Shadowbane

~A city deep in the southern regions on the Elven planet.~

~Alicia POV~

"I-I'm sorry Alicia, I don't know what's come over me today. I keep ruining your makeup..." Sarah said.

"It's fine! How about you go take a break for now? This past week has been so stressful, we've been working nonstop preparing for my wedding today. You know I would never blame you for being worn out!"

"Yeah... Yeah, that must be it. I'm gonna go rest up a bit before the ceremony, is that okay?"

"Of course it is! I'll finish the makeup myself, so you go take a long rest. You deserve it bestie." I said, hugging Sarah.

Idiot, I can see tears welling up in your eyes. Is it really that painful seeing me marry the man you love? You should have said something instead of staying silent when I began courting him.

"Thank you, I'll see you in the chapel..." Sarah said meekly.

She let go of me, turning around and walking out of the room with all the energy of a ghost.

So annoying... I always hated this part of her. Just say what's on your mind already!!

Sitting down in the chair, I stare at the mirror for a bit before deciding I'll finish my makeup later.

I'm not in the mood anymore, even on my wedding day she drags me down. I'm also at fault for remaining friends with her so it annoys me even more. Not that I have any other friends left... They all moved away after graduating college. A few even moved to the Elven continent in hopes of making it rich ruin diving.

"They're probably long dead by now... I hate this. Why couldn't everyone stay here?"

... Speaking of ruins, what is this creepy ass temple we're getting married in? I knew my fiance was a nerd at heart but this is beyond weird. There are all sorts of bizarre trinkets on the walls made up of teeth and bones. Strangest of all though, is the idol centered in the back of this room.

Standing up, I walk over to the idol, finding myself weirdly captivated by the craftsmanship.

"I believe they call this creature a 'hydra'? I'll need to ask my fiance later, he would know."

I've also felt a strange pull towards the dagger laying at the base of the idol. I don't like weapons, they've always frightened me. So why... Why have I looked over at this dagger at least once a minute since I entered this room?

I can't help but feel mesmerized as I stare at the weapon. An intricately designed golden handle with a hydra carved into it, with a long curved blade.

It looks like the blade is made of copper, but that doesn't seem quite right. It's almost... Sparkly? I feel like I can see through it... And I can't resist this urge to use it. Use it how? I have no idea. I don't even know why I'm so enamored with it... I'll just pick it up for awhile, surely that will be enough. If not, I'll steal it. Yeah, this will make a perfect wedding gift for myself.

I reach out to pick up the dagger, wrapping my hand around the handle. As I grab the handle, the world around me changes instantly.

"W-WHOA WHAT?!"

Whirling around, I see I'm still in the same room, except there are cages everywhere and the idol is no longer here. Inside of the cages there are a multitude of different races I've never seen before, and a few I recognize. In one cage there is an Elf couple sitting next to what looks like a humanoid crocodile with black wings.

What... What is happening right now?

The door connecting to a hallway that leads to the main chapel bursts open as a tall lizard-like creature walks through. Upon seeing me it stops in its tracks, surprised. It then looks around at the cages, checking the locks, before looking back at me again while rubbing its chin. A few seconds later it runs out of the room, yelling in a strange tongue.

The cages around me begin rattling as those inside scream for my attention. Looking at them, I see them pointing to a keychain on the wall.

None of this is real. It can't be. I'm just a secretary who was about to get married to an architect. I'm not actually here... This is nothing more than an illusion I'm sure.

Oh right! One of the relics the Elves found was said to show you fake worlds if you put it over your eyes. I didn't put anything on my eyes but I'm sure it's that! The dagger must activate it, so all I need to do again is touch it to turn the relic off.

Turning around, I quickly remember that the idol is no longer here, nor is the knife.

But... But this isn't...

Behind me the Lizardman runs back into the room, dragging a taller, much older Lizard behind it who's covered in trinkets. The same trinkets I saw back in the temple.

"Gesha? Nufula rim disa?" The old Lizard says, pointing at me while looking at the other Lizard.

The other Lizard shrugs, then walks over to me and picks me up, carrying me out of the room.

"This isn't real... Please don't let this be real."

The Lizard looks down at me, then begins laughing while saying something back to the old Lizard, who also begins laughing soon after.

Upon entering the chapel, I'm met with a much different scene from the one I witnessed earlier when peeking in on my ceremony. Gone are my family members mingled together with my fiances family, and in their place is a bunch of six to eight feet tall Lizardmen who are forcing several different races to kneel in front of them.

The Lizard carries me over to the front bench near the altar, placing me down onto it.

"Stay." The Lizard said.

In his place, the old Lizard sits next to me, waving towards the back.

"Rivine Ma, gushu!!" The old Lizard said.

Cheers erupt as another Lizardman drags his male human prisoner towards the very same altar. Atop the altar is the very same hydra idol I saw earlier, with the dagger still resting at its base.

Once near the altar, the Lizardman let go and stood to the prisoners side as it began clapping while saying the word "Gefa!" over and over. The rest of the Lizardmen joined in, creating a chorus of claps and Gefa's. This was not an angry chant, the Lizardmen were very pleased with what was happening. As the human reached out for the dagger they became even more excited.

The prisoner grabbed the handle and immediately screamed out in pain as a loud sizzling noise emanated from his hand. When he pulled his hand back, I could see a large burn mark in the shape of a handle across his palm. The Lizardmen began laughing while clapping in a different way, the kind you'd hear after a band finished singing a song.

The Lizardman gently wrapped the mans hand in some kind of gauze that immediately made him stop crying out in pain. He looked at his hand confused before the Lizardman guided the human towards a portal near the side of the procession.

"He go home. Not worthy." The old Lizard said to me.

Even someone as dumb as me could understand what was happening now. There is also no denying anymore that is obviously real, the smell of his burned flesh almost made me puke.

"So if I um, grab the handle and it burns me, you'll send me home?"

The old Lizard nods, then waves to the back again.

One by one the prisoners tried to grab the dagger, and every single one of them was burned. Until eventually, I saw what happened when someone could actually grab the dagger. A young boy with purple horns and a tail, picked the dagger up and stared at it confused for a few seconds. The room went quiet as the Lizardmen stopped clapping and entered a praying pose with their hands. The boy then seemed to come to an understanding all on his own, gripping the blade backwards with it pointed at his chest, plunging it towards himself.

I was going to scream in response, but the boy disappeared the second the dagger pierced him.

"W-What...?"

"He go home. Chosen, one of us now!" The old Lizard said.

The cheers from the Lizardmen died out as a loud horn could be heard outside. Immediately the Lizardmen armed themselves, running out of the chapel in a hurry. For some strange reason I followed after them up till the exit of the chapel. The Lizardmen were fast, they were already a good distance away from the chapel, sprinting through the marsh-like environment towards the horns blaring out in the distance.

It was very far away, but I could just barely make out what had caused the Lizards in a watchtower to call for help. There were a couple of large black creatures with spider-like legs and what appeared to be a face with no features. They had a large row of teeth I could see from here, but no eyes, nose, or ears. No hair at all either.

Wait, this is my chance! It brought me here, surely touching it will take me back. Please let it take me back...

I run back into the chapel, heading straight for the altar and picking up the dagger.

My hand doesn't burn, and I definitely feel the same sensation I had during the first event. However, the temple still looked the same. The only difference being that I hear nothing outside. No more horns blaring or sounds of combat.

Walking back to the exit, I see with my own eyes that I was indeed transported again, but this was not the planet I grew up on.

A long desolate landscape expands outwards in every direction. There are no hills or mountains in sight, only one giant empty world. The only thing here is a city nearby that has long since decomposed to the brutality of time. I don't recognize the architecture at all, it doesn't look like it was even designed to house humanoid creatures. The most surprising of all though is...

"There is no atmosphere...".

The 'sky' consists of stars and brightly shining planets. One of the planets is so close I swear I can see artificial lighting on large portions of the landmass.

"How can I breathe...?"

None of this makes any sense. The knife, the Lizards, this planet... And yet, I don't feel the desire to go home at all. It disappeared at some point while I was admiring the landscape. So bleak, empty, alone, devoid of anything and everything... And so very comfortable.

Yeah... I think I'll stay here for awhile. I can get married another day.

How much time has passed since I came to this world? Many years for sure, easily well over fifty. Despite nobody being here, I never once felt lonely or despaired. I spent my days preparing for what is to come, relishing every moment of it. That much was a given, considering what happened. Soon after I made the decision to remain on this planet, he began speaking to me. No... Speaking to me is too direct. I was made to understand certain things that I was unaware of before.

For instance, this area is my soul realm that I heard so much about from my magic-obsessed friends back home. Except mine is a little different, this area, actually exists in the real world. People from that planet can see me if they look up with a telescope. How such a thing came to be, is because it was preordained this way. From the moment I was born, I was meant to come here and serve my Lord. I am of the 'Nufula', one whose soul was touched by Lord Terra'ka.

He did warn me that it was possible something could have gone wrong, leading me to becoming... A career secretary? I think that's what I was... I have a hard time remembering what I was doing before I came here. I stole a man my friend loved because... Reasons? No idea why I did that, I can't even remember what he looks like, nor do I care anymore.

The prisoners back at the chapel were not destined to serve, they needed to be tested first. Only those Lord Terra'ka had reached out to and touched were able to be marked as chosen ones. In my case, I had a dead Eldritch parasitizing my soul. Eventually, it would have grown strong enough to devour me and burst out, reviving somewhere in the world. Except in this case, it was a blessing. Not even the Lord can mess with our realm without assistance or a proper level of corruption taking root on the world he intends to meddle with. However, an Eldritch soul feeding off of a soul from our realm, that he was able to reach out and touch, turning the Eldritch's soul into strength for my own.

It's crazy to consider how this soul realm of mine was created back when I was still in the womb... Just sitting here all these years, waiting for me to reach out and access it.

I stand up from my meditation pose, walking back towards the temple in the distance. My temple.

As I enter the chapel, the Lizardwoman cleaning a nearby booth looks up at me wide-eyed, running over to me and kneeling down to enter a prayer pose. I put my right hand on her head as I pass by, a sign of thanks among their kind.

Walking straight up to the altar, I grab my dagger and feel the scar on my chest pulse.

Between my breasts I've always had this long scar ever since I was a baby. Everyone always said it was a strange birthmark to be born with. If only they knew how strange it really was...

Images of different worlds where the temple exists enter my mind. I choose the one I came from, somewhere I have not been in a very long time. Shortly afterwards, the wedding preparation room appears before me. The mirror is open and there is a set of makeup laid out next to it.

I'm crashing a wedding huh? Strangely, that looks like the makeup I used to use.

The door connecting to the hallway opens up, revealing a tired looking Sarah.

"What...?" I stare at her baffled.

How can this be? There's no way I imagined the amount of time I spent over there. Hang on, is that my makeup kit?!

"Where have you been?! We've been looking all over for you for two hours now! Jeffrey's parents are losing their minds, they think you took off." Sarah said.

Jeffrey? Oh... Oh right, that's my fiances name. I think he had brown hair... Or black? Eh, either way.

"I am in fact taking off. You can have him by the way, that man you're in love with for reasons I can't remember."

"Eh...?"

Sarah stared at me open-mouthed for a few seconds before regaining her composure.

"You're leaving? Wait, you're also ditching the wedding?? I don't understand you at all Alicia... Why are you always messing with me like this? As if taking him wasn't enough, now you're...!" Sarah said, glaring at me.

"There you go, let your emotions out. This is what you should have done from the start. Now go cheer up... Jason? He'll be distraught after learning that I'm leaving. Take advantage of that and weasel your way into his heart."

After saying my peace, I turned around and walked towards the side door that leads outside.

"W-Wait Alicia! Are you being serious?!"

I will not wait, I've prepared a long time for this. It's now time to return the favor to Lord Terra'ka. First, he wants me to watch and learn from the invasion of a new moon that passed the corruption levels necessary for him to create a portal there. It can only sustain so many forces at the current level, but it should be enough to capture the nearby village. One of his Lords that ascended to an Eldritch god is leading the assault. It evolved into an appearance that vaguely resembles a cobra and now has magic that is able to control the weather to a certain degree. It's also able expand the Lords domain much faster, which I find endlessly fascinating. I assume that's also why he was chosen.

After the battle, I will either remain on that moon, or take the battle to the Xerath somewhere among the cosmos. Vile faceless ones that must be destroyed above all else.