40 Beyond The Veil.

Ranulf stood still inside the nightmare of flesh.

“Hehehehehehehehe!” a peal of seductive laughter slithered in from the depths once again.

He faced the belly of the cave, fixed his stance and raised his sword over his head.

He waited.

And waited.

But alas, nothing greeted his blade.

Splash! The sound of blood trickling down from the ceilings broke him free of his reverie.

Shaking his head, he took out a green vial of liquid from his pouch. He popped open the cap and downed it all through his throat.

Gulp! The unusual shade of paleness was no longer present in his face. Instead, his dull black eyes flashed with renewed clarity; the nearby aether gathered and formed into a thin silver film that covered his skin.

He strapped the metallic rod beside his belt and held the sword with his two hands.

“May the Gods…... watch over me,” he muttered and lightly kissed the hilt of his blade.