West Zegrow.
The letter shook in Sylace's trembling hands. He wanted to act tough, to be strong for his little sister, but no amount of effort could stop the hot tears pouring down his face. A quiet sob left his throat as he let the paper fall to the ground.
Lily didn't need to be an expert to understand the two simple phrases written in the Old Tongue. It took her a few minutes to decipher the complicated symbols but when she did, she too joined her brother in tears.
" Marius Archibold and Penelope Archibold have died exploring the foggy sea. All inheritance and debts shall be transferred to their eldest, Sylace Archibold, by decree of Lord Gazon. "
Two simple phrases, but they managed to flip the pair's life on it's head.
At thirteen and six years old, the Archibold siblings had lost their parents.
...
"Ah!"
Birds ruffled the leaves of a dead forest at Gairon's scream, flying into the air with a series of caws that did nothing to help the young knight's anxiety.
"Relax." He heard a voice say from behind him. The voice was deep and sultry, veering on hypnotizing. It didn't match the young face it belonged to.
The man with the hypnotizing voice, Sylace Archibold, placed his hand on Gairon's shoulder in reassurance. "That's just a revenant, we have them outside the fortress to. If they didn't kill you out there then I doubt they'll kill you in here."
The message wasn't only meant for Gairon, but also for the rest of the six man platoon under his command.
"Here, fear is both your worst enemy and your best friend. Fear will be the reason you run when the trees start whispering to you but it'll also be the reason you get preyed on by a creature who can smell it."
The warning was taken straight from the Fortress Encodum, a book all knights ranked captain and above were forced to read.
[And I spent my days memorizing every word of it in preparation for this mission. I pray my efforts aren't in vain.]
Sylace wouldn't let his guard down, too many people had died mere moments before victory because they hadn't remained vigilant.
"Jayson!" He called. It didn't take long for a skinny man in a scholar's white and blue uniform to appear by his side.
"Write what I tell you:
"April 23, year 765 marks the third exploration of the fortress known as Zagreus.
"This exploration will be supervised by first time explorer and vice-lieutenant Sylace Archibold with the objective of retrieving the item previously referred to as the Red Eye and gaining a further understanding of the fortress' layout.
"Unlike the previous explorations, his Majesty has allowed us to kill any mysteries we encounter. This will make us the first men since the First, Bless His Heart, to slay a mystery. Caution to all those who may read this in the future, those deemed 'crazy' after this exploration are to be believed until proof of the contrary. We don't know what abominations await us here, things people on the outside might never be able imagine."
Sylace patiently waited for the scholar to finish writing the report before continuing.
"Daemon, you are our fireman. You are to make sure we have light and heat at all times as well as warning is if you see anything strange. No matter how trivial it seems, any abnormalities are to be reported immediately."
The bear-looking man silently shook his head affirmatively and took out a fire starter, lighting a torch for each member of the platoon.
"Good. Elis, I hope I don't have to explain how important you are?"
The boy, barely pubescent, adjusted the large bag on his back and nodded his head.
"Then we can proceed." Sylace walked in front, guiding his platoon towards the large mass of fog and grey.
They traversed the uneven plain with ease, the light of fire their only illumination. All their nerves had been high-strung due to Sylace's many warnings but they refused to turn tail.
"You're free to speak. The particularity of this fortress is that most of its 'inhabitants' are deaf. Still, I recommend whispering and only speaking when it's absolutely necessary"
They were reassuring words as half the platoon lived off beers and stories over a fire, a chance to speak and calm their nerves was deeply appreciated.
"Yes, Lieutenant!" The five men said in unison.
With the gentle buzz of conversation, the walk to the fortress felt much less dreadful. Gaimon and Hadrian even managed a few smiles before arriving at the imposing gray mound.
Sylace pressed a hand on the fog, it felt as if there was nothing there.
He turned around and nodded at his platoon mates, indicating they were safe for the moment.
A few nervous glances were thrown among the men before they crossed the threshold of fog. None of them could've predicted what came out to greet them.
The word "fortress" didn't even begin to describe it. What they saw was a kingdom, a realm, much different from theirs.
Despite it being night in the outside world the dead sun hung in the sky, it's black and lightless form a constant reminder of the suffering placed upon all those who had committed the sin of being born.
The soil beneath the platoon's feet was ashen grey, several ash-colored roots shooting out from it.
The worst of it was the stench; a mix of herbs and what could only describe as "dead shit".
Overall the fortress had an off putting, dead aura that made a chill run down the spines of any foolish enough to enter it.
[Advance.] Sylace wanted to say, but his lips wouldn't obey him. The lieutenant wanted it to be due to fear, he prayed for it to be due to fear, but memorizing the Encodum came with the chilling benefit of knowing way too much about the creatures of the Zagreus Fortress.
Still, he brought his fingers to his lips to check. He had to be absolutely sure.
The rough string under his fingers confirmed his fears, his lips had been stitched shut.
[Prepare for battle!] Sylace's lips still refused to obey, but his men had been thought to never ask questions. They immediately drew their blades seeing their leader do so.
"We're under attack." He signed, scanning the surroundings for any sign of the enemy.
"By what?" Gairon asked, brandishing his blade and pulling Daemon behind him.
Sylace slashed at the air right above Elis' head, drawing blood from an invisible creature.
"A boogeyman."