Tales of Nyandor 4: The Blood Hunt

Chapter 5

'My lord.' 'Speak sergeant.' 'The operation on Nyandor's northern border failed. The whole team dead, we suspect witch hunters.' 'I see....they're becoming a larger problem that need to be dealt with.' 'Do you have a plan my lord?' 'I do. Since we can't rely on our dwindling mages anymore we need to find a new source of firepower. Grab your best warriors, we're going for an expedition of our own.' 'Where are we going my lord?' 'You'll see.'

*

They flew for en entire day on gargoyles from the southeast to the northwest. The landscape suddenly grew dark, from green an alive to black and empty as if a giant hole into the abyss had opened up for miles across. The Shadowlands, the lost territory. They landed in the middle of the forest, the bark had grown gray and leaves charcoal black. The air was cold but not winter cold. It was the same type of cold inside a tomb, dead cold. 'We walk from here.' Aztaroth ordered his strongest. The soldiers following him was his elite. They were murderers, serial killers, former assassins and military. The most dangerous killers humans could think of. They walked for hours in almost complete darkness and utter silence. Then it was as if they walked inside a nightmare. Small rivers and a lake in the distance who's water actually glowed bright purple. Yellow eyes in the treetops and shadows formed as humans walking trough any solid objects slowly not even seeming to notice them. Zombies also tread the area but was quickly dispatched by a quick severing of the head. They walked up to a ruin with an altar. Behind the altar was a round pool of the glowing purple liquid. Whispers could be heard from every direction but no one could make out the words. 'My loyal elite the time has come for you to get a...promotion. For to long has the witch hunters interfered with my plans. Ambushing our caravans, killing our patrols and assassinate my mages. Well they never faced this type of power before. I have spent decades preparing this ritual for this specific purpose. You are my solution to this problem.'

'My lord of I may ask..What is it you're planning to do with us?'

'I'll imbue you with power beyond anything you could image. You will become something more than just humans, you will be part void like myself.' 'We will be like you?!' 'Not quite, but closer than you are now. Rodger...step onto the circle.'

Hesitantly he stepped in the glowing water in the middle of the circle. Aztaroth stood on the other side of the altar and placed his hands on it and it began to glow. The whispers grew louder and shadows started rising from the water like mist.

The shadows surrounded him and his skin grew pale as he started to panic. 'Do not fear, this will not hurt.....much.'

The shadows pierced his skin and he started to scream in more panic than pain. It started to color him gray and his eyes black as night. 'Rise from your mortal form! You ride now....as my knight of the void!' the shadows scattered with an explosion of purple light and suddenly he stood there. His eyes turned to glowing purple orbs similar to Aztaroth's yellow. His skin was dark gray with clear visible veins. 'I....live!!' his voice echoed in a unnatural way. 'This!....this will be my secret weapon. You are death itself! Will you fight in my name?' 'I'm your weapon and your wrath! Point me to the enemies and I'll destroy them!!'

'....good....'