User blog:SinisterFog/The Four Holy Knights of Merileth: Part 2

After gathering their resources and wishing farewell to their loved ones, the knights set off on their quest. However, once they had left Merileth, that would be the last that anyone would ever see of them...except for one.

During their journey, they traveled north, where the queen told them the warlock would be. T’was a long, grueling path they took, and yet, their will had never faltered. No matter the land they walked, the creatures they faced, or even the unrelenting perilousness of nature, the knights simply carried on. Even in the face of the most toilsome of danger, their determination remained immaculate. But in the end, even that wasn’t enough to save them from their demise…

Eventually, after all the trials and tribulations, they finally made their way to the warlock’s dwelling, a mere step away from completing their quest. And on a night where thunder surged and rain fell, they found themselves staring at the old, ruined walls of a skyscraping tower. Even in their wearied state, the knights knew that it was far too late to turn back now. So without hesitation, they ventured inside, ready to put an end to their journey.

When the knights entered the tower, they expected it to be guarded, maybe by a horde of undead or by a pack of snarling beasts. But to their horror, what waited for them inside was far, far worse than what any of them would have imagined. Lingering within the ruined walls were creatures of which they have never faced before. Their bodies were grotesque, twisted, and shaped into an inconceivable mess of what was thought to be limbs. Their unearthly wails were so mind-piercing that the knights fought the struggle to hold their heads in pain.

Nevertheless, a monster is a monster, and these creatures were no different in the eyes of the knights. So they began to fight off the abominations while trying to ascend to the top of the tower. However, the abominations bore no apparent weaknesses and attacked the knights with unrelenting ferocity. No matter how hard the knights fought, the abominations wouldn’t stand down. Quickly becoming overwhelmed by the endless swarm, the knights' efforts were beginning to relapse.

But things took a turn when one of the knights was struck down…

Lucille, who had long run out of arrows, began to fight the abominations with a short sword. But her feeble attempts to slay the creatures were diminished when she was struck through the chest with a clawed hand. When her fellow knights heard her scream, they could only watch as she was dragged away by the swarm, her voice fading within the depths of the tower.

Distraught and enraged by their loss, the three other knights began to push as hard as they could against the countless abominations. Doubling their efforts, they began to ascend the tower with a restored vigor. Though even with their strengthened endeavor, they still struggled against the ever-increasing horde. And yet, they persisted, bound and determined to reach the end of their quest.

But with every creature they cut down, more and more would appear in the swarm. And eventually, it would prove to be too much for the unfortunate Natheara.

As she fought alongside Durge and Adam, the elven knight was pulled away from her comrades and into the gnashing jaws of the abominable horde. Durge, upon hearing her cries for help, immediately rushed to her aid, however, it was far too late. Seeing his fellow knight be consumed before his eyes filled the orc with a vindictive fury.

Using what was left of his strength, Durge ignited his weapon and armor, unleashing an igneous wrath upon the abominations. And in his fiery frenzy, he and Adam would make haste to the top of the tower. However, just before they reached it, Durge stopped in his tracks, making an awful realization. With the other two knights having perished, there would be no one to fend off the creatures while the others battled the warlock. So, he told Adam to continue on without him, much to the latter’s dismay.

After assuring the younger knight that he would be alright, Durge was left behind, making a final stand against the eldritch swarm. However, deep down what Durge really wanted was to protect his friend...protect him from the awful sight of falling to the horde as well…

Adam was now alone, forced to endure the weight of their duty by himself. Weakened and without the help of the other knights, Adam knew that he wasn’t going to make it back home. Nevertheless, he swore an oath, not just to the queen, but to his fallen comrades as well. He was going to finish this quest, and if he was going to die, he was going to take the warlock with him. And so, Adam finally made his way into the top of the tower, where the one they had come for would be waiting for him...