by L. R. Wolf
Royal Spectre Guard-While normally solitary creatures, these Spectre’s have been called to the service of a much more powerful Undead.
Skill Level 80
Lich Prince Tharas-A Fallen Prince under the thrall of a powerful necromancer.
???
Elohwa had been examining the Lich as well. A sudden realization caused Elohwa to gasp. “Oh, gods, I think I know where we are, but it is not possible...It cannot be!” She shook her head slightly, not believing what she was seeing.
Aya glanced at Elohwa, her left eyebrow shooting up, “What is it? What’s wrong? Where are we?” As Aya was new to these lands, she had to rely on Elohwa’s knowledge, but even she hadn’t known where they were. Their maps had been no help as both the mini map that was a constant in the top right of their interfaces and their world maps had remained clouded.
Elohwa still had a faraway look in her eyes as she continued to stare at the Lich Prince, unbidden tears welling up in her eyes. She looked back towards Aya, their eyes meeting one another. While Elohwa had watched Aya’s exchange with her family, she had kept back her own tears, she had known that feeling of pain and loss, of utter despair. Elohwa knew exactly what her Dreamer was going through because she had experienced something very similar, but where Aya was given the hope of reuniting with her family, Elohwa had lost that hope long ago.
Aya had no idea what was going on as Elohwa seemed lost in her own thoughts and emotions, but the look in her Companion’s eyes, that was a look she knew well being that her own wounds were still fresh in her mind and heart. Aya’s own emotions welled up within her, both pain and anger vying for supremacy. She clenched her fists, blue fire appearing around her hands and racing up her arms before spreading across the rest of her body.
“Drop the Fire Domes.” Elohwa barely managed to choke out the words through her clenched throat.
“What was that?!” Aya’s raging emotions momentarily halted as surprise took over. She blinked, hearing what Elohwa had said, but not quite understanding the meaning or the reasoning.
“Drop your Fire Domes for a moment, use only the personal Fire Shields, I would like to check something.” Elohwa sheathed her twin blades, her eyes locked firmly on the Lich in front of them.
Aya blinked a few times, confusion currently winning out in the battle of emotions she’d been experiencing. With a shrug, Aya raised her hands casting Fire Shield on the both of them before lowering the outer Fire Dome first. The undead continued wandering off or just milling about as if the women who had been slaughtering them most of the night weren’t even there. A few of the undead who had been afflicted with the Burn status crumpled, the DOT draining what little health they had left when they had stopped their attacks on the Fire Dome. Elohwa’s vine creature wandered outside of the second Fire Dome to gather the stone markers. A few undead turned their glowing eyes towards it, but none attacked. Elohwa bent down and grabbed the strap of her satchel once again flinging it over her head and across her body. The vine creature no longer had access to dump his treasures into her satchel so began placing the stones at Elohwa’s feet. She didn’t appear to notice the stones or even the creature for that matter.
Aya, seeing its predicament, quickly rummaged in her satchel and pulled out the bag she had started with. Now that she had the Satchel of Infinite Wonder she no longer needed the small bag which she handed to the creature. Its glowing eyes looked down at the bag and then up at Aya, its head bobbing slightly as if to say thank you. The creature placed the bag where its waist would be, a small vine threading itself through the loop where it would normally be attached to a belt. Now that it had a bag of its own, he could now loot the bodies without having to drag the stones. The undead had seemed to lose their murderous interest in the women. Aya’s jaw clenched tight as she dismissed the last Fire Dome between themselves and the remaining undead. The second it was down Aya was already preparing to cast more Domes again, but her fears of the undead suddenly leaping towards them never came to pass.
Elohwa immediately started walking towards the Lich Prince. The vine creature shambling along behind her.
“Wait up!” Aya ran the few feet that separated them before falling into step beside her Companion. Aya’s eyes were moving every which way watching for threats, her heart thudding in her chest as any number of scenarios played through her mind, each one ending in their rather gruesome deaths at the hands and claws of the undead. Their only protection at the moment was the Fire Shields, and those would only affect creatures within five feet of the women. The remaining undead that stood in the path in front of the Lich Prince retreated out of the range of their Fire Shields. The Spectres had lined themselves up in front of the Prince, but as the women approached, they parted, taking up positions beside and behind the Prince. Finally, the women stood before the Prince just outside the range of the Fire Shields. Violet embers flickered within the Lich Prince’s cowl regarding the two women before him. With a gesture, the Fire Shields surrounding them dissipated. Aya’s eyes widened in fear as she attempted to cast the shields again but to no avail. It was as if her magic was suddenly gone. Her protection instincts kicked in and she placed herself between Elohwa and the Lich.
“There is no need for such spells.” The voice that echoed within the cowl was both deep and raspy. The two violet eyes had turned towards Aya, but now his gaze settled on Elohwa, “Welcome home, little sister.”
Chapter 16: City of Ruin
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Aya blinked. “I’m sorry...little sister? For real?” Aya’s eyes shifted between the Lich, Elohwa and the Spectres that had silently positioned themselves around the women. Had they chosen to attack, the women would have no chance and Aya’s most powerful spells weren’t working. Elohwa’s Vine Creature positioned himself between the Spectre’s and the two women in an attempt to protect them.
“Aya, this, “ Elohwa gestured towards the Lich Prince and his retinue, “is my older brother Tharas. Prince of the House of Shadows.” Elohwa’s eyes turned back to Aya as she introduced them, their eyes were the same shade of violet.
Aya wasn’t entirely sure what to say in this situation so she just stated the obvious. “But...but he’s a Lich.” The violet ember gaze of the Lich seemed to flare up a bit as a deep chuckle rumbled within the shadows of the cowl surrounding the Lich’s head.
“She is quite an observant one, Sister.” Tharas sounded highly amused.
“Forgive her, Brother, she has had an incredibly long day and we have been battling the undead all night. We are hungry and tired.” Elohwa looked worn down and tired and it wasn’t just from their exertions this night. She knew that Aya had to be just as exhausted at this point. The only thing that had kept them going up until this point had been the fact they had been fighting nonstop and they were running on pure adrenaline. Elohwa knew that if either of them stopped for too long they would likely pass out.
The glowing embers bobbed up and down as if the Lich was nodding. “Follow me, I shall take you somewhere safer. I can only hold these weaker undead enthralled for so long, soon my power will wane as night gives way to the coming dawn.” The Lich turned to go back the way he had come, the Spectres falling into formation around him.
Aya hesitated, she’d spent years killing Liches and Spectres because they had always been the embodiment of evil in the other games she’d played. Though she trusted Elohwa with her life, she didn’t quite trust the Prince and his guards. It was incredibly difficult to just forget about years of virtual hatred.
Elohwa had begun to follow Tharas but stopped when she realized Aya wasn’t with her. She returned to Aya’s side. It wasn’t all that difficult to tell what her Dreamer was thinking. “I know you do not trust them. I swear to you, I will let no harm come to you.” Her eyes almost looked pleading.
“It’s not ME I’m worried about, Elohwa. I’m fine with dying because I can come back, YOU can’t.” Aya’s eyes kept darting around at the Spectre’s that surrounded them.
“Pl
ease, Aya, trust me. If I so much as sense a glimmer of deception I will recall home immediately. I just need you to trust me right now.” Elohwa already had the Recall spell prepared and waiting in case this might be some kind of trap.
Aya sighed and nodded at Elohwa. The two women followed behind the royal undead horde. The undead began to move faster as the moon began to descend, signalling the coming dawn. They were moving towards the large mountain range they had seen earlier. As they came over a rise the Spectres and the Lich parted so the women could see the view in front of them, they both gasped as they stared down into an enormous valley. The mountains surrounding it formed a crescent moon shape. The two points of the moon shape had waterfalls cascading down into a gigantic river running across the sliver of opening into the mountain range where it ultimately flowed down into one of the vast oceans of Marod. A forest dominated the center of the valley, stopping about a hundred feet from the river then continuing on the other side of the river. There appeared to be a broken down stone bridge spanning the river in the center of the crescent. At the very back of the crescent at the base of the mountain range was an eerie white glow.
“Home…” Prince Tharas whispered longingly. He gestured towards his guards. Four Spectres floated towards him. “Take them to the edge of the woods before the city gates then return to the shadows.
Elohwa looked at Tharas, “You are not coming with us, Brother?”
“I fear I can go no farther in this accursed form, Sister.” Tharas floated back the way they had come, the four spectres took up positions by the women, one on each side. “Perhaps you and your friend can break the curse that binds us to these forms so that we may once again return to our glorious city.” A notification flashed in their vision giving them a quest.
You have been offered the unique quest-The Cursed Prince, part 1-Unique Quest-Lich Prince Tharas requests that you break the curse that binds him and his men to roam the Fields of the Dead as powerful undead creatures. Kill the Necromancer that rules these lands. Learn the fate of the Shadow Elves and decide if the Prince has earned redemption or deserves continued punishment. Reward-25,000 sxp token Bonus reward ???
Do you accept?
Neither woman hesitated in accepting the quest. Elohwa wanted to find out what had happened to her family and her people, and Aya knew she had to help her. Elohwa nodded slightly at Aya when she saw that Aya had also accepted.
Tharas turned his face down so that he could look into their eyes as he spoke. “Thank you, Sister, Dreamer. Once you arrive at the city, you will learn much about what transpired here. I will tell you now that what you are likely to hear is the truth. I suffer no illusions as to why I am here. If you cannot or, if the case may be, will not release us, I pray that you at least retake your place with our people.” Tharas, though he was undead, still showed emotion in that he sounded sad. He had been roaming those damned fields for centuries. The only reason he had been able to approach the women in the first place was due to the fact that they had killed so many of the undead minions of the necromancer that had raised them, diminishing the power he had over the Prince and his fallen companions. Until then, he and his people had been bound to these forms, unable to enter the city they called home, but also unable to rid the lands of the undead as they were undead themselves and could do them no harm no matter how hard they tried.
Aya nodded at Tharas. “What exactly can we expect down there?” Aya still didn’t exactly trust the lich, but he had dropped a few clues that led her to believe that he was in his current form for a reason, and that reason didn’t exactly sound like it would be a pleasant one.
“You will know all once you enter the city. For now I fear I am being called back. My guards can get you down to the gates quickly but you must go now before the sun begins to rise or you will not be able to make it. Go. Now.” As he said those words the Spectres on either side of the women grabbed their arms, their cold bony fingers digging into the two women’s flesh as they rose into the air, the two adventurers being carried between them. Aya yelped a bit as they started to fly off towards the eerie white light.
“Oh god, oh god, oh god.” Aya had her eyes shut tightly. In the real world she was terrified of heights, though she actually enjoyed regular dreams where she could fly, but in her dreams it never felt real because deep down she knew it wasn’t real. Here however, she could feel that sensation of almost falling as they travelled down towards the city, she felt the wind resistance against her body. After what seemed like a lifetime, their feet came into contact with solid ground. The spectres released the women before floating off towards the concealment of the forest leaving the women at the edge of the woods alone.
Aya stumbled forward a few feet and fell to her hands and knees, her legs weak from the terror she had felt in the air. Elohwa knelt down beside Aya, “You can open your eyes now.” Elohwa actually sounded amused, but Aya wasn’t sharing her sentiment.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Aya had opened her eyes for the briefest of moments only for the world to shift and spin, she immediately closed her eyes again as bile started to rise in the back of her throat.
Elohwa took some of the Vespa Ginger Root out of her bag and broke off a small piece. “Chew on this and take deep breaths.” She placed the piece of root close to Aya’s mouth so she wouldn’t have to take her hands off the ground and possibly end up face first in the dirt. Had anyone been watching the two women they would have been highly amused at the sight of a fully grown woman on her hands and knees being fed like an animal by a Shadow Elf.
Aya opened her mouth and found the ginger. She had eaten plenty of ginger at home to combat morning sickness when she was pregnant with both of her children. The ginger here didn’t seem to have the same kick, but it definitely had the same effect. Her stomach stopped churning and her mouth turned dry. Once the threat of being sick had passed, she focused on breathing in and out to calm her frayed nerves. After a few minutes, she finally pushed herself off her hands and sat back on her heels. Ever so slowly, she opened her eyes and blinked a few times. Elohwa was kneeling in front of her, her vine creature had disappeared once its mistress had gone beyond its range. “Thanks. I don’t much like heights.”
Elohwa chuckled softly, “...so I gathered.” With one swift movement Elohwa had risen to her feet and held her hands out to Aya to help her get back on hers. Aya took her hands and pulled herself up. Both women pulled their cloaks closer, wrapping them around themselves to keep themselves warm now that they were out of the warmth emitted by Aya’s fires. Their clothes and armor had been ripped and torn in places during the night when they had been wounded and though their wounds were long closed, their flesh remained exposed to the wind and cold.
Once Aya was back on her feet, she stared past Elohwa’s head to the city just feet away from them. The Spectres had deposited them just in front of a pair of run down reinforced steel gates. Stone walls rose from the earth going up at least thirty feet. Vines covered the surface of the walls. Stones and mortar had disintegrated in some places leaving gaping holes, while entire sections of wall had crumbled in other areas. Through the holes in the wall, they could see the city beyond or rather the remnants of one. Some buildings had either partially collapsed or were completely demolished. Other buildings looked to be completely unstable as they leaned at dangerous angles. The women glanced at one another before approaching the sagging gates before them. The massive hinges that had once held these gates up against massive forces were broken, leaving the once proud gates to hang open.
Aya debated about whether she should cast Fire Shield on the two of them, game logic raging in her mind telling her that there were likely some kind of monsters in this city. These ruins were the perfect hiding places for ambushes. The Prince had said it would be safe for them though, and the fact that neither the Lich Prince or the Spectres could step foot within the city did little to ease her mind. The eerie white glow that had surrounded the city from afar was muted here. They could still see ar
eas where the white glow appeared to be not only concentrated within the area, but moving as well.
“So you’re a Princess huh?” Aya broke the relative silence with a whisper. She knew Elohwa’s keen elven ears would hear it.
“Not for a very long time.” Elohwa kept her eyes on the broken road in front of her. Memories of the once great city flashing through her mind. Tears welled up once again as she bore witness to this now dead city. The women passed the first few buildings, likely some kind of guard stations if Aya had to guess.
“WHO GOES THERE?!” A voice boomed out of the darkness causing both women to jump. Aya immediately raised a hand to cast but Elohwa placed her own hand on Aya’s to stop her. Aya raised an eyebrow at her Companion who was staring into the shadows of one of the buildings.
“I am Elohwa Brighteyes and this is my Dreamer, Aya. Who might you be?” Elohwa let go of Aya’s hand. As she spoke, she drew herself up to stand taller, her shoulders squaring a bit. Whispers echoed around the city, just two words being carried upon the air through the dilapidated buildings.
“Lady Elohwa!” The white lights they had seen from afar were moving towards them. As they got closer, the lights began to coalesce into Elven forms. A cacophony of different voices rose in the air as men, women, even children stared at the two women and expressed their excitement.
“Is it truly her?”
“She has returned!”
“It is Lady Elohwa!”
“Please help us, M’lady!”