins of the platform lay an enormous Shadow Crystal, larger than any Serena had seen. It was absorbing the energy from the spires, glowing a bright white as it did so. Serena was mesmerized by the display of power in front of her, so much so that she barely noticed Eladwen screaming at her to get down and forcing her to the ground.

The Shadow Crystal erupted with energy, sending a shockwave blasting outward, before firing a coherent beam of energy into the ceiling. The beam shattered the ceiling and the ground above and collided with the heavens, parting the clouds and continuing onward. Looking up, Serena could see Eladwen watching, the horror evident on her face as Majiya's laughter echoed through the theatre. Moving Eladwen's hand away, Serena peeked over the top of the bench.

Above the Shadow Crystal and embedded in the energy beam was a sword emanating an evil red glow. Around the sword lightning began to form. Shards of the platform began to swirl up into the beam as well, and something began to grow. First a hand, then an arm. A pair of legs began to form, as did the other arm. A torso, and lastly a head, all made from the ruins of the platform, all connected by living lightning. The construct roared, like a caged beast that had been freed. It held the Dimension Ripper aloft, and the bodies arrayed around the temple began to glow and convulse. Lightning shot out of their mouths, transferring their energy to the weapon.

Eladwen was standing now, holding onto the bench for support. Serena did the same, and Majiya turned to face them, a wicked grin on her face.

"Witness the birth of your new god!" She roared. "ZALADAR!"

Zaladar raised its free hand at the two humans. Lightning blasted from its fingertips, sending the both of them flying back into the wall. Screaming in agony, it was a minute before Serena could even move, let alone stand. Eladwen was up a little quicker, and she obviously had some resistance to the magical lightning; however her cloak was charred and burned, as was her flesh underneath.

"This is insane Majiya!" Eladwen called out. "Do you really think your 'God' will obey you?!"

Majiya laughed again. "I am doing His bidding! He shall rule, and I shall be at his right hand! Together we shall bring true Chaos to this realm!"

As she finished shouting, Zaladar brought the Dimension Ripper crashing down into the Shadow Crystal. Reality began to twist and warp, and Serena could feel her very essence changing and being torn down by the forces in the temple.

"Let the Chaos reign!" Majiya screamed. "LET THE MELTDOWN OF REALITY COMMENCE!"

Endgame

"Holy…." Gwen stammered as the pillar of light burst out of the ground and rose into the heavens. The sound was horrific, as though the planet itself was being torn apart at the seams. None of the people in the army could believe what they were seeing. There had been no contact from Eladwen or Serena either, so if they were going to stop this, they were just going to have to go for it without their help.

Gwen and Amber looked at each other, then at Lance. All three knew what was at stake and what must be done.

"Move out." Amber ordered.

Serena could barely move, let alone fight as the forces within the temple grew stronger. Whilst Majiya was seemingly unaffected, Serena felt she had to struggle simply to exist. The wind was burning her face and the warping reality was twisting her vision. Images would appear in front of her, ranging from the serene to the horrific.

"You cannot stop it!" Majiya boomed. "Humanity will crumble! You shall all fall before the might of the Shadow! We shall rule this plane! We…." Her rhetoric was cut short by a blast of ice hitting her square in the chest. Before Serena could realise what was going on, a hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked her back.

Collapsing on the ground, Serena watched as the portal closed. Slowly getting to her feet, she could see they were on the surface now, and some way from the pillar of light. Looking behind her, she could see Eladwen standing there, but there was something wrong with her. She looked like a predator, almost feral.

"Can you feel it?" Eladwen asked, panting slightly. "They're breaking the wall between dimensions. Power is leeching through. We can tap this power, use it to beat them."

But she was right. Now, away from the devastating forces of the temple, Serena could feel it. There was something in the air; it was almost alive with energy. She concentrated, and her wounds began to heal. Within moments she had gone from the brink of death to full of vitality. Smiling, Serena unfurled her whip. "Shall we go and get our friends?" She asked.

Eladwen grinned. "Lets."

Gravebone stared at the cataclysmic display of magic, and suddenly felt more than a little bit concerned. What was Majiya playing at? With the sort of power she was utilizing, she was going to tear this place asunder. However the sounds of an oncoming army drew his more immediate attention.

Approaching the gates was a contingent of humans. Almost all were equipped with full battle plate and well-armed. However Gravebone had the advantage of numbers, as well as his own magical abilities. He gave the word, and his horde surged forward, eager for the taste of human flesh. They lunged at the humans, hacking at them with their bare hands. The humans returned the favour with steel, and before long they were locked in a deadly struggle.

Uncaring for his own forces, Gravebone began to launch a magical assault into the swirling melee. Lightning and fire incinerated friend and foe indiscriminately, and Gravebone simply resurrected the fallen to further bolster his horde. Before long the humans were at a severe disadvantage. If Gravebone had had skin and lips, he would've smiled.

He raised his hand to deliver a final magical onslaught when a whip hit him on the side of the face, sending him sprawling and causing his final spell to dissipate. Regaining his footing, he turned to size up the new threat.

Serena dodged the Fireball aimed at her head before striking at Gravebone's ankles with the whip, connecting and knocking him off balance again. However he easily regained his footing and fired a blast of lightning, hitting Serena square in the chest.

"Ha!" He taunted. "That little Anklebreaker of yours isn't going to stop me."

Serena concentrated for a moment, healing her wounds again before focusing on her whip. She charged it with energy, wreathing it with flame. Swinging it around, she hit Gravebone square in the jaw, shattering it and separating it from his face. Bringing the whip around again, she shattered the mage's cheekbone, then his eye socket. Gravebone hit the ground unmoving, his body inert. Serena looked over the body before whipping his face one more time with the weapon, separating his head from his neck. Now she just had to help with this undead horde.

Charging her whip one more time, she swung it at the closest husk, cleanly splitting it in two. Realising they were under attack from a new foe, a number of them turned and attacked Serena. They were coming on so fast there was no way she was going to stop them all. Her whip stopped a pair of them; however the rest collided with her and prepared to tear her to shreds. While she was able to heal, she knew she would be overwhelmed soon, and her whip was useless at this range.

One of the husks reared up to slice her throat open, and Serena realised that this was the end. Ready to meet her fate, she was shocked to see the husk tear apart his comrade instead of her before exploding in a shower of gore. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Serena pulled out one of her throwing knifes and proceeded to decapitate another husk, giving her an opening to roll to her feet. Kicking the last husk back to put some distance between them, she threw the knife, leaving it embedded in his skull. The husk didn't seem too fussed, and charged toward Serena.

Serena readied another knife, but never got the chance to use it. Eladwen dropped from a rooftop, crashing down on the husk. Her hands had morphed into giant claws not unlike a Wulven's, and she proceeded to grip the husk around the throat.

"Now, you're mine." She muttered before ripping the husk's head off in a brutal display of force. Without pausing, she placed one claw on the remainder of the husk and pointed the other at the battling horde. With a single word the husk disintegrated and a brilliant light shot out of her hand. It engulfed the melee at the city gates and when it cleared, only the humans remained, the husks reduced to piles of dust. The battle over for now, Serena watched as Eladwen's hands slowly returned to normal.

As they stood up Gwen came over to them. "Wow, well done." She said simply. "But what's going on?"

"Majiya's awakened a god." Serena stated. "Yeah, it's that bad."

"And reality is tearing itself apart." Eladwen added. "But we can, for the moment, use that to our advantage. Right now, we have access to abilities normally well beyond us." She turned to Serena. "I must say, that Anklebreaker of yours made short work of Gravebone."

"More of a Facebreaker really." Serena smiled.

"So anyway, what's the plan?" Gwen interrupted. "Where's…." She was cut short by a blinding flash of light, accompanied by a screaming sound so violent she had no choice but to drop to the ground, clutching her ears. Eventually the assault was too much for her senses and everything went dark…..

Gwen groaned as she came to. Opening her eyes slowly, it took a while before everything came back into focus. Pushing herself onto her knees, Gwen surveyed her surroundings. She was where she had fallen, in fact where everyone had fallen. The human force was decimated, some were slowly coming to their feet, but many were not moving, and some, like Amber and Eladwen, were missing entirely. She hoped they'd come to before her and were safe.

A pair of monstrous legs appeared in her vision, and looking up she saw the leering face of a gargoyle, a Shadow Crystal dangling from a chain around his neck.

"Hello." He snarled. "Barruk, another one for the Master."

Gwen heard the Minotaur coming. Summoning all her strength, she grabbed the Gargoyle around the throat in an attempt to strangle him. However in her current state she was in no position to do anything and the Gargoyle fended her off easily. "Careful with this one Barruk." He said to the Minotaur now standing behind Gwen. "She's still got some fight in her."

Barruk grunted as he picked the disoriented Gwen up and slung her over his shoulder. As she was unceremoniously carried away she could see the Gargoyle wave at her mockingly before returning his attention to the rest of the fallen human army. She was regaining her strength now, the effects of the sensory attack passing. Slowly reaching to her belt, she carefully drew her dagger from its scabbard before plunging it into the back of the Minotaur's neck.

Roaring with agony, the Minotaur threw Gwen over his shoulder and sent her flying into a pile of rubble. Drawing his hammer he prepared to bludgeon Gwen for her insolence. Gwen however was too quick, drawing her bow and putting an arrow dead centre of Barruk's skull. The Minotaur dropped to the ground dead and a wave of healing energy passed over Gwen, invigorating her further.

Now free, she had another problem, she needed to find everyone else. The Gargoyle had mentioned that she was destined for the Master, obviously meaning Majiya, or this god that had been summoned.

The sound of rubble tumbling interrupted her thoughts and caused Gwen to spin around, bow at the ready. Coming out of the shadows was a solitary Wulven, one from the pack she was hunting a week ago. It raised both paws up in a gesture of surrender. "Wait!" it called out in its guttural voice. "I'm not here to fight, I just want to talk."

"Speak fast Wulven. You have 30 seconds to convince me NOT to put an arrow in your skull." Gwen snarled.

"That silver-haired witch killed my entire pack. I want her dead, as do you. So I'm proposing we pool our resources." It said, taking a few steps forward. "What is you humans say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend?"

"You think that little spiel will make me trust you?" Gwen retorted. "How do I know this isn't some Shadow ploy?"

"Look, if it'll help you trust me, my name is Moonstalker." The Wulven said. "I also know where they're taking your friends."

"The pillar of light seems an obvious choice."

"That is most likely their final destination, yes." Moonstalker replied. "However first they're being rounded up in the town square nearby. Majiya is planning to sacrifice them all to start the process of spreading the Chaos across the region."

"How do I know you're not leading me into a trap?"

Moonstalker shrugged. "You don't. But right now you need help if you're going to save your friends, and I'm all you've got."

The sting of the whip across Serena's face brought her back to consciousness. Standing over her was Majiya, a wicked grin on her face and Serena's prized weapon in her hand. A second lashing caused Serena to cry out in agony.

"Wake up." Majiya said in a mocking tone. "Time to die."

Serena groaned and tried move, but her hands and feet were bound. Looking around, she could see Lance, Amber and Eladwen in the same situation as her, as well as a few of the other remaining humans. Gwen was noticeably absent however.

"What… are you going to do?" Serena asked through clenched teeth, the sting of the whip still persisting.

Majiya knelt down and stared into Serena's eyes. "Well at the moment, the merging of Chaos to this world is limited to Ravendark. In order to for it to spread, we need more blood."

"You intend to feed us to your god?" Serena snarled.

"Not exactly. You will actually be feeding the Dimension Ripper. Rest assured your death will serve a great purpose." Majiya stood up and nodded. A pair of husks shuffled over to Serena, grabbing her under the arms and dragging her towards the pillar of light. As she was being dragged off Serena could see the husks collecting more of the captives and following. She had to do something or they were all dead.

Struggling against the husks, she managed to dislodge herself from their grip, slumping to the ground. She was able to twist her bound wrists around far enough to reach into one of her pockets before they picked her up again and carried on. Holding the throwing knife she'd taken from her pocket, Serena started cutting through the rope restraints.

Gwen followed Moonstalker through the ruins. One thing she had to say about the Wulven (who she now knew was a male), was that he was well versed in stealth, and many times they had avoided patrols that Gwen would otherwise have engaged in battle. Slowly but steadily they made their way to the town square.

Moonstalker pointed up to the top of one of the buildings that was still standing. "Up there. We can see better."

"And how are we going to do that?" Gwen asked, "There are no ladders."

"Chaos rules this city now. Tap into that power like your friends did." Moonstalker replied before pushing off with his hind legs, launching him upward. Embedding his razor sharp claws in the wooden walls, he climbed up and over the edge of the rooftop.

Looking up, Gwen frowned. Eladwen had mentioned being able to do things normally beyond reach though, so maybe Moonstalker was onto something. She concentrated as hard as she could, and as she did a flicker of light appeared in front of her. It grew into a portal, just like the ones Eladwen created. Stepping through, she arrived on the rooftop, next to the surprised Wulven.

"Well, that was better than I was expecting." He said. Gwen ignored him and instead surveyed the scene in front of her.

Ahead was the town square, with monsters of all kinds patrolling the area. In the centre of the square were at least twenty warriors, all restrained. Gwen could see Majiya there as well, moving amongst the captives, taunting them and attacking them with Serena's whip. Looking towards the pillar of light in the distance she could see a precession of husks, dragging people towards their fate. She could make out that Serena and Amber were among those being dragged away.

"She's already begun the sacrifice." Moonstalker observed. "We've got to get down there."

Gwen nodded as she began concentrating again. "Agreed. Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" Moonstalker asked, just before the portal appeared in front of him.

"Oh."

Serena had cut half way through her arm restraints when a bright light appeared in front of her. The two husks dragging her instinctively paused, unsure what to do. Their indecisiveness was swiftly ended by a pair of arrows and a very large Wulven. As the Wulven continued to assault the husks, Gwen stepped through, launching more arrows into the precession. Serena watched as the two unlikely allies worked together to decimate those husks still standing.

"Interesting friend you've got there." Serena said. "That's Moonstalker isn't it?"

"Yes. Don't remind me." Gwen replied as she finished cutting through Serena's restraints for her. The fact that she had stooped to working with a Wulven was making her feel bad enough, without being reminded of it. She felt like she was betraying her parents' memories, and hoped that stopping Majiya would be enough to earn their forgiveness.

Getting up, Serena sized up their options. "Ok, we've got Majiya on one side and an angry hungry god on the other. I figure we sort Majiya out first, free our people, then go after Zaladar."

"Agree…. INCOMING!" Gwen shouted as she leapt to the side. The massive ball of fire hit the ground and exploded outward in a blast so large it swallowed the horizon. Knocked off her feet, Gwen was smashed into a collapsed building, the infernal heat burning the skin off her bones. The pain was beyond belief. There she lay, barely able to breathe, as Majiya arrived.

"You think you can stop this?" She roared. Gwen managed to lift her head just enough to see that some of the others weren't even as lucky as her. Amber was not moving at all, and she could just barely see Serena still breathing. From what she could make out, no one else survived. "You were going to be part of something great. However you're all too much trouble. So now your deaths shall be pointless." Majiya's hands charged with fire for the killing blow.

Leaping out from the rubble under which he had sheltered, Moonstalker collided with Majiya's back, ramming her face first into the ground and causing the spell to dissipate. He grabbed her by the back of the head with his huge claws and proceeded to savagely and repeatedly beat her face against the pavement before spinning her over onto her back and slashing her throat. Standing over her as she struggled for breath, Moonstalker spat on her broken face. "Die." He snarled. "Feel the vengeance of the Wulven."

Walking over to Gwen, Moonstalker knelt down beside her and placed his right claw over her face. Gwen was expecting him to betray her, however he simply began chanting, sounding hauntingly like the old priests from her village. It became easier to breathe and the pain began to fade, as her body reknit and her vitality returned. When Moonstalker had finished, Gwen had recovered enough to stand up. "Thank you." She managed to say. "You saved my life."

Moonstalker nodded. "Now we must save theirs." He said, moving over to Serena and Amber. Gwen followed as quickly as she could. She knelt down beside Amber whilst Moonstalker did the same with Serena. Concentrating, they channelled the energy around them to bring them both back from the brink. Serena and Amber both coughed violently as their lungs grew in strength and began to expel the smoke and brimstone that they had inhaled from the blast.

Rolling to her side, Serena looked first at Moonstalker, before looking beyond him at the bloody pavement. "Where's Majiya?" She asked as she got up.

Growling, Moonstalker looked behind him at the spot where she had lain. Sure enough, Majiya was gone. Somehow, she had managed to escape. "That f…."

Moonstalker's string of expletives was interrupted as the ground shook around them, the pillar of light grew brighter and a figure of pure energy became visible. Zaladar had arrived. Stepping forward onto the ground the sheer size of the hulking elemental being suddenly became apparent, with Zaladar being easily twice as tall as any of them there. In its right hand was the Dimension Ripper, enlarged to monstrous proportions by the sheer number of souls contained within. All around it the air crackled with barely contained energy. Zaladar roared with laughter as it swung the Dimension Ripper at Moonstalker.

Narrowly avoiding the attack, Moonstalker leapt back to put some distance between himself and Zaladar. Taking on a being of pure energy was not going to be an easy task for a Wulven used to being able to physically tear apart his opponent. Likewise Amber, Serena, and Gwen were also used to physical combat, and were similarly disadvantaged. This was not a fight they were going to win.

"RUN!" Serena shouted, as the four of them moved as quickly as they could from the hulking elemental. Lightning crashed all around them as Zaladar unleashed unholy forces to strike them down. They ran as quickly as they could back to the town square, as they needed some magical firepower to have any chance, and that meant Eladwen, if she was still alive.

Thankfully Zaladar scared the Shadow troops as much as the humans, and they scattered at the sight of it, leaving their captives to their fate. Serena ran over to Eladwen, who was broken and bleeding from the beating that Majiya had administered. "Eladwen! Wake up!" Serena shouted. Zaladar was approaching rapidly, and lightning was striking all around them.

"Go! Get her out of here!" Gwen shouted. "I'll hold him off!"

"Are you crazy?!" Serena retorted. "You're signing your own death warrant!"

"JUST GO!" Gwen shouted, her voice sounding small in comparison to the thunder around them. "Get her healed! And don't forget Lance!"

Serena gave her a small salute as she and Amber evacuated Eladwen and Lance. Moonstalker however stayed with Gwen.

"You too." Gwen said to Moonstalker. "We're not friends by any stretch, but you saved my life. So go."

Moonstalker stared at Gwen for a few moments, before solemnly nodding and running into the shadows. He still had a score to settle with Majiya, and until he found her and enacted his vengeance, a lone wolf he would remain.

Gwen watched Moonstalker run before turning to the god bearing down on her. Uttering a prayer she reached into her pocket, pulling out the Shadow Crystal she stole from around the Gargoyle's neck. It felt warm in her hand as she secured it to one of her arrowheads with twine. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the crystal as she loaded the arrow into her bow. The ambient energy began to swirl around her, filling her with strength, charging the latent magic in the bow to unimaginable levels. A purple haze began to appear as the crystal at the arrow tip glowed brighter and brighter.

Zaladar roared as it raised the Dimension Ripper over his head, ready to strike Gwen down in a single blow. Gwen closed her eyes and poured everything she had into the crystal, before launching the arrow.

Time seemed to slow as the arrow sailed towards its target, raw energy trailing behind it like a comet tail. Gwen sunk to her knees completely drained, only managing to look up in time to see the arrow puncture the lightning heart of the Elemental. Zaladar roared as the crystal ruptured, spreading the chaotic energy through him, disrupting the living lightning that composed his very being. Reality warped around him as his energy began to destabilize, before bursting outward in a violent shockwave. Tossed around in the blast like a ragdoll, Gwen lost consciousness one last time…..

"Morning."

Gwen slowly opened her eyes. She was no longer in Ravendark, as far as she could tell. Serena stood over her bed with a warm smile on her face, and her arm in a sling.

"What… what happened?" Gwen stammered.

"What happened is you kicked some godly ass." Serena replied, "The explosion was so big we felt it two blocks away." She tapped on her damaged arm.

"It worked then." Gwen said coughing.

"Eladwen said you created some kind of feedback loop, forcing Zaladar's excess energy back into him. It basically overloaded him." Serena smiled. "I don't know if that's true, but it was certainly impressive."

"So what now? Is Ravendark ok?"

Serena snorted. "Well, as ok as a city subjected to raw chaos could be. But let's say reality has returned to normal there. So no more crazy powers for anyone."

She laid a hand on Gwen's shoulder before motioning to leave. "Anyway, I'd better head off. Get some rest, you've earned it. I'll be back later."

Gwen watched as Serena walked to the door of her room, pausing for a moment before leaving.

"And Gwen?"

"Yeah?"

"Your parents would be proud of you."

Epilogue

A flash of light appeared in the cavern and Majiya fell through the portal, pain shooting through her as she hit the stone floor. Thankfully due to the effects of Ravendark she was able to reap the souls of the humans that died in battle, allowing her to survive the otherwise fatal strikes of the Wulven. Still, it would be some time before she was fully recovered.

Slowly getting to her feet, Majiya looked around the cavern. Her portal had been hastily crafted, and she wasn't sure of exactly where she had ended up. However there were far worse places she could have landed in. The cavern was expansive, and holes in the ceiling allowed enough natural light in to give it a haunting beauty. It would make a good base of operations.

Sitting down on a nearby rock, Majiya began to consider her next move.

Ka'thax ran through the forest that surrounded Ravendark. There was no room to fly, and he had to get away from the human patrols around the reclaimed city, so running was his only option. Coming to a stop at a small clearing, he could no longer hear anything indicating he was being followed, so he decided to take a well-deserved rest.

Yanking the arrow out of his backside, Ka'thax grimaced and once again cursed the Huntress for stealing his Shadow Crystal. He hoped that she had perished in the explosion, along with the rest of her miserable allies.

A rustle in the bushes caused Ka'thax to spin around. He started to run again but large claws grabbed him and slammed him into a tree. Ka'thax flinched away from the face of the giant Wulven who had assaulted him. Hot breath hit Ka'thax's cheek as the Wulven snarled with unbridled fury.

"The witch!" Moonstalker shouted, smashing Ka'thax's head against the tree. "Where is she?"

Clarissa wandered through the busy market, drawing sideways glances from almost everyone she passed. She had left Ravendark shortly after Majiya had arrived, having no interest in the events that were to transpire. Her only interest was in the living, and the necromancer Gravebone had taken that away when he decided to subject the population to undeath.

Having experienced the addictive joy of having all that flesh at her beck and call, Clarissa was no longer content to simply return to the castle with the coven, so she had instead set up in the nearby city of Windspire. Some of her coven would return to Mount Kamatago, but she knew the majority felt the same as her and would seek her out. Soon she would feast with her family once more. It would be more dangerous, the risk of discovery far greater, but that made the hunt so much more…. exhilarating.

Caught up in her own thoughts, Clarissa accidentally ran into a man coming out of a cross street. Smiling innocently at him, he smiled back, casting his eyes over her body and asking her name.

Oh yes, soon she would feast.

The massive pyre burned as the humans cleared away the remains of the dead and undead that littered the streets. Teams threw the remains into the pyre, burning them to cinders and ensuring they wouldn't rise again to threaten Ravendark. In the darkness of a nearby alleyway Gravebone watched them go about their grisly work. He wasn't too upset, whilst Ravendark was in the hands of the humans again, there were plenty more cities full of "recruits".

He summoned a portal and stepped through it, gently running his bony fingers over his reformed jawbone and chuckling to himself. That rogue thought she had beaten him. She should have known you could never truly kill the undead.

And in the darkness of the temple ruins, his body slowly regenerating, Darkclaw stirred.