Whispers of A Dead Empire

Chapter 46

I pressed through the purple veil of the domain. The clouds wrapped around me and threatened to suffocate me as I pressed through. A few steps forward, the purple haze shifted into a soft grey fog that clung to me. I pushed through it and eventually came out onto a dock.

Motion across my vision made me jump back and grab the handle of my rapier before I relaxed when I saw that they were just words that were being burned across my screen.

The Shore of the River of Lost Souls.

The words lingered for a moment before they shattered like glass and blew away on the wind. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the entire process unfold. Never once have I seen something like that. I heard the others mutter a few short seconds later, and Alinore sent a quick prayer towards Vesteria, her patron goddess. "What in the nine hells was that?" Gunther's voice cut through the thick air like a knife.

"I'm not sure. I think the domain was just telling us where we are, and I think we can expect this at every major location we travel to." The implications of it were astounding. Never has there been a recorded domain that did that. At least not one that I could find during my research. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a small quill with ink, and quickly scribbled down the new finding.

I glanced up and looked around the entrance. Two moons were high up in the sky, in a sky filled with a countless number of twinkling stars. Small groupings of clouds were in the air and moved in small clumps. The air around this river was thick, and not a single noise could be heard. Even the light seemed to be off, but I couldn't put the finger on why. The river was still and reflected the light like a steel mirror. But something caught my eye on the river bank. It was a golden glitter of a handful of coins. I walked towards the river bank and reached out. If the domain was going to give me free money, who was I to say no?

Just as I reached out intending to take the money, a slimy grey hand reached out from the water and wrapped itself around mine. It yanked me forward with almost inhuman strength. Whatever stupor I was in immediately vanished, and I fought against the hand. The surrounding water rippled and slowly rose, forming into another hand that reached out towards my face. Whatever was grabbing me had a steel grip and was colder than anything I had ever experienced before. I planted my feet into the ground and pulled back with all my strength as I fought against whatever was pulling me down. "Guys, give me a hand," I yelled out as I struggled.

I felt a few pairs of hands grab me and pull me backward. For a brief second, the handheld firm before it let go and sank back into the river. I fell backward onto my teammates, and my heart pounded roughly in my chest. "What was going through your mind when you did that, Redrick?" Gunther's voice tore through my thoughts, rage filling his voice.

"I don't know. I glanced at the river, and something overtook my senses. Did you think I would be as stupid otherwise?" I retorted as I stood up and dusted off my pant legs. Alinore stepped forward, and a dull blue light shone in her eyes as she looked over the river.

"He's right. The entire river is laden with enchantments, and swimming across might prove difficult" Her eyes dimmed back to their regular color as she stepped back. Gunther's face relaxed as he realized I didn't do it intentionally.

"Let's investigate the area and see what we can use to move across the area." Through my readings, I saw that domains had to make it possible to cross through the entrance. But what did we have to do? I stepped onto the docks and looked around. The wood looked old and worn, and dozens of barrels and crates sat on its surface. Large lamps lined the length of the dock and cast a faint glow that struggled to pierce the haze. Parts of it branched off yet were devoid of any ships. Just a boundless lonely wooden structure.