Chapter 6: Ravine of Insanity
Opening 3: Casey Edwards - Bury the Light
Shadow and Mary were riding on Ailwi's hoverbike to their destination. The tension was thick for the group, knowing where they will arrive.
"We should arrive at the ravine soon. A word of caution, this place is a living nightmare. Many whom have ventured there have never accomplished in seeking the Gradient Flower. Those whom returned dared not to speak of it." The elf commander warned.
"So much so, even if its name was uttered, it can strike fear to even the most hardened of warriors." Shadow realized.
"Yes. Its name brings a primal fear to any whom have ventured in it. Some have cowered for years from the eldritch place. Others weren't so lucky to retain their sanity." Ailwi continued.
Mary was equally frightful of going to the destination. Shadow didn't know much of what to expect, but he felt dreadfully nervous. Knowing it will hinder his quest, he shook the feeling off.
'This mission will no doubt be mentally challenging. I can understand why many whom ventured into this place have refused to talk about it. What's worse, the Hellbound will start to come.' Shadow thought.
He looked at the sky, knowing he will have to confront the fearsome world.
'I never hoped to see that place again, but it looks like I have no choice.' Shadow concluded mentally.
]
The ride took several hours for the group to arrive at the entrance to their destination. A thick fog enshrouded the area, limiting one's sight from seeing far. A large suspension bridge was shown through the fog. From below the bridge, a deep chasm was shown.
"This bridge will lead you to the ravine. Be quick once you go in. Once the Hellbound starts, the bridge will disappear, leaving you both trapped." Ailwi spoke.
"All the more reason to quicken our search…" Shadow said.
"Wait, before you go, take this." Ailwi said, providing an item to Shadow.
Shadow inspected the item in question. It was a small glass-like container with what appears to be silver sand in it. The Gandálfr was confused as to what it was.
"That sand is special. It will help you when you're in danger. Should you need to protect yourself and your comrades, the sand will respond." Ailwi spoke.
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Ailwi." Shadow replied.
]
(Play Wild ARMS 4 OST - Shadow Territory)
The bridge was a treacherous crossing. It looked old as some of the planks appeared rotted, ready to collapse at any second. The pair was forced to move slowly to avoid stepping on the wrong spot.
"Let's be careful here. This bridge may not be able to support if one of us steps on the wrong plank." Shadow forewarned.
"I agree. This looks dangerous enough with this fog limiting our sight." Mary said.
Despite the danger from the fog and bridge, the pair slowly made their way across the bridge. It was notably quiet, save for the haunting howl of the wind billowing at their ears.
'It's a wonder as to why this ravine got its name… Even though we've barely entered it, the passage to reach the place is proving to be dangerous.' Shadow thought.
Mary looked very nervous. She was appearing pale faced, shivering in fright.
'I never wanted to come this place. It's the stuff of nightmares. I recalled coming here years ago. Even now, it traumatizes me to this day.' Mary thought with a shake.
She knew Shadow was focusing on the bridge to keep them safe from the rotted planks that looked unstable. However, the elven girl didn't notice where he was stepping on, causing her to step on a rotted plank. The wood gave away, causing her to grasp on to the ropes of the edges.
"Mary!" Shadow shouted.
Leaving little to no time for chance, Shadow quickly grabbed Mary before she fell into the chasm below.
"Thank you." Mary said, grateful of her rescue.
"Let's watch our steps." Shadow suggested.
Mary chuckled nervously as she soon became aware of her steps. With caution, the duo managed to cross the bridge.
(Shadow Territory OST ends here)
]
(Play Mabinogi OST - Tory Ravine)
The Vanvid Ravine was finally shown to the duo. Shadow now realized as to why Mary and the elves back in Dawn's Touch speak with such dread about it.
'What an eldritch sight…' Shadow noted in his mind.
The area was an openly hostile place. Corruptions caused by unknown energy have plagued the very lands, leaving it sundered with decay as far as one's sight can reach. Dead trees loom in the area, sitting on soil which no longer brims with life. Skeletal remains of various creatures were shown in full display. Some of the fossils showed the creatures cowering as though a wave of death claimed them while they were panicking. Within the rancid lands, a dark swamp was shown, bubbling with noxious gases.
"Ugh… This swamp…!" Shadow noticed.
A putrid smell from the noxious gases rising from the depths of the swamp was emitted. The awful stench was compared to the scent of a rotting corpse laced with poison. Shadow and Mary were forced to cover their noses due to the mephitic air.
"This swamp is not only dangerous if immersed, but also by breathing near it. We can't linger in this place for too long." Shadow warned.
The pair didn't had to hesitate as they slowly tread their way through the area. They were forced to watch their footing, taking extra caution to not step into the olid smelling waters of the swamp. Several skeletal corpses of creatures and humans were left near the shorelines. The toxic water was barely licking the shores, but enough to touch the bones of the corpses. What's left of their flesh, now appearing dark with decay, began to corrode away.
'These waters can dissolve a living body's flesh with just a touch!? This swamp's poison must be beyond any whom can create.' Shadow noted with shock.
Mary was noticeably shaking due to her fears of the ravine. The swamp became a reminder for her, reminding of the horrible experience she had from years ago.
'I… I know we had to come here of all places. However, I never wanted to come to this place again.' She thought with dread.
Soon, a monstrous roar alerted the duo. Both noticed a large, tree-like monster walking to them. The branches were twisted in a malformed appearance, making it appear vastly different than a regular tree.
"What manner of beast is that?" Shadow questioned with surprise.
"That's…! Crann Lofa!" Mary answered with fear.
"Crann Lofa?" Shadow questioned.
"No time to explain! Burn it down!" Mary spoke with panic, casting a magic bolt of fire.
The bolt nicked the creature, only for it to roar in a demonic fashion. Mary was left paralyzed in fear. Shadow also felt the immense energy from the creature. He almost fell to his knees.
'What is with this creature's aura? It feels like it's engulfing me in a deep abyss that I can't break free from…!' Shadow thought.
Not wanting to go without a fight, Shadow channeled his fire abilities while performing a spin dash with his sword equipped. The Crann Lofa stood still till it was split in half. A single stone was left behind.
"What is that? A magical stone?" Shadow questioned, approaching the object.
"Don't touch it! That's Lobhadh Brainse!" Mary said, dragging Shadow away from the stone.
"Mary, settle down. Control yourself for once!" Shadow spoke with command, shaking Mary to help her regain her thinking.
"Sorry… That stone from the Crann Lofa is a corruptive, magical item. Those whom touched it ended up being rotted from both body and soul, never to find relief. I've had seen some friends years ago touch the stones and they screamed as the corruption rotted their bodies and mind, leaving them as a horrifically decayed corpse." Mary explained.
Shadow now realized he almost got himself near death's door. He left the stone alone, not wanting to go near it.
'I could have been a victim of this ravine's corruption. How foolish of me…' He thought with disdain.
(Tory Ravine OST ends here)
]
(Play Chrono Trigger OST - Strains of Insanity)
The sight of the poisonous swamp soon eluded the duo as they ventured deep. However, a lingering smell of death was abundant. Shadow and Mary were forced to cover their noses due to how putrid it was.
"Pew… The air smells malodorous." Shadow noted.
"I fear we might find out why…" Mary spoke, her fear returning.
Unknown to the duo, a skeletal corpse began to rise from the ground. The unnerving sound of flesh being torn with bones clicking was heard. The creature was a dragon, which was appearing to undergo advanced decay, evident by the several holes in the body. The dragon appeared dark, but the wings were heavily damaged, exposing bone. Shadow and Mary were unaware of the looming presence. Both paused as they were able to sense the creature's aura.
"Mary…" Shadow spoke, his widened with fear.
"Yes…?" She reluctantly asked.
"Run…" Shadow replied, looking at his back from the corners of his eyes.
(Strains of Insanity OST ends here)
(Play Primal OST - Zombie Chase)
Shadow and Mary barely leaped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the dragon's attack. It roared with fury, aiming at the sky. This caused the pair to flee, knowing they can't fight the creature head on.
"I assume this thing is responsible for the awful smell we picked up earlier!" Shadow realized.
"Forget that! We need to run!!!" Mary screamed.
"Shadow! That creature appears to be infected with some kind of plague! Don't let it bite you, lest you become afflicted!" Hien warned.
"At least we now know what's the cause!" Shadow shouted.
The pair was forced to run from the dragon. There was barely any hiding spots to evade it. Shadow, having grown frustrated, shot a fireball at the creature. The fireball didn't lay any lasting damage, only serving to anger the creature further.
"You've got to be kidding me!" He said in disbelief.
"No, we're not! Just run!" Mary screamed.
Soon, the dragon began to breathe out a sickly green fluid. The sound of the liquid was gut wrenching, coupled by the putrid smell.
"It's trying to spread its illness to others! Don't let that fluid touch you!" Hien warned.
Shadow and Mary managed to elude the dragon, hiding within a hollowed log. The creature was stomping mad, angered its quarry fled from its sight. It soon began to swing its head violently, slamming it around the nearby dead trees. The trees were shattered with little effort, causing Mary to cower. Shadow watched with fear of seeing the creature acting in an erratic, vicious manner.
"What the hell is with that illness? The dragon appears to be fighting it back, but it's making it act more like a zombie gone mad." Shadow questioned.
Soon, the creature, in all of its madness, collapsed in the ground. It now remained motionless within a quarry of conical rocks. Shadow and Mary soon exhaled with sudden relief. Out of breath due to adrenaline leaving their system, they too had to take a breather. Exhausted from their chase, they collapsed inside the log.
(Zombie Chase OST ends here)
(Play Resident Evil Village OST - Bloodthirsty)
Hours has past, rousing the pair to consciousness. Shadow and Mary soon peaked out of the log. Nervous from the encounter with the decaying dragon, they warily looked to its body. The dragon was shown to be immobile as if deceased. This didn't fool the Gandálfr, knowing the creature was waiting for a chance to take them by surprise.
'The sun is still up, but it's about to start setting. We can't stay in this ravine for long.' He thought.
Attempting to sneak away from the infested dragon, Shadow walked slowly, only to step on a twig that made an audible crack. This immediately stirred the dragon to bite him on his side. Shadow screamed in pain as the dragon tore off a sizable chunk of his abdomen. Blood gushed out as he tried to gain his bearings from the excruciating pain. He also noticed his flesh was starting to rot away from his very sight. Frightened by the events happening, the Gandálfr screamed in agony as his body soon began to rot away, leaving him mere skin and bones with areas fully exposed.
'What the hell is this!?' He thought with torment.
Mary's scream got his attention as she too was bitten at her right shoulder. Shadow watched with horror as her flesh began to erode away, leaving her skeleton showing an ever present tormented expression.
"MARY!!!!!" Shadow screamed in fear.
The infested dragon roared before biting Shadow, cutting him in half. The flesh bubbled away, leaving him as a skeleton.
(Bloodthirsty OST ends here)
Shadow was soon gasping for air, frightened of the nightmare during his rest after running from the dragon. Mary soon woke up, holding her mouth to prevent herself from screaming loud. Both saw they were all intact and hugged each other in relief. The shock of the awful dream was prevalent in their minds.
'I'm understanding why this ravine has the name 'Vanvid'. It's a walking nightmare that can never bring relief to any whom rest here…' Shadow thought, still shaken.
Soon, both peaked out of the log with caution. The nightmare was still fresh in their minds. They could see the infected dragon lying down in a valley way. It was not moving and appeared deceased. There was no sign of the creature breathing. There were several holes on its face with rotting sinews exposed. This prompt Shadow to ponder quickly on what to do.
'We can't stay here and wait till the dragon rots away. The Hellbound will start to appear at any moment. I hate to say it, but we have to sneak away from this monster. Time is of the essence and we've wasted a great deal.' He thought.
Mary noticed Shadow was analyzing a way to flee from the dragon that was nearby. She was conflicted, not wanting to see the same scenario from the dream they shared.
'No way I would want to go out there and face a creature that nasty like that dragon… From what we can tell, it's some kind of disease or a plague that's afflicting it. Whatever this creature is, this is not normal, even for dragons to be this feral.' She thought.
Mary soon heard soft footsteps. Shadow was seen sneaking away from the creature. She soon followed, concerned for him.
"Are you crazy!? You want to get chased by that again?" Mary whispered in exclamation.
"We can't stay here for long. The Hellbound may start at any minute." Shadow answered silently.
Mary had no choice, but to accept. She knew the Hellbound was about to appear in the Vanvid Ravine. Reluctant, she followed Shadow, whom was silently exiting the hollowed log. They soon took a decent look of their surroundings. They appeared to be within a large forested valley within the ravine. Dead trees with twisted limbs were within sight.
'Here goes…' Shadow thought.
Sneaking away from the dragon, Shadow and Mary both caught an up close sight of the motionless body. Audible gases and an awful stench permeated around it. Both almost gagged from the stench and appearance, wanting no more than to flee from it. They remained quiet in order not to stir it.
'Almost there.' Shadow thought with a sense of hope.
Mary wasn't fairing any better. The stench from the dragon's body, along with its putrefying skin up close made her nauseous. She was at the brink of retching in disgust.
'Ugh… That plague which is affecting the dragon makes it look really awful. I can't even stand to look at it for long and that's not the stench alone that makes me want to flee from it.' Mary thought.
Shadow kept an eye at the dragon's body from a distance, inspecting whether it has remained dormant or is just dead. He couldn't tell from where he was watching it. Despite that, he kept himself extremely wary, due to the nightmare and the illness.
'Can't drop my guard from this yet… This dragon may try to sneak at us if we flee unguarded.' He thought.
Mary was already anxious, finding the presence of the dragon behind her to be stress inducing. She was slowly breathing heavily, though it was quiet enough to not be loud.
'I hope it's worth the trouble to find the Gradient Flower. In this nightmare, it's hard to believe what we saw, yet we were able to survive.' She thought.
(Play Primal OST - Zombie Chase)
The pair continued deep in the dead forest. However the sound of a sickly tearing of flesh and bone was heard. Both paused briefly, hearing the sickening squelch of rotting flesh being torn. They were quiet, knowing what was lurking behind them. Before they could speak, the dragon's maw soon crashed into the ground. The jaws were fully revealed with rotted lips that exposed long, jagged fangs. The sinews were shown as rotted strings of flesh barely holding the lower jaw together.
"Shit! RUN!" Shadow shouted.
Both fled in supersonic speed across the dead forest. The dragon wasn't disinterested as it kept chasing after them, even to barely catch up.
"How fast can that creature keep up?" Shadow questioned.
"Keep running from it! It can catch up to us." Mary screamed.
Not wanting to have the nightmare be turned into reality, Shadow and Mary soon found a small, narrow passage that allowed them entry. However, for the dragon, it was too narrow to run through it. The sound of bone cricketing with flesh being torn was heard. The dragon's wings, too rotted to provide flight, were now broken and sprayed blood on the ground. Despite the loss of the wings, it attempted to reach Shadow and Mary in a futile attempt as they kept their distance. Both were in shock as to see how far the plague ridden creature was going so far as to claim its quarry.
(Zombie Chase OST stops for now)
"Better to leave this place quickly. I doubt we have time to confront it." Shadow said.
Mary nodded in agreement. The duo took a look across their surroundings. The passage left them in a large crater. However, due to the presence of geological activity, there was a surprising show of geysers of magma. The duo noticed the geysers, knowing they've arrived in dangerous grounds.
"This place is a giant minefield. We can't cross it that easily, lest we get scalded. How on earth does this place have a volcano in the sky?" Shadow questioned.
"I don't want to answer right now since our way back is blocked by our undead, rotting friend." Mary spoke with sarcasm.
"There's bound to be a way out of here. I don't want to cross on this crater." Shadow said, looking at the cracks growing on the ground.
Both quickly had to look around, avoiding the volcanic geysers of magma. Although it was a stress inducing moment, Shadow's fire shield allowed him to block off the showers of lava, providing a somewhat safe passage. Their brief relief was cut short when they heard the dragon roaring with a loud grunt. It was slamming it head on the two sides of the crater that entrapped it.
"Oh shit…" Shadow said with disbelief.
(Resume Zombie Chase OST)
The dragon forcefully dragged itself free from the walls that held it. However, the force of freeing itself ripped its wings off its back, along with what remained of its flesh at the sides of the abdomen. Flakes of rotted skin were shown, allowing the ribs of the dragon to be exposed.
"By the Force of Chaos…!" Shadow exclaimed in shock.
Mary was equally frightened, seeing the eldritch sight. Both her and Shadow were forced to run as the dragon resumed its brutal chase. To their surprise, the lava geysers soon began to erupt, scalding the dragon. Despite its lack of wings, it leapt into the air to ambush the pair.
"Oh shit!" Shadow exclaimed.
The dragon landed hard enough to cause the crust to open, revealing hot magma in a yellow glowing color. Shadow and Mary managed to get far away before the ground began caving in. This caused the creature to roar loudly before it sank into the depths.
"We gotta get the hell out of here!" Shadow exclaimed.
The dragon soon rosed from the molten depths. Its skin and rotting flesh was now charred red due to exposure of the lava. It soon sank in, determined to kill Shadow and Mary. Both were desperate to avoid the creature. Soon, it caught them by surprise through bursting from the crust underneath them. They landed on the back to see the flesh torn dragon with holes on its body, revealing nothing in it, much to Shadow's shock.
'This dragon is practically a zombie… How horrifying…!' He thought, showing some fear.
The pair soon leapt an incredible distance, using their super speed to vacate from the dragon's body. They managed to find the exit of the crater, not letting the dragon attempt to catch them by surprise. Though it dragged itself out of the open pool of lava, it was still determined to kill. Having enough of the horrific encounter, Shadow used his earth elemental powers to open the ground, forcing the dragon to plunge in the fiery depths once again.
(Zombie Chase OST ends here)
A moment passed for the pair as they saw the dragon sink inside the lava. Soon, it re-emerged, roaring loudly with evident pain as the fires in its body began to burn away what's left of its flesh. Shadow and Mary watched with morbid shock during the scenario. It attempted to free itself, only for its front legs to be lost as the muscles and tendons were burnt off, leaving no way for its skeletal body to hold together. The dragon roared in aggravated loss as the flames around it began to engulf the creature.
'What a gruesome sight…' Shadow thought somberly.
'It's horrific, yet sad…' Mary sympathized in thought.
(Play Primal OST - Tragic Death)
Both held a somber expression as they watched the infected dragon be completely consumed in flames by the lava. It kept roaring in defiance, not wanting to admit defeat. Alas, the lava incinerated much of the creature's vital internal structure, leaving nothing but ash. With one final roar, the dragon soon leaned in itself before its body turned into cinders, blowing away into the wind.
'That was horrible…' Shadow thought.
Mary couldn't take the gruesome sight and fell to her knees, heaving in both disgust and sadness. Shadow soon noticed a single piece of ash of the dragon, revealing an intact scale from its body. This left him to ponder on what he and his companion experienced after seeing such a brutal end. He looked up to the sky, finding any answers as to what the ordeal was. Nothing came to him, leaving him mentally exhausted.
(Tragic Death OST ends here)
Ending 3: Play Cold Bullet Blues by Kurosaki Maon