Gloom Falls

Elijah.

***

Only a god could transport so many people at once.

The other Captains were sent far and wide across the peninsula. Mostly by themselves. But over fifteen hundred souls and three undead were transported in a single location. The land of Rauven, Rhar Kingdom. Specifically, at the junction between the Towceshambe River and the Salisterley Creek. Which themselves sat between the small town of Gribredth, to the west, and the bustling city of Cryshandohl.

Though there was an endless supply of towering evergreens around us, we vampires weren't as comfortable with traversing a rope bridge over a running stream as the followers so hoped.

Instead, we spent days riding- caravaning just over a hundred fifty kilometers to the northwest at a crawl. At least until the forest cleared out to a frost-encrusted grassland that dominated the two hundred kilometers to the mountain's base.

It was there that we met the river's mouth- a goblin-sized hole in the stone, gushing water out by the ton- and sidestepped it. Turning due west to the place Amun- or Mani- guided us to.

One hundred twelve kilometers, it took to put the tundra behind us. And another eighty or so to put us at our destination. Even with untiring feet, I found myself glad to see the journey's end.

Or at least mine.

Stopping in place, I looked up to see precariously wedged rocks and clusters of trees peering through the clouds and pondered the long path ahead of Lady Zakira and her Order of Worlds. Of them, there were hundreds. Tasked with climbing nearly three kilometers of mountain passes in order to build Mani's temple- his second temple, but the first on the Mortal Plane.

I then leveled my eyes, seeing a worn path veering off to the right and up the mountain with a smaller, overgrown trail leading off to the left.

My journey was at its end.

Thus I looked below. To my feet and past that, to the snow and the grass and the uncountable tons of rock that stood between the surface and the Darkworld.

Her destination was undoubtedly more distant than that of Lady Zakira's. Yet, Madame Opal would be the first to accomplish her task.

Lady Zakira would go up. Madame Opal would go down, boring into the Darkworld.

"Well." A long huff pulled my thoughts to the Madam, who faced the Lady with a solemn look. "I suppose this is where we part ways."

"Not so, Madame." I teased, then moved down the left trail to find the object of my visions- a cave entrance that immediately widened into a hidden grove large enough to fit a small town.

It had, at one point in time. Bathed in the golden radiance and long shadows of dusk were the remnants of a small community tucked within and covered by a lip of moss-covered stone.

No road or path was visible below the field of flowers and weeds. And few buildings remained either, only a cluster of semi-broken walls survived in the middle of the area- the largest of them being an old chapel or perhaps a castle standing alone at the northern end. A particularly overgrown patch of thickets sat to the west. A former garden perhaps. And off to the east was a fenced-off area that could've only been a cemetery, though the stench of death was missing from it entirely.

Raised by Amun's ancestors, by my guess at least.

My mind set to work after the initial survey immediately, forming a map of what the place was to be. The former cemetery; dug out to house my barracks. The dilapidated buildings; reconstructed to be quarters for my subordinates. The overgrown garden, the Twilight Sanctuary's access chute. The rugged stone on the northern wall, opposing the entrance- caves and caverns for the sake of my class.

The church; The first surface lair for the Exalted Gloom.

I first thanked Amun in silent prayer before relaying the designs I made using the same method.

"I'm overjoyed to see your faith is strong." Madame Opal stepped forward saying the moment I finished.

"I am a devoted feather of the Plume as well, Madame." I curtly bowed, and she smiled softly as she nodded.

"Precisely the reasoning for our talk," she said, beckoning me to one of the least broken-down buildings in the grove.

Of course, I knew the true nature of our 'talk.' Yet, I grew more and more nervous whilst following her instructions to sit. And yet more as I watched her bite the inside of her wrist and dripped her rich, dark blood into a porcelain cup.

She said nothing as she poured and mixed a crimson liquid with a silvery hue into the mix. Or even as she handed me the cup. She stared, almost somberly, with her crimson orbs until I grasped the warm cup in both hands.

With a final nod of approval from Madame Opal, she scratched my thumb and withdrew a thin strand of blood that thickened with each passing second, merged with the blood of her own and the blood of a unicorn before it returned to my body through a cut in my opposing thumb.

It flowed through my body like silken honey from a candy spider, flooding my mouth with a rich sweetness and filling my heart with potent heat that smacked an intangible weight- shackles from my body, replacing it with a surging strength and a bounty of knowledge I never thought could exist for my kind.

I no longer saw her in a light- nearly the same light in which I saw Amun. Though, there would always be a radiance to her that I would recognize.

"There was no malice in my heart when I killed you. When I turned you," she finally said. "Though it is no excuse, I raised you out of pure necessity. I needed your help to save my dearest friend."

"I blame you not, Madame." I quickly shook my head. Though, I wasn't compelled to. "For I was the one who attacked you. More so, I would have done the same, were I had one so close to me.

"Though." I chortled dryly. "I suppose I do now. Many, many of them. And more soon enough. But out of everyone in the Legions; past and future- out of every soul in Eotrom. Minus our God. You, Madame Opal, have my utmost respect."

"You are free now," She said after a short pause, accepting my words with a regal bow. "More so, you are now Elijah of the Blackblood. An honorary vampyr, with a 'Y' and no 'E.' You and one other will be given the power of the Blackblood. All for the glory of the Elven Devil."

I started to offer my thanks, but a subtle shriek pierced the night, bringing our eyes to the half-lidded eye of the moon.

Within moments, the shrieking grew loud enough to discern two voices, both feminine. A prelude to the four dots appearing in the silver skies mere seconds later.

Silently, we watched Amun bleed to a halt with Hogaz and two others in tow. A succubus, surprisingly, and an elven woman dressed like a pirate.

Or, maybe she was a pirate.

She wore black, thigh-high boots and tan trousers held up by a pair of belts holding flintlocks and cutlasses alike. A proud, plumed coat was placed upon her shoulders, and a similar hat- of blue and white- was placed atop her curled locks of rusted hair.

Vibrant eyes that seemed as blue as the sea peered from behind her matted hair, watching intently at Amun guiding everyone out of the grove and spreading his temporal domain over the expanse.

"I'm doing this a lot these days." Amun snorted once his undead got to work. "Not that I'm complaining."

"So, who's your friend?"

'Oh shit.' I fought to turn toward Zakira's accusatory tone after the thought.

Giving up but not entirely, I turned to Amun and the succubus, who both shrugged, saying, "Lily."

"Why is she here?" She asked, seemingly annoyed by Lily's very presence.

Seemingly.

"Duergar King had a scroll. It summoned her." Amun shrugged simply. "She'll be making brothels."

I could only shake my head incredulously as Zakira rolled her eyes mockingly. "Oh? Fancy."

"Yeah." Amun nodded, unconcerned as he motioned to the pirate woman. "And this is Captain Vexx. Hogaz's quartermaster. She knows my dad, apparently."

"We were classmates." She said. "Us and Stronghull."

"Quartermaster?" I asked the half-orc, who seemed well better off than he had before.

"I am to be the Fleet Admiral of the Legions."

"The naval Fleet Admiral." I corrected him with a sly smile.

"Until then, she's Hogaz's lieutenant. Or she will be after tomorrow." Amun knowingly laughed, then paused to allow his shadow owl to perch on his shoulder. Although… something about Pora Bora seemed different. Her blacker than black feathers were the same. As were the inky-black eyes filled with a million stars.

Yet, it was almost as if she was… brimming with power.

"Anyway." Amun waved, pulling my eyes to him. "Let's issue the recall."

As was the norm, the Captains appeared in twin flashes of silver and golden light, giving us all a glimpse of Amun's absurd power once again. To be able to reach across the peninsula and snatch up the Captains where they stood was a mighty ability indeed. He had many mighty abilities that we've seen glimpses of.

That was all we'd ever seen. Glimpses. Fractions of the seemingly limitless power he contained. It was why I chose this path. To see a glimpse of that power in battle. To see Amun- a sovereign of death, the Elven Devil- stay true to his titles.

Yet, I wasn't the only one.

"Do you mind if I indulge your peers a bit?"

My eyes fell on the winged Dragonborn shortly after Amun had asked, bringing Urshure into sight just as he responded with a low growl and a subtle nod.

"Having wings, Urshure is a paragon of his kind," Amun explained while leading us to the still decrepit, but elegant cathedral. "Despite that, he was shunned by his clan and exiled for not just venerating dragons but for making a pact with Tiamat.

"Now, however, he has a new clan. And, a new dragon to venerate. And Elijah," Amun grasped me by the shoulder after halting by the gloomy entrance, "is her envoy to the surface. He is the first Gloom Knight."

Shockingly or not, there were more cheers of support from the crowd of Captains and faithful than there were jeers of disbelief. Everyone that I could see was either awed, proud, or anxious to see what came next.

Including, of course, me.

"Before you go in, I want to make sure this is the path you wish to take."

I responded with a silent prayer, thanking him for the boundless freedom he granted us, and accompanied the gesture with a stoic nod.

Smiling, he stretched his arm to his side, gesturing me to walk deeper into the gloom. "Remember what I taught you."

Though I knew it remained doorless, the entrance seemed to disappear with only a few steps inside the suddenly vast place, replaced by a haunting darkness that seemed to reach behind me threateningly.

Vampiric sight yielded colors in the darkness, and the vision of blood coursing through the veins of living. Through this sight, I saw rows upon rows of terraced pews made from blackened wood, arranged in an octagonal arrangement around a golden dais- much like the one in Amun's home.

Before it, on a smaller dais of stone, sat a diminished pile of blackened blood and carrion. Remnants of a feast, I remembered from Amun's teachings and subsequently began scanning.

Even with my vampiric sight, I couldn't see it. But it see around it. I could feel it. Snaking and climbing and jumping around and between the heaping piles of coin and the gilded terraces and platforms and broken pillars to soak in its new environment.

And then, a thunderous roar caused the stone all around me to rumble tremendously.

"YOU CALL THIS A LAIR!?"

An intense wave of wicked pressure accompanied the haunting demand, yet I remained undeterred and on my feet, bowing at the waist. "I call this a satellite lair, Exalted One. The first a thousand thrones spread across the Mortal Plane. One of a thousand hoards. One of a thousand lairs for the Exalted Gloom!"

Amun, silent in the shadows behind me, procured a pile of rotting meat from his shadow and the surrounding gloom descended on it immediately.

I watched her voraciousness in amazement, staring, open-mouthed at the magnificent sight of the rapidly shrinking carrion mountain until, suddenly, the chomping ceased. A deep growl reverberated through the room and soon, a pair of draconic eyes suddenly lifted above the mound.

Starry orbs of pure malice, they were. The deepest and most cunningly vile embodiment of hatred I've ever witnessed. And it bored right into me. Stared at my suddenly fragile being with pure contempt.

And roared.

"YOU CALL THIS MY ENVOY!?!"

A great crash of wind signaled the creature's ascent to a nearby pillar and I spun to face her, seeing instead a cone of black flames spreading from its jagged maw.

Remembering again Amun's words, I stood firm with my arms held up, cupping a massive bowl filled with mithral while the wave of darkness rolled over me, enveloping me in the comforting gloom. Yet, I couldn't help but feel as if I were walking into the deepest pit of despair, knowing fully well the nature of her breath.

The shadow breath came over me in a whirlwind of haunting screams, torrid whispers, and a deathly cold that was like the heat of a campfire and the jovial song of a bard to my once-human body.

I failed to keep from getting lost in that song and thus failed to see the curved talons reaching through the impenetrable night to lance through my chest. The world tipped and I soon found myself clamped between the unyielding stone of the ground and the impenetrable scales of a great claw.

Wincing only from phantom pain, I peered stoically through the fading darkness to see the mightiest and most graceful creature I had ever laid my eyes on.

Cononthoth, The Exalted Gloom, was larger than an overgrown warhorse, with great bat-like wings and nightly scales that melded into the darkness behind her. Great horns spiraled out the back of her head, swiping threateningly toward the ceiling as she reeled back as if preparing to bite.

Instead, her claws dug deeper into my chest and further into the stone below me, then the mountain atop my flesh heaved, sending me hurtling across the room until a blacker-than-black snake whipped towards me.

I crossed my arms to block at once, but being in midair, I could only allow her tail to swipe me clear across the room.

One of the many pillars within the space turned into a vertical cloud of dust and rubble as I passed through it. So to did most of the pews and even the stone wall beyond. But I came up running, spinning to heave a chest thrown to me by Amun.

The dragon cared not for the chest, however, she came forward in a snaking rush of darkness to attack with claws, tail, and maw alike. And, following Amun's instructions, I used every bit of my newfound vampiric freedom and the potent unicorn blood to dodge and block as best as I could, keeping intense care to show no fear and, more importantly, to never outshine her.

The game continued for many moments until, suddenly, she reeled back, somewhat exuding a look of curiosity more than outrage or even amusement.

On cue, I ripped the top of a cheap rucksack and chucked it near the first chest I threw.

It sailed true through the air, yet I kept my eyes trained on the dusky eyes of the Exalted Gloom while hers remained on me. Up until the moment the chest crashed open, spreading what I felt to be a paltry sum of onyx, black opals, and other black gems before her.

"The Tiny Devil has educated you greatly." An eerily smooth and feminine voice suddenly spread through the darkness, though the dragon's mouth didn't move. Only the gloom surrounding her did. It crept and crawled steadily towards me, reaching my feet to then crawl up my knees, thighs, and torso.

"You shall serve nicely as my envoy, young rider."

The dark tendrils reached my shoulders finally. And from then, turned sour. One became three, then three multiplied into clusters of the snaking forms of darkness that reached for my eyes nose, and mouth.

[Prestige Class: Gloom Knight.]

For the first time since I died, I felt searing pain race through my face and brain while arcane words formed before me, giving me an object to focus on through the unyielding discomfort of evolution.

[Evolution - [Draconic Pheromone Gland] With this gland, you excrete a pheromone that marks you as a Knight of the Exalted Gloom, acting to attract all draconic creatures outside of the designation {True Dragon} and make them act in a friendly manner towards you.]

[Mutation - [Draconian Vestige] This sliver of draconic power serves as your reward for your devotion to the Exalted Gloom. With it, your draconic lord may pass information into your mind, and grant you draconic senses.]

"Now go, young rider," Gloom's voice echoed in my mind while she erupted in a mighty roar, letting all across the peninsula know of her presence.

"Hatch your mount."