Astros enjoyed the cool summer’s breeze as he stood upon the wall crossbow held loosely in one hand. Unlike the other Faleport guards he enjoyed watch duty, it beat chasing down street rats and manhandling drunks. Rising over the hill he saw a figure dressed in long grey robes. He sighed, the fool was approaching from the wrong direction, the gates were on the opposite side of the wall. He put his hand to his mouth to shout when the traveler raised their hand. Astros throat tightened no words would come out.

Shit Shit Shit

He reached for the horn strapped to his belt. With another rise of the hand, his whole body froze. Panic bubbled and rolled in his mind as he willed his paralyzed muscles to move, Panic turned to horror as he was forced to watch a shadow cast by torchlight solidify. The shadow danced and weaved as they slowly took the form of a hunched figure, even with its knuckles placed on the ground it was still of a height with Astros. More and more of the creature apparated, it’s skin was pale and taught, even in the lowlight he could see the veins and organs through the nearly translucent skin, Its face was just human enough to be wrong, black orbs in the places of eyes, two slits were its nose should be, a lack of cheeks showing its jagged and needle-like teeth. He tried to scream, its jaw distended larger than his head, it sucked in a dry rattle.

Darkness

***

Fabi leaned back in her chair, slapping her face. She had imbibed one too many pre-shift drinks and was struggling to stay awake. Well, it's not like anything was going to happen, she sat in one of four towers built into the walls of The Rises, the rich walled portion of Faleport. The only action here was the gate guards turning away riff-raff and drunks, all she had to do was look sober enough to keep her cushy position. The sound of a gentle flute filled her mind.

That’s nice I wonder if there's a performance tonight

Her last memory was her chair falling back and slamming into the stone floor

Darkness

***

Draos rushed back and forth, collecting supplies for his master’s work. It was late into the night but Miss Renai was deep at work studying her notes. She claimed to be on the edge of a breakthrough, he had his doubts but knew better than to question her, especially when she was absorbed in her work. His body and mind burned for rest but if history was any indication he would be working till well past sunrise. He sighed, an apprentice's work was never done.

He turned the corner towards the storeroom, he froze. About twenty paces down the hall was a figure dressed in flowing grey robes, despite the bright mage lights that illuminated the halls the shadows around the figure were deep and black and danced around them like a cloak in the wind. As the shadows weaved and bobbed color itself seemed to be muted around them, leaving everything a dull shade of gray as the darkness greedily drank the vibrancy. Draos sucked in air to scream as he aimed his hand toward the figure, his palm bursting into flame.

With no warning or movement the figure appeared directly in front of him and covered his mouth with their palm, he had just a moment to register the dirt and calloused covered hand that blocked his mouth before images rushed into his head.

He died a thousand times, he saw his flesh burn and slough off, hooks ripped into his ribs, beetles ate his eyes, his bones broke against rock. He collapsed to the ground barely holding on to consciousness. His head lolled back, he saw the gray robe moving towards the open door where Miss Renai hunched over her desk absorbed in her work.

He had not the strength to scream.

Darkness

***

Renai poured over her notes, she was so close she could feel it. For years she had studied the enchantments and inscriptions carved into the artifacts found beneath the sands of the Veasten desert and for years she had made no progress. Her peers laughed at her behind her back, calling her passion a waste of time, soon she would show them all. On a recent archaeological dig, a tablet was found that translated Veastein to ancient Elvish. With this, she could decipher the language that had evaded her for years and discover the function of these artifacts lost to time. It would be months, years even before her labor bore its fruits, but the thought of her being proven right made it all worth it. Soon the name Renai Barbro would be written in all the ….

Darkness