Talasin was woken by the sound of screaming coming from outside Wren's tiny room, he looked around and saw that Garnet and Wren were awake too.

In the light of the torch they had been left burning, Talasin could see them looking scared and wide-eyed.

"Demon," he mouthed the word.

Wren had managed to find a weapon, it wasn't anything fancy, just a rusty iron shiv, but it was better than nothing.

But what Talasin really needed was silver. If he could pierce the demon's heart with a silver dagger, it would be immobilized long enough for him to cut off its head.

More shouts of terror echoed down the passage, and the sounds of fighting grew louder.

Talasin got up and pulled on his boots, which were still lying in the corner. He picked up the torch and went out into the corridor.

The first thing that struck him was the smell. It was a strange mixture of rotting flesh and excrement. His eyes began to water. The second thing he noticed was the sweltering heat.

It was far hotter than the room where they’d slept, even more so when you consider the sewer tunnels would have cooled considerably once they'd descended below ground level.

He looked up and saw flickering red lights moving through the air above him. At first, he thought it was fireflies or some kind of bug, until one landed on his hand and he realized it was actually a balefly staring back at him.

He'd read about these demonic insects and seen drawings in Master Tannen's lore books, but never imagined he'd see one face to face.

It was black with glowing red veins covering its tiny body and red eyes. It was said that the balefly was a sign of bad luck.

The reason was that when the demonic armies attacked cities, the first sign of the demon's approach was the baleflies that swarmed them.

Shouts came from ahead of him, and the sound of heavy boots thudding on stone drew nearer.

Talasin extinguished his lamp and snuck closer. As soon as he rounded the corner, he knew something was wrong.

There was blood everywhere, splashed over the walls and floor and pooled in puddles under the fallen bodies of the guild rats.

They young men and women weren't just dead, they were torn apart, their leather armor ripped away and their flesh eaten.

Their limbs were missing, and their intestines spilled out across the floor like a giant slug had devoured them from within.

There was no doubt about it, there were more than just blood sucking hellions in the sewers.

A voice called out, "Help!"

In the same moment, another voice called. "Who's there? Please, help us."

The voices belonged to men, both of them sounded old, and the one who had spoken first was wheezing and seemed unwell.

Talasin peered into the empty chamber and scanned the room for the injured men. Movement caught his eye and he saw an old man writhing on the ground a short distance away.

"The demons are gone. Please help me," the other man shouted again, and he sounded desperate.

Talasin crept forward. His eyes were used to seeing in the dark, and he could make out an old man sitting against the wall, his back leaning against the rough stonework and his legs stretched out in front of him.

Talasin inched closer and then stopped. The old man's eyes were dull and white as a sheet.

Something moved behind the man, and Talasin saw it then. A thin tendril-like arm holding the man up like a puppet.

A mimic, thought Talasin. They lured people either by acting as treasure or by pretending to be a victim. Those that got too close died before they even knew what had happened.

Mimics had three major weaknesses, though. They were blind, and their true form was incredibly fragile.

Talasin crawled closer. He bent down and picked up a severed leg and tossed it at the old man. The old man's chest split open and massive teeth burst out of it and snatched the leg out of the air.

Their third weakness of the Mimics was that they only had one weapon-their teeth.

Talasin darted forward, he leapt over a decapitated body and dived past the old man.

The mimic shrieked and tried to spit out the half chewed leg, but it was too slow. Talasin severed the puppet tendril with one clean slash.

The whole room trembled as the mimic let out a piercing howl. Before Talasin could swing his blade a second time, the Mimic merged into the shadows.

Talasin strained his eyes trying to find his quarry, but the demon was nowhere in sight. Mimic's had zero pain threshold. The wound wouldn't kill it, but Talasin knew it wouldn't be able to fight again this night.

----------------------------------------

Talasin left the room and continued on down a smaller sewer pipe. The sound of running water muffled any other sounds in the area, but he could feel vibrations under his feet. He didn't know what the source of the vibrations were, but he suspected it could be a water wheel below ground.

He continued following the narrow pipe for over an hour. The trickling sound of running water faded and was replaced with a dull roaring sound that Talasin couldn't quite place.

The tunnel opened up into the main sewer pipe, it was massive, about the height of a small building.

He climbed atop a stack of crates and peered out into the shifting shadows down below. What he saw filled him with dread.

Waves of Demented hunched over and marching in single file, all heading to the city above. They walked quickly, as if some great terror was pushing them on.

Behind them came hordes of zombies, skeletons, kobolds and furies.

Talasin had only read about these demonic war beasts. The books did furies no justice. Every part of their body was a weapon. They walked on all fours, their legs ending in sharp blades that could slice through bone effortlessly. Their snouts were long, revealing glistening fangs and their whip-like tails swishing as they marched.

Talasin tried to back away, but his foot slipped on a crate. It fell off the side and smashed into splinters.

A single fury stopped marching. Its head swung towards Talasin’s hiding place, and the boy froze, not daring to breathe.

His heart pounded in his chest and he held his breath, afraid to even breath.

The fury’s nostrils flared as it sniffed the air.

A loud cracking sound resounded through the passage, and the fury hissed in challenge. A Demon Overlord that looked like the bloated corpse of an obese giant cracked its whip a second time, and the fury bared its fangs and then turned, rejoining its pack.

Talasin laid flat on his belly as he watched a procession of dismounted soldiers following behind the hordes of undead.

These humans were obviously professional soldiers, and they carried curved swords and round red shields. They had to be the Redhand, a tribe of Sethi warriors from across the Iron sea.

Talasin had read stories about them at the academy. It was said that the Redhand painted their shields in the blood of their victims and that they never surrendered in battle, choosing instead to fight to the death.

Talasin shrank back and watched with one eye as the army continued marching on. There had to be thousands of them, he thought. Enough to destroy a city in a single night. The thought sent chills down his spine.

Behind them all came a lone figure, this one more frightening than the rest put together. A Forsaken. The sightless demon was dressed in black robes. Its skeletal hands clutched a gnarled staff, and it glided across the ground like a wraith. Talasin knew that in this creature’s wake, all plant life and small animals withered and died.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Talasin's legs began to tremble uncontrollably, and he felt his bladder releasing. Warm urine ran down his legs, but he didn't move. He couldn't.

The terror that had gripped his heart would have killed an untrained man. Talasin’s own training barely kept his sanity intact.

He could feel the strain on his heart and his labored breath heavy in his chest. He wanted to run, but he knew his legs wouldn't obey him.

He silently watched in horror as the Demon General passed by. The creature would have sensed Talasin’s presence, but the young Talamascan boy was so far beneath this demon that it didn't even bother to look his way.

----------------------------------------

An hour had passed before Talasin was able to move again. His muscles were stiff from being frozen in place, and his breathing was slowly returning to normal.

He'd heard stories of people being so terrified at seeing a Forsaken that they'd lost their minds or died on the spot. He'd always thought those stories exaggerated, but at that moment he felt lucky to still be alive.

It had to be magic, he thought. The demon must have some fear aura surrounding it. He wondered if anybody had managed to pierce that barrier and kill a Forsaken. It seemed hard to believe that any mortal could stand against it and live.

On shaky legs, Talasin made his way back to Wren's room. His mind was still poisoned with terror, so the journey was painfully slow. He’d walk a few steps and then stop and listen, making sure he wasn't being followed. He had a feeling that he was being watched every step of the way, but he pushed those thoughts away, choosing to believe that they were just symptoms of the Forsaken’s magic.

His mouth was dry and really needed a drink, maybe something stronger than just water.

He imagined the feeling of cool liquid running down his parched throat as he drew closer to Wren’s room.

He rounded a corner and heard the sound of a girl screaming.

"Go away!"

“That was Wren’s voice!” Talasin whispered to himself.

He reached her door, kicked it open and stepped inside, his weapon drawn and ready.

Wren sat on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest. Tears trickled down her cheeks. Her hands gripped the blankets, and she was shaking violently.

Talasin took a tentative step forward. "Are you okay?"

And then he saw Raithen slouched against the wall. The man was covered in blood. A small gash ran along his cheek and his left ear was torn off. His clothes were ripped and bloody, and the skin underneath was burned raw.

Raithen held one hand against his wounded side. "It's okay, I'm fine," he said quietly.

He pulled himself up against the wall, “I was trapped in my room when the roof collapsed,” he continued. “I just managed to get out alive, but Zed and Nosebleed.” He trailed off, shaking his head.

Wren wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at Talasin. He knew that she was hoping he'd found her friends and family.

Garnet winced as she got to her feet. She slowly crossed the room and came to stand beside Talasin.

He slung his arm around her waist for support.

"How bad is it out there?" she asked.

Talasin shook his head, "It's bad," he said.

Garnet nodded slowly, "How many survivors are there?"

"They..." he began, and then he cleared his throat.

Wren sucked in a deep breath and more tears formed in her eyes.

Talasin swallowed, and his voice cracked, "They are all dead."

The room fell silent. Talasin looked at the floor, not wanting to meet their eyes.

“I'm sorry,” he said in a voice barely audible.

It sounded like lightning had stuck their room. A wall exploded and debris fell about them like snow. Garnet fell forward, but Talasin held her tight.

Wren shot to her feet, her eyes wild in panic.

"We need to go now," Talasin hissed. "There is an army of demons heading for the city. We don't have time to warn the city watch, but if we get moving, maybe we can get out alive."

----------------------------------------

Talasin led the way, with the three following close behind. They picked their way through the corpses and down the large central sewer line that the demon's had used. Talasin didn't want to go back there, but he knew it was the only way out.

Around every corner there was another body, or worse, a pile of bodies. So far, they hadn't encountered any demons, but they could hear the sounds of fighting echoing through the tunnels.

"It's getting louder," whispered Garnet.

Talasin shook his head, "It means the city is putting up a good fight.”

Garnet nodded at his words, she still thought they had a fighting chance. Talasin knew better, he’d seen the might of the demon's army. There would be no glorious battle above ground, it would be a slaughter.

“This tunnel leads right out onto the street,” said Wren. “We'll be able to see what's happening soon enough.”

As they walked the noise continued, louder than ever, and the surrounding walls seemed to shake with the thunderous clash of battle.

A low moan echoed through the tunnel, and they all froze.

"What was that?" whispered Wren.

Talasin swallowed, "I'm not sure. It sounded like..." He trailed off and squinted into the dark

A second later, the corridor erupted into chaos.

Cries of terror filled the air, and the ground vibrated beneath their feet. The tunnel split, and they heard the sound of something huge crashing through the wall ahead of them.

An Abomination burst into the tunnel and stopped short when it saw Talasin.

“By Teon’s balls!” shouted Raithen. “What the hell is that?”

The beast was a mishmash of body parts both human and monster, sewn together and animated by dark magic. It wasn't a demon, but a chimera created by demonic alchemists. Talasin had only seen sketches of them in books during history lessons.

The creature's head was that of a man, the body a humanoid shape with long arms and legs. Its torso was that of a goat, and the limbs were those of a spider. The thing was hideous to look upon, and yet Talasin found himself transfixed by the sight of it.

“Get back,” he said. “I’ve got this.”

He hoped he sounded braver than he felt.

Talasin drew his shiv and watched the creature. Its legs twitched and made a strange clicking sound like branches of a tree being rubbed together.

Which twisted mind thought up this creature?

Before he could complete the thought, the monster attacked.

Talasin dodged the attack and brought his shiv down, and the blade sliced through the beast's spider arms and plunged into its chest.

The beast roared in pain and grabbed at it, but the shiv was lodged deep, and blood spurted from the wound.

"Hand me a weapon," Talasin roared as the monster lunged at him, its limbs slashing wildly in a low arc.

Talasin ducked under the swinging arms and stepped back, taking a moment to steady himself.

The abomination closed in, thrashing its talons at Talasin face.

Raithen whistled and tossed his iron sword. Talasin caught it deftly and rolled aside, dodging another blow. He struck again and the beast's head snapping back as the blade cut through its neck.

Blood sprayed the floor in front of Talasin and the creature stumbled, dropping to the ground and trying to crawl away.

Talasin watched it for a moment. His Master had often told him that an enemy was at it's most dangerous when it was about to die.

Talasin stepped forward and chopped off the beast's head with one clean slash.

The abomination was weak, its strange assortment of body parts hindering its movement rather than aiding it.

[Abomination Killed - Progress Towards Next Ascension: 37%]

----------------------------------------

It was still dark when the four companions emerged from the sewers.

The sky glowed an ominous red as the city burnt. They were in the northern district near the temple of Ramagos and the great library of K'rith Vatali. Both ancient buildings were burnt to the ground and the whole city was ablaze.

The streets were lined with bodies, charred and still smoking, and screams echoed through the air.

“Why?” Wren murmured beside him. Her eyes were wide with fright and confusion.

“Evil bastards,” Raithen spat. “We need to get out of here.”

Garnet gestured down the street towards the palace, and Talasin nodded.

The group moved quickly across the street towards the palace, and the sounds of fighting grew louder.

Raithen ran ahead, stepping over dead bodies, and disappeared into the palace grounds.

Garnet and Wren ran ahead of Talasin, and he guarded their rear and made sure that Garnet was not left behind.

As they ran, he scanned the rooftops for signs of danger.

There were no demons so far. But, baleflies swarmed in black clouds over dead bodies and many fires were dotted around the city

Ahead of them, a group of soldiers gathered about the palace. They wore the insignia of the Royal Guard, a red cross on white. Three men stood guard at the door, and the other soldiers huddled around the building.

Raithen waved them over, and the companions crouched low behind a stack of wooden crates and watched.

A single figure walked out of the building and joined the guards. She was lean and muscular with short red hair cut in a bob. She wore a sleeveless leather breastplate and leggings beneath a long brown coat. From that distance, Talasin could see that her face was covered in blood.

"My sword instructor," said Garnet. She tried to stand up, but Talasin caught her arm and held her tight.

“Wait,” he said. “We need to move cautiously.”

“Let me go!” said Garnet, trying to pull free.

A shout of warning rang out from the soldiers, and the three guards drew their swords as the palace gates burst open.

A horde of Demented surged through the gates, they swung their butcher's cleavers with practiced ease, decimating the guards in seconds.

Talasin's own shout of warning died as the woman’s head soared through the air. It landed on the road a short distance from them.

Garnet cried out in horror and Talasin released her arm. She ran across the street and fell down on the ground, sobbing heavily.

Someone screamed, and Talasin turned to see a soldier impaled on an axe blade. The man's guts spilled out onto the street as the axe felled him in two.

"We need to get out of here," Wren hissed.

Talasin looked around and realized they were too late to help. The battle was already over. The city had been lost.

He left the hiding place and ran over to Garnet. He pulled her to her feet and turned to face her. He felt numb and confused.

The light is meant to prevail, how has the darkness overthrown us so easily.

Garnet's expression was dull, as she stared into the lifeless eyes of her sword instructor.

"We need to get back to Astraeus and warn the Order," Talasin said in a voice so low it could barely be heard over the sounds of shouting.

Garnet said nothing. She clutched onto his arm as all of her strength vanished.

Talasin looked back at the palace and then at Wren, Garnet and Raithen. Their eyes all mirrored the fear and horror he felt.

"Let’s get the hell out of here," he said.

----------------------------------------