Honey, I'm Home

We followed him up the ridge, walking onto the black ice bridges and pathways that led up the mountains. Something’s wrong.

No undead crawled from the snow, no knights rose from the ice walls, no Mamotimus came charging at us. There was just the wind, the crunch of our boots, and an eerie silence that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Everything about this mountain feels like it should’ve been destroyed long ago…

The castle's presence was ominous as it reached much higher above the other mountains, sharp spikes rising from the towers. The black obsidian fortress was lit up by purple glowing braziers, stretching around the mountain like a parasite.

"Hey, Yumii." Bjorn glanced over his shoulder. "You look young, even if you were alive during the Empires era. How do faeries grow old?"

Yumii walked a few steps before answering.

"Arcane is always bound to the soul, but the effects on the body vary from species to species. For faeries, we are blessed with longevity, in exchange for the memory of that life. If you do not use your arcane, our longevity fades over time, and we grow old."

The pieces clicked together in my head.

"So wait, the three elders Raja mentioned... They stop using their arcane to preserve the history of other faeries?"

Yumii nodded.

"To avoid sacrificing their memories of the stories they were told or shown, yes. Their purpose is to preserve history, at all costs."

"So when you were alive and active as an elder, you expected to die…" I slowed my pace to match hers. "Did the coming of the Hollow make you fight instead?"

“So I’ve read.” Yumii nodded, looking at the ramparts.

"There were many empires back then. They regularly waged war on each other for centuries. Over land, over gods, over nothing at all." Her voice flattened, void of empathy. "I read in my book that during a particularly bloody war, on a fateful day, the Kingdom of Kori was slaughtered overnight."

“The entire kingdom?!” gasped Ior.

“All the woman, children, elderly and soldiers that were in the city-kingdom that night died. It is the singular deadliest recorded event in our history. Nearly two thousand people perished at the top of this mountain, in a single night.” Bjorn explained calmly, walking ahead of the group.

“When I came up here, I found relics, inscriptions left by soldiers that detailed some events. That is what i wanted to show Sam before… before Damien got to us.”

So what I've seen…is true? All of it?

“It is said the army of Endelos had been stuck on a siege for months when they unleashed a beast onto the mountain.”

“Why?” questioned Marie, frowning.

I bet she's upset at the thought of civilians being caught in the conflict.

“Couldn't Endelos have let the non-soldiers leave?”

Heh, called it.

“It’s a working theory,” shrugged Bjorn, “But we know Endelos had been losing the war for years, so it’s reasonable to assume they made a deal with the devil to win.”

“Damn,” whispered Kai. “Let me guess, it backfired."

"Oh yes, spectacularly. It slaughtered Kori first. Then it turned on Endelos. Then on everyone else." Yumii’s voice dropped. "It destroyed the Empires, and almost wiped out all life on the continent."

Nobody spoke after that. I shivered. And we have to kill that thing… Great. You couldn't have pissed off something less dangerous, Zoe?

The fog parted as we crested the last ridge, and a town unfolded before us. Collapsed obsidian houses lined the streets, their doors hanging open on frozen hinges, tattered banners stiff with ice. The blizzard had faded away completely, but the return of the visibility only increased my unease. It’s way too quiet.

“Oh gods,” retched Yumii, covering her nose.

She dropped to her knees, hyperventilating, her eyes shifting left, right, up and down at the speed of light. Marie knelt by her side. I summoned my sword, the biting cold leeching off the blade. My other friends followed my lead, readying themselves for battle.

“Easy, focus on your breathing,” whispered Marie, hand glowing an ethereal green. “What’s wrong?”

“... I can sense it… The stench is awful… ”

I clenched my fists. Better be on the look out.

“We should move,” I grabbed Yumii by the shoulder, Marie helping me pull the faery up. “Can you walk?”

Yumii nodded, though she looked like she was about to throw up her entire stomach’s content. Whatever was in there anyways.

The streets led us straight to the great obsidian doors of the central keep. A thought hit me.

Wasn't it supposed to be a Glass castle?... I feel robbed.

Scratches and notches covered every inch of the structure, deep gouges left by blades and claws alike so fresh it looked like the battle had happened the day before. From all around the edges, black smoke seeped out in slow, curling tendrils.

The air grew heavy and crushing. It pressed against my chest and filled my ears, overwhelming every one of my senses until even breathing felt like a chore. I looked down at my sword, barely feeling its energy anymore. Not going to taunt me now, are you?

The voices in my head remained quiet. So even you are scared of this thing… lovely.

Bjorn stepped up beside me and held out his hand. A small bag filled with pill with carvings sat in his palm.

"Figured you might need some. Careful, these have quite the kick so don't over do it."

“Thanks,” I winked at him. Definitely will!

I put it away in my pants, tapping to check I hadn’t dropped it accidentally. I stepped up to the gate and turned back to face my friends.

"Thank you. All of you, for being here."

"Wouldn't miss it!" Bjorn raised his blade.

"Let's go kick that sucker's ass and get Sam out of here," Kai grinned.

“Dibs on the first hit!” called Ior and Zelo at the same time, glaring at each other.

“Let’s get him!” Marie and Yumii cheered.

I smiled faintly. Don’t die on me, guys.

I pressed my palms against the doors and pushed.

PSHHHHHH!

The black smoke burst out all at once, blasting into us like a gust of hot breath. I threw my arm over my face and pushed through, hearing my friends cough and stumble behind me. The smell is so gross…The smoke tasted like ash and rotten meat.

I can't see anything!

We stepped into the darkness, forming a diamond around Yumii as we dove into the guts of the ruins of Kori.

We walked aimlessly, keeping touch with one another. Great! None of my senses are working correctly!

The smoke removed my sense of smell and taste, the darkness took out my vision, the constant echo of our steps on the cold stone rendered my earing useless and the adrenaline numbed my body to the point I referred to gravity to figure out if I was moving.

BANG!

We stopped as one, raising our weapons. My heartbeat climbed through the roof.

“...Sorry guys,” Ior apologised. “That…might’ve been me.”

We all sighed in unison, lowering our weapons. What a scare!

“AHHHHHHHHH!!”

I shook, raising my shaking sword in the dark. We all took a step back, our hard breaths piercing the silence.

“What the fu-hell?” Zelo corrected himself with a grunt after someone audibly elbowed him.

“Let's keep going,” I encouraged them.

I pulled on my friends arms, sensing their hesitation. Standing still is just going to get us killed.

We explored the ground floor with a blindfold on our eyes, eventually finding our way into an open room where the smoke had faded away.

We stepped as one into the great hall, weapons drawn. Massive pillars held up what used to be a ceiling, balconies ran all around the room over several floors, purple flickering brasiers were hung off the walls. At the far end stood a throne, or what was left of one, its broken pieces floating above it, suspended in the air in a constant taunting of gravity. Purple glowing runes flowed in and out of the hall, slithering along the floor into the adjacent corridors before looping back to circle the throne.

We spread out throughout the room.

Clap!

Clap!

Clap!

A shadowy figure stepped out from behind one of the pillars, still applauding. The sun’s light, reaching us down from the heavens, flickered and dimmed as the Hollow entered the room. My friends instinctively took a step back.

Waves of arcane energy rolled off the creature, so dense they weighed on my skin and squeezed my lungs. Sweat beaded on my forehead despite the cold as a groan slipped past my clenched teeth. Its heavy steps resonated through the hall, each one landing like an entire army marching in unison, breaking the obsidian underneath its boots. My breathing quickened, shallow and ragged, adrenaline pumping so hard my hands shook around my sword's hilt.

Hide! 

Hide! 

Hide!!

Every instinct in my body screamed at me to get the hell away. I gripped my sword tightly, finding little comfort in the familiar leather.

The Hollow took its sweet time strolling towards the throne, and even longer settling into it, lounging back as though the whole hall belonged to it. It cackled, the sound of a thousand agonising souls echoing off the obsidian walls until my ears trembled.

"Well done, Zoe! You've finally made it here… About time. You were almost late for the main event."

My hand shook as I raised my sword at the world ending beast.

"I would’ve made it faster here if you’d stop throwing your pets in my way! Where’s Sam?!"

It leaned its head to the side.

"Are you sure you don’t want to know what’s going to happen, first?”

“I already know what’s going to happen,” I gritted my teeth, “We are going to kick your otherworldly bottoms back to where you came from and set my husband free of wherever you have him trapped!”

“Oh, are you now?” Its white pupils stared me down. “Regarding poor, little Sam… Funny you should ask…"

The Hollow leaned forward. A beam of light pierced through the dark clouds above, falling through a crack in the ceiling and landing right on him. Black hair. A square jaw, lined with a thin beard. Purple eyes, white pupils glowing beneath the light.

My friends gasped, my grip tightened around my sword. No… impossible… It has to be another hallucination!

"Enough of your tricks, Hollow! Where. Is. My. Husband!"

It laughed bitterly, drawing a knife from its belt.

"What?! Me, the Hollow?! What a joke! No no, I'm doing this to fix the world! Hollow has been a pain for ages...”

It spoke with so much anger the walls bent under the pressure its arcane exerted on reality. I felt like the air was getting sucked out of my lungs by a vacuum, water boiling in my veins. What a monster…

“What the hell is the Hollow then?” I whispered to myself.

The man grinned wide, clapping excitedly.

“Ooooh I can't wait for you to meet him! It'll be fun…”

It suddenly stopped moving, drooling as it seemingly listened to the sky. It shook its head.

“I'm afraid, though, that what I’m about to do to your husband, is not a trick."

He dragged the blade across his palm.

Red blood welled up and ran down his wrist, dripping onto the obsidian. Not black. Red. And the arm holding the knife carried a long white scar running from the elbow down, the ring and little fingers half severed.

I recoiled, panic seizing my heart.

"N-No…It-it can't be him. You can’t- It’s impossible!"

Sam leaned forward, smiling wider than a human face allowed, his beautiful blue eyes replaced by cruel purple ones.

"But it is! Hahahaha… Your dear husband, in the flesh! Welcome home, honey!"