Reaver's Fallen Kingdom

Chapter 1

      I awoke to the distant voice of the town crier announcing the present morning. I sat up and stretched before lifting the thick blankets and draping my legs over the side of the bed.
      I got dressed and wrapped the same thick black ribbon around my neck that I always wore, it covered the scars I got from being shocked by the collar in the spire. I walked down the main staircase to enter the study, also the place where I kept my travel supplies. I stuffed all of the diary entries Reaver left for the individual who usurped his home into my bag, and that individual was me. I took a sip of ale and prepared myself.
       Today was the day that made it exactly one year since Lucien had fallen. In that year I had managed to lose myself. Soon after his death I realized that his fall alone would never quench my undying thirst for revenge, and that no amount of revenge would ever bring Rose back. I chose in the spire that day to give life back to innocents, but that did not bring my sister back.
       I spent 12 months drinking, gambling, killing, and overall under-appreciating the life that I had been given twice over. I decided that today would be the day to redeem myself.
       Theresa told me that once Wraithmarsh had been a beautiful village called Oakvale, the one she herself lived in, but had been destroyed by a young man afraid of death. From the diary entries he left, I could only conclude that man was Reaver.
       I was going to Wraithmarsh, to discover anything else I could about the fallen village, and the tragic story behind its destruction.
       I walked through the corrupt and contaminated streets of Bloodstone, it truly was Reaver's city. I shopped in and owned stores throughout the town, but my efforts to improve the economy only did so much.
       I soon reached the outskirts of Bloodstone and the beginnings of Wraithmarsh. I hadn't been in a real fight in months, and a few days in Wraithmarsh was a great way to get me going again, it was a very stupid way aswell. However, I was still only 29 years old and an excellent fighter, it means that the chance of me dying is unlikely.
     Soon the solid ground turned into mushy and damp mud and the trees began to grow less and less lively. Before I knew it I was in the Wraithmarsh cemetery and discovered an unfamiliar path. It dead-ended to a small drop into some shallow water that surrounded a large and steep hill. I vaulted down and followed what I assume was once a path.
        After a good amount of walking I found a small building. The walls and floor were rotted and the roof had been ripped of in some areas. The state of the building was routine for Wraitmarsh; however, the contents were not. Inside were several cribs and small beds, this home was an orphanage.  I took a closer look at the sign outside. For being stuck in Wraitmarsh for hundreds of years, it was still legible. It read " Ursula's Home for Little Lost Souls ".
     I remember when Reaver and I escaped through the secret tunnel in his house. He told me a story of a woman he knew named Ursula.
    " I suppose this was her establishment once, more details I guess. " I said aloud to myself. I reached into one of the cribs, underneath one of the blankets was a dust covered bear, a few gentle tears fell down my cheeks. There were remnants of a skeleton in rhe crib, too small a skeleton.
     I placed the bear  back inside and covers it with the blanket. The shadow court truly knew no bounds. Reaver couldn't have possibly had an idea of what was to come.
     The fog covered sun was going down quickly and I needed to find somewhere to hole-up fast. I made my way to the drowned farm and walked into one of the more sturdy houses. I blocked the doors and windows with wardrobes and other worn pieces of furniture. I laid on the the damp floor and tried to sleep as much as I could.
        The small sound of sleep I got was plagued with nightmares. For the remainder of the night I sat up, reading Reaver's diary entries over and over again until the foggy sun arose again.