Arc 720, 16th of Ymiden
Darius' eyes stung as soon as he opened them. The sulfur, which had already invaded his nostrils, and had made his throat feel as though he had swallowed a mouthful of ash, was so strong that his eyes began to water, his already clouded vision becoming blurred. As he squinted, forcing his eyes to remain open, he saw that smoke surrounded him in every direction. It shone with an orange glow, and seemed to originate from nowhere and everywhere all at once. It gave off a heat that threatened to suffocate him, though it never quite followed through, and his lungs strained to be filled.
The human felt something shift beneath his feet and his startled gaze dropped down to investigate. He suddenly realised that he was standing on a narrow rock structure that stretched so far into the distance that he could not see its end. He turned around to find that he could not see its beginning, either; just a seemingly endless tightrope made of rock...
His foot suddenly slipped, and Darius felt his heartbeat thumping against his chest. Somehow, he was able to catch himself as small pieces of rubble crumbled away from beneath his feet and fell into the dark abyss below.
He did not hear them land.
Just as panic threatened to set in, a familiar voice called out, the words echoing their way through the vast chasm.
"Don't fail us, lad."
"Da?"
Darius spun around, hopeful that he might see his father, and the smoke began to part. In the distance, beyond the bridge, he saw a figure, but he couldn't make out its features. Even though his vision was strained, he instinctively knew that it was not Josef Baer who stared back at him.
"Da!" he called out all the same, desperation in his voice.
But as he went to move closer to the figure, his foot slipped again, and more detritus tumbled away into the darkness. And then, barely a trill later, the apparition disappeared into a cloud of orange smoke, and Darius was all alone once more, stranded on a narrow bridge and surrounded by sulfuric heat.
The human felt something shift beneath his feet and his startled gaze dropped down to investigate. He suddenly realised that he was standing on a narrow rock structure that stretched so far into the distance that he could not see its end. He turned around to find that he could not see its beginning, either; just a seemingly endless tightrope made of rock...
His foot suddenly slipped, and Darius felt his heartbeat thumping against his chest. Somehow, he was able to catch himself as small pieces of rubble crumbled away from beneath his feet and fell into the dark abyss below.
He did not hear them land.
Just as panic threatened to set in, a familiar voice called out, the words echoing their way through the vast chasm.
"Don't fail us, lad."
"Da?"
Darius spun around, hopeful that he might see his father, and the smoke began to part. In the distance, beyond the bridge, he saw a figure, but he couldn't make out its features. Even though his vision was strained, he instinctively knew that it was not Josef Baer who stared back at him.
"Da!" he called out all the same, desperation in his voice.
But as he went to move closer to the figure, his foot slipped again, and more detritus tumbled away into the darkness. And then, barely a trill later, the apparition disappeared into a cloud of orange smoke, and Darius was all alone once more, stranded on a narrow bridge and surrounded by sulfuric heat.