Eril's Story

Day 8

I felt a hand on my shoulder. 'Get up', the voice said. I followed the shadowy figure past the walls of the fortress, then walking up a winding spiral staircase that seemed to go on forever, longer than any staircase reasonably could, until my legs were sore and ached.

We finally came to a ledge overlooking the courtyard of Miran. Except it wasn't the courtyard of the fortress, it was a smoldering abyss, hundreds of dark creatures clinging to the walls, slithering around, red eyes staring back at me like embers.

The longer I looked, the more I felt the void swallowing me up. Walls of the castle began to slide backwards into the black, and I felt as if outer space was all around me, rushing by. Tiny points of light bloomed into my vision, becoming increasingly bright, until I was surrounded by the stars, orbiting me in a brilliant procession. And out of the stars figures emerged, some beautiful and majestic, some hideous and cruel, with each birth, the speed at which everything was orbiting increased, reaching a dizzying frenzy, blurring together in bands of intense light. As I looked around me into the light, faces would become apparent to me, and when I dared to look, they would stare back, locking eyes and filling me with dread.

Fog overtook me and I stumbled about trying to find something solid to lean on or grasp. 'Over here', voices whispered. But wherever I went, there was only smoke, a thick haze turning into ash, raining down on me as a red sunrise illuminated a silent forest with a floor of carnage. I felt sick at the sight and smell of twisted flesh and metal carpeting the landscape, with not even an inch of ground visible.

A blade sang out from behind me, reflexively I turned and blocked, surprised to find a blade clutched in my own hand. With an overpowering rage I struck a blow, cleaving the attacker in half. Increasingly attacks came, and I dispatched each foe with increasing ferocity. Then a slash came down that shook my entire body. My sword melted in my grip, leaving both hands stained red.

A towering pale figure with glowing white eyes stood before me. Instead of the mounting anxiety and dread I had been feeling, a surreal calmness, peace, and then acceptance washed over me. With an overhead stroke of its mighty sword through my being I was abruptly brought to my senses - finding myself at the edge of a precipice inside the ruined fortress, teetering on the edge as if fighting against a force trying to cast me down to my own doom. The presence of lingering evil pervaded beyond the nightmare, seemingly guiding my own sleeping steps beyond my will.

Extremely unnerved I picked my way back to the camp at the base of the outer wall, using the light of the moon which was just leaving its apex in the night sky. To my disturbed mind every dark shape took on the appearance of a devil or giant monster waiting to strike. Looking around, things clearly had been altered and defiled past the state of simply being occupied after the defenders fell. A massive ziggurat had even been erected where once had been a pristine courtyard, filled with all kinds of living and good things.

I hurried on, surprised at how far I had trekked in my sleep. Reaching a more open space I reeled back. On the ground were shadows of flying creatures unlike anything I had ever seen, but when I looked up there was nothing there. Running now, it became my folly, for in my flight I tripped over a pile of rubble which sent me sprawling, landing face to face with an overturned statue of a terrifying human hybrid that had the torso of a man, but the head of a bat and the lower body of a serpent.

Hobbling out I found my things in the gloom and set off back towards the road. I could only make it until mid day before fatigue and the pain in my bruised and swollen leg forced me to stop. There was a good tree to sit under, and I spent some time trying to find mental composure. Anxiety, and intrusive and disturbing thoughts kept gnawing at my mind, making peace impossible to come by.

Closing my eyes and focusing on my breath, I began to acknowledge and subsequently dismiss the thoughts that flowed in and out of my head, one by one until all that was left was emptiness - into which I asked for protection from that which is beyond the world. Afterward a strong sense of tranquility washed over me, and I had the overwhelming sensation that everything was going to be alright. With a half smile I lay in the shade and slept for a long time, dream free.