Blood of the Abyss

Prologue: Tides of Ruin

The pirates reached Parf Edhellen at last, the blood red sky greeting them. The winds were harsher, coarse sand biting into their skin with each gust. An uneasy feeling washed over them all, except for their brave captain, for he knew what must be done. To the precipice of the ravine he strode, drawing one of his many daggers from its sheath. Once he reached the edge, a quick drag of the blade on his palm, the sting of the skin separating, the heat of the scarlet red blood that matched the hue of the sky, the crew watched as drip after drip fell into the ravine. Anticipation filled their guts, filled their hearts. Anticipation, for their salvation was surely at hand. Minutes, hours, days passed and nothing happened. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to years, and nothing happened.

And nothing happened even when the captain began taking his own crew members and bleeding them dry into the ravine. His crew knew the sacrifice they would need to make to their captain, stepping forward as if they were in a trance. Anger boiled in the captain's veins.

"Why isn't it working? It should be working." He said it as another member of his crew became cold and limp in his arms, some of the blood that had dripped down their neck and onto his hands already drying to that dark, ruddy color. How much blood of his comrades had he spilt up to this point? The discarded bodies laid around him, some further in the stages of decay than others. The smell, gods, that awful smell. Bile rose in his throat that he quickly swallowed. His ship, The Noapte Purpurie, rested in the waters, and silence answered his words. This was his last crew member, he quickly realized. A tightness filled his chest, though he couldn't place the emotion. Was it supposed to be sadness? The only thing that filled him was rage. Rage at his failure, rage that he would not be able to save Evrand, would not be able to save...her. Visions of her flashed in his mind. Her carefree smile, her wild spirit, the feel of her skin, and how she was like an inferno, raging forever in his mindseye. A holy fire that his now bloody hands would taint if he failed. A flame that would fade to ashes if he did not gain the power of this place. A light that would never grace this earth with its presence.

"It has to work. Please let it work." He placed the dagger he still held against his wrist and began to drag it, the skin slicing so slowly.

"You realize sacrifice is not the answer?" The captain turned to see a dark shroud standing mere feet away from him. Where had this shroud been before, he was not sure, but bright red eyes watched him curiously.

"Who speaks?" He asked, noting the features of the shroud. Blackened hands and feet, wicked horns that stretched out of the creatures head. Blood red eyes met the intrepid captain's cat-like eyes. The creature grinned with viciously, pointed teeth.

"I am Gabriel the Watcher, and who are you?" His voice was a raspy whisper. The captain felt true fear for the first time since he had reached the abyss. His heart quickened in his chest.

"My name is Shadowend Kyln, Captain The Noapte Purpurie." Shadowend straightened to his full height. "What are you? I've never seen a creature like you before." In spite of himself, he shook in his leather as a sudden chill washed over him. The power emanating from this shroud made his knees quake.

"What I am is no matter. What you can become is what you should be wondering."

"What can I become?" Shadowend cocked his head in curiosity.

"Why a god of course. The abyss grants the power of godhood, at a price of course."

"What price?" Shadowend licked his lips hungrily. Power was at his fingertips. The power to save her, to save everyone.

"You must open a rift to my realm. Doing so will allow my people to walk the earth freely."

"Help me ascend to godhood and I will open this rift." Shadowend had no intention of opening a rift for whatever this creature was but if the power he so desperately craved would be granted to him, he would lie through his teeth. He would do anything for her, absolutely anything.

The Watcher smirked and nodded. He extended his black hands and uttered words in an ancient tongue that Shadowend had never heard. Blood from the ravine lifted into the air in droplets around them and Shadowend could feel power surging through him. Soon after, Gabriel lowered his hands.

"It is done." He said in his wispy voice.

"I feel so much power." Shadowend grinned widely. With this, he surely could save her. He eyed Gabriel and noticed a sickening grin emerging on his face.

"I'm glad..." Gabriel's voice had turned rueful, like he knew more than he would ever let on. He suddenly lunged for Shadowend and plunged his blackened hand into Shadowend's chest. His hand found the heart of the new 'god' and squeezed until it burst. Blood exploded from Shadowend and Gabriel kicked his writhing body into the abyss. Shadowend's consciousness was fleeting as he fell. Fleeting like his life. What a miserable way to go out. He had failed. Had failed everyone, but more importantly, had failed her. Another woman flashed into his view, her sweet, naive smile turned to a frown. Her bright, trusting eyes turned cold with hate, and the sunlight turned to winter. And then he hit the bloodstream at the bottom of the ravine. Just as the body hit the blood of the river at the bottom, the rift opened. It would be slow, but Gabriel's people would emerge more and more everyday.