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New Quest Objective

- Return to Shadow’s Bay

You’ll be playing Grey Steel, a minotaur with a burning desire for vengeance against the creatures that destroyed his life.

***

(For the duration of this segment. Your attack dice has doubled as has your resilience to damage. You’ve also gained + 100 Health Points which you can spread amongst your companions and yourself.)

Greatsword heavy in his hands, Grey paused at the doorway to look back at his friends, their worried expressions highlighted by the flames. The plateau outside teaming with life as demons winged their way across the skies. The packed ranks of imps in muted black armor storming through each of the small red brick homes in search of the intruder. Shadows dancing past the torchlights they carried to reveal mounds of corpses stacked out in the open, their mutilated carcasses showing the many desperate lives that had been sacrificed against Blauztag the Godless. The demon that had haunted these lands for so long, resting behind Grey, it’s blackened husk releasing a thin stream of ash that flaked onto the floorboards. The room around them in utter disarray from their recent battle with overturned chairs, tables, and cupboards flung across the room.

Too late to leave without being seen, Grey hunched down to peer out the window, a part of him hoping to find an opening that would get them out of here. But as far as he could tell, both the front and back door were being watched by at least a half dozen glowing red eyes that moved from rooftop to rooftop, gliding through the air like hawks hunting for prey. The all too familiar sound of their wingbeats rattling each of Grey’s nerves.

Hearing the shuffle of footsteps closeby, he pulled back deeper inside. Sky nervously watching the doorways, while Amaryllis fidgeted about with the blood that gotten onto her fingertips.

“It won’t be long before they find us here. If we’re going to get out of here alive, we will need to move,”said Grey.

Cheeks spattered with specks of black blood, Amaryllis nodded her head, and rubbed the last of the blood that gotten onto her fingers on her robes. Sky’s left eye twitching erratically as he swung back his cloak to count the remainder of his knives, before looking up at Grey with a grimace. “Let’s hurry then.”

Again taking the lead, he crouched low and led his friends towards the back door they had entered from before pausing to scan the area ahead.

Seeing no signs of the demons, he strode out into the pitch black darkness with his greatsword ready in hand. The star lights guiding his steps northward across the village grounds when Grey felt his skin crawl and the hair on the back of his neck prickle as he realised he was being watched.

Greatsword swinging upwards, he spun on his heels to fight his way free and felt the air escape his lungs as he gasped out aloud. The glimmer of torchlights and braziers thst rippled to life all around him, revealing a whole host of glowing red eyes that peaked out from beneath black helms, their crossblades transformed into swords as they surrounded them from all sides. The wind whispering a soft melody of death that caressed his fur, causing a shiver to run down his spine.

Formed up in silent still ranks, he watched as Blauztag’s army gathered around them in the quiet of starlight, and felt a quiver of despair at the hundreds of demons that hunched over on the rooftops, watching and waiting with hate filled gazes.

Arm wrapped around Amaryllis’ shoulder in a weak attempt to shield her, Grey tried to backtrack towards the safety of the doorway, only for the demons to close their trap. Myrllis letting out a whimper of fear in his arms as he tried to ward them back with his greatsword. But even they must have realised the futility of the gesture as the circle tightened like a noose around them. Sky’s anguished expression, twisting to near panic as he desperately searched for a way out that did not exist.

While Grey tried to reason with himself that they had chosen this path, that they had chosen to stand beside him, but he had only to look at Myrllis’ tear stained cheeks to realise that no longer mattered anymore. Whether they’d chosen to come with him or not. He needed to save them. He needed to do something. Salandreel if true to his word would be waiting for them just to north of the village, if they could just reach it...

Greatsword lifted upward, he called upon the flame he felt burning inside of him, thrust his friends back, and leapt forward alone to battle the creatures of the night, his voice beating at them like a whip. “I was the one that killed your, Lord! Me! Grey Steel! Killer of demons! Slayer of Blauztag!”

His greatsword sweeping in wide arcs to hack the nearest demons apart, before charging at their lines recklessly, the demonic beings swirling in all around him in maelstrom of hate fuelled rage, their claws raking him in a blur of flesh and wings as Grey fought to hold back a scream.(- 50 Health Points.) The blood that coated his skin warm and comforting like a blanket as the sea of bodies pushed, cut, and pressed against him dragging him through a river of pain. (- 100 Health Points.)

Grey's last glimpse of his friends showing Amaryllis’ being pulled along by Sky into the waiting darkness.

Comforted by the thought of their escape, he ignored the firebolts, claws, and blades that tore through him and called upon the inner flames. The steel greatsword he’d taken from his uncle’s house moving in wide chopping motions to slaughter dozens of faceless demons that blurred together, his body numbed from the agony of it all as the hilt in his hands became wet with his own blood and sweat. Each form perfect and effortless. (- 150 Health Points.)

Face a mask of pain he could no longer deny, he could feel the fire begin to flicker inside. And in it's last dying embers of light he sank to knees surrounded by the bodies of those he'd felled, and looked up into the starry night sky. The twinkle of the stars above flaring as though in answer to his prayer. And for heartbreaking second Grey thought he could see his father and mother up in the clouds watching him with pride as they held each other. His father speaking those words that had been imprinted into his mind so long ago. “Bring the light no matter where you go. Bring the light.”

His father’s words causing hot tears to spill down Grey’s cheeks as Bright Steel’s golden eyes looked deep into his soul. “Don’t give up yet...Help is coming...”

Flames stirred once more, he grabbed hold of it with both hands and in a brilliant burst of light the darkness was cast back like a veil, his skin exuding a ferocious heat that felt so natural as breathing. The blade coming alive in his arms. The imps recoiling away from him as the greatsword became almost blinding to behold. The weapon’s name floating through Grey’s mind. “I am Tamrel, I shall serve you for as long as you serve the light.”

Smiling at the realisation this was not the end, he wiped the tears from his eyes. “Then fight with me, Tamrel.”

Skin steaming with light and fire, Grey held up Tamrel up in his arms, heard the trumpet calls in the distance and began his fight anew. The flocks of demons above raining down firebolts all around him only to be absorbed by the blade and redirected back up to burn them out of the sky. Armored warriors on the backs of wingdarts charging up the plateau to smash into the disorganised ranks of the demon horde, followed by swarms of farmers, traders, and villagers sick of the fear that had invaded their lives, their deafening roar causing Grey’s blood to tingle alive as he led the fight against the forces of darkness.

But as time flewby, Grey sensed that they were still far too few of them, the demon's barrage of firebolts snuffing out one life after another, the mercenaries that had fought their way towards him overwhelmed by shadow demons, and as the last remnants of hopes died away. He was forced back time and time again to the agonising screams of those calling out to him for help.

The strength he’d felt inside of him, rapidly dwindling away to a dull roar, until he collapsed once more into the dust, his chest aching with exhaustion and arms drained of all strength as he watched the last of the mercenaries who’d come to save him fall beneath the demon's wet blades. The ground shifting beneath him as he gazed up one last time to see the whole village burn, surrounded by flames, blood, and death...

***

Visions, memories, and dreams drifted through Grey’s unconscious mind, the faces of those that had died, those he’d left behind, and those he’d failed to save. Each of them looking to him in their final moments, before being lost in a sea agony that twisted their faces.

Voice lifted to the sky, Grey raged against their senseless deaths. Asked them to forgive him for abandoning them. Told them that it wasn’t his choice, that he had never wanted to leave them behind only to see another blinding flash of light and their faces be replaced by his father. The grizzled fur of his face, short beard, and missing horn giving Bright Steel the look of a hunter that had lived alone in the wilds for too long, his golden glowing eyes reflecting the hidden warmth within them.

“Grey,” he smiled.

Heart wrenched at the sound of his voice, Grey cried out to him, “Bring the light! That’s what you said father! That’s what you said! Where’s the light in this?! Where?!”

His father knelt down beside him, reminding him of all the times as a child Bright would always kneel down to speak with him. “Surely, you did not think it would be so easy?”

Grey shook his head, more tears spilling down his cheeks to create furrows in his fur. “No, but I never knew it would be this hard.”

Bright Steel’s laugh came as gentle as a summer breeze. “Your uncle was the same way. He too only ever dreamed of honor. He believed the light was infallible that it would always guide his path, but that is not always so, Grey. The light can be just as dangerous as the dark, tempting us with glory. But glory can quickly turn to ash the same as it did for Cold once he realised the price he would need to pay. The path of light is never easy, Grey, but I know that you will find it. I am certain of it.”

“How, how do you know?”

Bright Steel smiled again, and pressed a finger to Grey’s forehead. “I just know you will. You are a, Steel. We do not falter. And we do not stray...”

***

Startled awake by the sound of heavy footsteps, Grey sat up immediately, his skin soaked in sweat and found himself sitting in a roughly hewn bed made of oak with Sky leaning over him. The room around him more of a shack with light breaking it’s splintered wooden walls to reveal a dusty, old room with furniture thrust up against one side of the wall, as well as a bedside table with a lamp upon beside him.

Grinning from ear to ear, Sky smiled down at him in relief. “I thought you’d never awake, Grey. You’ve been asleep for a while now.”

Mind still hazy with visions of his father, Grey shook his head and asked, “What happened?”

Sky pulled back and sat down on the bed beside him. “Well that’s a fairly long tale to tell, Grey, but I suppose you should hear it now rather than later. Once Myrllis and I managed to get away from the black hearts, we found Salandreel where he’d said he be and we told him what had happened. Salandreel then took us back to his camp and spread the news of our victory and before we even knew it, everyone was racing towards the plateau.

“And this is the part you’re not going to believe, Grey, but there was a Honor Blade there, standing there all by himself in the middle of the village wreathed in flames slaughtering the lot of them. He must have killed at least half the demons there before Salandreel shouted something about the return of dragons, or the return of the dwarven lords, it was something with two words I think. Anyway he led the charge against the demons surrounding the Honor Blade while Amaryllis and I searched for you.

“We would have won the battle ourselves when all of sudden he was gone just like that. With him dead, it looked like we would all die up there when Lord Colmar arrived with a whole army at his back to drive them away.”

“Colmar,”Grey grunted in disgust. Of course it had to be him. Colmar, Lord of the Summer Lands, Hero of the Ashen Wars, and Savior of the South. Even before Grey had heard the dark rumours about him worshiping demons in secret, Grey had known there had to be something wrong with him ever since the day he’d heard his father speak of that I'll begotten name.

...He’d been sitting atop the roof top doing his best to avoid doing chores when Iron Skull, the guardian of their village had come to visit his father. The big burly minotaur appearing at the foot of his home to converse quietly with Bright Steel, when all of a sudden his father’s face contorted into barely concealed fury.

“--no! My people have already given enough to this war of his. I will not abandon them.”

“Be reasonable, Steel. Winter, will not take kindly to your presence here. He’ll have you executed the first chance he gets along with you and your family, just like he’s done so many times before. You’re the only Honor Blade left here. You need to leave and take your family with you. Colmar will not rest until all the Honor Blades have left his lands.”

Anger faded away, Bright Steel looked back towards the doorway of his home. “I cannot leave, my friend. My duty lies here.”

Iron Skull, smiled sadly. “I know.”

Later that day, Grey had heard his parents arguing with each other, saw the mob of villagers headed towards his home, and had his first inkling that something was rotten in the heart of their realm. Bright Steel, bound by a code to protect his home, to a people who no longer wanted him there while all around them the Ashen Lands continued to spread unchecked.

To be continued...