[https://em.wattpad.com/42a1b85a54dcb8357d8c84ece03f3900168bbc4a/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f394d6e31476f2d4b746b7a7846413d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539373766626239313566613138623536333835363837363739362e706e67]
https://wallhere.com/en/wallpaper/137572
New Quest Objective
- Blauztag the Godless
You’ll be playing Grey Steel, a minotaur with a burning desire for vengeance against the creatures that destroyed his life.
***
Lit up by two braziers that sat at each corner of the tent, the pavilion housed an armoury of weapons to one side, as well as a huge ornate desk that straddled a carpet made from white gryphon feathers. The rear of the tent decorated with a banner of the Blood Fist, a blackened fist clutching a beating red heart surrounded by bright orange flames. A dark robed figure standing posed behind the desk with his hands steepled behind his back. Too short to be one of his own people or even a redling, the robed figure turned towards them, revealing the creased and wrinkled face of a gnome, the greyish hue to his skin, highlighted by blue half circle markings on his left cheek, and lengthy brown hair that came down to either side of his shoulders.
“I am Grugold, son of Grugold, son of Grugold, and as far back in time as you care to go, my family has carried that name. They say you are the warrior that traveled through the battlefield to the south of us? Is that true?”
If Grey’s surprise showed at the realisation the commander was a gnome, Sky’s almost fell through the roof as the young minotaur gaped in opened mouthed amazement. “Your the commander?! But how?! Your a gnome?!” blustered Sky before being elbowed by Amaryllis who looked utterly mortified, the tips of her horns dipped low in embarrassment. But by then the damage had already been dealt.
Shooting Sky an almost predatory smile, the gnome clapped his hands together, and in a brief flash of light a hole of pure darkness burst open in the center of the room, spurting forth a warrior made of pure iron. The metallic warrior shaped to resemble that of a huge metallic demon that rose up from its haunches to tower over them.
[https://em.wattpad.com/de94fcf0a4283b438a2bce91609b300c5c2d6c12/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f7048647254726a73653448325a413d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539373766623562353131366234613837313933393831323332342e706e67]
Greatsword thrust aside, Grey watched his life flash before eyes as the tip of the automaton's blade sped towards his heart. The gnome chuckling darkly before clapping his hands together once more to return the creature from whence it came, leaving Grey dazed and bleeding. The battle adrenaline he had felt coursing through him, abandoning him completely as he lurched backwards in exhaustion. Sky quickly moving to help prop him up with a shoulder, while Amaryllis moved to tend to his wounds.
The gnome watching it all with a mischievous glint in his light yellow eyes. “Perhaps that will teach you to be wary of how you speak to strangers.”
Fury awakened at his words, Grey pulled free from his companion’s grasp and loomed over the gnome, a fiery rage burning deep inside of him. The feeling combined with disbelief that cleared his mind and focused his anger.
“There was no reason to attack us!”he growled.
Grugold smiled again, his crooked teeth tinged brown with age. All malice and mischief gone from his golden eyes. “Not true. I had to know if you were capable. There is something I need you to do for me, but that requires a level of skill, strength, and stealth my men do not possess. You do however. Aid me and I shall aid you.”
Brows furrowed in confusion, Grey fell back a step to stand beside Sky. His friend staring down at Grugold with an incredulous expression. “First you attack us, and now you want us to help you.”
Grugold chuckled and shook his head. “Not yours, just his. My men have tracked the location of Blauztag the Godless, help me rid the world of that foul abomination and I shall give you all that you ask of me. Provisions, gold, weapons. Name it, and it shall be yours. You wield the greatsword of an Honor Blade, but I wonder if you have the heart and honor of one? Will you help these people in their time of need?”
Hands trembling as the anger washed through him, Grey tried to think, tried to understand what was being asked of him, but all he could see was his father standing in the doorway, his mother screaming out to him not to go outside when something smashed through the windows to tackle his father to the floorboards. The creature of darkness entwined in his father’s arms as they wrestled across the ground. The shrill screams of his mother and growls of the beast, causing Grey to curl up into a ball as he hid in the cupboard where his mother had put him. The voices of the entire village echoing with guttural roars of anguish. Blood streaming down his father’s face as he tried to knock the creature of darkness off of him…
Breath coming out loudly, he remembered his father’s last words to him. “Bring the light no matter where you go. Bring the light.” The vivid memory bringing unshed tears that threatened to escape his eyelids.
“Very well, what would you have me do?”
Grugold’s grin broadened into a wide smile, while Sky’s jaw dropped open in shock, Amaryllis grabbing a hold of Grey's arm as she shook him. “You're not an Honor Blade, Grey! You don’t have to give up your life! Your not ready!”
Tears pricked his eyes at her words, but the truth was there would never be a time he’d be more ready. He was not an Honor Blade, but he wanted to be. The world needed a new light to guide their path, and whether it was him or someone else, he needed to know. He needed to avenge his family, but most importantly he needed to do something! He didn’t want to be that little mino cowering in the cupboard while his whole life was taken from him again.
He looked into her emerald coloured eyes once more, and felt a pang inside at the tears that dripped down her cheeks. “I’ve made my choice Myrllis.”
“Then we’re going with you!”
Grey shook his head. “No, this I will do alone.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Grey, I know what happened to your family. You have nothing to prove. Nothing at all.”
Grey knew that, or at least thought he did, in any case it was one thing to risk his own life and another to lead others into danger. He opened his mouth to tell her as much but already he could see the stubborn set of her shoulders. Sky moving to stand alongside her with folded arms across his chest.
“Time we put those skills you taught us to use. After all you're not the only one who wanted to be a Honor Blade,”said Sky with that easy going smile that had always gotten Grey into trouble.
It was hard to believe how quickly the both of them had changed. But change they had.
Nodding his head, Grey turned back to face Grugold and asked, “Where is this Blauztag?”
(Before you venture out from camp, Grugold allows you to select a few choice weapons, and armour to help equip yourself, and your companions. You may select one piece of armour, and one weapon for each character.
Weapons Available
Twin Daggers:
2 Attack Dice
Allowing for quick movements, daggers also increase your resilience by + 2.
Short Sword:
3 Attack Dice
Good for nice swift strikes, the shortsword can be used to keep targets at bay.
Broadsword:
3 Attack Dice
It’s longer reach allows for a much better defense with an additional dice granted once your life drops below 50%. Unfortunately with so few broadswords available. It will cost 150 gold pieces to equip this weapon.
Armor Available
Round Shield:
+ 2 Resilience
+ 2 Magical Resistance
Offers decent protection for the torso as well as protection from magical attacks.
Leather Jerkin:
+ 2 Resilience
Light armor allows for increased mobility. Every 3rd attack you can flip a coin to see if the enemies blow lands or misses. Tails is a miss. Heads is a hit.
Chain mail:
+ 3 Resilience
+ 3 Magical Resistance
Offers good overall protection.
***
By midday Grey was back on the road with his companions, given one last parting gift from Grugold, a potion of Life’s Glory. (You can sip this potion six times to restore + 30 Health Points each time.) The gnome also hands Grey, a pack full of essential supplies, and one last word of advice. (You’ve acquired 5 Meals that will each restore + 5 Health Points.)
“If there is one thing you must remember. Remember this. If you defeat the demon, not only will you have saved this town, but the hundreds of lives that would have been lost in the battles to come. Go, and may the suns guide your steps.”
***
With the town at their back, and the suns slowly setting to east, Grey headed north west, enjoying the still breeze that blew against his skin as well as the squawking of mellow-hearts that flew overhead. Their colourful feathers set against a backdrop of pale orange clouds. The dusty narrow road ahead guiding each of their footsteps.
And for the first time in as many years as he had yearned to leave home, Grey felt he had finally found his purpose in life. It may not have been the purpose he had planned, or the way he had expected to come by it, but this path felt right to him. And to his surprise, he was gladdened that Amaryllis and Sky walked the same road as he. Maryllis watching him with those green eyes that had at first seemed so cold and distant, and yet so warm now. Sky trying to find a safe spot to hide the knives he’d collected in his new cloak, while muttering something about idiocies.
Nearing the fringes of a valley that ran down into a gulley, Grey saw a flock of mellow-hearts take flight into the sky at their approach, while below them a herd of wingdarts drinking from a pool of water raised their heads at their approach. The newly built camp that sat beside the lake, watched over by guards in ringmail who looked up at them as they drew closer. The two on watch waved aside by a smiling bearded human Grey instantly recognised.
“I’d have thought you three would have been long gone by now? Wait! Let me guess, Grugold convinced you to try your luck against the black hearted devil. Ha! That silver tongued gnome has more luck and cunning then some of the ancients I’ve seen hereabouts. Not to worry though, half these lads fell for the same story. Glory, honor, and gold an all that. Come on, follow me.”
Stunned and a little amazed to find the redling here of all places, Grey started after the squat mercenary. Salandreel waving his arm forward as he led them through a maze of campfires crawling with hundreds of men and women who looked more like the scrapings from the countryside than a real army.
“Who are all these people?”asked Grey.
Salandreel laughed. “Why their desperate folk just like you? Some of them forced out by the Ashen Lands, others by war, but most of them came to Shadow’s Bay to start a new life. But new lives cost gold."
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“But Grugold said--”
“--Grugold said whatever he needed to get you moving again. He’s a got lot of mouths to feed, and I hate to break it to you lad, there ain’t nothing to be had out here but death.”
Mind numb at the flood of information, Grey trailed after the redling feeling like such a fool for believing the gnome and trusting his word, when Salandreel stopped at a lookout point that surveyed the entire valley. The ground below them riddled with thousands of corpses that had attempted to cross a stretch of land covered with bogs and protected by a line of trenches filled with demonic beings armed with crossbows and ballistae that were pointed in their direction. Their lines guarding a small hamlet of redbrick homes that were spread eagled across a plateau of rock and cliffs above them.
“By the light!”gasped Sky, “Are you saying that Blauztag is up there?”
Salandreel nodded his head, before grunting, “Get down!” His words followed by a loud whooshing sound as a huge metal bolt was launched through the air towards them. The weapon flying just a few feet overhead.
Heart skipping a beat, Grey slumped down on the ground trying to understand how this had all happened, but all he could think about was how the gnome had duped him. Grugold hadn’t seen anything in him to make the gnome think he was special. The gnome had just wanted to be rid of him, and use him as battle fodder for a losing war that would clearly not be won with a few handfuls of poorly armed farmers. And while Grey knew he shouldn’t have been surprised by the gnome’s actions. For a measly few seconds Grey had believed that he was capable of so much more and now it was all gone.
Sky the first to speak after hearing the revelation. “What exactly was the plan here? I hope we weren’t just brought here to run straight at ‘em?”
Saleendrel knelt down beside them, shrugged his shoulders, and nodded his head in the direction of the people moving down below them. “Usually a few dozen of them try to slip past the trenches late at night in the hopes it’s less well guarded. Only that hasn’t worked out too well for them in the past. There are couple of mercs down there who are willing to risk their lives for the gold, but most are just village folk like yourselves, looking for a way to start a new life with the gold Grugold has offered them.”
Sky looked down at Grey. “Well?”
“Well what?”
The young minotaur rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Well, what’s the plan?! Your the one who wanted to come here?! I say we head back and take a boat up the river as we planned.”
“For once, I agree with Sky. There’s nothing we can do for these people, Grey. We should just go,”said Amaryllis with her head downcast as though she were ashamed of the admission.
Grey gazed down valley watching the people mill about the campfires, their clothing torn, faces covered in dirt, and eyes lost of all hope, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt at the thought of abandoning them all here to this dark fate. The gnome may have mislead him, but that did not change the fact that he could still save hundreds of lives.
Sky always able to read him so easily, swore underneath his breath at the renewed look of determination in Grey’s eyes. “No, we won’t leave. Not yet anyway. There must be a way we can get past the trenches and into Blauztag’s camp undetected.”
Saleendrel chuckled. “You’ve got spirit, lad. But there ain’t no other way around the bogs. At least not one that I can see.”
Sky lay down on the ground, and peered back towards the enemy entrenchments. “What about that hill over there? There’s enough cover in between, that we could reach it.”
“Aye, but as soon as you pop your head out from behind, you’ll be stuck with half a dozen crossbow bolts. Plus Blauztag has at least twenty imps watching that point.”
Smiling hesitantly, Amaryllis said, “I, may be able to help with that.”
Sky guffawed loudly. “And how’s that exactly? You been doing some secret training with, Grey, I don’t know about?”
Horns tipped slightly in embarrassment, Amaryllis continued on, “If it doesn’t have to last too long. I could caste an invisibility spell to keep us hidden. But like I said, I’m only a novice, so the spell won’t last very long.”
“It won’t have to,”said Grey, “once we get past the trenches, it looks like a mostly straight shot to the village.”
Salandreel smiled. “That doesn’t sound like a half bad plan. I’m willing to bet Blauztag has hidden himself away in one of those houses. But you’d best be prepared for a tough battle. You should get some sleep and wait for those fools down there to start their attack at night. Use them as a distraction so you can get in closer. Or you could go right now. Either way, you’d best get into position.”
With all of them reluctantly agreeing to the plan, Salandreel led them further along the cliffside, his back hunched over as they carefully made their way across the rocks, before stopping to look over the rim, the redling ducking his head back down immediately.
Pressing a finger to lips, he cautiously made his way over the top with Grey close on his heels behind them. The group slipping between the cover of rubble and bedrock as they moved towards the hill, the demons lines of sight cut off by the steep rugged terrain.
Breath caught in his throat at the slightest sound, Grey was sure they would be discovered at any moment when at last they reached the base of the hill.
Salandreel waiting for them to get close before whispering, “Listen close. If you do manage to kill that demon, your best bet to get out of there will be to continue north and circle back. I’ll grab a patrol of guards to meet there in case you should run into trouble.”
With that final word, the mercenary started to head back when Grey grabbed hold of his arm. “Why help us?”
Salandreel grinned. “Let’s just say I have a lucky feeling about you.Well, go on get some sleep or do whatever it is you have planned and may the suns shine down upon you.”
“And you,” whispered Grey.
With the redling disappearing back off into the craggy rocks, Grey sat down to think, and as per usual it was Sky the blunt spoken fool who was the first to ask the question Grey had been pondering for a while now. “Why didn’t you ever tell us you could cast spells Myrllis? It could have saved us a whole mess of trouble back in the graveyard.”
Amyrllis licked her lips nervously, before furtively fidgeting with her fingers. “Mother has been trying to teach it to me for a few months now, but I was never really good at. She would always say that I have the heart of priestess and the mindset of a stubborn dwarf that would never allow the magic of the Lightbearer to flow through me. Usually whenever I tried anything more complicated than a ball of light, something would go wrong. The only spells I seem to have a knack for are illusion spells. But mother says that doesn’t come from the light so I shouldn’t use them. I...I know I should have said something sooner, only we were getting along fine without it.”
Grey had to chuckle at that, fine indeed. Not that he blamed her for keeping secrets from them. They all had their own secrets to keep, including him, and besides travelling the road together, he had never really gotten to know Amaryllis that well, which was more his fault than hers. Besides Sky and his uncle, Grey had kept everyone at arm’s length with him constantly wandering off alone into the forest to hunt hobs, goblins, and ferals dwarves that cropped up on their land. Grey taking every opportunity to avoid festivals and just focus on his own training.
“It’s okay. It’s like you said we never really needed it till now,”said Grey with a smile that had Myrllis returning one of her own.
Sky rolled his eyes to the heavens before flailing his arms outward. “So what’s the plan, Grey, we going to wait for nightfall or what?”
(Click here if you wish to sleep and wait for nightfall.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
As much as Grey hated to do it, he knew the easiest path through the demons would be to wait for nightfall, use those who were going to attack as a distraction and slip past the enemy. It’d also give him a chance to recover some of his spent strength.
(+ 20 Health Points for each character in your party. - 5 Honor.)
Huddled up beside the hill, Grey slept what little he could before waking the others. The sounds of blood curdling screams alerting him to the start of the attack.
Waiting till the last second to use the spell, Amaryllis pressed a finger to each of their foreheads, and just like that they couldn’t see each other anymore, their bodies becoming invisible to the naked eye.
Hands held together to avoid losing each other, they quickly crossed out from cover of the hillside, and out into open, the party moving swiftly through the quagmire of dead bodies. The cries of anguish in distance fading off as they neared the trenches where the imps watched, their black helms melding into the darkness, their crossbows held at the ready.
Dropping down into a space clear of them, they hurried to clamber out the other side of the trench when the spell slowly dissipated away, and Grey could see his friends again. The startling realisation forcing them to run as crossbows bolts sped through the air behind them. The group running for the cover of the plateau.
(The cover of night has increased your chances of avoiding being hit by crossbow bolts. Roll a single dice and if you score 3,4,5 or 6 than you were not struck by a bolt. If you get 1 or 2 - 30 Health Points for each bolt that lands. You will need to roll the dice 3 times.)
Bolts flying all around them, Grey raced for the cover of the stone building, only to come face to face with three heavily armed and armoured imps.
[https://em.wattpad.com/4399d27e2ee8790f81b2b3321f214208a5db82a9/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f363671714d4c6449444c627643413d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539373766623933366231323336373238383830393336333839322e706e67] x 3
Cleaving the arm off the last Imp, he sprinted past their bodies, heart pounding in his throat, and took shelter behind one of the buildings, bolts slamming home behind him as he continued up the slope and deeper into the village. The area guarded by two more Imps that threw themselves at Grey.
[https://em.wattpad.com/4399d27e2ee8790f81b2b3321f214208a5db82a9/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f363671714d4c6449444c627643413d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539373766623933366231323336373238383830393336333839322e706e67] x 2
Wounded and breathless, he pressed on, hoping there were no more of them when he sensed something drop down onto the roof above him, hurling balls of fire that blasted past him. (You’ll need to use Magical Resistance to reduce damage instead of Resilience.)
[https://em.wattpad.com/e9f550991f3449a781c51965696eb2fcb49d415c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f675f62374363415175546d6c73773d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539373766626630363336656239393237303336393332323031392e706e67] x 1
Sky’s deft fingers moved quickly, sending a spinning knife to slay the demon, but Grey could already hear more of them on the wind. Their heavy wingbeats alerting him to the presence of many more.
Arms heavy, he grunted at his friends to continue running, sweat pouring down his back, each step laboured and hard as he tried to watch the skies. More balls of flying down towards them.
(The cover of night has increased your chances of avoiding being hit by fire bolts. Roll a single dice and if you score 3,4,5 or 6 than you were not struck by fire. If you get 1 or 2 - 20 Health Points for each hit that lands. You will need to roll the dice 4 times.)
Wind beating at the burns on his back, he stumbled into one of the homes to take shelter.
(Click here if you wish to attack immediately.)
Spoiler: Spoiler
Refusing to allow any more lives to be sacrificed on his account, Grey set off immediately, waited till the last possible second to use the spell. Then paused as Amaryllis pressed a finger to each of their foreheads, and just like that they couldn’t see each other anymore. (+ 5 Honor.)
Hands held together to avoid losing each other, they quickly crossed out from the cover of the hillside, and out into open, the party moving swiftly through the soggy ground, littered by a quagmire of dead bodies. The trenches where the imps watched, filled with black helms that glistened in the sunlight, their crossbows held at the ready.
Dropping down into a space clear of them, they hurried to clamber out the other side of the trench when the spell slowly dissipated away, and Grey could see his friends again. The startling realisation forcing them to run as crossbows bolts sped through the air behind them. The group running for the cover of the plateau.
(Without the cover of night, your chances of being hit by crossbow bolts have increased. Roll a single dice and if you score a 5 or 6 than you were not struck by a bolt. If you get 1, 2, 3 or 4 - 30 Health Points for each bolt that lands. You will need to roll the dice 3 times.)
Bolts flying all around them, Grey raced for the cover of the stone building, only to come face to face with three heavily armed and armoured imps.
[https://em.wattpad.com/4399d27e2ee8790f81b2b3321f214208a5db82a9/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f363671714d4c6449444c627643413d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539373766623933366231323336373238383830393336333839322e706e67] x 3
Cleaving the arm off the last Imp, he sprinted past their bodies, heart pounding in his throat, and took shelter behind one of the buildings, bolts slamming home behind him as he continued up the slope and deeper into the village. The area guarded by two more Imps that threw themselves at Grey.
[https://em.wattpad.com/4399d27e2ee8790f81b2b3321f214208a5db82a9/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f363671714d4c6449444c627643413d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539373766623933366231323336373238383830393336333839322e706e67] x 2
Wounded and breathless, he pressed on, hoping there were no more of them when he sensed something drop down onto the roof above him, hurling balls of fire that blasted past him. (You’ll need to use Magical Resistance to reduce damage instead of Resilience.)
[https://em.wattpad.com/e9f550991f3449a781c51965696eb2fcb49d415c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f675f62374363415175546d6c73773d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539373766626630363336656239393237303336393332323031392e706e67] x 1
Sky’s deft fingers moved quickly, sending a spinning knife to slay the demon, but Grey could already hear more of them on the wind. Their heavy wingbeats alerting him to the presence of many more.
Arms heavy, he grunted at his friends to continue running, sweat pouring down his back, each step laboured and hard as he tried to watch the skies. More balls of flying down towards them.
(Without the cover of night, your chances of being hit by firebolts have increased. Roll a single dice and if you score a 5 or 6 than you were not struck by a bolt. If you get 1, 2, 3 or 4 - 30 Health Points for each bolt that lands. You will need to roll the dice 3 times.)
Wind beating at the burns on his back, he stumbled into one of the homes to take shelter.
Ashen faced, Sky rushed to the window, his cloak burnt in places with a cut bleeding on his arm. “We can’t stay here.”
Grey nodded his head, and tried to rise up, but the pain was too much, every part of him hurt. Amaryllis breathless with worry, fell to her knees beside him. “Here, let me try something.”
Hands pressed against his chest, Grey felt a warm burn creep through his body at her touch, and it was as if time slowed down for them. Grey staring into those wonderful green eyes, then just like that the moment was gone as Sky screamed, “Grey!” (+ 60 Health Points.)
The doorway blasting open to reveal three figures posed in the doorway, two of them made of pure of darkness, and the third a beast of warrior with black plated armor, horns, and a terrible smile that could steal all joy from the world.
[https://em.wattpad.com/f6fddf008eea2f3f11a77360116551f8195fcb77/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3536656677336652564c4a4749413d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539373766626431353538323935643730383936353637333837352e706e67] x 2
Steel parting smoke, and shadow, Grey found the beating heart of the shadows and extinguished them to nothing, only to come face to face with Blauztag. The demon lord leaping forward in a whirl storm of fire.
(For each round Blauztag survives, remove - 5 Health Points of fire damage which cannot be reduced by Magical Resistance.)
[https://em.wattpad.com/342a5fe64c7e0f11cb51b73b9c13cee0404b7ca2/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f696b5067644c6f63664a596b66673d3d2d3731343034373536372e313539373766623537313161656463643338363235353138373237332e706e67]
Dancing to the tune of battle, Grey severed the demon’s lord head from it’s shoulder. Watched the life go out from it’s burning eyes, and felt something inside of him spark to life. Like a whisper of a voice he just couldn’t hear or a faint moan as the darkness faded away, a strange light began to glow within him.
Warmed by it’s heat, he helped his friend up, took Amaryllis by the arm, and started back out the door.
To be Continued...