Garlog didn’t know much but what he did know was that they weren’t going to make. he looked around and saw his old friends running with him. Chad the Elf Barbarian(he always wondered why he chose to go by the name Chad. Probably because it was much like himself not very elf like),Diana the human mage,and Wolf(he always wondered how that man had the ability to be running at top speed while shooting arrows behind him with deadly accuracy), and he knew that they all were not going to make it. He could see the portal opening at the end of the hallway and he could feel their pursuers closing in on them. So he decided to do the one thing that he was best at.
Wolf felt the rumble before he heard the crash. He looked back to see what was going on and that was a mistake. He saw two things when he looked back Garlog smashing pillars left and right and the dark mass that was chasing them down the hallway was getting closer. He let loose a couple of arrows and yelled to his wife running along with him “Diana, I’m out of arrows do you have anything that could slow them down” she yelled back “No I’m all out of spells”. He looked over at Chad and didn’t even have to ask he could tell that he was all out of traps and all his other toys by the fact that the pack that he always carried with him was not on his back(he must have took it off so that he could run faster). It was at that moment that wolf realized that things were bad, after all the crap that they had been through chad has never taken off that pack. He had seen him charge into battle, some how sneak into plenty of camps with him, and run for their lives from said camps and he had never taken that pack off. and if he had taken it off now then he knew as well as everyone else that they were not going to make it.
As they ran for their lives wolf thought back to his promise that he made the day earlier to Diana. “I don’t think I can do this anymore.” “what are you talking about we are almost done I can feel it. After everything we have been through all we have to do is explore this temple and we can finally settle down like you’ve wanted to all this time”. She sighed, “But that’s just it Wolf i cant shake this feeling that something bad will happen tomorrow. All I want is to make it out of this alive.” Wolf looked into her blue eyes and could not help but feeling a sense of happiness. “We are going to make it out of this. I promise that 20 years from now we will be laughing about this very moment as we tell this story to our three kids” he looks up to find that she had one eyebrow raised. “Four.” she just stares at him “Five?” he asked and she nods. He couldn’t help but lough at the thought of 5 little hims running around.
He didn’t think that he would be able to keep that promise anymore. But he would not give up yet. “We will make it out of this. We always do!” he yelled at Diana. She just laughed and kept on running. He looks up and sees that they are almost there when he feels a huge crash and sees a cracks all over the wall. Whatever Garlog was doing it was working. He looks up and sees the portal 200 yards away and decides its now or never. he starts pushing himself feeling the length of his increase he feels like he is back home running after his next target. He starts pulling away from the rest of the group. 150 yards to go he urges him self to go faster. Cracks start appearing everywhere little chucks start falling. ‘Faster’, he tells himself, 100 yards to go. He’s running faster then he ever has before dust starts filling the tunnel. His vision starts to blur and his eyes start to tear up. 75 yards he thinks but he is having a hard time telling he decide to close he eyes and just keep running then he hears a bang and something big lands to his left. he looks up and a chunk of the ceiling fell down and by the looks of it the rest wont last very long but they only have 50 yards to go so he just keeps running chunks are starting to fall every where now he just keeps his head down and keeps running 25 yards to go 20, 15, 10. he cant help thinking to himself that they are going to make it. then he feels a crushing weight on top of his head and he goes down hes vision starts to blur even more and then everything goes black. Next thing he knows he is flying through the air he looks back to find the hall caving in and Garlog standing there with his arm extended then everything go black again.
As Armen places his hand on your shoulder, you are pulled into a dream. Immediately you can tell that this is the dream you have been having for months, yet something is different…
You are rushing through the air, the exhilarating feeling of freedom fills your entire being. The wings beat around you, as your old friend carries you forth. Your heartbeat, no, his heartbeat, is thundering in unison with the dragon’s. It’s bronze scales reflect the light to the world around him as the clouds fly by. He will make it.
Diving out of the clouds, he draws his sword as the sounds of battle meet him. Beneath the giant winged beast, thousands of soldiers fight against twisted creatures. Where was she? As he scans the battlefield, the dragon flies low over the carnage, unleashing a storm of lightning from it’s maw and obliterating an entire swath of enemy soldiers, those dark abominations. There! He spots the woman, fighting alone and surrounded by enemies, barely staying alive. With a roar matched only in fury by the cry of the man atop it, the wyrm climbs into the air, finally above the woman below.
The man swings a leg over, sword pointed downward, and jumps. The wind rushes by with such a force,but you can feel his resolve: He will save her. From his eyes, you see a blade go through the woman’s back, you can feel the terror fill his soul. Daniela! As he slams into the ground, you see the twisted creatures thrown back in waves by the light that bursts forth, burned by the holy energy…
Suddenly the dream shifts, you are standing in a place void of light save for a small star, it grows until it envelops a space, shaping itself to a form. As the light fades, the world around you shimmers from place to place, many buildings, many cities. Where the light once was, stands a young human, eyes on you, you know him. He is the one who sent the dreams, he is the one you were dreaming of. He is the one who failed to save Daniela. A small smile on his face, he speaks: I am Drake, Master of the Light and the Dragons. The voice echoes all around you, and you feel as if you should know this name. As Armen has told you, I need your help, we all do. Break my seal, and together we will protect all souls left to fight alone against Her.. Stepping forward, he locks gazes with you.. To awaken your soul, I bind ours, Arcus Sanctus. For everything that exists, we will fight. Drake turns back into the star, stepping back from you. The world around you fades once more, you can feel something awaken deep within you. An innate power coming to life, coaxed from it’s nest by the whispers of another. You can feel yourself being reborn.
Awaken, Soul of the Light, and protect those who She has wronged. You can feel Drake return to the seal, to fight that ancient evil. As you open your eyes, Armen has moved away, but where he had touched your shoulder, you can feel the burning of a tattoo, glowing bright white on your skin.
As you sleep, you begin to dream. This is not like the dreams that were sent by Drake, you cannot feel his presence within this. No, this is something different..
The temple of Angaroth, last bastion of life within your world. The miles of steps leading up to a summit marked the most defensible position left. One thousand warriors, and a larger number of non-combatants.. This was all that remained of the empire you served.
“Do you think we will ever see home again, Cal?” The voice of your friend is soft, her fear evident in the way her voice quivers. You turn ever so slightly to look her in the eye, only shaking your head, but placing a comforting hand upon her shoulder. She was a young refugee girl you had saved back in the Capital. Though you usually traveled alone, it was just not an option anymore.
Picking up your bow, you venture out of the small side hall into the main plaza, where a thousand troops stood ready.
High-General Daro strode out in front of the men, the massive brute of a man looked over the approaching enemy army carefully before turning, having sensed the fear you could plainly see upon the common soldiers.
You felt nothing. Your skill and precision had never failed you before, and it would not start now. This new enemy was grotesque, but with the remnants of your world at stake, you would survive this and get Val out of here. Daro turned to face his troops fully, beginning to speak.
“Most of us are already dead. Most of our families already lay cold at the base of the Citadel..” Several men in the crowd looked down, you remained fixed upon the High-General. “..We are all that remains of the Karriden Empire. We are the final vanguard. Men, look at me! Do not give in to your fear! You are the finest warriors of our world, proven in thousands of battles!” You could sense the men’s courage rallying. “I have served with you for decades now..we are more than soldiers, we are brothers..” Even you are spurred to slam your gauntlet against your breastplate, the ancient salute of the Empire.
“Together, we will bring down this enemy. These..cowards that lie before us! Together, we will venture into the dark embrace of death and meet him with a grin!” Another volley of gauntlets slam. “And we will secure our place in the howling beyond by laying the skulls we have ripped from a thousand cowards at his feet!” As the General drew his sword, he began to charge down the steps, meeting his death head on.
The dream skips, but you remember the battle. It went badly. You escaped only barely.
Falling back into the Great Hall, Grand Enchanter Tarkus was opening the portal. The enemy was hot on the heels of you and five other men. The soldiers were cut down quickly, but you still had a quiver full of arrows. Releasing arrow after arrow, you held them back. Ten. Twenty. Thirty enemies slain attempting to reach you. They were advancing, climbing over the bodies of the their dead to reach you.
You backed up, pulled through the vortex of the portal as you saw Tarkus get ran through with a massive blade. You were slammed into the ground of a new realm..Time’s Gate.
You can feel the familiar presence of Drake around you, and his voice echoes throughout the room.
“You are the last survivor of your world. ..I’m sorry, watching the others die isn’t easy. What is necessary never is.”
The world begins to blur and you are drawn into distant memories.
The yield from the crops would be good this year. You couldn’t help by smile at the fresh-tilled earth. The last winter was harsh, half the village fell ill, and half of those were now buried. Your land was among the most fertile, and it would feed your family more than enough to outlast this next winter, and pay the tax to Cambria.
As you moved to travel back to your home, leading your horse, you saw another man on a horse moving towards you, dressed in armor as black as night. He rode right past you, and as he did, all you could feel is cold.
The memory skips forward several months, your unsettling experience forgotten.
You sit in the tavern, toasting the heroes for vanquishing the evil that had killed all the crops. The mayor of your village sat at the head of a table lined with the curious party. Two dark elves, a wood elf, a dwarf, and two humans. The elderly mayor raised his cup, shouting out over the chatter of the tavern. “Hail the heroes of Rekton!” The reply was a chorus of deafening cheers you joined in, as the heroes looked onward, most of them joining the cheer in their honor. A human and a dark elf, however, had their heads together, talking in quiet whispers.
Even as you looked, you could feel the ground shake before it ruptured underneath you. Your last thought was only of pain.
The world blurs again, spinning and leaving you before Drake, the music box closed. Dressed in bright silver armor, he looked up at you.
“Please. Don’t look back more, there is knowledge here, but also pain.”
He begins to fade away from your vision, but he moves closer, handing you something.
“Take this, I took care of it, just like you said. You will need it in the days to come.”
