Hallow Rise: Prologue

Hallow Rise: Prologue

The rain poured down from above, drowning out the noises of swords clashing. Leonard Dalian watched from the top of the hill in the center of the valley as his soldiers fought. All of the months preparing had come down to one final battle in this dark valley where it was said the spirits of the sinful dead went to suffer for eternity. The warriors in the Order of the Steel Wing were fighting valiantly but their foe, the Lost, was proving to be too powerful. Dalian knew there was only one way to win this war and free the world from the dark plague that was haunting it.

He had to kill Tol'Amen.

Drawing his sword, forged in the Temple of the Infinite by the God-Guardian Sarrah, he knew the time had come.

"Tol'Amen!" Dalian shouted over the rain, "Show yourself!"

A surge of adrenaline coursed through Dalian's body as his chest heaved, the pounding of his heart against the plate armor like a drum. Across the battle-ravaged valley the fabric of the sky appeared to be torn. From within the rift dropped an obsidian-colored orb. Small bands of lightning danced across the dark circle as it hovered over the battlefield. Dalian heard screams from below the hill. A shockwave raced outward from the sphere of dark energy and spilled over the soldiers as they stopped warring and stood awestruck. Within moments the death curdles of the afflicted men echoed off the valley walls as Dalian watched the ghostly vapors of the men sucked into the center of the orb. The empty shells of the soldiers fell to the ground as the dark sphere of energy bulged from its ingestion of stolen souls. Once it had taken over ten souls and was sustained, the dark energy expanded. The Steel Wing leader watched as the demon Tol'Amen appeared.

A barrage of crossbow fire pierced through the air toward the demon. Tol'Amen taunted the archers by stretching his arms outward and pressing his chest forward. The arrows effortlessly bounced off the demon's armor, appearing to be made of entwined bone fragments. The demon lifted its heavy sword and brought it crashing to the earth, slicing the soldiers in half as if they had never been present. In all of his years in the military, Dalian had never saw a blade so sharp. Tol'Amen was a tortured reflection of a possessed man. His skin was a pale shade of blue and his hair unkempt and a hue darker. The demon stood at least a head taller than Dalian. He looked into Tol'Amen's eyes and saw two black holes that he was sure were portals to the deepest, darkest hole in the Nightmare realm. The demon stared at his nemesis.

"Dalian." The demon's voice was deep and powerful. "Surrender"

Dalian's hands tightened around the hilt of his sword as he clenched his teeth.

"This ends now, demon!"

Tol'Amen smiled, his grotesque black teeth jutting from gums like knives. "As you wish."

The two forces charged at each other, blades at the ready. Dalian blocked out the rest of the world. It was only him and the demon. Dalian and the demon collided with an explosion of force that pushed both of them backward.Immediately Dalian was put on the defensive. Tol'Amen's immense strength was too much for him and he was struggling to keep up. If it weren't for the origins and the magic used on his sword, Dalian knew the battle would've been over before it began. Tol'Amen saw the fatigue in Dalian's eyes and used it to intensify his attacks. Dalian had never felt weaker than right then. He lost focus for a second and Tol'Amen capitalized, cutting his arm badly. Dalian gasped and touched the wound. Seeing his blood on his hand reminded him of what was at stake here. If he failed, it would be the world's blood on his hand, not just his own. Regaining strength with this thought, he roared and attacked Tol'Amen with the ferocity of a wild beast. Both adversaries were bombarding the other with attacks that would kill any other person in seconds. But Dalian knew he couldn't keep this up for much longer. Tol'Amen parried a strike. Their blades locked as Dalian and the demon pressed against the clinch, drawing deep breaths as they both tried to sway the other off balance.

"You fight like the rest of your filthy species. Pathetic and weak." Tol'Amen snarled, his upper lip quivering.

Dalian smiled. He saw the demon growing frustrated, regardless of his words.

"Then why am I not dead?" he whispered back as calmly as he could manage.

With a mighty roar, Tol'Amen leapt backwards from Dalian.

"Enough!" he roared over the storm. "This is my world!"

He charged with all he had at the Steel Wing who was still catching his breath. Dalian looked up with wide eyes at the horrifying sight of the large demon approaching. At the last moment Dalian was able to side-step Tol'Amen and stab with his sword, hoping to hit something. Tol'Amen stopped in his tracks, with his mouth agape. Looking down, he saw Dalian's sword had shattered his armor and went right through his chest. The demonic armor stood no chance against steel forged by the God-Guardians. The demon fell to his knees and held the sword. Dalian stared at the dying monster with hatred in his eyes.

The soldiers below, both of the Steel Wing and of the Lost, ceased their fighting and gazed upwards.

"It's over Tol'Amen. You lose." Dalian confronted his foe one last time, taking in the glory of the moment.

A hissing wail escaped Tol'Amen's black lips. The sound shook Dalian and sent a chill throughout his body. It felt as if the laughter had come alive and entered his body, pressing tightly around his heart and choking it. Dalian clenched his chest as it constricted.

Tol'Amen rolled his eyes into the back of his head, as if amused by his imminent demise. "You and I both know something as pitiful as death can't stop me. I'll return stronger than ever, and when I do you won't be here to stop me."

In one last act of evil Tol'Amen conjured up a small dagger and plunged it into the hero Dalian. He fell to his knees in shock, feeling the life ebb out of him. Tol'Amen laughed maniacally as he vaporized into a cloud of smoke, leaving Dalian's bloody sword on the hill.

The Order of the Steel Wing stared up at Dalian kneeling on the hill in a stunned silence. Quickly becoming enraged by the cowardice of the demon, they held their weapons tight. All at once they unleashed all their anger of seeing their dying leader upon the remaining Lost soldiers. The Lost who foolishly fought back were slaughtered immediately, and those foolish enough to run were cut down before they made it to the forest's edge. Only when the valley was flooded with the blood of the Lost and no more were in sight did the soldiers of the Order celebrate. But none cheered or made any noise. They instead raised their swords to their fallen leader. It is said that all across Aveen, when the swords were raised, the people knew that a great evil had been purged.

Faron Hart, Dalian's second-in-command, ran up to his dying friend.

"You did it, Leonard! We've won and that bastard demon is no more." Faron said with a touch of sadness and a bitter smile, knowing his friend would soon be dead.

"He said...he said he would return." Dalian whispered Tol'Amen's evil promise as the claws of death ripped at him and beckoned him into the Astral Plane.

"If he does, we'll be ready. And if we're all gone, future generations will take up the torch." Faron promised Dalian, even though he suspected Tol'Amen would never return. "In your name, the Order of the Steel Wing will keep this land safe from all evil."

Dalian felt a tear run down his face. It was a nice sentiment by Faron, but only Dalian had seen the true darkness and strength of Tol'Amen.

"I hope you're right, Faron. If the Order dies, with it dies the only hope humanity has against the demon's return."

A coldness crept over Dalian, stealing the life from his body. Within moments he had faded away