The Halls Of Illusions: Emergence of the Disciplined

5 Approaching the Halls of Illusions

The four walked down the road, as a feeling of uneasiness began to overtake Makira. Her stomach began to tighten and her heart rate increased as she walked down the road. "Hey!" she yelled. Her three new friends stopped and turned. "Yes Makira what is it?" asked Tula. "I've got a bad feeling, I'm not sure that we should have left." Pausing for a moment to think of a reply Tula finally spoke. "She will be ok just like you told her. You will see her again." "That's what I told her Tula, but I just have a terrible feeling that something bad is going to happen." "Just think about it like this Makira when the adventure is over you can come back here and help her have a better life, and maybe if you want you can teach her your trade." Makira smiled at Tula. "You know your right Tula," she said with a warm smile. The three began walking again as the feeling came over Makira again, this time stronger than before. Makira walked on trying to ignore the overwhelming feeling as she looked to the sky for comfort.

"I miss my father" announced Marcus. "What do you mean?" Tula asked. "Well I loved my father; he taught me everything that I know, I guess you could say Tula that I'm a little lost. Father would be able to show me the way; he would be able to tell me what I should do." Tula stopped and thought for a moment. She couldn't remember her father, she was too old. She hated that memories fade after years, but after a thousand years she understood why they did.

Makira stared at the sky completely puzzled. In the sky, she could see a man flying or more floating. She stopped dead in her tracks as her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened and her senses lost in a track of confusion and awe by someone so high above the ground without any assistance. What kind of magic was this? How powerful must this person be? They all stopped, noticing Makira was a few paces behind. Starring at her they followed her eyes and seen what she had been watching. Tula even astonished cocked her head in confusion. The man was almost over the city before anyone realized where he was headed. They were a ways off and he wasn't much bigger than a speck still they could barely make him out.

A very small dark-skinned man hovered high above the city. He raised his hand with a sickly smile. A large black ball appeared before his hand and grew exponentially until it filled the city's skyline blocking out the clouds and sun. Darkness descended over the city in an eerie shadow. People looked up as the ball grew. Red, yellow, and white lines of energy circled and danced around it wildly. A voice rang through the ears of the city folk as one simple thought whispered into the wind. "This is your black mass, your service is required, your will is mine." The ball fell over the city. Everyone stopped instantly in their tracks and dropped. The city fell silent. Buildings, carts, troths, every solid substance instantly imploded and turned to dust in a large flow of powder upon the wind. Bodies from the few second stories fell to the ground with sickening thuds. Dropping his hands to his sides he again raised them to his shoulders. "Rise, awaken, and obey." A green cloud spread out from just below his feet and fell upon the bodies. Corpses twitched, shivered, mauled at their loosened jaws and breathed anew. Numb, dead, yet alive; an army of undead rose from the ground and stood looking to the man in the air waiting. Man, woman, child, and animal all alike stood before him waiting for their orders from their new master.

The group watched the man descend upon the city. "What is he doing?" asked Marcus. "Some kind of dark magic like I've never seen," said Tula. "That is some kind of power." Sam gasped. "NES!!!" Makira screamed. Lunging forward, Makira began to sprint back towards Barrith in hopes to save her young friend. Appearing in front of her Tula shook her head. "We cannot I'm sorry. It's already too late." said Tula, "But I must, I promised id help her." Makira, it's over; there dead and they will be on us in no time." Walking up behind her, Sam placed her hand on her new friend's shoulder. "She is right Makira, she is gone; I'm sorry" Dropping to her knees tears began to fall from Makira's eyes. It wasn't fair, the people of Barrith did nothing wrong, and Nes poor Nes. She had such little time to live. Approaching quietly, Marcus bent down in front of Makira and placed his hand upon hers. Raising her head; Makira stared deep into his eyes finding some relief. "They are right lass." Wrapping his hand around hers, Marcus helped the small woman to her feet.