Maw of Uraith

Deep in the belly of the infernal realm, screams echoed throughout the cavernous pit, reverberating against infernal walls like waves against stone. Dain's ragged voice filled the dark cavern; his scream shifting between agony and laughter.

Beneath him, a pitch black portal swirled, and out of it tendrils slithered up like hungry serpents, latching onto him. The Maw of Uraith was merciless. It drank from him in gluttonous gulps, draining his very essence.

Yet, despite the torment, Dain laughed. A dry, croaking laughter that sounded like brittle paper tearing.

Duvran stood before him, dressed in dark robes that flowed like liquid night, adorned with blood-red sigils. The cloak was fastened at the shoulders with metal fastenings. His almost pale skin and sharp bearded jawline intensified the glare of his golden eyes. Two dutiful deities in rusted armor stood at either side, gripping the pulleys that determined whether Dain would descend further into suffering or be given a break.

With a quick hand movement,Duvran signaled them. The deities grunted as they pulled the chains, lifting Dain upwards. His withered soul form rose from the maw like a stringed up marionette as Uraith's tendrils let go of him. He dangled there, the chains creaking with every movement. His form now lacking color, eaten away by Uraith's insatiable hunger. Yet, a defiant smirk formed on his face.

"Still smiling?" Duvran's voice was smooth like polished glass. He stepped forward. "You should be begging by now, brother."

Dain coughed as a laugh died in his throat. "Begging? You must be new to this game." His voice was shaky and coarse. "We've been doing this forever, Duvran. So long, I've lost count, and you still think you'll break me?"

Duvran sighed. His patience growing thin. "Why must you be so damned nihilistic? Do you not see what's at stake?" His voice rose in desperation. "The absence of the Aetherion will doom the realms, not just the heavens. Everything will fall to ruin; order, balance, and even existence itself."

Dain's smile widened. "Then let it burn."

Duvran's fists clenched, his apparel giving off black vapor. "You would let all of creation perish out of spite?"

Dain's chains rattled as he bent his head. "Call it justice. Call it balance. We rebelled against the creators, stole power that was never ours to wield. This destruction isn't a calamity, it's just a befitting punishment", he said. "We should have been wiped out long ago."

Duvran stared at him with fury. But then regret crawled into his mind. "And yet, here you are," he taunted as he took some steps closer. "Once the mightiest of us all. Ruler of the infernal realms and Lord of Darkness. You, who stood above gods, reduced to this." He shook his head, smiling. "Is this the fate you chose, brother?"

Dain only smiled as Duvran snapped his fingers.

The chains rattled as the deities released the pulleys, lowering Dain back towards the maw. Uraith's tendrils slithered up to him, coiling around his limbs and pulling him closer like a lover's embrace. The moment they touched him, his screams continued but this time, he couldn't laugh through it.

Duvran watched him scream and struggle.

A presence entered the pit, equally as merciless and sinister. The god of illusion and deceit, Faleir came out from the darkness behind Duvran, his body covered in twisting shadows as if he were an illusion himself. He observed the scene before him before stepping forward.

"My Lord," Faleir murmured, bowing to avoid aggression from Duvran. "There is… activity in the mortal realm."

Duvran's eyes narrowed. "Define 'activity.'"

"Something… happening. And since we are to leave no stone unturned in the search for the Aetherion, it might be worth checking out."

Duvran exhaled, rolling his jaw. He turned around, dismissing him with just a flick of his finger. "Go," he ordered. "Find out what it is."

Faleir bowed again, then vanished into the air like smoke.

Duvran turned around to watch as Dain writhed in agony, losing fragments of his soul to Uraith's insatiable hunger. The only thing Duvran felt at that moment was frustration. He could not kill Dain. Not yet. Not until the Aetherion was found.

He lifted a hand to signal the deities to pull him back up.

But as the chains tightened and Dain began to rise, Uraith did not let go.

The tendrils held tight, coiling around him like a noose and refusing to release him. Dain convulsed and wheezed as they dug deeper into him.

The two deities wrestled against the pulleys, their muscles bulging and straining. "He's...he's stuck!" one of them gasped in panic.

Duvran's brow furrowed. "Then pull harder."

The two deities heaved with exertion until Uraith's grasp slowly released Dain.

And then one of the tendrils lashed out and snared the leg of one of the deities, wrapping around his calf causing him to fall. He yelped in shock and groaned as Uraith began to consume him. His armor rusted into dust almost immediately, his flesh turning pale and shriveled.

"Duvran! Lord! Help!"

The other deity was terrified as he looked at Duvran. "My Lord, you have to close the portal!"

Duvran, however, stayed calm and unmoved.

"Close it?" he asked in amusement. "No."

Duvran watched the deity writh and thrash desperately as he was dragged inch by inch to the abyss. His now hollow eyes were pleading. "Duvran...please! We...we've gone too far!"

Duvran shook his head. "No, my friend", he whispered. "We have not gone far enough. Uraith has to feed... we've teased him way too much."

He shrieked as he was pulled into the void, the portal closing slowly as the other tendrils retracted.

The silence that followed was heavy.

The remaining deity was frozen in shock, breathing in ragged gasps as he stared at the now empty space where his companion once stood. Slowly, he looked at Duvran, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Duvran adjusted his cloak. "That is enough for today. Take him back to his holding pit." He turned around and walked away, his cloak brushing the ground beneath him.

However, the deity did not move from that spot. He just stared at his trembling hands, as the last echoes of the scream lingered in his mind.

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The Wyron's serrated teeth snapped only inches from Aric's face, it's warm, rancid breath reeking of decay. Its slender arms pressed down on his chest as its claws scraped through his leather armor, causing shallow cuts that stung badly. He strained against its weight, but the thing was stronger than it looked.

Aric thrashed and twisted his body frantically, trying to buck it off, but the Wyron hissed at him, its snake-like lower half coiling around his legs and pinning him down even more.

His sword lay just out of his reach, the steel glinting in the dwindling firelight.

He could hear Caden somewhere behind him, sharp grunts followed by the squelch of his blade meeting flesh. He was fighting for his life as well, but Aric barely had time to look, his own death was drooling right over him.

His hand scrabbled along the ground, his fingers touching something rough and solid; a piece of rock.

He yelled as he swung it upward, hitting the Wyron across its large head. The creature screeched as it's head snapped to the side but Aric didn't stop. He smashed the rock into its skull again, cracking it. Hot black blood splattered his face. With a final forceful swing, he caved in the thing's head and its body went limp on top of him.

Aric shoved the corpse aside and rolled onto his feet, breathing heavily. There was no time to wipe off the sticky black blood from his eyes as he quickly reached for his sword, picking it up by the familiar hilt just as Caden sank his own blade into the throat of another Wyron.

Caden yanked his sword free, his face and leather armor stained with dark blood. He moved slowly towards Aric until they were standing back to back, their chests heaving in sync.

Aric looked around the cave. The odds were not in their favor. There were still five Wyrons left, slithering around and stalking them.

The flames that had illuminated the cave were shrinking, nothing more than embers.

And the Wyrons knew it.

The largest of them, likely the one that had taunted them before tilted it's head menacingly as its face formed a wicked grin.

"Not much longer now," it hissed. "When the light dies... so do you.

Without warning, one of the Wyrons lunged at them but before it could strike, something whizzed through the air. The Wyron recoiled and fell with a resounding thud as an arrow implanted itself deep in its skull. Its body twitched shortly before going still.

Lyra stood at the entrance of the cave, slowly lowering her bow as she scanned the chamber for any other threats. Garrick, Finn, Nessa, and Lyra rushed in, each holding torches that brightened up the cave once again. The remaining Wyrons hissed, sensing the turn of events, and quickly slithered into nearby cracks and crevices.

Finn chuckled, sliding his blade back into its sheath. "Well, look at you two," he sneered, looking at Aric and Caden. "You both look like you've been swimming in a pool of dung and piss."

Caden gave him a displeased look, Finn's jokes were always badly timed. Meanwhile, Garrick's cold eyes locked on Aric. The imposing captain walked towards him with purpose, and then he planted his fist into Aric's face to everyone's surprise.

Aric's world spinned due to the force of the punch. He stumbled, grunting sharply as he hit the ground, blood oozing from his nostrils. But even in the haze of pain, there was a rebellious smirk on his face.

"You're late," Aric said, wiping the blood off with his arm as he sat up.

Garrick's scowl could melt iron, a forehead scar slicing through his furrowed brow. "You're lucky I even came looking for you," he growled. "Breaking rank like that... again."

Aric looked up at him, undeterred. He had never been one for following orders when it didn't sit right with him. "I'm sure I was doing just fine," he muttered, his lips bloody. "And don't act like you wouldn't have done the same if it was your kid."

Garrick wanted to strike again, but Caden stepped in, blocking Garrick. "It wasn't his fault. I went with him. If anyone's to blame, it's me," he said, avoiding Garrick's eyes.

Garrick's jaw clenched, barely hiding his frustration. "We'll discuss this when we're back in Dunmore," he said. "But trust me, there will be consequences for your insubordination."

Aric's gritted his teeth. He didn't care about the consequences. He had a responsibility to the people outside the walls, and he wouldn't apologize for doing what he felt was right. But before he could think any further, Garrick extended his hand to help him up, his face a mix of both contempt and pity.

Aric eyed Garrick's hand for a long moment before getting to his feet without assistance, leaving Garrick's extended hand hanging, a good gesture gone to waste. He wiped his bloody palms on his cloth, standing eye to eye with the captain.

"I'll take your consequences when we get back," he said. "But I've got demon blood to clean off first."

Nessa's soff voice cut into the tension. She had ventured deeper into the cave. "You might want to see this."

The group moved toward her, they were greeted by a nauseating stench hung in the damp air. At the end of the cave, the child's body lay on the ground among skulls, it was nothing more than a dried out husk that was so shrunken, every bone and joint was visible. The Wyrons had already feasted long before the search even began.

Aric's stomach twisted. The realization of failure hit him even harder.

Garrick stood a few steps behind, his arms folded, his eyes taking in the unpleasant sight. "Bag it up," he ordered, with no trace of empathy. "At least his mother will have something to bury when we get back to Dunmore, by sunrise if we move at my speed."

Lyra's tone was as casual as her stance. "The sacks are back with the horses, Garrick."

Garrick exhaled sharply, not taking his eyes off the corpse. "Then we'll move quickly. Get back to the horses before Nessa's spell wears off and they become demon food."

He paused, then his gaze shifted to Aric. "And Aric? You're carrying it."

Aric glared at him, but he said nothing. Instead, he took a step forward, his eyes softening as he looked at the corpse. They had come too late. He had broken his promise to Selenna.

Garrick turned and walked away. Lyra, Caden and Finn followed, their eyes lingering on Aric shortly but their faces were unreadable.

Aric didn't look back, but felt the disappointed look Caden gave him before he turned to follow.

Aric exhaled heavily. The air felt a lot heavier now, the weight of failure pressing down on him. But before the guilt enveloped him, Nessa's voice broke through the stillness.

He barely noticed that she still stood there, her black cloak hung over her shoulders. "Here," she said quietly, removing her cloak and handing it to him. "Use this to wrap it up."

She also handed him her torch, and their eyes met for just a moment before she turned away, hurrying to meet up with the others.

Aric stood there for a long moment, staring at the child's lifeless husk. His hands were already stained with demon blood, and now they were about to carry the weight of another death.

As he knelt to wrap the small, lifeless form in Nessa's cloak, he knew it was going to be a long night. The journey back to Dunmore, to the fragile world they had left behind , would equally be just as grim as the one that had brought them here.

Aric finished securing the child's body in Nessa's cloak, the fabric already soaking up the little moisture of the of the corpse. Standing up with little exertion, he took his torch from the ground. He exhaled as his fingers tightened around the wooden shaft.

Then, behind him, the darkness came alive. He felt cold air hit neck which made his hairs stand.

Aric sharply dropped his torch and turned, instinct kicking in, his sword half-drawn before his eyes even registered the figure emerging from the darkness.

Faleir stepped forward into the light as if he had always been there. His dark form-fitting attire shifted in ways that made Aric's vision momentarily blur as if reality itself could not decide how to present him. His face was sharp and angled yet oddly familiar, framed by ink colored hair that could be seen as either deep blue or violet, depending on how light hit it. His eyes shined like polished silver coins, carrying centuries worth of experience.

For the first time in a long while, Aric felt his composure falter.

Faleir was taken aback, arching his dark brows. "Morvaen? I never thought I'd see you again."

Aric gripped his sword tighter. "Who the hell is Morvaen?"

Faleir tilted his head, observing him with curiosity like one would an insect under glass. Then he smiled. "I expected you'd forget much but not your name."

Aric froze. The name meant absolutely nothing to him. Yet something deep inside him came alive at the sound of it. A memory he didn't have. A history he didn't know.

Faleir hummed with amusement, noticing Aric's growing unease. "You've grown," he added. "It's been a long time. I wish she could see you right now."

Aric stepped back, sliding his sword back into the sheath. "I don't know who you are or what the hell you're talking about," he said, maintaining his stance. "And I sure as hell don't know any Morvaen."

Faleir's expression shifted into realization, almost unnoticeable.

"Ah," Faleir exhaled. "You don't remember anything."

But there was something in his voice that sent a chill through Aric's bones. Before he could demand an explanation, Faleir sighed and lifted a hand, fingers twirling with grace.

"Forget about it."

The words hit Aric like a whisper against his mind; a whisper that echoed till it became nothing.

Aric frowned, blinking in confusion. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, then narrowed his eyes at Faleir.

"What did you just tell me to forget?"

Faleir smiled, looking at Aric with intrigue. "Nothing of consequence," he said calmly. "What are you doing out here?"

Aric's mind struggled with comprehension for half a second but the sensation passed. He straightened up, clutching the wrapped cloak.

"Hunting demons," he said cautiously. His eyes shifted to the corpses littered about the cave.

Faleir followed his gaze, looking at the bloody remains with light amusement. "And you did all this?"

Aric scoffed. "You think I'd be standing here talking to you if I had to fight them alone?"

Faleir looked back to him with interest. "And those others?" He gestured slightly to the cave entrance. "Are they with you?"

"Obviously."

Faleir studied him for a while, his piercing gaze like a razor gliding just above the skin.

Aric, not being a huge fan of being scrutinized, returned the favor. He ran his eyes over Faleir's figure, the fabric that looked alive, the sudden appearance. Then, something clicked.

"You're a god," Aric said sharply.

Faleir neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead, he smirked. "And if I were?"

Aric sighed, unimpressed. "Wouldn't be my fault for not knowing," he muttered, rolling his shoulder. "You gods haven't exactly been around since the rifts started tearing the world apart. We've been fighting to protect Dunmore without your kind even lifting a damn finger."

Faleir chuckled softly, closing the distance between him and Aric with a few steps. "You and your comrades won't be able to protect Dunmore from what's coming."

The words spoken were a fact, not a warning.

Aric's stomach tightened in fear. "What's coming?"

Faleir's silver eyes gleamed in the dim light. "You ask too many questions."

Before Aric could react, Faleir's firm hand tapped against his shoulder.

Aric lost his footing as if he stepped off solid ground into open air. The cave, Faleir, the dialogue, everything slipped away in a blur.

And then the next thing he heard was a sharp crunch as his boots sank into moist leaves and twigs. The sharp forest breeze blew in his face, harsh and cold.

He was outside. The trees stretched around him, the torches of his comrades shining up ahead.

Caden turned back, frowning. "Quit sulking and keep up."

Aric stared at him. Then at the trees. Then looked around but the cave was gone.

"What the hell just happened?", he thought.