Raylek woke with a start. The old man was prone to waking up several times a night, so it took him a minute to register what had jarred him out of his sleep.

The pulse that had been draining the magical energy had finally come to a stop. He looked down to the ground and focused on a small spot between his bed and carpet. Not only was the magic drained, but it seemed like even the miniscule amount that was always there was gone. A strong sense of foreboding hit him, causing him to pull his feet away from the ground and back into the bed.

Instincts put Raylek into a panic, something bad was here. Forcing courage to overcome his fears, he slowly put his feet on the cold carpet. Tossing on his robe and grabbing what small number of weapons he carried, he headed very slowly to the exit of his tent.

It was dark out, unnaturally so. The guards that had been placed to protect him were nowhere to be seen. In fact, Raylek finally noticed, there wasn’t a single sound being made. Insects weren’t even calling.

It’s amazing how used to sound and sight you can get. This silence is almost maddening, and I can’t see more than a few feet in front of me. Where are all the fires? I need to check on Grey and get us the hell out of here.

Raylek took one of the extinguished torches from in front of his tent, removed his flint and lit it. The fire sprang to life and then seemed to recoil a fraction. Somehow, the darkness in the area seemed to be pushing the light from the torch back.

I suppose there is no good in being afraid, if whatever this is wants me dead I don’t really have a way to put up a fight.

He started the short journey towards the Commander’s tent, unable to summon the courage to shout, “Is anyone here?”. Raylek’s skin was crawling, subconscious screaming at him to curl up into a ball and wait for daybreak. He continued and reached the Commander’s tent.

No guards again. I suppose that this is a futile effort, but I’m already here.

Pushing tent flaps open, Raylek was able to make out a long figure standing in the center of the area. The figure was standing over Grey, whose body was laid out on the floor. Raylek froze, now entirely too afraid to even draw a breath.

The figure seemed to be made of unmoving smoke, around 10 feet tall and skeleton like in its appendages. A pulsing red light could barely be seen, illuminating what would be the chest area of a man that size. Unsure how he knew, Raylek could tell the being had not set its attention directly on him yet.

The figure reached down to the Commander, arms long enough that it didn’t even have to bend over, and touched Grey on the forehead. Moments passed and then the creature recoiled and hissed.

Green-blue light rose from an object in the Commander’s hand, the stone with the carving on it. It was inscribed “Revenge” and emanated a steady stream of power into the air. The sudden intensity of that power forced the figure to retreat a few feet. Moments later the energy retracted into the stone.

Raylek still couldn’t move, his body wouldn’t respond to anything he told it to do. Unfortunately for him, the figure finally seemed to notice his presence.

Raylek felt a mind crushing force hit him, not affecting his physical body. It’s looking at me now, this is the end. Instead, the figure pointed one of its thin arms at the Commander, no, at the stone. What the hell is going on here? Should I run to the stone and use it as protection? Would it even work?

A force suddenly hit him with much more intensity. His mind screamed in pain, but his body would still not respond. He thought he could make something out in the force, “NOW!”.

When history hears the story of Raylek, he’d like it to say that he was brave, cunning and a patriot. When faced with the amount of pain and power that was standing before him, he’d settle for “he lived”.

It wants me to remove the stone.

Raylek finally forced his limbs to react, one foot in front of the other. He approached Grey and crouched. The man appeared completely healthy, but Raylek knew better. Crouching above the man, he placed his hand on the stone. If I take this stone, I will be protected but Grey will die. If I don’t take the stone, he will no doubt die eventually, and I will die immediately. I’m sorry Grey.

Raylek removed the stone and quickly stepped as far away as he could.

For several seconds, the creature kept its gaze on Raylek. Apparently deciding that he was insignificant again, it turned its focus back to Grey. One arm began to leak smoke at an astonishing pace. The smoke traveled from the end of the arm to the floor and landed into an ever-growing lake of more smoke. Finally, the body of smoke on the floor snaked over to Grey and rested over his entire body, until nothing could be seen of the man.

Still afraid to run, Raylek sat on the ground and accepted his fate. He closed his tired eyes and tried to get some sleep before he died. Old men must sleep when they can, after all.

Several minutes later, the smoke began to clear, and the figure was…gone?

***

“Raylek! Stand up man, why are you asleep on my floor? Guards, bring a medic!” Grey had a hint of amusement to his tone.

WHAT? There is no way that was a dream! Raylek thought to himself in pure panic, a hint of hope in his thoughts.

“Commander, we have to leave this place NOW! We must! Come with me, the soldiers can follow when able, but we have to GO!” the old coot was screaming at the commander.

“Calm yourself, old friend, you’re safe, you just had a bad dream.” Hands extended in a disarming manner.

Raylek could feel a warm energy pulsing from his right hand. He looked down and saw nothing.

“Where is the stone that you’ve been carrying with you?” panic invading his thoughts. “This isn’t right, something is off.” Two guards entered the room.

“Raylek, listen to me. I don’t know what you’re going on about, but it’s right here.” The commander held up the stone and showed it to Raylek. “Do you want to take it? Would that make you feel better?” and Grey tossed the stone over to him.

He could now feel the stone in his hands, course and heavy.

Maybe this was all a bad dream, am I overreacting? I am still going to leave this place immediately.

“I’m worried for you, let the medics see to you. What is it about that stone that has you so scared?” Grey seemed to be deeply concerned with his friend’s health, sadness written on his face.

“I have to leave Grey, I will take my own medic with me.” Forced calm on Raylek’s behalf seemed to quell the guard’s anxiety, Grey’s as well. I’m not afraid of the stone, I’m afraid of what’s coming. “I think the stone may be a trap. I leave the moment my cart is ready to travel. Please leave this place as soon as you can, I had what I believe is a premonition of things to pass. Something ancient and evil is headed here.” Raylek started to walk out of the tent but was stopped by a not-so-subtle “The stone.” From Grey.

“Of course, Commander” he moved to hand the stone back to Grey. The man picked up a silver box and held it in front of him with the lid open.

“If you fear the stone, it is my duty as the ranking military official to deliver it to the Research Department in the capital. Place it in the box and I will carry it. Thank you Raylek, I will depart as soon as the soldiers are ready.” There was not a hint of fear on Grey’s face as he held the box out.

Weighing his options, Raylek decided that he only had the one. “Thank you, Commander, please find me as soon as you reach the capital.” And he dropped the stone into the box.

A flash of darkness spread through Raylek’s vision. Suddenly all the sunlight left the tent.

Raylek was standing mere inches from Grey’s face, well, what used to be Grey’s face. All along the man’s skin he could see blackness swimming through the veins. Eyes filled with blackness so deep that it threatened to swallow Raylek. His torch was still lit, and he could see that the Commander’s body was indeed not on the floor any longer.

Raylek desperately wanted to run, knowing full well that it would do no good. Grey seemed to be studying him, inching ever closer. Suddenly Grey halted and began to step back.

“You are a Mage.” came words from Grey’s mouth. Voice was not the best description but would be as close as Raylek could describe what he heard.

“Y…Yes.”, Was the only word he could muster.

“You will serve me, or you will be consumed.” It was not a question, but a truth.

“Who…What are you?” Raylek finally managed.

*PAIN*

Raylek screamed in agony, every part of his body felt like it was on fire.

“You do not ask questions. You serve. You will take that…thing from my sight. Do not open the box, put the box in the temple where the orbs are and come back here. If you open the box, I will know. The Betrayer’s scent is strong for being so young.” There was no doubt in Grey’s tone that death was the next punishment for saying anything but “Yes”, so Raylek did as he was commanded.

As he turned to exit the tent, box in hand, a force struck him in the back of the head. Raylek’s eyes flared with unimaginable pain and he hit the floor. After a long wait, he opened his eyes.

I can see through the darkness. Grey must have done this to my sight. Well, I suppose that isn’t Grey anymore. This creature must be one of the Ancient Beasts, but I’ve never heard of a body snatching smoke wraith in the tales.

Grey walked to the temple as instructed, not seeing anything living along the way. Armor, weapons, plates and extinguished fires were all that he could see of the once living soldiers. Inside the temple, Raylek set the box on top of the remaining section of the statue. Immediately he felt power begin to syphon from the object inside of the box and flow out to the stones.

The moment Raylek felt the power of the stone interact with the spell he knew his suspicions were right. The destruction of this city had been caused by magic indeed. The stone he placed inside of the drain spell was a new creation, but it reacted with the spell exactly like the Artifact did. Artifact Temple spells were tuned specifically for the magical energy held in The Destroyers armor plates.

The Three were responsible for keeping the tuning of the spells in line. This maintenance is what kept the Artifact Temples effectiveness true for all these years. All three temples existed in every realm in the exact same location at the exact same time but could be maintained from a single realm. This kind of spell work was beyond anything that he could imagine creating, and he had studied it profusely his entire life. There were two more temples that kept the Exile Realm closed. If she has already retrieved this Artifact, she will surely be going for the other two.

Raylek now had to make a choice that no man should make. Do I guide this creature the wrong direction and allow The Destroyer to gain power or do I send him right towards her and hope that they destroy each other?

History said that The Destroyer was only taken down because The Ancients teamed up with Humans to stop her destruction of the universe. Raylek was not a child and didn’t blindly believe anything. What he knew right now was how unimaginably evil the creature in front of him was. In his time with the Artifacts, he always felt the energy was neutral. Neutral was unpredictable, but at least with neutral you had a chance. His unique perspective never did allow him to believe what was written.

I must serve this creature…for now.

Raylek took a step outside of the spells and wards, mind made up.

*PAIN*

“COME!” the mental assault came without warning. "We have work to do."