Death Comes for You

The Barricade

As we cross the bridge to the shattered mountain, a foul stench of sulfur and death is still lingering in the air, even after the maw to hell has been closed for many years. I can sense my son getting uneasy. It's probably the demonic smell or the eerie, vast emptiness of our surroundings--perhaps even both--but I cannot deny that I feel a strange urge to run and never come back, but I have come too far.

There is no turning back now.

At the entrance to the once monumental sized Arreat mountain, I gaze behind myself one last time, Bastions keep standing tall at the horizon and snow covered peeks piercing the grey skies above. As I scan every inch of our surroundings, I can feel a wave of doubts and concern rushing in on me like an endless tidal wave. Kelan has the same expression on his visage, but we both must lay any negative thought aside and press on. Thus we do, after giving each other reassuring glances.

As we enter the gaping hole within the stone, I am surprised to see that it looks nothing like I imagined. From the stories I've heard I half expected to enter hell itself, facing demons and battling the urge to gag due to the horrible smell it brings with it, but it's just a normal cave. Rough, rocky walls and floor, a musky smell--laced with a bit of brimstone-- and echoes of water drops splashing into puddles in the distance echo through the air; everything is a bit too normal considering this areas' past.

We continue deeper into the mountain, the darkness growing thicker with each step we take. To illuminate our path I summon forth a small familiar, a fiery orb which never leaves my side.

"Mom, do you even know where we're going?" Kelan questions after we've taken a few turns.

I shake my head with a soft smile, "Not really, but that's what makes this an adventure, right?"

"I guess so..."

My son trails off at the end of his sentence, focusing more on where he's stepping, rather than casual conversation. The winding path feels endless, seemingly leading us in circles, up until we reach a barricade. I send my familiar ahead, scoping the length of the sharpened, wooden pillars blocking our path towards what looks like a door, carved into the rock itself. There are odd symbols marking the walls as well, they look like a protective spell, but I've never seen anything like them. The ones closest to me are shining with a bright, piercing blue which dims whenever I move away from the wall.

'Why are they reacting to me?' I ponder, my eyes fixed on the mysterious, glowing letters.

My son has started removing the barricade one bit at a time, more eager to see the other end than he has been about anything during our adventure. Curiously, I begin to watch him half-heartedly, wondering if he hasn't seen the more than clear warning signs or if he's simply ignoring them. Once I break through my trance like state, Kelan has already made it half way to the other side. He pushes the wood aside, as sweat trickles down his forehead and drips to the ground beneath our feet.

"Kelan? Are you ok?"

I carefully lift a part of the barricade aside, noticing that the wood is old and rotten, not to mention almost weightless, so why is me struggling so much to shift them away? I've never seen him get exhausted so quickly during a few minutes of workout, he usually has inhuman amounts of stamina and dexterity.

"Yeah....yeah, I'm.... I'm ok..." He pants heavily before collapsing in front of the door, having moved the final bit aside with the last of his strength.

"Kelan!" I cry out, rushing to his side and dropping to my knees. "What's the matter? Are you ok?"

Panic ridden, I'm not entirely sure what to do. He was perfectly healthy just minutes ago and now it's as though all his strength has been sapped from him. His eyes are half-lidded, but still open and his body feels lifeless within my grasp. I place my ear to his chest to listen to his heart and breathing and both sound normal. His ticker is not beating rapidly or too slow and he is able to take deep breaths and hold them.