Tanek and Coty found themselves at the bottom of the stairs. It was a short journey, but tiring. There was a small statue of a Virgin Mary at the bottom. In her hands were three blue orbs that, once Tanek stood nearby, floated into his heart and filled him with determination. Upon closer inspection of the dirty statue, he saw a note attached.
"Another note?" Coty questioned.
Tanek reached over and pulled the note from the statue. It was in much better condition than the previous notes, seemingly written only moments prior since the ink was still wet.
"I see the Blade of Binding worked on you both. Find me at the Shrouded Valley. I wish to speak with you. - Your friend"
As usual the name was smudged, but this time the first letter was coherent, "P". Tanek handed Coty the note to look over. He took a look around and saw a wooden bridge that covered a deep chasm. Halfway over the chasm the bridge suddenly disappeared.
He tried to focus on that point of the bridge but his mind kept disorienting.
Coty kept the note in her satchel and looked down at the statue. As she glared into the face of Virgin Mary, there was a sudden shift in the air. It felt much more pure and cleansed.
Tanek took in a deep breath, "What did you do?"
Coty shook her head, "I have no idea. Her eyes connected with mine and suddenly I felt something in my body."
"What did you feel?" Tanek asked politely.
"W-wait. I remember." Coty dropped to her knees and gripped her head.
Tanek ran to her side and rubbed her back, "Are you okay? What's going on?"
Coty let out a cry before falling on her back, unconscious.
Tanek let out a sigh. He thought, what the hell is happening around here?
Coty breathed softly, she didn't seem to feel any pain or discomfort. Tanek let her rest in whatever state she was in. He decided to walk up to the start of the bridge he peeked his head over the edge and could only see Yakshit's body wrapping around the peak that they stood upon. The sun seemed to directly hit the scales and reflect a soft green color. Tanek glared closely only to hear a distant groaning from across the bridge. He let out a nervous breath before glaring into the fog that consumed the other half of the bridge once again. The more he focused, the more he felt a paranoia invade his mind.
He shook off his suspicions and sat by the statue. Once again, he was filled with determination. The statue's presence seemed to be a safe haven for Tanek. As he sat by the dirty statue he unsheathed his sword. He inspected the blade and wondered why he would need to use it at all. Tanek's mind wandered off of his journey for a moment to relax. The skies were dark. The sun was barely piercing through, but it still shone brightly. He smelled the purified air and felt a brisk wind blow by.
"The end is arriving. The fires have faded. Something is terribly wrong." Coty muttered in her sleep. Tanek glanced over at her. Her face was filled with tears, but she wasn't awake. Tanek picked her into his arms and her muttering came to a halt. Her face quickly dried of tears and she fell back into a deep slumber.
"Fires?" Tanek said to himself. He shook his head and then closed his eyes.
The night came sooner than expected. Tanek and Coty finally awoke from their slumber. Yakshit was nowhere to be found. The skies were clear, the stars were out and shining bright. The moon was a soft blue that revealed the way forward.
"Are you ready?" Coty asked Tanek whom just opened his eyes. She was standing at the beginning of the bridge as if captivated by the Terror up ahead.
Tanek sighed and sat up from the ground, "What happened to you?"
Coty bowed her head in shame. She turned from the bridge and stepped next to Tanek, "I-I do not know. But I remembered something of ages past."
Tanek stood up to meet her stance, "And what did you remember?"
Coty turned from Tanek, "This land. . .is ridden with corruption. These are the Miran Mountains, worshiped by normal folk. Those who tried to make their way up the Thousand Year Stairs were found dead. There were two fires of Supreme Beings that have faded since our arrival."
"So we must light them again?" Tanek asked. "We must meet with this 'friend' of ours so we can figure out who he is."
"Of course." Coty said standing tall next to Tanek. They found themselves at the start of the bridge together. The old wooden planks tied to the withering rope gave them an uneasy feeling, but they had no choice.
Tanek stepped onto the plank first and felt the sturdiness, "It seems safe but be swift."
They both walked across the bridge slowly each plank they crossed over the dark chasm seemed to fill the air with a pollution. They traveled for about 30 minutes before reaching the middle of the bridge. The Terror that stood in front of them was thick, nearly solid like a stone wall.
The bridge rocked back and forth, lightly. They just stood there not knowing what would happen after they entered the Terror.
Tanek glanced at Coty, "Well, looks like we have no choice." He put his arm through the Terror and suddenly the path was open. The Terror split open and revealed the rest of the path ahead. Tanek's left arm was enveloped by the Terror and lost some of it's strength. The Terror coated his skin in a dark purple color, forever stained.
"Are you okay?" Coty asked taking a closer look at his arm. "Is there pain?"
Tanek shook hid head, "No. But something is invading my nerves."
Coty took his arm in both of her hands and took a deep breath. Her eyes turned into a solid milky white color thrusting her head back. Within a moment she took her lips to his skin and a pure aura filled his veins, partially restoring his strength. "How about now?"
Tanek gave her a look of caution, "Much better, but not completely. Come, we must go."
They continued moving across the bridge until they reached solid ground once again. There was a sign that said in large white letters:
Turn back.
Tanek knew there wasn't anywhere to go other than into the Bottomless. He turned from the sign to the Valley. There were three large buildings, religious, that were surrounded by four watchtowers. The birch trees were tall, but slowly withering with time. In the distance the ground narrowed into a path through a ravine, Tanek could barely see a Divine Light shining through.
"Where do you suspect our friend might be?" Tanek asked. "I think that center building seems the most reasonable."
Coty nodded, "We should head to the front gates."
Tanek silently agreed and they both walked cautiously up to towering gates connected by two of the watchtowers. There are remnants of a battle that waged here. Bloodied arrows attached to skeletal remains. Resting blades next to more bodies. The gate itself was damaged, but still functional. It towered above Tanek and Coty as they stood at the base of the gate and its walls. Tanek wasn't fond of knocking on an unknown Valley. He didn't know what could possibly happen. "I suggest we find another way inside. I'm getting strange presences from this gate."
Coty nodded, "I noticed a small trail off to the left when we arrived. It leads into a woods, but we must be careful."
Tanek quickly turned to the trail and began making way. He could see the path past a couple of thick white bushes. There were stones that were placed as a guide through. Coty didn't have a good feeling about the trail, much like Tanek did about the gate.
The clouds above their heads slowly turned dark. A light drizzle flushed onto the Valley and slowly brought in a thick mist.
"Stay close." Tanek said. "We have to stay focused. The mist will blind our senses."
YOU ARE READING
The Holy Knight
AdventureA man wakes up in a mountain hundreds of feet above the ground. He doesn't know his name, his purpose or what realm he's in. He finds himself next to a young woman whom is bound to him by her soul and must help him to achieve his destiny.
