The Dark Citadel

The mare's steady rhythm beneath him had lulled Gregory into a false sense of security. The road west from Bridane had been quiet for hours, winding through farmland that gradually gave way to scattered woodlands. The sun had passed its zenith and was beginning its slow descent w...

Gregory awoke to sunlight streaming through the curtains, momentarily disoriented by the soft mattress beneath him. After weeks of sleeping on hard ground, the luxury of a proper bed had rendered him nearly unconscious with comfort. He stretched, savoring the sensation, before be...

The grand dining room of the Halvorn townhouse felt impossibly secure after so many days spent in the wilderness. Gregory savored each bite of the hearty stew placed before him, barely registering the conversation swirling around him until Lord Eldon's voice cut through his reverie.

"A year," Bryce whispered again as they rode away from the village, his face still ashen with shock. "A whole year of my life... gone."

"So what now?" Gregory asked, keeping his voice low as they trotted along the road, periodically glancing back to ensure they weren't being followed. The morning sun cast long shadows across the countryside, and a light mist hung over the fields. "Those men back there... were the...

The sun was setting as Gregory and Bryce crested a final hill, revealing the sprawling expanse of Mulrich below them. The city's lights were just beginning to flicker to life, a warm glow against the deepening twilight. After their harrowing journey through the desert and forest,...

As the first light of dawn filtered through the leaves, Gregory and Bryce stirred from their much-needed slumber. Their bones were still aching, but they were grateful to be alive. The horrors of the desert seemed like a distant nightmare now, washed away by the soothing sounds o...

Gregory's consciousness returned slowly, like a ship emerging from a thick fog. The first sensation he became aware of was liquid trickling down his throat. It was cool and refreshing, quenching his desperate thirst, but there was something... off about it. The taste was unlike a...

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the dunes, Gregory and Bryce reluctantly pulled themselves to their feet. The brief respite in the shade of the ruins had done little to truly rejuvenate them, but they knew they couldn't afford to linger.