In the world of Valterra, where ancient forces of light and darkness clash, the Primordials awaken. Marcus, a seasoned warrior, embarks on a perilous quest to unite a group of extraordinary beings known as the Primordials to face the Dark and its mi...
After five grueling days of riding, Lucinde finally arrived at The Scourge, the accursed land where the Great Dark had left its last mark on the earth. She had managed to cut down her travel time from weeks to days by enchanting her horse's hooves with an Unwavering spell, making them immune to fatigue and injury.
But spells wear off.
Her exhausted horse now lay dead at her feet, beaten and bruised from the ride.
She could walk from here.
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Barren, parched, and charred, the land stretched out before her. A league behind her, the grass had turned to stone. The air reeked of decay, as if a feast had been left to spoil in the sun. Above her, a grey sky mocked her with a bright sun that offered no warmth. And looming in the distance, a mountainous bluff awaited her. It seemed smaller than she remembered, though she still had half a day's walk to reach it. But then again, she had been on the other side of the fight last time, not marching towards her enemy with the key to their victory in her hands. A knot formed in her throat, and she clenched her jaw to keep it down. She dared not think about who or what controlled her actions.
But she knew.
Ever since the Shattering, the Great Dark had found a way to enslave weak souls through their dreams. It invaded their subconscious and twisted their thoughts and emotions to serve its will. It warped reality so subtly that the victims had no clue they were its puppets. If it succeeded in dominating someone's mind completely, through a mysterious process, they became a Usurper - one who could speak to the Great Dark directly. Many wars in history had been sparked by Usurpers with some influence. The last Raven was rumored to be a Usurper, but no one could prove it.
Holding her knapsack with the scrolls tightly, she tried to convince herself that this was her own choice. She shook off the doubt that she was under some dark spell. Her steps felt like lead. Was this the right thing to do? If she went through with this, she could reunite with her son. Her husband, her sister, her lover - she had missed them for almost 500 years.
She would never be alone again.
She would never be afraid.
Guilt settled in. She hated that she was so weak. That she could not stand the pain of her losses. That she would betray her entire world for a chance at happiness.
What did it really want with these scrolls? Was it simply to stop the resurrections, or was there some other great malice unknown to her about to rise?
Her mouth dried and her cheeks scorched as she reached the bluff. An entrance was carved into the face of the mountain. It was simply a large hole. The closer she got to it, the hotter she felt, as if the air itself was steam escaping from a vent in the earth.
"Enter," her mind told her. She had to duck to fit inside the hole. Quickly, she found a stairwell that led to a series of tunnels - a catacomb. Following the largest tunnel into its depths, she reached what looked to be the main chamber.
