Leaving the dead city with feelings of relief and pain, the warriors get through the woods and reach the mountains. The weather is getting colder and green landscapes are being replaced by snow lands.
They are getting closer to the River of Despair, so called because it's been a War field for many battles that nobody remembers.
Mefistofel and his brothers arrive in a swamp, whose rivers seem a labyrinth upon the ground. A sour smell is all around and the air is so hardly breathable, like the breath of death.
Dead trees look faded souls of what once were living creatures.
The only way to go through is jumping from land to land. Without falling in the waters.
Waters so dark you cannot see whether it is just inches or several feet deep. The surface is iced.
Still some waves move underneath. Shadows swimming into darkness.
-There's something here. Something unwilling to leave. I smell the dead. Dead who had been abandoned here from their Gods. They were called upon for a war which had not been wanted, still it has been forgotten. They are waiting to be freed. They wait for the world to end, so their prison shall be destroyed and their chains splinted. The day shall come when skies shall break open and shall rain fire. Evil shall take the Earth and the divines shall bring the innocents souls into the land of the eternal Springs.-
Beremot's words are heavy on their hearts. He can see the past of damned spirits.
Something splashed in the water.
Brandishing their swords, they gather tight, wondering what may ever move among that land of Death.
But they could not see anything, not circles into the water, nothing around them.
Still their senses tell there is something around them.
They feel chained to the ground. They cannot move.
Something is coming. The silence is foreseeing a storm.
The water turns into thick ice for as far as their eyes can see.
The ice under their feet is so fragile and falling could mean falling into darkness forever.
A thick mist wraps has appeared and it's wrapping everything.
Cold, so cold. Shadows have materialised out of that mist, gathering around them. Closer and closer.
Such a long second still no words can describe what takes their spirits: fear, surprise or terror.
<Immortal warriors. Who are you? What do you search in the land of the fallen? Answer. If you wish to linger another eternity.>
-I am Mefistofel, servant of Master Feldor. These are my brothers. We just passed Queen Elynia's domains. We are loyal to her, we search something which can win war.-
<We do not care for wars among humans. But the name of your master is known to us. We forgot how long our souls have been lingering into this land, which is neither Death nor Life. But your Master remembers our souls as we remember his. His name is far more ancient than all the wars which already occurred into this world.>
-Who are you? Vile ghosts hungry for despair? Or trapped spirits waiting for freedom?-
Every word is desperation and every breath of cold air is the breath of Death.
<No, servant of Feldor. We are those who fought the last battle for the conquest of this World, so small but so desired from all. We fought on the side of the one you call Master>
-You fought with the Master? How is it possible? When?>
<"When" means nothing to those whose time has stopped to the twilight of Death and Life. "What" is always remembered in our faded souls. The one you call Master has fought in this land, now cursed by those who live in it. The domain for this land was fought by two ancient races. We fought on the side of Master Feldor. Our honour turned into our curse. Now this place is our tomb. Nobody praying on our stones, nobody laying our bodies to rest, nobody remembers our names. Our enemies have chained us in here until the day our King shall gather us and free us of our curse. Our King was killed the day we won our battle. We are doomed to linger in here for eternity.>
-We know the story of your battle. But who fought with you?-
The eyes of the ghost look around the landscape. He lifts his skeleton hand, commanding the dark mist. Everything changes, the mists clears and shows an old dream of battle and death. The battle is a twisted nightmare. Soldiers fighting, swords echoing, blood and death dancing together on the floor of War.
<Fire came from the sky, turned red as if it was bleeding. Shadows covered the sun like the God of Darkness had closed it into his hands. All that was green turned to ashes. The master of our enemies had summoned dragons and they destroyed everything with their breath of fire. We fought until our souls burned in the fire of that folly. When nothing but despair was left living in this land, a great light appeared. We could not understand where it was coming from, but it blinded us and our enemies. When we opened our eyes again our enemies lay on the ground, burnt to ashes. Still their fury was keeping some of them alive, and their Master cursed us with his last breath, words coming out of oblivion. Our king was lying on the ground with his heart torn from his chest. We won the battle, but our victory turned into our curse. Life that used to keep us upon this earth has turned to the death that does not let us leave it. We have forgotten our true selves. What you see now is but an illusion for those who have not seen the shadow of Death. And never will.>
To Mefistofel every single word sinking into his mind, imagining how it must feel to be trapped into a cage with open doors, but being unable to leave. For eternity.
-Death is just the beginning for those who live into Darkness. A greater darkness is about to come and shall swallow the world for ever. Let us through and we shall defeat the Darkness that imprisons you here.-
Beremot gives the final request to the fallen soldier, who looks into his eyes, piercing his spirit and his mind. The images of the battle are still moving around them. The soldiers fighting to their last breath, slowly becoming the wraiths they are now.
<No one but the our King can command us.>
-Our Master has been killed. By humans. Same humans that are spreading another war that will kill everything. We serve the Master. You and we have the same purpose. We are trapped into a curse, as you are. Help us and we will be free from our curses, Master will be revenged and the world will be ours again. It's your last chance. There won't be another war. There will be nothing left.-
The spirit lingers there, staring at them. His phantom eyes looked deep into the darkness of Mefistofel's eyes.
<Too long we have lingered here. So long we have forgotten. What lies un-dead cannot rest. You do not belong to our race, still you serve the same Master. We will wait here in eternity until the world shall end, destroyed by its own people. We shall lead you out of our domain, where time has stopped. Time means nothing for us. For those you left behind, the sand of the hourglass keeps falling, and is about to run out. You will find what you seek, but you may not find Peace. You may find revenge, but you may not find freedom. This land belongs to the dead. It will come the day when only the dead can linger on this Earth. The living will burn in their regret. And their regret will forever be their tomb.>
-We shall take our chances.-
<This is your choice, brother. And you have chosen Death.>
Many seasons have come and gone. No news of Mefistofel and his brothers. The madness of war has spread around the kingdoms. The news of Feldor's death has opened the doors to warmongers who were too afraid to start their own war. More and more towns had declared wars to the vampires. They ran and hid underground, where no sun or living thing could find them. The young and strong enlisted. The old and frail were forced to. The other vampire clans united forces with witches and any dark creature fighting for survival. They fought and lost many warriors, but more and more enemies keep coming. Their numbers are dwindling, the human war has become their war. The war to survival.
Many wonderful places don't exist anymore, burnt to the ground, bathed in the blood of warriors and victims.
Many battles are still fought, many people have died, many people are still fighting, many people are still hoping...
