I did the thing

The Accursed mused its existence, decades maybe even centuries had passed.Surely it hadn't slept a entire millennia, it had lost count. Even it's name was gone, only a handful of scattered memories remained trapped within it's empty shell, confined to its miserable state. Bound, restricted and entombed but alive the cold earth carpeted it, hands of soil holding it down clinging frantically not wanting it to escape. Chains of the source threaded around and between each arm and leg, shackles never meant to be removed.

The Accursed was alive still, even after so long without oxygen or food. It should have died. It would have If it were still human, it's twisted Corporis not allowing the sweet relief of death. But Instead the Accursed faced an existence of constant conscious agony, as its body had shut down preserving only its most vital functions. The Accursed had slept only waking in intervals to probe it's prison, slowly waking became meaningless as each gap in time hardly affected the wards imprisoning it. Minutes awake fumbling to unravel it's bonds became months of frantically assaulting the Ward's placements, reaching out with what little source wasn't burnt out of the damned creature during it's accession. The lone black flame, corrupted by it's own thirst for power, danced from rune to rune pressing and contorting seeking to find any weakness or sign of decay in the wards steadfast defense. The evident lack of any would be it's end. The Creature's accursed body needed nutrients and oxygen to survive, it's reserves had reached it's limit, even in unlife starving would be a painfully slow death. Lost in desperation and fear struggling to free itself, the spark and the flame of the source had gone unnoticed. Only as the flame grew did it draw attention, the source was burning and it wasn't the accursed's own.

In the light less core of the void, the Accursed could spot the lone bright yellow flame flickering high above. As soon as the first was spotted more sprouted around it, multiplying with every second, more countless bright flames sprung in to existence. The void quickly became illuminated by the dance of flame across flame, snuffing out one another on contact. A battle was raging above and who ever fought used the source, countless flames dimmed while more brightened. The accursed watched for hours. As the battle raged the flames drawing closer, the wards shimmered and faltering with the sudden pressure of source burning in such a close proximity. With the wards unsteady the Accursed lashed out quickly burning it's own twisted source, the black flame began spreading to entwine the Knot of self sustaining source. The Accursed could feel what had been a taught tangled coil of source was now slack with ends frayed and loosened, its black flame began lighting and consuming the weakened entanglement of source. As each ward fell it was consumed, the Accursed's power grew after starving for so long its hunger would not be stated by mere morsels of old source. The flames above would suffice.

Lovis watched the battle unfold before him. From his high perch he gazed down at the might he could command. The battle of Vallis pass had gone as planned. The Reliqui had grown lax and arrogant in the Nidum, their defiant mountain top fortress, they had never expected an assault. After years of sitting on their hoard of knowledge and treasure, their downfall had begun before they even noticed. Lovis' army of trained Nullam had snuck close using various arts from void walking to warding. The Reliqui guards set on high parapets didn't notice their flames being extinguished, or his Nullam's stilettos gracing their bodies with their presence. The Nullam had made it to the inner winding corrdors and grand halls before the Reliqui had detected their breach, the fighting after was hard and brutal. For hours the battle raged. From lovis' position across from the towering Nidum, the whole of Vallis pass was within view. In the barren pass, small rocky protrusions lined the canyon floor causing deep trenches in some areas. Far below his men, all lesser Nullam, streamed into the Reliqui fortress though a breached gate.

Lovis could spot flames dancing throughout the Nidum. Each vibrant flame was indistinguishable from one another, He had brought the strongest Nullam he could find with him. Lovis had found all dedicated to the cause, any and all willing to sacrifice their lives for a chance to share in the wealth kept hidden in the old fortress. The flames danced from the tallest of battlements to the deepest of the Depths below, The Nullam had caught the Reliqui unaware, smashing their defenses. It was over. The Nullam would eradicate the foolish Reliqui, the Nidum now belonged to Lovis the Dreamless Of House Hiatellidae. He couldn't help but madly chuckle, smiling he turned and began looking between his lieutenants, shock and awe coated their faces. insecurity and indifference had plagued them on the journey,they had expected the Reliqui to rain down lighting and fire to eradicate the army. The thoughts of the Reliqui scorching the land, leaving only nothing but stains to warn against those mad enough to try attack their sanctuary, were shared by many smart enough to understand who the were marching towards. Lovis had been prepared to accept defeat by total decimation, the Reliqui could crush a head on attack but caught unprepared without their wards and traps shielding them Reliqui had floundered trying to set a defensive line.

The Nullam assault was fast and unrelenting, knowing the Reliqui's way of combat and not wanting to be boxed in and purged,the old frail Reliqui were cut down trying to manifest elaborate prisons. Lovis had won the Nidum, with it's fall the Reliqui would be pushed to the brink of extinction, all the knowledge hidden within would be his along with the wealth of a nation. Then suddenly light, a blinding flash of brilliant white began radiating from cracks adorning the bottom of the Nidum. Streaking out in waves of unprecedented amounts of Source, burning with a ferocity Lovis had never seen before only heard of in campfire stories, legends made reality in mere moments before his own eyes. Blinded by the radiant Light Lovis clenched his eyes shut and struggled to Probe with his source, he could distinguish a minuscule black flame gently flicking in the white brilliance. Lovis was entrapped by the dancing flame and forced to watch as it grew steadily gaining in size well past any he'd seen. Before Him a colossal black flame swayed against the white plane. The Damned flame flickered maniacally, writhing and waning. Slowly the white plane began fading to pearl grey and then returned to night black his vision had returned. The Nidum stood but a oily orange glow rolled through every crack and crevice lining the ancient keep, a constant pulse, while dark painted all not lit by the sickly shade orange. All the valiant yellow flames of Lovis' Nullam had gone, all traces of his victory had disappeared.

Even the familiar glow of his companions had vanished. His own flame was so small and dim he could hardly notice its presence. Then it erupted. In an instant the Nidum had changed from stone and metal to molten slag and dust, the sound was deafening a violent roar ripped through the air knocking Lovis to the ground. The barrage of noise continued shaking the entire pass, enormous bouts of black and blue fire began streaming up in to the night sky illuminating the entire valley in its unnatural light. The terrible flame wrought an unnatural feel, even with his flame so diminished and smothered Lovis could sense it. It's Presence could not be missed, an absence as if it couldn't exist. All the lost flames inside were merely stars in the night sky blinking out of existence. Explosion after explosion, bout of flame after of bout flame had knocked Lovis dangerously close to the edge of the perch. He gazed down at what was left of the Nidum. The mighty fortress had been blown outwards showering His army and the pass with molten rock and metal, the grim fields were adorned with smoldering piles of brave men, those who weren't killed instantly died trying to flee the torrent of flame.

The towers of monstrous flames slowly dissipated and began receding into the ruins of the fortress. Nothing remained from what the black flame had touched. The lack of any remainder of the flames' sacredness proved its dark origin. Ash and smoke the holy signs of purity and rebirth were absent, only death clung to those remorseless flames, a bedrock platform had been raked by the flames leaving an abhorrent flatness conflicting with the coarse and scarred land, the ground was adorned with strange white cloth and chains. Concentrating on burning what little source Lovis could muster, sweat began pouring off of him, focusing the source to enhance his sight the distance between lessened. Lovis could spot a lone figure standing unbound surrounded by more chains and cloth, it was Reliqui or vaguely Reliqui. it's arms and legs were ivory white with lean sinewy muscle that shone seemingly incandescent, intricately designed appendages graced the arms and legs reminiscent of strange sea creatures lovis had seen as a child, the grotesque arms of a Polypus an monstrous eldritch horror from the Deep, crept and wound along the white limbs accenting it with their lightlessness.

It's body was clad in shredded rags that barely clung to its small frame, long filth ridden hair hung down covering most of it's head hiding the thing's face. Rapt in awe Lovis couldn't take his eyes off the stationary monstrosity, moments passed that felt like hours between each breath until it moved, a fast and unfamiliar gait two steps forward with it's head downcast almost as if it was assessing the ground in front of it. Suddenly it raised it's Ivory arms inquisitively inspecting itself, the Creature stood their silently gazing in to it's white palms. suddenly It's head shot up, snapping to face him, throwing it's hair back to reveal it's face. Pale delicate features stained with mud gazed up at him, it's eyes were locked on him, it's dark scarlet iris were surrounded by pearl grey sclera the creature's piercing gaze crumbled the last of his courage. Frozen in fear lovis' body was paralyzed, sudden pain flared around his upper body and neck as something irregular and cold writhed and tightened around him. The thing hauled him off the edge carrying him towards the silent survivor, in a desperate attempt to free himself, lovis decided punch the thing entangling him. Fist met soft but firm flesh, cold and bumpy to touch but it gave no budge to his barrage, Lovis could notice tight sucking cups of pressure clinging tightly to him. The underneath of the entire length of arm was covered with grotesque gripping cups, It was a Polypus arm. The horrific night black appendage dragged up memories of Lovis as a child, listening to his grandfather's tales of the Seas and the monsters that inhabited them, once he had made Lovis even eat some Polypus. Lovis couldn't think his mind was ablaze, memories and thoughts barraged him each racing past leaving him stunned.

Where had it come from?. How could it be so large?. Lovis' desperate attempt to perceive and understand what was happening was rudely interrupted by the sudden halted decent and reappearance of the ragged figure, the massive fleshy arm was protruding from behind it's back. The figure examined him it's soft featured face stared deep into his, lovis couldn't help but be in awe of it's beauty the creature's pale symmetrical face was flawless. Seemingly intrigued it reached forward with it's ghostly white arm caressing his right horn, shock and interest clearly plastered on its pale visage. "what are you?" a soft and soothingly beautiful voice barely audible over the wind cut into his heart, Lovis felt weak in her presence, he had learned the retched Reliqui tongue to interrogate the few who traveled the land to even think Reliqui words could sound like such delicate chimes twisted his heart. Speechless he could only stare.

The thing had a dark grey skin tone and sharp blue eyes that had widened as she spoke, she hadn't seen any creature like this before, around average human height with two brown curved horn sprouting from just above its ears. During her imprisonment the world had obviously changed drastically, new kingdoms had surely been carved out by these new arrivals, entire ages had passed while she slumbered. Nevertheless She was free and her hunger had been stated, the flames battling were more then enough to feed her for a few months, this grey one was sentient the tiny flame flickering and its reaction to speech was enough to prove that. Once the flame had settled she would ask it again.