Author's Note: It's occurred to me that, in the multiple choice blocks concerning action (not conversation), like the one in this chapter, number one is always the best choice. Since it's the one I write first, I always put the best stuff in it (or not, depending on your opinion), and it's usually more detailed. That said, the block twos stand up pretty well on their own, and there's always some extra details and thoughts that aren't in the first.
Another thing - I've looked through other novelisations and read their chapters that deal with going into the Kvatch Gate, to see what other authors have done. Most aren't very detailed, but of course I had to do the opposite and include every little thing. My completeness instinct always wins out over the others. And I hope you're satisfied with my descriptions - I took a lot of screenshots getting them right.
Other than that, as always, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Into Oblivion
The Plane of Oblivion, Last Seed 29 3E433
The first thing he noticed was the despair. It was everywhere, an all-encompassing emotion that was searing into his brain. It was all he could do not to throw down his sword and run back through the portal. The utter hopelessness of everything he was trying to do was being brought forward from somewhere dark in his mind.
What the hell IS this?
Templar grunted with the effort of thinking clearly. It must be some kind of goddamn magic to make you turn back-
He struggled with the feeling, trying not to let himself turn around and step back through the portal that was close, oh so close behind him, that would lend him relief from the cares of the world-
The new Templar, the one that was barely two days old took a stand and pushed the hopelessness to the back of his mind.
Well, that was a nice introduction, wasn't it?
Then came the fear. It swirled around him, making his legs tremble, cold sweat running down his back. Templar clutched at the nearest stone.
But eventually that, too, went away and Templar stood up.
That's right. Damn straight. You can't make me go away with your bloody demon magic. Although, he conceded, you've done a pretty good job trying.
He turned.
And so this is the famed Realm of Oblivion.
Just a little freaky, you know. Red sky and spikes and all that.
Woah.
It must be said that the Realm of Oblivion was not a pleasant place. Aside from unpleasant emotions, it was hot, demon-infested and downright evil.
Spiky towers leaned over at crazy angles in the distance, connected by spindly bridges. A sea of bubbling hot lava stretched out as far as the eye could see. The ground was parched and cracked, with little red lava-lines winding their way around on the dirt. The only living things in sight were brown, scraggly shrubs that poked up through the cracks, and two scamp daedra that were patrolling a gate in the distance. Better not disturb them, Templar though silently.
In front of him was a wide stone pathway that led out over the lava. Giant pillars of stone, inscribed with daedric runes, were lined along each side, while enormous, wickedly-hooked spikes curved their way upwards around it. The end was blocked by a mighty stone gate, which was sealed shut. To his left and right, oddly-angled stone slabs reared up into the sky, leading nowhere but to a drop into the lava sea. They were bordered with large barbed columns that pierced the air. Templar could see a small island in the distance, almost engulfed in red-hot flames. In front of him, stakes were driven into the ground, each mounted with a gruesome human head. A burnt and blackened body lay sprawled on the earth. The only conceivable route was what seemed to be a long, boulder-strewn path that wound its way into the distance to the northwest, at one point almost sinking into the lava. Strangely-formed pillars of stone jutted from the path here and there, and tilted square arches occasionally rose from the molten rock around it. The path itself seemed to follow the curve of the island shore.
Templar had to stop and take it all in. It was too great a change to absorb in one go. Apart from the malevolence, the place had some sort of perverted majesty to it, something he couldn't explain. It was like seeing a great architectural wonder, only to find that it was a house of torture. He felt somehow privileged to be able to see Oblivion in all of its glory (or not), one of the few human eyes to have ever looked down upon the world. It still had a kind of harsh beauty about it, even though he knew what it really was.
Templar realised that this was a very dangerous place. With insidious little fingers it messed with your mind, changing the way you thought, the way you spoke, the way you felt…
Behind him, the Oblivion Gate still pulsed and rippled, and past it was what seemed to be an endless sea of molten rock. Two huge slabs of stone had fallen beside the gate, presumably from an old pillar or arch that had collapsed long ago.
Why is it always fire? Fire is quite nice, when you think about it. You know, sitting in front of the hearth in winter, huddled around the warmth. Toasting marshmallows. Watching the dance of the flames.
Then he remembered the burning village.
But occasionally, it gets into the wrong hands.
Out of the corner of his eye, Templar saw movement. He turned, and saw a man running towards him. An actual human. He was wearing what seemed to be a Kvatch Guard cuirass, and was charging at a pair of small goblin-like demons, similar to the ones that had attacked them outside the Gate.
Well, Matius, it seems I've found one of your lost guardsmen.
As he watched, the man swung his sword at one scampy sort of demon, which flew backwards into the lava from the force. The second one tried to run and flee, but was run down by the guard and took a blow to the neck. His fighting style was ruthlessly efficient, and it made Templar realise how much he still had to learn.
Templar picked his way down the hillside and walked over to the guard, who shouted in surprise and relief.
"Thank the Nine! I never though I'd see another friendly face."
"Me too," Templar replied. "It doesn't seem anything good could live in this place."
"Yes," the guard answered fervently. "Anyway, Ilend Vonius at your service."
"Are you one of the Kvatch guards?"
"Yes. I am. The others… taken. They were taken to the tower," Vonius finished breathlessly.
"What happened?"
"Captain Matius sent us in to try and close the gate. We were ambushed, trapped and picked off. I managed to escape, but the others are strewn across that bridge." He gestured at the bridge to their right, the one sealed off by the gate. "They took Menien off to the big tower. You've got to save him!"
Vonius looked around. He gazed longingly up at the Oblivion Gate. "I've got to get out of here!"
If you say, "You have to help me close the gate," go to block one.
If you say, "You have to help Captain Matius defend the barricade, go to block two.
Note: There is no main story section after block one or two. Once you've read the block, that's it.
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1
Templar felt a sudden surge in the background fear of the area. He suppressed it viciously and grabbed hold of Vonius' arm. "Hold it. Stand your ground. Captain Matius said we had to close to Gate if we could. And rescue the others"
"You're right. You're right," Vonius replied, a haggard look in his eyes. "I can't just leave poor Menien to his fate. If he's still alive, we've got to try and save him."
"Good. Two's better than one," Templar said, with enthusiasm he didn't feel.
"Alright. Lead the way. Let's find Menien and get out of here."
Templar turned, and stopped. "And what is that?" He asked disgustedly.
It was what appeared to be three slimy tendrils rooted in the ground. Each one ended with a wicked spike about a foot long.
"Don't ask me," Vonius replied. "I only work here."
Templar took a step closer. As he watched, one tendril curved upright and quievered slightly. Then it lashed out at him, almost too quickly for the eye to see. He felt the air swish as the tentacle sliced past.
"You only work here. Great."
They began walking down the path together, a small spark of hope in a bleak and deadly world.
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Kill. Kill!
He stabbed the sword deep into the creature's body again and again. It struggled briefly, and then lay still. Five ragged holes pierced its chest.
Templar blinked, came back to his senses.
"What the hell did I do that for?"
He stared down at his handiwork. It was as if something alien had possessed him, some kind of insatiable rage…
It appeared that there was more to Oblivion than a fiery sky. It brought out the worst in people, the gloom, the anger, the fear…
"We'd better continue. We're almost there." Vonius frowned at him, and started picking his way along the path, taking care not to trip on one of the many casually-strewn rocks.
Templar shook his head and jogged after him, wiping the sweat from his eyes.
Kill. Kill…
They were about half-way down the path that Templar had seen from the Oblivion Gate. On one side was a rounded cliff-face that towered above them. At the top of the cliff there perched a squarish, fortified tower, with smoke billowing beside it. On the other side was nothing but the endless lava sea, with a towering stilted arch around twenty metres from the shore, some enormous, broken slabs of stone, and a sagging wall that zigzagged off into the distance. Some pillars had fallen across the path, and spiky-leafed bushes were dotted along the lava's edge. They passed another huge gate; this one was also closed, and strangely suspended two metres off the ground. It was mounted on a thick slab of rock that appeared to have fused into the cliff. More of the tentacle-plants were draped over the top in an untidy, tangled mass.
In the distance was another stilted arch, this one spanning the path itself. If he squinted, Templar could see something hanging from the top, suspended on a long, thin rope. As they got closer, he realised it was a human corpse.
"Oh, no," Templar murmured.
The corpse was burnt black, with oozing gashes cut along one side. It swung gently in the soft breeze.
"What did anyone do to deserve that?"
As he watched, the corpse raised an arm feebly.
It was still alive.
"What the hell-"
Vonius jumped, and looked away. "Come on. Let's get out of here. We can't do anything to help."
Templar shivered violently, and it definitely wasn't because of the temperature.
The path slowly curved around 90 degrees clockwise and began sloping upwards, still following the bottom of the cliff. There was now a soft red glow rising from the lava, and embers dreamily floated through the air. A few more shrubs and reeds were sprouting from the dry earth, and a bulging, sickly-yellow sac was hanging from a rocky overhang with three rigid "legs". More barbed pillars lined the path in the distance, and Templar could see yellow lines streaking across the sky down near the horizon. A scamp was patrolling the path in the far distance.
As they walked, Templar saw a twenty-metre long smooth slab of stone that bridged a gap in the path. As Vonius stepped onto it, Templar heard a rumble.
"Wait." Templar held out a hand.
The rumbling grew louder. The ground began to shake.
Suddenly, a ten-ton boulder launched itself over the cliff above them and slammed down onto the stone slab, where Vonius had been standing a few seconds beforehand. It bounced jarringly and rolled off into the lava, which hissed and steamed with the impact.
The scamp on the path turned around, searching for the source of the disturbance. Briefly, it locked eyes with Templar, and began running towards them.
"Okay. Across the bridge," Vonius said slowly. "Carefully across the bridge," he added.
They stepped out onto the stone. More rumbling. They turned their eyes skyward.
Another boulder sailed through the air and smashed into the stone about half-way across the bridge. It cracked ominously.
"We should probably move faster. The bridge won't take much more of that."
They edged forward. The scamp had reached the other end of the bridge and was cautiously stepping onto it.
More rumbling. Before Vonius could look up, he noticed that they were standing in what appeared to be a rapidly-growing circular shadow.
"Get out of the WAY!" he roared.
He grabbed Templar's arm and yanked him sideways. Another boulder crashed into the rock, spraying shards of stone everywhere.
A crack appeared in the bridge. It lazily zig-zagged across the stone, before reaching the edge. A little shower of dust sprinkled into the lava below.
Slowly, irresistibly, the mighty slab began to separate with an almighty CRAAAACKKK!
Vonius cringed. "My friend, I think we should start running."
"Agreed," Templar replied.
They began running across the bridge. Behind them, a section of the bridge slowly toppled…
…and splashed into the lava, spraying them with molten rock. It slowly sank beneath the surface. Templar winced as molten rock sizzled on his armour.
Templar suddenly heard a scream and looked forwards, to see the scamp charging towards them. It leapt through the air-
-and was thrown out over the lava by a plummeting boulder, which flew into the sea. The demon shrieked as it was engulfed by the searing hot magma.
Yes. Suffer…
What am I thinking? That's not right. I'm normally a nice person.
Then Vonius skidded to a stop as the section in front of them abruptly calved into the lava.
"Jump!" Templar shouted.
Vonius faced him, a fearful look in his eyes. "We won't make it! We'll fall!"
"Ignore the fear! Ignore this whole goddamn world! Just JUMP!"
Voinus shielded his eyes as another boulder splashed into the gap before him.
He jumped.
His arms flailed wildly as he sailed through the air – and hit the other side, rolling clumsily to his feet.
Fine. Now, it's all well and good to tell someone else to jump, but now you have to tell yourself.
Then, threateningly, he felt his own section of bridge tilt sideways.
He scrabbled for a handhold and bent his knees.
"J'YAAARGH!" Templar launched himself into the air.
He landed on his side, kicking up a cloud of dust, only to see the last bit of bridge slowly sink into the burning sea.
"Looks like we won't be going back that way again," Vonius said.
"Yeah," Templar replied tiredly.
He got up, dusted himself off.
"You ready?" Vonius asked.
"Yep. Ready for just about anything, after that."
They continued down the path.
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Curved spikes menacingly arched over the path above their heads. The path turned clockwise again, passing a small hollow filled with daedric flora. There were some new, bulbous-headed plants that appeared to secrete a cloud of poisonous gas when approached. There was a slightly hairy moment in a narrow gorge filled with more of the spiky-tentacled plants, but otherwise their way was unhindered. Templar and Vonius pushed their way through a small thicket of brown shrubs and emerged into a large, circular area.
Flames poured from pools of lava dotted here and there in depressions in the earth. Little groves of poison-spewing plants were strewn about in generally inconvenient places. A group of three scamps were patrolling the area. And in the centre of it all, mounted on a steep mound of dirt, was a large, squat tower that loomed ominously above them. Spikes curved outwards from its sides, and the high stone walls were forbidding and uninviting. Two more towers could be seen over the next rise, one even larger. They were all connected by ramshackle bridges that seemed, impossibly, to have no supports whatsoever.
"Is that the keep?" Templar asked in an awed voice.
"No. That's one of the adjoining towers. The keep is the big one in the middle." Vonius pointed over another wall.
"Damn. I though we could've been out of here by Christmas."
The three scamps were swiftly dealt with, and they picked their way across the uneven ground. There were two routes – one to the right, and one past the tower in front of them. Vonius gestured towards the path behind the tower.
The narrow opening into the next area was bridged by a huge arch. They skirted the tower and passed under the arch with wary eyes, hands on their swords. Vonius almost tripped over what appeared to be the ribcage of some gigantic beast.
Templar walked over to where there was a curious, round thing fastened to the ground by hooked legs. As he approached, it began to make a whirring sound.
Templar stepped back.
It launched itself into the air, hovered for a second, and exploded. Burning shrapnel whizzed past his face.
He resolved that he would stay away from those in the future.
"There. It's the door to the keep," Vonius told him softly.
Templar quickly fireballed another scamp before it noticed them, and was somewhat alarmed when it didn't die. Makes sense, being resistant to fire when you live in a place like this. He annoyedly fireballed it another three times until it keeled over - if not dead then at least unconscious - and looked to where Vonius was pointing.
There was the base of the largest tower, and there was the entrance – two arched stone doors set flush in the tower walls, inscribed with some glowing daedric runes. And, creepily, there were also words in Cyrodillic, engraved on a stone beside them. They were recognisable, even though it was written in a demonic kind of scrawl: "Sigil Keep."
Some more heads were mounted on sticks beside the opening, just in case
anyone hadn't got the message yet.
"So there is the answer to all our worries. The Sigil Keep."
"Great, huh?" Vonius replied. "I never though we'd make it this far. It's been surprisingly free of resistance. Compared to the first time we tried, anyway."
Templar thought quickly, and made a decision.
"Ilend. Sorry. I thank you for your help, but you have to go back."
"What?"
"You have to go back and help Matius and the others hold the barricade."
"What?! I can't just leave you here. Anyway, the bridge is gone." Vonius stared at him.
"You can find another way. There was another path beside the first tower. It leads back in the direction of the gate." At least, I hope it does, Templar thought to himself.
"Why? I've helped you this far. We've gone through it together. Why now?"
"You don't understand!" Templar replied furiously.
"No, you don't understand!" Vonius answered. "Why-"
"Matius needs you more than I do. Now GO!"
"No, I have to-"
Templar sighed. "Ilend, you've been a great help. But I have to do this alone."
"Why?"
"Ilend, I –" Templar paused. His shoulders slumped. "I just do. Let's leave it at that."
"Fine. Don't ask me to go to your funeral."
He stalked off back down the path.
You don't understand. I can't have another life in my hands.
And I have to redeem myself. Maybe, if I do this, the ghosts will go away. At least I would've done some good in my life.
Templar looked up at the tower, taking in the high stone walls, the hooked spikes, the crenellated battlements at the top. He felt depressingly small.
He pressed on the doors. They opened at his touch, sliding silently aside.
Templar Estantesec entered the Sigil Keep – alone.
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2
Templar felt a sudden surge in the background fear of the area. He suppressed it viciously and grabbed hold of Vonius' arm. "Hold it. You have to help Captain Matius hold the barricade. They'll be overwhelmed any minute. I'll close the Gate if I can."
"You're right. You're right," Vonius replied, a haggard look in his eyes. "I should go back and help"
"Good." Templar said. He couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Yes. Good luck. You'll need it." Vonius began making his way towards the Oblivion Gate.
Templar turned, and called out. "What is that?" He asked disgustedly.
It was what appeared to be three slimy tendrils rooted in the ground. Each one ended with a wicked spike about a foot long.
"Don't ask me," Vonius replied. "I only work here." He kept walking.
Templar took a step closer. As he watched, one tendril curved upright and quivered slightly. Then it lashed out at him, almost too quickly for the eye to see. He felt the air swish as the tentacle sliced past.
"You only work here. Great."
He began walking down the path, a small spark of hope in a bleak and deadly world.
----------
Kill. Kill!
He stabbed the sword deep into the creature's body again and again. It struggled briefly, and then lay still. Five ragged holes pierced its chest.
Templar blinked, came back to his senses.
"What the hell did I do that for?"
He stared down at his handiwork. It was as if something alien had possessed him, some kind of insatiable rage…
It appeared that there was more to Oblivion than a fiery sky. It brought out the worst in people, the gloom, the anger, the fear…
I'd better continue. I'm getting close. Templar shook his head and wiped the sweat from his eyes. He resumed picking his way along the path, taking care not to trip on one of the many casually-strewn rocks.
Kill. Kill…
He was about half-way down the path that he had seen from the Oblivion Gate. On one side was a rounded cliff-face that towered above them. At the top of the cliff there perched a squarish, fortified tower, with smoke billowing beside it. On the other side was nothing but the endless lava sea, with a towering stilted arch around twenty metres from the shore, some enormous, broken slabs of stone, and a sagging wall that zigzagged off into the distance. Some pillars had fallen across the path, and spiky-leafed bushes were dotted along the lava's edge. He passed another huge gate; this one was also closed, and strangely suspended two metres off the ground. It was mounted on a thick slab of rock that appeared to have fused into the cliff. More of the tentacle-plants were draped over the top in an untidy, tangled mass.
In the distance was another stilted arch, this one spanning the path itself. If he squinted, Templar could see something hanging from the top, suspended on a long, thin rope. As they got closer, he realised it was a human corpse.
"Oh, no," Templar murmured.
The corpse was burnt black, with oozing gashes cut along one side. It swung gently in the soft breeze.
"What did anyone do to deserve that?"
As he watched, the corpse raised an arm feebly.
It was still alive.
"What the hell-"
Templar looked away and felt his stomach lurch. I'd better get out of here. There's nothing I can do to help.
Except this…
He notched an arrow to his bow and let it fly at the body's neck. The first shot missed, but the second hit home. A brief trickle of black blood dripped from the wound. The body writhed in the air for a few seconds, and then lay still.
Rest in peace, my brother.
Templar shivered violently, and it definitely wasn't because of the temperature.
The path slowly curved around 90 degrees clockwise and began sloping upwards, still following the bottom of the cliff. There was now a soft red glow rising from the lava, and embers dreamily floated through the air. A few more shrubs and reeds were sprouting from the dry earth, and a bulging, sickly-yellow sac was hanging from a rocky overhang with three rigid "legs". More barbed pillars lined the path in the distance, and Templar could see yellow lines streaking across the sky down near the horizon. A scamp was patrolling the path in the far distance.
As he walked, Templar saw a twenty-metre long smooth slab of stone that bridged a gap in the path. As he stepped onto it, he heard a rumble.
Wait. He stepped back.
The rumbling grew louder. The ground began to shake.
Suddenly, a ten-ton boulder launched itself over the cliff above them and slammed down onto the stone slab, where Templar had been standing a few seconds beforehand. It bounced jarringly and rolled off into the lava, which hissed and steamed with the impact.
The scamp on the path turned around, searching for the source of the disturbance. Briefly, its gaze locked with Templar's, and it began running towards him.
"Okay. Across the bridge," Templar said slowly. "Carefully across the bridge."
He stepped out onto the stone. More rumbling. He turned his eyes skyward.
Another boulder sailed through the air and smashed into the stone about half-way across the bridge. It cracked ominously.
I might just want to move a little bit faster…
They cautiously edged forward, the scamp at one end and Templar at the other.
More rumbling. Before Templar could look up, he noticed that he was standing in what appeared to be a rapidly-growing circular shadow.
Uh-oh…
Templar dived forwards, sliding across the bridge just in time to avoid another boulder that crashed into the rock, spraying shards of stone.
A crack appeared in the bridge. It lazily zig-zagged across the stone, before reaching the edge. A little shower of dust sprinkled into the lava below.
Slowly, irresistibly, the mighty slab began to separate with an almighty CRAAAACKKK!
If there ever was the time to run, this is it.
He began sprinting across the bridge. Behind him, a section of the bridge slowly toppled…
…and splashed into the lava, spraying him with molten rock. It slowly sank beneath the surface. Tempalr winced as molten rock sizzled on his armour.
Templar suddenly heard a scream and looked forwards, to see the scamp charging towards him. It leapt through the air-
-and was thrown out over the lava by a plummeting boulder, which flew into the sea. The demon shrieked as it was engulfed by the searing hot magma.
Yes. Suffer…
What am I thinking? That's not right. I'm normally a nice person.
Then Templar skidded to a stop as the section in front of him abruptly calved into the lava. He looked at the ever-widening gap, between him a dry land, with fearful eyes.
I won't make it. I'll fall…
Ignore the fear! Ignore this whole goddamn world! Just JUMP!
It's all well and good to tell somebody else to jump, but now you have to tell yourself.
Templar shielded his eyes as another boulder splashed into the gap before him. Threateningly, he felt his own section of bridge tilt sideways.
"BOOYAH!"
He jumped.
His arms flailed wildly as he sailed through the air – and just managed grabbed onto the precipice, scrabbling for a handhold.
He stared at the bubbling sea below him, and began to pull himself up with renewed determination.
"aaaArrRGhGhGHGGHgh!"
His chest edged up onto the path. Then his stomach. Then a leg. Then another leg.
He lay there, panting, only to see the last bit of bridge slowly sink into the burning ocean.
Looks like I won't be going back that way again.
He got up, dusted himself off.
I'm ready for just about anything after that.
Templar continued down the path, a small, slightly more exhausted spark of hope in a bleak, deadly and now avalanche-prone world.
----------
Curved spikes menacingly arched over the path above his head. The path turned clockwise again, passing a small hollow filled with daedric flora. There were some new, bulbous-headed plants that appeared to secrete a cloud of poisonous gas when approached. There was a slightly hairy moment in a narrow gorge filled with more of the spiky-tentacled plants, but otherwise Templar's way was unhindered. He pushed through a small thicket of brown shrubs and emerged into a large, circular area.
Flames poured from pools of lava dotted here and there in depressions in the earth. Little groves of poison-spewing plants were strewn about in generally inconvenient places. A group of three scamps were patrolling the area. And in the centre of it all, mounted on a steep mound of dirt, was a large, squat tower that loomed ominously above them. Spikes curved outwards from its sides, and the high stone walls were forbidding and uninviting. Two more towers could be seen over the next rise, one even larger. They were all connected by ramshackle bridges that seemed, impossibly, to have no supports whatsoever.
Damn. I though this would be easy. Kill the bad guys, get the girl, save the world. But now I have to get into this great big TOWER.
The three scamps were swiftly and stealthily dealt with – a man made remarkably little noise when firing a bow and arrow - and he picked his way across the uneven ground. There were two routes – one to the right, and one past the tower in front of them. Well, I guess it's the one past the tower. That's where the base of the BIGGER tower is, anyway. As isn't it true that the evil mastermind always likes to have the really big evil lair?
The narrow opening into the next area was bridged by a huge arch. He skirted the tower and passed under the arch with wary eyes, hand on his sword. Templar almost tripped over what appeared to be the ribcage of some gigantic beast.
He walked over to where there was a curious, round thing fastened to the ground by hooked legs. As he approached, it began to make a whirring sound.
Templar stepped back.
It launched itself into the air, hovered for a second, and exploded. Burning shrapnel whizzed past his face.
He resolved that he would stay away from those in the future.
There. The door to the central keep.
Templar quickly fireballed another scamp before it noticed them, and was somewhat alarmed when it didn't die. Makes sense, being resistant to fire when you live in a place like this. He annoyedly fireballed it another three times until it keeled over - if not dead then at least unconscious.
There was the base of the largest tower, and there was the entrance – two arched stone doors set flush in the tower walls, inscribed with some glowing daedric runes. And, creepily, there were also words in Cyrodillic, engraved on a stone beside them. They were recognisable, even though it was written in a demonic kind of scrawl: "Sigil Keep."
Some more heads were mounted on sticks beside the opening, just in case anyone hadn't got the message yet.
"So there is the answer to all our worries. The Sigil Keep," Templar said to himself.
To tell the truth, I never though I'd make it this far. It's been surprisingly free of resistance.
Hrmph. Maybe they're saving the best till last.
He looked up at the tower, taking in the high stone walls, the hooked spikes, the crenellated battlements at the top. He felt depressingly small.
Maybe I should have asked for the guard's help. Too late now.
Then again, maybe it's for the best. I won't have another life in my hands.
And I have to redeem myself. Maybe, if I do this alone, the ghosts will go away. At least I would've done some good in my life.
He pressed on the doors. They opened at his touch, sliding silently aside.
Templar Estantesec entered the Sigil Keep – alone.
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