UnSeelie XXV

Then he reached a dead end.    The wall glared with shards of light but for a circle of darkness.  A single rosy aura gently glowed on the surface of the shadow.   

Reach inside the heart of darkness, he was commanded.    Slowly he touched the area with the armor glade hand; small tendrils of spiky vines wove around his fingers.    He pulled back slightly but they did not follow.    The red glow pulsed as he breached it again; they caressed his wrist.   

He held his breath not daring to waver and felt his hand brush against something solid.  He ran his palm down the hilt and gripped it firmly, pulling the blade from the brambles.    As he drew the dagger forth the circle flashed stronger.   

His gut screamed for him to let go but the voice didn’t answer.    Trembling, he gulped for air, his lungs burning for oxygen, and gradually opened his eyes.    He gagged on a cry, his instinct screamed to run but he held his ground.    The decaying skull grimaced back at him. 

Suddenly, he became aware that the brambles were filled with bodies at varying stages of decomposition.    Limbs were torn, flesh cut to bone; the vines played amongst the pain. 

Use the blade to break through the wall. 

He didn’t want to approach the vision of hell.  He closed his eyes against it all.  What had he done to deserve this?  He struggled to gather his wits back together.    The inner voice instructed him on what he needed to do to survive.   

Thorny vines inched toward him but didn’t dare touch him yet.    He took a cleansing breath and opened his eyes.  A feeling of clarity entered him and he raised the blade.   

He moved in a deosil drawing the circle of protection around his body.    “No harm may enter.  So mote it be.”  He finished casting and faced the wall.    He methodically walked forward into the brambles.    The wall started to shake as he got closer.    Vines twisted away from the shield.   

He moved through them with ease, ignoring the bodies which trembled and bones which fell to the ground.    As he stepped to the other side, he noticed four rune stones.  Wild flowers covered the ground.    The sky was dark but the runes shone with an amber glow.