Was is it that binds our peoples together? Is it just survival? Possibly love? Maybe we just can’t handle the loneliness, I don’t think this question will ever be answered. I truly wish that whatever the next trial to face us is, we can stand as one, as we always have, as I hope we always will. For Valen! For The People!

Melanie Destrie, 2nd Scholar of the Arcanium Consortium

Sunlight shone down upon a vast forest, alive with all the trappings of life, a deep river cut through cleaving the land in two, the water shimmered like precious jewels in the morning light.

Along the river, rocky outcroppings littered its sandy banks, a large edifice stood proudly along the way, a large thick crack running at its base which opened into a cave, naturally formed over the long passages of time.

Within a hulking shadowy form rested, staring out into shimmering river through the bright morning light, no expression showed upon its black slate like face, its eyes expressing no emotion.

None would know to look at it but the nightmare was feeling an emotion that it had not felt since its last incarnation, its past human life.

It was feeling alone, it had started to remember, flashes of images had started to invade its mind, unlocked after the impact to the head, shattered memories of its past life.

‘A face smiling, not in mockery but a calm happiness, long curly brown hair framing a plain face, nothing remarkable but for the emerald eyes like fresh grass that lit up the surroundings’,

The nightmare did not understand why this human women kept appearing in its thoughts, it wasn’t the same as the betrayers, it felt no animosity towards her, but every time it did, he felt pain unlike any other, like a blade was piercing its very soul.

‘Her hands laid together as if in prayer, under a sleeping face, hair veiling her petit features, a hand weathered by time reaches out, slowly peeling back the brown silky hair, a finger softly caressing her cheek, eyelashes fluttered open, revealing eyes as bright as meadows in spring, a tired smile emerging upon her face like the waxing moon’.

Talons pierced into the nightmares armored thighs, the physical pain the only reprieve from the assaulting memories, its jaws gritted, trying to stop the sadness that began to envelop its mind.

‘Sunlight shined down upon her, resting in a chair that cast a small shadow, my hand gripping her shoulder lightly from behind, I glance down, a light blue swaddling covered a baby, cradled within her arms, their breathing synchronized’.

The sadness become almost unbearable, a gaping chasm within, black bone began to fall to the floor as claws shredded at its own head, trying everything to stop it.

‘A great tower retreating into the distance, houses passing by, a great guarded wall, all flashing by a travelling ornate carriage, as a child’s laughter drifted from the interior, a woman’s answering in kind, a hand waving it on into the distance in farewell, a flash of regret’.

A voice was screaming out in despair, shaking with emotion so unlike the nightmare’s, almost a man’s.

‘Sprinting footsteps; a horse galloping to exhaustion, panic reverberating in a male voice hurrying it along’.

Bloody tears began to run down its riven face, its own mind close to breaking, the memories becoming disjointed.

‘A carriage in ruins, a women’s voice screaming in the distance; a horse collapsing as it breathed its last, pell-mell running; anger and despair; Bloody blue swaddling’.

Giant claws reached out as if grasping, as if reaching for the most precious thing in the world, grasping but never succeeding.

‘Despair, self-blame, failure; a woman cradling a long dead baby, green spring eyes turning glassy, her life ebbing away, frantic attempts to stem leaking from gashes along her wrists, cries for help unheeded; knees impacting the floor, arms embracing their cooling bodies’.

The nightmare kneeling upon the dirt floor, arms embracing the air, an emptiness consuming it.

‘A spell turning the long surrounding wheat to cinders, tears and anger fueling a great wave of fire, I am standing sentinel over two still forms, a fleeing creature bursting from the undergrowth, fearing the fire; Weathered hands launching great gouts of flame at it, the child’s blood still on its beak, unrelenting attacks fall upon it as I become manic, tears falling even as the creature turned to ash’.

A smoldering cinder began to burn deep within the nightmares chest, pulsing like a heart.

‘I punch a man, screaming words of accusation, I try to kill him with my bare hands; I am dragged away by men in armor; chained within a dank barred room; a long time passes, years; Someone comes to see me, words are spoken and I am released, I’m given a staff and forced to join other men lined up in ranks’.

The cinder within its chest grows in intensity, spiking to a fever pitch.

‘The sounds of metal jangling, the footsteps of hundreds rattling the very ground, an army moving through the wilderness; My gloved hands wielding a great staff swirling with power, flame falling from the sky, monstrosities burning under its might, hundreds of spells and blades impacting twisted hides, the death knells of abominations deafening as they fell, a familiar cave, a pit spewing darkness and corruption, a never ending tide of evil clawing their way up, an army being pushed back; My gloved hands wielding the staff once again, invisible blades of wind tearing the creatures apart, my footsteps closing in on the pit, the blades of wind flashing out again, my gloved hands taking a crystal from a pouch and throwing it into the darkness, an explosion, fire gushing from the pits opening as it crumbles shut.’

The smoldering cinder now a small inferno, a furious anger burning through the nightmares veins.

‘My weary hands rested upon the great staff, staring at the remaining sunken pit as the last remnant abominations fell; Silent footfalls sounding from behind me, a comrade; Sudden sharp pain, a poisoned blade entering my lower back, an uncontrollable collapse into the pit, paralysis, more footsteps approaching, hands rummaging through my pouches, a dazzling purple essence stone taken, laughter and jeering raining down, a voice speaking a message; Realization hitting me, followed by an unspeakable rage; A chained abomination was dragged in and heaved into the pit; Agony as the monstrosity starts biting in to my body; Promises of vengeance unspoken on my lips as the army leave me to my fate, I channel all of my remaining essence and throw it at the abomination, its body shatters upon the pits walls; I await my end, only rage and pain to keep me company; a new feeling presses on me as I start to finally fade, my essence starting to comeback, flowing stronger than ever before; a putrid essence from the pit invades my empty cracked essence stone; I don’t care.’

The inferno erupts, black shadow thunders from the nightmares back, slicing and pounding upon the very walls, its rage unchecked, a deep roar echo’s out from the cave, saturated with anger and hate, it causes the very wind outside to still, the beasts of the surrounding forest all come to a sudden standstill, terrified of being noticed by the monster amongst them.

The nightmare had started to remember everything, its past, its family, its betrayers, all of it.

It remembered who it used to be, a soldier of Valen, loyal and devout to its peoples, a mage of the Arcanium Consortium, revered amongst its order.

It remembered sharing knowledge with its people, inventing new magic’s, research upon many different topics, always helping its fellow man, elf, human and dimir alike.

It remembered its long gone child, killed by an abomination that should not have been there, its wife taking her own life in grief.

It remembered the failings of its people, their greed, their lust, their pursuit of power over the broken bodies of his peers.

It remembered its betrayal, the knife in the dark, all over a rare essence stone and the petty jealousies of his fellow man.

It remembered the last message it ever heard.

“She was mine and mine alone, I brought her into this world and I took her out of it, she was always mine Kazie Umbre”

It remembered its name.