While he was told what this place was, Ibilsin was not prepared for the harsh reality of it. The entire realm was cold, colder than anything he had ever felt before. The gray stone was constantly wet with black ink, and many of the further out pillars in the ocean were eroded into sharp points like that of spears. He could have sworn he saw an object out in the sea at one point, but when he brought it up to Hyrum he told him that he was just seeing things. Which to be sure, was a possibility.
Hyrum was unsurprisingly calm and alert. His head would shift slightly as his eyes scanned the world around them, as he would have been taught when he still was a Bidualsham. The training was evidently deep and ingrained if Hyrum still used those teachings, though Ibilsin wondered if it was just habit or if the teaching held some true advantages. Though Ibilsin presumed it was the latter.
He couldn’t help but notice how on edge Renelle was. Prior she had seemed so confidant and calm, like she knew exactly what to do and where to go. But here in the Expanse, she was uncertain seemingly moving based on second guesses and hopes. It didn’t instill much confidence in Ibilsin that Renelle knew what she was doing, in spite of the magic she conjured and the honeyed words she used.
Her eyes were always tired. The previously high stance and refined persona she had carried crumpled into a slumped, exhausted shell. The brown curls of her hair were matted to her face with sweat and grime, her eyes always half open, and her arms hung at her sides moving with their own volition rather than her discretion. She assured them that she was fine, but Ibilsin couldn’t agree, he knew she just wanted their worry and focus to be on leaving the Expanse. Of which he could not fault her for.
Levan too seemed on guard. But the smith was an enigma, he seemed so open and social yet held something heavy on his shoulders. Ibilsin would watch him at the end of the day and he would always take out a locket from his pocket and quietly whisper to it, Ibilsin was never close enough to hear what those words were. Levan also would longingly stare at his sword and the locket, sometimes together sometimes one item then the other. He hadn’t divulged the significance of those items, and he hoped that he never did. Whatever it was, it was personal, and if there was one thing that he hated it was dealing in personal issues. Though Ibilsin got the feeling he would learn about the importance of the sword and locket in due time, likely against his will at that.
The group had been traveling the Expanse for what felt like days, they had made multiple stops and several of what the others were calling Poortgangs. The significance of those were still lost on Ibilsin, their power was also still an enigma to him. He didn’t understand how these stone arches could span hundreds of miles with a single step. He also didn’t understand how going through the Poortgang put them into the Expanse rather than just dropping them at the point in which they were trying to get to. Though that perhaps was to logical of a thought for a structure of magical and ancient origins. One day Ibilsin might inquire about the nature of the Expanse and the Poortgang and whoever, or more likely what, built them and the Expanse and why it was such a dangerous and unknown place.
The Expanse never seemed to change either, which was yet another question that he had about the place. The Expanse seemed endless, its monotony making himself and even Levan question if they had moved at all. Though Hyrum and Renelle would assure that they were on the right path. Though it seemed as if that was a smoke screen and they were just aimlessly traversing the Expanse in spite of how dangerous it was. Is that what Renelle wants? Does she want me to prove my worth or skill by having us wonder this place? Like the last few days, they stooped at a Poortgang but this time instead of setting up a camp Renelle had them gather up behind her.
Like she did when they were in the Diwa, Renelle knelt before the archway. The symbols on the side of the arch began to light up, as it did there was a rumbling causing the old stone crumble and release pebbles onto the floor in a constant clattering. Ibilsin looked around but saw nothing out of the norm, at least for the ink covered Expanse. Though he knew something was wrong by Hyrum and Levan’s reactions. Levan began to look around furiously, hand on the hilt of his sword. Hyrum already had his blade drawn as he looked down one of the many pathways.
Ibilsin followed Hyrum, drawing his own sword and taking a defensive posture as he faced the pathway they had come from. Levan followed suit shortly after, his sword differed greatly from his and Hyrum’s. The blade was long and straight, ending at a point, the crossguard was thick, and Levan had to heft the blade with both hands. Ibilsin eyed the pathway, taking in the dark colors trying to see any change in the shades of blacks and grays no matter how subtle they might seem. Any shift could give away whatever was coming toward them.
The air was becoming thick with an atrocious smell, it reminded Ibilsin of the smell that stuck to the air around dead animals, Ibilsin was thankful that he was wearing his mask, it surely made the smell less invasive. As he continued to watch the pathway he started to hear a scratching sound, a sound of metal against stone. The sound and smell sent a shiver down his spine, but he was prepared for whatever was coming he would not back down, that was not the way of the Sayf Almira. The scratching got louder and louder, the shaking continued sending waves up Ibilsin’s body his view shaking along with the world around them. Then it appeared.
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A mangled hulking creature. It was dark as night with eyes as red as freshly spilled blood and teeth that were stained dark red. The creature ran forward snarling, foaming at the mouth, its claws shone like fine metal as they tore into the dark stone sending up sparks that lit the dark stone hall. Ibilsin steadied himself, tightening his grip on his sword but as he did he could feel the moisture of his hands seep into the leather wrapped hilt. The creature, whatever it was, was about to be upon them, Ibilsin took a breath to balance himself.
The creature lunged out of the dark, now in the light the grotesque creature bore its true form. A large furred beast, it’s pelt strung with hundreds of cuts and slices that left behind red scars, it’s top canines were longer than the rest of its sharp predatory teeth, the beast was two legged but it ran with its arms. The claws that armed it were as sharp as razors, and easily cut through the stone the monster ran upon, the hazel eyes of the beast were strangely calm, but they were fixed onto none of the threats it might face, rather they were fixated past them. On Renelle.
Almost as quick as it entered into their camp the beast lunged, Ibilsin taking the opening to slice at its belly. Though as his blade came in contact with the beast and sliced down the length of its body, no blood stained either the blade or himself. Levan had done the same, the result the same as his own. Ibilsin had no idea what had happened, it was as if the beast was made of iron, neither his blade nor Levan’s had done anything to it. No scratch, no blood, nothing. There was a sudden fear that gripped him, it ran through his body, a chill like he had never felt before. Is this what true fear is? As he watched in horror as the beast still leapt over them it suddenly flung back.
Hyrum stood with his hand wrapped around one of the beasts legs, a swirl of golden light ran from his shoulder to his fingers. When Hyrum yanked the beast again, it was as if he had pulled on the leash of a dog, the beast yelped in surprise as it flew back over the small line they had formed in front of the Poortgang.
“Our steel will not harm this creature. Grab a torch. It fears fire.” Hyrum instructed as he grasped a log from the fire that they had burning, swinging the lit end at the beast. It howled and backed away from them, snarling spitting foam every which way. Ibilsin did as Hyrum instructed grabbing one a piece of firewood, swinging it at the beast.
He was right, the beast was skittering on its large hind legs cowering away from the flame one the ends of the firewood. It was a strange thing to see such a large beast cower in the face of something so simple as fire, yet Ibilsin wouldn’t argue with its results. It continued to snarl and howl as it half hardheartedly swiped at the flames with its massive clawed hands. The beast spite its foam at them, attempting to put out the flames but to no avail, though the smell assaulted Ibilsin’s nose. In spite of the beasts fear of the fire it continued to push them back toward the Poortgang, Ibilsin extended his reach as far as his body would let him.
Ibilsin’s feet was shuffling back quickly as the beast continued to swipe at the firewood, We’re going to run out of room here eventually. That reality would come sooner than he anticipated as his back would come up against the stone of the Poortgang, Renelle still knelt before the archway, the symbols hadn’t fully lit up which only inflated the fear that was rising within him. He sent a desperate swipe at the beast with his piece of firewood, to his horror the beast swiped at the firewood smashing the lit end to pieces sending burnt shrapnel all over the floor, the embers slowly dying as they lay on the cold stone.
“Renelle, you done with whatever you’re doing?” Levan yelled as his piece of fire wood continued to shorten as it burned.
“I’m not even close.” Renelle responded, her voice was calm which was odd given the circumstances they found themselves in.
“Damn you, I’m not dying here!” Levan said turning and hitting the archway with his piece of firewood.
As the flame touched the stone the rest of the symbols lit up, but the grayish matter that had filled the last Poortgang was now replaced with a yellow hue. Renelle stood up quickly a fear and anger shot through her eyes, she opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. Instead she grabbed Levan by the arm and shoved him and herself into the gateway. The yellow matter fell over them and in a matter of seconds they were gone. Ibilsin took a quick glance at Hyrum who was still holding the beast back with his firewood.
Ibilsin watched as Hyrum took a pouch from his belt and threw it onto the ground in front of them, the contents spilling out over the stone. Hyrum threw an arm over him as he swung one final time at the beast, sending it flinching back, as it did Hyrum dropped the firewood. When it hit the ground the contents of the pouch began to spark, but Ibilsin wouldn’t see what became of the beast or the contents as Hyrum threw him into the Poortgang. The matter covered him and his head began to spin, as it had the last time, he shut his eyes tight determined to not let the matter get into his eyes. When he opened them up he was face down on a wooden floor in a building surrounded by a group of men armed with spears and wearing chain shirts and pot helms. And of course, the spears were aimed at him.