Blackheart

Into the Abyss

Alexander took a deep breath to calm himself. The young man was nervous, unsure about what this meeting meant for him. Despite years of training, he was still a recent addition to the order. After a moment of hesitation, he pushed open the castle doors.

Alexander entered the throne room, having being called for personally by the king. Elaborate tapestries and art of all kinds adorned the grey stone walls of the long room, Ending in two grand banners hanging by each side of the throne the king was seated on.

The king, Salign, was a pale, feeble looking old man. Despite this, he was both wise and hardy. His eyes radiated passion and wisdom, and his face, though old and wrinkled, was scrunched up in deep thought. He wore bright blue robes with his royal crest, and a deep red cape. His light, silver circlet had a much smaller profile than a standard, heavy, flashy crown. His grey hair was long and well kept. His beard was not much thicker than Alexander's own scruffy facial hair.

King Salign was by all accounts a controversial king, loved by Human puritans but despised by many across all walks of life. The Great Exodus he had forced upon the kingdom separated families, friends, lovers, and even tore apart the Church. Paladins and priests from all across the kingdom had still not forgiven him for his approach to the Great Uprising, nor would they ever.

Beside the king stood a woman that could give even the large knight a run for his money. The woman was fair skinned and looked about in her thirties, and had dark brown hair. She was very tall, and very bulky. Her heavy, dark platemail armor, massive claymore, and huge frame made for an intimidating warrior.

Alexander quickly approached and took a knee. "My king. You called for me?"

Salign nodded. "We've spoken before, about your mission."

"Palethorn, the city of monsters, yes."

Salign leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Well, our friend here has some advice...this is Jennifer, a wandering adventurer we hired to investigate Palethorn. She was sent out a few weeks ago."

Alexander's head shot up. "She returned?!"

The city of Palethorn was a massive settlement on the outskirts of the human kingdom of Geralthin. On the orders of King Salign, knights, soldiers, sellswords and warriors of all kinds cleared out the entire land of beasts, monsters and any other non-humans. Any creature that surrendered themselves peacefully were led to an mountainous clearing in the far outskirts of the kingdom.

Builders and contractors began building a town for the creatures to live in, and soldiers surrounded their land, instructed not to let any non-human leave without direct orders from the king. The creatures prospered thanks to the efforts of human workers, and soon the town expanded into a massive, cosmopolitan city that welcomed anyone, regardless of who they were.

Several months ago, a sinister black fog formed around the city, rendering it invisible for miles. Anyone that attempted to enter the fog, reach the city, and report back was never seen again. Countless soldiers, knights, clerics, mercenaries and wanderers entered the fog, and none had returned...until now.

"T-this is amazing. What is going on over there?"

The warrior shifted her stance and sighed wearily. "You'd all think I was a raving halfwit if it weren't for the circumstances. It's...it's horrid. Unlike anything I've ever seen. Demons, monstrosities, and..shambling corpses. The armies of hell are in that city, friend. I stayed hidden mostly; my only goal was to escape. Monsters still roam the land, but the beasts strike them down, and if the demons get them...they drive them mad, or turn them into...misshapen creatures."

Alexander stood up. "Is...is anyone still there?"

Jennifer nodded. "I ran into a few humans. Only a few. They mentioned a hideout but I just got out of there. There was a beast-warrior and a cleric exploring for resources."

"So there's still hope, then...what about the fog?"

Jennifer sighed. "It's thick as can be. You can barely see your own hands in front of you. It lets up when you reach the city. Just keep walking forward, you'll get there eventually."

King Salign turned to the mercenary. "Thank you for your contribution, Jennifer. We will see to it that you are properly rewarded, as for the task at hand..." Salign turned and gave Alexander a stern expression. "You've been told of your duty. Pierce the fog, enter the city, and find the source of the infestation. Failure is not an option."

Alexander nodded and bowed. He had spent several months training for this mission. Through it all he had brushed up on his combat skills, undergone survival training, and learned to speak the language of monsters. "Of course."

The king nodded. "It is time. Gather your supplies and set out immediately. Look for a priest once you reach the fog. He was sent to observe the effects of the accursed darkness." Alexander slammed his fist against his chest.

"It shall be done!"

Alexander quickly approached the black fog, its thick smoke seeming to stretch up into the sky, making it look like a massive wall of darkness. He looked to the ground and saw a priest on one knee staring intently at the ground. The priest was an older looking man with a thin goatee, brown eyes, tanned skin, and short, black hair. He wore a simple and modest looking brown robe that covered his entire body, aside from his head and hands, which had soft, brown leather gloves on them. He held a simple wooden cross in his hand as he mumbled a prayer to himself. Alexander called to the holy man and waved.

"Hail! You are the priest the king has sent, no?"

The priest quickly looked up, appearing displeased. "That is correct. I suppose you are...the volunteer?" Alexander shrugged.

"Someone has to do it. Can you tell me about this hellish fog?"

The priest stood up, grimacing. "Hellish is a good description indeed. This twisted fog is unlike anything I've ever seen before, in all my years of travel, sanctifying, exorcism, and blessings I've not seen evil as dark as this." The priest pointed at the ground near the fog. "See the grass?"

Alexander looked at the ground right in front of the fog. The blades of grass were black, charred and looked ready to turn to ash. "The fog holds some kind of foul corruption that is tainting the land it blankets! That, however, is only the beginning of our problems. You probably assume that the worst case scenario is we lose the city of monsters. Almost nobody except for humans will remain if we can't get in, but the rest of the kingdom will be fine, correct?"

"I assume there's another issue at work," Alexander said knowingly.

"Worse than you can imagine. Look carefully, can you see that large rock, a little bit ahead?" The priest pointed at the fog. Alexander squinted his eyes and could just barely make the outline of a rock behind the swirling darkness, a few feet behind the initial wall of fog. "I was standing nearby that rock at the beginning of the week, when I first began examining this blackness."

Alexander's eyes widened as he fully understood what the priest was saying. "The fog...it's spreading."

"That's right. It moves forward very slowly, but if we simply wait, I fear that the entire world will be enveloped in this darkness. We can't afford to lose. You MUST go in, and find out what is happening!"

Alexander nodded, shifting his weight as he adjusted his platemail slightly. "Thank you. I'm going in. I'll do my best." The priest closed his eyes and bowed his head.

"May God grant you mercy, sir knight." Offering one final nod to the priest, Alexander turned to face the black fog, and stepped forward.