NOVEL (Fourth Installment)

 The screech was inhuman in sound and nature, causing windows to shatter and the inhabitants of Fellmoor to keel over in pain. Elon, Audun, and Nat all covered their ears, trying to block out the horrifying sound. But, withing seconds of it's beginning, the screech went silent. Elon slowly removed his hands from his ears, and just as he did so, an explosion of black energy emerged in the form of a portal from the entrance to the town of Fellmoor, and what appeared to be demons began charging out of the dark gateway.

The demonic beings ran through the streets, cutting down any and every living thing they could find, human blood splattering on the ground and severed limbs landing with dull thumps.
"What are those things?!" Audun turned to Elon and Nat, who were looking just as confused as he was.
Nat turned to Audun "It... It must be the Nriin..." Audun's face went pale at Nat's words, held in a fearful stupor. Elon watched over Audun and Nat as they argued over what to do. He looked back and forth across the carnage, the Nriin's trails leaving a scorched path on the ground, when suddenly, a thick fog of black mist began pouring from the portal, and a towering figure in jet black armor stepped from the void, a large flail dragging across the ground, leaving a trail of crimson flame wherever it touched.

Elon turned back to Audun and Nat and shook them out of their argument "We have to leave... Now!" Audun turned, and gave Elon a slight look of displeasure. "Why? we can take them!"
"Well if you want to take him on be my guest!" Audun looked to see the large figure that had just recently materialized from the portal, and watched in horror as the demon swung his giant flail, shredding the flesh and breaking the bones of what people the other Nriin had left behind. Audun looked back at Elon, his face even paler than before. "Right then, off we go."

Elon helped Nat up and began the three began weaving their way between buildings, attempting to evade the demons that were ransacking Fellmoor. The screams of innocent lives being claimed by the Nriin shattered the occasional silence that fell over the town.

Audun kept looking behind him to check and see if the ruthless abominations were trailing them, and to his luck, they were not. Elon turned his head to a familiar voice, peering around a corner to see who it was. It was Brenor. He was swinging a large axe in a wide arc, cutting through multiple Nriin with each swipe, but more and more kept pouring out of the portal. Brenor dropped his axe and ran at the sight of at least thirty more Nriin coming towards him, but Elon turned away before he could see the outcome.

Elon, Nat, and Audun finally reached the edge of town and crept into the nearby forest, not bothering to look back, as Fellmoor was lost. the group began walking northbound, to get themselves as far away as possible from Fellmoor and the South provinces of Forendell.

"Who... or what was that big one?" Audun turned to Nat and raised an eyebrow.
"It must have been Gothran." Nat pulled out a book from his rucksack and flipped through the pages before stopping "According the legend, Gothran's return, as I stated earlier, marks the end of the Forendell and the world itself. He shows no mercy and cares not for the lives of innocents, let alone his own minions." Audun  and Elon both looked at each other, then back at Nat, listening to him explain what they now knew as the Prophecy of Vaniis.



the trio had been walking for almost three hours before they saw a faint pillar of smoke rising from off in the distance. Audun turned to Elon "Do you think that's another Group of the Nriin sacking a town?" Elon stopped to examine the pillar before replying "No, I do not think so, it is too faint."
"Then we might as well take a look." Elon nodded and followed Audun, with Nat close behind. they soon came upon the source of the smoke: a small campfire with an expertly-fashioned wooden chair sitting beside it. Elon, Audun, and Nat began to look around the encampment, looking for anything of use.

Their search was suddenly cut short when Elon heard a rustle in a bush nearby. "Did you hear that?" Elon turned to Audun and Nat, who both nodded and were as alert as he was. Elon slowly approached the bush, with Nat and Audun right behind him. As he neared the bush, a rabbit bolted out from beneath it, startling all three, but then bursting out into laughter and began joking about their reactions to the harmless rabbit.

Their jests were cut short, as someone hadn't taken too kindly to their presence. "now who are you and what exactly do you think you're doing here?". The three of them spun around to see a Dwarf holding an axe to Elon's chest.