It has been weeks and I notice something definitely wrong with Snow. Often she hangs around the darkness field, not eating the plants there but… meditating? Well, darkness is her element, so I would think that is her way to grow. Other rats do not do that and only stay in there for a short while. Most have even started to be more visible in the shadows, as they might leave their monstrosity behind to become animals again. Not that I am complaining, real animals in my Domain are nice too. It just livens the place up a bit, with all the vermin being here. Shows dedication to the ‘realness’ of this Village.
Back to Snow. She is rather dedicated and her form starts to change with time. She even hunts other rats and just holds them and suddenly they stop living. She did not even break the skin with her teeth to kill them. Must be something magical, as their Mana and Miasma are totally gone. At least she presents me with the corpses like presents. Maybe she just kills them as bounty for me, as I have occasionally taken one or two Rats since she moved in.
Most other rats avoid her, but are not outright hostile. Just don’t want to get in her way it seems and mostly do their own business. I am so intrigued with the whole thing, but as she is the only tame Monster I have I will not crack her open just yet.
…
It has only been a few months since Red came to my Domain and now new Sentients are here. How is that even possible?
Now there are four adventure looking people here. I really thought I would have more time to create a better mock Village, but it has to do. Luckily I had everything planned out already as I stop the miasmic fields immediately and hide my portal in its chamber.
Snow was clever and notices in her strange meditation the ebb of miasmic flow and starts to move on her own. After seeing my Portal gone she hid too.
~~~
Clarke was one of the first who thought it a waste of time to go to the Starfall mountains. They bordered the infected peaks and would never be any problem, as the road between the dark Woods and them is so slim nothing would wander those ways. The Infected Peaks are the disaster the dwarfs made by digging into a mushroom filled cavern. To be honest, no one knows if it really is only mushrooms or it is just the thing, that spread out most, but the truth is, they now own the whole mountain. Every tunnel, crack or crevice is filled with their spores and only by Aldrin’s grace are they vulnerable to light.
The only thing that made him go to this forsaken place was the coin and possible promotion as a Scout of the Mages Order. Although the promotion was slim to non existent, as it would need great new information to be found, the coin is always there, even if nothing was found.
Together with his three companions, Elaren the half-elf, Mink the apprentice mage and Burk the hauler, they just took the week long trip through the razors edge between deadly terrains as training and wandered on. The first two days would take them to the Starfall Mountains, and the third to the other side, where the Dead Mountains lay. Why they are dead, the Magistrate does not know, or rather does not tell their lesser Scouts such sensitive Information. Afterward it is just going back the same way they came and maybe even get home a day early, when nothing happened.
“Clarke, sword and shield ready. There is a strange liveliness of vegetation in front of us”
Although Elaren often commanded like he was in charge, most of the time he had a point so I begrudgingly obeyed and readied my weapons to shield the range fighters. Burk was the bulwark behind us and to be honest he is not really smart, albeit somehow rather lucky at times.
“He is right, something is different. The Miasma is lower at this site and Mana is flowing in large amounts around us.”
It was nice to have Mink telling us this Information, as we normal people unlike her can not see the flow of Mana. Mink was more amenable, but way more dangerous. If we three die and she escapes, nothing would happen. If she dies and we came back we would be executed. In the Magistrate of Telk Mages are the Lords and she is right now thrown into the grindstone of dangerous Missions to become a Lord herself.
“…”
As I said, Burk is being Burk. Hardy as a Rock and possibly smart as one.
The whole Forest seems to liven up. Such changes are mostly seen at the hunting grounds, where high Mana flow radiates around the dark Forest. Is there some kind of new Mana well or some kind of natural treasure here? This could be the reason for the low Miasma.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Be careful and fall in line. Expect anything happening while scouting.”
My words were rather vague, as I myself also do not know what to expect. If a Mana vein just popped it would be the tamest and most logical explanation, but I have not lived for that long without knowing, that the simplest answer was never the case when it came to Magic.
Finding the source took us more time than I had hoped, as we carefully searched for the answer. Seeing the cave was the first red flag, as it was piercing direct inside Starfall Mountain.
“It is getting dark, we should find a place to rest at the corner of this affected area and search tomorrow.”
It was my honest view and should be the best answer, but…
“Overruled, we should at least look inside to not sleep next to a possibly dangerous area.”
Although Minx’s argument sounded logical I could hear in the undertone how exited she was to find something magical, she had never seen before.
Even If all of us would argue against it, she was highborn and so we had to do what she said, or face repercussions. With a sigh Elaren readied himself to shoot his bow at any time as I walked in front with a torch in hand.
The second red Flag was the sudden feeling I got when I was a dozen steps inside the cave. It was kind of wrong and rubbed me the wrong way. Elaren and Minx definitely felt it too and Burk, well I can not see anything on his face other than that dumb look, so I guess not.
…
That was strike three. I would have loved to knock our Mage out right now and drag her out of here, as I saw a fucking town on the other end. We talk about houses and even a Market place. Which damn trader would dare come here? At first I thought it an Illusion and asked so.
“It is not an illusion magic in any way. It is a dwelling place of some sorts.”
This makes it more suspicious than less.
“Elaren, is there some knowledge about who might live here?”
My only hope for an answer was the half-elf, as he was the most traveled between us, as he is also the oldest.
“It is neither workmanship from the Kingdom or the Empire. Magistrate is out as well obviously and neither elf nor dwarf use that kind of structure. Ferrals use no stone in construction and semi Sapient do not have that kind of craftsmanship. It could be some kind of people from another continent or a forgotten civilization, which has their last remnants here.”
So either Foreigners or Relics. Either is problematic, as they might not speak the common tongue of Litrak.
“Clarke, we will try to communicate at least once before retreating. If the people are friendly we can stay, if not we will retreat right away. Nothing to lose except a warm meal and a real bed, if we don't try.”
That was the first time I really considered to just drag her out of here repercussions be damned. This might look like a simple village, but we are INSIDE Starfall Mountain. This place was always been deemed a deadly place. And now we are inside exactly that deadly place. One mistake and we might be dead.
“Lady Minx, might I protest?”
My last hope, as she is rather reasonable, when it came to the thoughts of her companions.
“I know what you think, and I would even suggest not being too hasty, but look to the corner of that house.”
Where Minx pointed I saw nothing but a mouse, then I understood what she meant with the mouse. If a thing like this can live here, we are in no immediate danger, at least that was her thinking. I was still not too sure, but she had a point. If it was that dangerous, nothing would run around inside.
“OK, we go to the first house on the right. The House on the left has no doors and might be for shelter of some animal of burden or slaves.”
Against my rationality I did go with what Minx told us to do. Moving inside carefully we searched for hidden dangers while not directly have our weapon drawn. My knuckles were white at the pommel of my sword, but I endured.
Knocking on the door left us with a rather uneasy feeling, as the door was not even locked in any way. Entering we saw a dusty room with some necessities, but many normal things were missing completely. No cloth, no bread, no people, no tools, not even any stains or the smell of people living in here. Everything in my body shouts TRAP.
“This is definitely wrong Minx.”
As I told her we heard a loud rumble and the Gate to the outside was closed. The first thing we did was making a beeline to the Gate and trying to open it. After that the floor vanished. A trap door right at the Gate was a clever move, but Minx was luckily able to levitate us out of it before something happens. The next thing was, when I was shot by an Arrow. It pierced my leg and I was immobilized.
Burk dropped his backpack and for the first time I saw him take out something different than our own stuff from it. It was a black ball which he twisted and threw at the Gate.
The Explosion was a shock to me as to the others. He just took Minx right then and there and with a massive vault just crossed the pit right into the hole he made with it.
Elaren looked at the hole, then at me.
“I am sorry.”
...and left too.
…
Now here I am. In a World filled with darkness and the feeling of being taken over. It will not take long until I cease to exist, but at least Minx is safe. I never thought Burk was the true guard and we just pawns.
While losing myself I just want to know, where I went wrong in my life to be devoured by this thing, whatever it might be…