Act β, Scene 1

It was a beautiful sight, Lumine thought.

A spiral of lights crawled up the sides of the cavern, trailing along the path of their exodus. A helix of magelights and torches illuminated the path they travelled.

And yet, as Lumine looked down, she saw there was still a long way to go. Their convoy was a ship, one in a sea of complete and total darkness. They have travelled far enough that they could no longer see the top, yet not deep enough where they could see the bottom.

Time and distance, they have lost all meaning. In the constant darkness, many have gone insane. The Abyss spared none. Men, women, children, they started seeing things in the dark, and no one could refute them.

Because even with the magelights and torches, no one knew what was ahead of them. The insane clawed at others, some threw themselves into the pit. There was no remedy, for this was not an infection of the body or mind. So they were cut down.

These thoughts swam through Lumine's mind as she continued to gaze into the pit. She once heard a saying - "If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."

She has never thought those words truer than now.

They encountered a fortress halfway into their journey.

'Halfway,' she thinks. In truth, Lumine did not know how much longer the journey was to take. They estimated that it would take anywhere from two weeks to a moon to reach the bottom, and it has been a week. So she tells herself they've made it halfway through to keep sane.

In any case, they encountered a fortress. It was easy to spot, in the entire featureless cavern, the great castle stood out like a sore thumb.

It blocked the entirety of their path, and seemed to be carved from the same bedrock the staircase was as well. Which meant that the fortress was just as old as the pit they were in.

It stood proudly, eerie blue flames illuminated it's bedrock walls. Glowing banners flew in non-existent wind, a Sun and Moon of the Eclipse Dynasty, and another unknown banner. It depicted a greatsword impaling a sable hill, like a sword in a stone.

Despite the Eclipse banner, neither Dainsleif nor Torsten recognised the second banner, nor did they know of the fortress.

With the convoy a safe distance behind them, the three of them approached with two score knights.

The portcullis creaked and shuddered as it was raised. Clearly, the inhabitants didn't open the gates much, or at least, not the gates on this side. There was a clang, as the grille hit the top, and from the inky blackness within emerged a single figure.

Featureless armor adorned them, made of black steel. A full helm covered their head, it was shaped strangely, with a top that tapered into a point. A similarly black mantle was draped over them, tattered and frayed. In their right hand, a massive greatsword, its blade silver but rusted with sable blood. It was pointed at the ground.

But it was tall, taller than even Dainsleif by a head. Compared to her, they were a giant.

The creature stopped a few paces in front of them, and spoke. It's voice was rasping yet guttural, in a language so strange and broken even she yet struggled to comprehend it, much less figure their gender. A look, and it was clear no one in her party knew what the creature was saying.

She stepped forwards.

"Please pardon us, could you repeat that?"

She tried to copy its language, but it was difficult. She hoped what she said was comprehensible.

"Halt thereee… For nothing lies beyond, but daemons and ghostsss…"

She translated the words to her companions.

"Who do you serve?"

"The Crown of Sun and Moonnn… By the powers granted to usss… We stand here, and do not benddd…"

She reported back, and Dainsleif spoke, rubbing his chin.

"Crown of Sun and Moon, that refers to the Eclipse Dynasty. But I do recall any military force down here. Ask them which king appointed them here."

Lumine returned to the creature, and asked them for their lord.

"Horfaaa… Third of his name…"

When she told her companions as such, Dainsleif took a step back in surprise.

"Horfa III? That's… two millennia ago. They have been guarding here for two thousand years?"

As the man muttered to himself, Lumine noticed little Torsten looking up at them with wide eyes. It is clear he wants to say something, but doesn't know whether he should.

"You want to say something, Torsten?"

The boy flinched, before quickly looking down.

"Umm." He poked his fingers, "I know who they are…"

Dainsleif's eyes snapped onto the boy at lightning speeds, Torsten violently flinched. Lumine kicked the knight in the shin.

"Well," She bent down to meet the boy's eyes, "who are they?"

"The Abyss Watchers."

Act β, Scene 2

Lumine went to talk with the creature again.

"The Crown of Sun and Moon has fallen, the gods have laid waste to our lands. We now flee, with the last of the Eclipse."

The creature violently jerked, twisting in unnatural manners.

"There is nothing beyondddd… But daemons and ghostsss…"

"We have no choice but to go beyond."

The creature made a hissing sound, but with its face covered by its helm, Lumine wasn't sure of the nature of the sound.

"We stand here, bound by blooddd… Undone, by blooddd…"

Lumine turned on her heel, and returned with Torsten. The boy gripped onto her hand so hard his knuckles were white.

"He is of the blood that bound you." She gestured to the boy.

The armoured creature dropped its sword, and pulled out a crooked, jagged knife from its belt. It was clear what it wanted. Torsten realised too, because he hid behind her, pretty much hugging her back.

Lumine made a decision, and grabbed the boy's hands. She pulled him around her, and pushed him forwards. Torsten shot her a look of utter betrayal, she couldn't meet his eyes. The creature strode forwards and grabbed the boy, and cut open his forearm in one swift motion.

She watched, transfixed, as Torsten's blood cleaned the creature's knife. As it ran down the blade, it swept away all the rust and blood, revealing beautiful shimmering silver underneath.

Torsten ripped himself free, and ran back to her, grabbing his forearm all the while. Lumine hastily pulled out a piece of cloth and bandaged the wound.

As she turned back to the creature, she saw it looking at its knife, seemingly in disbelief. Then, it dropped it, the knife clattering to the ground.

Slowly, it grabbed its full helm with both hands, and lifted it off its head.

It, no, she looked up at them. Her face was once beautiful, Lumine thought. Silver hair graced the woman's head, once lustrous, now stringy and limp. Her face, once smooth and clear, now ragged, scarred, and decayed. Her eyes, wild and narrow. Her teeth, yellow and rotting.

The woman fell to one knee, head lowered, and spoke.

"We greet the Lord of Sun and Moonnn… And serve…"