Soothing Starlight

Lore

Long before the period of swallowing abyss. There was a period of harmony and prosperity, the divine era. During this period demi-gods lived alongside mortals, their reign was of peace and stability. Until the end of that age, nothing was absolute even death was temporary because there were such arcane spells that could even reverse the touch of time. The talk of that era is nothing but a fairy tale. But legends also spell a tale of a lone princess who with her knowledge of arcane magic resurrected the dead in a sort of

limbo like state, where their soul is eternally tormented by their ever rotting flesh, and she who commanded them was given the title of god of disease and death as it is said that wherever she walked all signs of life would wither and fall, she had always stood alone with her undead legion. So lonely in fact that inevitably she rebelled against that current state of order, rebelled against her fellow demi-gods, which resulted in a war, that raged on for centuries, her army ever so growing in numbers, 1 man fallen in the enemy ranks was another man gained in her ranks, prosperity and state of the world had been backed into a corner but alas her effort to end her torment appears fruitless... as her army was sealed across the land one by one until she was once again left to fend for her self, until she would seal her self in an eternal slumber where eons later a kingdom worshipping moss would be established.

Story 2678 A.D.E (After Devine Era)

The Watcher wakes up. As he is clearly puzzled to see all those undead warriors kneeling before him.

"Finally... You are awake my consort.... do not be alarmed these men are our people" says Persephone.

"Persephone " calls the watcher as he recognises the voice. That's the only voice he has ever heard.

The Watcher looks up, he sees the lady floating above him, commanding and issuing orders to her undead minions.

"I know you have a lot of questions to ask... and I promise that I will answer all of that in due time but promise me that you will never leave me alone" requests the lady.

"I promise" the Watcher consents.

"Oo name less dweller of the abyss, I shall grant thee the name Eric" a strange beam of light is transferred from the lady's body to the Watcher's body, it is certain that another spell is yet again cast.

"Eric" says the Watcher.

"Did you like it, It was once the name of someone dear to me that I lost... long ago"

Says that lady with a faint smile.

"Eric.... I love it" the Watcher embraces the name.

"Bestowing name by a superior being such as I do more than just giving you a nice name..... It breaks the bond with the abyss and makes you able to think more freely then you used to". Says the Lady.

"My headache is gone.... I feel no urge to search for wraiths .... I can feel one now not far from here but I don't feel any need to go fight it.... thank you Persephone " the Watcher says.

"Never mind .... why don't you give me a name in return " Asks Persephone.

The Watcher thinks for a while before settling to name, and says:

"Sophie.... how do you feel about Sophie" says the Watcher.

The lady grabs Eric's hand and presses it in her chest and says "Sophie is a nice name".

Eric removes his hand from there and says

"You don't have to be nice... if you don't like it...."

"Like ..... I love It" says Sophie as she presses her chest in his arms.

Eric looks flustered, he doesn't know what this feeling is.

"Hey Sophie, I feel this burning In my chest..... What is this feeling... Why haven't I ever felt it before?" asks Eric.

"This feeling is the feeling of belongingness we feel for each other... that's what mortals call it... and I think it does apply for us as well" answers Sophie.

"This is what they call love... I think" Says Sophie.

"I think I read about it once.... I still don't understand why humans prefer to make their lips touch another's in this so called love" asks Eric.

Sophie pushes Eric down and lets her face closer to Eric and says:

"Let's find out".

Eric is clearly hesitant, but he has no reason to deny it.

The two kiss each other under the starfilled sky.

"I still don't understand" says Eric.

"Do you want to try It again?" asks Sophie.

"No there is no need" answers Eric.

Sophie looks disappointed.

"Hey Eric there is ..... way too much you haven't seen and explored yet .... let's adventure together to see the world while I search for rest of my people". Asks Sophie.

"Rest of your people" Eric appears confused.

"Long ago this group of evil guys.... sealed my people all across these lands ... by these time the seals are probably weakened ... I have to free them ....they are my childrens like these are" says Sophie as she points towards her undead minions.

"I will help you free your people " says Eric.

"Rest now .... your link with the abyss is just broken ... your mind can't handle such strain at once" Sophie asks Eric to rest.

Eric goes back to sleep, because sleeping was a luxury that he wasn't granted before.

As Eric takes his nap. Sophie sits by the fire and thinks to herself:

"Now that his link with the abyss is broken he can freely think for himself.... After I was freed by him I searched for his kind .... I only found Watchers that behaved like feral beasts as if they lost their minds.... so why is he different.... perhaps it was him reading those books or something else".

Next morning

The Watcher wakes up, he is feeling fresh, like he felt never before.

"Ohh you are awake, I sense civilization to the north of here towards that canyon". says Sophie as she is now able to appear in day time now.

The Watcher stands up and starts walking north with her.

As they move closer and closer towards that canyon, the Watcher notices that Sophie is being distant towards him.

"Hey I noticed that I can speak more freely and frequently compared to before ..... I can speak what's on my mind without exerting myself .. that's thanks to you isn't it " Says Eric.

"You don't have to thank me" Says Sophie.

Along the way to the Canyon, they walked for the whole day without speaking a word to each other. When they reached the Canyon the path through it was blocked by debris.

"Shishh ..... we have to find another way through" Says Sophie.

"Can't you just float above it " suggests Eric.

"I can't leave you behind and besides I have not retained even a fraction of my full power yet sooo... that would be impossible for me ".

"Okay then" Says Eric.

Then they both start searching for a way across.

Finally after the sun sets Eric finds an Old abandoned mine that could lead them across.

"Did you remembered when I said last night that I sensed Wraiths .... I was sensing them here " Eric warns Sophie as she was going inside.

"Then you Shall walk in front" Sophie says.

Eric takes the lead.

Wraiths are souless husk of people controled by their urge to complete something that they weren't able to before they died. Most of it is tasks such as guarding something, searching something or something they failed at. These Wraith covers the air in a blue mist that harms any mortal unfortunate enough to be caught inside it. Only Watchers could bring a Wraith to rest. Through these Wraiths abyss is spread and once slained that stops the spreading of the abyss.

As they moved inward the mine the air began to grow thick with darkness.

I didn't bothered them as they were just there to cross it. But after going through a set of stairs leading downwards they saw 6 wraith, pecking at the stones with the help of their pickaxe. They didn't paid any attention to Eric and Sophie, they were just busy mining.

"Maybe we could just move pass them without alearting anyone.... okay never mind"

she says that as she points towards a wraith ready to fight carrying an axe and a lantern. It looked all burnt up, an black aura was surrounding it.

Eric unsheathes his sword. This time it is different as he is no longer bound by the urge to slay that thing, all he is concerned about is not harming his ally. He checks that Sophie is standing behind him to the left, so he accordingly takes a defensive stance. The wraith acting like an amateur, swings it's axe which is easily parried by Eric and then Eric counters him Slash that wraith from its right to the left, through its lantern, as the body of the Wraith catches fire, he pierce his sword through its body and while doing that for a fraction of a second he sees a vision. A vision of past, perhaps the memory of the wraith. Miners are mining coal and two overseers talk to each other as one whips an elderly miner.

"The crops this year is very uneven don't you say"

"Yes the cotton is abundant but we are in a shortage of food"

"Guess they have to import it through the neighbouring states"

"But that requires money.... guess we have to run this slaves to the day and night shift both"

he says that as he whips that elderly man.

"Sir we have been working for days... please let us rest a bit".

"Shut up always finding a way to slack off"

"If we kept working... he will die at this rate... no we must stop "

"then let him die.... there is always an replacement ".

The body of the wraith cut in two falls in the ground and Eric regains his consciousness.

His head is again aching, but it is not like before this is different.

"What was that?" he murmured to himself.

"Let's move forward" says Eric and Sophie follows him.

After the Wraith died all other that were simply mining disappeared. But he could smell it, it wasn't the last of them.

As they traversed through the tunnels, they begin to move upward, it is when they started seeing those strange wraiths, which were burning, but all of them were passive and simply let those two pass. Until one of them throws it's self on to Sophie, but Eric shields her and get's burned in his shoulders while saving her. He takes his sword and slashes through that Wraith another vision graces his mind.

In that Vision a man was yelling.

"Fire Fire ..... run.... " while that man is on fire him self.

That man run towards Eric and grabs him, making him burn and then the vision ends.

While the vision lasted only a fraction of a second, Eric felt being burnt. His head once again hurting.

"Eric.... Eric are you Okay.... hey Eric I am sorry" Sophie cried.

Eric holds her and wipes her tear with his fingers and asks "I noticed you have been acting distance with me form morning.... can you tell me why are you acting that way"

An akward silence sweeps across them, perhaps he shouldn't had asked that.

Sophie replies "After you slept last night,.... memories came rushing back to me... I have always acted too close to my dear ones, I never find the boundaries as a result they always ended up leaving me ... I didn't want you to leave me".

"Silly didn't I said that I will never leave you " says Eric.

"That is not all"

"Let it all out" Said Eric.

"A part of me is happy that you are with me.... but also a part of me wishes to use you for all your worth" said Sophie as she cried.

"You can use me all you want as long as you promise to not let me away from your heart... I won't have any complaints " Says Eric.

"Are you sure?" Asks Sophie.

Eric hugs Sophie and says

"As sure as my life".

"For this last hundred years, I wondered around these lands without any purpose.... but you Sophie changed that.... I want to help you all I can... even If it's not my purpose " Says Eric.

"Don't say that... It's our purpose... you and me are one" Says Sophie.

Eric calms Sophie down and they proceed towards the end of the mine.

"You feeling okay now" Asks Eric.

"Well that was Embarassing " says Sophie.

"You can say that again" Says Eric as they exit the mine.

Many Wraiths, once again burning they stood still and are staring at the starry sky.

Eric slowly approaches to slay the one nearest.

He cuts it's head clean off, as he is piercing through its head he sees another vision.

They are inside the mine. He is talking to another man.

"They have been working us around the clock".

"Think we might wanna complaint".

"No I am too afraid of the new guys... they are very scary"

As he says that, a huge blast takes place and many men burning, runs towards the exit.

Eric too catches fire and once again he feels burning. All of them run towards the exit, some die before they reach out but finally Eric reaches the Exit and as they run out, their foot stops responding and they are frozen still. It is the end they can't run any more. Eric feels the anxiety of dying as the person in the vision is feeling. They all look up on the starry sky and the beautiful sight soothes their pain. They stand there as the fire finishes them off.

The vision ends.

Eric looks upon the sky and the stars.

"Eric.... hey Eric look there is someone sitting by the campfire". says Sophie

To be continued.....