Tales of Nyandor 6: Trials of the void

Chapter 14

They left the forest soon after the battle, guided by Kalen. 'Here's the edge. I'll just head back to the town now.' 'Thanks for your help. Are you sure none of your people wanna come with us?' 'As much as I appreciate the offer I doubt it. After three centuries we're bound to the forest, we're a part of it now and it of us.'

'I see...well I'll make sure you aren't forgotten again. Take care in there.' Kalen bowed before heading back and the rest walked back out into the grass field just in time to see the sun setting behind the Jade forest to the west.

'Well now we just gotta tell the others.' 'Ya..' Elena seemed worried, almost scared even. And everyone knew why...it was time for them to return "there" now..

'Its time for us to return to the hall of shadows now. Our mission is complete.' The witch hunters left east. 'Lady Elena..its been an honor.' Moira said just before she vanished at super speed into the distance.

*

They arrived trough the portal into familiar lands. The Dales mainly looked the same but there was a sense dread left over the lands. And as closer they got to the castle the more it looked like the Shadowlands. The town just in front of Dalemountain castle was a heartbreaking scene. The houses were in poor shape, bodies hung from the wooden pillars and in the small spaces between building was carriages loaded up with bodies. It was clear just how much they suffered in his hands... the survivors who now seemed so few was pale, dangerously skinny and their eyes showed no personality, no sanity left in them. They were broken...

The elven soldiers patrolled the streets and cut down the hanging bodies, transporting the dead outside to burn them. The castle had numerous modifications. Large spikes stood out from the walls, skulls hung from the open gate. Lorkhan stood there just behind the wall that they fought in front of when the attack came, Aztaroth's former soldiers littered the ground.

'Welcome back lady Dalemountain. Good news is that we took the castle with ease. Bad news is...well you can clearly see it yourself.'

Words could not describe how horrible it was, to see their home in such a state. What used to be beautiful was dark and twisted. Dread and suffering could almost be smelled in the very air. They inspected the castle, going room by room to see the same shit everywhere. Bodies, weapons and torture devices of all kinds. Elena opened the door to her old room and saw a mages lab. Artifacts stood neatly along the walls, tables with books and maps. Clearly Aztaroth had used this as his quarters. In the middle, upon a pillar stood a orb. Clouds slowly moved inside of it. 'That is a seers stone mistress.' Methraden floated inside. 'Mages sometimes uses these for visions.' 'Visions of what?' 'Anything really. Anything they can find to be of use.' Elena slowly touched it and the instant her fingers grazed the cold surface she was transported somewhere else.

She stood upon a floating rock in the middle of nowhere...literally. The stars and blackness of space was all around her. Certain parts was illuminated by clouds of bright colors, lit up the gathering of stars in a tight area.

She looked around completely confused when she then fell over in terror. There, in front of her blocking out the light of one of the bright gatherings was the most horrendous being she ever witnessed. The creature had no solid form, its planet sized body was just a cloud of moving shadows, the same Aztaroth had..

Occasionally the darkness formed a tentacle before it vanished again. Circular mouths with non solid teeth along the sides formed and vanished on its massive form. Dark, deep, echoing noises was let out from it. She was sure this was it! The destroyer...

She caught a glimpse of what looked like a gray corpse attached to one of its tentacles before she was swiftly pulled back to the castle. She fell back away from the orb, her body trembling with fear. 'Mistress! What happened?? what did you see?'