Far from Home

Leofwin is standing on the wall, staring into the valley ahead, clenching his fists as he waited. Suddenly a portal appeared below in front of the walls and a man appeared from it, dragging undead stacked onto the black spikes.

Alexander looked at the knights standing above on the wall and a giant man standing in the middle, folding his arm. "Hey, you giant. I need a little help down here." He shouted as he was still dragging the horde out of the portal. His clothes were covered in sand and his hair was solid with grease.

"Well, well, well. Isn't this a surprise? The Great shadow dweller in the flesh," Leofwin replied.

"Hey, would you mind lending me a hand? Holding a spell in this battered state is not an easy task." Alexander said as he fell on his knees, felt his mana drying.

"Oh, the great shadow dweller begging for help? I've never thought I'd see this day." Leofwin replied, laughing. "I might enjoy watching you cry for help desperately."

"Damn it, this is no time for your lame jokes," Alexander yelled. "I really need your help, quite standing there and move you, damn it."

"Okay, walk back slowly towards the wall," Leofwin replied and Alexander slowly walked back towards the wall as the rock under his feet started shaking and slowly started elevating.

"Welcome, old friend." Leofwin spread his arms wide and squeezed Alexander tightly as Alexander moved forward to greet him. "Hah, I never thought you'll end up here in beat up. Am glad that you are here and fine."

"Hey, let me go, you giant asshole. You'll break my bones." Alexander yelled as Leofwin was squeezing him in his arms. "You are still rough, as always. I don't know how you keep your men around with this attitude. Anyway, I am grateful to that kid. He saved my life back there." Alexander told Leofwin. "Your men are something else. You are all on walls watching the undead so close. My opinion of you and your men has gone up."

"Your mana level was so high down there that I couldn't tell you apart from the undead." Leofwin laughed, interrupting his mid-sentence. "I bet you would really cry down there."

"And it has gone down again," Alexander replied. "I can never understand your sense of humor."

"You don't have to be rude now," Leofwin replied as he turned back to his men. "You know what to do with this horde." He commands the knights and walked down the stairs with Alexander. "It's been ages, seeing everyone. Since the day we all assumed the role of captain's life has gone rather dull." Leofwin said as he sighed, moving his head down and lowering his shoulder.

"Yeah, we don't get to meet very often now and you, my friend, have gotten at the worst end of this, not being able to leave the walls at will," Alexander replied.

"You are right, however, you both got married and have fun despite you both being a captain yourself," Leofwin said, looking at him with a grin. "Tell how that berserk wife of yours?" Leofwin asked as he poked Alexander with his elbow.

"You don't have to call her that," Alexander replied. "She's not as bratty as she used to be. She has changed a lot after getting married."

"Hey, we should have some drink like old days and you tell me about everyone," Leofwin asked with enthusiasm. "After you get yourself cleaned up. Honestly, you smell like shit."

"About that, mmm maybe some else. I have to get back as soon as possible." Alexander replied in a dogging manner as moved his right hand on the back of his head, scratching slowly. "Sorry for not mentioning this earlier. I become a father just a few hours ago."

"In that case, you should go. I won't make that berserk waiting if I was in your place." Leofwin replied as Giles and five other nights appeared in front of them from a portal and there was a terrifying look on Giles's face. "I see there are two of you less. Those unlucky men couldn't make it, I suppose." Leofwin asked as he walked towards him.

"Hey, can you make a portal for me to the moon lake forest," Alexander asked the night with spatial magic? "I'll see you soon and we'll talk to your heart's content, and we should throw a huge party like old days with all our friends," Alexander said, and he walked into the portal with the knight.

"This is a little far from my home." Alexander said as he and the night walked out of the forest, "and still smells bad."

"My apologies, I don't know where your house is so I can't make a portal leading exactly there," Knight replied. "If you can point me in the direction and tell me the distance, I'll make one right now."

"Don't worry, you can go back. I'll walk there and I have to check the forest anyway in case there's still some undead lurking here." Alexander replied slowly, walking ahead as the knight walked into the disappearing portal.

As Alexander walked in the forest looking at the cold torn-up limb of the animals searching for any undead. After wandering the forest for a while when couldn't find any undead, he decided to go back home. As he was walking, he slowly looked at the dark could forming in the sky hiding the sun. "Great, I beautiful day turned into a gloomy one," Alexander said as he walked and slowly clouds started pouring rain and he saw a man in a black hooded robe scratching the dirt with his foot ahead in a distance. "Hey, who are you and what are you doing here?" He shouted as he cautiously walked towards him, putting his guard up.

The man in the robe bent his neck and looked back over his right shoulder as he saw Alexander slowly walking towards him. "I was just looking around for the herbs and saw all these dead animals. What exactly happened here?" Man asked.

"Hey, it's you. What are you doing here so far from the capital? You could've told me or Eva. We would've brought you those herbs." Alexander asked as he started slowly running towards him as he knew the man. "Honestly, I Didn't think I would see you outside of that creepy dungeon of a house you have."

"Clouds are getting darker and time is running short." The man in the robe replied as he looked at the sky and as the rainwater dripping from the outline of his hood on his face.

"Yeah, rain is getting heavier. We should go inside." Alexander replied and walked forward as he notices strange markings on the ground, he knew what it was, and before he could react a sharp bald went through his back.

"You shouldn't be here. You should be dead right now." The man in a black robe spoke in a lifeless voice as he walked in front of Alexander. "When you came, I thought all my efforts have gone to waste. However, now you'll gonna die, anyway."

"Why?" Alexander said as he falls on his knees. His warm blood is slowly dripping on the ground and his thoughts are getting louder as the agonizing pain is radiating through his body. "What did you?" and he falls on his right arm.

"You should be the great killer titled as 'Shadow dweller'. None can be compared to you when it comes to killing and yet you got done by magic-less bald." The man replied as he walked ahead taking a stick from the ground and started carving the ground. "How pathetic could you be?"

"I knew had a crew lose, but we were friends and were not like this?" Alexander asked, breathing heavily. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"What's the point of wasting my breath telling you? You gonna die anyway." He replied as he started slowly walking back as a tear fell from his right eye. "You shouldn't be here. I never wanted to see you die in front of me. However, what I have started will break free mankind from its fate."

"My son, I wish I could see you grow up. I wanted to hear you call me papa. I wish this didn't turn out this way." Alexander talked in a very low voice as he felt his body getting cold and his mind getting numb. "Don't worry, my son. Your father won't let anything bad come near you. Your father will be a hero you could look up to and you grow up into a fine man," and he started chanting with his losing breath.

"From the darkness, I born, from the fear I grew, on despair I feast, if there's light there shall I be."

"What are you mumbling down there?" He asked as he sat in front of Alexander Leaning over him. His shoes were soaked in his blood. "Tell me your last words. I'll tell you wife and I'll enjoy watching that berserk break in despair after being done here."

"You are just like every other piece of shit I've come across who thinks he's all high and mighty," Alexander replied.

As he moved his head closer to Alexander's face and replied. "Do you think I am a thug or scum? I've started something, not even any King has thought of doing since the day 300 years ago. You've clang to your life long enough." He shouted as his face turned red and his eyes about bulged out of the sockets.

As the man in a black robe was about to stop Alexander's neck with his right foot, Alexander gathered all his remaining strength and shouted, completing the chant. "Eternal shadow coffin," and suddenly a black wave appeared around them, closing in instantaneously and there was left a black orb floating in the air over the pool of blood left on the ground. It was so dark not even the slightest of the light could reflect and all it looked as if there was a dark sport in the air.