The Temple

Solskin

It wasn't at all like I imagined. There was no celebration, no pretty valkyries, not even a pint of ale to drink. Utterly depressing. I remembered staring at the ceiling after dying. It darkened as the light seemed to drain from it. The floor opened beneath me, leaving me to fall for what felt like hours. When I finally landed, I was drenched underwater. The river was painfully cold, sapping my energy, leaving me to slowly drift downstream.

I let the current float me along, and fell asleep, unable to keep track of time. I woke when I was deposited on bank, the ground disturbing the gentle touch of the water. Small waves splashed against me. I was shivering like no tomorrow. The icy water kept me from falling asleep, never to wake. I was so tired. My bones ached with just the thought of moving.

"This sucks!" I cried out in frustration. My voice was raspy and weak. I wanted to pound my fists on the ground in frustration, but I couldn't. My body refused to move. I continued to stare up at the foggy red sky. I suddenly heard a low grumble.

The air became ever more humid, saturating my clothes with an uncomfortable dampness. The ground shifted below me. The water surged, dragging my boots away. Panic seized my throat as I scrambled to get up. My body fought against me, screaming with every movement. As I dragged myself away from the water, my instincts screamed danger. After making it a few feet away, I flopped to the ground, dripping wet. I was panting heavily, lungs burning. The icy river was flooding, the water slowly but surely rising. It gave off a bluish white mist that stayed low to the ground. I stared at it, wondering why I felt the urge to run away.

The water soon stopped rising, but the mist kept spreading. I could make out vague shapes in the mist. These figures were lumbering around, slowly increasing in size. It didn't take me long to realize that they were coming towards me. The first figure broke through the mist. I was confronted by a horrible sight. Rotting flesh and distorted bodies. Black fog dripped off of them. Their eyes stared back at me with pure hatred.

Adrenaline rushed through my body. The exhaustion washed away almost instantly, I was too scared to care. Rocks clattered down towards the river as I sprinted for my life.

"For the love of Odin, why me!" I screamed at the gods.

As I ran, I fumbled to draw my sword, nearly dropping it a few times. Just ahead was a large stone structure. A circular pyramid that stood ten to twenty feet tall. It was a brilliant white and it seemed to have a faint aura of the same color. I ran up the steps three at a time, hoping whatever it was would help me.

Persephone

We finally found him. I almost couldn't believe it because we searched for so long, but there he was. I was so happy that I forgot he was under attack. I just wanted to rush over and hug him. Reality soon hit me as I heard screams of fear echo around us.

"Hurry!" Thanatos said as he swung his scythe, purple flames erupting towards the shrine. I sprinted as fast as I could. Brandishing my own scythe, I quickly prayed for some of Thanatos's strength.

Focusing on one of the shadows, I watched as black chains snaked their way up its legs, pulling it down to the ground. Grey smoke rose into the air as the chains began to burn the shadow. Not long after, the purple flames arrived, soaring into the sky around Solskin, forcing the shadows to retreat.

I continued sprinting towards Solskin. Thanatos began muttering ancient phrases in a language long lost to time. The flames rapidly expanded, forcing the shadows to retreat further. The one I had chained to the ground was instantly incinerated and scattered in the wind. He followed after me,

twirling his scythe in one hand, creating a continuous circle of flame.

Solskin wasn't standing idle. As soon as the flames rose up around him, he pointed his blade into the sky. Lightning crackled off it and he drove his sword deep into the ground. A deafening boom rang out, sending the shadows flying even further away. The flames dissipated, revealing the cracked ground. Small arcs of electricity could be seen spreading out from him like a spoke on a wheel. I could see blood starting to trickle out of his eyes.

The shadows quickly recovered. The one that was closest to me pounced into the air. Its grotesque form fell onto me. I tried to hold it off with my scythe, but its long, gnarled claws left behind horrible gashes in my flesh. I cried out in pain as the claws sent icy cold daggers that ran through my veins. The other shadows split up, rushing back to attack us. Past the creature pinning me, I could see four more coming towards me. Another three charged Thanatos. Solskin was the most unfortunate. Ten monsters stumbled back up and ganged up on him. He couldn't hold on, as innumerable gashes appeared all over his body. I could see blood pour out him. My mind replaying that scene in the inn. The core of my stomach ached in pure anguish.