[color=gray] [center] [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Camp_Fire_Winslow_Homer.jpeg[/img] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW-xJtrLRdo][Mood Music][/url] [h3][b][u][color=white]Chapter 3[/color] A Darker Calling[/u][/b][/h3] [/center] The sight of the fire bursting into a bright blaze caught Gwynne off guard. The air around her hands condensed into a shimmer mist, and then into shards of ice. She was ready to shoot an icy projectile at the anomaly in a moment's notice. When it spoke, revealing itself to be the God of War. Gwynne dispelled the shards of ice, and listened. The orb orbited the flame, the glow dimmer than usual. Topesh was likely humbled by his previous patron god's appearance. Contrary to Topesh's character, he remained completely silent during the exchange. He of all people knew to speak only when spoken to when it came to Aktorr. Gwynne took the orb's silence as advice, thus her silence. While the god spoke, she felt a powerful shiver run down her spine. It was a familiar feeling, like that of being near to a leyline. It was strange, however, since there wasn't a leyline nearby just a moment ago. Her crimson eyes turned back to the flame while she pondered. What Aktorr's emergence powerful enough to bend and twist a leyline? Why did the sensation she felt from this one feel so... different? So much colder? [color=dodgerblue][i]"I felt it too, apostate, but do not simply wander off in the presence of your master."[/i][/color] Topesh said within her head. Gwynne shivered some more, was she the only one to feel it? Of course, she figured. None of the other chosen have likely ever even heard of leylines let alone interacted with one. Once Aktorr said his final words and vanished as quickly as he had arrived, Gwynne shuffled closer to the flames. The presence of this strange leyline had physically chilled her. She looked around to the rest of the group, [color=white][b]"I need to leave the camp for a couple of hours..."[/b][/color] she said. Topesh spoke up after her, [color=dodgerblue][i]"A matter of importance has just made itself known to us. The apostate and I need to investigate it, preferably before our enemy's men arrive to quell us."[/i][/color] Gwynne new the sudden announcement was rather suspicious. But she didn't have time to explain everything to the other chosen. She rolled her injured shoulder, feeling for the pain; she'd have to make do. Gwynne felt another shiver run through her spine. She glanced off to the right, and saw a dark tendril weaving through the air. [color=white][i]The leyline...[/i][/color] Gwynne thought. Something was wrong. All of the leylines Gwynne had seen with Topesh's gift were bright white. But this line was the darkest of blacks. Of course, nobody else could see the leyline, so the others would simply see her gazing off to the shadowed mountains in the night, and the stars above. [color=dodgerblue][i]"Dark Aether..."[/i][/color] Topesh whispered to Gwynne in wonder, [color=dodgerblue][i]"T'would seem Aktorr's emergence has pulled an ancient leyline from Below. Such of thing has never been proven to exist. They've only been theorized. Fascinating."[/i][/color] The leyline was arching high into the sky, and dipped back down to the ground only a few kilometers from the camp. The incorporeal line pierced harmlessly through the stone walls of a ruined tower, half of it wreathed in darkness while the other glistened in moonlight. Gwynne pointed to the tower for all the others to see, [color=white][b]"I'm headed there. If I hurry then perhaps I can get some rest there before we are attacked. If I'm not back by sun up, then you know where to find me."[/b][/color] Topesh finally addressed the other chosen, [color=dodgerblue][i]"Worry not, my children. We are not abandoning the field. Within that tower lies the means to defeat out insurmountable foe."[/i][/color] With that, Gwynne left, the orb following behind her. [hr] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ff/b3/f2/ffb3f2af1a208a35bca13e2936347e02--dark-castle-gothic-castle.jpg[/img][/center] Gwynne had made good time navigating the ruins of Silverwick. Now that she was closer, Gwynne saw that the tower was actually part of a larger ruined cathedral. Coming from the ruined structure was a pulsing red glow. Leylines of light aetheric energy would shine a bright blue to Gwynne's gifted eyes at the convergence point, where the leyline passed through the ground and back into the earth. She knew that this ominous red glow was the same despite having never seen it before. The closer Gwynne got to the convergence point, the colder she felt. She had even conjured some flames in her hands to simply keep herself warm. Nearby plants that had reclaimed the desolate Silverwick had frost on their leaves from the convergence. A fog rolled from cathedral, causing the red glow to beam out in long bands of light from the holes and windows in the cathedral. [color=dodgerblue][i]"Ironic that a cathedral built in honor of the Gods Above, was now the convergence points of energy from Below. Tread carefully, apostate. This structure is centuries old, the slightest disturbance could see to a collapse."[/i][/color] Topesh said. [color=white][b]"Aye..."[/b][/color] Gwynne said as she walked closer to the cathedral, [color=white][b]"We've never encountered a dark leyline before... What if orb becomes volatile while we're in there? We could run the risk of burying ourselves under stone."[/b][/color] [color=dodgerblue][i]"Perhaps. But this is an opportunity we cannot let pass. Who knows if this leyline will sink back into the earth since Aktorr's presence is no longer here to draw it out. I reckon having a dark leyline connected to the Force Orb would benefit us greatly. Imagine it, Gwynne. Imagine the power we'd have at our fingertips! With all of the leyines, light and dark, connected to the orb, we wouldn't even need the other chosen! The very fabric of the world would shift at our beck and call."[/i][/color] Topesh's voice could be heard from both the orb, and in her mind. The whispering in her head would come just mere moments after the orb spoke it, making Topesh's voice sound like it was being spoken by two people. Gwynne pinched the bridge of her nose, a compulsion working over her. The prospect of such power was appealing to her, more so than when she had left the camp. [color=white][b]"Power like that could bring the world balance. Nobody would stand over the next, they'd all kneel. Lord and lowlife alike."[/b][/color] The orb glowed, but the dark aetherwinds coming from the leyline caused it to glow more red than blue. Topesh's voice was deeper, [color=firebrick][i]"They'd kneel to you."[/i][/color] Topesh's words sank into Gwynne. She felt warmer despite the chilling air around the cathedral. It wasn't Gwynne that stepped into the cathedral, but Topesh's vessel. [/color]