Chapter 5

A man rushed through a wide river. He was short, and thin. He was also very young. Probably close to twenty. As he made his way through the marshy area, the storm surrounding him got worse. It seemed to get worse with every step forward he took.

He had just gotten past the Parthian Mountain Pass, and was making his way toward Parthos. He had heard great tales of megaliths so big that no one could see the top of any of them. He wanted to see if that rumor was true.

His way was very slow going, and he nearly fell many times. He gave a great sigh of relief when he could finally see the faint lights of the village. From what he had heard, Parthos was merely an inn, a tavern, and a few houses. Not much there. But then again, he thought, there isn't much in this part of the land anyway.

He had heard that Parthos was once a great port town, but these monuments to an unknown power had torn it apart. All he wanted to do was to see them.

Against his better judgment, he had decided to continue traveling well into the night. It was very likely near midnight now, and he had to make it to the tavern. He wasn't even sure anyone would be there.

Upon his arrival, he found the tavern and inn. The village was very small. It looked as if this particular part of town had been a mining town at one point in time; there were large mine carts and rails lining the streets.

He made his way up to the tavern, and entered. Inside, it was barely lit. A few tables had a few patrons at them. The man walked up to the keeper, and asked who was knowledgeable about the area. He wasn't sure, but suggested that he ask the three people playing cards in the corner table.

The man walked in that general direction.

"Hello."

"Hello," replied a short fat man in the corner.

"What could we do for you? Say, you don't look familiar. You're not from around here, are you, Rookie?"

"No, I am not. You mind if I get dealt in next hand?

"You most certainly can," replied the taller of the two men.

The group played cards for a couple of hands, before the Rookie began to get anxious.

"What's your bet rookie?" Asked the fat man.
"I don't know yet…"
"Common! He's taking forever!" Yelled the taller man who was on the rookie's right.
"Uhm…. ten gold coins."
"Finally! Load them up." Said the third member of the group. A woman, on the rookie's left.
The rookie took his coins, and loaded them on the pile of bets. They played their hand, and the rookie won.
"Wow. I didn't expect that. How did you do that?" The fat man was rubbing his chin.

"I don't know, just kinda guessed."

"I see. So, what brings you to town rookie?" Asked the taller man.
"I am a traveler. I am here to see the Glyphs."
A silence came about the group. One of the men groaned. The others just sat there, and stared at him.
"What do you want with the Glyphs?" The fat man asked, a hint of anger in his tone.
"I just want to see them. To be able to say I have seen them. Will you show me where they are?"
"No," the taller man said, very darkly.
"And why not? I don't think I'm all that bad. And just because I'm an outsider doesn't mean anything. "

"Yes, you're an outsider, but we wouldn't go there ourselves! Too many bad things have happened!" Explained the woman.

"I'm willing to pay. One hundred and fifty gold coins… Each."
"Jack, what do you think?" Asked the fat man.
"No! Rookie, do you know why it rains here? Twenty four, seven? It is because of those freaking awful things. I hate them! They are a curse to the world!"
"Please, guys, I won't do anything to them, I just want to see them!"
"I don't know. I don't think we should, but I need the hundred and fifty. Ok. Rookie, pay us first. And we shall take you to them. But, once we are there, under no circumstances may you touch them." Said the woman.
The group and the rookie grabbed their garments, and headed outside. The group had three horses in the stable to the right of the tavern. The fat one lets the rookie ride with him. The others hopped on their horses, and they all started to head north. It was raining very hard over head now; however, the rookie could see open sky and stars about thirty miles to the south. This baffled him.
"Why are there no clouds over that direction?" He yelled over the storm.
"This storm is eternal. It is caused by the Glyphs up ahead. You will be able to see them soon." Replied the fat man.
They traveled on a bit farther. After about twenty more minutes, the rookie was standing in awe. What he saw amazed him, while also making him fear deeply.
It was what seemed like the edge of the world. A gigantic cliff. On his right, the cliff extended for miles, eventually joining with the Parthian Mountains. One his left, was the same, joining with the Reynian Mountains. In between was a sheer drop. It dropped into a vast white smog. He couldn't see what was below it, but guess that there wasn't much. In the dead center of the cliff, between the two mountain ranges, was a huge gap. A semi-circular alcove in the cliff. It was as if some huge monster had eaten a large chunk out of the side of the cliff.

The gap was about a half kilometer wide, and a quarter kilometer deep. Placed equally apart around the circumference of the alcove were nine megaliths, nine tall towers. The bottoms of them were very thick, and they extended into the bowels of the storm. Their tops were unseen. The storm pretty much made it impossible to see any details on the Glyphs themselves.

The rookie could tell, however, that there were many hieroglyphic lines and designs that he could only guess the meaning off. Each other the towers was placed upon a marble base, with stairs leading up.

What intrigued him the most, however, was the tower in the middle. There was a tenth tower out in the middle of the inlet. Placed on a floating rock island, there was a building in the center of it, and hovering above it was another megalith. This one was different however. Its top was easily seen, even in the storm. The megalith had no order in its shape, like the others did. It looked like a giant oblong boulder. It appeared to be made of marble. While it was hovering, it was also rotating slowly, with an asteroid belt of little rocks rotating with it. It looked almost like a small planet with rings.

The group reached the side of the crevice, and looked in. It was a straight drop; at least five hundred meters into the mist. What was below the fog? They don't know. The rookie wandered around in awe. He looked at the towers closely, and examined the intricate etchings.

"Hey guys! What made these things?"

"We don't know. No one does. They have been here forever. Since before I was born. Since before history!" Jack, the tall man, shouted through the pouring rain.

The rookie broke off slightly from the group and glanced toward the center pillar. It was at least a couple hundred meters out in the middle of the nothingness. That amazed him. This very well did appear to be the end of the world. He turned around, to find the fat man right behind him, looking over his shoulder.

"I bet you're wondering what's over there."

"Yes, actually. Does anyone know?"

"No. The storm keeps bridge efforts away, even though many have tried and failed. Supposedly there was a bridge here at one point, but it has since been destroyed."

The fat man walked off into the distance, and yelled over his shoulder.

"Let us know when your ready to go."

The rookie turned, and glanced toward the tower he was standing near. He moved in for a closer inspection. He saw an even more involved design than he had thought. The deep grooves, and lines were almost divine. He glanced up as far as he could see, and on his way looking back down, he spotted a hand impression in the tower. The hand had only four fingers on it.

How odd.

He decided to take the chance. He lifted his hand toward the tower. He placed his hand into the outline of the hand on the tower. He had to jam his last two fingers into the last finger slot. Nothing happens. He stares, and wonders what everyone was so afraid about. He starts to remove his hand, but finds that he is unable to do so. A silver ooze had begun to trickled down his hand from the tops of each fingertip. It slid over his hand, and hardened. He was stuck. He vaguely heard shouts coming from behind him, but he can't make them out. He glanced upward toward the top of the tower. The system of grooves, and patterns was lighting up. Shooting downward from somewhere near the top, above the clouds. He could see the red line in the Glyph approaching his right hand. It was heading toward him with astonishing speed. Once the light reached his hand, the light went out.

He could hear nothing now. The storm was stopping. He turned his head around, and could see only sunshine. No one else was around him. The mud had turned into rich grass, and the town in the distance didn't exist anymore. He turned his focus to the middle pillar. There was a rope bridge leading to the center isle. Someone of great strength was walking toward the bridge. The man had a long sword, and a scar across his bare chest. His eyes were glowing yellow.

He stopped at the base of the bridge, and took a swig of something out of a flask. He then broke into a dead sprint across the bridge.

On the side opposite of Drake, a man exited the building. He looked as though he was going to meet the man running toward him. Drake lifted his sword, and prepared to attack. The other man simply rose a hand, as if to cast a spell. The pillar on the center island ignited in blue flame, and a lightning bolt is fired at the two men. As near as the rookie could tell, then bolt came from the middle isle, but he wasn't sure. The lightning bold struck both men in the chest. Once it hit them, they both appeared to have turn to stone.

A chain reaction occurs. The two stone men prove to be too heavy for the rope bridge to handle, and it collapsed; the two men falling after it. A series of powerful explosions could be heard, and the glyphs were all undulating a different color. All at once a storm began to form around to the Glyphs, and the rookie.

The rookie watched all of this in awe. He wondered what to think, why he was being shown all this. As the storm began to form around him, he could hear faint screams from Jack, and the others. He quickly glanced around, but could not see anyone. He could feel a tugging at his arms, and wrist. All at once, he is back in his own time. The group is trying to pry him from the pillar, with little effect.

The rookie glanced upward once again, only to see a massive red ring soaring down the side of the Glyph at him. The group ran a considerable distance away.

His vision began to fade, even before the ring neared his body. As it passed over him, his life was dissolved away. Nothing remains of the rookie. The pillar was left without a single blemish of the passed event.

(crest)

The white mist swirled around, and the men opened their eyes. They were back in the world with Xershies, in the small cottage. They had expressions of awe on their faces.
"What was that Xershies?" Tigo hollered.
"That. Or those, should I say, are the Glyphs. A series of nine towers, with a single pillar in the middle. This is the point of the end of our quest. The nine towers each need a hand in them. One hand of each of the nine Chosen. We are four of them. At the point you just witnessed, the Darkness will be released. The man that charged on the bridge was Drake. He was the Chosen One in the dark ages, and the one that stopped the Darkness. But only with his own life could he save everyone else's. He gave me the quest of finally quenching its thirst for death.
When this 'rookie' touches the stone, he will be the one the Darkness had left its power, and bloodline in. He will re-released the Darkness into the world. It will rapidly spread throughout the northern plains. Since you have not seen it, nor fought with it, you can not possibly comprehend what cruelty it has. We need to find the last five, and we must get to the Glyphs. I don't know what we shall find once we are there, but I do know we must. I think it shall be a hard battle to get there. The Glyphs are on the northern most part of the continent. And it will take a long time. So. For the time being, please get some rest tonight. I shall buy us all horses from the stable, and we shall ride to the north. One last thing. We are not fighting to stop the rookie. The Darkness must be defeated totally, if we are ever to have peace. Goodnight."
The men stared blankly at each other, and Xershies walked outside to keep watch. None of the men could sleep. Xershies sensed this, and cast the sleeping spell on the cottage. The men fell into a deep slumber…

The End of the Beginnings