Hey there I know I've been gone a while but I hope this chapter makes up for it!
Inside a cave there is an alter where a black robed goblin waits, two other goblins come dragging a human with a burlap sack over his head. "Bring the sacrifice, hurry!" the two goblins place the struggling human on the cold alter. As he squirms to break free he is strapped down, the alter is nothing more than a large stone slab raised to waist level and covered in dried blood, with two braziers on either side of it to give the cave light.
"The spirits tell me our brethren haves failed in destroying those who would oppose us! I must speak with our master, give me the ceremonial dagger." a long ivory dagger is handed to the priest, he holds it high above the sacrifices stomach "we must not kill you too quick! Master loves to hear the screams of his sacrifices!" he plunges the dagger into the mans stomach. The man cries out in pain as the dagger tears into his flesh blood pooling around the blade and pouring down his sides, it does not end there as the dagger is pulled out blood following it in an upward arch. The blood was slowly being sucked into the alter as it spills everywhere, the dagger is plunged back down into the screaming man. As the man stops his squirming and screaming the priest lets the dagger rest in the now tattered stomach of the sacrifice, every drop of blood the alter absorbed starts to make it glow a bright red. The priest backs away and watches with glee at the next part, the body convulses it begins to lose color and shrivel flesh breaks off and turns to dust, the dust whips around the skeleton and lifts it up as by some unseen force .
It lifts the bones off the alter holding the upright "Why have you summoned me?" the skull looks towards the priest but the mouth does not move, its voice is everywhere, it's cold, cruel, it sounds of pain and anger. "Master our men have failed we need your wisdom the heroes head towards here following a group of survivors." the priest was cut off "I know, I should have asked how you can dare summon me after your failure!" the priest shrank back "My lord this is only a setback, we just need your guidance in what to do next." it was silent the guards and the priest waited anticipating their masters next words. "Very well, you have served me well priest for this I grant you a gift" he held his right arm out stretched open palmed towards the priest, the priest eyes began to bleed his voice was caught in his throat, large swells formed all over his body until he popped.
Blood and entrails flew in every direction, a brazier went out and the guards shielded themselves. The skeleton turns towards the two "I will wait for them here tell the remaining men to clear out and head towards Kal'dena reach" both guards salute and bow to the skeleton saying "Your will be done Master Nerull." the head off and out of the cave. The cave mouth lets off to a ledge overlooking a large camp filled with goblins, the two goblins got to work spreading the news. Gordon, Kick, Kendall and Ronaldo continued on the tail of the goblins feeling themselves catching up, they were relieved all of them had been riding for a while now. "Finally I can see it ahead!" Kendall said they all stopped short in the forest clearing just before the camp.
"We'll leave the horses here, we don't want them getting in the way of whatever we'll run into!" Kendall stated, the three nodded in agreement. Kick readied his bow, Kendall pulled out her axe and shield, Gordon bared his sword and Ronaldo held his staff, all moved forward carefully waiting for anything to attack, when... nothing. Kicked looked around and lowered his bow "Did... did we pass them up?" Kick asked "I-I don't think we did." replied Gordon "Did you guys see anyone on our way here?" Ronaldo and Kendall shook their heads in response. Ronaldo spotted a cave in the distance and said "Maybe they ran into the cave over there." all four started to walk over but stopped when they saw blood flying out of the cave and heard a bone chilling laugh. Thats when they saw Nerull, he floated a foot above the ground corpse dust whipping around him "Those weakling abandoned their post, they should have given their lives when they invaded Ranototh! Now and forever will their spirits crawl on hands and feet in the underworld!" all four looked at the floating skeleton and Ronaldo was the first to whisper "its him... Nerull." Kick looked over at Ronaldo and drew his bow faster than he ever had, a single arrow flew out and stopped right in front of Nerull.
The arrow began to splinter and then it shattered, Nerull just stood there... silent, Ronaldo shouted "THUNDER WAVE!" lightning ripped through the ground heading directly towards Nerull, he didnt move. The wave hit him dead on, lightning whipped around his bones and he still stood there not speaking, not even moving. "COME ON KENDALL!" Gordon charged in Kendall following fast behind him, both jumped into the air and bringing their weapons down onto his head, at least thats what it looked like from where Ronaldo and Kick were standing "YES! They got him!" said Kick excited "I dont think so..." solemnly Ronaldo stated. As Gordon and Kendall pushed forward into Nerull neither got any closer to actually hitting him, both were just flung off flying straight into Kick and Ronaldo! "If you four are done fooling around, I shall end this!" Nerull whipped his boney hand like a knife through the wind, Kick, Kendall, Ronaldo, Gordon, all fell to their knees, pain shooting through their bodies. The world around them goes dark, the pain is intense, each one starts to black out...
"Wake up, beloved." A soft, sweet voice said in the darkness, heavy and dizzy did our hero feel, like the world was spinning and he was pinned under a large boulder. "Oh beloved, I am so happy to see you!" said the voice "Beloved?" he said wearily "Where am I? why can't I see?" he replied "Do not worry your vision will come back shortly, those that fight Nerull usually do not live to walk away. Luckily I was there to keep an eye on you." said the voice again. Ronaldo shot straight up and started looking around "NERULL! OH GOD! KENDALL! KICK! GORDON! WHERE ARE YOU!" a hand gently pushed him back down onto a soft feathery bed "shh. Do not fret beloved you are safe, and so are your friends still at that camp safe as well... for now." Ronaldo got an eye full of who he was talking to, a teenage girl with jet black hair and red eyes who stared into his black ones with a look of pure compassion. This made him blush slightly as he noticed her hand still on his chest "Uh... y-yeah, um... w-w-why do you keep calling me beloved?" Ronaldo said while trying to not to sound completely nervous. She only looked at him with a slight puzzled expression as if the answer should have been obvious "Why, its because your the creator!" now it was Ronaldo's turn to have a puzzled look "What do you mean?" this only brought a slight giggle to her, this made Ronaldo blush again "You created this entire world, the ground, the sky, all that exist in between and beyond is crafted by your hand. I watched you as you programmed it all!" something clicked inside Ronaldo, he knew the answer but wanted to be sure "What program are you?" she smiled "I am the dungeon master!" he just shot up again, mouth wide open. Snapping back into reality Ronaldo asked another important question "What did you mean when you said that my friends were safe for now?" she had a slightly mischievious look on her face "Well if your friends come to try and take you from me I wont be responsible for what I do to them." "WHAT!" again she looked at him puzzled "What? I took you to make your life so much easier, you worked so hard creating everything you need someone to look after you." she poke his nose at the last part.
"I want to see my friends!" he said starring straight into her eyes, she was a little taken back "Of course." with a wave of her hand a image of the camp they fell in appeared, lying in the clearing was Gordon and Kendall "Where's buttowski?" he asked "The short one?" "yes!" "Well I have him somewhere else as insurance, a note is left on each of them that if they look for you then something very bad will happen to them and buttowski." Ronaldo raised his voice "WHAT DID YOU DO TO BUTTOWSKI!" the dungeon master shrunk back a bit " Calm yourself beloved he is fine! The note also states that he will be released when they exit the game." she said straightening herself back up "And what about me? When do I get out of here?" he asked, a smile went across her face.
"Never!"