Introduction (Chapter 0)

Chapter 1

"We really need to take a break." the elf complained as the duo reached a clearing within the inky green underbrush. "I feel like I'm on the verge of collapsing." Still, after four or five hours of following the paladin through the dense forest on foot, who could blame him?

"Are you sure you know where we're headed?"

"Do not doubt me, elf." The paladin said through his helm as he turned his head to look at his travelling companion walking along his horse before shifting his attention to the path ahead. "We're not far. Just a few more hours and we'll be out of the forest. From there it's no more than a quarter of a day on foot. At least-" he shrugged -" that's what some travelers I helped before I came to the tavern inquired."

The mare whinnied, seemingly sharing the elf's concern. "But perhaps a rest-" he pet the animal's neck and smiled softly -"is not such a terrible idea."

"Good" the smaller figure exhaled as he leaned against a nearby tree and sat on the ground against it. "I don't need long, I only have to stretch my legs. We can get going as soon as she rests." he said, nodding towards the paladin's steed before giving his sore calves a rub and stretching his legs out in front of him with a sigh of relief.

"Very well." Ilamin said as he took another look around the area. The inky, sage-green forest reeked of age, its woody incense formed from centuries of snapping branches crashing to the forest's floor and rotting silently. The composting, organic smell rose up in waves, yet every jet-black, sprawling tree reminded him of the things he wished he kept forgotten, a silent reminder of the horrors of his past. A sombre silence overhung the clearing ahead, where the trees dared not grow and a pale white cloud of mist shielded the damp soil from view beneath his feet. Nothing stirred, nothing shone and nothing sang.

Night would come soon, he could feel it. In Shadowfell, night and day could only be told apart by the already dimming light growing dimmer, sometimes being extinguished all together.

"Neither of us should sleep." He climbed off his horse, the wet sound of his feet hitting the mud and his metal plating crashing together at the joints, disturbing the eerie silence around them. "It's about to get a lot darker soon. You don't want to get caught unaware in a place like this."

"I can see in the dark just fine."

The paladin shook his head. "Don't be foolish. Just because you can see," he paused, hitching his horse on a sturdy branch of a nearby oak tree before turning his head to look at his travelling partner, "doesn't mean you will."

The elf scoffed, missing his companion's point. "Should I be offended?"

The knight bowed his head before looking at the sitting figure and spoke, his tone sincere and collected. "I was referring to the dangers the night cycle of this place brings forth, not doubting your race's gift."

"Oh..." The elf thought for a moment. "You know, it'd be a lot easier for me to understand what you want me to understand if I could see your face as you speak."

Ilamin stiffened, his posture straight. "I cannot remove my helm. Not here. It is forbidden."

"Who forbids it?"

"My -" his eyes widened as the putrid smell of death reached his nostrils and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He knew the feeling of necrotic energy all too well.

"Your....what? God? Facial disfigurement? The time of day?" The elf continued, seemingly oblivious to the dark aura slowly circling around them.

"Stop talking." The paladin uttered, glancing around completely alert with his hand on the hilt of his sword, prepared for any dangers. "Do it now."

"What? Why? Did I hurt your fee-" he was cut off when a rotten, skeletal arm reached out from the ground beneath him, rupturing the white misty haze lingering above the soil, before grabbing a hold of his coat and pulling him downwards with such force, the elf barely had enough time to cover his face from the impact.

Before Ilamin could draw his sword, he felt himself being tackled and lifted off the ground, his attacker easily overpowering him and slowly crushing his armor. Now grappled, the celestial could hear distorted wails and screams of despair and torment puncturing his ears, the feelings of those long lost and forgotten taking form and attempting to weave into the crevices of his mind. The sound was deafening.

Meanwhile, the elf unsheathed his blade and swung. As metal cut through rotten skin and muscle and the frail bones of the wrist cracked under the instantaneous application of such sheer force, his attacker was swiftly mutilated, their hand still latching on to his clothing as what remained of the extremity's muscles and tendons slowly relaxed before it fell to the ground with a soft thud, sinking ever so slightly into the mud.

The feyborn shivered. "There's no blood..." his voice barely above a whisper, as memories of his past flooded his mind and his eyes widened at the realisation.

In front of him, Ilamin struggled against his attacker. With a grunt, the paladin planted his feet on solid ground, heaved the creature over his shoulder and dropped it onto the ground, mud splattering in all directions at the impact and the smell of dirt and damp grass growing all the more intense as they both sunk an inch or so into the damp soil.

Struggling to keep his balance after the successful throw, he unsheathed his longsword and steadied his stance. The monstrosity, a ghoulish humanlike abomination with masculature distorted to accomodate the five spear-pointed, spider-leg apendages it dared call its arms, stood and prepared to pounce, its face contorted into one of anguish and desperation. Its jaw wide open in a soundless bellow and a hollow, undying gaze capable of causing immense fear to the faint-hearted. It charged.

In one swift move, the paladin cut through the creature's midsection, easily avoiding its attack as it let out an internal shriek.

Out of the corner of his eye, the elf spotted two more shadows deeper inside the underbrush, headed straight for his companion as he...well, seemed to be fending for himself pretty decently, only sporting scratches on his metal armor as he circled around the threat effortlessly, parried or redirected most of the assault, and cut precisely whenever he saw an opening, unhindered by the plating's weight.

Regardless, he had to assist. Defying whatever danger was lurking below the ground in front of him, he grabbed his bow, notched an arrow and, at the muttering of some arcane elven spell, disappeared into thin air leaving only a thin veil of dark green mist in the spot where he once stood.

Ilamin couldn't help but notice the lack of elven presence in the area, or the thin green puff of smoke that trailed off into the woods behind him.

He fought on still and all, ignoring the ghoulish monstrosity's ear piercing screams of torment that seemed to be coming from everywhere at once as well as a much slower creature emerging from below the mud on his right, where the elf had been sitting moments before.

The abomination before him was cut and slashed and pierced, dark crimson seeping and spurting from the punctures and lacerations decorating its core and extremities as its own entrails were threatening to unfold outside its body.

It let out a wail of desperation as it charged the paladin in one last ditch effort to wrap him in its lethal embrace before succumbing to its wounds.

The celestial attacked as well, a growl rumbling deep down within his chest as he sprung forward with his longsword raised before the two bodies crashed, followed by a mixture of metallic clattering, banging and scraping as his armor and sword impacted against the creature before they fell to the ground in a ball of flesh and metal.

A pair of similar horrors suddenly leapt from the inky green underbrush into the small clearing, clicking their teeth as they moaned and wheezed in what sounded like pain and agony.

They began circling around the two bodies sprawled in the soil, the metallic smell of blood filling the air and mixing with the composting scent of the forest.

From below the sludge, a pale, sickly figure slowly dug its way out, its one arm barely withstanding its own weight as it heaved itself out of the mire and began crawling towards the downed warrior of Tyr, its jaws biting the humid air and its eyes devoid of anything other but hunger.

The redeemer was in the process of pushing the lifeless corpse of the humanoid abomination off of his own body, when his shoulder was pierced with a sickening crunch as one of his enemies' appendages pulled him off the clay and hung him mid air by his wound.

Ilamin cried out in pain, his breathing and heart rate speeding as his entire body was fueled with adrenaline.

Before the horrifying travesty of human anatomy could wrap itself around the paladin, its head was violently jerked forward as an arrowhead pierced the back of its skull, sparks of arcane fire emanating from the wood, frying the monster's brain from the inside and killing it instantly.

It dropped to the ground as the other creature lunged towards the paladin, who was barely standing on his feet.

The sound of lightning crackling was heard before two blue-streaked arrows wheezed past the celestial's head and lodged themselves deep within the attacker's chest and abdomen.

In an instant, the creature was forcefully thrown back as the deafening sound of thunder came barrelling towards him like a wave, originating from the now broken amalgamation of flesh and bone laying quite a distance ahead.

Confused and suspicious, Ilamin looked around, seeing nothing but blackened or graying trees. "Who are you?! Show yourself!" He boomed, his voice stern and unwavering despite the pain caused by his injury.

He continued to scan the area while muttering a celestial prayer and pressing his hand upon his wounds, which proceeded to heal itself in the radiant light emanating from his palm.

A guttural groan cut off by the cracking sound of an arrow piercing a rotting skull made him shift his attention to the ground behind him, where the skeletal corpse of what was once a man laid stiff, an arrow protruding from the back of its head.

"What was that about seeing clearly?" A familiar voice spoke behind the celestial.

Once again he turned around to face his companion, who stood proudly as he held his bow after having collected his arrows from the charred remains behind him.

"How did you do that?"

The elf smiled. "I don't understand what you mean."

"Don't play games with me, feyborn. Tell me how you were shooting arrows from behind me, yet appeared in front of me."

"You have your secrets -" he pointed to his companion's helmet-" and I have mine."

The celestial huffed before whistling for his horse who had managed to break off the branch she was hitched onto in her attempt to escape the danger.

"It's Edrahil, by the way. Edrahil Dor' Lomin. And you're welcome."

The paladin turned as the galloping of his horse against the sludge drew nearer. "Ilamin." He spoke, his voice barely of enough volume to be heard.

"And thank you."

Edrahil smiled before slinging his bow across his back and adjusting his overcoat as the mare came to a halt before them, thankfully unharmed. "I don't feel like resting anymore... I suggest we go."

Ilamin patted the animal's side and rubbed her neck, his fingers brushing the coarse hair of her silvery mane and her milky white coat now stained with mud and the remnants of leaves. She seemed more than eager to get as far away from the now corpse-littered clearing as possible.

"We all do." He said before climbing onto the saddle and brushing the grime off of his animal's coat.

Edrahil began to walk before his path was cut off by the Paladin's extended arm. He looked up at him, trying to catch any glimpse of his face through the slits of his helmet.

"Come. Don't make me think twice about this."

Edrahil smirked before grabbing his companion's arm and pulling himself on the saddle.

"Let's get out of here."