Wet Death

The night air was thick and stifling.  The ground beneath their feet turned from stone to mud in an instant, sending many stumbling to their knees as they sought to regain their balance.  It was disorienting, one moment they were walking towards a purple light filled orb, the next they were sloshing through thick black mud up to their shins. Everyone stopped, trying to regain a sense of balance and reality. Prince Krizan dug deep and shook off the temporary nausea from his journey through the portal, then surveyed the scene around him.

To say it was humid would be an understatement of epic proportions.  Everything glistened with sickening, claustrophobic moisture. Instantly the entire party was soaked as the warm air condensed on their skin, forming drops of greenish water which ran down their backs and into every fold of fabric and every inch of flesh. The air was so wet in fact, that the torches would not light, they just sizzled out as the moisture soaked the dry kindle completely. Short sickly looking trees hunched over the oozing sludge, extending their moss covered branches like claws towards the band of survivors. Krizan could barely see ten feet away as a thick haze obscured his view, making it impossible to even see the rest of his people.  Even the sky above was a dull lifeless grey, as dead as the putrid earth below them.

“A stinking, festering swamp! How are we supposed to live in a place like this?” A young elven male approached Krizan. The sound of his footsteps was a sick sucking pop with each step and it made Krizan sick to hear it.

“You would prefer fire and brimstone Aranis?”  Krizan gave the young elf a stern look and glanced at his mother, the queen.

“N…no your majesty.  I am confident her queenship Lady Elwyn will guide us to more…..hospitable lands.”  Aranis fumbled for words as his face turned a bright shade of red.  Krizan gave him an easy out.

“Go and help the women, they will have the worst time of this…” Krizan lifted his boot from the mud with a wet slurp and frowned in disgust. “with this muck.”

Aranis bowed his head slightly and sloshed off through the mud, a trail of black mud bubbling up behind him.  As he listened to the sucking and popping of the mud, Krizan came upon a sudden realization.  There were no sounds.  No ambient sounds of nature.  Krizan strained his pointed ears, listening for some sign of life and suddenly started becoming terrified.

Like all elves, Krizan was born and raised in the forests of their homeland. The elves revered and loved nature, choosing to coexist rather than to destroy it like other races often did and it is because of this fact that the elves secluded themselves from the more barbaric races of the world. It is often said that even while in the womb, elven children communicate with nature.  For as long as he could remember, there had always been animals scurrying about in the underbrush, the sound of an eagle’s wings catching the wind, or the steady trickle of a quiet stream winding its way through the forest.  Here there were no noises but the quiet murmuring of his people and the sloshing sounds of their footsteps. Krizan had never before heard so much silence. The emptiness of it nearly drove him mad, and he yearned to scream just to hear the sound. Some of his fellow warriors noticed the silence and many of them gripped their weapons tightly, staring into the haze which now seemed to surround and suffocate them.

“What!?  What are you all staring at?  Help me out of this muck at once!”  The high pitched squeal of his mother’s voice broke Krizan from his terror and he quickly made his way to her.  Several of the warriors also woke from their daze and moved among the people, helping them to their feet.  Queen Elwyn’s elite guard took up positions around her.

“Mother, please you must be quiet. We do not know what dangers may lurk in this swamp.” Krizan nervously glanced around, surveying the shadows as the mist seemed to close around them.

“Dangers?  HA!  We are the Illidari Elves!  Nothing is a danger to us!”  The queen pointed at her dress which was deep in the mud.  “Get me out of this disgusting slop at once!”

Krizan grabbed hold of her dress and tugged, but there was something caught beneath the surface. Bracing himself this time, he yanked it free from the mud.  Krizan gasped and Elwyn shrieked; now exposed on the surface of the mud, a humanoid skull stared up at them.

Suddenly, another shriek from behind them caused Krizan to spin around drawing his sword.  He watched helplessly in disbelief as a woman was dragged out of sight into the mist by an unknown force.  One of the guards beside Krizan grunted as a vine-like rope wrapped around the man’s waist and pulled him backwards with such force that the loud crack of his back breaking was heard just as he flew into the grey curtain engulfing them.

Panic struck the remaining elves as they began to furiously swing their swords at the mist, shouting battle cries and firing arrows into the darkness. Krizan and the few guards near him quickly grabbed Queen Elwyn and dragged her to her feet.  The remaining elves all broke into a desperate run, seeking to escape whatever horrible fate their friends had endured at the hands of the mist. Krizan tried to ignore the screams of agony chasing them, the crunching of bones and hideous tearing of flesh which seemed always one step behind them.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw the head wizard conjure up a fireball which seemed to bounce off the mist and instead engulf the caster, the dumbfounded look on the man’s melting face would haunt Krizan for the rest of his days.

Slowly the screams began to fade as the group sprinted on.  No one dared look back, afraid of what they might see chasing after them.  Suddenly they came upon the base of a mountain, soaring up into the fog and began to run along the base.  Krizan desperately scanned the mountain side, until finally he found what he was looking for.

“Over here!  Into the cave!”  Krizan waved and shouted, practically jumping up and down, not sure if anyone could hear him.  The guards who helped him drag his mother in, now took up posts at the mouth of the cave, eager to protect what little safety they had found.  Krizan squinted into the darkness from whence they came.  He thought he could see the form of an elf here and there, but every time he shouted the shadows seemed to vanish back into the mist. Suddenly a group of the elves burst from the mist, sprinting as fast as they could in the treacherous mud.  Seeing him they rushed into the cave, many breaking down and weeping as they fought to catch their breath.  Hours passed in this manner. Stragglers wandered in, spreading tales of horrible moss covered monsters and trees coming to life. Some of the elves were clearly mad, driven insane by sheer terror, dribbling on themselves and sometimes bludgeoning themselves in the head with rocks.
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“Prince Krizan, you should see this.”  One of the guards shook him awake and Krizan was immediately on his feet heading towards the cave entrance. He had slept in his armor, ready for anything these last two days. Occasionally they would see a crazed elf running by, but they had learned from experience to recognize the signs.

They called it the changing.  Some of those who emerged from the mists had covered themselves with the thick black mud.  These mad elves stumbled around aimlessly, murmuring to themselves and scratching at their skin as they sloshed around in the muck.  The first time it happened, the survivors in the cave had called out to one of these “confused” people.  They shouted that here he would be safe, and that he should hurry.  The wretched man turned his head, revealing bloody holes where he had torn out his own eyes, then ran leaping and tearing at the flesh of anyone unfortunate enough to get in his way. It took three men to drag him off his victim, who died moments later from a hole in her neck.  Now, no one called out to these changed ones.  These blind mud covered elves merely bumped around in the mist, listening for sounds of life and occasionally tearing each other apart.  None of the survivors came to the mouth of the cave now either, too tired of seeing their friends and family tear each other apart.

Prince Krizan stopped at the entrance of the cave and almost passed out. Standing there, in his green velvet robes was Elknih, the head wizard. Krizan stood there staring as the wizard spoke with one of the guards, laughing and slapping the warrior on the shoulder as if none of the previous day’s events had ever occurred. The warrior turned his head slightly, his eyes pleading for Krizan to rescue him from the wizard’s attention.  Summoning up his strength, Krizan approached the magus.

“M’lord Prince Krizan, it is an honor as always.”  Elknih bowed low, his white hair scraping the ground where the cave mouth rose from the mud. Krizan frowned, remembering the look on Elknih’s face as his flesh melted.

“You….your alive?” Krizan struggled to maintain his balance as he felt the world start to spin beneath him.

Elknih smiled, a strange smirk spreading on his lips. “Of course I am alive my prince, I simply got separated from the group.” Krizan felt those green eyes bore into his skull as Elknih approached him slowly. 

“Are you feeling well my prince?  You look as though you have seen a ghost.”  Elknih reached out a hand. Sickly pale, rotting flesh falling from the bones as he reached for Krizan’s neck.

“Elknih!”  Queen Elwyn shouted from just inside the cave.  Krizan stumbled as though he had just been released from something’s grasp as Elknih stepped away from him.  Elknih turned to the Queen and bowed low, Krizan saw that his flesh was the normal pinkish hue common to the elven race.

“My queen, you are as beautiful as always, even under such distress.” Elknih stood back up and cast Krizan a quick glance as the wizard kissed the handoff the queen.

“Oh Elknih, you say the sweetest things.” Queen Elwyn blushed at his touch.  The guards stirred uncomfortably, glancing at Krizan for his orders. It had long been rumored that the queen and court wizard had shared more than just a professional relationship since her husband’s death, and now it seemed Elknih no longer cared who knew it. Krizan knew it would be a losing battle to say he had witnessed Elknih’s death, the queen would never choose him over her lover, and besides Krizan was beginning to wonder if he had actually seen the man die at all.  So much of that night was simply a haze in his mind.

Nodding to the guards, Krizan stepped away from the entrance and followed the Queen and wizard into the cave.

The cave system was massive.  Huge cavernous rooms, whose ceilings rose higher than the eyes could see, were connected by long, straight corridors, perfectly smooth and wide enough for three men to march abreast. In the short time the elves had been there, only a small fraction of the outer chambers had been explored. One of the large chambers directly connected to the cave entrance had been set up as the Queen’s chamber. Krizan stealthily followed the pair as they entered her chamber.

“We have lost so many of my people.  So many dead out there in the mists.  It just isn’t fair!  This is all that Morgoes’ fault, he did this to us!”  Queen Elwyn sobbed as the pair entered her tent, Krizan following close behind in the shadows, hid just outside the opening.

“Yes my queen, he must have known we would die here.  He was always jealous of our beauty and wealth.  But what if I told you that death was not the end?  What if I told you that I could bring them back?”  Elknih wrapped his arm around her, his white hair draped over his shoulders.

“Really?”  Elwyn looked up.  An elven woman nearly one hundred years old, she was still beautiful. Her platinum blonde hair glistened even in the dim light of the torches.
“We could save them?  Bring them back to life?” 

From his hiding spot just outside the tent, Prince Krizan could see through a slight tear in the fabric. Elknih smiled, stroking the queen’s hair as she rested her head against his chest.

“I know of a spell, one that brings life back to the dead.  It has been kept secret for ages by my order. With it we will never again fear death.  We can rebuild our great nation on this world, and get revenge against the treacherous human race.” Elknih smiled and looked directly at Krizan, his green eyes burning with a dark flame within.

“Mother!”  Krizan burst into the tent. “I watched this man die!  You cannot listen to this creature!  King Morgoes saved us from certain death, and what this wizard proposes goes against everything we hold dear!  Please!  Listen to me!”

Queen Elwyn jumped up and spun around facing Krizan. “How dare you! Elknih has always been loyal to our people, he has been like a father to you when that arrogant husband of mine chose fame over his wife and son.  Now you side with the enemy that tried to kill us! Guards! Guards! Get this traitor out of my sight!” 

Krizan stood there stunned. He fumed with rage as he locked eyes with the once dead wizard. Elknih simply sat there and smiled. The guards came and led Krizan away, shackling him reluctantly to the makeshift prison area.

“Cestus.” Krizan whispered to a nearby guard.

“Yes my prince.”  The guard looked around nervously.

“I am leaving tonight Cestus.  Spread the word:  All who wish to live as we once did, meet me at the cave mouth tonight.  I will lead them from this cursed swamp, and into the light of day once more, but first my friend I must ask you to uphold your duty.”  Krizan glanced meaningfully at the whip strapped to the guard’s side.

Cestus glanced down at the whip and his eyes went wide.  “My lord, I can’t.”

“Yes you can, and you will.  Tomorrow you will owe your loyalty to me, but for now you are honor bound to the queen’s orders.  Carry out your duties lieutenant.”  Krizan stood and turned his back to the guard as a tear rolled down his cheek.
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When Krizan awoke that night, his back was still raw and bloody.  Cestus had done his job well.  As he stood, Krizan slid the unlocked cuffs from his wrist and gently sat them down.  Quietly Krizan made his way to the entrance of the cave.  Cestus was there to meet him, holding his armor and weapons.  Krizan smiled as he took them from the lieutenant.  Most of the warriors who had journeyed through the portal now silently stood outside the cave with their wives and a few of Prince Krizan’s closest friends.  Krizan shook each of their hands in turn. Everyone knew that there was a good chance they would all die in this swamp, but the hope of a better life was too much for these people to ignore.  It comforted Krizan to think that his people still had hope and that they placed their hope in him.

“My people, we have been exiled.  Those who stay here have embraced the darkness of this swamp, but I will not fall to such evil. I seek the light instead.  I shall no longer be known as Prince Krizan, instead call me Sedao; it means ‘The Light Seeker’ in the ancient’s tongue, and you my people shall be known as Sedonians, ‘the light seekers’.  Tonight my brethren we journey forth in search of the day, tonight we start a new life.” With that, the silent band of exiles journeyed into the swamp, and disappeared into the deadly mist.

Sedao led his people along the base of the mountain, their natural speed and grace allowing them to travel across the rocks quickly and silently.  Sometimes they would hear the crazed murmuring of a changed one, sloshing around in the mud below, but they all knew to stay quiet and eventually the creature would leave.  They ate food they took from the cave and slept in shifts against the rocks for a week until finally the mist began to dissipate.  The grey sky gave way to blue, and the sick trees began to look more like the ones the had left behind on Reniar.  Weary of the alien landscape, the group stuck to the rocks until one day, as they crested another large boulder, they saw a rolling green valley stretching out below them.  Tears of joy spilled down Sedao’s face and cheers rose up from the Sedonians behind him.  The exiles had finally found the paradise they so desperately wanted. It was here they would rebuild their home and it is here their nightmare would end.

Sedao watched as his people, energized with hope and joy, sped from the mountain side and rejoiced amongst the tall grass.  It all seemed like waking from a nightmare.  Sedao felt a chill go down his spine and he slowly looked over his shoulder at the dark wood they had just escaped. He could almost imagine his mother’s rage, fueled on by Elknih’s evil influence inside that cursed cave.  Shuddering, Sedao stepped from the shadow of the mountain and into the light of their new world.