Descent

The gloomy night surrounded him as he walked the cramped trail that wound through the heart of the forest. The lonely trail twisted and turned before him, full of doubt and dread. The gloom pressed on him, pushed at his inner workings. He had not walked a trail alone for some time. Sure, he had been in the forest all alone heading off to some location or another, traveling, learning, but he long had the presence of the Dawbringers with him. Now, he was truly on his own.

The recent time swirled, like smoke caught in a breeze, before him. His brief leadership. Hopes that some of his ideals had sunk in to the hearts and minds of those he cared about. His hard work and pain. His ideals not being realized. Until all that was left was a small dwarven body with only anger and hate in his being. These feelings fought with those that were more normal for him, and they created a cacophony within him which tore at his soul. That was not the way of the light. He could not be this way. He had to move on. But the road was empty, completely.

The years blended together in his head. He could hardly remember the time he was not one with the group of light. His whole life had been devoted to helping and serving them, and the light. He thought of the great times, the losses, the brawls, the leadership. They were all one big memory that laid itself before him and tugged at his core. He knew he could not go back there, not now.

He had to find his path, his own path. His feet had followed the rhythm of the Dawn too long; he needed a change. He needed his own thoughts on the light to be clear.

Around him, the gloom seemed to press at him, even beckon him. It called his name on the winds, and told him the direction he should go. The darkness had a strength to it that drew those of unsure heart and mind.

He walked down that shadowy trail, alone for the first time in ages, searching himself for the direction he needed.

He left the Dawnbringers, and that first night on his own changed his life. The darkness of the lands had many mysteries that called to Barset that night. Amazing how those denizens that stalk the night show up when and where they know a kill is looming. The kill, this time, was not Barset's body, but his mind. Ifrit was the first to visit him.

Barset was trudging down the forest lane, not paying any attention to his surroundings as he was caught up wholly within himself. The vampire just stepped into Barset's path, a broad grin on his face, showing his glistening pointed teeth. Ifrit words were like water roaring over a waterfall in Barset's mind. The power, the strength, the glory, the truth, all rolled up into the darkness. They made pictures that twisted and cavorted through Barset's head, rocks falling from a mountainside and crushing all in its path, wind whipping from the mountains down upon a forest and tearing trees from their roots, dragon's with flames spurting from their mouths burning villages on a whim. Barset just listened, his mind consuming the words of power, the words that came from the vampire. When Ifrit was done with his speech, Barset only nodded, and plodded on his way down the path once more.

The path closed in yet again around Barset after he left Ifrit behind. He could hardly make out his own hands in the darkness that surrounded his mind and feelings, yet he plodded on. Saperio was the next to come into Barset's way. Barset ran into the mage, literally, and fell back and to the ground as he hit the solid body of the Shadow. Barset sat there and listened to the mage's words which were dark and mysterious. Saperio's magic played before them. He made worlds appear on the forest floor, showing the trusting citizens of the realms, and the power that loomed just beyond their ability to see. Those citizens had no power to do anything, for the power of the mages world held them all without their knowledge. They were entangled and they had never even seen what was controlling them. Barset sat, mesmerized by the images, and when they came to a halt, stood, and walked on.

This time, Barset could see nothing, only blackness all about him. He did not even follow the trail any longer, just bumped his way through the forest. Just keeping his legs moving. A swirling mist surrounded him, then before him, Xodus appeared. The words were like honey, dripping and sweet, from the tongue of Xodus. His speech was a dance in Barset's mind. The dance showed the power and the use of words. It told the people the truth they needed to hear and played their minds against themselves. It made them believe what they wanted and needed, and held mastery over them. It changed its beat and rhythm to the person and the place, and it danced for Barset. Barset looked at Xodus, not truly looking, his eyes were just gazing at the darker form of the vampire in the darkness of the forest. Xodus began walking the path that led through the woods; Barset followed him wherever he might be leading.

The trek behind Xodus was winding and long. Barset's mind didn't think about the past much, in fact, he didn't think about much of anything. There was a black film that covered his thoughts, shrouding them from him, and muffling the screaming that was inside his heart. He trudged along after Xodus, through those bleak woods, not knowing, caring, or recognizing were they walked.

Ifrit met them along their march, flanking Barset on his left side. Saperio flew in from the woods on his right. The three evil beings surrounded the lost dwarf, marching him to the gallows tree of darkness. The forest seemed to bend away at the power held in the dark souls of the three that surrounded him. No path was needed, they made their own.

They had been deep in the forest, their march brought them to a place where the forest was beginning to open up a bit, when a tree loomed up before them, its girth unimaginable, a power emanating from its very being. Barset slowed his pace while the other three marched on a little distance. Each of the three exchanged glances amongst themselves, then turned their dark glance back at the dwarf. Barset's head slowly rose from where it had been hanging on his chest. He looked at the bark of the gigantic tree as if something were there that he should recognize. The tree shoved at his mind, trying to force its way into his thoughts, but the blackness kept it at bay. Standing under the Druid Tree, Barset could not even recognize where he was. But something made him look up higher and higher into those branches. The great might of that force pulled his head up like a troll yanking on his hair. Up and up his eyes went, to the very tip of those branches, to where the tree and the heavens met in a glorious embrace. Through the dark gloom of the night, through the clouds that covered the sky, and through the branches of that great tree, a single ringed star glimmered and sparkled. The star seemed to play with the branches. It made them sparkle and reflect a great light. The tree then began taking on its own light. It pulsated and swelled to a near blinding light in Barset's mind. The darkness that surrounded his mind was no match for the light of the tree and the twinkling of the star. As easily as it had slipped over his mind, the darkness broke into a thousand pieces, and scattered away like grass dropped into the wind from the hand of a child.

The three evil forms perceived only the dwarf with woodland garb stopping and raising his head. The light was lost on them as they had lived amongst it for too long. But they knew. They could feel their power over him dissolve. They exchanged yet another glance between them and immediately drew their weapons. Barset only looked up at the combined light he saw, his mind smiling, and his face grinning in a similar fashion.

The wolf sprang unnoticed from the edge of the forest. Barset only reached out his hand and grabbed onto her strong back as she ran by him at blinding pace. He did not remember calling her, but perhaps he had not, she had come to help him as he had helped her in the past. It was the same wolf that he and the others of the realms had helped in finding her pack not so long ago. She must have felt his need, for she came and found him in his darkest hour.

Ifrit, Saperio, and Xodus only looked at each other, then each moved back into the darkness, each in his own direction, the gloom engulfing them as they moved away into the inky night.

Barset held onto the wolf, the picture of the star playing off the tree in his mind's eye was all he saw. The wolf ran swiftly as if on the wind. She carried Barset to no particular place, but ended up high in the Pardor Mountains. He let go of her back, and landed lightly on the ground. She took off on her own once again, running to get back to her pack. As she left, she let out a great howl, a howl that was the final awakening, and the morning rays of sunshine shot out from atop the mountain range and down into the valley. Smiling to himself, Barset looked out over the view afforded to him by the high cliff edge the wolf had left him on. The sun rising behind him, the world was bathed in the glory of the new light of day. Before him spread a great valley, on one side, the Kithan range stood tall, its peaks covered in frosty snows. The Pardor range he stood on formed the eastern border. The valley was covered with a great forest that raised its green leaves to the dawn's light. Windy sat at its center, wisps of smoke from the chimneys played lightly in the gentle breeze bouncing its way through the valley. Nothing had changed in the landscape, but his perception of it surely had.

Barset sat down on that high cliff face, marveling at the wonder the light brings to the world. Thinking back on the night he could only remember a bleakness, a veil that covered things, distorting them and changing them from what they truly were. What kind of world must those under the cloak of the night live in? He wondered if they ever thought about the powers which held them in its grasp? He had had his glimpse of that world, and through the light, had found himself again.

He was still on his own, and still weary from his descent, but a new light flowed in him now. His path had led him to a light which he needed to find for himself. His pilgrimage was only beginning, but already it had allowed him to understand the powers apposing each other, and the power that that the light held in its radiance. The lonely road stretched out before him. He could see himself traveling it now, alone in his path. It was not a fearful path any longer and no gloom held it, he was free from all doubt, and he knew his course. The early morning rays glinted off his armor and the world sprang to life all about him.

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