The Dark Gate Opens

[Jupiter]

Chapter 1 viewtopic.php?f=38&t=32588
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Chapter 3 viewtopic.php?f=38&t=32833


CHAPTER 2
An ailing howl droned in the wind. The crisp air did not give his lungs the relief they had grown accustomed to, as he was only taking in two or three short gasps to avoid the prevailing taste of death all around him. He glanced at the fragments in his hand as they sifted through his grasp, carried away by the cursed wind. His journey had not yet even begun and already he had used one of his talismans to elude death. “Order of the Grey,” he grumbled “This is the path I have chosen to follow.” He trod on, clutching his staff as if to conjure from it some hope that his foolish errand might actually succeed. Jupiter had guessed at the glint he saw during the battle and was sure now that he had witnessed the retreat of one of highest echelon of the undead; leaving the rest of the army to be severed – “separated, limb from crown.” If there truly was the division among the eldest of the ancient corpses, now perhaps was his best and only chance to gain entrance to the accursed dark caverns.

Being acclimated to greatest powers of light and dark made him the only possible candidate to be tainted by the caverns’ foul plight and egress again with his soul intact. Still, he worried whether or not this second trip would introduce him to depth of black that no amount of light could balance. It had been at least seven ages since he last passed through the catacombs and even now he had only been able to recover to the shade of grey.
As he crested the hill leading to the swamp, Jupiter’s heart almost failed him. Finally he arrived.

“GHARIK!!,” Jupiter commanded. Outside the vast metal doors he awaited his absolute demise. “GHARIK!,” he commanded again this time swinging his staff towards the massive metal doors. A huge explosion of fire and lighting erupted as his staff connected with the doors. He was surprised he still had enough power left to counter the ancient blight cast upon these black doors.

The heavy door swung open, “Yessss… demi mortal…” How long had it been since he gazed upon an aura this powerful. Was there any trace left of the herald defender of light from so many ancient days past? Jupiter had read ancient scripts that suggested all undead once had their place among the living, but any sign of life had been extinguished in the untold years that this ancient evil had seen.

“Gharik,” he spoke the name as a command for he knew it was the only way he could suppress the absolute evil will of the enemy standing before him. “I know of the powers you conjured at Vesper. Take me to the CATACOMBS!”
“Youuu know nothhhing of my poweeerrrrss..”

“I command you by the oaths you once made that cannot be broken!” He raised his staff in anticipation of the wrath that he may have exorcised with that command.

“Whooo are you… mortal… to demand suuuuch a thiiing frommmm meee?” the words escaped from Gharik as though the plagued wind was passing back and forth through his gaping skull at his will. It sounded as though a man was speaking while breathing in and out at the same time.

“I AM JUPITER OF THE GREY ORDER! I am he that knows of the oath you made while you still possessed your soul and I bid you obey this one last command from the living!”

Gharik stood silent and menacing. “Now, open the gate!” Jupiter commanded, sensing that perhaps as he had hoped last spell of life was still intact; the anti-Wight, that legends spoke were cast so long ago. Gharik paused a moment still, causing doubt to rise up in Jupiter’s pit. “Enterrrr… if you dare… Do not awaken the e….viill that ssssleeps….”

Gharik moved to one side as Jupiter stepped passed and entered the Mausoleum now ruled by this cursed skeleton. He continued forward pondering the words of acquiescence. The raspy breath with which it was spoken made it difficult to tell if it was spoken in mocking or true intent to bid Jupiter be careful. He passed through the halls, the ground littered with corpses, many of them fresh. Jupiter was sure he saw the horrified face of one of the Vesper guards staring up at him from the stone paver.

“Vas… Rel… Por…” The gate stood swirling open before Jupiter.

[Halbu]

Bravo!

[OneEyedJack]

Foolish fleshling... You willl... find nothing but death in thhhe depths of the Mausoleum... Once your liiiife is forfeit, I shal claim yourrr sssoul for The Guarrrdiannn...!!!

Masster will be verrry pleased to have... a new pet of such powerrr... Yesss... he shal reward me greatly...

Foolish fleshling willll never survive the catacombsss.... Death is cominnnng for you... You will soon feel itssss cold embrace...!!!

[Jupiter]

bump for new sig! WOOT

[Charla]

Very nicely done. " bites nails" waiting for the next installment.





Giant friend hugs




Westra