An Old God’s Dream.
Rhett had spent the waking time of the day preparing for the worst, the mental wards were placed upon him and he’d readied his steel for the battle to come. For why would he not go where his brother dared to venture? The Old God’s lair, his city, it was not a joke to venture anywhere near this chaotic evil of the dark. Was Rhett a hero of Azeroth? Not at all, he was merely here as he had been explained to aid in keeping the forces of dark back long enough to allow the heroes to vanquish the old one from this world. That was his goal, just as it had been in Zandalar. Do just enough fighting to get told there was victory and go home.
It was not so simple, the fighting occurred almost as soon as they entered the dark gateways. Rhett found himself lost, a dark warping of his mind blinded him from his own people. His own assigned group to stay with. “ROLAND?!” He shouted for his younger brother, he was amongst the group. “Go home Rhett. Stay home where you belong.” He heard the retort. *No, no that couldn’t be Roland why would he say that?* “Go back home with your weak mind. You aren’t capable of understanding anything, why did you think I lied to get you here? I can’t trust you with the truth of it. You aren’t fit to lead our family, you aren’t fit to be here. Die here and I will do what you cannot.”
In that moment Rhett turned in the dark hallway. There were so many versions of his twin and himself surrounding him, all laughing. “Why do you think you’re here? You **aren’t** wanted by your kin. They wanted you here to die. We will keep you.” The visions grinned maniacally. Normal teeth turned wicked and sharp and the creatures charged. “No. No...NO! HELP!” No help came, Rhett had turned too far off of the path. Where else to go but further down this wicked hallway? He was overwhelmed, the creatures tackled and gnawed. They took his sight and his memories, they fed on what little sanity he had and his barriers waned in those fleeting moments. Was this the end? He pondered this; a weak moment of clarity as he felt his neck and arms torn at, broken. His arm breaking snapped him out of it and caused him to shriek in a horrible mix of terror and pain. That was it! The scream brought someone of the Light he couldn’t see, for his eyes had turned black like the night with what the creatures injected with their bites. Their venom. “Roland?! ROLAND!” But this was not Roland.
He was scooped up, told to walk forward. Was this another vision? Another lie? No, he had to believe some sort of end was nigh whether good or bad. He saw the walls crawl, the ceiling writhe. Is this what the Ren’dorei bore witness to? The sickening sights? The whispers? He felt the dark gnawing at his every fleeting thought. Hours after he’d begun this walk he’d fought, crawled, and bled on the floors. Salvation came when he saw a rift. Someone called for the fighters to run toward it, for the fight was ending. “RETREAT! Take the portals! Get out of here!” *Had the heroes done their work?* Rhett hoped. He pulled himself together despite the venom blurring him, so much damage he couldn’t see. He knew his arm was broken. He knew his sight was still blurry at best. Poisoned, but with what? He had no idea, the military never warned him about anything like this.
The feeling of entering a rift portal so broken and battered felt...well he threw up what little was in his system upon exit. “Dusk...fallen...are we...in...fallen?” He groaned to someone. Anyone? He wasn’t where he was supposed to be...those that found him frowned. Just like that he collapsed too, blacked out and unable to fight how tired he felt any longer. He didn’t even feel those that found him pulling him into a medical cot.
Everything felt like a blur, what was reality or a nightmare? He had no idea anymore. He woke up in someone’s care, screaming as his arm was set and put in a sling. Whoever found him kept him for medical work, surely this was reality then? He was safe. “You’ll get to go wherever you’d like once this wears off. Where...where would you like to go?” A voice asked, the lights were blinding. Where did Rhett want to go? “Duskfallen...take me there. In...Duskwood.” He couldn’t go home like this, that much he knew. So, another portal was opened, another rift he’d get sick in. When he exited it he found himself at the front door, staring. How long had it been? A day? Two? Not a clue was had on his end, he’d made it back however. Somehow.
(Haven’t posted in awhile but this is Rhett’s adventure into the open doors of Ny’alotha. He blames his brother for everything. @roland-vanburen)
