The Blade Heir

Into the Deep

The blue mist permeated the air once more and enveloped Lucius in the darkness of the land of Azuleah. Before him stood a great fortress once prominent and awe-inspiring, but now an empty shell of its former glory. Its towers stood ominously above him, dark sentinels beside the massive gate of the fortress known as Arkadeus. It was a sight to behold, both awe-inspiring and fearsome to Lucius.

From the outside, Lucius saw mist emanating from the open gate and he walked closer, entering the place where darkness dwelled and awaited him. He passed slowly through the mold-ridden doors and inside he found himself at the outer edge of a massive courtyard with a fountain at its center. The blue haze surrounded him and radiated a surreal light within the courtyard. On each side of the front gate there were stairs rising up to the ramparts of the stronghold where tattered flags hung lifelessly from the sentry posts along the inner wall. Broken spears and arrow shafts lay strewn on the courtyard floor, evidence of a grand battle fought long ago. Beyond the aged fountain, there was an arched doorway leading deeper inside the halls of the old fortress. Every few seconds, the fog would billow out from the doorway like smoke from the mouth of a pipe. Lucius made his way to the entrance, fearing what lay within the bowels of Arkadeus.

He peered inside and saw a long corridor with oak doors on each side. The mist floated above the floor and cast an eerie light on the cracked and moldy walls. A stench hung in the air and as Lucius continued inside it grew fouler, causing his stomach to wrench. He tried to open the doors within the corridor, but they were locked and after the third door, he gave up and followed the mist toward the end of the hall.

Lucius stepped through another arched doorway and found himself inside a room full of overturned tables, shattered pots, and broken chairs. The mist was thicker inside this room and the stench stronger. A doorway to the right led to a descending staircase, while the one to his left ascended to some upper level of the dark fortress. Another doorway straight ahead was blocked with rubble and refuse. He glanced to his right and saw the fog billowing from that door, so he crept closer toward it. The putrid stench filled his nostrils and nauseated him. His uneasiness intensified as he descended the spiral staircase, but he could not retreat—some force beckoned him further down. The blue hazy light seemed to brighten more with each step he took. Deepening dread began to overtake him and he feared what evil lay at the end of his descent.

The staircase ended in a narrow hallway where the blue light shone steadily. Lucius heard a faint whisper calling to him from a glowing chamber at the end of the hall. He reluctantly drew closer to the light. Its gleam enticed him, pervading his every thought. The walls of the hallway bore arcane inscriptions and runes unknown to Lucius. He stopped just outside of the room and peered inside.

The stench was now burning his nostrils and he fought to keep himself from retching. Within the round room, a blanket of fog covered the entire floor. He examined the walls of the chamber in the blue glow and noticed dark stains along the porous stone surface. Rusty hooks and chains hung from many places in the room. In the center of the room, Lucius noticed a small bump protruding from the mist. He squinted his eyes to examine the object in the dim light and soon realized it was glaring at him. The bump had two unblinking dark eyes peering above the mist, keeping a steady gaze on Lucius. He wanted to run and hide from the bump's relentless stare, but his legs were frozen in place. The bump did not move and Lucius did not look away, fearing any movement might bring about his end.

His fear kept him motionless, but after a few minutes, Lucius broke his stare and quickly looked around for any kind of weapon. He saw nothing except the swirling fog around him. His eyes darted back to the shadowy eyes at the center of the room. They had not stirred in the slightest. Lucius crouched down, keeping his eyes fixed on the creature before him. He ran his fingers along the cold, damp floor hastily searching for a weapon. His hand felt something hard. He quickly snatched it up and gripped it with his right hand, eyes still trained ahead. The object was light, but felt hard enough to inflict some damage to the creature with a powerful thrust.