A Dark Deatiny (closed)

[KronosFire]

Ta'Vern didn't want to leave the comfort of Annaira in the furs, but he too felt the urgency that she voiced.

He left the furs and heated some water so they could clean up. He cut meat from the deer and put it in his pack. He also gathered some torches he had fashioned. He left one out and placed the rest into his pack.

He handed Annaira the sandals he'd made for her. He rolled up the furs and placed them on top of his pack. Once his pack was on his back, he took the sword and quarter staff and slung them onto his back.

With Annaira at his right side, he wrapped an arm around her. When they emerged from the cave, he could feel a heaviness in the air – almost as if it were alive. The torch in his left hand provided them enough light to see a few feet in front of them.

Within moments, they came upon blackened foot prints on the ground, which led to the ashes where the woman of darkness had died.

Right away, Ta'Vern noticed silence. There was no bird song or sound of insects. The quiet and the dark frightened him.

Within minutes the terrain changed. Ta'Vern came to a stop and stared in disbelief. The once green grass was now a wet slick of black goo. Trees were naked of leaves and had been twisted and bent. Sap pooled on the ground.

He released Annaira for a moment and reached behind his back for the sword. He gathered her close again and struck the black goo with the sword. Fire destroyed the goo, providing a narrow path for them.

Every few minutes they stopped to clear a path. Ta'Vern hated their slow progress and realized that the closer they came to the temple, the effects of the dark were more pronounced.

The dark pressed on him as if it were alive. Annaira at his side kept him moving forward. The smell of rotting vegetation grew stronger with each step.

 

[SandS13]

She readied herself, at least physically for their journey. Her mind was occupied with worry about what she had seen and her fears.

Annaira walked with Ta'Vern, a hand always on him even as he held her close. It wasn't just for comfort. Something told her that their connection was necessary. They had seen proof but it was like a need, a yearning to be there that had to be fulfilled.

The air felt strange and Annaira didn't want to breathe it in. Bile rose in her throat. There was no signs of life around them. It was as if the world had been shrouded in a grey, heavy cloth and it threatened to smother everything.

The path was ominous. Ta'Vern swung his sword out and their connection channeled the power between them. The dark, blackness fell before them. It was a small path of light through the dark. Annaira could feel the anticipation building in her the closer they got to the temple.

"I am frightened." Her hand tightened on him. The smell alone was enough to knock her down but she remained steady bolstered by Ta'Vern. "I feel it..." A dull pulse began in the brand on her shoulder. It was reacting to something nearby. "Something-"

She stepped in front of him and stopped, peering into the darkness of what was once the temple of the goddess. The dark seemed to stare back and it felt as if it were trying to draw them in. Annaira's back straightened and her eyes flashed with inner fire. "It is in there."

 

[KronosFire]

Although they had not traveled far, Ta'Vern was exhausted. The energy they used to advance against the dark came from within both of them.

In the dark, the temple was a mere outline. Annaira stepped in front of him. "It is in there."

Ta'Vern removed his pack and withdrew a torch. He left the pack on the ground. He felt a touch of fear – but not for himself; he didn't want Annaira to be hurt.

He stepped up beside Annaira and wrapped an arm around her. His sword struck the steps leading up into the temple, and a pathway opened up for them.

It was like walking into the maw of a giant beast. His torch provided only a little light. They were a short distance in the temple when an arrow struck Ta'Vern in the chest.

He dropped to his knees. The pain was physical and mental. He fought against the dark even as he pulled a knife from its sheath. He cut into his flesh and jerked the arrow free.

He placed his hand over the wound. “I don't know if I can heal myself, but I can try. Press your brand into my shoulder.”

 

[SandS13]

Once more Ta'Vern's arm was around her, keeping her close. Slowly and cautiously they advanced into the temple. The darkness felt thick and heavy. The sound of the arrow caused her to gasp. He dropped to his knees and she crouched beside him.

"How bad is it?" She tried to see the wound. She could hear the pain in his voice. Annaira did as he commanded and pressed close against him.

She lifted her head, eyes searching the dark for some sign of what was out there.

 

[KronosFire]

Ta'Vern's pain stopped almost instantly. He said, “Thank you, Annaira.”

There were torches set into sconces on the wall of the passageway, and he lit them as they went along. Every few feet they had to stop to use the sword to clear darkness from the pathway before them.

This place felt like a tomb. He'd pulled Annaira even closer. The passage ended at steps that spiraled downward.

He hesitated at the top. “I really don't want to go down there.” He took that first step down.

Every step downward echoed and reechoed until it sounded like an army on the march. Their progress was slow because they had to stop and keep clearing the dark in front of them.

Despite the evidence of power within them, Ta'Vern felt a distinct fear. Would their power truly be enough to defeat the dark? The sword was only clearing a few feet at a time. He was also starting to feel weary from the long hours of their effort.

As doubts assailed his mind, he clung to Annaira like a raft on a river. He needed her strength and presence to keep moving forward.

The steps ended and they were in a large room. The torch provided enough light to reveal a large pool of water, which was blacker than black.

Three women with metal rings around their neck awaited them. Behind them were three more.

Ta'Vern stepped forward, prepared for battle.

 

[SandS13]

"I do not want to go either but if we don't the darkness wins."

She moved with him. Fear gripped her stomach as they moved. Her eyes fell on the women. Tears stung her eyes as she saw her sisters, the other priestesses. Darkness had taken them. She closed her eyes and channeled the power of the goddess.

"Back, all of you...you are tainted..."

The women advanced on them.