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Draped in black robes the priest glided through the hallways. Completely covered except for his dark red eyes he moved as if a ghost. Sticking out from the folds of the cloth was a curved blade of a dagger that hung from a leather strap around the individuals waist. He reached large ebony doors and pushed them open revealing a small chamber. In the center of the chamber a table was covered with maps of different parts of the lands. Markers and items were all meticulously placed on top. Two soldiers were staring intently at the pieces trying to determine a plan of action. Standing in between them glaring at the map was an imposing figure. Adorned in a spiked chest plate with a red shape engraved on the front. Across his back was a large black blade that seemed to cause everyone in the room to be uneasy. The priest approached this central figure. "Lord Etrigan, if I may?" "You have one moment Wyn-Sar. This had better be important." "You know you can trust me my Lord. It is about the Lady Evelyn." Etrigan walked into the corner with Wyn-Sar. "Then speak." "Her troops are in position, north of the Swamp. She is with them, and expects you to arrive within the week." "I have found a pocket of resistance. I will be delayed. She will have to wait." "She won't like that. Lord, if I may..." "I don't care what she likes. Evelyne may feel she rules me, but that won't be for long. That..." A pain rushed through Etrigan's head. He grabbed his head and screamed. Eyes squeezed shut he forced the pain away. He opened his eye, and looked up to address Wyn-Sar but he was no longer there. And Etrigan was no longer in the chamber. He stood on a charred field. Behind him was a tower that reached into the dreary sky. Etrigan glanced down at himself and saw he was wearing a light chain mail, and held a heavy morning star in his hands. At his feet was a thin pale creature, beaten to death. On the field large fleshy behemoths where devouring the ground. Dirt and rocks where pulled into their mouths by two spiked appendages that were all completely covered in sinewy white skin. They were ridden by corpses that held leather straps that looped under the creatures. Etrigan stood up and looked at his arms. They were ridged and raised. He put a hand to his head and felt two half horns on his fore-head. He tried to speak, but it came out as a low guttural growl. A sniveling thin bald man approached Etrigan, "Master. Vecna demands your presence. Come quickly" he grabbed Etrigan by the arm with surprising strength. "Come. Come Now." he smiled towards Etrigan, a jagged smile that angered Etrigan. Another shot of pain rushed through Etrigan. He was able to pull his arm out of the man's arm. He collapsed to the ground. His clawed hands scraped at his own face. Trying to get at the source of the pain, but suddenly it was gone. Etrigan still was in a field. But instead of being surrounded by undead monsters he looked up at a soldiers dressed in silver and grey armor. A few wore white cloaks. One bearded knight addressed Etrigan. "Get up Etrigan. I warned you not to do anything untrustworthy or I'd let Agar kill you." He pointed to a nearby man. Who looked at Etrigan menacingly. In his hand was a hammer, and Agar played with as if he was itching for a chance to swing it at Etrigan. The knight continued. "If you are truly on our side you must prove it. Collapsing on a short march is not the way to do it." Two soldiers roughly lifted Etrigan to his feet. Etrigan felt week. His arms were covered in markings. And his face was scarred from where his own claws had rended himself. But Etrigan glanced at his hands and they were human. Etrigan was in no armor save a thin leather piece with a small symbol of a sun on it. None of this was familiar to Etrigan. One soldier pointed at the mud where a pack lay, "You dropped your supplies too. Get them, and get moving. We could be attacked at any moment." Suddenly the field and troops were covered in a shadow. Etrigan glanced up as a dragon blocked out the sun's rays. It circled around the field. "We are under attack! Pick up your arms. Prepare to defend yourselves" The bearded soldier shouted. Another pain shot through Etrigan and he awoke. He lay in the desert. Near him slept Kaylo and Drake, and a little distance off he could see Emjad guarding the camp. It was a dream. It was no vision. It felt too false. But fed from real insecurities and worries. Not for the first time, Etrigan feared where his future would lead him. Tomorrow they would be at the temple. |