Whispers of a Dead Empire

I pressed through the purple veil of the domain. The clouds wrapped around me and threatened to suffocate me as I pressed through. A few steps forward, the purple haze shifted into a soft grey fog that clung to me. I pushed through it and eventually came out onto a dock.

Motion across my vision made me jump back and grab the handle of my rapier before I relaxed when I saw that they were just words that were being burned across my screen.

The Shore of the River of Lost Souls.

The words lingered for a moment before they shattered like glass and blew away on the wind. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the entire process unfold. Never once have I seen something like that. I heard the others mutter a few short seconds later, and Alinore sent a quick prayer towards Vesteria, her patron goddess. "What in the nine hells was that?" Gunther's voice cut through the thick air like a knife.

"I'm not sure. I think the domain was just telling us where we are, and I think we can expect this at every major location we travel to." The implications of it were astounding. Never has there been a recorded domain that did that. At least not one that I could find during my research. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a small quill with ink, and quickly scribbled down the new finding.

I glanced up and looked around the entrance. Two moons were high up in the sky, in a sky filled with a countless number of twinkling stars. Small groupings of clouds were in the air and moved in small clumps. The air around this river was thick, and not a single noise could be heard. Even the light seemed to be off, but I couldn't put the finger on why. The river was still and reflected the light like a steel mirror. But something caught my eye on the river bank. It was a golden glitter of a handful of coins. I walked towards the river bank and reached out. If the domain was going to give me free money, who was I to say no?

Just as I reached out intending to take the money, a slimy grey hand reached out from the water and wrapped itself around mine. It yanked me forward with almost inhuman strength. Whatever stupor I was in immediately vanished, and I fought against the hand. The surrounding water rippled and slowly rose, forming into another hand that reached out towards my face. Whatever was grabbing me had a steel grip and was colder than anything I had ever experienced before. I planted my feet into the ground and pulled back with all my strength as I fought against whatever was pulling me down. "Guys, give me a hand," I yelled out as I struggled.

I felt a few pairs of hands grab me and pull me backward. For a brief second, the handheld firm before it let go and sank back into the river. I fell backward onto my teammates, and my heart pounded roughly in my chest. "What was going through your mind when you did that, Redrick?" Gunther's voice tore through my thoughts, rage filling his voice.

"I don't know. I glanced at the river, and something overtook my senses. Did you think I would be as stupid otherwise?" I retorted as I stood up and dusted off my pant legs. Alinore stepped forward, and a dull blue light shone in her eyes as she looked over the river.

"He's right. The entire river is laden with enchantments, and swimming across might prove difficult" Her eyes dimmed back to their regular color as she stepped back. Gunther's face relaxed as he realized I didn't do it intentionally.

"Let's investigate the area and see what we can use to move across the area." Through my readings, I saw that domains had to make it possible to cross through the entrance. But what did we have to do? I stepped onto the docks and looked around. The wood looked old and worn, and dozens of barrels and crates sat on its surface. Large lamps lined the length of the dock and cast a faint glow that struggled to pierce the haze. Parts of it branched off yet were devoid of any ships. Just a boundless lonely wooden structure.

I stepped forward, and the structure underfoot let out a groan. "Alright, let's search this dock for clues. Be careful not to look into the water and keep your eyes peeled for any threats." I rubbed my wrist as the cold seemed to bite even deeper into my flesh. It was as if winter herself came down and grabbed me. I massaged my hand mindlessly as I walked down the dock. My eyes were alert, and my body coiled like a spring, ready to react at any moment. I had to keep moving; to stop in a place like this would invite death.

I stepped onto a small jutting outcrop of the dock and glanced around; I ran my fingers across the tops of some barrels and crates and attempted to pry the lids off. Maybe I would find something to use or something I could sell. Dungeons were known for their items and, by extension, domains. I could make some quick coin off of it and get it back into my coffers. I was trying to save up to buy a small manor and slowly build up my power base once more. While it would draw the ire of various people, I was still under the protection of the Adventurer's guild, at least for now. I will take back my dukedom. No matter what it takes.

All the crates and barrels seemed to be sealed shut, and nothing I did would pull them apart. I could have used my sword to wedge in between them, but I didn't want to risk damaging my blade if they were sealed. I gave up trying to find their contents for now. However, I will be back for it later. Feeling defeated, I moved away from this part of the dock and back to the central portion. From how large it was, it must have been a shipping area. The only annoying thing was the lack of boats and the lack of people.

"Redrick! Over here!" I glanced up and toward Carter. The mist was slowly growing denser, and his form was growing more obscure by the second. I pressed forward and glanced around for the rest of my team. The shadows were slowly encroaching onto the dock, hiding away Gunther and Alinore in the shadows.

"What is it?" I asked as I got close to him. He was standing by a large barrel that was underneath a lamp and in his hands was a small, worn book.

"It's a diary of a merchant who traveled through here. At least that is what it says. It talks about how this area used to be part of a once-massive empire that just vanished overnight. The merchant then prattles on about how there must be treasure spread across the lands here, and there really isn't anything of note outside of someone called the Ferryman." He skimmed the book over, and I nodded my head.

How strange, the last empire that ruled over the neutral lands didn't have a port. I glanced around the area as more questions entered my mind. The book talks about how this belonged to a long-vanished empire, yet this area is a domain. Was it possible that this was the doing of a god? What could they have done to have this happen? "Carter, what does it say about the ferryman?" That was the next question, one that I had a feeling had a more straightforward answer to find.

He glanced over at the book and then replied. "It says the Ferryman is the only one who can cross the river safely. At least that's what the rumor says. All he requires is a toll, and he will take you across." A toll, huh? I ran my hand across my bag and felt the familiar weight of coins. What a strange thing to ask for.

"Thank you. Does it explain how to summon the Ferryman and how much the toll is?" I quickly rummaged through my pockets and gathered a few coins. If I didn't have to fight something to cross this entrance, I wouldn't.

"Uh, it says here that one must light the lantern at the end of the dock, and the Ferryman would arrive shortly after. As for the toll, it says that it varies." I nodded my head and quickly called out to the other two members of my party. Good, we can keep moving. Thankfully, this area seems somewhat safe outside of the river.

"Alright, Carter, go find the lantern and get it lit. I will brief the other two real quick." Carter turned and rushed down the dock to get the job done. I liked him. He did things without question, and he seemed loyal enough. Finding people who won't stab you in the back was hard enough as it is in today's world. Maybe after this was said and done, I would offer him a spot in my family. The thought tore a hole in my heart, but I ignored it.

As soon as Gunther and Alinore appeared from the fog, I quickly told them about the book and the Ferryman.

"So these are cursed lands, then? That would explain why this domain suddenly appeared out of nowhere. But if we are dealing with cursed lands, there is no telling what we may encounter." Gunther mused quietly to himself while Alinore nodded her head. She was a quiet one and didn't really say much outside of what had to be said.

"I agree. We have to be on our toes once we get across the river. We should also be wary of the Ferryman. The journal says that he is neutral, but we should be careful still." I gestured further down the docks towards Carter once I saw a lantern light up and cut through the fog and darkness with ease.

"I agree. It's better to be safe here. This place gives me the creeps; it's as if everything is off, and it's bothering me." I couldn't help but agree with Gunther on that matter. This whole place gives me the creeps. It gnawed at the back of my mind, though I couldn't figure out what it was exactly.

We walked towards the end of the dock, and in the distance, I could see a cloaked figure on the boat, moving towards us. The water barely rippled as the ship glided across its surface. A pair of scarlet red eyes shone through the fog as if I was staring at a demon. Above the Ferryman was the name Kharon stitched in orange text. My heart froze up, and my mouth went dry. This boss was far more potent than anyone here, and I couldn't risk pissing him off.

As it got closer to the dock, I took a step back. All around me, everyone else did, even Gunther. The man who feared very little. The Ferryman got to the dock, and I could see that the black robe covered his entire body, save his glowing scarlet red eyes that seemed to bore into my soul. "Greetings weary travelers, and welcome to Asteria." A monotonous voice came from the Ferryman, one that seemed to be laced with magic.

"Greetings, honorable Ferryman. My name is Redrick. My party and I would like to cross the river." I defaulted to respectful etiquette since I absolutely refuse to piss this thing off. It was also shocking that a boss could speak to us intelligently. For most of my adventuring life, very few bosses had this level of intelligence, which made this one all the more terrifying.

He stared at us, his face obscured by the inky darkness. For a few heartbeats, he stared unmoving before he spoke once more. "For your toll, I ask one silver coin apiece. With that, I will take you safely across the river and into Asterian lands."

One silver? That was a lot cheaper than I thought it would have been. But what did a domain need with coins? I fished into my pocket and brought out a single silver coin. Its weight was cold and heavy in my palm as I passed it over. It killed me to hand over my hard-earned money, but it had to be done.

The Ferryman reached out with a black glove-clad hand. His fingers were naturally skinny as if he were a walking skeleton. We all dropped the coins in his hand, which promptly vanished in his robe. "I will take you to your destination, but be warned. Look not into the river, for it may be your end." He stepped aside, revealing a longboat that could sit us all with ease. I glanced at all my companions as I stepped onto the boat, praying to whatever god may hear me that we make it out of here alive.