A Dark Path - Prt 06

Ursa Blacksong - 103rd of Autumn YSTR 112

“I find that there are places in the forgotten parts of the land that are a great deal like those that are forgotten by society. They grow bitter and angry over time and often attract the company of ill companions.”

...

Much like all Requiem established by the Black Order, the one found here had been placed in a lonely vale between two high hills far removed from civil society. Highmarch itself being the closest settlement some six or seven days behind her.

Following the path down hill into the vale proper she could see that the length and breadth of the lands here had long served as hollowed earth where the dead both clean and unclean are put to rest, the entrance guarded by a single lone chapel dedicated to mother and child and blessed in the name of the one goddess and just beyond a small earthen shack where the grounds keeper and his family if he chanced to have one stayed.

Surprisingly she did not need to seek out the grounds keeper here given that he stood not so far from the entrance of his home chopping wood with an old axe. An elder with long ratty white hair and an ill look to him and a sour expression not bothering to offer more than a quick look before he spit whatever weed he chewed into the freshly fallen snow.

“You're late, your friends have already come and gone earlier this morning.” The grounds keeper announced in annoyance. “ Best you just turn ‘round and head back to where you came from.

“No friends of mine.” Ursa smirked collecting a small bag of coins from her belt and tossing them to the elder. .” I counted maybe three on horseback and a dozen sellswords. Was I wrong? ”

“Four…. Four on horseback.” The old man announced as he opened the bag and counted the seven silver coins contained within before frowning his annoyance before stuffing the bag into his shirt. “ … and I counted twenty sellswords all together. That no account High Priest from the temple in Highmarch in the company that over fed Sheriff.”

Collecting her holy symbol she tossed that to the old man as well who only glanced at it briefly before tossing it back with a grim look. “ There is no need for that, I know who you are. Only a priestess of the Black Order would pay an old groundskeeper like me seven silvers when a couple of gold would serve just as well.”

“It's tradition…” Ursa admitted replacing her holy symbol on her belt before tossing the old man a couple more coins. “ Now tell me what guards this place?”

“Nothing Guards this place my Lady. You’ll find no watchful spirits nor guardian horrors lingering about here.” The elder stated plainly. “ The thing that your Order buried here does a good enough job looking after itself. It devours the souls of both the living and the dead that disturb it and has a habit of consuming the magics of weaker relics and fetishes when it’s in the mood to.”

The elder shrugged then. “The undead that have been drawn to this place these past several weeks are all seeking release from their torment and the embrace of oblivion that it offers and they’ll likely kill any man or woman that stands between them and that goal.”

“And do you know what set off this chain of events?” Ursa inquired.

“Indeed…indeed...” The elder nodded slowly. “ There was a heavy rain some weeks back and the thrice damned ceiling of the tomb that contained it collapsed in on itself damaging the protective seals and destroying the stone sarcophagus that the damn thing was held within. The next thing you know its drawing random spirits to like flies followed soon after by all manner of undead things drawn like maggots to a fresh corpse. Those were than followed after by your typical would-be heroes and wannabe-adventurers seeking fame and whatever nonsense they got planted in their heads.”

Ursa sighed. “ So the Priest and his sellswords are not the first to arrive?”

“Not by half…” The elder shook his head. “ There has been four or perhaps five other groups like his in the last week or so as well as maybe a dozen or so stragglers much like yourself following the trails the undead left in their wake. None were members of the Black Ordermind you, just Rogues and Rangers looking types.”

She nodded her understanding. “ And none have yet returned. I take it.”

“Not a one….” The elder nodded his agreement. " If you care for the advice of an old man, I'd turn round and head back the way you came and let others die trying to be the hero."

Ursa smirked. " Now where's the fun in that?"

...