Pantheon Online

Chapter 315 Dark Inheritance (Part 1)

315 Dark Inheritance (Part 1)

The battlefield stretched beyond the horizon, a wasteland of shattered earth and broken bodies. The sky churned with clouds the colour of dried blood as stone-sized pieces of hail lashed at the distant warriors. Mountains had crumbled, rivers boiled into nothing, and the scent of decay and scorched meat carried on the wind.

Ania knew she was dreaming. She knew because she had been here before, not in this exact place, but in the nightmares that had haunted her since childhood. But this one felt different. More vivid. More real.

She stood alone in the middle of the battlefield, clad in battle-worn armour. Her spear was slick with ichor, the unnatural black fluid that dripped from the things she had slain. Her shattered shield, held loosely in her grip, was barely more than a broken frame. Her body ached, her breath came in ragged gasps, and every nerve in her being screamed at her to run.

Something moved in the distance. A shadow in the storm. A tall figure draped in darkness emerged. His form was wreathed in tattered silk, strands of void-black material shifting like the tendrils of a living thing. His eyes were endless pools of the abyss. Devoid of light, but filled with hunger.

He spoke, his voice as smooth as a mother's lullaby. "Little warrior... You should not be here."

Ania stiffened. She knew instinctively that this was no ordinary nightmare, no construct of her mind's fears. He was something else. 'He looks confused like I am.'

She tightened her grip on her spear, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "Who are you?"

The figure tilted his head, considering her as though she were some fascinating insect that had wandered into his web. "You already know my name, though you do not wish to speak it. The elves whisper of me in hushed prayers and terrified gasps. I am Vortharu, the Darkest Dream... the Keeper of Silent Screams."

The name sent a shudder down her spine. Vortharu. The Dark Elf God of Nightmares. He was no myth. No mere legend to frighten children. He was an old God. One of the Fallen. And she was in his domain.

She swallowed, steeling herself. "What do you want?"

Vortharu stepped forward as an insidious grin appeared on his face. "I want nothing. I merely observe the past. It is you who has stepped into my web, little mortal."

Ania refused to step back. She would not show fear. "Then let me leave."

A dark and knowing chuckle escaped Vortharu's lips. "Oh, but why would I do that? You are far more interesting to keep around. And besides... you are not the only one in this dream."

Before she could react, the world around her twisted. The battlefield cracked apart, revealing a deeper layer of horror beneath.

Screams filled the air. Not the dying cries of warriors, but something worse.

She turned and saw them. The Fallen. Twisted things, once gods and mortals alike, are now little more than living monsters. Their forms were grotesque mockeries of the human form. Their limbs stretched too far, faces warped beyond recognition, mouths split open in eternal howls of agony. They swarmed across the land like locusts, devouring all in their path.

In the heart of it all stood a lone figure, radiant amidst the carnage.

Allevia. Her presence was a beacon in the nightmare, her golden light flickering but unyielding. She stood atop a crumbling hill, a staff of living wood in her grasp and her emerald armour dented and cracked. Around her, the last of her warriors fought, their bodies glowing with the last embers of her divine protection.

"Ania!"

"Wha..."

"Damn, that took more out of me than I thought." Winter groaned as she pulled the woman out of her nightmare and sheltered her inside her fortress.

"Where... am I?"

"I had to make this fortress inside a dream and pull you in. I've been trying to wake the three of you up."

"Then... I'm still dreaming?"

"Yes, but I'm really here. Exile sent me. The only problem is, I have no idea how to pull you fully out. I found the three of you curled up in the hollow of some tree roots."

"What about Bjorn? And Allyce?"

"They... have been harder to track down inside the nightmares. Their fears are so great that it's strengthening the nightmares' hold on them. I can't imagine what they're going through."

"How do we save them?"

"Have patience, I'll find them sooner or later."

Ania noticed the look of doubt that briefly flashed across the face of the Goddess. 'I hope that's true. If they're trapped with that monster, I'm not sure how long they can hold out for.'

Winter studied Ania's expression and nodded with contentment. 'That's one down, but the others... What the hell am I facing? I could swear that it let me take her. But why?'

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't come up with a good enough reason. 'Is the inheritance testing me?' That would sense if it was trying to find someone to take control of the legacy it held. But... Winter was unsure if that was what was really going on here. Where was the ghost of the dead God? The one who should have appeared before her? Or had she not proven herself enough to meet with it yet? She couldn't help but feel frustrated.

"You... have to help them," Ania whispered. "Vortharu... he has them. They'll die without your help!"

"Vor... tharu?" Winter questioned as she struggled with pronouncing the name. "Who is he?"

"The Dark Elf God of Nightmares. He's one of the Fallen! We don't have any time!"

Winter frowned at Ania's revelation. 'The Fallen are gone though, right? That's what Exile and Mikari said. And why would one of them leave behind an Inheritance? That doesn't make any sense.' Winter even began to wonder if she should focus on waking Ania up before diving back in to save the others. 'The nightmares have clearly taken a toll on her. Maybe she was led to believe something else from what's going on here. At least, I hope that's the case.'

She shook her head as she turned to Allyce before placing her palm on her forehead. 'Ok, let's try you again...'