Kingsley Family/Erik/The Covenant

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Camel

Erik rode a camel across the deserts of Irdalni, He knew he had to get back to Oritolon and fast, and not just because of the desert sun. The Republic was counting on him, the gold in his pockets had been stolen by the desert highwaymen as he crossed through the badlands, but they didn't search the camel's pockets. Or rather the camel's saddlebags. 2000 gold could pay for a lot of repairs and soldiers for the army, and he knew it needed to get in the hands of Aveline and the other knights to help defend the realm from whatever came after Arak Castle.

The heat bore down on him and the camel which he had named Humpus, after the large hump on the creature's back which Erik had learned carried water for several weeks. Erik himself was nearly delirious from his own lack of water, as he had already drank what he had, forgetting that "Carrying a week's worth of water" only applied to the camel. Humpus carried along without issue while Erik lay draped over his back panting heavily, sunburned and blistered from the heat.

As he managed to lift his head up he saw across the horizon a small structure in the distance. He could only barely make it out a small primitive structure.

"Huh." He muttered to himself as he collapsed from exhaustion into Humpus's fur. "Probably just a mirage... Just... ignore it... Humpo..." Erik trailed as he faded out.


Erik awoke to a sharp thud against his whole body as something huge hit him. He was wrong about that however, as it was him that was being pulled to ground. He spit out a mouthful of dust as he came to, having fallen from Humpus's back into the desert dust. The camel merely stood there idly, disinterested in the entire affair.

As Erik looked around drearily he found himself surprised to be at the front steps of a small structure hewn of gray stone, sandswept steps leading up to and open entrance. A sign with some words Erik was too delirious to read marked one of the outer walls.

"Wait fer me here Humphrey..." He mumbled as he began to crawl his way up the steps towards the structure in the hopes of escaping the damnable sun. He collapsed about halfway up to catch his breath, and as he looked to his right he jolted at the sight of a skeleton collapsed on the steps, hand outstretched towards the top of the stairs where the structure's entrance lay. As he jolted back the other way he crashed directly into another skeleton in a similar pose. Erik shouted and a sudden rush of fear struck him as he gathered the extra strength to get to his feet and stumble up the stairs, falling into the entrance, bursting open a black oak door as he collapsed inside.

The light from outside showed a simple rough hewn room with rotted wooden benches set up down the center of the floor. The rest of the room was cast in eerie shadow, and the room was cold as if the sun could not penetrate the stone walls of this bizarre structure. But the light from the sun outside did reveal something. Erik shouted as he saw the benches were filled with more human skeletons. He fell backwards onto the cold stone floor and buried his aching and spinning head into knees. "It's just a mirage..." he muttered.

And then somewhere in the darkness, Erik heard the voice speak out clear as day.

"Is it someone new?"

Candle

"Wake up mortal."

Erik groaned as he lifted his head up into the ground, his head pounding and flesh singed from the desert sun. Everywhere hurt. And it was dark, Erik could not see anything.

"Oh dang!" Erik exclaimed feeling around on the cold stone floor frantically. "I'm blind! Someone help I'm blind! The desert blinded me!"

A candle lit a few feet in front of him, and was set gently on the floor by robed hand which retracted from the radius of the tiny light. "You're not blind, idiot. You're just made of living tissue. Those two squishy balls in your skull are so rudimentary, it's amazing people have survived as long as they have."

"Who are you!" Erik called out, hesitant to press forward through the darkness toward the candle light.

"I should be the one asking you that, mortal. You're the one who barged in on our services. You really caused a scene you know, some of the parishioners in hysterics. A real revival if you know what I mean!"

Erik didn't.

"I don't." Erik admitted.

"Of course not," the voice in the darkness replied in a somewhat resigned tone. "I guess your brain is rudimentary too."

Erik reflexively frowned and crawled across the floor towards the light.

"You know mortal, you're the first living thing I've seen in a while. Putting your gross overly-limiting biology aside, what are you doing here?"

"Uh..." Erik replied unsure how to answer. "I kinda just walked in here. I guess I crawled more than walked. It's hot outside?"

"See mortal, you've got to get rid of that body. Look what it's doing to you. You don't even have control over your own actions because your skin peels just from existing. I can help you with that if you want."

Erik shrunk in the light of the candle. "Actually I like my body and skin and stuff. I'd like to keep it if possible."

"Well suit yourself. You'll grow out of it eventually." replied the voice in the darkness. "Since you're here..." The voice trailed off further into the black. "Might as well make yourself useful. Pick up that candle, mortal."

Not knowing what else to do, Erik obeyed, wrapping shaking fingers around the red wax of the candlestick. "Come on then." Said the voice in the darkness. "Please tell me those legs aren't for show." Erik picked himself up and limped forward feeling his way to a wall which he leaned on as he followed the distant voice which kept chattering away.

"Now you'll need to keep up for this next part. And I don't just mean physically. As a living human, you actually present an interesting opportunity. That is if your brain is actually worth anything. In here."

Erik followed the voice into another dark room and as he approached he saw the figure the voice belonged to, obscured by a black robe and the shadows surrounding them. In their hand he held out an open book which Erik leaned over curiously.

"There are great secrets in the world, mortal. Hidden, lost, or buried in the mountains, sands, and dark forests of this world. What if you were to be granted some of this knowledge, what if you sought it out?"

"Baked fish casserole?" Erik said quizzically as he inspected the recipe displayed on the page.

"What?" The voice in the darkness said confused as they flipped the book around and looked at it. "Oh damn it all. That's the wrong book." The figure snapped the book closed and Erik saw a boney hand set the book down on a nearby shelf and pulled another book this one older looking and dust spilled out as the figure opened it. "No, fool, mysterious symbols of unholy power!"

"Their secret power could be yours mortal, but first you must seek it out and spread this dark knowledge of the Unholy Lord across the Continent."

"Oh I don't really like... do quests."

Erik heard the clatter of bone against bone as the figure moved their skeletal hand up to their hooded head.