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Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Chapter 5
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“It is with a heavy heart and trembling hands that I prepare this Glyph for future generations. I have heard…shall we say… ‘rumors’…about possible ways to survive the coming Onslaught of our world. But my research has revealed a terrible inconsistency that the mongers of such lore have yet to share amongst their peers.

The rumors are partially true: there is a way to survive. But in order to do so, a grave sacrifice must be made at The Gate. I pray that anyone who would prove foolish enough to dare venture down such a path would stop to think of the consequences of such an act.”

~Excerpt: Notes of Mokosh
<><>

Azura felt the stickiness first. At first she had thought that maybe she accidentally crushed a fly with her hands, but opening her eyes revealed a different story entirely. The guest room in her friend’s house had somehow been replaced by an all too familiar demonic landscape. Gone were the wooden shelves and drawers, and in their place stood metallic structures which seemed to defy conventional description.

Some of the structures seemed to twist and turn in random areas, and some even flowed into each other, which gave the impression of one long wall standing between her and whatever other infernal horrors stalked the strange realm that she had only seen once in her travels to Zanaris. In addition, a strange humidity filled the air, which accounted for the sticky feeling she kept noticing on her body.

The desert mage looked around, and saw that she was standing on the precipice of a cliff, which was surrounded by a long stretch of the metallic wall that seemed to cage her in. The only way out seemed to be at her back, and looking down from the barren cliff did*’t exactly hold any hope for her either.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

02-Apr-2011 15:20:15 - Last edited on 25-Sep-2013 05:58:06 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Azura noticed that the ground below her seemed shrouded in a yellowish mist, and she couldn’t make out any details save for a few specks of green lights and the sounds of various voices in the distance urging her to jump.

“Don’t listen to them,” she heard a voice say from behind. Azura couldn’t help but jump at the sound, but she felt quickly relieved as she spun around to see a somewhat brutish male (or at least she assumed it was male) humanoid form dressed in the garb of a White Knight of Falador. Granted, the White Knights weren’t exactly known for being the most noble of heroes when push came to shove, but in this strange place she couldn’t afford to turn down any potential help.

“I think that would be common sense if one can't see the ground below,” she replied as she tried regaining her composure.

The knight chuckled. “One would think so, but the souls of the Damned have ways of overriding strong instincts,” he replied.

“Souls?” Azura asked as she chanced a glance back towards the glowing orbs. “So what is this place, one of the hells?”

“No, but close,” the knight said. “I’m not sure about the actual name, but I’ve heard a few mutterings from the locals here and there. Most of them I can’t pronounce, but ‘Fade’ seems to be a common word from them.”

“I can't say I’ve ever heard of it,” she replied. “But either way I’m not liking this one bit.”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

02-Apr-2011 15:21:44 - Last edited on 25-Sep-2013 05:58:11 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The knight laughed. “Trust me when I say it doesn’t get any easier with time,” he said. “I’ve seen people literally torn apart in a manner of seconds by some of the lesser breeds of demon around here, and the more powerful ones have a habit of just disintegrating weaker beings with a glance if they feel like it.”

“So how did you manage to survive until now?"

The knight shrugged. “I have my ways. For starters, I didn't stand around out in the open in my nightclothes.”

Azura blushed as she looked down and realized that the brutish man had a point. Where he was armored, all she had was a brown nightgown that went down to her ankles, which didn't afford her much in the way of actual protection save for a few magical charms which she had enchanted into the garment to prevent ripping.

She snapped her gaze up at a sudden sound, but felt relieved when she saw that it was the knight moving some of the metallic structures out of the way to reveal a somewhat dim hole in a nearby wall.

“C’mon,” he said as he motioned towards the hole. “You really don’t want to stand out here any longer than you need to.”

She couldn’t argue that fact, so she decided to go with the strange knight. Azura ducked into the hole while the knight stayed behind a bit to work the metallic substances back into place, and she saw that tiny dots of magical fire had kept the area well lit enough to reveal a tunnel that was wide enough for three people as well as tall enough to allow ample standing room.

“Don’t worry about getting lost,” she heard the knight say behind her. “Most of the paths in this thing lead to dead ends, so it’s just a matter of trial and error for us to get where we need to be.”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

02-Apr-2011 15:22:11 - Last edited on 25-Sep-2013 05:58:16 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“So just where would that be then?" she asked with no small amount of suspicion.

“It’s where I’ve been staying for the past few years,” the knight replied as he began walking ahead of her. “You see, I was with the 31st Legion of Falador when I somehow ended up in this place. I’m not sure why, but I woke up one night in some ancient arena of sorts in this realm, separated from my comrades and world by no fault of my own.”

“That sounds like what happened to me,” Azura said as she followed the knight through the twisting tunnels. “I just went to bed when I was staying with a few friends, and woke up here.”

“That seems to be how most people come to enter this world,” the knight replied. “My best guess is maybe certain people use a spark of magic accidentally while dreaming. I would imagine that something like that would be enough to cause a small planar shift. Anyways, like I was saying before, I woke up in what I guess must’ve been a combat arena of sorts at some point. I’ve been using that as my base of operations for a while now, and so far none of the locals seem to be aware of its existence.”

“Really?” Azura asked. Something didn't add up in her mind, but she couldn’t put her finger on it for some reason.

“Surprising, but true.”

“Just one question then,” Azura said. “Just what are the locals you keep talking about anyway?”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

02-Apr-2011 15:22:35 - Last edited on 25-Sep-2013 05:58:22 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The knight held up a hand. “Quiet,” he whispered.

“No, I want to know,” she protested.

“No, be quiet,” the knight repeated. “Something’s coming.”

“How do you…” Azura began, but she didn't get the chance to finish as the tunnels began to shake violently. She looked around in alarm, and saw that the small fires seemed to be floating in place despite the tremors.

A massive, muscular form burst from the ceiling behind them, and burrowed into the ground, causing both of them to jump in surprise.

“Any idea what that is?” Azura shrieked.

The knight shrugged and said something, but whatever he was saying was drowned out by a wailing shriek of inhuman rage that came from a bug-like face that shot up from the ground in front of them. At first Azura guessed it to be some sort of ant thanks to how its mandibles sat on the face, but that notion was quickly put to rest as the creature pulled more of its body out from the ground to reveal a multitude of insect-like legs made from bones of a sickening color lining an even more sickening body that seemed to be made up of little more than exposed organs.

“Crawler,” the knight hissed.

"So I see the hound has found new game,” the insect creature growled. “Tell me, what’s so hard to understand about staying out of my damn tunnels?”

“Hound?” Azura asked. “What the hell is he talking about?”

“It’s nothing,” the knight replied. “Just a taunting courtesy of one of the locals I’ve told you about.”

“Ha!” Crawler spat. “Trust me when I say taunting you would be a waste of my time.”

The knight drew a sword that Azura hadn’t noticed on him before, and took a swing at the creature. Crawler recoiled at the attack, but a leg struck the knight square in the chest, sending him sailing into a nearby wall.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

02-Apr-2011 15:23:04 - Last edited on 25-Sep-2013 05:58:27 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Sooo,” Crawler cooed as he turned his attention to an obviously panicked Azura. “What to do with the lost dreamer, hmm?”

“How about letting me go,” Azura said meekly as she tried looking for an escape route. “Please?”

“I don’t think so,” the creature replied flatly. Its body began to convulse, and fell apart bit by bit. “I think my children need a new toy, eh? What say you?”

Azura watched as the falling organs began to grow metallic legs of their own all while slavering mandibles and jaws yawned as if they were waking up. She also saw what appeared to have been shards of glass stuck in some of the organ-insects, but as they began to inch towards her she saw that they were in fact multifaceted eyes instead, if only just barely recognizable as such. She felt the ground tremble as what she guessed was Crawler’s lower half began burrowing back into the ground, leaving the tunnels unobstructed once more.

“Go, my children,” the demon’s voice boomed throughout the tunnels. “I believe Red wants this one alive, but feel free to have a bit of fun scratching her up a bit!"

The organ-insects chattered in a strange series of clicks and hoots as they heard that, and began swarming towards Azura. She immediately turned and ran past the knight’s prone form, which was immediately devoured by some of the closer insects that caught sight of him. Azura tried memorizing the way she and the knight had come from, but the twisting tunnels and clattering of insect legs made conjuring any memories of the correct path next to impossible.

“You can’t run, Dreamer,” she heard Crawler scream. “The Children see all…know all…devour all…”

A small insect caught Azura’s ankle, but she was able to send it flying into a group of its brethren with a swift kick. But the group was only a small part of the swarm, and they trampled over their own kind to eagerly get at her.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

02-Apr-2011 15:24:14 - Last edited on 25-Sep-2013 05:58:33 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Azura threw out her hand and conjured a small burst of magical flame that seared some of the closer insects, causing the fast ones to fall back in pain and the slower ones to burn to death quickly. But she felt her power fade as quickly as she was able to call it forth, and it was then that she knew that she wouldn’t be able to rely on her magic for defense much longer. So she did the only thing she could do, which was turn and run into the tunnels while hoping she didn't hit a dead end.

More than once a part of Crawler’s body would shoot up from the ground and block a path that seemed favorable, causing Azura to veer off in directions that she wasn’t sure were safe to take. But she didn't have time to sit around and ponder which way would take her to the surface of the strange world, and that was a point that was driven home by the ever closing sounds of clicks and clacks coming from Crawler’s “children”.

“You’re in my world now, Dreamer,” Crawler declared. “As long as you remain in this tomb, I can always find you.”

Azura swore under her breath as she narrowly avoided an insect that had leaped at her from a nearby wall, and Crawler continued his tirades.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

02-Apr-2011 15:24:40 - Last edited on 25-Sep-2013 05:58:38 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Why fight the inevitable?” Its voice asked. “We all die sooner or later. Dust to dust and all that fun stuff, don’t ya know!”

Azura turned another corner, and once more Crawler’s body blocked a path and forced her down another tunnel. But this one seemed different at first, and as she ran she realized that the walls seemed to be swaying on their own accord, which made her nauseous as she ran.

“Are you blessed with the Children yet!?” it screamed. “Are you?!”

Azura didn't say anything as her swaying vision caused her to fall to her knees, and she began retching when she noticed a sickening smell coming from ahead of her. She began panicking as she felt her strength leave her, which Crawler seemed to have sensed somehow.

“Don’t worry, Dreamer,” Crawler whispered. “It shall all be over soon.”

The last thing she saw was the wavering form of an organ-insect that had picked her up and began making its way back into the tunnels.

~^+^~

“Milady…he comes with the contender.”

The Queen tapped a talon-like fingernail against the arm of her decrepit throne, her features hidden by a faceless ceremonial mask stained by blood.

“Good,” a mellow, yet sinister, voice said as she turned to face her servant, which was a featherless vulture-like demon known as a Carrion Seeker (or, as he ever adamantly insisted, a Vrik).

“So shall I prepare the Hounds, or…”

“No," the Queen said as she held up a delicate hand to silence the demon. “Prepare…I think the Sentinels shall be today’s diversion. Yes, the Sentinels will do.”

The vulture demon looked at his Queen in surprise. “But…milady…the Sentinels…they are not tested for arena and sacrificial combat. The consequences could be dire if something goes wrong!”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

02-Apr-2011 15:25:23 - Last edited on 25-Sep-2013 05:58:44 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Then consider this their first official test,” the Queen replied.

The demon bowed. “Very well, then. It shall be done at once, mistress!” The Vrik left her side and squeezed into a small alcove that only his kind was capable of going into thanks to their natural ability to contort their bodies into tight spaces. The vulture demon squawked loudly as he crawled deeper and deeper into the natural rock formations of the Fade Realm, and anybody who heard his cry that day knew the message all too well.

A battle was about to begin shortly. And it would be brutal.
~^+^~
Azura woke up to see that her nightmare was not a nightmare at all, but in fact reality. Surrounding her was what she guessed was a host of demons, but what kind they were was a mystery to her. Some of them appeared almost human in appearance, with only a green or red tint to their skin revealing their unholy nature, while others seemed to be inhuman hybrids of mystical creatures that she had only read about in storybooks from her childhood.

Even more alarming was the fact that they were all chained to either a nearby rocky wall or some unseen ceiling, and they all seemed just as frightened as she was at that point. But just barely, though she had a gut feeling that little detail had more to do with demonic pride rather than any kind of craving to experience pain.

Azura tried to move, only to find out that she herself was chained to a wall as well. Her shackles seemed to have been made of some kind of bone or vine, but whatever it was it was strong enough to absorb a magical blast she had manifested in a desperate attempt at escape.

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

02-Apr-2011 15:25:51 - Last edited on 25-Sep-2013 05:58:50 by A Mad Hatter

Dec

2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Heh,” a rough voice clicked to her side. “Like you’re the first to think they can escape that way. Damn humans.”

Azura turned her head and saw an odd dreadlocked creature chained to pillar that was pretty close to her position on the wall. She had to have been in a cave or prison of some kind, she thought, because she could barely make out the features on the figure before her thanks to a pervading darkness, but what she did see was enough to turn her stomach.

For the most part the creature was humanoid in build, but its forehead almost resembled the top part of a giant crab’s shell, with some sort of hair-like spines running down twin ridges on its forehead. Two yellow eyes glared at her from under the ridges, and a quartet of mandibles ending in sharp tusks covered a mouth featuring serrated teeth that reminded her of the wolves she had heard a lumberjack friend of hers describe in the past.

“Well I can still try can't I?" she managed to say despite her fear.

The creature’s mandibles clicked at her response. “Of course, but think…strange land…strange demons…stranger magic…did you really think that anything a human could do would be enough to counter what the Fade Realm has to offer?”

“I wasn’t sure,” she replied. “This is the first time I got captured by some…worm…thing and its gut babies. Hells, I’ve never even heard of the Fade Realm before now!”

A look of shock crossed the creature’s eyes. “So you came here unwillingly?” it asked.

“Yeah,” Azura said angrily. “Why else would I be here?”

^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

02-Apr-2011 15:26:26 - Last edited on 25-Sep-2013 05:58:58 by A Mad Hatter

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