[h3]Castle Town[/h3]
[b]The Temple of Time[/b]
[i]Inside the Dark World[/i]
[hr]
If the Goddesses had ever intended a place of punishment for those who disobeyed them, this must be it.

Trees with twisted faces watched a battle that raged eternally. All manner of demon and monstrosity gathered here, fighting their fellows for the privilege of another step forward. Some were desperate to escape this wasteland, this place where it was always dark and there was only pain and suffering. Some simply wished to join the side of their master, the dark king who had created this place and summoned them here. And there was one who fought to escape, because that very king must fall. Fall at his hands. It was all he could think about--all that had driven him for years. Seven long years.

Blood had long since turned the ground to mud, and the constant churn of bodies buried those who had fallen beneath. A choking, noxious stench filled the air, for so thick was the melee that no carrion creature could pull away the corpses. A cold wind howled all around them, filled with screams and roars. The clouds above, pregnant with liquid fury, rumbled in response. Lightning struck somewhere, frying some hideous creature until its mottled hide was charred black and its blood sizzled. Thunder echoed just seconds after, a rolling boom that shook the battlefield.

And yet, for those who survived, for those who crushed all that stood in their way, who took that final step; salvation lay ahead. A golden circle in the air, filled with warm, beckoning light, showing glimpses of a world so much brighter. A starker contrast to the shadows of this world could not be found. 

In the middle of it all, the Knight fought.

A weakened foe's blow pinged off his armor, and he caught the gnarled creature by the throat and shook it til its breath was no more. He hurled the carcass backwards, to stave off those that followed him. He lunged forward, shouldering past a one eyed behemoth. The cyclops gave a bellow and reached down, its meaty hand enveloping the armored interloper's head. It lifted him clear of the ground, ready to crush his skull...but the Knight dug the clawed fingers of his gauntlets into the two middle fingers of the hand that held him, and twisted both arms violently.Chunks of flesh came free in his grasp, trailing blood, and the cyclops's bellow was now one of pain as the knight dropped to the ground. Turning, one arm lashing out, the Knight's claws tore open the monster's belly and spilled its innards to the muck. He grabbed the beast’s leg and hauled against it with all his strength, roaring his rage. The Cyclops toppled, and was pounced upon by those behind it searching for easy prey.  Again the Knight stepped forward.

The golden light of the portal pushed back the shadows here. The melee grew ever more intense as their goal neared--for these creatures, leaving this wretched world was a matter of life and death. To stay in this maddening realm for even another moment was hell. They fought tooth and nail to be the next one through, a struggle that never ended. And yet, this was not the worst of this world; for there were those that had reveled in this darkness, thrived in it and made it their own. But the Knight, though the darkness consumed him, was not one of these. His desire for the other world drove him another step forward.

A fallen foe's weapon became his own, until the ferocity of his blows broke it to pieces. A corpse became a shield until its bones were shattered and its flesh torn asunder. A vicious punch crushed a pig-like snout and made the blood flow in twin rivers down its face. A roar deafened the creatures as they were barreled through, tossed in every direction as if by a raging storm. 

The portal floated before him. The path was clear for only a moment. In his right hand, though his grip was empty, a golden flash of light gave him the Courage to take that next step. 

The Knight stepped into the Light.