Binding Dark

The first thing Sima noticed when she woke up was the throbbing in her skull. The second thing she noticed was the smell. Damp earth and something else, something foul that made her stomache churn. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking away the spots of light that danced before her vision. The room, although cell was perhaps a more appropriate description, was dimly lit by torches that cast flickering shadows on the rough stone walls.

Her hands and feet were bound with thick vines that seemed to pulse with dark energy, and her water pendant was gone. She struggled against her bonds but only managed to make the pain in her head worse.

"Welcome back, little water witch," a voice hissed from nowhere in particular, making her jump. She looked around wildly, but she was alone.

"Your magic is quite interesting," the voice continued, "but ultimately useless against the power of the Darkbound."

The tall creature from the forest lazily appeared in front of her, its shadowy form solidifying into a being that was almost elf-like in appearance, but twisted and wrong in a way that made her want to look away.

"You will be the first to serve us," it said with a smile that was all teeth and malice, "and your village will follow."

It reached out and touched her face with a cold hand that made her shrink back. "Your fear is deliciously sweet."

Elis and Thalons team of warriors followed the tracks left by the shadow creatures into the deepest parts of the forest. The trees grew closer together here, the underbrush thick and treacherous. The air was colder than it had any right to be, and the shadows seemed to stretch and writhe like living things.

Elis felt the weight of his failure heavy on his shoulders. He had promised to protect Sima and now she was in the clutches of the very creatures he was supposed to keep her safe from.

Thalon noticed the young elfs distress and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "We will find her, " he said with a confidence that made Elis want to believe him. "And we will make them pay for what they've done."

The group pushed forward, following the trail of darkness that led them to a cave entrance hidden behind a waterfall. The sound of rushing water was almost deafening as they approached, but it was the screams that echoed from within that made their blood run cold.

They entered the cave with cautions steps, their eyes adjusting slowly to the dim light within. The walls were slick with moisture and the air was heavy with the scents of earth and decay. The shadows danced and twisted around them, seemingly alive and hungry for the light they brought with them.

Sima tried to keep her wits about her as the creature spoke of its plans. It called itself a Darkbound and claimed that it was once a powerful elven sorcerer who had sought power beyond the veil and had paid the ultimate price for it.

"Your kind has always been so arrogrant, thinking you are the guardians of the light." it sneered. "But soon we will show you what true power looks like."

The Darkbound's eyes turned a black that was not just dark but an absence of light as it began to chant in a language that made her ears burn and her head throb even harder. The vines binding her tightened and she could feel the dark energy seeping into her skin. She knew that if she didn't find a way out of there soon, she would be lost to the darkness forever.

Unable to stand the pain in her head any longer, Sima blacked out.

Thalon lead the party deeper into the cave, with Elis close behind. They did not risk lighting more then one torch at a time, not wanting to alert their enemies of their presence. The screams had stopped but the silence was almost worse. The waterfall far behind them, it felt like they had entered another world entirely. A world of darkness and malice.

They passed several chambers with floors so littered in bones it seemed as if the very ground was made of them. In one chamber they found the remains of a campfire, the ashen remains of what looked to have been a human. The sight made them all shudder, a grim reminder of the fate that awaited Sima if they did not find her soon.

The passageway opened into a final, massive chamber. The air was thick with dark magic and the stench of death. In the center of the chamber stood an altar with a large, square opening made of intricately carved stone. The stone gateway was decorated with ruins, drawn with fresh blood. On the altar lay a human female, a sacrifice to whatever foul deities these creatures served.

But it was not the human that drew their attention, it was the figure standing beside her. The Darkbound smiled and hissed "Come for the little water witch have you? You are too late. She is already one of us."

The Darkbound faced the square opening and chanted, and as it did the stone began to pulse with a sickly green light. The dark magic paralyzed the rescue party, and they could only watch as the creature stepped into the gateway and disappeared into the swirling vortex that had formed within it.