02-10-2019, 04:16 PM
Flickers of light coming from the shore. They splattered a glow into the forest, puncturing the leaves and brush just enough to flash the faintest light onto a fallen soldier, laying face-down on the ground. Several arrows, their feathers brittle and frayed, were buried in her body - her neck, her arms. The forest lay still, save for the canopy rustled by the seaborne breeze.
With the light came the muffled sounds of voices. With the voices, came a muted, swelling aura of dark energy, pulsating from the heart of the soldier. As it grew and covered her in a black haze, her body twitched involuntarily. A familiar voice echoed in her ear...
"...message..."
Her body twitched again. "...a message..."
Finally, she found the strength to move her arms, to push herself up from the ground and slowly, wearily, onto her feet.
"...a message... -agon's... this- ..."
The voices from the distant shoreline seemed to ripple across the soldier's body. Her shroud of darkness seemed to trail behind her as she took her first steps in decades. Her eyes finally opened. Bright. Golden. Piercing. She reached up to her neck and plucked the arrow from it. Shadows poured from the wound. She clutched at her belt, for the sword that was no longer there, as she made her way towards the edge of the forest.
"This is a message... from Lord Nergal..."
Her voice was faint, barely above a whisper. The magic was weak. But it was enough.
"...I await you at the Dragon's Gate."
With the light came the muffled sounds of voices. With the voices, came a muted, swelling aura of dark energy, pulsating from the heart of the soldier. As it grew and covered her in a black haze, her body twitched involuntarily. A familiar voice echoed in her ear...
"...message..."
Her body twitched again. "...a message..."
Finally, she found the strength to move her arms, to push herself up from the ground and slowly, wearily, onto her feet.
"...a message... -agon's... this- ..."
The voices from the distant shoreline seemed to ripple across the soldier's body. Her shroud of darkness seemed to trail behind her as she took her first steps in decades. Her eyes finally opened. Bright. Golden. Piercing. She reached up to her neck and plucked the arrow from it. Shadows poured from the wound. She clutched at her belt, for the sword that was no longer there, as she made her way towards the edge of the forest.
"This is a message... from Lord Nergal..."
Her voice was faint, barely above a whisper. The magic was weak. But it was enough.
"...I await you at the Dragon's Gate."