The Search for Power

[Strazio Rockwell]

Welcome to the Pale Moors, place of desecration and darkness and death. It was only fitting that a devil such as Dracula would make his home here. A slight smirk crawled across my face, I would be lying if I didn't feel a sort of giddy anticipation. My boots crunched against the muddy gravel road, I was unsure of where to go, but in this place of damnation I got the feeling that action would find me sooner rather than later. A thick haze hung in the air and everything was silent, except for the sound of my boots crunching against that gravel path. For hours I walked, hood drawn and silent slogging forth into the unknown and unfamiliar, oh god how it was boring.

The gravel path came to an abrupt end, as if the road itself was swallowed by the gloomy drear of the moors.Stretched out before me was a decaying swampland, vast and ominous. The occasional groan and creak of dying trees called from the marsh. THe rancid water bubbled and frothed, entranced and perhaps a bit naive I watched the water curiously. From the murky depths below a black tendril, slimy and slick launched forth. Instinctively I pumped energy into my legs and jumped to the side, narrowly dodging the tentacle. My feet skidded across the muck-covered gravel and I fell my knee.

"Shit" white lightning sparked across my body and I tried to move fast enough to avoid the inevitable. The thick ropey tendril slammed into me and sent me tumbling into the ditch besides the road. My arm roared with energy as I tried to charge a blast, but the creature wrapped its fleshy appendage around my chest and pinned my arms around my waist, The energy diffused and fizzled as I was drug deep into the murky swamp. Deep below the the rancid bog the creature dragged me. I came face-to-face with a large blood-shot eye as large as a dinner plate.
I had to think fast, the creature was crushing my torso and trying to force air from my lungs. My body sparked with white-hot magick, energy arced into my core and began to well up. A wicked beak was brought to bare, revealing a gaping maw with rows of razor teeth. The creature brought me close to the snapping, grabbing beak. Deep in my chest the roiling energy bruised my already burning lungs. Mere inches from death I released the stored energy in a devastating shockwave. The tendril wrapping around my torso was incinerated and the creature was probably blind and burnt from the explosion. Using my remaining energy I swam towards the surface. I breached the surface of the water and took a deep breath. The disgusting water stung my eyes and nose, but that was better than being eaten alive by a disgusting bog creature.

This place was much more dangerous that I originally thought, I needed to be more careful and alert. The water was thick and soupy, but the creature seemed to not be interested in my anymore and I was able to easily swim to relative safety. My body was sore and I took a few moments to catch my breath and squeeze the water from my cloak. The gravel path was no where to be found and I had completely lost my bearings. Then I realized that my leather book was soaked, every page was completely drenched with that rotten water. Frantically I opened the book, but the pages melted into a soupy mess. A lifetime of work gone in an instant, gone with one mistake.

My fury peeked. I yelled out in vain and charged an attack. I launched a bright white lance of energy into the swamp, than another one and another one. I didn't stop assailing the pool of water until my arms burned and the water began to boil. Dejected I threw my ruined tome into the water and launched one final lance to make sure.

"Dammit"