Standing upon the smooth, sandstone roof my mountain retreat, I stared blankly at the ground below. I was deep in thought, my mind wandering though various ideas about why he could have called us to gather here. "Could he have found out who, or what I was? No.. I doubt that..." I thought rather a bit apprehensively. " He wouldn't have called the others here.." I followed, glancing up at a few tropical birds as they crossed my view. The sun was breaching the tight hold of the horizon, shining it's harsh light upon the think, dewed grass before me. I hated being here.. I hated everything about the area... No dark thoughts of killing... No hatred dwelled within the sparse humans that lived here - And this blasted humanoid body has pushed me to the limit of wanting to tear it limb from limb!

My eyes flashed a harsh red as my thought rumbled with an inhumanly growl, obviously ebbing with the strong vibes of agitation. Just then, something nudged my side, rendering me from my frustration for a moment. Turning my head slightly to the right, my reddish eyes met with that of the dark nightmare next to me. Darkside snorted lightly, pressing my arm and attention toward the field that swished and crumpled under the movement of two beings. Squinting my eyes into nothing but narrow slits, I focused on those who approached. A sword hilt glinted in the light that shined through the canopies of the thick jungle trees, and I hesitated to prepare for an attack - But once again, Darkside nudged me, almost as if he knew what I was thinking. Giving in to his gesture, I waited. Soon the faces of those familiar to me came into focus. The two bodies were no other than that of Angus Daemonhart and Drake Shadowsoul - two humans that I had come to know well on my stay upon this plain.

My lips curled into a sultry smile as I watched them draw closer, and enter the building. Soon, they joined Darkside and I atop the loft of the house, and a long, silent wait ensued. My concept of time was rather misconstrued as a human, so I cannot say how many minutes or hours went by until the one who we were waiting for showed up. Seemingly out of nowhere, the stocky little Dwarf, Grumbar, had appeared. This was the one who had asked that we be here.. and that reason still questioned at my mind, even to this second. A few words of greeting were exchanged between us and then he motioned us outside. I raised a brow at this, as I did not know the small being too well.. Not well enough to follow him into the vast jungle that lay out there. I grew rather wary, giving in to my doubts even though Darkside mimicked them closely. Mounting my dark steed, Angus, Drake, and I exited the sandstone dwelling and headed out into the dark rain forest, following the dwarf at close range.

Pointing southwestward, Grumbar directed us to follow. I hesitated a bit, sensing something familiar lying in this direction. Suddenly, my mind was over taken by a vision. Death... Seemingly endless bodies dislodged and gouged.. By what, I couldn't see. I could hear the screams of agony in the background along with the monotonous sound, which I could not quite place. I felt my eyes glowing red with power as I saw what I so hungered for... and then, in a flash of darkness, I found myself back in the jungle, as an ettin lunged towards me. I quickly glanced left and right, spotting the others and seeing that they were engaged in battle with a fire elemental and a specter. Thankfully, they hadn't noticed my odd glowing eyes. I was again interrupted from my immediately thoughts with a strike to my chest with the blow the ettin's mighty hammer.. and I retreated back a few steps before chanting the almost silent words of 'Vas Ort Flam' and 'Kal Vas Flam', surrounding my body with a fiery aura before annihilating the beast in a field of searing heat. I snorted lightly, a grin of arrogance mounted on my face before Darkside turned and began to head back to the others - which had quickly made end to the elemental and ghost that were pestering them. After a minute of a few more words, Grumbar pointed east.. and we followed, my curiosity peaked..

"I be seein' something there!" the dwarf said excitedly, and pointed as he changed course suddenly. I paused for a moment, staring into the distance blankly, seeing a wall of a ruin.. or so it seemed. It felt so familiar... so close to the place which I called home, and yet.. so distant. I grunted lightly in a slight annoyance and resumed my following of the group. Soon, we crossed into the crumpled gates of the ruins... and I immediately laid eyes upon one of my kind. I tried to communicate with him, but there was no way of convincing him without yelling out loud to the rest of the group that I was of his kind. Suddenly, the loud yelling of Grumbar broke my gaze upon the Daemon, bellowing out, "We must kill the guardian!" I started to call out to halt their assault, but Angus had unsheathed his sword and started running towards my ally. I winced lightly as I was forced to watch the onslaught of the daemon, who had no chance against a skill warriors such as these three. Reluctantly, I chanted 'Kal Vas Flam' and covered the daemon in a onslaught of flames that was far hotter than he could ever stand. With a few more slices from Angus, and the aid of another pillar of flame upon the Daemon, it fell to the ground with horrid death cry, one that I wanted to avenge.. but I sadly could not. I grunted... Pushing Darkside upon the structure as a looked around. 'This..! This was the place that I saw in my vision not long ago.. !' I thought, looking around in aghast. I slowly peered at the blood Ankh that was embedded inside of a pentagram which clearly done in Daemon's blood.

Grumbar approached my position along with the others, and began to tell us a story. I became immediately unconcerned with it, not being interested in human folklore and all. The underworld knew all it should of this realm, and I was sure that I had heard it all - But it would seem not. My attention was snapped up from the surroundings as he began to speak of Pax Lair. That was a place of my life before I was changed. He spoke of how well things were years ago in the city, speaking of Mayor Winfield and other numerous citizens from the city - Some names sounded familiar, but I could not place a face with them. Perhaps Lord Irwin erased them during my transgression. Grumbar then went on to speak a human lady of great beauty who was tainted by some unknown evil...or so I came to understand it. This woman was involved in a lot of evil activity... including the LIR castle takeover that Lord Irwin was so interested. I looked off to the pentagram once again, thinking why not have I heard of this woman before? Was I in all the wrong places at the wrong time? ..Was Master Irwin not looking in the right places? Grumber gruffed loudly again, an obvious sign that he had reached a pausing point in his story. He then began to continue on with the history woman. To my amazement, Grumbar stated that mass battle had taken place here, with this woman and one that the humans call Valya over another human who I understand to have power over the LIR castle. He stated that the floor that which we stood upon was littered with the silk and the edging bodies of giant spiders... My mind flashed into a vision once again as he described the people and the onslaught to us - almost as I was seemingly being picked up and forced into a time, which I was not around. The event that seems to stick in my mind the most, either due to Grumbar's strong persistence on this issue or something else, was the point where the woman and Valya were battling...Where this woman used some sort of sword to kill and force Valya off of the wall that is east of me.

I don't remember much more of what Grumbar said after that point.. My mind was replaying that moment over and over.. as if it were trying to tell me something - But finally I shook that sight from my mind, only to catch the words of the dwarf speaking of the blade that she had used right here on this battlefield. He stated that his blade contained great power... I guessed more far more than Lord Irwin's saber, as by the wide eyes on the dwarf before me. Being intrigued by this weapon, I asked the whereabouts of this mystical peace of destruction. And then, finally, he showed us a map of this realm that highlighted 3 points. I haven't really explored any of the areas, so I cannot say what lies at each one of them. I did understand, by the Dwarfs words, that if the woman knew that he possessed this map, which he would no longer be standing here... Perhaps the map has something do with the sword.. Perhaps it is the location of the woman's base. Finally.. Grumbar closed his story, but I had found one thing wrong with his tale. For some odd reason, he hadn't spoken the woman's name throughout the story. I asked, and after a while of hesitance from the small being, I was given the name, "Cylitheria". I was thrown off balance by the name, and I am sure everyone there noticed. Even though I had never heard that name before.. the feeling.. the sheer evil surrounding it made me pause in thought. I would have to investigate this matter.. or ask Lord Irwin on his view. But until I finish what I am sent to this island for.. That will have to wait..

return to index