The Raven Knight walked. He rarely stopped; for when he did, so did his progression towards his goal. This would be unacceptable, and for most of the time it was. But even the strongest steed must halt it's running to consume that which grows from the fields. The Raven Knight did not need such things, but he did require another form of replenishment. His thoughts were an empty belly, and his fields of sustenance an empty mind. Only remnants remained, yes. But those thoughtful remnants would grow if left unchecked.
No, he was more a farmer trimming the weeds than a steed refilling it's empty belly. His thoughts would grow, slowly and quietly at first. But they would grow stronger and more abundant if he did not cull them occasionally. Thoughts of his past; those haunting thoughts which blazed a trail of confusion in his mind. He could not allow such a thing to have free reign over him. Therefore, as time would allow, he pushed them down during his journey. But there always came a time when they needed to be doused properly. So, the Raven Knight would halt his progress, and take the time to ensure they did not grow wild.
These times for him were not restful. No, he did not rest, but rather these were the times he fought his hardest. Echoes of his past, who he once was and who he once loved, would try their try and fight their fight to escape their cage. But each time the Raven Knight remained victorious. During most of his wanderings, he had not much in the way of free thought. He followed his goal, but was it truly his? He would have pondered this if he had allowed it. But such things only parried his true intentions. He had his path. And he would walk it.
After the Bleek Wolf, the Raven Knight walked on. For a time he walked aimlessly, until unsheathing his greatsword, plunging it tip first into the ground before him, and sitting down. He sat cross-legged with his head bowed, arms on his knees. This is how he fought these battles. And so he fought. Passage of time meant nothing to him; not now, not ever. He fought, and he walked. Now, fighting a most difficult fight, he sat unaware of the darkness around him. He was vulnerable, and the darkness knew it.
As he sat, there suddenly opened up beneath him a crack in the earth. It grew larger and faster, quickly dropping the Raven Knight down into it's dirty maw. He fell as the earth closed its rooty mouth above him. Though he did not see. He was still at war within himself. Falling deeper and faster still, the bottom came rushing towards him. Finally, he landed, kneeling with one arm, fist down, the other resting on his knee. His greatsword plunged into the earth in front of him. He did not raise his head. The Raven Knight knelt there for sometime still. The war in his mind more pressing than the current events. To those of poor instinct, he was easy prey.
The Raven Knight knelt in the crossing of several corridors carved out of the earth. Tunnels led in ever direction. One tunnel echoed a sound directly in front of where the Raven Knight knelt. An odd sound, even to the darkness, a faint screech like no other. Above the soil, the creatures of the darkness took on many forms. But beneath there were but a few. Yet all were terrifying. The sound grew into multiple sounds. Multiple screeches came rushing through the tunnel, echoing past the knight and onward throughout the dark corridors. The Raven Knight did not stir.
As the screeches became louder, they grew in number. They came menacingly closer, and they rang of horrid intent. Finally the makers of the sounds reached around the bend of the tunnel. It was pitch black, for while no warm light remained above the earth, below there was no light at all. A land forsaken by the moon itself. The screeches came closer and closer to the Raven Knight, until there were finally upon him. And just as they were, he rose, grabbing his sword.
As he stood, his arm stretched out with his greatsword, bisecting the first creature to reach him. He could not see, but he could feel the darkness emanating from these creatures. He wasted no time, spinning and slashing another, then grabbing the next with his fist and crushing it's skull in his hand. He could sense eight creatures, now five, surrounding him. He did not hesitate, swiftly cutting down another foe as the other four fell upon him. But they were already marked for death. As they tried to bite through his armor, the Raven Knight tucked in his limbs. Then, reaching into his own well of swirling darkness, he burst forth with a blast of power. But the bodies of the creatures were not forced backwards. Rather their entire bodies were blasted apart, obliterated in an instant. This well of power within him was near infinite, he knew. But it took it's toll.
The Raven Knight lifted his head, clear of mind, and began walking down the tunnel the creatures had come from. If there were light, and he had a mind to, he could have stopped to examine the creatures still in tact. Then he would have seen them, humanoid figures with two, very large and fully dilated eyes, and a wide, lipless mouth with long, protruding fangs. The creatures had no fingers or toes, but rather four talon-like claws at the end of each of their four, long, shriveled limbs. Truly they were of the darkness. But the Raven Knight cared not for what they looked like. Only that they called the darkness "Master." So he did not stop to gawk. He would not stop again until his mind grew wild once more.
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The tunnels lead on as The Raven Knight walked. But he did not make any turns. Branching paths cropped up like flies, yet he maintained his course. He could sense it. At the end of this long tunnel was the source of the darkness he now felt. If the nose had a say, it would call it a dank odor. But no ordinary sense could comprehend the complexities of the darkness. Still, it was foul.
The Raven Knight did not shutter nor elate. He merely walked, his path clear. He did not wonder nor conspire. Knowing the details of his coming encounter was not a thought The Raven Knight possessed now. Nor was it one he wanted or did not want. His mind, after having just come through his battle victorious, was clear. He merely walked.
Some time had passed as the darkness slowly grew. With each step, he could feel it try to penetrate him. But he was already consumed by the darkness. However, it did not recognize him. He was an anomaly among anomalies, forsaken by his own power, yet it had accepted him once. Once before he had shown the darkness that he could not be made to conform. But by then it was too late.
Now, The Raven Knight drew closer to what lay ahead. He approached an opening in the tunnel, now only twenty yards away. But as he neared the opening, the sounds returned. From behind him came a cacophony of ferrel, animalistic sounds. Down the long corridor where he walked, from the many branching tunnels that connected to his, came screeches and hollers like no other. They did not fuse together, but came as endless, sharp daggers piercing the ear. They rushed his way.
Soon they were very nearly upon The Raven Knight, when out of the opening to the tubnel came a loud, deep, gutteral rumble that shook the ground; then silence. The screeches stopped, mere feet away from The Raven Knight; but only for a moment. For once that moment passed, they began again, this time with a renewed vigor and an enhanced sense of rage and joy. The Raven Knight sensed this, but stood unfazed.
The creatures all quieted once more. Then, all at once, fell upon The Raven Night. However, he moved with lightning speed, hurling his greatsword like a javelin down the tunnel towards the opening. It flew with such speed and power that it created a vortex of wind, piercing straight through the overcrowded tunnel. It knocked the creatures out of the way with such force as to splatter their bodies up against the walls, coating the tunnel with their remains. The Raven Knight wasted no time, following after his blade before the other creatures behind him could close in. He raced towards the opening, passing through it, then swiftly spun and clapped his hands, creating a shockwave that blasted down the tunnel, collapsing it.
He could here faint screeches now coming through the rock. But instead of dieing down, they slowly grew louder. The Raven Knight understood what was happening. These creatures made a living down here, and of course they were the ones to create the tunnels. And they were digging now. The Raven Knight turned around, searching for his greatsword. It was still pitch black, but his greatsword was linked to him. He would be able to sense it if only... he was jerked backwards towards the collapsed tunnel. The creatures had burrowed through faster than he had anticipated. Several claws raked over his armor as they clutched him, and dragged him back.
They now held him against the collapsed tunnel. However, with only their limps free they had not the strength to hold him. He ripped free, and turned to face them. As he did, however, the creatures finished burrowing through. They rushed him, but he had had enough of them. They were mere annoyances to him now. Obstacles keeping him from his true goal. The Raven Knight held his ground as they covered him. Without even a hindrance he began ripping them off him, either throwing them forcefully into the wall, or down into the cave at his back. The ones that still clung to him had their skulls crushed between his palms. They were ants to his dark strength, though one could easily overpower a human. The Raven Knight made short work of them. Soon the hundred or so that broke through had been dealt with, their entrails adorning The Raven Knight's armor. But soon what remained crumbled into ash.
He then turned to face the opening, which was, in fact, a large cave. Still he could see nothing, but the darkness there was unmistakable. He was on a ledge overlooking a cavern that went far beneath where he stood. And at the bottom stood a large creature. It made the same deep rumbling sound as before, echoing through the cavern, shaking it. Rocks began to fall from the ceiling, plunging down onto the beast. But it did not stir. The Raven Knight stood on his ledge, taking in the scent of the darkness. This was not like the Bleek Wolf. This was a truly dark creature that stood beneath him. He would have to be cunning. He would have to prepare, or he knew this might be the end of his path.