The following story is based on Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. All characters, that were originally in the game by Silicon Knights and Nintendo are property of those companies. The characters Richard Cale and Yvette Cale are characters from my own stories. All other characters are original.

The Darkness Comes

Chapter 3: Reality Is Veiled

I. Richard

Richard Cale paced nervously around the portal generator room, as he and Edwin Lindsey awaited the return of the others. After the close encounter with the Bonethief, he was nervous for the safety of the others. That nervousness was only made worse because he knew his wife was outside the safety of the underground city.

As he paced, his father-in-law tried to calm him down. "Richard, calm down. I'm sure they will be fine. Alexandra knows how to defend against these creatures." He nodded, but it still didn't relax him. He had only recently seen a bone thief of Mantorok, and the creature's abilities had surprised him.

He stopped for a moment, and then said, "I know Alexandra is able to do it, but I didn't see Yvette take a gun with her. She is better with firearms." He watched as Edwin nodded. He then looked at the portal they had gone through. "Bonethieves of Mantorok can speak, even outside a host. Who knows what other secrets they have? Plus, if that is the case, then what do Horrors and Lesser Guardians look like."

Before he could continue, a noise made them all turn to face the other portal that had appeared. He had remembered The Goddess had said another chosen one would be appearing, but he could not relax as the man came in. There was a look of fear on his face. Also, from what Richard could tell, the man was dressed in the outfit of a Catholic Bishop. Before anything could be said, he heard Edwin say, "I'll try to calm the man down. He may have been startled by your sword."

Richard nodded, and turned his attention back to the other portal. He was sure if the man had heard the news over the past few months, he would think that he was a killer. It was the surprise Mantorok had set up for when they succeeded in stopping Pious Augustus. Over the months, he had thought about the fallen centurion, and wondered if the man had been fooled in the long run.

He was brought out of those thoughts when people started to come out of the other portal. The first ones that appeared was someone who he only met in passing, as he left the teachers building at the university, and he was escorting a young lady in. He raised an eyebrow briefly as he noticed her attire. It was almost as if she had been taking a nap, or, given the appearance of what she wore, possibly 'entertaining'.

The next one through was another young lady, and from what he could judge, she had to be close to his age. She also looked like she had been dressed for a nice meal. He also noticed a look of apprehension on her face, but it disappeared as she softly said, "The news had been lying. The news had been lying."

Soon another person came through the portal, and Richard was glad to see it was the professor he had met earlier. He extended his hand and smiled. "Professor Marsh. I'm glad you were able to get here. I shudder to think what would have happened if we had not found this portal device."

He could see the man was about to speak, but held up his hand as Yvette and Alexandra came through. Both seemed out of breath, but he went to his wife's side. Before he could even ask, his wife said, "They had been pursued by a Horror, and other things. Lucinda Tepes was also nearby."

He looked over at Alexandra, and she nodded. "She was. However, I think she was pursuing Amber." He followed as Alexandra pointed at the woman who was closer to his age. Hearing that made him worry, especially if the woman had been a friend of the woman who served Mantorok.

He was about to ask her about that when Professor Marsh spoke up. "Don't blame her. From a quick glance, I could see her being pursued by Bonetheives, if your description of them was accurate." He nodded in understanding, and then motioned for his father-in-law to close the portals.

Once the portals were closed, he watched as Alexandra motioned everyone over. It was time to introduce everyone, and since there were a few more people than they expected, it was definitely needed. He stood next to his wife, placing his arm around her waist. He remained silent as Professor Marsh, who understood that this was an introduction session, motioned those he arrived with over, and his father-in-law brought the Bishop over.

Once they were all in a group, Alexandra started. "I'm sure some of you have a lot of questions, but you were guided here for a reason. Since you might not know who we are, allow me to introduce you all. First off, my name is Alexandra Roivas. Six months ago, my grandfather was killed by otherworldly forces. I had found out the truth about what had happened, and found the man who had my grandfather killed, with the aide of my friends, Richard and Yvette Cale." He nodded when Alexandra pointed to the two of them.

At that point, his wife took up the tale. "My husband and I had discovered a message to us in one book Dr. Roivas had written, and we had come to America. By the time we had arrived, he was dead. We then came across the truth, something my husband and I had been aware of for some time, but not the whole story. As we learn about, we found out about those otherworldly forces, and how they manipulated human events to the ends. We fought to stop them, only to find out we had been manipulated as well."

Richard then took up the tale. "After that, we had to go into hiding. The force that had manipulated us made it so that people thought we killed Dr. Roivas, as well as the aliases of the man who had done it. It also framed us for other murders." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "It also started hunting down people who were a possible threat to it and its priestess." He motioned to his father-in-law and the African-Canadian man. "That included my father-in-law, Edwin Lindsay, and Michael Edwards. As time passed, we found others, and others found us."

With that, he watched the Professor he spoke with earlier step forward. "Well, my name is Percival Marsh. I am a professor of ancient religions at Howard Phillips University. Dr. Roivas had been a good friend of mine. He had warned me that something might be coming, and when he died, I started to worry. Until you had shown up, Mr. Cale, I had started to wonder. The young man and the one young lady are both students at the school. The young man's name is James Mulroy. The young lady is not one of my students, so I don't recall her name."

At that moment, the young lady spoke up. "My name is Marlene Jacobs. This Horror creature killed a .." Richard noticed her hesitation for a moment, and felt she was trying to cover something up, as if they all would not approve. "..fellow student. I only realized what it was because my great-grandfather spoke about the things. If it had not been for James and Professor Marsh, that thing would have killed me."

Then, the other lady spoke. "If it was anything like those things that were chasing me, then I'm guessing the woman I thought was a friend isn't. My name is Amber Snow. I'm a Wiccan High Priestess, and those things that were chasing me were acting on orders from Lucinda Tepes." Richard gasped when he heard that. He now knew why Lucinda didn't go after him when he was sure she spotted him, but he was unsure of the reason.

He was pulled out of that thought when the Bishop finally spoke. "I had been instructed to make my way here, within the past hour, by his Emminence. I am Bishop Phillipe from Oublie Cathedral." Richard gasped when he heard that. He should not have been surprised that the place was still around, or by the fact that someone from there had come at this time. However, he held his words as the man continued. "I fear the Pope is dead, killed by demons, but since you said a high priestess of evil was behind it. I have no doubt she is right in front of us now." With that, Richard saw this new man point right at Amber, and he was certain this was the last thing they needed.

II. Edwin

Edwin Lindsey could see what was about to happen. It had been well documented in history at how the Catholic church tried to abolish other forms of worship. He had also noticed other things in all the religions, and those outdated views were about to threaten things here. He quickly stepped between Amber and Bishop Phillipe, and held up his hands. "Now wait a moment. You can't make that conclusion. Do you think the Pope would have sent you here if he thought it wasn't safe?"

The man shook his head, and before he could say anything, Edwin continued. "Over the years, both before the incident at Angkor Wat, and after, I had found many things out. One of those things was the way the church used to destroy old religions. However, I've also discovered many similarities in all those religions. They all seem to have a devil entity, and they all have a name. The only one I ever found out about that didn't have a name for evil is Wicca. Also, if she was evil, she would not be here, nor would she have been chased by those creatures."

At that moment, he was surprised to hear the college professor speak. "Bishop, it is true. I have come across a few religions that describe certain dieties the same. They also describe them in the same way. There were a few that didn't feature them, but they were quickly destroyed. So far, of all the religions that do not feature this entity, only one still survives today. That's Wicca. However, I don't know the reason why."

Edwin was stunned when Amber spoke up. "It's because in Wicca, we don't believe in giving a name to evil. We believe that giving evil a name only makes it stronger. It ended up that was the reason Lucinda had wanted to see me. She knew that fact about Wicca, and wanted me to introduce this deity that she worships." He noticed her shudder for a moment. "It was like the name sent a chill up my spine. It was…" He could tell she was fighting for the right words, or that she knew them and didn't want to say them.

At that moment, Edwin was surprised to hear the Goddess speak. "It was as if she was putting a name to that evil force. Sadly, it is true. Mantorok is a great evil. And this is not the first world he has manipulated into a world of living death. However, this is the first world that has been able to stop him. It will not be easy, since he and his followers are already vilifying you."

This puzzled him for a moment, but his answers came when one of the others came running in with one of the radios they had to keep in touch with the outside world. The young man looked shook up, but it took him a moment to calm down, especially when he saw the outfit on Bishop Phillipe. "Everyone, you won't believe what we just heard. There is news that the Pope is dead. Listen."

They all watched as the man turned up the radio, and the announcer spoke. "Again, this breaking news. It was just announced that in Amiens, France, the Pope was found brutally murdered. His body appeared to have been stabbed several time. There is only one suspect, and that is Bishop Phillipe. The Bishop had been head of the restoration efforts at Oublie Cathedral. Of the other members of the church there, they said that the Bishop had been acting odd since the restoration started. The church had been the site of various satanic worship, which they could never fully flush out. It is believed that the Bishop had joined them, and murdered the Pope in hopes of destroying the Catholic Church." As the man spoke, Edwin heard the hiss that was the tell tale sign of a bone thief. It was obvious to all but the new arrivals that the claim was false.

The announcer then continued. "In similar news, there was a brutal murder at Howard Phillips University. One of their rising sports stars was also found brutally murdered. The police are currently investigating, and found out that two students there, Marlene Jacobs, and James Mulroy, were apparently together on the brutal murder. Various witnesses have sited that they had been plotting this for weeks. There is even reason to suspect they are in a cult with one of the professors, Percival Marsh." This news was met with gasps of disbelief. It wasn't a surprise to think a story like that would appear, but he was sure it was set up when they realized all three were gone, since the Professor didn't even know the young lady's name until now.

There was a brief pause in which he heard someone, most likely the young man named James Mulroy, say, "No one could believe that. We didn't even have any classes together. In fact, today was the first time we ever spoke to one another." Edwin could tell that even the tone reflected his anger at the situation. However, that was not the end of it.

When the announcer spoke again, it seemed to serve the worst blow. "Finally, a gruesome scene which almost lead to the murder of one of the world's most prominent businesswomen. Lucinda Tepes narrowly avoided being killed today by a mad woman." There was a brief moment of silence, and the announcer spoke again. "Reports recently came in where a crazed woman attacked and slaughtered many people in a resturant, all in an effort to kill one of the most powerful women in the world. Lucinda had been able to escape, but was clearly unnerved by the incident."

Almost instantly, they all heard the voice of Lucinda Tepes. "I had no idea the woman was that crazy. It is even more startling that it was someone I thought I knew. I had no idea she was so unstable that she would have killed those people, and threaten me. She even shouted something about me ruining this world." He looked around at the others and could tell of those whom he knew look disgusted. He could also tell that Amber was about ready to lash out.

Before anything could be said, the announcer was back on. "Luckily, Lucinda had managed to escape unharmed. There are no words to describe the slaughter of those that died. The unfortunate thing is that the suspect fled before police arrived. She is considered to be armed and dangerous. Contact the police if you see her." After that, the announcer gave a detailed description of Amber Snow, and by the sound of it, some details would have only been known by a true friend. Instantly, the new arrivals realized how bad of a spot they were in. In a matter of moments, the shock passed, and everyone wanted to know what it meant for them.

III. Percival

Everyone was silent as the news sank in. Professor Marsh realized what it meant. If they went back to the school, they would be arrested, and no matter what they said, they would be locked up, or killed. He sighed and then said, "Well, I had figured when we came here we might not be able to head back. I just didn't realize it would happen so quick."

He was not surprised when James looked at him. "You had a feeling something like this would happen." He nodded, and the student sighed. "Well, you did have the feeling. I just thought we would be able to recover some of our stuff before that would happen."

They were all comforted when Dr. Edwin Lindsey spoke. "It happened to all of us. You would not believe how fast things locked down on me after word came out on the murder I had been blamed of. That quick, everyplace I called home was under lock down. I made my way here, which was easier said than done, but thanks to a prior visit, I easily got here."

After a moment, Professor Marsh remembered something said earlier, as well as talks he had with Dr. Roivas. "Wait a moment, you said a moment ago that you were familiar with similar deities. How similar were they?"

He watched as their new friend thought about it for a moment. Then, the man spoke. "They were almost all the same, but I can say for certain which one appears to be the original. It was a temple in Angkor Wat. In its depths, I cam face to face, so to speak, with Mantorok. At that time, many of us thought that the evil being name Pious Augustus had bound Mantorok there, but we had all been wrong. It had all been part of the plan to remove his rivals."

He was almost stunned when the young lady, Marlene Jacobs, said, "You mean Ulyaoth, Xel'lotath and Chattur'gha. My great-grandfather often told me how they had infiltrated a cathedral in France. He even dismissed a guardian of one of them. Come to think of it, he said it was in Amiens."

It was at that moment that Bishop Phillipe spoke up. "That was the catherdral that I was restoring. I had heard the tales, but until now, dismissed them. Could that be possible for this Mantorok, and the other forms?"

For a brief moment, he remembered something in one of his books. However, before he could even bring it up, he heard the ethereal voice of the Goddess speak. "All of those forms are one in the same, and no matter where Mantorok is worshiped, and what name, the being is one in the same. However, unlike the other ancients, Mantorok is devious and cunning. In fact, I don't doubt that Mantorok even hid any references to any weaknesses."

After hearing those words, the item he remembered came to the front of his mind. "Wait a minute, I remember reading something in one of the legends. It's been a while, but I remember something about a relic, and it supposedly could destroy a certain deity. I just can't remember all the details." He tried to focus on the story, or where he read it, since he was certain it was important.

As he thought of where he read that, he watched as the lady known as Yvette Cale walk out of the place they were with her husband. He started to wonder where they would go, and remember they had been here for six months. Down, in the underground city of Ehn'gha, a place where another civilization lived countless ages ago.

At that very moment, he remembered part of the story. It had mentioned an underground place, but he couldn't remember if the relic was hidden in one, or needed to be used in one. He looked at everyone, and said, "I think I remember where the story was, so we can try and verify the facts."

He was almost startled when Alexandra said, "Good. I know you brought some books with you. Which book, and what page?" He watched as she started rummaging through his duffel bag. He knew in the bag were at least two of his books, but neither would help.

He quickly took the bag from Alexandra and shook his head. "It's not in there. In my haste to get here, and thinking there would be a chance to head back at the time, I left the book in a hiding spot in my office." He lowered his head, and sighed. "And if they think I was leading some kind of cult, it's probably sealed for investigation." He sighed, and then smiled. "At least the hiding spot is not easily accessible. We just need to figure out how to get at it." He watched as Alexandra just nodded, and then started talking with Dr. Lindsay, and the man named Michael Edwards.

IV. Lucinda

Lucinda Tepes entered the corporate building near the college. So far, it was the only thing that was going right. She had a chance to get rid of a few threats to her master, Mantorok, but all had failed, and the back-up plans were in motion. The down side of those was that some that weren't loyal minions of Mantorok were involved. It was a shame that they couldn't get all of the police and media under his control, but Lord Mantorok had stated that would cause some people to take notice.

Now, she had to quickly deal with the concerns of some employees. Many of the people who worked for her did not realized that she was a willing servant of Mantorok, and only saw her as the image she put forth; one of a benevolent businesswoman. Since this was the image she put forth, she knew she had to appear shaken up by what had happened.

She quickly held up her hands, causing all the employees to stop in their tracks. She studied them all for a moment, before giving the statement she had been rehersing for when she got here. "Before anyone can ask, let me explain what had happened was very disturbing. I had been very lucky to survive, but it had been close. It was unnerving that and old friend had cracked, but the police are doing what they can to bring her to justice."

She looked around for a moment, and noticed one figure seemed totally quiet about it. She gave a slight nod, and noticed the figure start to head to a special elevator. She then returned her gaze to the employees. "Right now, I want to get some rest, and forget this incident. I want all my calls held, and anyone who bothers me will be fired."

She then headed toward the elevators, glad that everyone moved out of her way. She seemed confident that everyone knew their place. They all had to serve her and her master. She made note to notice those she was certain had suspicions, figuring it was soon time to change their minds on the matter.

As she walked towards the elevator she wanted, the man she nodded to earlier joined her. She knew he was loyal to her and her lord as she heard a hiss. She summoned the elevator, and then placed her arms to her side as she spoke. "I think we'll need to replace some employees soon. I'm sure you know which ones."

As the elevator arrived and they entered, the man nodded, and spoke with a slight hiss. "Yes. I shall have a few of my brethren visit them tonight." As the door closed, and she pushed the special button, the figure looked at her. " I take it your meal time plans were a disaster."

As the door closed, and the elevator descended, she nodded. She was aware at how he was staring at her, but she remained calm. "The ambush had failed, and Amber escaped. She was our best way to get Mantorok into the Wiccan beliefs." She sighed and then continued. "I had pursued her, but she followed some people into the subway. All three had been at the college earlier that day. I had sent a Horror after the girl in that group earlier, so I hope they all ended up killed. If not, the news will make sure everyone is after them."
She glanced over at the man who was with her, who only looked forward and nodded. "I know you'd prefer all threats eliminated. However, if any of them have links to the Roivas family, they will not be easy to eliminate. Even the Cale's are difficult to find. I'm still waiting to hear from one of my brethren who is posing as an officer."

She nodded, and stood still as the elevator continued its descent. She had been aware of that relationship, and it did seem odd that no word from the Bonethief was received. For a moment, she came to the conclusion that the Bonethief had failed. If it had succeeded, she was sure she would have had their heads in front of her. She then looked at the man. "Anything else I should know about?"

She was hoping there was nothing else, but the figure just said, "There is more concern about the item. It is the only thing that Lord Mantorok can be destroyed by. He's also concerned about a growing area of…." She cut him off as the elevator stopped, and the doors opened. They were finally at the temple.

She started out, and headed right over to the outfit she wore down here. She then glanced back at the man. "It can wait until after the meeting. Now, I must prepare. Lord Mantorok prefers traditional attire for meetings." She then picked the outfit up, and started to change into the traditional outfit of a High Priestess of Mantorok.

V. Robert

Robert Ossein quietly watched Lucinda prepare to speak with Mantorok. He was aware that she didn't mind changing in front of him, since he knew she thought he would not be interested in her. It was a mistake in her thinking, but he wasn't about to correct her. It was true that in his normal form, he would only view her form as a potential host, but when in the body of this male, he understood the enticement of her curves.

He then brought his mind back to the matters at hand. The ancient item came to his mind. They needed to find it before any of Lord Mantorok's foes found it. For years, the location of that item had been removed from every cultures legends. At least that is what he had believed. However, now that the other Ancients, except for one, were gone, they started hearing word that one tale had survived all this time. It was most likely shrouded by the veil by the now dead Ancients. It was also located somewhere on the school campus. It was part of why Lord Mantorok wanted Lucinda to focus on the school, so they could find this tale. However, now they had an idea, but they could not be sure if it was still in the same spot or not. His brethren on the police force had already told him that the book wasn't in the office, but he was not certain.

He was brought out of his musings when Lucinda cleared her throat. He glanced at her, and noticed she was in the proper attire. He nodded, and then followed her into the main temple. He carefully followed, remembering that while he was the elder of his kind, she currently held the rank. However, his current host allowed him to enjoy the view, since the sheer robes didn't cling to her. That was due to the fact that Lord Mantorok had linked himself to ideas of fertility.

Once they were in the underground temple, he watched as Lucinda started the summoning spell to bring Mantorok to the temple. It wasn't like she really needed to. All of his minions knew that Mantorok lurked all over the planet. It was just the illusion that mankind didn't know that part of the planet's crust was Mantorok. The only ones who knew the truth were either followers of Mantorok, or followers of the other Ancient, and the latter were usually eliminated. Of course, the recent group were managing to hold on to their lives, and since that was the case, then the item that could stop Mantorok had to be found and destroyed.

He stopped the musing when the spell ended, and the various worm like appendages of Mantorok rose out of the central pit. While they had no eyes, each turned to face Lucinda, maws open, and they heard Mantorok's unearthly voice. "You did not manage to kill them yet, but you have made them outcasts. Do you know where they are?"

He watched as Lucinda stood, and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lord. They all escaped, but I feel they have joined Roivas and the others. Even the Wiccan has made her way there. However, they are outcasts now. People will be watching for them."

He was not surprised when Mantorok did not make a sound. He knew the Ancient was deciding how this would play out. Finally, Mantorok spoke again. "It complicates our plans, as now they may have all they need to defeat me. They are only lacking the one artifact needed. However, the location of it is not in their hands. It is still in the office of the Professor."

Robert gasped at this. "My Lord, where could it be? No one has found it yet." Then it dawned on him. The only reason he could not see it was that The Goddess was hiding it. "So she has it veiled." He heard a rumbling acknowledgement come from Mantorok.

It was then Lucinda made a key statement. "I shall go get it then. I'll be able to get in there and see the book." At that moment, he saw her cringe, as the maws lunged at her, but stop. While Lucinda was a good High Priestess of Mantorok, she did try to overstep her bounds.

The maws stayed in place as Mantorok spoke. "No. It will ruin all I have planned. You will be needed to do another task. The Goddess has increased her hold on Ehn'gha, and I need you to work on a way to break the barrier. However, my servant," As those words were said, Robert felt the focus on him. "and one of my lesser guardians will wait for the one who will come for the book." At that moment, runes appeared on the ground, and soon, a huge mass with many tentacles, and maws all over its body appeared. It was a lesser guardian of Mantorok. He smiled, thinking what it might do. He even watched as some of the tentacles went to grab Lucinda, but stopped. It knew she wasn't it's prey. However, he did wonder what it would do to whomever went to get the book, and looked forward to seeing it happen.