Hytham woke up underneath the shade of the great tree. He had come here once more to rest beneath the great tree within such planes. Afterall the shade here is comparable to that during nightfall. Since such comprasant is the only reason Hytham has chosen to rest within such an open field.
This lush field with quite healthy flowers and grass surrounding as well as rocks and other pieces of nature, it seems to be a place that residents of the woods surrounding will visit quite a lot. After All this is quite on the top of a hill, in which the great tree which Hytham rested could be spotted all throughout each corner of the world.
Hytham, still quite tired, stood up from his resting place and began walking down the hill. Back to where he resides. Afterall, this place is quite far from the closest town. As well as the fact such an area is forbidden by Humanity.
As he slowly descended the hill and entered the forest, as he headed toward the village, it rapidly went dark. Before long he vision has slowly become blurred, hitting trees after trees as he walks.
The darkness seems to be out of the ordinary, it seems more as if there is mist blocking his sight. Surrounding him and blocking his senses, making him believe he is running in circles within a dark room with no goal in mind.
That is till he tripled over something of rough texture, neither big nor small, around the size of his feet, maybe even larger.
With such interference he has finally regained his senses of sight until he realizes he is falling through the sky. Towards a deep, and never ending cave.
Afterall you could clearly hear the drop of water every few minutes. Until then, it was silent. The pure speed Hytham is traveling downwards he eats slowly becomes blocked, until he has landed and has now regained the sense of hearing.
Still within a cavern, light up purely by fireflies surrounding and highlighting something in a far distance. More so, a temple of whitish brick. Such a temple that would reside here would necessarily be built millennia ago, yet it seems not to age.
The white bricks and marble still polishes as ever, and shiny bright reflecting the light off the fireflies. Creating such a reflective temple.
Curious Hytham slowly walked towards it tracing his hands through the wall. Touching it only confirms his theory of such an ageless temple. The bricks despite the fact it should have been built millennia ago, were smooth, not rough, clean, not mossy.
Such brightness radiating off such reflective materials, as time passes slowly becomes filling the void that is such caves.
In which such brightness was so blinding leading to Hytham closing his eyes. Yet the sound of lights flashes as well as the sound of energy being enacted.
As he had opened his eyes once more, such then allowed for him to see such white palace-like structure. Such as this ancient palace restored to its once former glory.
Which led to his curiosity to slowly absorb him. As he is walking around, exploring such weird architecture that would not have stood within the surface world. Such an elegant display like it was once displayed within a place of the surface. Especially those of the western plains.
Yet as he explored the light seemed to be fading and as this unwinding path moved forwards the visibility on shrinks and shrinks. Until all that remains, is just a few dim blue lights on the floor. Lined up perfectly creating what seems to be a path.
This line was so perfect it almost seems unnatural, even at the curvatures. The vectors between each point are somehow congruent.
Yet this compels Hytham to follow on without understanding as well as plan. It is as if he wasn't being hypnotized and told to follow such a line in one direction.
This long winding road slowly leads towards a circular colosseum like room. Such an altar rests in the center, raised up so no man of any kind could reach through by just their arm, nor through jumping. It was designed this way after all.
As Hythams walks close , he has come to realize that there is more to this altar than what it seems from a distance. It was more like a pedestal hoisting such crystal on top.
Such a crystal radiates energy all throughout the lands or so he feels. As he walks closer he senses the crystal slowly descending. Slowly making the light dimming slowly. Yet igniting the pass around. Until it seems like the crystal has combined itself with Hytham, For some weird reason
As the crystal disappears it is as if the tectonic plates of the world slowly shakes at high speed as the pedestal slowly sinks. Even after the pedestal sank, the world didn’t stop rumbling; it still continued. Moreover it rumbles even more rapidly and powerfully as the floor slowly lights up. With paths carved in the floor slowly brightening up and very very slowly moving toward the end.
With each light moving to the end in a wavy swirl like pattern.
Which kind of feels like how the structure of plates within the world is moving. As each light swirls to a certain place it feels like all the land within that area is shaking.
Yet this within awoke Hytham from his slumber. Right under the tree once again. Yet it has a notable difference. The forest below immediately emerged in flames the moment he woke up.
Hytham scrambles upwards in fear. Scrambling to collect his items that are near the tree such as a small journal, an art sketchbook and his pen and rushes down the cliff into the flaming forest attempting to return to his town.
This fear stems from the unknown that was gonna happen to his town and house. It is quite strange after all since Hytham doesn't know where this flame spans from and where it originates from.
As he runs through the forest he realizes the flames aren't normal. It has a tendency to last longer than that of normal flames. Even after the fuel that would be the trees have melted.
Yet he has no time to be caring for reasons and has rushed back to the village.
Luckily the flames have yet to spread. Actually the flame disappeared already and no smoke is showings .
He rushed back to the town assuming it's going to be up in flames yet weirdly so it wasn’t.
One of his friends spotted him and asked “ What's the panic mate?”
Hytham tiredly said “Flames… forest….”
This was said quite loudly however which garnered the attention of many people that are in the town center. After this was quite the small town. The burgage plot itself is no bigger within this town hence most people know each other. However, that doesn't hide it away from the smell of Ruinium; a steel majorly used by many empires and kingdoms for weapons and armor.
Unbeknownst to them the smell of the mine covers the smell of flames and as the fire was already unseeable from this distance people both pay some thoughts and now thoughts simultaneously.
His friend said “ calm down and breathe and slowly explain things.”
Hytham replied now breathing a bit stably “There was flames at the forest, you know near the world tree.”
An old man within the crowd shouted “ HOAX, do you really believe that if there were flames we wouldn't be the first to notice.”
Hytham replied “But I was there, I saw the flames myself. I wouldn’t even call it flames. It could burn without fuel.”
Helsir his friend replied “ Mate he has a point, you might have rested for too long and you're hallucinating a bit too much, why not go take a rest.”
Hytham replied “ Faire point, I truly should rest—apologies to such commotions.”
Yet at the mention of rest, Hytham’s body feels heavy, and tired.
Which made him limp slowly towards his house which was quite far from the city center.
And as he limps forward Hytham’s sense of vision slowly grows narrower and narrower until he is at what he believes to be his house– right on top of his bed, in his room.
He himself had no idea how he got there as he could barely see but that was too much thought for the day and he just fainted there on his bed.
However this rest was cut quite short. As within the span of minutes the foreseen flames arose.
Yet as aforementioned the flames melted through the building quite easily. It's as if the flames were magma melting through metal.
As Hytham scrambles up seeing everything in flames he panicked. However the fatigue on his body seems to be gone.
He panicked and rushed to grab his clothes and cloak. As somehow he is half naked. He is rushing yet quite calm at the same time.
As he wore his cloak and wore something to get his dignity he left his abode to see the rest of the town on fire.
Yet somehow the civilians don’t notice it.
Its as if this flame was made and conjured by ghosts itself.
Hytham attempts to warn the fellow civilians until realize. They have all been frozen in time. Not frozen in time is an understatement they have both been frozen and turned into spectral beings.
Yes they all are already dead. With a blink from Hythams eyes he has come to realize that the town has already been burnt to the ground.
Hytham screeched out of fear for what he had seen. Somehow he had already ended up back in the center of a town as he explores through these spectral beings. Well now corpses.
Yet as Hytham notices these corpses are strange– These aren't corpses from burning. These are corpses from human consumption. These corpses have their organs ripped out, and innards burnt. The eyeballs gouge up, with their blood veins intact.
When Hythams walks around some more there he notices a corpse he is familiar with. Helsir– similar face, and eye color. Afterall within this town it's quite distinctive for someone to be blonde and have quite long hair who is also a male.
However this corpse barely resembles that. Yes, his blonde hair is still intact. But his heart is ripped out. The blood veins pouring which is different from the rest of the corpses. The innard of the Helsir is somehow also filled with crystals.
And his organs– the one that remains anyway seems to be out of place. Yet they all still fit together like a puzzle that has been solved.
However Hytham really doesn’t have time to be questioning everything. As amongst the burning buildings there stood a couple of humanoid feasting on even more corpses.
Without any resistance from the civilians.
Which as Hytham sees it, may be due to the fact they have each been turned into a spectral ghost.
He questioned to himself ‘ Why haven’t I yet to turn into one of these spectral beings?’
He overheard one of these human eating entities say “ That should be all of them.”
Another one replied “ Yesss, we should acquire the necessary minerals to prepare for such a war.”
Hytham attempts to prey closer towards the conversation attempting to listen even more to what they are talking about.
After all, this town is quite sheltered from the rest of civilization.
Except they are quite well known for the export and import of Ruinium.
However the conversation between those human eating cloaks was cut short. Since one of what seems to be their superior walked over.
Hytham guesses as much due to the fact his cloak and hood is off different aesthetics to the rest.
The superior spoke up to the two shouting “ What are you twats still doing here, enjoying some human flesh aren’t you.”
They continued off “ You should haul yourself towards the mines, we need more man to carry off these minerals back to the wagons. We haven’t got all day afterall.”
Those two seem to have a feel of dejection, and hung their head low and walked towards the mines to help the rest of them haul these metals.
Hytham notices as they leave the superior seemingly walks towards his direction.
The superior laughingly says “ Well those detestable Wuerians are gone.”
These words, to Hytham seemingly, are targeted to him regardless he seems to be talking to himself as well.
Thus they spoke again “ I know you're there, your smell is quite detestable afterall.”
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“I could tell those with the marks right away.”
Hytham questions himself once more ‘ Mark, what mark?Did it have something to do with that dream under the tree.’
‘ No?- that doesn’t really seem like a dream, was it reality.’
They then walk straight toward the gap within the buildings that Hytham was hiding at.
For Hytham they were ginormous, as tall as a first story house.
Yet this large cloak fits through their size.
They then say “Smelled you, right here aren’t you, you stench.”
“ Right there at the apex of that corner, don’t even try to run.”
“ I mean would you prefer getting axed by me or eaten alive by those Wuerians.”
Hytham, seeing this giant creature, didn’t do anything out of fear. However he did spot a small window that could be used as a window of opportunity to escape.
However, he attempted to dash toward the window. The giant creature grabbed Hytham.
Hytham as he is grabbed is struggling to hang on. After he has quite the fear of height.
Furthered back by the fact he has nothing to hold onto. So he keeps struggling and struggling attempting to break free.
“Such an active one– aren’t you.” Said the large entity.
“ I guess I shall give you a peaceful death compared to the rest.”
“ And since your movement is starting to annoy my grasp on you might as well throw you.”
Hytham, hearing it– began to feel fear going through his body.
His fear of heights is quite known and now he is about to be flung towards his death.
As the creatures armed his hand. He switch to what seems to be a pitcher's position.
Then pitches Hytham towards the far distance. Somehow aiming at a river.
As Hytham landed from his short flight after being flung by such an entity. Out of pure miracle he somehow survived. However his clothes and cloaks are quite drenched. Not that it matters anyways. After All these were some peasant-like attire.
After Which he suffered from such morbid acuteness of strain within his flesh and bones.
The river itself, ordinary, is filled full of rocks on the banks. This time quite noticeably to be human skulls.
Hytham notices this quite quickly and a look of disgust starts appearing on his face. However, whilst looking at these skulls he realized. Most of the corpses he saw. Was beheaded, except the one that is his friend.
He quickly walked out of the river attempting not to step on any of these skulls.
Walking right into the river to the right of the banks where he landed. Weirdly, he remembers where this forest is. It seems to be similar to the forest surrounding the world tree. At Least the areas he has yet to explore. Since at least a chunk of it was burnt.
As he ventures deeper into the forest, he realizes he has tumbled upon a path. One that is paved with shovels made for journey towards major towns.
Light he sees, coming from meters towards the right. He is quite hungry after all, and would jump to see some civilization. As long as it wasn’t those fowl creatures that ate his the living beings of his entire town.
He slowly walks forward, holding the growling sound of his stomach.
As he ventured down the path, he started to feel the same ache he felt before. Very earlier the day when he was heading home. The very same ache right on his back.
Which he couldn’t tolerate such pain anymore and fell on his back asleep.
…………
He slowly opened his eyes, right in front of him stood an armored knight.
The knight spoke out, “ Oh, you're finally awake.”
“ We found you on the side of the road as we were approaching Yerous.” He continued.
‘ Yerous’-Hytham thought, that's where he had came from.
Hytham suddenly spoke, very quietly thou “ Yerous.. Yerous was burnt to the ground, I was there. I saw it.”
The knight questioned “ You were from there?- You survived, how did you survive there were Wuerians all around.”
“ How did you not get eaten?”
Hytham said “ I don’t remember”
“ All I remembered was seeing the corpses of the people before ending up in a river.”
The knight replied “ I won’t prey any more, it's clear that you've been through quite a lot.”
Hytham then looked around. He is within a wooden wagon without a roof. One wagon out of 15 other wagons, all carrying men at wars.
Their armor is quite well crafted– clearly made of Ruinium. These plated armor are covered with chain mail within as with plates come a lot of holes as Hytham notices.
Each of their soldiers carried spears and pikes, with a large rectangular shield. Distinctively these shields are curved, and seem to be able to be moved together to form what seems to be a wall.
Additionally, these knights, at least the few of them that are cloaked, seem to use a longsword instead without a shield and each of them carries a side sword.
Hytham,after his small adventure with his eye, falls back asleep on the wooden wagon that is carrying him– since he is afterall still quite tired.
As Hytham woke up from his nap, he came to realize he had arrived at a major city at least. From what he could tell it seems to be a large coastal city.
The gate in front seems to be made of layers of stone after stone for height. Whereas its width is similarly built and built with 5- 6 layers of pure metal. At least that's how it seems from the side of the castle gate.
However the wagons diverted from their path to what seems to be the main civilized part of the city.
Hytham himself is still pretending to sleep instead of standing upright. As he still feels like a laying position is more comfortable and optimal.
He overheard one of the knight riding the horse “So what will we do with that traveler”
The one beside him replied “ We will probably recruit him to be part of our cause, war is brewing afterall.”
“ Good point” He also heard, however he wasn’t sure which direction it came from.
Hytham slowly got up from his nap and began sitting at the wagon. Which was actually quite cold in his opinion. Then again he lived in a mine for a lot of his tine, so what does he know?
Hytham quietly asked the knight “ excuse me sire? By any chance could I know where we are headed.”
The knight replied “ How was the nap, anyways we are headed towards our fortress on the outskirts of Uliten.”
“Uliten?” Hytham ask
“ Uliten is the a kingdom where you are at right now. Its the capital of the Heitzen empire, where Yerous trades quite often with.”
Hytham then questioned “ Ah ok, but why your fortress and I presume barracks.?”
The knight answered, “ War is brewing young man, we are here to draft you.”
“You would have been drafted nonetheless if Yerous was burnt or not.”
“So might as well drag you here early to get some more actually trained knights.”
“Sit back down and relax, we are almost there,” The knight ended.
Hytham sits back down on the wagon, just enjoying the scenery that is the plain fields of grass beside the sea. Afterall today was a beautiful day, flowers are blooming, birds are singing.
Before entering yet another wall, this time upon the exit of the walls Hytham arrived at the barracks.
The barracks is quite old, with rusty walls within. Old and broken wooden targets, for both swords and bows. Quite a few rusty spears yet there are still some polished ones.
There are quite the couples of dueling ground and jousting ground as well. The horses within the stables are also quite nourished.
The knight riding the horse carrying the wagon they put me in said “ follow along, we have to take you towards the general to introduce you in his office instead.”
Hytham complied with this order or command he should have said and followed the officer out of the wagon. And followed him through the fortress for this specific legion.
They first journey toward the main training ground in the center. A tall bearded man in the center stage hoisted a spear and 10 young looking men training with wooden staff– made to mock the spears. The training ground itself is dug deep within the ground.
As the walk passed it the journey near the stables where the horses originally carrying those wagons was kept.
Thus the journey takes them to the center castle fortress at the corner, which is quite close to the coast. The castle itself sits on top of a hill looking far into the seas. Which could highly likely be used as a militarized lighthouse.
As they enter the fortress Hytham realizes it's only the exterior giving the old and dirty looks.
The interior itself was quite a work of art. The floors are covered with wood veneer.
The walls are polished so it didn't seem as if it was layers of rocks and metal instead it seemed like a smooth wall. Within the center of the room stood an area that seemed like a check in area. To the right Hytham notices a giant dining hall. Whereas the door to the left is closed. Right behind the tables stood a giant staircase covered in blue and gold carpets, and a white emblem in the center.
However he couldn’t really spot what the emblem is off.
But that curiosity was not satisfied as they were led quickly through another set of stairs that wasn’t as grand but led straight to the top of the tower within this fortress.
After Hytham reached the top of the staircase the knight who was following him had already left.
He assumed the guidance was leading him towards this door. Hence he opened it and walked in.
The room as he entered was dark, you could see nothing out of it. Even the light from the windows refuses to shine within. It's as if the room itself is absorbing the light.
Suddenly a loud sonic boom is heard, then within a flash of blue light and a large blunt force is heard in the wall.
Hytham jumped in surprise and fear. The noise was so loud it nearly bled his ear. Luckily he didn’t go deaf from the noise.
Not before long a multitude of spears appear and manifest itself from the darkness. However this time the darkness isn't absorbing it. It's more so as if it was born right from the dark mist and aura that is this room.
These dark spears fire themselves at Hytham however once again the same blue light appears and deflects these shadows. And as these spears fade into darkness it seems to return right towards the end of the hall as light is finally allowed back in.
The room itself expanded backwards as these shadows retracted back to the edge of the hall.
As the shadows disappear it reaches a polearm. A large glaive not necessarily tall, but broad and large. Besides stood a tall and bulky man. Wearing a large coat like a cape flowing down his back. Despite such height and size the man was quite young.
“ A channeler, I knew I could recognize one from anywhere.” He suddenly spoke out with excitement.
“ Even with a great rune just as my subordinate has said.” He continued
As this giant of a man continues rambling onwards. Hytham just has a blank expression on his face. He was just staring into blank space.
With voices whispering “Sinner, Faul mortal, Cursed child, Stupid mortal.”
Until he was shaken back into reality by the coated man in front of him.
“ Unknown child of Yerous, pray tell what cost thou in such profound faces.”
Hytham replied “ what? Where am I? I was in darkness for quite some time, I was meant to find this general of this place?”
“ Would you know where I was meant to go?”
He seems to summon shadows, spears of it, covering both the large glaive he is carrying yet also levitating around him “ That would be me, well the shadow as well.”
“ I am Theodorax, the general of this legion”
Theodorax, now quite excited, said, “ So what contract do you have?How did you deflect those shadow spears of mine?”
Hytham, trembles with confusion on his face “ Contract?, what contract are you talking about?”
As through the mention of the word contract.
One of the shadow spears, not controlled, went sentient. Flying around hitting all that is in the path. Bouncing from one wall to another.
Piercing through bookshelves, tables, stools, couches and other pieces of decoration within this room.
Hytham froze in the track right before these spiked amounts of shadows were lunged at him.
Before within a flash of darkness, once shattered again just like before. Only, how would he explain what happened was different from the light from before. As it seems to the bystander to be quite similar.
Afterall to Theodorax, one that could clearly see through the shadows, both of these seem to make his spears vanish within thin air. As if it was just suddenly transported elsewhere.
“Fascinating.”
“How so?” questioned Hytham.
Theodorax walked closer. “ I have yet to see a contract that provides such protection.”
Hytham stumbles a little bit away and says “Contracts?”
“You truly don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Contracts and contractors.” Theodorax interrogates.
“What?” Hytham stumbles backwards slowly falling down and hitting a sofa.
“ Writing a contract with those entities.” Theodorax
“ The ability to exchange a bit of your life force for extraordinary power and the ability to get a little bit of those entities' power.”
Theodroax once again manifests shadows however this time. Spouting from his cape like tails and tentacles. Before wrapping themself around him. Covering each piece of his armor.
‘No it wasn’t covering the plates of the armor Hytham notices ‘ its absorbing the armor’
“I myself contracted with Adrit, to gain such manifestation of shadows” Theodorax mentioned as he suits up with shadows.
“ Of Course that's what I get, atleast, the ability to manifest it and shape it. Some other contractors of Adrit gain funner powers like intangibility.” He continued enthusiastically.
However as this was being said, all Hytham hears is nothingness once more. All he hears is just sounds of rupturing. Something he never heard before.
Before puking blood-creating puddles and puddles of blood collected by the carpets. With some even spreading across the wall.
Theodroax bends down to ask “ Are you alright there…..”
“Excuse my rudeness, your name lad?”
However, just as Hytham was replying ‘ Hytham.’ Theodroax puts his palm on his back. Near the mark Hytham has. Before shadows exploded and imploding from within creating a mess of the place and Hytham fainted to the floor.