Week@HS Revival - Week #9

"Today is a good day to die", was the thought that flashed through Truth's mind as his lifeblood oozed away.

As he closed his eyes to await the inevitable, his thoughts wandered back to the events that put him here.

As a Drow, he had always had an affinity for webs. He knew that if threads were woven properly, they could create a beautiful realm. But as the realm gets bigger; the delicate threads become more difficult to defend.

That was the way of this invasion. The Soulborgs had developed new ways to spread carnage. Simple automatons that did nothing more than stain a particular thread. At first, they were harmless, but when massed they could destroy the delicate web that was woven. These soulborgs, or bots, as they had come to be known, began sniping at the edge of Truth's kingdom. When the invasion began, the bots were easy to destroy, but more would replace them. The invasion started in a small corner of his domain, but soon it spread...like a black plague.

Truth knew they had found a way in...and they were getting meaner...and bolder. Truth understood, if the dark tide was not stopped, his entire realm would be overrun and destroyed.

He set out to defend his realm.

For months he hunted and exterminated bots, but he could not figure out where they were getting in. He hunted and hunted to no avail.

Upon a suggestion of the high priestess of Bunjee, he looked in the hall of memories. There in the building, behind paintings of warriors and battles past, he found the black portal. He prepared to cast the incantation to seal the portal forever.

Truth shouted, "Klaatu Barada..." But he was interrupted by a wave of bots streaming from the portal.

Truth fought valiantly...timed every strike...measured every step...but the wave of evil slowly overpowered him. He was eventually forced back into a wall. The bots, sensing the weakness, swarmed to attack. He might have prevailed, but his battle was halted by a random blow to his sword hand. The silver shaft clattered on the ground covered in crimson.

The world seemed to stop for both attackers and defender. Truth knew he could not fight off the invasion, and the bots knew they could destroy him if they pounced together. Like a pack of wolves, they massed for one final rush.

"Today is a good day to die", was the thought that flashed through Truth's mind as his lifeblood oozed away.

He closed his eyes to await the inevitable. He braced for the night to be drawn on him.

"SHRAAAAACK!!!!" was the sound he heard suddenly. He opened his eyes to see what devilry the bots were unleashing on him, but he was blinded by a harsh blue light.

As his vision returned, he noticed small details. Instead of a horde of writhing soulborgs, there was a pile of robot corpses surrounding a man in a black cape. The stranger's head was bent down...obviously exhausted.

Truth forced his seared throat to utter speech, "Th...th...thank you my friend...What can I call my savior?"

The stranger looked up at him with piercing blue eyes...the unnatural glow burning into Truth's memory forever..."Aldin"

Truth has barely escaped death at the hands of the iron-cold bots. However, the portal still remains open, welcoming any soulborg to go through it and engage the two weary heroes on the other side. What will befall Truth and his mysterious friend, Aldin? Will, before they can close the portal, the bots overwhelm them and drive them from the Hall of Memories? Will, despite their attempts, the portal somehow resist Truth’s mysterious incantation? Or will something no one could have anticipated happen? Only you can know. Only you can write the second chapter, and determine the fate of our heroes.