The Ruined Plateau

Written by Orthais

---

Their raft lazily drifted down the wide corridor of the vast river, effortlessly guided by the crafts driver and the huge river ray that pulled the barge from beneath the cloudy waters. Its slick muddy coloured skin casually gliding down the river as it had done hundreds of times. The passengers on the simple craft stretched their limbs, aching from the three long days they had already spent floating along.
“Are we there yet!?” Leon yawned loudly, as he lay stretched out on the stiff wooden beams of the raft. His sandy coloured hair covered his tanned freckled face.
“Calm down Leon, we should be there any time now!” Griff responded to her brother, answering the same question for the fifth time in the last hour. She peeled aside a long strand of her own sandy coloured hair from her sweat covered face and sighed. What had she done to deserve such a high energy sibling? How did their parents deal with him when they were young, she contemplated.
“Bits of patience” came a lilting and calming voice from the edge of the raft. Griff turned to see Florian, their hazy purple eyes sat underneath near-elven ears, they pierced through her as if reading her thoughts. Their olive toned skin almost glittered next to muddy water gently splashing by next to them.
“Haha, sorry, am I thinking too loudly again?” Griff chuckled awkwardly underneath Florian's neutral glare. Florian smiled, which greatly reduced Griff’s tension. Florian always had that effect on Griff. Florian had been with them since they had lost their parents. Their parents hadn’t died, or at least she hoped they hadn’t. One day a few years ago they left on one of their expeditions and just never came back. Since then the Wyerdale siblings Griff and Leon had travelled with Florian Viberos trying to discover the fate of their parents.
Florian was an old friend of their parents, having met them when they were younger and still frequently ventured across Fyria.
Florian was a near-elf, a somewhat derogatory term but accurate nonetheless, from the southern lands of Casarei. You see, no true full-blooded elf had lived anywhere on Fyria for centuries. Having been nearly wiped out by a powerful plague that swept their homeland of Thysduin many generations ago. The surviving population had fled their ruined homeland to other nearby nations before spreading across the world.
Many generations later the elven population that has survived has become muddied and intermixed. Even those devoted elves that tried their hardest to stay of pure blood have failed to do so. Hence the near-elf moniker, some took offence to the term, feeling it belittled their heritage and common ancestry. Others didn’t care and accepted their mixed heritage.
Florian was of the later and paid no mind to the squabbling of those who have too much time on their hands. Deciding instead to stay neutral on the matter and embrace their mixed ancestry.
Currently, the trio found themselves gently floating down the vast Murky River, a wide and muddy river filled with all sorts of dangerous aquatic life. It ran through almost the entire length of The Jungles of Mijhail. They were currently floating northward towards what they all hoped was the first real clue towards their parent's whereabouts.
Hopefully, they came through this rafting trip in one piece. Mijhail was full of dangers, you could easily become lost if you didn’t have a trustworthy guide. Or worse, find yourself in the grasp of a Mijhail slaver. A nasty lot that roamed the inner jungles, flipping passing boats in violent raids, capturing the confused in the bedlam, and later selling them to Ildyr knows who.
Griff’s inner thoughts were interrupted when Leon spontaneously kipped up from his lying position, rocking the raft to and fro as he landed heavily on his feet. “Come on!!” Leon stamped his feet across the raft, “Can’t this hunk go any faster!”
The river ray guide simply ignored him, having become accustomed to Leon’s sudden outbursts.
“Leon, I told you before! We are almost there, relax!” Griff approached her brother, placing a hand on his shoulder. He quickly shrugged her off.
“We’ve been floating on this pile for days Griff!” Leon threw his hands up and paced towards the edge of the raft opposite Florian and Griff. “I’m going stir-crazy here!”
Leon sat down at the edge of the raft and began dragging his hand through the murky water. Griff knew her brother hated being cooped up anywhere, he had a wanderer’s spirit and couldn’t keep still for long.
Griff knew this trip especially was killing her brother, they had searched for years for any substantial clue as to where their parents had gone. And just a few weeks ago they had come across their first real clue and it was leading them towards one of the most dangerous places in the known world.

---

One Week Ago…

He heard the cracking of wood before the pain came, but pain did swiftly follow. It must have been quite a sight for the eager visitors outside the popular jungle-bound casino as a young blonde man came crashing through the establishment's front wall. Large splinters and the odd casino chip flew through the air alongside him, some casually plopping into the southern end of the Murky River.
He did not plop, however. He crashed against the damp weeds of the river bank with a dull crunch. Ow, he thought. His head ringing, it almost drowned out the confused chattering of the would-be patrons of Jhidgros Palace of Gold and More, but not quite. Leon slowly pulled himself to his knees and coughed heavily, a few spots of blood splattered out to the ground.
“Ugh, shit….that hurt,” Leon staggered, still unsteady as he brought himself to his feet fully.
As his head cleared, he saw the familiar hulking form of his assailant step through the gaping hole he had just made with his plummeting body. The giant of a man stepped onto the ground outside of the casino, maybe three or four lengths distance away. Ildyr, did he really throw me that far away!? Leon thought.
Leon somehow found his balance, painfully he arched his back upwards. He was going to be feeling this one for a while. Taking a few uneasy steps forward Leon addressed the approaching behemoth.
“Heh, you’re getting weaker in your old age Tanto. Last time we tussled you could’ve easily tossed me straight into the river.” Leon gestured with his thumb behind his head. “I couldn’t have upset you that badly, and here I thought we had parted amicably?”
“Amicable? Does, the next time I see you I’ll tear you in half with my bare hands, sound amicable?” Tanto replied with a voice that suggested his throat may or may not be filled with gravel or shards of glass.
Almost a horse-lengths tall, Tanto was a native to southern jungles, dark-skinned and gigantic. As cunning as he was strong, and boy was he strong. Tanto was a shrill businessman who worked in the southern regions of the Jungles of Mijhail. Trafficking contraband, illicit goods, and information up and down the Murky River and occasionally across the Vilanto Sea to the Frontier Islands. He was a big shot, by more than one definition. And Leon had upset him. On a number of occasions.
“Tanto, come on buddy! Let’s not do this here, we can be grown-ups here, can’t we? Leon feigned pleading, his hands clasped together in front of him.
“I think not, you’ve crossed me for the last time, Leon,” replied Tanto beginning to close the distance. Leon was backed up against the river and had no way out but the drink. An option he didn’t like his chances on.
“Each time I agree to give you information, find you the location of some strange valuable, or even play a game of Tower with you, you cheat and betray me!” Tanto slammed his fist into a nearby Jastu Tree, it’s coiled ebony trunk bending under the blow.
“And each time you dare think you can sweet-talk your way out of it! Not this time you thieving rat!” Tanto leapt forward his two boulder-sized fists raised high preparing to slam Leon into a paste.
Leon threw up his hands in front of him, damn Jhidgros’ strict weapon check policy!
But the blow didn’t come, Leon stood there for a moment in confusion before lowering his hands. He smelt the odd but familiar scent of magic, and it was easy to figure out why. Tanto hung in mid-air frozen in a jagged pillar of ice. His eyes darting back and forth in a panic.
“You know, you should really be a bit more careful when talking to Tanto?” said Griff as she strolled around the pillar. A piece of crystalline powder drifting threw her fingertips. One of her spell components spent in order to draw forth the ice that encased Tanto.
“What did you do this time brother?” asked Griff.
“Hehe, uh well…I may have cheated while playing a game of Tower with him,” replied Leon sheepishly.
“Wait, how do you even cheat in the Tower? It’s pure chance. Ugh never mind.” Griff took her brother under her arm.
“Where is Florian?” asked Leon grimacing as his sister helped him walk away from the frozen form of Tanto.
He is paying for the wall you broke.” Griff replied dully, not bothering to look over to her brother.
“What!? Why!? It was Tanto’s fault! He threw ME through the wall!” Leon protested.
“No sense in complaining Leon, plus if we don’t save some face, they wouldn’t have agreed to return our weapons to us,” Griff said sternly.
“Ugh, yeah you’re right as always. That and there is no place like Jhidgros’, the best place in the southern continent to gamble right?” Leon said with an impish grin.
They circled back around the Tanto shaped popsicle and headed back towards the casino. Florian was standing near the door holding their weapons in hand. One of Jhidgros’ goblin managers stood behind him recounting a bag of gold for the sixth time. With an affirmative grunt, he slipped the gold away and retreated back into the busy establishment. Other employees had already begun to patch up the vaguely Leon shaped hole, this place was nothing but efficient.
“I hope this most recent beating was worth it?” Florian asked as they approached, offering them their gear. Griff steadied her brother before releasing him and collecting her pack. Leon took his long sword and pack from Florian and slung it over his shoulder.
“Oh yeah, it was worth. Before Tanto got all touchy we were in the middle of a fascinating conversation,” Leon looked back at the pillar of ice that encased Tanto, it had garnered the attention of a few of the casino goers. They looked at it as if it was a piece of art in a museum. He flashed a devilish grin, served him right.
He turned back to Griff and Florian, “Tanto mentioned that one of his crew just came back from the outer borders of The Ruined Plateau. They didn’t find much but they didn’t come back empty-handed.” Florian flinched at the mention of the place.
“I know, but listen, his man said he came across an old encampment. Years old, nobody around, and he found this.” Leon fished out the rolled-up scroll from his pocket and handed it to Griff. Griff unrolled the scroll carefully and looked over the contents. Her eyes widened. “This is…this is mom's writing…” she couldn’t believe it. This was the first time they’d found any physical proof of them after they had last left their home back in Heldrin. “Yeah sis, finally we have a real lead,” said Leon.
“You recall the stories on how dangerous The Ruined Plateau is correct?” Florian interrupted the moment of excitement, “There is a reason why no one goes there.”
“I know Florian, but you know better than anyone we can’t let this lead go unchecked,” Leon replied with a steely gaze towards Florian.
“As much as I disagree with Leon’s methods, I agree with him here, we can’t let this go.” Griff joined in with Leon’s gaze.
“Alright then, ensure you have what you need on hand,” Florian picked up his own pack and hoisted it over their shoulder, a thin sheath hung from his waist. “We will need a guide up the river, from there I know the way.”

---

Florian gazed towards the crumbling facade of the archway in front of them. Many generations ago this would’ve been the entryway into the birthplace of the elves. The Kingdom of Thysduin. Their people’s land lost long ago. Now just a ruinous shell of itself, wrought with pain and haunted by the remnants of the plague that killed its people.
After parting ways with the Murky River and their guide they had hiked the days travel out of the jungle into the hill lands just outside of The Ruined Plateau. Earlier that morning they had crossed the great stone bridge that connected the southern continent to the borders of the old elven kingdom.
The borders of the plateau weren’t so bad, some of the scars had begun to heal. It had been generations since the plague and the borders hadn’t been hit as hard as the interior. Here the lands were arid, littered with reddish-brown rocks and boulders, coarse wiry grass poked up through dried dirt and sand.
Florian had heard that the interior of the plateau still contained remnants of elven forests and cities. But they had also heard that they had fallen to corruption and blight long ago, the land too toxic to repopulate.
The entire circumference of the plateau was surrounded by a deep valley, driving deep below the earth. Past where the eye could see, falling towards an endless void below. One would suggest not falling in.
Only two known paths led into these lands, the one they now faced, and a similar bridge near the north-eastern border of the plateau. Neither were used frequently for obvious reasons.
Now the elves were no more, not a full-blooded one left. Much of their populace had been killed in this land, murdered by a ravenous plague that suddenly struck the land. Nobody truly knew where it had come from, but they did know the outcome. The elves almost entirely lost to its coursing sickness. A roaming miasma, wiping out an entire nation.
And rumour had it that the remnants of this same plague still coursed through these lands. Hunting the few living creatures left here. Like they had told the siblings, there was a reason no one came here.
But, they were here for a noble cause and they must stay strong. The siblings needed their guidance, and more importantly, they needed someone to temper their naivety and impulsion. The problem with the youth of younger races, brash and prone to rush. And plus they cared for them deeply, much like they had cared for the sibling’s parents as well.
They deeply wanted to see them again, they had been the first true friends they had found after leaving home. Florian could see their pain, through the quips, through the bravado. They desperately fought for any hope of finding them. So the three of them found themselves here in this dangerous place. Amongst the ghosts of the elven people. Grasping at tiny specks of hope, and an ageing scroll that was written in their mother's hand.
Florian watched them as they passed underneath the archway, carefully watching for any dangers. Nothing suddenly jumped out at them thankfully. They sighed in relief, they had already become jumpy at the prospect of entering this cursed place. And they hadn’t even arrived yet. Florian took a deep breath and steadied themselves before continuing forward.

---

Griff stared down at the scroll cradled in her palms, her eyes tracing the delicate writings on its surface for what seemed like the thousandth time. She wasn’t even sure what it said, she had scoured countless magical texts, tomes, and cyphers since she was a teenager but this made no sense to her.
The writings were formed using a series of runic letterings, patterned back and forth each line constructed of several runes spaced at odd junctures. Her head tingled with confusion every time she tried to parse its meaning.
The only thing that identified it as her mother’s writings was her distinct signature at the bottom. An elegant EW placed one of the over, Elora Wyerdale. Along with a small note written in the western tongue.
“Echoes of the past haunt this place, its presence is strong here. Straining against reality, it must not break through,” she spoke it out loud, weighing the words on her tongue. Trying to decipher its meaning.
“Ominous for certain, it seems what your parents were after was of some importance to this place,” Florian said as he caught up with the two siblings.
“No idea, Mom and Dad were always vague whenever they left on one of their adventures,” said Leon, leaning against a nearby boulder.
“Adventures, yeah,” Griff muttered lost in thought. When they were young their parents would occasionally disappear for long stretches of time. They were usually left to the care of their aunt Lysan during their parent's absence. They went off each time, doing Ildyr knows what, oftentimes with Florian in tow.
From what Griff could gather their parents were adventuring historians. Taking on research jobs that were more dangerous than a normal intellect could handle. So their parents came in, just as educated as to the last researcher but with a smidge more bite to them.
Their mother Elora, was a talented mage, having been taught the arts by her own mother. And Griff, in turn, had been taught by her mother, though her education was woefully cut short when their parents disappeared in their teenage years.
Leon had been taught to use a sword by their father, Owen, a skilled swordsman. Florian once told us a story about how their father had been offered a position in the Sumner Royal Guard, tasked with protecting the King of Heldrin himself. But turned it down in order to join their mother on an important research tour.
Of course, their mother had tried to teach Leon of the magical arts but he lost interest in his studies. Instead, deciding to fully immerse himself into swordsmanship. In turn, she was much the same, learning the basics of sword fighting from her father, but mostly focusing on her own magical studies.
They had each lost much in their education due to their parents leaving, but in the years since they had picked up tricks along the way. Leon fought like a dirty cheat, having learned how to berate and fool his opponents into weak positions. Having learned this through, honestly, far too many bar fights.
While she had the fortune of having Florian with them, not a mage themselves but wise and knowledgeable in a variety of combat situations. Able enough to pass on some tidbits of wisdom here and there, along with countless pieces of life wisdom and guidance. They were a lifesaver to be certain.
She looked up from the scroll, her thoughts being dragged towards the plains that stretched out before her. For kilometres, dry and lifeless. Spires of rock reaching out of the ground like the fingers of a skeleton. Her eyes gazed into the dusty expanse, she couldn’t see much. Just a calm steady breeze blowing through the sharp tufts of grass that littered the plateau. How could such a quiet place hold so much darkness she thought?

---

By the time they had passed under the archway into the plateau it was already midday, so finding a good place to camp was imperative. They had heard from other travellers that there was an old lookout tower along the border of the plateau just a few kilometres west.
It was a few hours later when it came into sight. A squat stone tower, leaning over the plateau’s edge. Leon didn’t even need to approach it to know that climbing it would be a poor choice. You’d be a writeoff if you fell off that one, down into the abyss below Leon thought.
The tower was surrounded by a crumbling stone fence and a miserable looking cabin which sat a dozen paces or so from the tower, its roof caved in long ago, the wooden slates turned to dust along with it. Debris and junk littered the yard, and a small fire pit had been dug nearby. It had obviously been used as a campsite by other travellers in the past. Leon kicked the junk aside and leant down trying to see if they could reuse the pit.
“It will have to do young Leon,” said Florian, “this will likely be one of the kinder stops on our journey before entering the interior of the plateau.”
Leon snorted in response and stood up, stretching his back, his arms pulled straight above his head, “Ugh, I’m still sore from that damn boat ride.”
“Quiet would be appreciated right now,” Griff said, leering at her brother before closing her eyes once more. She was in a seated position, legs crossed underneath her. On the ground was an intricate carving in the dirt, symbols of magic Leon didn’t understand. In the middle was the scroll he had pilfered from Tanto.
“I need to complete my preparations before dark or this will become much harder, thank you.” Griff reminded him in irritation.
“Yeah, yeah. Calm down sis. I know your magic takes all sorts of prep and junk. I’ve been chastised about it enough times.” Leon stalked away, “We’ll need something to burn, I’ll try and find some wood or at least something flammable.”
“Don’t wander off too far Leon, no knowing what dangers lie in these plains,” said Florian. “I can accompany you if you wish?”
“No need Florian, I won’t wander far. I just want to try and find something at least. The last thing I want is to spend another night huddled over Griff’s Everlight Candle, casts a good light but hardly warms your fingertips,” Leon said with a shiver, “And I think it is going to be a chilly one tonight, plus I have Calidruin with me.” Leon patted the pommel of his sheathed long sword, bequeathed to him by his father before their last expedition.
“Very well Leon, be careful, try and stay within hearing distance,” Florian responded.
“Deal!” said Leon as he hopped over the stone fence and walked off into the dust.

---

Thank Ildyr he was gone, now she could focus on the guidance spell. She took a last glance at the magical diagram that sat beneath her.
She closed her eyes and finished her pray to Ildyr, the god of guidance and justice. Now that this was done with she could start properly. She reached into her satchel and produced a small blue crystal, it was roughly the size of her palm and was somewhat transparent. She squeezed it tightly between her hands and closed her eyes.
She began reciting the words of the spell, each syllable falling from her lips seemed to hang in mid-air around her. Slowly she felt the air around her shift. She began hearing the chaotic buzz of magical energy seeping through the membrane of the realms. First in her ears, then it tickled her skin, and eventually, she could feel it pressing upon her entire self like an invisible wave of energy.
She let herself become entranced by the sound and the feeling, she recited the words over and over, visualizing streams of runic letters behind her closed eyes. Streaming forever downwards in front of her darkened vision. She floated in what seemed like an endless expanse of energy and sound, chaotically buffeting her from all sides. Calmly she continued, shaping the wild nature of magic to her will. Guiding it towards her needs with the deliberate verbal commands she repeated and the guiding rules that lay before her.
The crystal in her hands began to warm, magical energy filtering into it. She opened her eyes, they glowed a bright blue, her body floating a few inches off the ground. Before the magic began to overtake her she opened her palms revealing the crystal. It began lifting skywards shining brightly now, a trail of shimmering energy following behind.
Griff closed her eyes again and breathed slowly, bit by bit she let the remaining magical energy release from her body. Letting it float off into the sky, harmless and unguided.
She sighed heavily and leaned back on her palms. Guidance spells were tricky and took some serious concentration. It wasn’t like hurling ice or wild bolts of magic. That was the easy stuff, cox the energy out from the wild realm of the Cacophony, and convince it to hurl itself towards your enemy. Pretty easy since the energies of that realm were chaotic, to begin with, it seemed to love causing wanton and often unnecessary amounts of damage. But this, it took some convincing, the subtler the effect the harder it was to make work properly. The powers of the Cacophony did not like to be quelled as such.
She looked at the bobbing crystal, it floated just a few feet above the scroll. By morning it should be able to guide them towards where the scroll was written, and hopefully to the next clue as to where their parents had gone she thought.

---

Turns out finding wood in the midst of hundreds of kilometres of desert plains is difficult. Something Leon realized after searching for even the smallest piece of kindling for almost the entire afternoon.
“Damn it! Not even a twig!” Leon shouted and kicked the dirt around him. This is ridiculous he thought, but he should’ve known that this place wouldn’t even gift him a twig.
“Well, the least I can do is grab some of this dried out grass. Maybe we can use it as kindling and get something going long enough to heat food up,” the sun was beginning to wane, it would have to do. Luckily the walk back to camp wouldn’t take long, he had made sure not to veer too far off in case of danger. He should be back within ten or so minutes, he could see the tower off in the distance. A very faint glow hung above it, “Hmph, Griff’s spell must have worked.” At least one of them had been successful.
He kneeled down and start ripping fist fulls of the coarse grass from the ground, it came up in knotted clumps of fibre and dirt. It should burn well enough he thought as he stuffed it into a spare satchel he carried with him. Kind of reminded him of when he and Griff would play in the yard and he would tear of similar clumps of grass and dirt. He would make little mud huts out of them. Mom and Dad never got mad at them for ruining the lawn like that. He remembered the time Dad had joined them to build a mud hut village, he chuckled at the memory.
Before he realized his eyes began to tear up at the memory of his parents, smiling and playing with them without a care. Leon coughed and quickly wiped away the tears. There would be time for that when they were reunited.
No more struggling, no more dangerous jobs working for the gangs and thieves of Mijhail Jungles and the Crowned Coast. No more nights watching his sister stare off into the sky wiping away tears when she thought no one was looking.
But for now, there was pain, more immediate pain actually. As a searing pain suddenly shot down Leon’s left shoulder blade. “Agghh!” Leon screamed out, he spun to face his assailant.
Now a few feet away, carefully circling Leon was a growling beast. Four sinewy legs, it hunched low to the ground. Its long maw sniffing and puffing, its eye seemingly glowed green in the dying light of the day.
It refused to break eye contact with its prey. Its long muscular body covered in thick burgundy scales, tufts of wiry hair poking out in between. The tip of its head peaked with a sharpened curved horn, a long whip-like tail slunk behind it snapping back and forth. Obviously, its claws were sharp too judging by the dripping wound he now sported on his back.
Leon grunted from a jolt of pain that coursed through his back, he could feel the muscles spasming beneath. No way, he would make the distance back to camp before this thing made a snack out of him. He would have to deal with this thing first and judging by those scales he would have to pick his blows carefully.
He took Calidruin’s grip in his right hand, slowly unsheathing it as he began to match the beasts pacing. He waited patiently, trying to gauge its next attack. Suddenly, he had his answer as the beast rushed forward. Its powerful legs propelling it towards him at a shocking speed, claws outstretched gleaming in the night as if illuminated by some spectral force. Leon dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the beast.
It landed a close behind him, he spun quickly to keep it within his sight. He noticed the glow from the beast’s claws radiating upwards in a hazy green stream of smoke. He had never seen that before. This time Leon struck first, coming at the beast low, slashing downwards towards its front legs. The blow met ground instead, snapping off the ground with a dull thud as the beast spun away. Its long tail whipping across Leon’s face as it did, sending him sprawling to the ground. Before Leon could fully register the pain that streaked his face the beast was on top of him landing with its full weight on his arms, pinning him to the ground.
Leon could feel the hot breath of the beast across his face, it smelled of rotting meat. It reared back its head and let out a roar that sounded like more like an avalanche than a beast’s howl. It snapped its head back towards Leon and bite down.
Before the creature's sharp black teeth could reach his neck Leon curled his legs underneath the beast and pushed with all his might. It tumbled off him, awkwardly losing its footing and crashing to the ground in a furious heap.
It found its footing again in mere moments, but by that time so had Leon. So far, this hadn’t gone well. He placed his free hand on his face, it came away bloodied. That will leave a nice scar he thought. Somehow he hadn’t lost Calidruin in the scuffle, at least that was a positive.
Before he had a chance to think of a new tactic the beast spurred forward once more. It lowered the long curved horn on its head towards him as it charged. But the beast wasn’t fast enough this time, it had pounced on him twice now. He wouldn’t let it get a third.
Leon planted his feet and shited sideways, the beast’s horn tore through the front of Leon’s tunic as it rushed by. Before the beast had a chance to fully pass, Leon struck. Slamming Calidruin’s blade downwards, severing the beasts whip-like tail from its body. The beast howled and crashed to the ground writhing in pain.
This time it was Leon who pounced upon the fallen beast before it had a chance to recover. Leon drove Calidruin downwards towards the beasts, the blade easily piercing the beast’s exposed underbelly. The beast kicked out at Leon, forcing him to back off as the beast attempted to create space between them.
The beast, bloodied and gravely wounded let out another horrendous bellow. Calling out in the fleeting light of the day. That can’t be good Leon thought. But he couldn’t worry about that now, the beast had turned its attention back to him. He could hear it growling, but it was waning, its strength was obviously waning as its dark blood oozed from the wound in its belly.
It came at Leon, in one desperate final attack. But it was far too slow now, Leon stepped forward, not letting his eyes leave theirs. He easily sidestepped the beats attack and drove his sword through the creature’s neck, tearing through the beast’s sinewy muscle.
He could feel its breath fade, its muscles slow, then it was still. He removed his blade and let the creature to the ground in a heap.
He didn’t have long to contemplate what had just occurred when he heard the bellowing howls, like avalanches falling in the distance. More of them, he had to get back to camp quickly and warn the others. If more of those beasts found them, they’d need to be prepared. And it would be nice to get patched up somewhat before he passed out from blood loss. He turned towards camp and set off as quickly as he could.

---

Florian was preparing a rudimentary dinner while Griff finished preparing the guidance spell. Without a fire to cook with the meal would be simple and cold, but it would do. They had prepared many meals like this before, the three of them had grown accustomed to roughing it over the years.
What was concerning, however, was the faint scream that piqued his ears suddenly. Florian glanced up from their preparations and saw Leon. Limping towards camp, though still a distance off. He seemed panicked, worse he seemed to be injured.
Then Florian saw them. A group of beasts, on all fours, long spiked tails, and sharp fangs chasing Leon. And coming straight for them.
“Griff,” Florian pointed off into the distance towards Leon, “Incoming, Leon’s injured and has brought friends along,” they drew their sword, it was long and thin, bereft of a hilt, its blade a speckled blue colour. It glowed faintly in the dying light of the day.
Griff stood up from where she sat next to the floating crystal, “Oh no, what has he gotten himself into this time.”
“I will head them off while you prepare for battle, I will do my best to hold them off long enough for Leon to return,” Florian sprinted off towards Leon. They saw Griff behind them rustling through her satchel that hung strapped to her waist. She produced a small piece of curved white glass, holding it to her chest she began chanting, small wisps of magical energy slowly puffing to light around her.
Florian did not have time to stay and deduce the effects of the spell. Leon was still some distance away and he would have to close the distance quickly to allow for his retreat. Holding their sword in their left hand they reached over and pulled up their tunic’s sleeve. Beneath was a dozen or so scroll papers adhered to his forearm. Each with a series of runic symbols and structures on them. They quickly found the one they required and tore it off in one swift moment.
The magic took effect immediately, the scroll fizzling into dust in a bright yellow flash. Florian became encircled by a bright yellow glow, he stared ahead, beyond Leon to the six beast’s chasing their ward. And in the blink of an eye, they shot past Leon and materialized mere feet away from the oncoming beasts.
“I’ll hold them off, return to your sister and prepare for a fight!” Florian yelled over his shoulder to Leon. He nodded in response and hurried back as best he could.
Florian turned back to the beats, tearing off a second scroll from their arm and slamming it to the ground beneath them.
A spark of green puffed up and then the earth began to rumble. The beasts ran towards Florian, seeking to reach the closest target. Before they could reach their target the ground beneath their legs erupted. Pillars of rock and stone crashed towards the sky sending two of the beats hurtling skyward before crashing to the ground and lying limp. Four of the beasts weaved through the hurtling earth, avoiding the effects of the powerful spell entirely.
Then the beasts fell upon them, their speed catching Florian off guard. Two of the beasts lunged at them, sharp horns stabbing at their torso. Florian jumped away attempting to avoid injury, but a third flanked them from the side, slamming into them. Their breath was knocked from their lungs as the blow sent them careening into a nearby stone pillar. But by instinct alone they managed to roll upon landing, just in time as the fourth beast rushed past, it’s horn narrowly missing their prone body.
The entire exchange had only taken a few moments, but in that time two of beasts had taken the opportunity to resume hunting Leon. Luckily Florian had given him enough time to reach Griff. They would have to deal with the two beasts on their own.
Florian dragged themselves to their feet. The blow had taken more from them than they cared to admit. With shaking and tired limbs, they brought their blade before them.
These beasts had far better tactics than expected, they would have to be careful in their next approach. Especially in this injured state.
Then they attacked, coming from either side, one coming in low swiping at Florian’s legs, the other pounced aiming for his head. A clever tactic, but not enough to fool them. Florian jumped forward tucking himself into a forward roll, the claws of each beast narrowly missing contact.
Florian landed on their feet and faced the beasts. Florian eyed the beast to their right, they lowered their blade at the beast. Placing their right hand where the hilt of the blade should’ve been, Florian whispered to his blade, “Ectayd.” The blade shone brightly and suddenly extended forward. Far beyond natural means. It shot towards the confused beast, piercing it in the underbelly in an unexpected blow from a dozen feet away. As quickly is it had extended it withdrew, shrinking back down to its normal size at Florian’s side.
The beast took two steps forward and collapsed, the wound in its side too severe for it to continue.
The surviving beast charged, veering to and fro engulfed in rage. It roared into the night, the sound of a distant and furious avalanche. Florian planted their feet and prepared to meet the beast head-on.
Florian could see the dark pupils of the beast flashing in the night as it charged towards them. Florian gripped their blade firmly in both hands and prepared to meet the beast one last time.

---

The energies of the Cacophany popped and hummed behind her eyelids as the spell took shape. The small pieces of curved glass melted away replaced by a shimmering translucent shield that formed around her. Hovering just a breath away from her skin.
It had too little a calming effect on her as she saw Florian speed past Leon, streaking past him in a yellow bolt of magic. Elven Spell Tags, powerful and rare items, difficult to find and even pricier to acquire. The enchanted paper adhered to any surface and once plucked free or torn would be activated. Florian kept them stuck to their skin underneath their clothing in case of an emergency.
She knew she would be of no use rushing into the fray so she stayed put, instead, she rummaged through her pack. “This should help,” Griff said as she pulled a long piece of string from her pack. The string was woven from the silk of the Hangman Spider, a dangerous arachnid from the southern coast. She wrapped one end around her right index finger and began chanting the beginning of a new spell. A moment later, she heard a huge crash as rock and dust erupted from the ground near Florian, casting several of the beasts aside in a noisome display. She couldn’t take too long to gawk at the display as she noticed two of the beasts break formation from Florian and speed towards Leon.
She focused on her spell, magical energy glittered around her and began settling around the thread on her finger. It began to spin and grow, expanding wider and longer, slowly drifting from her finger until it spun above her head in wide loops. Griff grasped the end of the enchanted strand, now roughly as thick as a coil of rope.
Just in time too as Leon finally broke through the perimeter of the camp, losing his footing as he entered he crashed to the ground in an exhausted heap. The nearest trailing beast sprinted forward and pounced towards its fallen prey.
Before it had a chance to fall upon Leon, Griff cast her hand forwards. The rope, magically guided by her spell, streaked forwards and caught the creature mid-air. Looping around over and over before pulling itself tightly shut, snaring the howling beast.
And with a casual flick of her wrist, Griff pulled the rope above her head dragging the prone beast along with it. The beast sailed over her head and was sent flying over the nearby plateau’s edge. She could hear the beast howling grow distant and eventually cease. It was a long way down, she did not envy the end of the beast, but she did what she must in order to protect her kin.
She turned back towards her brother just in time for the second beast to slam into her sending her flying backwards; straight into the stone tower near the plateau's edge with a sickening thud. The shield surrounding her body took the brunt of the damage but it still hurt like hell.
She struggled to bring herself to her feet, her assailant pacing back and forth nearby. The remnants of her shield began crumbling to the ground. It had hit her a lot harder than she thought, for her shield to break after only one direct blow was somewhat concerning.
She wouldn’t have the time to cast another spell, nor could she be struck again. Her next move would have to this. She knew exactly what could help end this. She reached into her satchel and found nothing but air. Her stomach dropped, feeling as if it had plummeted off the cliff alongside the last beast.
She looked down, her satchel had been knocked clean off her waist from the prior blow. “Shit,” she looked up at the beast, snarling and snapping at her. She realized it was trying to corral her closer to the edge of the plateau.
Her eyes darted back and forth, searching for her missing pack while the beast continued to drive her towards the literal brink of her existence.
She spotted it, several feet away hanging from a loose piece of rubble. Her feet teetered backwards, she caught her balance as she realized she had hit the edge of the plateau. The yawning darkness below bellowed out a gust of wind that almost sucked her off the precipice.
She was out of options now, she rushed towards the beast and dove at it, rolling by the beast as it clawed at her. Its sharpened claws narrowly missing racking her back. Griff slide to a halt and spun to her back to face the beast. It wasted no time in continuing its assault on her.
Damnit, she wasn’t fast enough to escape this thing on foot. And then from the corner of her eye, she caught it, her satchel! She scrambled to her feet and dove. Landing in an ungraceful heap she tore her pack open and dumped its contents to the ground. Where was it!?
The beast howled in frustration at its prey’s annoying persistence. It charged at her as she frantically searched.
“There!” Griff reached into the pile of components and produced a transparent glass sphere filled with a fine burgundy powder.
The beast came down on her with all its might, both claws alight with a cursed glow. Before it reached her she threw the sphere. It shattered on the beast’s tough hide. The instant the dark powder touched the air outside its sphere it ignited into a bright flame and within seconds had completely engulfed the beast.
Howling and scratching at the air the beast rolled and clawed at the flames. Doing all it could to snuff itself out. It was all in vain though, once Torch Powder hits air it burns for hours, nearly impossible to snuff out.
She watched as the beast struggled in pain until it finally collapsed in a smouldering heap. The smell was a horrid mix of sulphur and burning flesh.
She heard a tired groan from behind her. “Leon!” she scrambled to her feet and ran to her brother, she could see Florian limping back to camp, bloodied in their fight as well. This is only the beginning of their trials here she thought. She hoped it was worth it in the end.

---

“I am not a fan of this place,” Leon winced in pain as he walked across the humid flatlands of the plateau. The tower that made their campsite the night before had long disappeared in the distance behind them.
“We are all sore Leon, Griff did her best to mend our wounds and we must make haste. The less time we spend in this cursed place the better.” Florian said in reply, wincing at their own wounds.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more use to you both,” her eyes dutifully following the bobbing crystal that floated a few feet in front of them, a faint green trail listing behind it.
“You did your best Griff, you are not a healer you did what you could,” said Florian. They were always so kind, trying to make them feel better.
“Yeah, well, I still feel like shit, those cursed beasts did a number on us and the sooner we leave the better,” said Leon clearly having lost his patience for this place some time ago. Griff knew her brother, he was impatient and brash, prone to act without hesitation. He couldn’t stand all of this wandering, seeking answers that may not exist. And they had been doing it for years now, every lead coming to a dead end.
“Cheer up Leon, this is the first real lead we’ve ever had and you know it,” Griff patted her brother's arm hoping to lift his spirits, “Plus, I’m sure Tanto has given you worse beatings in the past,” she punched his arm playfully. He responded with an unimpressed glare.
“Look,” Florian pointed northward, cresting upon the horizon, almost imperceptible was the beginnings of a dark forest. Even at this distance, it was foreboding. The guidance crystal slowly bobbed towards it. “It seems our destination lies within the Old Vale Forest.”
“Old Vale Forest?” asked Griff gazing out at the forest.
“A forest older than the majority of the human race, I’ve never seen it myself until now.” Florian said with a healthy dose of reverence, “Legend says that the plague that haunts this land filters through its timbers. Clinging to what still lives there, corrupt and blighted nature and those creatures that have somehow survived its presence.”
“Ominous,” replied Leon dully.
“And then some, my young friend, what lies within is not to be trifled with,” said Florian.
Griff shivered at what may lie under that canopy, “Why would the guidance crystal be leading us here? What could our parents want in a poisoned forest?” Griff asked.
“It’s possible they were headed for the ruins of the Elven city of Aymira Vost, The City of Lakes. It supposedly sat within these forests, however, history tells little of any potential importance there. Elves were notoriously secretive back then, not much has survived since.” said Florian.
“Well, we will just have to follow the crystal and hope for the best. And pray to Ildyr that whatever lives there doesn’t have sharp fangs and intends on eating us,” replied Leon.
“With our luck, it’s always a possibility,” said Griff chuckling nervously.
“Heh, no kidding.” Leon smiled and punched her back.
“Ow! Watch it, I didn’t hit you that hard!” yelled Griff, clutching her arm.
Florian sighed, at least some things stayed the same. Even in the face of danger. They gazed towards the forest ahead. They should hope to stay so cheerful once they entered that forest. They feared what they may find inside could be far worse than what they had experienced thus far.

---

The guidance crystal weaved through the trunks of the thick trees and the choking vines of the forest. Leon watched as it chose its path carefully, occasionally bumping off a mottled chunk of a rotting tree or becoming tangled in a tangle of leathery vines before pulling free and continuing.
The forest was disgusting, not an ideal location for a hike Leon thought. It wasn’t what you thought of when conjuring images of the long lost elven kingdom of Thysduin.
His parents had told them about Thysduin, not the rotting shell that sat here now but of what it was like back when the elves thrived. Their forests were lush sanctuaries of bright emerald leaves, sparkling waterfalls, and wondrous creatures. It was hard to believe in those stories based on what he saw now.
The forest was toxic, the thick trees that closed in around them were dull and lifeless. Grey and bleak, and covered in a strange purple mould that smelled foul. Everything that should have been green wasn’t, even the moss was shrivelled and black. Even the wet dirt clinging to their boots smelled of death, he imagined that every footstep pulled up the dust of a corpse centuries old. He shivered at the thought.
“How much longer are we going to have to trek through this toxic place?” asked Leon.
“I’m not sure Leon, the guidance crystal only shows the way, it doesn’t tell time.” responded Griff, “Normally, I would preach patience but I have to agree with your concern this time around. This place is not…healthy.”
“You are both right to be concerned, this is a haunted place that none should enter. Though we find ourselves here for a noble cause we must make haste or I fear we may find ourselves endangered,” said Florian.
Leon would normally take Florian’s not so subtle warnings with a grain of salt but this place gave him the creeps. They were right, this place was of the dead and they would need to hurry before the dead caught up to them.
“Hey, Florian, why do you think our parents would’ve travelled here?” asked Griff.
“I am not entirely certain, you’re parents were involved in a variety of research projects at the time of their disappearance. Sadly, some of those projects were kept secret even from me.” Leon could see Florian frown at the thought, he knew that they regretted not pushing their parents for more information before they set off.
“That being said, the allure of this place is understandable for those of a curious mind. It could bear to reason that your parents came here to try and uncover the truth about the elven plague centuries ago.” Florian shrugged, “though of course those just my personal thoughts.”
“Maybe?...Umph!” Leon stumbled back into Florian as he bumped into Griff’s back. She had suddenly stopped, having plucked the guidance crystal from the air to momentarily halt its journey.
“Look…,” she said pointing down a steep hill to her left. Leon’s gaze followed the direction of her finger and looked into the valley below.
“By the gods....” Florian whispered under their breath.
They all stood there, paralyzed in fear. The entire valley below was filled with a thick, coiling, purple fog. It snaked across the ground, covering hundreds of feet of the forested valley. Puffs of the sickening miasma stretched upwards here and there, like skeletal arms reaching up from shallow graves.
“Is that what I think it is Florian?” asked Leon, hopelessly trying to hide his fear. His voice a chattering mess.
“Yes, Leon...that is the elven plague that massacred my ancestors centuries ago,” Florian took no effort to hide their disgust, “The rumours were true, it does still prey on these lands.”
Sickly looking bugs buzzed nearby, waiting for the fog to clear. They would feast on whatever was left behind if anything. He saw the corpses of the mutated creatures could within the fog. Dead, their skin bubbling, the air sucked from their lungs only to be replaced with the acrid smelling and foul air of the fog. What would it be like to inhale that deadly plague Leon thought, he didn’t plan on finding out.
“Hey, Florian, don’t get too close okay? If the stories are true that stuff is beyond deadly.” Leon grabbed the back of Florian's belt, just in case. Florian continued to gaze down, entranced by the fog that destroyed his people and set them on a path of hardship and turmoil for generations. Leon understood, they had something important taken from them too. But at least they had a chance to retrieve it. “We shouldn’t stay, who knows how fast this fog travels. It could move as slow as a snail, or with our luck, it’s faster than the wind.” Griff put a hand on Florian’s shoulder, breaking his reverie.
“Hmm?... Yes, you’re right dear. We must continue on, best to move as far as we can before nightfall. It would be best to create some distance between us and this mist before then.” Florian brushed them both off and shuffled past.
Leon looked at Griff with concern, they hadn’t thought about how this trip would affect Florian. They would have to make it up to them somehow. Griff sighed heavily and let go of the squirming crystal in her hand. It excitedly leapt forward and floated past Florian’s sullen form. Without a word, they continued onwards.

---

Aymira Vost wasn’t what they were expecting, they had conjured images of ruined homes, towers, and businesses huddled on the forest floor mired amongst the decay of the poisoned forest.
The City of Lakes, hung, rather than sat, above a valley of lakes. Only accessible via a complicated network of wooden pathways and suspended bridges. Many of these had fallen to the floor below in the passage of time. Though a surprising amount had survived. Much of the wooden pathways of the city were carved straight from the sides of gigantic auburn coloured trees.
It would’ve been beautiful if not for the rampant blight clinging to nearly everything in sight. And the once charming and pristine system of lakes below the city now festered, bubbling and brackish. Patches of plagued fog hovered above the water.
Florian took the first few steps onto the bridge, testing to see if it could hold their weight. it was the first surviving bridge they had found since arriving that connected to the city proper. It held under their weight, though the groaning wood was alarming.
Through the bramble of trees that held the city up, they saw a series of structures, most moulded from the trees themselves. Long ago the grew the foundations of Aymira Vost. Shaping the buildings, homes, and crossways using lost elven techniques.
“What a beautiful place this must have been,” said Griff frowning, she held the guidance crystal in her hand. It strained to continue its journey, they had to keep it in tow for now as they searched for a safe path into the city.
“I would like to think so Griff, though it is hard to imagine currently,” Florian frowned as well, distraught at the grim visage that sat before them, “regardless we will have to be careful, we do not know how far into the city we must travel and danger lies around each corner.”
“And below,” Leon made a wide sweeping motion with his arms. Indicating everything that lay below them with the grand gesture, “Griff, let's get that crystal going again and find out where we are going. This trip has worn on me,” Leon took his first few steps onto the hanging bridge. The bridge swayed in response, “Woah, shit!” Leon grasped onto the bridges rope guideway with a start.
“Hahaha! Even in dire situations like this you always make me laugh bro,” Griff strode by him confidently, prodding his shoulder with a playful poke. She let the crystal go, it hovered for a moment, attempting to place itself in its new surroundings. It perked up a moment later and floated off, following the pathway as if it had done so a thousand times before.
“Shut up Griff, this isn’t a laughing matter!” Leon yelled letting go of the rope guideline and taking a few cautious steps forward.
“Both of you, please quiet yourselves. We do not know what lays within this city, and we certainly do not wish to disturb it,” Florian cautioned them with a hand, “Let us go, but be careful not to alert anything to our presence.
“We will be careful Florian, you don’t have to worry,” Griff smiled as she walked by them.
“She’s right you know? You don’t have to worry about us. Quiet as a mouse,” Leon mimed zipping his mouth shut and moved passed Florian as well.
“Sigh...Very well, let us continue.” Florian followed after the siblings as the guidance crystal travelled closed to its destination.

---

Leon didn’t like how rickety these bridges were, they freaked him out. Come on Leon, he thought, he couldn’t let something like a bit of vertigo and a slight fear of heights keep him from continuing. They’d made it this far, what were a few almost broken bridges that lead to a poisonous, possibly acidic, lake a hundred feet below do to stop them. Right?
Leon looked over the edge, his head spun looking down, it was higher than he thought. He slapped his face with both hands and concentrated on the immediate path, away from the lake below. Just don’t think about and you’ll be fine.
Ahead he could see Florian and Griff, they had gotten a bit ahead as he dealt with his inner crisis. They both now stood on a large oval landing made of once polished wood, long tarnished and muddies. “Oh thank Ildyr,” he whispered his thanks to the god, finally reaching somewhat solid ground.
Leon stepped up onto the large platform and looked around, a couple of benches, tables and debris were scattered about the area amongst piles of long-dead and dried out flowers and plants. This section must have once been a garden or gathering place he thought. Must have been nice back then.
“Is this where the crystal has been guiding us? Doesn’t really seem right does it?” Leon asked looking around.
“No...I don’t believe we have arrived Leon. It looks like the crystal is...thinking? If that makes sense. I guess all of the broken paths and bridges have gotten it turned confused.” said Griff, staring at the crystal as it passed by her for the fourth time.
The guidance crystal took laps of the area, spinning in circles, occasionally darting in a new direction before stopping in hesitation. There were several other bridges connecting to this one and it was having trouble deciding the best path.
“Great, it's busted then?” Leon replied as he wandered over to a pile of debris. Looked like some broken pottery amongst a few decorative stones. He riffled through it with his foot. A small coin at the edge of the pile caught his eye. He didn’t recognize it, must be elven he thought. He moved to retrieve the coin, but his foot caught its edge by accident, sending it spinning away. He watched as it spun through the air before it landed, miraculously, straight up on its side. And then it began rolling, straight towards the edge of the landing.
Shit, he thought, he began to chase the fleeing coin. Bounding towards it as it skipped and bounced towards the edge. The others looked at him in confusion as he dove forward attempting to grasp the escaping coin. His fingers narrowly missing the coin as it squeezed by and plummeted off the edge. A few seconds of silence passed followed by a faint plinking sound as the coin hit the surface of the water below.
“What was that?” asked Griff with a confused look.
“It was just a coin…” Leon stopped abruptly as the ground below and the surrounding trees shook. His eyes filled with panic at the quake. “That couldn’t have been the coin right?” he asked hopefully.
He saw Florian gaze over the nearby railing, his puzzled look quickly turned to panic.
“Oh no…” Leon looked over the side of the railing as well, a thick cloud of the toxic miasma had begun pouring out of the lake below. It was speeding upwards at an alarming rate.
“We need to go... Now!!” Florian yelled, beckoning them towards the nearest bridge. They began to run, but Leon stopped when he couldn’t see his sister next to him.
He turned back to where they had been and saw her. Grasping the crystal to her chest, chanting something faint. He could see magical energy around her body pouring into the crystal. Was she casting!? At a time like this!? “Come on Griff, we need to go!” Leon skidded to a halt and grabbed his sister’s arm. Florian hesitantly waited a few feet away, trying their best not to grab the two siblings and flee.
“I need to charge the crystal, it’s stuck and doesn’t know how to traverse these paths! It needs more strength and if we don’t do it now we will lose our way, and then it won’t matter how fast we run! That fog will find us before we get anywhere!” she yelled frantically before closing her eyes and refocusing on her spell.
“Well hurry it up, because a massive purple cloud that killed almost an entire race is right below us and is looking to add us to its accomplishments!” Leon stood beside his sister's arms outstretched unsure as to how to protect her from the encroaching fog. He could see the sickly tendrils wafting upwards, clinging to the trees and branches nearby as it made its ascent.
“Come on, come on, Griff...It’s getting closer.” Leon and Florian stood there watching the fog creep closer, seeping over the edge of the platform. It rolled towards them, picking up speed as it went. They began backing away, pushing at Griff’s back as it neared.
The sick miasma nearly touched their toes, they could feel its bite. All the colour began draining from their skin, seeping towards it.
“Done!” screamed Griff, letting go of the crystal which immediately shot forward headed towards the center of town.
“Go! Go!!” Florian screamed and took off after the accelerating crystal. The siblings followed close behind. The miasma not far off enveloped all that it touched, bubbles of blight and rot formed on everything it encompassed.
They ran for what felt like an eternity. They bounded across hanging bridges, some nearly collapsing under the weight of their panicked gait. Across wooden landings soaked with age, past once intricately carved statues now fallen to ruin, and past simple homes, tucked inside the trunks of the ancient trees. Now empty and dead. It would have been the chance of a lifetime to explore this ruined city if it not for their encroaching doom.
The poisoned miasma was close behind at all steps, reaching out for them at any opportunity. The guidance crystal zoomed forward, ducking left across one bridge, then right through a once lush park, over a fallen statue, under an old archway. Until it slammed into the front door of a wide and very tall tree dwelling with a loud thud.
“There! Inside!!” Florian yelled, barely even slowing as they crashed into the door flinging it open in a panicked rush. They beckoned them inside.
Griff streaked by them, grabbing the crystal as she dove inside. Leon dove in behind her crashing into the foyer of the home in a heap beside his sister. Florian was next, he stepped through the entranceway and slammed the door shut. The miasma was closing fast, it would easily seep under the door's frame Leon thought.
As if sensing his concern Florian rolled up his sleeve a tore a scroll from his arm. Slamming it against the door it took effect with a bright flash, a thick layer of ice quickly forming across the entire front door and wall of the home.
“Not perfect but hopefully the ice will hold it off long enough for us to plan our next move.” Florian ran a gloved hand across the ice.
“Oww…Or even better yet, maybe it’ll become bored and find food elsewhere.” Leon picked himself off the floor with a groan. He offered his hand to Griff, which she gladly took, standing up with a wince of her own. “Well, what now sis?” Leon asked.
Griff looked down at the crystal still in her hand, it fidgeted impatiently. She let it go and it drifted towards a spiral staircase at the back of the room and began spiralling upwards.
“Up, it seems,” said Griff.

---

They made their way up the long spiral staircase, cautiously following the guidance crystal up the worn steps. They must have climbed a dozen or more floors, passing by numerous wooden doors and rooms. Each filled with decorations, furniture, and signs of life lost long ago. A morbid reminder of what occurred here so long ago.
Griff could still hear the fog below, scratching and clawing at the door a dozen floors below. It somehow knew there were inside, impatiently scratching at the door.
Finally, they reached the top floor. The guidance crystal calmly floated to the front of an ornate wooden door, decorated with fading blue and gold fretwork. They stopped a few steps from the door and looked to each other for confirmation.
Nodding, Griff approached the door. She extended her hand underneath the crystal. The glow from within it sputtered and faded as it fell into her open hand. Spent, finally reaching its destination. “We’re here…”Griff said with a mix of nervous excitement, what would they find beyond? What if their parents had died here and what they found were their corpses. Drained of life from the sickly miasma that hunted them now.
No, she couldn’t think like that now. There must be a better answer than that. With renewed fervour she grasped the wooden handle of the door and entered the room.
The room was no larger than a common dining room, on two of the walls were deep bookshelves, formed by from the wood of the dwelling. Several small tables sat around a large desk near the center of the room. Each littered with various bobbles, tools, and books. The adjacent wall across from them was a curved glass window, in which a wide view of the city could be seen. Beautiful if not for the hanging fog that clouded their view. Sitting in front of the window was a strange platform, constructed of wood and an opaque crystalline material she had never seen before.
“Nobodies here…” Griff said as they each stepped inside the room.
“I suppose that is a good thing, considering what lay within this city,” said Florian,” I don’t think even your parents, tenacious as they were could survive long here.”
“Yeah, I guess...but, what now?” asked Leon,” We’re here, we travelled for weeks, we almost died running away from that damn fog!” Leon walked over to the large desk and picked up an opaque glass coin, it was light green in colour and had tiny carvings along its perimeter. He gazed at it for a moment before returning it with a heavy sigh. “We came all this way and we didn’t even have a plan as to what to do when we got here.”
“Don’t start Leon, there must be something here. Our parents wouldn’t have come here for nothing,” Griff stalked over to the desk that Leon stood at and looked over its contents. “Wait…,” Griff looked over at the strange platform and then back over the contents of the desk, “I think whoever lived here may have been a mage. Or at least some sort of researcher. Look at all these tools and books. But what were they researching?”
Florian walked to the platform and crouched down, tracing his finger along the wooden section of the platform. “There are burn marks, it is hard to tell but they don’t seem very old.”
“So, our parents were here and they started a fire before disappearing?” said Leon.
“I don’t believe so, I think this may be the result of a spell.” Florian stood and looked towards Griff.
“Ildyr…” Griff put her hand to her mouth, “Florian, do you think that platform may be a portal? I didn’t think they existed!”
“It may be so, it was a common elven technology back in their time from what I’ve heard. Each platform connecting to a sibling platform far away. I had heard they had all been lost in the plague, this one seems to have survived. Though I do not know if it functions or how to activate it,” Florian gestured towards the platform.
The trio's conversation was interrupted by a series of sharp cracking sounds from far below them. They stood in silence, then the dwelling shook violently as the ice wall blocking the dwelling's front door below collapsed in a chaotic heap.
“Shit, well let’s figure this out and quick! We’re out of time!” Leon leaped to the door of the room and slammed it shut. Florian came to his aid and they both began piling whatever they could find to plug any gaps in the door. Hoping to slow the fog once it reached the top floor.
“On it! Ok Griff, let’s figure this out,” Griff scrambled from table to table, pushing tools, scrolls, and long spoiled spell components aside in her search for anything that could lead her in the right direction. Any direction, she thought. And then she saw it on the desk, the same green coin that Leon was investigating earlier. Her heart leapt as an idea came to her head.
“A Decipherer’s Lens!” she scooped up the rare item and eyed it over. This item could help any caster translate any magical script, no matter the complexity. The excitement of the discovery faded as she saw puffs of wild purple fog crawling up the glass of the window. She rushed to action nonetheless.
“I have an idea!” she threw her pouch off and began tearing out its contents.
“Well hurry up and do it!” yelled Leon, as the debris blocking the door shook. The fog had reached them. It pushed against the door frame attempted to break through and consume them all. Leon and Florian braced the impromptu barricade trying to hold the door shut. Small wisps of poisonous miasma leaked through and burned at their ankles and choked the air around them.
Finally, she produced the scroll that her mother had written, the one that had started this whole journey. She quickly unfurled it and laid it on the ground. She placed the Decipherer’s Lens over her right eye and scanned the scroll once more. This time she understood every word.
“The scroll! It’s a teleportation spell! They must have used this spell on this portal when they were here!” Griff yelled to the others.
“Can you cast it!?” replied Leon as the door cracked behind them.
“I think I can, yes! Now that I can read the spells casting focus. But I’ll still have no clue where it goes,” Griff got to her feet and clutched the scroll. Worry was written all over her face.
“It is better than dying, hurry up and cast!” replied Leon.
Griff approached the platform, placing the lens back up to her eye she read over the scroll once more. Committing the words to memory, a memorization skill her mother had taught her when she was young. Hopefully, she could thank her for that soon.
She held the scroll as she began casting, reciting the words over and over again. She could feel the buzzing sensation of chaotic energy filtering into the room. She saw the once foreign runes of the scroll flitting by her eyes. Her hands wove back and forth, streaks of light following her fingertips. Guiding the magical energy to her will, as quickly as she could.
She could hear, the yells of her brother behind her, she could sense the loud cracking and splintering of wood as the door burst forward. The miasma spilling in as Leon and Florian retreated towards her.
Her eyes alight with magical energy she strained to force the magic to activate the portal. It hesitated, refusing to listen to her direction. This kind of magic was beyond her skill. Her strength began to fade as the magic began fading.
Then she felt the touch of two hands on her shoulder. Leon and Florian, bolstering her, holding her up. Yelling encouragements she could hardly understand.
She had to do this, she couldn’t falter now. Her eyes ignited with magical fervour and reaffirmed resolve. She thrust her arms towards the portal. Forcing the magic encircling her body to obey. This time it did as she commanded, shooting forward, entering the portals platform. The platform activated and glowed, recharged with fresh magical energy.
A shimmering portal of cascading colours tore open above it, letting out a blast of force. Blowing the miasma back a few feet, they would’ve lost their footing too if they weren’t holding each other up. “Let’s go! It’s now or never!” Griff yelled.
Leon and Florian nodded in agreement and with a last burst of energy, they threw themselves into the open portal and disappeared, leaving the deadly fog to search frantically for its lost prey. It would fail, for the three travellers were gone. Whisked away, into the unknown.
The only thing left behind was a scroll, lost, fallen from the grasp of a young mage.
A message, written years ago, by the mother of two siblings. The hidden text revealed by the acidic bite of the poison air.
“Echoes of the past haunt this place, its presence is strong here. Straining against reality, it must not break through.”
“Danger lies where we must journey, towards the Cacophony.”