2 Cities' Falling

      The party separated, confused, lost in a reality that isn't their own, facing off with monsters far more fierce than they should be. The primary group, the wizard, the rouge, the cleric, the warlock,  and the goddess avatar, are traveling through a realm of nightmares and chaos, on the hunt for the Pumpkin King. Our war-forged, Spring, is facing off against an enemy that can be heard, but not seen; seen, but only when unheard. 

     "I think I was built to battle beasts like this one." Spring thought to himself, "So long as I can not hear the world around me, I can see the beast before me!" He takes another mighty swing at the second head, though when he finishes running up on the beast, he slips in a pool of the priestess's blood. The beast with its hollow black eyes, and teeth so sharp they look as though they could pearce heavy plate mail, rears it head back preparing to strike at Spring. With only seconds to spare Spring rolls out of the was only being grazed by this hideous monstrosity. He kicks out and flips up on to his feet, just as the head shoots out again to try to take a chunk out of him. Spring uses the flat of his great sword to deflect the charging beast, dazed it quickly retreats into a large whole in the wall and floor.

     "I'm' sorry the who knows what!" Freea yelled to the goddess. 

     "The Pumpkin King, it is an evil being that traps the minds of its victims in a nightmarish hell, in an attempt to break their will." She replied, coldly.

     "What about the abilities of those whom are trapped, such as magical talents?" Inquired Harmon, the wizard. 

     "What about them?" The goddess said, clearly not understanding what he had meant. "Those whom have a strong enough Will, may yet find a way out, But those who give up and let   in to tearror shall die."

It was at this point that everyone knew that to survive they had to work together, and they all secretly hoped that Spring was working to save them in the waking world.

     "You warlock, come to me. Allow for me to grant you the power to speak outside of this realm." the goddess raised her hand in a way as to indicate that Chelcy should take her hand.

     "Why offer me this when Freea worships you, she is a disciple of you is she not?" Chelcy, said with caution.

     "I can only offer these powers to those whom are not of my domain, as is my way of life." replied the goddess. Chelcy took the goddess's hand in hers.

     "So now what?" As Chelcy spoke those words she was enveloped in a blinding light. It dissipated quickly, and to the surprise of everyone, save for the goddess, she was still there after. Though none of them could remember why that moment was so terrifying to them.

     Spring, dashed out of the church. He had decided to rush back to the tavern and move his allies to safety. He had remembered that there was a cave just a few miles away from the town, they were in. He had decided that he would hide them from the pale beast there.

     "I know that I should not disturb them while they sleep but I fear I may have no choice in the matter." He anxiously thinks to himself. "Perhaps one of them will have woken by the time I return?" Spring is dashing through the small town, cautious to avoid tripping on the now visible vines that lay all over town, attempting to remain hidden from any more of the heads that may be patrolling.

     "Listen my son you will be the only one able to fight the ancient horror. A beast that grows from nothing,  a seed unplanted, a thought that not a soul had, it is from legend so old its name is lost to Croxics, the god of time and wisdom." The gnome rambles to Spring.

     "What is the purpose of this beast, and if it is legend then why build me as a counter to it?" Spring inquired, to his gnome creator, in an almost hollow, tinny voice.

     "The creature has no purpose but to feed, grow, and destroy, earning it the name." He pauses, "The False Hydria." He says, causing the building itself to shiver in fear as if it were alive.

     "False Hydria?" Spring repeats.

     "Yes, the very reason you were made was to combat them, should one ever be born again." The gnome said with a shudder. "Where did I leave my damn ale?"

     "On the back workbench near the iron and ebon woods." Spring responded.

     "Ah thank you, Spring." the gnome gleefully responded.

     "Spring? Is that to be my name then, Spring?" he said with his head tilted to better see his creator.

     "If you feel you must have one then yes, that shall be it." The gnome grunts,with discontent.

     "If I am to be Spring, then what am I to call you?" He asks.

     "You may call me."the gnome stops to think about this for a moment. "You may call me, Armon." There was a sudden change in his voice as Armon said this.

     Spring had managed to pack up all of his allies' belongings into the few bags of holding the party had. He looks around at his friends.

     "These people, they are my." there was a break in his thoughts, as one of the heads of the False Hydra winds its way into the room. Spring knew he had to act fast, but he also knew that he couldn't react to the head. Spring pulles a scroll from one of the bags, he touches the wizard, and warlocks hands to the scroll as he starts to read the words aloud. 

     "Tel-ojk Hem-ko Sai-kO Yoi-sko!" As Spring udders the last words the party is enveloped in a soft glow, then suddenly everyone in the room is gone. The False Hydra's head doesn't react to the sudden disappearance of the party, but instead quickly snaps up a large rat that scampered by as the room emptied. 

     "You must know yourself, and trust completely in one another if you want to live." the goddess calmly states to the party. They had been traveling in this world for some time now, the warlock's patron had told them that the only way out was to get to the Pumpkin King's throne room. For what felt like hours of travel, had brought them to a large arch way made of stone.

     "You. Are. Here?" Richard read a sign post outside the arch. There was a rolled piece of parchment tied to the sign as well.

    "What is this." Freea inquired to the party, as she took the rolled parchment.

    "What is what?" said Chelcy. Freea untied, and opened the parchment to reveal a map. "Where do we go from here?"

     "Into the maze." The goddess said with a distant unwavering stare, and an empty emotionless tone.