[ WP ] A great evil was sealed away centuries before . A new threat rises and an unlikely band of adventurers races to prevent the seal from being broken . They arrive too late , but what is released is n't what anyone expected .

`` What did you see this time, my friend?'' 
 
 I slowly sat up, eyes blinking, trying to take in the scene. Rays leaned over me, his hand on my shoulder. His mouth was a thin line, his whole posture tense and exhausted. 
 
 `` I saw a figure..'' 
 
 It was hard for me to speak. It was as if my body had died in my hours of sleep, only to be brought back to life now. I felt like a newborn, learning to move again. 
 
 `` He stood at the edge of a large cliff and the valley beyond.. it was.. it was in ruins, Rays. And although it was so far away from me, it felt as if I could see every soul that had lost its life.. they stared up at me.. no.. not at me, at the figure.. and they cried endless rivers of tears and blood..'' 
 
 The lean elf nodded slowly, his eyes closing as if understanding, only that it seemed.. tainted, almost as if disgusted. `` What happened then, Talaman? ``, he asked. I tried to remember, but it became increasingly hard. 
 
 `` I think.. I looked on in horror.. I saw bodies, mutilated beyond recognition.. I saw children wander the ruins, searching for their parents, I saw huge crosses all throughout the city.. bodies nailed to them, their skin a burned ruin. Then I started walking towards the figure.. a confidence filled me then, Rays, as if I knew that person, as if I.. belonged.. and slowly, the figure turned to me and I saw..'' 
 
 A sharp pain went through me then, made me scream in agony. I felt nothing but the firm touch of my friends hand, his nails digging ever deeper into my skin. A bright light overtook my vision. Then, darkness. 
 
. 
 
 `` Are you awake, my friend?'' 
 
 I slowly sat up, eyes blinking, trying to take in the scene. 
 
 `` Yes, Rays, I am ready, let us resume our march, shall we?'' 
 
 The light skinned elf nodded in agreement, a slight smile on his lips, his stature relaxed as always. He seemed so assured, a quality no doubt granted to him by his centuries of lifetime. We packed up our belongings and continued our journey on horseback. The forest prevented most of the light from shining through its dense crown, but here and there a streak of sunshine illuminated our path. It almost seemed to follow us. 
 
 `` How much further do you think we have to go? ``, I asked. 
 
 `` Not much longer. I think we will arrive before dusk. ``, Rays answered, looking sternly ahead. 
 
 I studied him for a while, thought back on all that we had lived through together. Through all of my troubled lifetime, he had been at my side. He had taken me in when I had been but a child. He had raised me as if I had been his own, regardless of the obvious differences between his race and mine. He was a elf, destined for a long life full of power and knowledge. I was but a human. Although we ruled this world, it always felt to me as if we were less entitled to it. Everything we earned we had taken by force, not through wit or wisdom. Our ability to stare into the faces of thousands of dying creatures and not so much as blink an eye had made us who we were. Even though today this world lived in harmony, I could never help but feel that this world was on the brink of destruction.. but maybe that was because it was the truth. That was the reason why Rays and I had been sent out, him being the most knowledgeable of all historians and me being his loyal companion. We were to travel to the Rim of The World, or so they called it, along many other such groups of adventurers like us. We were to meet up with these adventurers at the top of a giant mountain to prevent.. well, to prevent what? The king had said something about a great evil that was slowly gaining back its powers. He had told Rays that it *must be done* now or that our world might die forever. I did n't know much about these things, but wherever my family went, I followed. 
 
 My family being one single man. 
 
. 
 
 We arrived at the mountain precisely at dusk. A large crowd had gathered in front of the enormous structure that was known to mankind as The Seal of Tyrants. Many adventures had com from far and wide. Powerful mages, strong warriors, majestic dragons, beautiful witches. A convergence of power that the world had no doubt not seen in many years. It overwhelmed me and above all, made me question my place in all this. The apprentice to a famed historian, nothing more. Even my ideas of Rays capability seemed to falter looking at this gathering of the Powerful. I hadn ‘ t noticed that I had stopped, only barely before making it to the very top of the plateau. 
 
 `` Come on, Talaman, only a few steps now'', Rays said. 
 
 I turned around to look at my old friend and asked: „Why am I here? “ 
 
 `` Why do you ask?'' 
 
 `` It seems like I don ‘ t belong. I don ‘ t have any power, and surly whatever threat attracts as many powerful creatures as the one trying to break free.. it won ‘ t be impressed by a simple scribe who still doesn ‘ t get all his words right.'' 
 
 Rays made a short a pause, a pause in which he seemed to take in every possibility, everything he could do in that moment, everything that needed to be done, and everything he could say. 
 
 `` You are here to.. witness, my friend.'' 
 
 He pushed me to the top of the landing. Heads turned to me, the busy murmur that had been going on falling quiet. Everyone stared at me, and it was clear to me then, that all of them must have felt the Powerless in their midst. I felt like a black hole, its irrelevance sparking the curiosity of the mighty. A large dragon made its way to the front, its black body glistening in the evening sun. 
 
 *You have arrived. * He spoke in my mind, no doubt a message directed towards Rays, shared with me only out of courtesy. 
 
 *We have awaited your arrival for quite some time. A great evil has escaped the Seal of Tyrants, but we came too late. We need to find it and I am sure you will be of great help. * 
 
 Even though I couldn ‘ t shake the feeling that the dragon was talking to me, I didn ‘ t react to his words, waiting instead for Rays to answer. 
 
 `` Ikari, dear dragon, it has been a while. “ 
 
 *That it has been indeed. * 
 
 Rays looked at me then, and for the first time in my life I saw something like sadness in his eyes. I didn ’ t understand why. 
 
 `` Shall we begin then? ``, Rays asked. 
 
 *Yes, it has already been too long, elf. * 
 
 Rays turned to me. `` Talaman, we are selected to be the first to investigate the seal, maybe find some hints as to where this.. tyrant has gone. It is a great honor and you surly don ‘ t understand why we were selected, but just follow me, will you? “ I nodded and followed Rays. The crowd parted, all eyes following our very step. They all seemed so frightened, which in turn scared me. What kind of terrible creature must the Seal have hidden all this time? And what will it do, now that it is free? 
 
 The enormous stone doors came into view. They were larger even than the biggest dragon present, and thicker than all the walls I had ever seen. They gaped wide open, a darkness beyond it that seemed foreign to me. It didn ‘ t look merely black, it rather looked like the absence of everything else. *A black hole. * I stared at it for what felt like eternity, only that eternity seemed to matter nothing to this darkness. 
 
 It had become night all around us, the gathering only illuminated by the many torches now being lit. Rays looked at me, then turned around and gestured me to do the same. It felt uncomfortable to have the Seal at our backs. 
 Rays lifted his arms, his tall silhouette strangely illuminated against the darkness of the Seal. The adventurers formed a half circle around us and the witches started a quiet chant. Then Rays began to speak: 
 
 `` Thousands of years ago, a great evil walked this earth. Nothing he considered worth living and the only purpose of his life was destruction. He killed millions of men and women, wether elf or dwarf, human or dragon. He tortured and murdered, annihilated almost all living beings of this world, growing ever more powerful in the process.'' 
 
 Rays words were hypnotizing to me, the soft chant of the many witches only adding to it. The flames of the torches became blazing crosses before my eyes, and I heard loud cries. I clutched my head between my hands and whimpered quietly, my skull seeming to explode with pain. Pictures of a figure slahed before my eyes.. standing in front of a ruin.. 
 
 `` It was due to the great sacrifice of our gods, who descended to this earth to die in the process of chaining the creature, that we now stand here, alive, and well. For many years though we have lived in fear, for the gods were not able to destroy the Terrible One. They had but extracted all of his powers, the evil in his blood like poison to their hearts. Before Death himself took his last breath, he uttered his last words to me:'What once was will never die. What one did can not be forgotten. It will come a time when the evil in his heart will seek to walk the earth once more. Our sacrifice will be for naught if you don ’ t keep his mind from remembering it ’ s true power. He might look weak and helpless to you, but believe me, he can not be killed and everyone who attempts to do so, will fall to ashed under his consuming gaze. When the time comes that you can not prevent him from remembering any longer, you must be prepared.' And he gave me the weekly child, the abomination that he once was reduced to a whimpering human. Then, Death died.'' 
 
 By the time Rays fell quiet, I lay whimpering and crying at his feet. He looked to me and I was barely able to lift my head to meet his eyes. 
 
 `` We are prepared, Talaman, Terrible One, and you shall never walk this earth again'' - and with this, he pushed me into the darkness of the Seal. 
 __________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 I got carried away a little bit in my attempt to `` twist'' this prompt. I hope it is okay for me to post this anyway! 
 
 edit: I also do n't know how to fricking format on reddit. ):
