The Great Cataclysm
Spazmatism
Hello all,
I'm new to posting content of my own both here and on TO, but I've been around for a while. I just thought I would share this story included in my own set of Terraria "lore" about the Corruption and events leading up to the present time of the game. I'll try to update the story whenever I have time, if you have any interest in it, and feel free to leave feedback.
A Corrupted Future
James and Samantha, brother and sister, are living in the peaceful Terrarian town of Pureville, training to be guards for their city. When goblins raid their town and slay the townsfolk, they feel it is their right to demolish the goblin camp from which the raid came from, and set off on a patrol to do so. They are ambushed by the goblins and carried away to the goblin kingdom of Koboldur.
However, the prisoners are forgotten as a new threat emerges. If given enough time, it could eat across the world, threatening the very existence of Terraria. James and Samantha must find a way to push it back – but is there truly any light left in the darkness?
Part 1: Fallen Guild
Part 2: Consumed by the Abyss
I'm new to posting content of my own both here and on TO, but I've been around for a while. I just thought I would share this story included in my own set of Terraria "lore" about the Corruption and events leading up to the present time of the game. I'll try to update the story whenever I have time, if you have any interest in it, and feel free to leave feedback.
A Corrupted Future
James and Samantha, brother and sister, are living in the peaceful Terrarian town of Pureville, training to be guards for their city. When goblins raid their town and slay the townsfolk, they feel it is their right to demolish the goblin camp from which the raid came from, and set off on a patrol to do so. They are ambushed by the goblins and carried away to the goblin kingdom of Koboldur.
However, the prisoners are forgotten as a new threat emerges. If given enough time, it could eat across the world, threatening the very existence of Terraria. James and Samantha must find a way to push it back – but is there truly any light left in the darkness?
Prologue
Clouds covered the sky and a shower of rain poured down from the heavens. The storm dragged on relentlessly, each lightning bolt a swift flash as sharp and cunning as a blade’s cutting edge. High above the clouds, a god watched. He watched as the rain poured down, watched as the residents of Terraria settled in their wooden houses, light coming from their windows. It was like looking down on a giant build made of legos – only, this was a real world.
The god’s real name was Andrew, but the residents knew him only as Redigit. He had brought them to this world, after he defeated a beast of unimaginable terror. He had been happy with the world he had created for a long time, but now he was worried. He had tried to keep his world free from the nightmares of evil ever since putting down that beast, but evil always found its way in. He had noticed strange structures appearing throughout the landscape; castles made of pale brick, of bone and death. From as far up as his fortress of cloud he could hear the screams echoing from the castles. Rituals were being done down there. Cultists were performing their deeds. Some concoction of suffering was being produced.
As much as he wanted to help, the god could not go down there. The Cultists had created a barrier around these structures in which no one unauthorized could enter, not even the god of the land. All he could do is wait and hope – hope that whatever they were doing could not come to fruition. But he could feel something stirring. His old enemy was becoming stronger once again. It was only a matter of time.
Clouds covered the sky and a shower of rain poured down from the heavens. The storm dragged on relentlessly, each lightning bolt a swift flash as sharp and cunning as a blade’s cutting edge. High above the clouds, a god watched. He watched as the rain poured down, watched as the residents of Terraria settled in their wooden houses, light coming from their windows. It was like looking down on a giant build made of legos – only, this was a real world.
The god’s real name was Andrew, but the residents knew him only as Redigit. He had brought them to this world, after he defeated a beast of unimaginable terror. He had been happy with the world he had created for a long time, but now he was worried. He had tried to keep his world free from the nightmares of evil ever since putting down that beast, but evil always found its way in. He had noticed strange structures appearing throughout the landscape; castles made of pale brick, of bone and death. From as far up as his fortress of cloud he could hear the screams echoing from the castles. Rituals were being done down there. Cultists were performing their deeds. Some concoction of suffering was being produced.
As much as he wanted to help, the god could not go down there. The Cultists had created a barrier around these structures in which no one unauthorized could enter, not even the god of the land. All he could do is wait and hope – hope that whatever they were doing could not come to fruition. But he could feel something stirring. His old enemy was becoming stronger once again. It was only a matter of time.
Part 1: Fallen Guild
Chapter 1
James
A blade, fast as lightning, came down upon me, leaving me barely enough time to dodge it and strike back. The opponent backed away in time to dodge my strike. The opponent was Markus, an unfortunately rude and violent individual. I had known Markus since we were little children, but I hated his guts the moment I first saw him. He had that smirk on his face – the one you get from complete jerks. And what a jerk he was. He would poke me irritably until I chased him down, in the process being pulled aside by one of the guards and sent back home for the “behavior” I would put up. If those guards weren’t around, I would have liked to kick his face in.
Even now, at my and his ages of 15 and 16, respectively, he was taunting me as I put my tungsten broadsword in a guard stance. “You scared of a little shortsword? Man, you’re wimp as hell.” He was carrying a platinum shortsword, which he knew very well was sharper and overall more effective than my sword even though it was smaller. Just trying to show off to the crowd his “skills” by saying he has a weaker weapon and can still beat me. What an idiot.
I and a bunch of teens around my age, including my sister, are training to be in the Guild of the Guards of Pureville, our town. We picked a weapon of choice to train in, mine being the sword and hers being the bow. We would occasionally stage battles against other trainees, and today I had the luck of fighting the one I hated the most, of course. When we are ready, we must pass a challenge, or test, based on which weapon of choice we had. We aren’t told what the test's content is until the morning we do it. If we pass, we become part of the Guild and get to defend our town from invaders. Goblins and thieves are some of these “invaders”, but this town hasn’t seen goblins in at least 20 years.
I had tricked Markus by putting up my guard stance, suggesting I wasn’t planning on making the next move. I caught him off guard when I suddenly leaped forward to slash him at the stomach, something I would’ve done any day if it weren’t for the rule that no violence was allowed outside the training grounds. We both had silver armor on, so my blow didn’t fatally wound him, but I could tell by the look on his face that it had hurt a lot. He was grimacing in pain and then gave me a look of pure malice. At that point I knew he was going to break. He often does this; goes on a rampage of no mercy, will do anything to possibly choke the life out of you. And that’s what he was about to do to me.
He charged forward, grabbing hold of me and throwing me hard to the ground. Then he started stabbing repeatedly at my chest armor. The pain was dulled by the armor but was still hard to bear, and my head started losing pixels when he threw me down. Immediately referees came to break the two of us apart. They hauled Markus to the Head Guard’s office. The Head Guard is a slightly bulky man who was always really polite, but had this ominous stare that really freaked me out. He never yelled, but gave you that stare when you did something bad. I was sure Markus was going to get the stare.
That being said, the battle was left on a stalemate, the continuation being posted for tomorrow while my challenge was postponed to the end of the week. We were coming up close to the date we would potentially become official Guard members, and just the thought of it excited me.
James
A blade, fast as lightning, came down upon me, leaving me barely enough time to dodge it and strike back. The opponent backed away in time to dodge my strike. The opponent was Markus, an unfortunately rude and violent individual. I had known Markus since we were little children, but I hated his guts the moment I first saw him. He had that smirk on his face – the one you get from complete jerks. And what a jerk he was. He would poke me irritably until I chased him down, in the process being pulled aside by one of the guards and sent back home for the “behavior” I would put up. If those guards weren’t around, I would have liked to kick his face in.
Even now, at my and his ages of 15 and 16, respectively, he was taunting me as I put my tungsten broadsword in a guard stance. “You scared of a little shortsword? Man, you’re wimp as hell.” He was carrying a platinum shortsword, which he knew very well was sharper and overall more effective than my sword even though it was smaller. Just trying to show off to the crowd his “skills” by saying he has a weaker weapon and can still beat me. What an idiot.
I and a bunch of teens around my age, including my sister, are training to be in the Guild of the Guards of Pureville, our town. We picked a weapon of choice to train in, mine being the sword and hers being the bow. We would occasionally stage battles against other trainees, and today I had the luck of fighting the one I hated the most, of course. When we are ready, we must pass a challenge, or test, based on which weapon of choice we had. We aren’t told what the test's content is until the morning we do it. If we pass, we become part of the Guild and get to defend our town from invaders. Goblins and thieves are some of these “invaders”, but this town hasn’t seen goblins in at least 20 years.
I had tricked Markus by putting up my guard stance, suggesting I wasn’t planning on making the next move. I caught him off guard when I suddenly leaped forward to slash him at the stomach, something I would’ve done any day if it weren’t for the rule that no violence was allowed outside the training grounds. We both had silver armor on, so my blow didn’t fatally wound him, but I could tell by the look on his face that it had hurt a lot. He was grimacing in pain and then gave me a look of pure malice. At that point I knew he was going to break. He often does this; goes on a rampage of no mercy, will do anything to possibly choke the life out of you. And that’s what he was about to do to me.
He charged forward, grabbing hold of me and throwing me hard to the ground. Then he started stabbing repeatedly at my chest armor. The pain was dulled by the armor but was still hard to bear, and my head started losing pixels when he threw me down. Immediately referees came to break the two of us apart. They hauled Markus to the Head Guard’s office. The Head Guard is a slightly bulky man who was always really polite, but had this ominous stare that really freaked me out. He never yelled, but gave you that stare when you did something bad. I was sure Markus was going to get the stare.
That being said, the battle was left on a stalemate, the continuation being posted for tomorrow while my challenge was postponed to the end of the week. We were coming up close to the date we would potentially become official Guard members, and just the thought of it excited me.
Chapter 2
Samantha
Bull’s Eye!
Said the speaker as I hit the center of the target with a well-aimed arrow. Not an unusual sound, either. I have always found myself fascinated by the bow and arrow, how the string could be pulled back to generate a force strong enough to fling the arrow off the nock and into the air, at a speed that, considering the tip was sharp enough, could stick through fabric as well as flesh. I applied for the Guild only a couple of months ago and already I was a master archer.
As I left the shooting grounds, my mentor, Nike, congratulated me. “You have done well, Sam. We believe you and your brother are ready for the final test. I’m sure you have heard what it will be like.” When he says things like that, he usually means he wants me to recite what it is I have ‘heard’. “Yes. We’re going to be using experimental equipment using materials from the Enlightenment. We’re going to face off against puzzles that will test our mental and physical ability to the very limit. I’ve heard it too many times, I think.”
“That may be so, but it’s important to know. The test is not like anything you have faced before, yet everything you have faced up to this point is key to passing it. The test will take place at 9:00 AM sharp tomorrow, so don’t be late,” said Nike, dismissing me with a wave of the hand. Time to go home for the day. I wondered how James had done today.
He came back home a little later than I expected, and was grimacing a bit. “What’s wrong?” I asked, fearing he had lost, “Were you beaten?”
“No, not beaten. Just punched inwards by the ever-merciful Markus.”
“You shouldn’t let him take advantage of you like that all the time.”
“Well it’s harder than you might think to avoid provoking him, especially when he’s such a jerk all the time. They patched me up, fortunately.”
He went to our personal chest and took a bite of some of the leftover Pad Thai I had made last night. I’m usually the one cooking the food, since our mother is usually off on trips to the merchant town of Edmone, where she works as a Stylist. Our father apparently disappeared long ago, not long after we were born, and so that leaves the two of us pretty much running the house.
“They’re giving me the final test tomorrow,” I called back to him.
“Really now? I’m still on a stalemate with Markus until that can happen.”
“Will you be well enough to get through with it?”
“I’ll manage. These wounds will heal quickly.”
Night came quickly this time around. The moon was tinted in a yellowish color, as it sometimes does over the illusion of the sky. And yet still, the darkness was yet darker tonight. Fortunately, Pureville has a town square, where people often like to go and have a pretty good time. Lots of merchant shops exist there, which have some pretty good stuff, but it’s mainly for the fun. The two of us decided to go, as we were feeling rather uneasy about everything.
The shops were lit with lanterns of a variety of colors, their lights flickering throughout the town with a constant pulse. Lots of people stick around these areas, doing crazy things. As we approached, the resident party girl, Bailey, launched yet another round of multicolor fireworks from her shop. The explosions of color in the sky brightened my mood and we rushed toward her shop, knowing full well we would be buying some pretty nifty things there.
James bought a confetti gun and some smoke bombs, while I got this bubble wand that made infinite bubbles. Sure, these things were actually quite silly, but I guess it made me feel better about the events that were going to take place tomorrow. We got some outlandish sashimi from an adventurous merchant, and then we went to this wizard’s shop. I had never really delved into magic all that much in my life, but this shop was new and James seemed pretty interested in it.
The lighting was a rather dark purple, and little artifacts were strewn about the place. Magic robes that were ornamented in various colors of gems; musical boxes that played wacky tunes; a crystal orb. Not many people were in the place. We came up to the owner of the shop, an old man with a long white beard and deep ice blue eyes that looked like they could stare into your soul. In a raspy tome, he said, “Good-day, lads. Anything you are interested in?”
James answered, “Not anything in particular. It’s just cool to check out new shops.”
“Yes, I see. I only just started selling these little artifacts. It’s a hobby of mine, you see. Oh, aren’t you those two children training to be in the Guild?”
“Well, there are a lot of them, but yeah,” I responded, “I’m training to be-“
The old man suddenly pulled both of us close to him, with a strength I knew was only capable with magic. He whispered to us, “Listen you two. I know more about you two than you might think. A great darkness is coming. An evil beyond anything this place has known. You must stop it. You are the ones destined to.” He released his grip on us and we ran, ran far away from his shop, ran farther away from the square, got back home. This crazy old guy is getting on my nerves, and James’s too. We didn’t speak after that. We just went right to bed. No point in talking about impending prophecies when I have an important test tomorrow.
Samantha
Bull’s Eye!
Said the speaker as I hit the center of the target with a well-aimed arrow. Not an unusual sound, either. I have always found myself fascinated by the bow and arrow, how the string could be pulled back to generate a force strong enough to fling the arrow off the nock and into the air, at a speed that, considering the tip was sharp enough, could stick through fabric as well as flesh. I applied for the Guild only a couple of months ago and already I was a master archer.
As I left the shooting grounds, my mentor, Nike, congratulated me. “You have done well, Sam. We believe you and your brother are ready for the final test. I’m sure you have heard what it will be like.” When he says things like that, he usually means he wants me to recite what it is I have ‘heard’. “Yes. We’re going to be using experimental equipment using materials from the Enlightenment. We’re going to face off against puzzles that will test our mental and physical ability to the very limit. I’ve heard it too many times, I think.”
“That may be so, but it’s important to know. The test is not like anything you have faced before, yet everything you have faced up to this point is key to passing it. The test will take place at 9:00 AM sharp tomorrow, so don’t be late,” said Nike, dismissing me with a wave of the hand. Time to go home for the day. I wondered how James had done today.
He came back home a little later than I expected, and was grimacing a bit. “What’s wrong?” I asked, fearing he had lost, “Were you beaten?”
“No, not beaten. Just punched inwards by the ever-merciful Markus.”
“You shouldn’t let him take advantage of you like that all the time.”
“Well it’s harder than you might think to avoid provoking him, especially when he’s such a jerk all the time. They patched me up, fortunately.”
He went to our personal chest and took a bite of some of the leftover Pad Thai I had made last night. I’m usually the one cooking the food, since our mother is usually off on trips to the merchant town of Edmone, where she works as a Stylist. Our father apparently disappeared long ago, not long after we were born, and so that leaves the two of us pretty much running the house.
“They’re giving me the final test tomorrow,” I called back to him.
“Really now? I’m still on a stalemate with Markus until that can happen.”
“Will you be well enough to get through with it?”
“I’ll manage. These wounds will heal quickly.”
Night came quickly this time around. The moon was tinted in a yellowish color, as it sometimes does over the illusion of the sky. And yet still, the darkness was yet darker tonight. Fortunately, Pureville has a town square, where people often like to go and have a pretty good time. Lots of merchant shops exist there, which have some pretty good stuff, but it’s mainly for the fun. The two of us decided to go, as we were feeling rather uneasy about everything.
The shops were lit with lanterns of a variety of colors, their lights flickering throughout the town with a constant pulse. Lots of people stick around these areas, doing crazy things. As we approached, the resident party girl, Bailey, launched yet another round of multicolor fireworks from her shop. The explosions of color in the sky brightened my mood and we rushed toward her shop, knowing full well we would be buying some pretty nifty things there.
James bought a confetti gun and some smoke bombs, while I got this bubble wand that made infinite bubbles. Sure, these things were actually quite silly, but I guess it made me feel better about the events that were going to take place tomorrow. We got some outlandish sashimi from an adventurous merchant, and then we went to this wizard’s shop. I had never really delved into magic all that much in my life, but this shop was new and James seemed pretty interested in it.
The lighting was a rather dark purple, and little artifacts were strewn about the place. Magic robes that were ornamented in various colors of gems; musical boxes that played wacky tunes; a crystal orb. Not many people were in the place. We came up to the owner of the shop, an old man with a long white beard and deep ice blue eyes that looked like they could stare into your soul. In a raspy tome, he said, “Good-day, lads. Anything you are interested in?”
James answered, “Not anything in particular. It’s just cool to check out new shops.”
“Yes, I see. I only just started selling these little artifacts. It’s a hobby of mine, you see. Oh, aren’t you those two children training to be in the Guild?”
“Well, there are a lot of them, but yeah,” I responded, “I’m training to be-“
The old man suddenly pulled both of us close to him, with a strength I knew was only capable with magic. He whispered to us, “Listen you two. I know more about you two than you might think. A great darkness is coming. An evil beyond anything this place has known. You must stop it. You are the ones destined to.” He released his grip on us and we ran, ran far away from his shop, ran farther away from the square, got back home. This crazy old guy is getting on my nerves, and James’s too. We didn’t speak after that. We just went right to bed. No point in talking about impending prophecies when I have an important test tomorrow.
Chapter 3
James
There was a place of shadow. The foul stench of rotting flesh filled the land with its fumes. Grotesque monsters lurked in chasms too deep to see the bottom of. Out of the chasm came one of the creatures; it could only be described as a floating hunk of rotting flesh with giant tusks and a multitude of eyes that locked the creature’s prey in a horrifying glance. It flew towards me, surveyed me from a distance, and then suddenly locked me in its tusks, thrashed me about, and began to eat my soul…
But then, of course, that was a dream. No need to worry about that. It’s just the old wizard’s words striking at my paranoia. Nothing to be concerned about.
I was able to get up to put on my silver armor and grab my broadsword early enough before heading over to the trainee barracks; Samantha had already gone out for the test. It’s a simple routine that’s not that hard to get into the habit of, but it always haunts you on your first day that you start training. You end up waking not long before your usual due arrival at 10:00 A.M., and by the time you get over you’re still sleepy and bedraggled. And then every day after that, you learn from your lesson, and you’re right on time.
When I arrived, the Head Guard and my swordsman mentor Suki were waiting for me outside. Was I in trouble for the last day’s fight? Before I had time to ask Suki said, “Ah, it’s good that you have arrived. Come, we have something to show you.” We walked inside, passing through the main hallway. I saw that there were many battles taking place. But I wasn’t going into any of these rooms. Suki led me past all of that, and we went through a special doorway wired to the wall, which until this moment I had not realized was a hidden entrance.
The room beyond that was rather mysterious. It was expansive, but pitched in darkness, the only light coming from a single lamp hung in the center. My footsteps echoed as I walked to where the lamp shined upon: a mannequin donned in a strange red metal striped with light gray, and a sword rack with a single sword made of presumably the same metal. This was confusing me. What was Suki trying to do to me?
I put on the strange armor, throwing off the silver. Upon putting the helmet on the entire suit shimmered in a very supernatural way. It made me feel protected from the external forces surrounding me. A huge speaker suddenly blared throughout the room, the voice of Suki, “It’s called Adamantite. One of the six materials that appeared in the Enlightenment, and arguably one of the strongest. Use it well, for this is your final test.”
“What!? The test was postponed to the end of the week! How am I supposed to do this?”
Suki didn’t answer. I was both excited and enraged; they could have at least told me I was doing this now beforehand. But before I had any time to think about it, the floor dropped from under me. I plummeted down a hole and landed face down in water. Struggling to regain my senses, I resurfaced to find myself in a yet even darker place, lit dimly by some ghostly lanterns. Climbing out of the water, I faced what appeared to be my first challenge. Rope climbing, over a gaping hole. Okay then.
Rope climbing is pretty simple. It’s one of the first things that was taught to us in our training. Jump from one rope to the next, repeat. The main issue is jumping from the right place, where you’ll have enough room to fall and hold on to the next one. Fortunately, that’s the only thing you really have to watch out for. I jumped each of the ropes pretty easily, although they were rather cold and wet from moisture in the air. By the time I reached the end I wasn’t too exhausted, and ready for the next test.
For a moment all I could see was a long corridor, until I stepped on something in the ground. That could only mean a pressure plate, which then activates something. But then, what is it?
That’s when I felt the gust of air sweep past me. Startled, I ran through, dodging whizzing bolts coming from both directions. These bolts were fortunately not sharp enough to cause serious damage, but if I was hit by too many I knew that I would be out. Near the end of the hall, I tripped and fell on a bunch of pressure plates that sent yet more bolts that zipped above my head, some of them coming close enough to pass through my hair. I scrambled back up and out of there. I had made it through the second part of the challenge, but I was out of breath and sure I would not be able to pass the next part.
I knew a part of this test would involve sword fighting. I didn’t know the extent of how it would be done, but it was certainly not this. As I entered the final room, I saw someone else, wearing a sort of bluish-gray armor and sword I knew had to be Titanium. The someone lifted his face to the light, and I recognized it at once. Markus. The bastard.
“Well, well, well, look what events have transpired. I beat you to pulp yesterday, and now they’ve sent me back to beat you to pulp again. Even better, they said that I immediately pass the test if I defeat you.”
“Why must you be so rude, so inconsiderate of people like me, Markus? It’s the very reason I hate you.”
“It’s nothing personal, really. I just get so much joy out of it. Just like the joy I am about to feel right now.” With that he held up his sword and leapt with rather great strength at me. I was just barely able to parry his first attack, but I knew that he was equipped with some sort of balloon that made him float lighter, allowing him to get the full advantage. I’m in quite a pickle, aren’t I?
Shoving him off, I jumped onto one of the platforms in the room to gain higher ground. “Your rage will make you clumsy.”
“You think that I stumble blind in my hate. But I tell you, you’re the one who’s blind!” He rushed forward, into the air, and slashed me on the shoulder swiftly. Fighting back, I swept my sword towards him, but he had already retreated to the floor.
He struck again and again, and while I was able to block some of them, he had clearly put me in a difficult situation. Finally he paused and asked, “Why don’t you come down here? It’d be much more entertaining.”
I practically crumpled to the ground anyway, having suffered multiple wounds. He began to walk over to get me to admit defeat when flame erupted from the soles of my boots. I propelled off the ground and hovered into the air. Rocket boots! If only I had known I was equipped with them earlier. The new advantage I had over him surprised him, and in a moment I flew straight into him, knocking him off balance. Before he could get up I knocked him to the ground again. And then I stabbed, stabbed again and again, let all my hatred direct towards him and give him a little bit of his own medicine. But then the ground dropped yet again, and into another pool of water.
There was silence for a moment. They were probably contemplating my furious actions. But after the break the speakers announced, “Congratulations, James. You have passed the test.” A door opened behind me and two assistants retrieved both me and Markus. They rushed me to the Nurse, who began stitching up wounds I hadn’t realized were actually quite deep. I had passed, but maybe at the same time I had lost…
James
There was a place of shadow. The foul stench of rotting flesh filled the land with its fumes. Grotesque monsters lurked in chasms too deep to see the bottom of. Out of the chasm came one of the creatures; it could only be described as a floating hunk of rotting flesh with giant tusks and a multitude of eyes that locked the creature’s prey in a horrifying glance. It flew towards me, surveyed me from a distance, and then suddenly locked me in its tusks, thrashed me about, and began to eat my soul…
But then, of course, that was a dream. No need to worry about that. It’s just the old wizard’s words striking at my paranoia. Nothing to be concerned about.
I was able to get up to put on my silver armor and grab my broadsword early enough before heading over to the trainee barracks; Samantha had already gone out for the test. It’s a simple routine that’s not that hard to get into the habit of, but it always haunts you on your first day that you start training. You end up waking not long before your usual due arrival at 10:00 A.M., and by the time you get over you’re still sleepy and bedraggled. And then every day after that, you learn from your lesson, and you’re right on time.
When I arrived, the Head Guard and my swordsman mentor Suki were waiting for me outside. Was I in trouble for the last day’s fight? Before I had time to ask Suki said, “Ah, it’s good that you have arrived. Come, we have something to show you.” We walked inside, passing through the main hallway. I saw that there were many battles taking place. But I wasn’t going into any of these rooms. Suki led me past all of that, and we went through a special doorway wired to the wall, which until this moment I had not realized was a hidden entrance.
The room beyond that was rather mysterious. It was expansive, but pitched in darkness, the only light coming from a single lamp hung in the center. My footsteps echoed as I walked to where the lamp shined upon: a mannequin donned in a strange red metal striped with light gray, and a sword rack with a single sword made of presumably the same metal. This was confusing me. What was Suki trying to do to me?
I put on the strange armor, throwing off the silver. Upon putting the helmet on the entire suit shimmered in a very supernatural way. It made me feel protected from the external forces surrounding me. A huge speaker suddenly blared throughout the room, the voice of Suki, “It’s called Adamantite. One of the six materials that appeared in the Enlightenment, and arguably one of the strongest. Use it well, for this is your final test.”
“What!? The test was postponed to the end of the week! How am I supposed to do this?”
Suki didn’t answer. I was both excited and enraged; they could have at least told me I was doing this now beforehand. But before I had any time to think about it, the floor dropped from under me. I plummeted down a hole and landed face down in water. Struggling to regain my senses, I resurfaced to find myself in a yet even darker place, lit dimly by some ghostly lanterns. Climbing out of the water, I faced what appeared to be my first challenge. Rope climbing, over a gaping hole. Okay then.
Rope climbing is pretty simple. It’s one of the first things that was taught to us in our training. Jump from one rope to the next, repeat. The main issue is jumping from the right place, where you’ll have enough room to fall and hold on to the next one. Fortunately, that’s the only thing you really have to watch out for. I jumped each of the ropes pretty easily, although they were rather cold and wet from moisture in the air. By the time I reached the end I wasn’t too exhausted, and ready for the next test.
For a moment all I could see was a long corridor, until I stepped on something in the ground. That could only mean a pressure plate, which then activates something. But then, what is it?
That’s when I felt the gust of air sweep past me. Startled, I ran through, dodging whizzing bolts coming from both directions. These bolts were fortunately not sharp enough to cause serious damage, but if I was hit by too many I knew that I would be out. Near the end of the hall, I tripped and fell on a bunch of pressure plates that sent yet more bolts that zipped above my head, some of them coming close enough to pass through my hair. I scrambled back up and out of there. I had made it through the second part of the challenge, but I was out of breath and sure I would not be able to pass the next part.
I knew a part of this test would involve sword fighting. I didn’t know the extent of how it would be done, but it was certainly not this. As I entered the final room, I saw someone else, wearing a sort of bluish-gray armor and sword I knew had to be Titanium. The someone lifted his face to the light, and I recognized it at once. Markus. The bastard.
“Well, well, well, look what events have transpired. I beat you to pulp yesterday, and now they’ve sent me back to beat you to pulp again. Even better, they said that I immediately pass the test if I defeat you.”
“Why must you be so rude, so inconsiderate of people like me, Markus? It’s the very reason I hate you.”
“It’s nothing personal, really. I just get so much joy out of it. Just like the joy I am about to feel right now.” With that he held up his sword and leapt with rather great strength at me. I was just barely able to parry his first attack, but I knew that he was equipped with some sort of balloon that made him float lighter, allowing him to get the full advantage. I’m in quite a pickle, aren’t I?
Shoving him off, I jumped onto one of the platforms in the room to gain higher ground. “Your rage will make you clumsy.”
“You think that I stumble blind in my hate. But I tell you, you’re the one who’s blind!” He rushed forward, into the air, and slashed me on the shoulder swiftly. Fighting back, I swept my sword towards him, but he had already retreated to the floor.
He struck again and again, and while I was able to block some of them, he had clearly put me in a difficult situation. Finally he paused and asked, “Why don’t you come down here? It’d be much more entertaining.”
I practically crumpled to the ground anyway, having suffered multiple wounds. He began to walk over to get me to admit defeat when flame erupted from the soles of my boots. I propelled off the ground and hovered into the air. Rocket boots! If only I had known I was equipped with them earlier. The new advantage I had over him surprised him, and in a moment I flew straight into him, knocking him off balance. Before he could get up I knocked him to the ground again. And then I stabbed, stabbed again and again, let all my hatred direct towards him and give him a little bit of his own medicine. But then the ground dropped yet again, and into another pool of water.
There was silence for a moment. They were probably contemplating my furious actions. But after the break the speakers announced, “Congratulations, James. You have passed the test.” A door opened behind me and two assistants retrieved both me and Markus. They rushed me to the Nurse, who began stitching up wounds I hadn’t realized were actually quite deep. I had passed, but maybe at the same time I had lost…
Chapter 4
Samantha
The sturdy, sleek, and remarkably light weapon that Nike had called a "Titanium Repeater" vibrated in my hands as I pulled on its trigger. I saw the flash of an arrow, lit at its tip by a bright blue flame of frost, as it soared at a speed no bow would have been able to match. It sailed with its mark set straight at the floating apparition that had begun to hover towards me, flew through its body, and crumpled into splinters on the wall behind it. The apparition, as if truly struck by the arrow, groaned and vanished into mist before my eyes.
The following sequence of ticks told me that actuators were functioning. They opened a hallway in the side of the wall, yet again dark and gloomy. I stepped through warily, with the repeater held and ready to fire. But as soon as the door closed behind me and gemspark lights began to blaze, I realized there was no need. I saw Nike at the end of the hallway, clearly satisfied with his nod. As I got close enough to him he said, "Congratulations, Samantha. You are now a true guild member." But there was something a little bit...off about him. I knew it instantly, "There's something else."
"Yes. Your brother...got a little bit more bruised than he was supposed to."
"Is he okay? Can I go see him?"
"He'll be all right, but he's in recovery for the time being. You can see him tomorrow. For now, go home and rest up. That repeater and-" he indicated with a finger "-that orichalcum armor are yours to keep for the guild."
"Will there be any tasks in the guild for me to do?"
"You'll get one within a day or two, I'm sure."
I felt weary as I began to tread back home. The test had not only been pushing the limits of my skill, but of my sanity. There was an army of the dark apparitions that I had to face, and although I knew they could not hurt me, they were capable of drawing from my inner concentration as they circled around me and stared blankly with soulless red eyes. There was something just really creepy, almost living, about them. But at least it was just part of the test. Hope I never have to face anything like that as a guild member.
I was passing the main gates that were the entrance to Pureville. Guards, usually guild members as well, were stationed there for lookout. I was just walking by when I saw the gates open. A solitary person was scrambling through on spindly legs, crashing into the dust when he was behind the gates. One of the guards, whom I knew as Len, rushed to the runner's side. By the color of his outfit, I could tell he was a scout who was positioned outside of the city to spot trouble beforehand. This could only mean that something bad had happened.
Len helped the scout to his feet before asking, "What's wrong? What did you see?" The scout panted for a little and managed to breathe out the word, "Goblins!"
At that moment, an explosion of purple flashed at the edge of my vision. I whirled around to see a figure in a brown robe. But it wasn't a human. It had an elongated face and pointed nose, and green tinted skin. It was conjuring something in its long-nailed hands...the object culminated into a purple orb, which was then flung towards the scout. He had barely any time to react before the orb blasted a hole right through him, ending his miserable life as he crumpled into the earth. Len charged towards the goblin sorcerer with a metallic orange pike, but it had warped away with another flash.
Everyone in the clearing was dead shocked by these occurrences. But they couldn't mourn for one loss now. Ahead, where the gates were still open, a faded marching noise could be heard. The sound grew louder and louder, until just over the hill, I oversaw the presence of a massive army of goblins. A meat shield of leather-capped peons and thieving scouts strode at the front of the group, while back in the line I could see warriors in metal armor, and more brown-robed sorcerers. At the very rear, a line of archers stood. Suddenly, they stopped, pointing their bows into the air, and letting their discharge fly.
Someone rang the bell for danger. Residents and families crowded out of their houses to see what was happening. Many of the guilds who knew what was happening urged the families to evacuate further south. But the danger was already happening. The storm of arrows landed, scoring their mark in some of the guards. Guild members formerly resting in their homes came scrambling out, armor half-equipped, to join the group that had gathered at the foot of the gates. And then I realized: I'm a guild member too.
I didn't expect my first task to be today.
Samantha
The sturdy, sleek, and remarkably light weapon that Nike had called a "Titanium Repeater" vibrated in my hands as I pulled on its trigger. I saw the flash of an arrow, lit at its tip by a bright blue flame of frost, as it soared at a speed no bow would have been able to match. It sailed with its mark set straight at the floating apparition that had begun to hover towards me, flew through its body, and crumpled into splinters on the wall behind it. The apparition, as if truly struck by the arrow, groaned and vanished into mist before my eyes.
The following sequence of ticks told me that actuators were functioning. They opened a hallway in the side of the wall, yet again dark and gloomy. I stepped through warily, with the repeater held and ready to fire. But as soon as the door closed behind me and gemspark lights began to blaze, I realized there was no need. I saw Nike at the end of the hallway, clearly satisfied with his nod. As I got close enough to him he said, "Congratulations, Samantha. You are now a true guild member." But there was something a little bit...off about him. I knew it instantly, "There's something else."
"Yes. Your brother...got a little bit more bruised than he was supposed to."
"Is he okay? Can I go see him?"
"He'll be all right, but he's in recovery for the time being. You can see him tomorrow. For now, go home and rest up. That repeater and-" he indicated with a finger "-that orichalcum armor are yours to keep for the guild."
"Will there be any tasks in the guild for me to do?"
"You'll get one within a day or two, I'm sure."
I felt weary as I began to tread back home. The test had not only been pushing the limits of my skill, but of my sanity. There was an army of the dark apparitions that I had to face, and although I knew they could not hurt me, they were capable of drawing from my inner concentration as they circled around me and stared blankly with soulless red eyes. There was something just really creepy, almost living, about them. But at least it was just part of the test. Hope I never have to face anything like that as a guild member.
I was passing the main gates that were the entrance to Pureville. Guards, usually guild members as well, were stationed there for lookout. I was just walking by when I saw the gates open. A solitary person was scrambling through on spindly legs, crashing into the dust when he was behind the gates. One of the guards, whom I knew as Len, rushed to the runner's side. By the color of his outfit, I could tell he was a scout who was positioned outside of the city to spot trouble beforehand. This could only mean that something bad had happened.
Len helped the scout to his feet before asking, "What's wrong? What did you see?" The scout panted for a little and managed to breathe out the word, "Goblins!"
At that moment, an explosion of purple flashed at the edge of my vision. I whirled around to see a figure in a brown robe. But it wasn't a human. It had an elongated face and pointed nose, and green tinted skin. It was conjuring something in its long-nailed hands...the object culminated into a purple orb, which was then flung towards the scout. He had barely any time to react before the orb blasted a hole right through him, ending his miserable life as he crumpled into the earth. Len charged towards the goblin sorcerer with a metallic orange pike, but it had warped away with another flash.
Everyone in the clearing was dead shocked by these occurrences. But they couldn't mourn for one loss now. Ahead, where the gates were still open, a faded marching noise could be heard. The sound grew louder and louder, until just over the hill, I oversaw the presence of a massive army of goblins. A meat shield of leather-capped peons and thieving scouts strode at the front of the group, while back in the line I could see warriors in metal armor, and more brown-robed sorcerers. At the very rear, a line of archers stood. Suddenly, they stopped, pointing their bows into the air, and letting their discharge fly.
Someone rang the bell for danger. Residents and families crowded out of their houses to see what was happening. Many of the guilds who knew what was happening urged the families to evacuate further south. But the danger was already happening. The storm of arrows landed, scoring their mark in some of the guards. Guild members formerly resting in their homes came scrambling out, armor half-equipped, to join the group that had gathered at the foot of the gates. And then I realized: I'm a guild member too.
I didn't expect my first task to be today.
Chapter 5
Samantha
It is safe to say that the small guild of our village was vastly outnumbered by the massive horde of goblins stampeding towards the gates as if they were a single force. But we do have our strengths over them.
At the time that the Enlightenment first occurred, the human populations of Terraria were more primarily focused on mining for materials and riches rather than fighting wars, and our weapons were very minimal. This is why the goblins had gained such an upper hand at first; they were hellbent on seizing territory from us, using the basic metals of the world to forge long blades and sturdy bows. The new metals of the Enlightenment were much more resilient to destruction, but the ages-old experience in digging that we had meant that the most advanced of our pickaxes were able to break this resilience.
The goblins were not as easily able to obtain the metals, for their picks would break against the ore and crumble into fragments. They had to rely on stealing from us, which was a risky business. Due to this, we were able to collect enough ore to create more powerful weapons than theirs and fight back. This is why they have remained in hiding for some time, probably plotting on how to overthrow us. It would seem they have found a time to strike, and this only means that they have discovered some sort of new technology they believe will make them more powerful.
Me and my brother weren't born during the times that humans and goblins fought in wars, but I don't remember any records mentioning any form of the strange purple orb that killed Len. I began to ponder about the possibility of this new magic when I heard the clanging and roaring of battle. The main force of guild members were putting up a defensive stand against the goblins rushing up against them. Someone at the gate controls was attempting to bring them down in order to keep the goblins out, but suddenly another sorcerer appeared next to him and used a purple orb to knock him away. The peons at the front were ramming into the guild members, some squeezing through and toppling the members over each other. Goblin warriors appeared behind the peons, swords out in front of them to combat the strangely colored weapons the guild used to keep them back.
Despite the much more efficient weapons the guild members possessed, the sheer weight and quantity of the army was able to break a hole through the defensive stand and rush into the flat, open space of Pureville. They charged at me and the second group of guild members, which were behind the group of repeater-wielding archers that I was a part of. I began to fire my own repeater at the ravaging storm. Despite their initial orderly appearance, these goblins were gravely unorganized. They piled over their own kind's bodies just trying to storm the place. Arrows made of orange or blue flame, including my own, sailed through the crowd, striking individual goblins multiple times before finally being put down. Their willingness to keep on racing was in a way admiring, but also terrifying.
They made their way to the first of our houses. More sorcerer spheres blasted into the walls of the buildings, crumbling them in a strange, eerie purple flame. The many sorcerers teleporting constantly around our town made them tricky targets capable of dodging most attacks. Fortunately, they seemed quite vulnerable, and we were able to score a small number of them with single shots. But the goblins' strategy was, surprisingly, still working. Although it required a lot of sacrifice, they were doing the maximum damage they could to our home in only a handful of moments. Even then, they were beginning to run out of soldiers. The enemy's wooden arrows were becoming less and less frequent, which signaled that the archers were being taken care of. But I still felt much of their attack was a simple distraction from the real menace.
I heard a shout from the other side of my group of guild members. Something was blasting through multiples of them, downing them one by one as whatever it was made its way towards me. As the member beside me was lifted off his feet I was just barely able to dodge to see a flying...head of some kind breeze past me, heat still pouring from the purple-tinted flame that it trailed behind. When I tried to look for it again it seemed to have vanished. But then I realized what was happening when I saw the true menace behind the apparition walking slowly towards me. It was a goblin, a sorcerer of some kind, although not a typical sorcerer. It was dressed in a shadowy robe and held a strange wooden doll by a chain. It stared directly at me, apparently determined to get the better of me. Then it began to fly.
Purple orbs practically rained down from the heavens. I raced away from the impending shower for as long as I could, until one that landed just behind me flipped me over into the grass. I sat up quickly, reloading my repeater, to watch the strange sorcerer goblin land and beginning casting apparitions. They flew at me, like a family of vengeful spirits, and I was only able to avoid them by keeping low to the ground. I fired my repeater at the goblin as well as I could, and managed to hit it with a few shots before it took off again. This time, rather than running from the orbs, I shot into the sky. I kept on missing and watching the arrows disappear high into the sky, until finally, as the goblin slowed in flight, I managed to get a shot in. I seemed to have offset the goblin's flight, for it suddenly lurched over and began to fall. I saw it collapse somewhere behind a building.
I looked around. The rest of the guild seemed to have driven off most of the goblins, and were dealing with just a few stragglers. Many of them were on the floor, bleeding out their life or coughing of exhaustion. Then I turned to our village. The only place I ever knew. The only place where I was at home in the world, and the only place I could possibly care for.
It was alight in deathly flame.
Samantha
It is safe to say that the small guild of our village was vastly outnumbered by the massive horde of goblins stampeding towards the gates as if they were a single force. But we do have our strengths over them.
At the time that the Enlightenment first occurred, the human populations of Terraria were more primarily focused on mining for materials and riches rather than fighting wars, and our weapons were very minimal. This is why the goblins had gained such an upper hand at first; they were hellbent on seizing territory from us, using the basic metals of the world to forge long blades and sturdy bows. The new metals of the Enlightenment were much more resilient to destruction, but the ages-old experience in digging that we had meant that the most advanced of our pickaxes were able to break this resilience.
The goblins were not as easily able to obtain the metals, for their picks would break against the ore and crumble into fragments. They had to rely on stealing from us, which was a risky business. Due to this, we were able to collect enough ore to create more powerful weapons than theirs and fight back. This is why they have remained in hiding for some time, probably plotting on how to overthrow us. It would seem they have found a time to strike, and this only means that they have discovered some sort of new technology they believe will make them more powerful.
Me and my brother weren't born during the times that humans and goblins fought in wars, but I don't remember any records mentioning any form of the strange purple orb that killed Len. I began to ponder about the possibility of this new magic when I heard the clanging and roaring of battle. The main force of guild members were putting up a defensive stand against the goblins rushing up against them. Someone at the gate controls was attempting to bring them down in order to keep the goblins out, but suddenly another sorcerer appeared next to him and used a purple orb to knock him away. The peons at the front were ramming into the guild members, some squeezing through and toppling the members over each other. Goblin warriors appeared behind the peons, swords out in front of them to combat the strangely colored weapons the guild used to keep them back.
Despite the much more efficient weapons the guild members possessed, the sheer weight and quantity of the army was able to break a hole through the defensive stand and rush into the flat, open space of Pureville. They charged at me and the second group of guild members, which were behind the group of repeater-wielding archers that I was a part of. I began to fire my own repeater at the ravaging storm. Despite their initial orderly appearance, these goblins were gravely unorganized. They piled over their own kind's bodies just trying to storm the place. Arrows made of orange or blue flame, including my own, sailed through the crowd, striking individual goblins multiple times before finally being put down. Their willingness to keep on racing was in a way admiring, but also terrifying.
They made their way to the first of our houses. More sorcerer spheres blasted into the walls of the buildings, crumbling them in a strange, eerie purple flame. The many sorcerers teleporting constantly around our town made them tricky targets capable of dodging most attacks. Fortunately, they seemed quite vulnerable, and we were able to score a small number of them with single shots. But the goblins' strategy was, surprisingly, still working. Although it required a lot of sacrifice, they were doing the maximum damage they could to our home in only a handful of moments. Even then, they were beginning to run out of soldiers. The enemy's wooden arrows were becoming less and less frequent, which signaled that the archers were being taken care of. But I still felt much of their attack was a simple distraction from the real menace.
I heard a shout from the other side of my group of guild members. Something was blasting through multiples of them, downing them one by one as whatever it was made its way towards me. As the member beside me was lifted off his feet I was just barely able to dodge to see a flying...head of some kind breeze past me, heat still pouring from the purple-tinted flame that it trailed behind. When I tried to look for it again it seemed to have vanished. But then I realized what was happening when I saw the true menace behind the apparition walking slowly towards me. It was a goblin, a sorcerer of some kind, although not a typical sorcerer. It was dressed in a shadowy robe and held a strange wooden doll by a chain. It stared directly at me, apparently determined to get the better of me. Then it began to fly.
Purple orbs practically rained down from the heavens. I raced away from the impending shower for as long as I could, until one that landed just behind me flipped me over into the grass. I sat up quickly, reloading my repeater, to watch the strange sorcerer goblin land and beginning casting apparitions. They flew at me, like a family of vengeful spirits, and I was only able to avoid them by keeping low to the ground. I fired my repeater at the goblin as well as I could, and managed to hit it with a few shots before it took off again. This time, rather than running from the orbs, I shot into the sky. I kept on missing and watching the arrows disappear high into the sky, until finally, as the goblin slowed in flight, I managed to get a shot in. I seemed to have offset the goblin's flight, for it suddenly lurched over and began to fall. I saw it collapse somewhere behind a building.
I looked around. The rest of the guild seemed to have driven off most of the goblins, and were dealing with just a few stragglers. Many of them were on the floor, bleeding out their life or coughing of exhaustion. Then I turned to our village. The only place I ever knew. The only place where I was at home in the world, and the only place I could possibly care for.
It was alight in deathly flame.
Chapter 6
James
The darkness is coming.
The room was shrouded in near-darkness, and the only light visible came from a few insignificant blue-tinted candles lit in its corners. At first, there was mere silence. Then, a steady march of footsteps from an adjacent hallway. Suddenly, two figures walked into the room. They were both dressed in formidable blue robes ornamented with strips of gold. They wore hoods of similar colors. One of the figures's face was impossible to make out in the darkness concealing the hood, and only two glowing yellow eyes were visible. The other figure stood taller, and his face was covered by a strange mask that resembled the skull of a crow, with a long beak and small slits for eyes.
The tall figure spoke in a hoarse voice slightly muffled by the mask they spoke from behind, "He has contacted me. He has given me the order." The figure beside him turned his head towards him, and while his expression was not visible, he had seemed shocked by the news. "Already? The goblins have only just begun their conquest. We need more time." A sigh came from the skull-beaked figure, and he replied, "I cannot go against His wishes. I must carry this through." The glowing-eyed figure, mortified, seemed desperate to convince his partner otherwise. "Think of the risks we could be taking! We need to carry out the order when it's the most vital time. Not when two massive races are warring with each other. Not when the False One continues to watch the skies. Not when He has not yet been freed!"
The skull-beaked figure suddenly turned on his partner, grabbing him by the shoulder and slamming him into the dark wall. "Listen to me, brother! The Naiad legacy is almost over. Our kind has been in denial and hiding ever since the end of the war. We must act before this legacy is lost...we must avenge our fallen brothers! And the only way that can happen is through Him. His power is almighty. He is the creator. And we must carry out his orders so that the False One can be justly punished for his wrongdoings! WE MUST DO IT! WE MUST COMMENCE!"
Oh, for the love of Red, another dream. What is wrong with my head?
But I didn't wake up to anything pleasant either. I wasn't in the hospital that I had been taken to. Instead, it was what appeared to be a rudimentary shack, lying on a simple wooden board. There were only a few surgical utensils in sight. I sat up straight, confused about what was going on. I know that I had been seriously injured in the fight with Markus, but I'm not sure how it turned out. I felt okay. I turned around to see Samantha watching over me. There was total grief in your eyes. "Are you okay, Sam?"
"The...the goblins. There were goblins. They came..." She struggled to find words.
Goblins? What did that mean? Suddenly it hit me. Invasion. Could it have been...could they have...? I needed to know. I crawled off the board and staggered, rushed, to the door. Samantha tried to stop me, but I pushed her aside and swung open the door.
I saw our village. Our village...and it was absolutely wrecked. Structures that had once stood high had collapsed. Others, while still standing, contained gaping holes and were covered in rubble. A few specks of what appeared to be purple flame could be seen emanating from the ruins. There were only a few people alive in sight. There were dead bodies scattered in various places; they appeared in contorted, disturbing shapes, as if they had been through monumental pain the moment before they had died.
What the hell was the point of this attack? Was it merely a spectacle of power and aggression? Were the goblins rising to total power again, determined to wipe our race from the face of this world? And why did they have to target us - a village of innocent people, hard workers and dutiful guards, of little children?
Tears welled up in my eyes. Samantha came beside me and comforted me as the tears began to drop. First, the sadness came. I was at a loss; my home destroyed, so many people lost in the attack, everything that I had known was no more. I did not break as I silently cried.
Then came the anger.
The goblins would not get away with this.
I swiftly turned back into the shack. My equipment from the trials was stored inside. Sam probably recovered it along with me from the ruined barracks. Donning it, I turned to Samantha. "I have to get revenge. I'll crush those goblin bastards and make them regret!"
"Woah, now, James. You are not in the condition to do that. You need to rest."
"There's no time! I have to follow the retreating army or I'll never find them again!"
"What do you think you are doing? Even in your Enlightenment gear, one man cannot possibly down a large group of goblins!"
But I wasn't having any of it. "I have to do this." I walked past Samantha, treading towards the exit of the ruined village. As I did, memories flooded back. Memories of being raised here. Memories of just becoming a trainee, of meeting Markus. Memories of the town square, of the fun I had on so many nights. It's all over now.
When I stopped reflecting, I found a body at my feet. Suki. The proud swordsman looked as if he had been fighting a harmonious fight, slashing and cutting at his opponents until the end, when they became too much for him. He had died honorably, but there was still more to lament.
I will avenge your death, Suki. Yours and so many others.
End of Part 1
James
The darkness is coming.
The room was shrouded in near-darkness, and the only light visible came from a few insignificant blue-tinted candles lit in its corners. At first, there was mere silence. Then, a steady march of footsteps from an adjacent hallway. Suddenly, two figures walked into the room. They were both dressed in formidable blue robes ornamented with strips of gold. They wore hoods of similar colors. One of the figures's face was impossible to make out in the darkness concealing the hood, and only two glowing yellow eyes were visible. The other figure stood taller, and his face was covered by a strange mask that resembled the skull of a crow, with a long beak and small slits for eyes.
The tall figure spoke in a hoarse voice slightly muffled by the mask they spoke from behind, "He has contacted me. He has given me the order." The figure beside him turned his head towards him, and while his expression was not visible, he had seemed shocked by the news. "Already? The goblins have only just begun their conquest. We need more time." A sigh came from the skull-beaked figure, and he replied, "I cannot go against His wishes. I must carry this through." The glowing-eyed figure, mortified, seemed desperate to convince his partner otherwise. "Think of the risks we could be taking! We need to carry out the order when it's the most vital time. Not when two massive races are warring with each other. Not when the False One continues to watch the skies. Not when He has not yet been freed!"
The skull-beaked figure suddenly turned on his partner, grabbing him by the shoulder and slamming him into the dark wall. "Listen to me, brother! The Naiad legacy is almost over. Our kind has been in denial and hiding ever since the end of the war. We must act before this legacy is lost...we must avenge our fallen brothers! And the only way that can happen is through Him. His power is almighty. He is the creator. And we must carry out his orders so that the False One can be justly punished for his wrongdoings! WE MUST DO IT! WE MUST COMMENCE!"
Oh, for the love of Red, another dream. What is wrong with my head?
But I didn't wake up to anything pleasant either. I wasn't in the hospital that I had been taken to. Instead, it was what appeared to be a rudimentary shack, lying on a simple wooden board. There were only a few surgical utensils in sight. I sat up straight, confused about what was going on. I know that I had been seriously injured in the fight with Markus, but I'm not sure how it turned out. I felt okay. I turned around to see Samantha watching over me. There was total grief in your eyes. "Are you okay, Sam?"
"The...the goblins. There were goblins. They came..." She struggled to find words.
Goblins? What did that mean? Suddenly it hit me. Invasion. Could it have been...could they have...? I needed to know. I crawled off the board and staggered, rushed, to the door. Samantha tried to stop me, but I pushed her aside and swung open the door.
I saw our village. Our village...and it was absolutely wrecked. Structures that had once stood high had collapsed. Others, while still standing, contained gaping holes and were covered in rubble. A few specks of what appeared to be purple flame could be seen emanating from the ruins. There were only a few people alive in sight. There were dead bodies scattered in various places; they appeared in contorted, disturbing shapes, as if they had been through monumental pain the moment before they had died.
What the hell was the point of this attack? Was it merely a spectacle of power and aggression? Were the goblins rising to total power again, determined to wipe our race from the face of this world? And why did they have to target us - a village of innocent people, hard workers and dutiful guards, of little children?
Tears welled up in my eyes. Samantha came beside me and comforted me as the tears began to drop. First, the sadness came. I was at a loss; my home destroyed, so many people lost in the attack, everything that I had known was no more. I did not break as I silently cried.
Then came the anger.
The goblins would not get away with this.
I swiftly turned back into the shack. My equipment from the trials was stored inside. Sam probably recovered it along with me from the ruined barracks. Donning it, I turned to Samantha. "I have to get revenge. I'll crush those goblin bastards and make them regret!"
"Woah, now, James. You are not in the condition to do that. You need to rest."
"There's no time! I have to follow the retreating army or I'll never find them again!"
"What do you think you are doing? Even in your Enlightenment gear, one man cannot possibly down a large group of goblins!"
But I wasn't having any of it. "I have to do this." I walked past Samantha, treading towards the exit of the ruined village. As I did, memories flooded back. Memories of being raised here. Memories of just becoming a trainee, of meeting Markus. Memories of the town square, of the fun I had on so many nights. It's all over now.
When I stopped reflecting, I found a body at my feet. Suki. The proud swordsman looked as if he had been fighting a harmonious fight, slashing and cutting at his opponents until the end, when they became too much for him. He had died honorably, but there was still more to lament.
I will avenge your death, Suki. Yours and so many others.
End of Part 1
Part 2: Consumed by the Abyss
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this was good.
