Darkness. Nothing but darkness. Garret could see naught but darkness as he lay on the cold, hard ground beneath him. He slowly opened his bleary eyes as he tried to sit up. Pain, crippling pain all over was the immediate result. And so the knight lay back, fighting the pain as his eyes stared up at the empty black sky. 

After some time a gold light entered his field of vision. Garret looked over to where the light was coming from to see the shape of a giant golden Roc swoop down beside him. The ground quaked as the avian touched upon the land. Garret looked on in awe before uttering a single word, the only word he knew this being as. "Aquiladei." It's fierce eyes stared down at the prone warrior, clicking it's beak before finally a deep, proud voice could be heard. "That is the name thy kind hast given to me, yes. Though I possess many." The Knight sat up again, this time with considerably less pain and effort. "What happened to me? Last thing I remember was facing a million demons after the Forbidden Gate was breached." Aquiladei looked away from Garret, his eyes filled with an unreadable emotion. Sorrow? Pity? The knight couldn't really tell. "It grieves me to tell thee this. You fell, overwhelmed by the army thou had to face alone. However, thy art a great warrior. And I fear without thee Ascalon shall fall to darkness. So I brought thee here to this place, were thou might grow ever stronger until the hour of thy return comes."

Garret finally stood, silent as he processed the information the Roc Deity was telling him. "I see, and what am I to do here in the meantime? What am I to do whilst the demons set my home ablaze?" Aquiladei met his gaze once more, fierce, smoldering gold eyes met deep and doubtful blue. "You will live here, thrive here. The ancient Nosks once believed in another realm. A realm that the greatest warriors would be taken to upon death. The Vetusatrium, where only warriors of the greatest caliber would be taken to feast and fight for eternity. Think of this plane as that very same realm, and like that realm thou will certainly encounter warriors of great caliber here. Some friendly, some not. And now I must take my leave, but before I go." The giant Roc turned towards the empty expanse behind him, giving a loud call. A few moments later a small gold bird flew out of the darkness and landed next to Aquiladei, compared to him the new Roc looked like a child. "Take Sortiara with thee. She will guide thee, watch over thee, and when the time comes, tell thee when thy hour of return draws nigh. Now I must bid thee farewell, I have matters of mine own to deal with if we are to save Ascalon." And with that, Aquiladei turned towards the dark expanse and, with one powerful stroke of his huge, golden wings he took off and fly away into the darkness. 

Garret stared after the Roc Deity, before looking up at his newfound companion who was circling overhead. "Well then, lead me to civilization." He called towards the small Roc. Sortiara let out a loud, shrill call as she flew away. And so Garret started walking in the direction she was flying, off to the East.