ALBUM REVIEW: Order Of Chaos - Descent - Distorted Sound Magazine [https://distortedsoundmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Order-Of-Chaos-Descent.jpg]
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Gauldryon’s next clue came to him within the Dwarven Domains of Borathas, a land deep within the mountains of Darath Toth Bar, and home to the eight dwarven clans. Having traveled there many times to visit their vast libraries, he had discovered that a few pieces of the prophecy were missing. The rest of it was said to lie in the tomb of Gundmar, the first dwarven miner to settle in these lands, and the first to contract the vile sickness that had infected dwarvenkind.
Lost to the ages, the tomb was said to lie in a maze of tunnels that had become infested with feral dwarves. It was also at that time that Gauldryon met a dwarf named Pelwar. And by fate's chance, the dwarven cleric sought to uncover the source behind the curse that had afflicted his people. He believed his answers lay somewhere within the Ancient City of Kelzouroth, and there too, the tomb that Gauldryon desperately sought.
Waiting several weeks as he gathered the necessary supplies for such a journey, he began his grand expedition on the eve of summer into the Lost roads. A place filled with so much danger, that not even the offer of wealth could entice many to go.
But nonetheless, with a force of eighty stalwart fighters, adventurers, and sellswords, Gauldryon made his way deep underground. He traveled further than any dwarven patrol had ever gone in decades. And while they met very little resistance at first, they encountered tribes of ferocious goblins, nests of feral dwarves, and savage demon worshippers. The last of which had many wielders of foul magic that poisoned their souls, tainted their minds, and filled them with doubt.
With nearly half of their fighters laid up with sickness of the mind, paranoia began to ferment in camp. Warriors would go missing as they slept, and some would find themselves covered in blood with no memory of their actions. And if not for the discovery of the Ancient City of Kelzouroth, they would have turned back. But even by then, many had deserted, leaving Gauldryon with twenty fighters.
Guided by the voices of the gods, Pelwar led them deep into the ancient city. Its walls crumbled to dust, it appeared to them like a vast monument to the dead, its streets layered with dust and bones. Then as if caught in a fever dream, Gauldryon saw it, the tomb of Gundmar.
Marked by an immense stone statue that had been carved in his likeness, they trod upon holy ground that had not been touched in a millennia, and Gauldryon could feel something stir in the air. It filled his mind with images of a world that had not yet decayed, and as he trod inside, he felt himself unable to breathe. Its smooth hewn walls, decorated with engravings that detailed the dwarf's glorious life, Gauldryon found the sarcophagus of Gundmar. The tombstone that adorned the rock wall behind it, reading,
"On the darkest of nights,
When the tears of mortals have flooded the lands,
There shall arrive a warrior of light.
A warrior to take my stead among the stars,
They shall lead the armies of light against the Coming Darkness.
Be ready for their coming.
For at their approach, the heralds of war shall sing.
And the world shall need its soul.
“But also be warned for they shall bring fire and death.
For they are the Harbingers of Light.
The bearers of Ill tidings.”
~*~
His kite shield raised over his head, Gauldryon fought through the bruises on his body. His only thought as the thousands of demons dived down with teeth and claws was that he had to push forward. He had to keep moving or else he would die down here. Feet pounding across the stone, they kept together in tight formation. Daria, taking the lead with her massive frame, followed by Gauldryon. The sweltering stench of burnt corpses that hung in the air, combined with his own sweat, and the stink of sulfur, made it so he could hardly breathe anymore. And yet he continued to fight.
Wielding his longsword like it was an extension of his god, he felt its fiery power surge out of him like whips of flame. His need to find the Harbinger, smoldered in his mind like an inferno. The swirling smoke, the volleys of arrows that shielded him, allowed him to move even as the demons lunged for his eyes.
Armor clanking as he ducked his head down, he used the runes to create a small oasis of light in the darkness. At the same time, he kept thinking to himself, he was the flame in the night, the sword that pierced the shadow. And as he struggled for each step, he couldn't help but feel the Lightbearer stand at his right hand, guiding him. Each gasp for air, bringing with it a thunderous storm of screeches, the beat of wings, and cries of battle.
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His ears ringing with the deafening sound, he watched as Daria was forcibly being pushed back, when Pelwar came up beside him. “My Lord! We should turn back! There’s not a puke’s chance we’re getting through this alive.”
Tileya, her dark hair matted with sweat, crying out as well. “I think I can see the doorway.”
“Blast the doors! We can't stay out here!”
Longsword slicing open the face of a demon, Gauldryon spun, and spun again. "No! We must push onward!"
Gauldryon, his mind still on the task at hand, refused to turn back for anything. The demons that flew at them, becoming frantic as they clawed, hurled firebolts, and plunged down towards them.
Daria, her teeth gritted in a snarl, swiped them out of the air to the left and right of her, before they reached the closed portal. Gauldryon, his jaw firmed into a line, stared into the carved wooden face of a woman, her old eyes boring holes into his, when a voice spoke into his mind. “You are not welcome here, Bringer of Light.”
His eyes blazing with barely contained fury, Gauldryon demanded, “Let me pass!” The desperation he felt at that moment, bringing him fresh strength as he beat at the door. But the voice again refused him. “Leave now, Son of Death. You are not welcome here.”
With the shouts of those around him grating on his nerves, Gauldryon roared again, “Let me pass!” His manifested rage took on the form of the sun as it smashed against the doors. The whole doorway, shaking with his fury.
Talons raking across his shoulder plates, he swept his longsword around to chop a demon that had landed on his back. Pelwar, his thinning hair slick with blood, crying out, “Lord!” before he was knocked back against the doorway. Daria, her jawline clenched tight, continued to fight with a tempo and speed that belied her size. The firebolts that crashed down around them like rain, bounced off Glindol’s opalescent barrier. The gnome’s exhausted features, scrunched inward as he unleashed a storm of fire from his upraised staff. Tileya, her arms covered in scratches, diving in and around with daggers in both hands as Gauldryon continued to beat on the doorway. His every breath, a harsh guttural cry as he rasped, “Let me in!” The thought that he would die here without ever accomplishing, or seeing his goal through to the end, was the worst pain imaginable. Worse than the thought that he had led his friends here to die. But they had all sworn their lives to the light, and they had all agreed this is what needed to be done. But after coming so close again, Gauldryon could only feel shame. This was his doing, his fault. He should never have allowed Gregor to leave on his own.
His gauntleted fists still smashing into the solid wooden door, Gauldryon could no longer feel the bruises on his body, nor the weight of the shield on his back. Sweat stinging his eyes, he called out to the Lightbearer one last time. “Aid me, Light of the One.” And in a last explosive bout of rage, he hammered the doorway again, and with a booming crack, saw it splintered apart, wood flying into his face. The relief and doubt that had plagued his mind was soon gone as he urged his companions into the temple’s grand hall. The demons that sweltered outside, shying away as though touched by terror.
After a moment to catch his breath, Gauldryon surveyed the scene. Much larger than it had first appeared on the outside, the temple's hallway had statues, tapestries, and marble flooring. He also noticed that Daria refused to meet his gaze, whereas Glindol shook his head at him in disappointment. It was a look that Gauldryon had never seen before, and confused him. These were the companions he had forged together in fire. They trusted him to see them through all their quests, and yet now, he could see skepticism in their eyes. One of the many gifts of the Lightbearer was clarity of mind. He knew what was evil, and what was good. He could also sense lies or deceit, and know when a person had turned to the darkness. And yet as he looked at his companions, he saw nothing. He saw neither light nor darkness. These warriors who had been with him for many years, felt different now. He had believed that they saw the world as he saw it, but it seemed that must have been a lie. Why else would they hesitate, argue, when confronted with such evil. They were meant to be the chosen weapons of the Lightbearer, but here they were, shattered swords that needed to be re-forged. Even then they would not be the same.
Pelwar, sagging by the broken doorway, sat down in a huff, his mace slumping onto the tiles beside him. “What now, Goldy? How far do we follow him?”
His ears pricked by the insolence in his tone, Gauldryon snapped back, “as far as we need to! We cannot forget our purpose! The forces of shadow may darken our step at every turn, but we are the light in the darkness. We are the flame that guides this world. We can not falter, and we must not fail our world!”
Daria, her glassy eyed gaze on the ceiling above her, shook her head. “And if you are wrong? If we have come all this way for nothing? What then? You say we are chosen by the Lightbearer. But how far are you willing to go, Gauldryon? Would you sacrifice us all? I had thought us friends, but not once did you ask if I was well. All you could think about was Gregor! Gregor! Gregor! After everything we have been through together, have we all just become tools to you?”
His face flushed red, Gauldryon roared back, “You are whatever I say you are! Can you not see what is at stake here? Are you all so blind that you would allow evil to be victorious?! What will I do next, you ask?! I shall cleanse this world of darkness! I will delve into the depths of hell to ensure evil never rises again! I will crush the beating heart of this world and bring about a new age of purity! What matter if we are friends?!” And in saying so, he slammed a fist into a column. The echo of its sound, rebounding off the walls around him.
But as he turned to look back at his companions, all he could see was shock. And whether it was the sudden nausea that filled his belly, or the way they viewed him, he fell back a step, his knee slamming into the ground. He also realized how he must have sounded to them. For years he had taught them to be the light in the dark. That friendship, love, and kindness were all that mattered. And yet, here he was risking everything. Had he truly become so lost that he could not see it?
Slumping down onto the marble floor, he closed his eyes, and sought the light that had always comforted him in times like these. But instead of the roaring flame, he felt a flicker of an ember. "Forgive me, my friends. I would like to say that my passion has gotten the best of me. But that is not entirely true. You must understand, this quest of mine, while it has been yours for a short while. It has been mine for decades."
Gazing at him in disbelief, Pelwar muttered, "Lad, you look na older than thirty summers."
Lips half crooked into a sad smile, Gauldryon replied, "A gift from the Lightbearer. One of many. I know I have asked much of you, risked your lives as though it meant nought to me, but that is not true. In truth, I could not stop now even if I should wish it. This is my life’s work, and now that I am so close to completing it. I must see it through to the end. If you do not wish to come with me, I will not dishonor your name, but I will say that I need your help. Trust me one last time."
Standing up as he spoke those final words, Gauldryon feared for a moment that he had truly lost them, when one by one they whispered, “I am with you.”
Tears filling his eyes at the pain he had caused them, and the pain they would need to endure for the trials ahead, he turned, his body weak with relief, and said, “very well, we march onward.” The silent hallways that lit up their path, guiding them forward.