The Tales of Zaleth

Chapter 3: War or annihilation?

Wyatt Pimlico was dumped into the catacombs under the city. Theodore was incredibly worried, and Julian wanted to tell Justin about what he saw. Sam and Laura were out shopping for groceries and Sam planned to tell Laura about Wyatt. "Wyatt Pimlico was murdered. That's what the guard claimed at least. There was some weird red thing on his neck." Sam says on their way home. "What?" Laura asks in confusion. "I think Wyatt wasn't murdered as an act of war, but as a sign of annihilation." Sam says. "What do you mean?" Laura asks really confused. "Legends speak of a time before the city states, a time where we fought an enemy that we couldn't fight, where we were being annihilated." Sam says. "You're paranoid." Laura says quietly. They arrive home and Laura tells Justin what Sam told her. "She's not wrong. Before the centuries of war there were city states waring amongst one another, how they became Reth and the order is unknown. Perhaps they allied to fight this so called impossible enemy." Justin says jokingly. They laugh and go to sleep.

Theodore, worried, walks into the catacombs to see if his theory is true. It is. The air is flooded with red and brown masses of...stuff. The catacombs are darker than ever, as if light was purged entirely. As Theodore walks through the catacombs he sees what looks like Wyatt. It wasn't Wyatt anymore. One of his arms was a brown mass in the shape of a talon. His face covered with a red mass with brown tentacles covering it. His clothes were ragged and he roared louder than a lion. Theodore turns to run but he sees things similar to what Wyatt is now. The king grabs his sword and swings at the incoming things, killing only two. He runs towards the entrance, more of those things coming out of the shadows. The king can smell something, worse, from within, but he runs. He manages to escape the catacombs, but he is unaware if any of those things escaped. Theodore leaves the entrance to the catacombs, he finds a trail made of similar mass as the creatures. Theodore follows the trail, it stops halfway through the alley. He leaves.

During the next few days there's been almost 100 missing persons cases, and almost 150 murders. Each body is being kept in the castle dungeon. Theodore is afraid of the catacombs, and the dungeons. He's tasked his guard with finding the kidnapper and murderer, but he knows it's the creatures. People are starting to doubt the guard and king Theodore, some have began planning riots. Justin, Julian, Laura, and Sam leave the city. Not out of fear, but to find answers in a faraway place known as the old world. A land which hopefully has answers, and the truth. "Captain Grad, any progress?" King Theodore asks while he sits on his throne with his hands over his eyes. "No, sir." Grad responds. "I think it's time for a new task, cleanse the catacombs of the creatures." Theodore orders. "What creatures?" Grad asks. Theodore fills Grad in and he orders two squads of town militia to the catacombs entrance. "What's wrong, honey?" The queen asks. "I fear a war isn't coming, but annihilation." Theodore says in a low foreboding voice and a sinister smile.