{Quest Log}

{New Objective!}

[Dark Origins]

{Objective}: Survive the onslaught

Kaine’s eyes widened at the words.

Onslaught.

He thought, as the corridor before him now lit up with dark blues.

Blazing alive like a lazy flame, the walls then suddenly rose aflame with blue, rushing down the corridor’s vast length.

Revealing what lay within the emptiness that stood before.

As Kaine took cautious steps forward, he watched the images go by as he walked.

Aflame one and all, the images told a story.

A story of tranquillity, suddenly falling into tragedy. A story of loss, turning into despair, then hate.

A story of hate turned into war.

The walls as he walked the corridor told Kaine a story of war, of many battles, fought with all too much blood spilt.

Of reasons now long forgotten, a betrayal nobody knows yet still cling to.

And as the flames danced before him, giving out no heat at all, bringing forth only a cold chill to his skin. Kaine suddenly and without realising at first, found himself at the end of the corridor.

Entering the small room, Kaine glanced from figure to figure, as carved into the walls whilst strange liquids flowed through said carvings, were the humanoid forms of many different individuals.

Each one suddenly lighting up aflame as the blue blaze reached them through the canals in between each carving.

Kaine gazed at the portraits of these people, their poses and demeanour, depicted as if beyond mortal…

But far from gods, as many bled, some even standing with missing limbs.

Further they were though, from being heroes.

As around each being Kaine recognised as Dark Elves, lay massacres and bloodbaths beyond his capability to imagine. Bright red stone being used to depict the blood as white and light brown paint was used to add in the bones and mangled remains that filled it.

All lit up by this eerie dark blue flame.

Kaine gazed at these artworks of both might and horror, awestruck by the powerful use of carving and ink to form these majestic yet also chilling portrayals.

Almost forgetting to breath as he stared, he then noticed what lay at the centre of the room.

Laying down with legs crossed and arms holding onto their thighs whilst its back stood straight, it was a skeleton. The corpse having long past its expiration date, nothing but bone, blackish vines and dust now made it up.

As its head lay facing towards Kaine, towards where he had come from.

Taking in a deep breath at first, Kaine approached the skeleton.

Kneeling down before it, he inspected it more closely now and a notification popped up into view.

[Deceased] {Menuasa Vavalnim} Dark Elf Deathlord [Level 71]

Seeing the name, seeing the title and then gasping at the level.

Kaine immediately stepped away, his eyes wide as suddenly the skull moved with him, staring directly at where he now stood.

As it breathed out, a dreadful sound, less so a breath of something alive and more akin a dying gasp.

“Arrived finally has an awakened.” Words left the skeleton’s lipless mouth, a hoarse voice spoke out. “Home enters the dark child.”

“W-Who are you!?” Kaine exclaimed, stepping away several more steps, only to find himself backed to a solid wall. Glancing back behind himself, the corridor was suddenly gone, leaving him with nothing more than a chilling breeze soaring through the room.

“Watcher I am, guard and await your arrival I was proclaimed to do.” Menuasa said, “Long have I awaited this moment, long have we awaited this era to return.”

“Awaited? Who’s we?” Kaine asked, slowly reaching for his swords as he did.

“We…” Menuasa gasped out, “Are the darkness which unfolds upon the light of life and day. The darkness which stalks under the shadows and reflections of the moon. We are simply darkness. But if a name this child wishes, then a name I shall give. For we are what was once bellowed with might to be, The Revenants of Darkness.” Menuasa exclaimed with a horrid shout, their body creaking and dropping dust as it tried to lean in closer.

Its empty eye-sockets still staring dead at Kaine. “And we, have awaited our kind to return…For one such as yourself, to take on the burden of many millions of fallen brethren.”

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

“What…burden?” Kaine dared ask.

As suddenly the skeleton stood up, hovering in mid air as tendrils of black held it up, the blue flames also burst out to intertwine with them.

Forming long robes and a hood of the darkest black as dark blue flames burned coldly along the hood’s maw, sleeves and bottom.

More flames then burst alive along the walls, catching Kaine’s eye, he noticed that the scenery depicted within had completely changed.

“For we who once summoned forth the darkest of gods upon this world, to befall the worst of endings onto our fated foes.” Menuasa continued on, taking a step towards Kaine. “Your burden now, as a Drow, as a Dark Elf…As Dal Fae!” The skeleton spoke out now with new life in his voice, a resounding boom of power exiting with his words.

Dark blue globes of flame filled the skeleton’s eyes-sockets then, staring deep into Kaine’s as it continued to speak. “Dark Born, will you continue…The End?”

Menuasa asked, “Dark Born, will you revive the legions? Play the battle drums and sound the war horns!?” Coming to stand mere inches from Kaine’s face, the skeleton now whispered eerily into his ears. “Is Darkness, your path?” Menuasa asked.

Kaine felt trapped, cornered by the immense pressure this being before him oozed, a horrid feeling of terror filling his gut at the mere sound of their words.

{Quest Log}

{Choose Your Path}

[Dark Origins]

{Objective}: Are you, Jor Mungandr, a Legionnaire to the Revenants of Darkness?

The choice was laid before him, and the skeletal being backed away, falling silent it watched him keenly.

As Kaine’s wide eyes watched it back, anxiety filling him, still he dared look away from the dark creature and at the window hovering before him.

The Revenants of Darkness…It…It really is Aether Rifts Online!

He breathed out, that one thought filling him with relief as he now at least had something to go on.

The legions…They were destroyed during the first game, completely defeated by the joint armies we as players were ‘summoned’ to assist. They lost so…This…is what remains?

Kaine thought long and hard, glancing about the room and at the new depictions which filled it.

One word encompassed the entirety of what lay around him now, spoken of by Menuasa himself, Kaine saw the apocalypse.

Death and destruction, followed by the aftermath of decay and emptiness, the vivid sights of agonized screaming faces were enough to make Kaine’s stomach roll about.

As he forced himself to turn and face the skeleton once again.

“And what will happen…if I accept?” Kaine asked tentatively, to which the skeleton’s eyes burned more fiercely.

“You will be tested through the Legionnaire’s Onslaught.” Menuasa explained, “If you pass, and only if. The very legions themselves will be displayed before your feet. All the collected power, resources, information and weapons of mass destruction we Revenants have collected through our time of exile after the great defeat…Will be at your immediate disposal.” The skeleton whispered out, seemingly trying to smile but failing.

“And with my guidance, we shall lay waste to what remains of this shattered and divided world. All who would stand in our way, will either bend the knee, or be devoured by the Darkfire!” Menuasa exclaimed proudly, “And finally…Finally this world will be Dal Fae.”

“Dal…Fae?” Kaine repeated, knowing it was another name for his race but not the actual meaning.

“Dal Fae,” Menuasa repeated, “Dark to the core.” The skeleton translated.

Words which, alongside the manifestations of nightmares that painted the room’s walls, made Kaine’s gut wrench and bones feel cold.

A villainous path?

Kaine thought, as his hands clenched into fists.

As he met the skeleton’s gaze.

Narrowing his eyes, Kaine opened his mouth to speak, breathing out his contained breath instead.

For several long moments Kaine stood there, eyes wide and baffled, had the game really presented him with this?

A Deus Ex Machina?...An easy way out…

He thought, his mouth closing back up as he still continued to just think.

Yet, when Kaine then responded, he did so with utmost surety.

“No,” he said, having fallen for not the slightest bit of temptation, although even now his mind raced.

“I do not accept this path.” Kaine answered, pondering circles around himself within his mind, as to why this was even presented to him.

“As you wish, if your choice is made…” Menuasa sighed, as a blade of the darkest black then suddenly pierce out of his palm. “Then all there is left, is for you to die.” The skeleton said, its eyes dimming back to pitch black as the robes dissipated from around its body.

Menuasa stepped forth, blade rising high above before descending down upon Kaine.

Immediately unsheathing his two swords, Kaine tried to deflect the attack.

Feeling the blade meet his, he watched awestruck as it shattered through them like nothing, pushing him into the wall and sending dozens of metal shards raining onto his body.

{ [Life]: 3/22 }

Horror filled both his heart and mind as he watched the simple damage from blocking the attack touch his life bar, even then leaving him with barely any life points at all.

In those brief moments, Kaine’s heart sank into the deepest depths of despair, as Deathlord Menuasa raised his blade up once more.

Not even given the time to think, as the blade began to descend down upon him.

Kaine could only watch, hopeless where he lay, as death once more knocked at his door.

As the sound of the dark edge cleaving through the air whispered closer.

So did the sound of hissing suddenly fill the room.

As a black-green mist exploded out of the walls, taking the form of hundreds of serpents, the mist encompassed the Deathlord before suddenly sending him flying into the other end.

Forming and rising tall before Kaine, a familiar sight took shape before him.

As the head of a massive serpent hissed out at the recuperating skeleton, a voice thundered through.

“Thisss child belongsss to me.” The demon proclaimed, as its emerald eyes flashed out blindingly bright.

Meeting the skeleton’s dark gaze as it rose.

As suddenly its bones began to turn to stone.

Starting from its eye-sockets, then moving onto the rest of its body, the skeleton was petrified where it stood.

Remaining on the floor where he had fallen, Kaine stared up at the serpent head’s form which hovered protectively over him.

“Why?” Kaine asked, as the mist deformed before retaking shape, the demon now facing him.

Eyes flashing briefly before turning into a dim emerald hue, the demon chuckled coldly at his words.

“Becaussse, you are my only ticket out of thisss hell.” The demon mused, “A deal onccce sssealed, isss a deal I keep. For my word, isss the only property, I own.” It said, as slowly its form dissipated out into nothingness.

Leaving Kaine alone in a dark destroyed room with a petrified skeleton standing on the opposite wall.

Glancing about, he noticed that the corridor he had come from had also reappeared.

{Quest Log}

{New Objective!}

[Dark Origins]

{Objective}: Find your path

Hah…well way to be fucking cryptic about it!