Andrilison

The marshes

After receiving the news from down South, four Nighthaunt rangers galloped through the forest to get to the Marshes.

"What are we looking for exactly?" asked one of the riders, as they cleared the forest line and entered the vast quagmire.

"Well, I don't know exactly but supposedly we will know when we find it." The captain replied.

"Great help, do we have any information?" he asked sarcastically.

"Supposedly, it is near the Ruins of the Water."

"Fantastic."

Soon the swamp began to get too much for the horses. The rangers were forced to dismount and continue on foot. After a few minutes of walking through reeds and stagnant water they finally spotted the distant stone pillars. As they neared they stopped. Seeing a black figure alone at the ruins they crouched down. The smell was intoxicating and the flies buzzing around was irritating. A ranger shuffled, which was quickly hushed.

"Proceed very quietly." The captain whispered.

Led by the captain they quietly moved towards the ruins. As they got closer the ranger's noticed it throwing items around. One of the rangers made a look to the Captain, "Guess its here for what we are." They spread out and pressed their backs against the cold mossy stone. Edging around the old temple the rangers surrounded the creature. Plates and sword blades clattered off of the stone. Getting more desperate the creature frantically tipped over everything to find the artefact. Leaning over a falling vine-covered pillar, the creature recoiled. It picked up a bowl and tipped the water out of it. The rangers looked to each other in confusion. Placing the bowl on a pedestal in the centre it filled it from a vial of liquid. Then it pulled out a severed head and drained the blood into the bowl. Gagging the rangers backed up slightly. Hearing the noises the creature pulled a sword out of mid air. The dark mist enveloped it and in a sinister voice it called the attackers to show themselves. Drawing their own swords, the Nighthaunt rangers advanced.

It hovered its hand over the bowl and muttered, "Spharask id sha wesar, I anqika sha rashs id phiwar drim sha kedradada id enishar'k bliid." The water glowed red and pulses of air emanated from the pillar.

"What was that?"

"I have no idea but whatever it was I don't like the s-" the captain was saying before he got blasted back. The pillars quaked and the stone began to move. A portal opened and the creature grabbed the bowl and made for it. Instantly one of the rangers rushed the creature attempting to stop it from escaping. He slammed his shoulder into the creature knocking it and the bowl to the ground. Snapping its head to the attacking ranger it pulled out its sword and took a swing at his head. In response the ranger made a lunge. The demon held his wrist and stepped into the man, body slamming him to the ground. He fell to the ground his left shoulder dislocated. Scampering up he tried to escape but an abyssal sword was plunged through his stomach. Another ranger attacked the creature with in up-swing but it parried clattering the sword to the ground. With its opponents disarmed or dying, the demon rushed to grab the bowl and stepped through the portal. As it closed the disarmed ranger grabbed a sword from the swamp and, ignoring the warning calls from the other rangers, he sprinted through.

Ranger Matthew's tumbled out of the portal into a throne room. Golmatoth stood surrounded by hi children admiring the bowl.

"Good, good."

Hearing the sudden noise from the ranger he turned and stared the human dead in his eyes. Sighing and muttering, 'They never learn.' He let his children go. Ranger Matthew's backed up swiftly as the demons sprinted towards him. He sidestepped one and cut through another. But that movement had left him vulnerable. The other children pounced. One clawed at his chest another on his face. One pounced on his back and started biting. Stings of pain and the willingness to give in were ignored. He had to get through. 

He knocked off all of the children and sprinted at Golmatoth with his sword held high. He jumped and plunged it into the demon's chest. Pulling the blood-coated sword out he cut off the head. It tumbled to the floor. 

Ranger Matthew's eyes clouded. His visions was lost. As the pains came back he realised he had never left the children. The nerve venom. The bites. The children. He dropped. And gave in.