Skyreach

1 | Poisoned Swamp

Dying trees with bare branches stretched as far as the eye could see and surrounded marshy waters that covered the forest floor. Interspersed among the browning lily pads and reeds that were almost non-existent were broken stumps and carcasses that were once full of life but were now dead from the poisonous fog that hung low over the swamp.

Crows cawed from up high and they avoided going too low to avoid the fog and observe the fleeing humans that had entered the swamp. Haggard breathing, pleading voices, and the snapping of twigs underfoot spread throughout the trees and faded as one man fell face-first into the murky waters and took their last breath.

Decay, briny algae, and rot entered the nostrils of the man who made it to the clearing and made him choke. And as he breathed in the fresh air to clear his lungs, his horror-filled gaze took in the sight before him. The forest that had once been sunny and filled with the laughter of a party of adventurers was now gloomy and covered with shrivelled corpses.

Some eyes were still open and were staring out at the man, who fell back and scrambled away from the marsh. It was like they were begging him for help and to get them away from the fog. However, there was nothing he could do. Their lives had ended the moment the fog descended upon them.

The damp, mushy ground beneath his palms woke him up to the reality that he was the only one left, and he went on his knees and screamed up to the sky. Tears flowed down his face and his voice soon became hoarse and no sound could escape further. He fell back once more and buried his head in his arms, and tried to control his turbulent emotions.

It wasn't known how much time had passed before the man found it within himself to stand up and leave the swamp behind.

Behind some trees, a person wearing a mask, hooded cloak and clothes that tightly wrapped the body could be seen. He watched as the man stumbled away from the swamp. A sinister light flashed in his narrowed eyes and a sneer played on his lips.

When the man was gone, the person stepped out from between the trees and came close to the swamp, but not so close that he would feel the effects of the poisoned fog. The corpses were still looking out at the clearing and he tsked at the sight. "So many died this time." Then he glanced towards where the lone man had disappeared. "It's just a shame that one escaped."

"You failed?" A deep voice spoke from the darkness and a shadow flickered as someone appeared next to the masked man. He was tall, with an imposing aura and sharp features that gave off an air of superiority. "This is a first for you, Yeldr. What went wrong this time?"

The masked man, Yeldr, who was gloating before, shrunk in fear when the man appeared and he knelt down immediately, not daring to lift his head. "M-master, this time was a mistake. No one had been able to leave the fog before and they would always succumb to the poison. But he has breathed it in so it shouldn't be long before he dies, too."

The man glared down at Yeldr and when he spoke; the air cooled and pressed in on the masked man. "Find him and make sure you finish the job. If you fail again, you know what awaits you when you get back, don't you?"

Yeldr shook incessantly and choked out, "y-yes master. I'll go now." And with that, his shadow flashed as he disappeared and chased after the only survivor: thoughts of the solitary confinement room back at the lair that no one sane would dare to enter ran through his mind.

After he was gone, the man didn't spare the swamp a glance, and he too flicked his fingers and vanished.