"I found a small map leading into one of the abandoned buildings within Alfheim, the old capital." 

I said as I placed a damp cloth beneath my mask.

"You do you, lady. But I heard the place's dangerous. Do you have the gear you nee-"

"Yes. Thank you. If I do not return, you know what to do."

I said as I closed the door behind me. That dwarf should stop treating me like the daughter he lost years ago.

 I made my way out of this town in the Teardrop Oasis and made my way south on a caravan towards the Desert of Ashes. Once, it was known as the Forest of the Giant Oaks and the land of my people. Now it is nothing but dunes of black ashes and rivers of green and black liquid where not even demons tread. In the center of that place is the capital of the Elven people, or what remains of it at least. I remember that place from my childhood, buildings made out of white stone and redwood which blend seamlessly with the shape of the land. It was home to a population of at most, a million elves and the greatest palace known to the world. Now it is nothing but toppled stones and collapsed buildings, the site of the final battle in the Great War.

 While the travelling merchants chat, I studied the map once more. If the rumors are true, vast stores of Elven magical weapons are stored somewhere near the cathedral. I could sell it to the Iron Beard clan for a hefty price, I thought to myself as I mulled over the map. I know that the Wererats there are more sturdy than the normal ones and rumor has it that demons have also set up nests within the ghost metropolis. I only have a knife as my weapon and in the worst-case scenario, I can use my magic to kill any strong enemies. I rolled up the map and tucked it into my bag, the winds are becoming harsher now. I am nearing the Stone Tree.

 The merchants dropped me off at the base of a petrified tree. Its trunk stretched a few hundred meters wide and the white tree stood at least several hundred feet tall. They gave me five days worth of water and dried up berries good for at least three days at most. I waved them goodbye as they rode Southward before I began the treacherous journey east of this tree on foot. The black ashes and grey sand of this area were made from the burnt up trees and rocks of this once great forest. Every step I take, black dust sprung up into the air and obscured my vision. My mask is made from the head of a fox demon and a special glass filled the hole where its eyes once were, and it helped me see in the dust cloud. Winds that blew sand and dust also created a thick cloud in the area, if one were not properly protected their skin would've been torn by the rocks in the dust cloud.

 Bones and fresh corpses littered the desert and black pools or running green liquid can be seen as I made my way deeper into the desert. The winds have died down a few miles ago but the dust and black ash still hung in the air. The red sun barely penetrated the cloud so I had to rely on the glowing blue liquid I carried to see in front of me. Years ago, I would've trodden along a path under the leaves of the great oak trees and the pines and the willows and the birches of this forest, but now I walk on the ashes of those magnificent trees. I cannot help but feel sadness as an elf that once tended this forest, but I know that doing so would only burden me. 

 I see it after a day and a night's worth of walking. Beyond the dust clouds, in the distance, I glimpse the gates of the city. Or rather, the remains of the great gates. Two grey pillars stood, broken and battered by time and the harshness of the world. Once they gleamed white with silver and gold decorating it, now they are as lifeless as the city beyond them. I see the spires and battered remnants of old buildings and the crumbling remains of towers and houses. Great boulders and stones littered the landscape now, fallen buildings, as well as the bleached bones of the deceased, are everywhere. I walk the roads that were once trodden upon by my people, now a shadow of its old beauty, and parts of it have become eroded due to time or are blocked by crumbled buildings.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

 The setting sun cast a reddish hue on the city and the howls of the wind as it passed through the broken city gave it a haunting feel. I made my way towards one of the abandoned houses. The roof of this house has caved in due to the acidic rain that melted the wooden beams and the door hang ajar on one hinge. It was empty, the furnishings of the interior have been burned away or turned to dust. I turned to my right to find a mummified corpse huddled in the corner, its arms covering the small bones under its arm. It was a parent protecting their children from the blast in vain. I knelt down before it and clasp my hands together.

 "Mahnaoh' Ei' Loah."

A short prayer for those who have departed. I place a piece of cloth on top of the bodies before I decided to mull over my maps once more.

 I took a bite out of a piece of dried lamb while I look at the map. The cathedral is two blocks away from here, but the way is blocked by buildings. I let out a sigh in frustration as I put away my map. This better be worth the risk and the freezing cold. I look up at the night sky to find no stars affixed in the heavens. The stories say that the light brought down upon the world by the Gods are the stars themselves, I wonder if that is true. The moon gave the city an eerie glow with its light and it cast shadows that seemed to move.

 There was a gust of wind before it tumbled down. I whirled around and looked in the direction of the sound. Gusts of winds and the sound of flapping wings can be heard as it resonated through the city. Under the moonlight, its ghastly shape can be made out as it sifted through the rubble while its wings blew away the dust it made. I held my breath in shock and in terror. There is no mistaking it; those tattered wings, the red eye in the middle of its skeletal head that lacked a slit for its mouth, the thin frame with its ribs and spine poking out under its pale, white skin, and long limbs that ended in four long, tapering claws. It was an Angel.

 It hunted demons with its eye. It could only see magical energy and it hunted anything that resonated with such energies. It seems to be looking for something, something with powerful, arcane energies for it clawed and dug furiously. I grab my map, and I made a dash towards the cathedral. Things took a turn for the worse when I heard a scuttling sound above me as I made my way out of the door. Before I could understand what is happening, a Wererat pounced on top of me baring its fangs and claws. Before I knew it, I was on my back while I held a large beast on top of me to prevent it from biting me with its poison. In the spur of the moment, I shouted one of my spells.

"Immolate!"

 Its body burst into bright red flames and within seconds it was white ashes floating in the wind.

 But the energy I just used for that spell attracted another monster. The angel now had its sight set on me. It let out a shrill as its red eye glowed red with bright and hot magical energy. I quickly made a dash for the nearest cover and I reached it mere seconds before a beam of bright, yellow energy disintegrated the spot where I was a few seconds ago. I ran through the buildings quickly in fear of being killed by that thing. I could hear the ominous flapping of its wings as it toppled over buildings in pursuit of me. Beads of sweat ran down my face while my heart thumped and beat faster with every step I take. I could feel it just above me. I'm scared. So scared.

 I took a right, only for the ground below me to give way and I began to plummet down a dark hole. Pain. I could feel a sharp pain as my back crashed on the cold floor. I began to cough up blood while I slowly stand up. Around me are stone coffins and what seems to be a mausoleum covered in murals. Before I could run away, my legs gave way due to the pain I felt. As my vision faded, however, I saw a figure entombed in black ice with chains covering his frozen coffin. The sound of wings beating above me sent a chill down my spine and I began to vomit blood. I couldn't hold in my piss and I soiled the pants that I wore as I lay on the ground in tears. In desperation, I extended my hand towards the figure and cried out for help.

 My vision completely faded and I slipped into unconsciousness as the stones fall around me and the sound of crackling ice and rumbling echoed across the chamber.