“Few minutes.”
“Shit.”
The grin left her face as she entered the mist. Wisps chilled her skin and she sucked a gasp as the acrid stink made her skid to a panicked stop. Settling into a defensive stance, she jerked the blade sharply in front of her face to guard against any sudden attack.
An attack which didn't come, but which the elf could swear she could taste like a vibration in the air.
The warlock stumbled, nearly bumping into her. “What now?” he moaned.
“Can't you smell it?” she hissed.
“Smell what?”
“Magic!”
“Is it?” He lifted his head. Sweat gleamed like a second skin across his face. His nose had turned pink. He brushed her aside with a snort and continued forward. “Nothing. Just a harmless enchantment. Whoever put it here liked a misty home, maybe.”
“I don't like it,” she scowled.
“Then hold your fucking breath.” He took a few steps, shuddering visibly as another howl ripped through the air. Glanced at her. “You coming? Or staying here?”
Diving further into the mist with a growl, she felt it drift around her like a wave of spirits reaching for her face. Though they had no power to hold her, they still ignited ominous shivers between her shoulders.
And the smell of magic was so bitter it threatened to scorch her nostrils and make her brain bleed.
Looming out of the frost-dusted boulders, the old fortress looked like the collapsed bones of an ancient beast. The walls, while crumpled, were still mostly intact.
They'd have a hard time climbing them, so would need to hope the gates weren't as closed as they looked. Deep vertical scars sliced up the stone as though something had been raking at the outer face of the outer walls with massive claws. But she knew of no beast with claws so large, so dismissed that thought as fantasy.
A thick crack split the ground around around the edge like an empty moat. A moat too thin to be effective, so she couldn't fathom its purpose and didn't have time to study it before they jumped easily across.
Her eyes narrowed as the elf felt a chill slice up from the depths of both the eerie hole in the ground and the frozen ball of fear in her gut.
Creasing her brow, Nysta scratched at the palm of her hand and pressed her hand against the overwhelmingly large rusted gates. She didn't think the old iron smell was just from the gates. Broken bones were crushed hard into the ground all around gates. A lot of blood, then, had been spilled here.
The Gates themselves had long since twisted off their massive hinges, but still remained firmly in place. At first there seemed no way through. But then they noticed where the gates met, the ancient metal had been warped by relentless force. It wasn't much, but there was a small gap.
A gap through which the warlock grunted as he tried to press himself between.
Fuelled by desperation to escape the Draug, the warlock's teeth chattered in fear. His robe tore on a sharp edge of metal. A curse blew out through his lips, but he still kept trying to shove himself inside.
Irritated, she raised her boot and stamped on his hip to push him inside. Ignoring his startled cry, she threw a glance over her shoulder. Saw the Draug had stopped just outside the curtain of mist.
Some clawed at the ground in frustration.
Others paced the edges like prowling cats. Their mournful howls were channelled in her direction.
Fear rippled across her flesh like a wave of insects. Snatching the warlock's robe, she made to pull him back out. But he wriggled loose and rolled out the other side. Let out a yelp of triumph before sticking his face back into the gap between the gates. Shoved his hand out for her to grasp, intending to help her through. “What are you waiting for?” he cried. “Get the fuck in here!”
“They're not following,” she breathed, not taking his offered hand. Her violet eyes flashed as a dull noise rumbled deep below their feet.
“What?” he yelled, his voice
“Shit.”
The grin left her face as she entered the mist. Wisps chilled her skin and she sucked a gasp as the acrid stink made her skid to a panicked stop. Settling into a defensive stance, she jerked the blade sharply in front of her face to guard against any sudden attack.
An attack which didn't come, but which the elf could swear she could taste like a vibration in the air.
The warlock stumbled, nearly bumping into her. “What now?” he moaned.
“Can't you smell it?” she hissed.
“Smell what?”
“Magic!”
“Is it?” He lifted his head. Sweat gleamed like a second skin across his face. His nose had turned pink. He brushed her aside with a snort and continued forward. “Nothing. Just a harmless enchantment. Whoever put it here liked a misty home, maybe.”
“I don't like it,” she scowled.
“Then hold your fucking breath.” He took a few steps, shuddering visibly as another howl ripped through the air. Glanced at her. “You coming? Or staying here?”
Diving further into the mist with a growl, she felt it drift around her like a wave of spirits reaching for her face. Though they had no power to hold her, they still ignited ominous shivers between her shoulders.
And the smell of magic was so bitter it threatened to scorch her nostrils and make her brain bleed.
Looming out of the frost-dusted boulders, the old fortress looked like the collapsed bones of an ancient beast. The walls, while crumpled, were still mostly intact.
They'd have a hard time climbing them, so would need to hope the gates weren't as closed as they looked. Deep vertical scars sliced up the stone as though something had been raking at the outer face of the outer walls with massive claws. But she knew of no beast with claws so large, so dismissed that thought as fantasy.
A thick crack split the ground around around the edge like an empty moat. A moat too thin to be effective, so she couldn't fathom its purpose and didn't have time to study it before they jumped easily across.
Her eyes narrowed as the elf felt a chill slice up from the depths of both the eerie hole in the ground and the frozen ball of fear in her gut.
Creasing her brow, Nysta scratched at the palm of her hand and pressed her hand against the overwhelmingly large rusted gates. She didn't think the old iron smell was just from the gates. Broken bones were crushed hard into the ground all around gates. A lot of blood, then, had been spilled here.
The Gates themselves had long since twisted off their massive hinges, but still remained firmly in place. At first there seemed no way through. But then they noticed where the gates met, the ancient metal had been warped by relentless force. It wasn't much, but there was a small gap.
A gap through which the warlock grunted as he tried to press himself between.
Fuelled by desperation to escape the Draug, the warlock's teeth chattered in fear. His robe tore on a sharp edge of metal. A curse blew out through his lips, but he still kept trying to shove himself inside.
Irritated, she raised her boot and stamped on his hip to push him inside. Ignoring his startled cry, she threw a glance over her shoulder. Saw the Draug had stopped just outside the curtain of mist.
Some clawed at the ground in frustration.
Others paced the edges like prowling cats. Their mournful howls were channelled in her direction.
Fear rippled across her flesh like a wave of insects. Snatching the warlock's robe, she made to pull him back out. But he wriggled loose and rolled out the other side. Let out a yelp of triumph before sticking his face back into the gap between the gates. Shoved his hand out for her to grasp, intending to help her through. “What are you waiting for?” he cried. “Get the fuck in here!”
“They're not following,” she breathed, not taking his offered hand. Her violet eyes flashed as a dull noise rumbled deep below their feet.
“What?” he yelled, his voice
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