MineZ Darkness Rising

Some parts of the story do not follow the MineZ lore and history.

Most of the characters mentioned are real people and not made up. They are for the most part people I know.

If there is a movie or book named with the title of this story, I did not read or watch it. It seemed like a fitting title and also I didn't know what else to put. EDIT: There is a movie with this name, but it was released June 30, 2017. This means I made it first

Please do not comment here. I have a seperate thread for your comments: https://shotbow.net/forum/threads/darkness-rising-comment-page.351124/

Part 2 Incoming?

Part One

"Soldiers Outside the Wall"

The sun was shining brightly in Romero, with a warm, gentle breeze ruffling through the grass. Lately it had been very wet, with cold thunder storms and even the remnants of a snow storm from up north. So this was a nice change. Especially since the rangers in The Night's Watch were forced to stand out on the wall in the dreary rain. Romero wasn't a bad place once you got used to it. Storms were common, though not as fierce as the ones recently. But when it was not storming, the area around was lovely. That wasn't the reason so many people had originally flocked to the city however. Romero was located on top of a cliff, with only two gates, and one of them was mainly approached from a bridge connected the Eastern and Western Continents. The walls were also impressively strong, matching those of Grimdale, Al Hasa, and Castle Byesford. And then of course one of the mightiest forces of those days called that city their home, and that was The Night's Watch.

Navarr sat in his study, reading reports and writing messages to various people, mainly to members of The Night's Watch. He was the Lord Commander and it is his duty to run The Night's Watch, and that includes lots of writing. It was just like a normal day, Watchers hunting zombies, helping people, punishing bandits. While it might not be the action he wanted deep down inside, it was better than war. It seemed like it would be another normal day, until he heard a knock on his door.
Sure, he is a well known hero, a legend even, but out of respect no one knocked on his door. Unless it was something important. He sighed.
"I hope it is important this time," he thought. Navarr climbed down the stairs, pondering what could be happening this time. When he opened the door he saw the newly promoted private Lezalith. He was in a blue robe with a hood which he wore everywhere.
"What is it?" Navarr asked.
"Lord Commander, there is a group of heavily equipped soldiers outside the wall," he answered. "Their leader requests to see you."
"What side?" asked the Lord Commander. "West". Navarr thought about who these soldiers could be then told Lezalith
"I'll come. Go ahead and go."
As the private jogged back he Navarr hastily put on some iron armor and strapped a sword to his belt and headed for the west side of the wall. When he got to the wall, he was taken aback. He expected at most a squad of soldiers in chain armor. He did not expect a battalion with the best gear possible to make, with flying banners decorated with a diamond sword and the corners painted red. But what surprised him most was the leader. One particular aspect of him. He carried a diamond sword.

Part Two

"For Your Aid"

"Greetings from the west!" the leader of the battalion said. His voice carried up to the top of the wall, although he only spoke as if they were side by side.

"Are you by any chance the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Navarr?" he asked. Navarr cleared his throat and answered:

"I am. What business do you have here?" The leader replied back

"I would like to speak with you, in private preferably."

Navarr thought for a moment then nodded his consent.

The stranger inclined his head in answer, then spoke with a person that looked to be an officer, judging by the way he carried himself. Then he passed through the gates and entered the city of Romero, which no stranger had done for a long time, and followed the Lord Commander to his house.

They sat in his study. On his desk was a pile of papers. Behind it was a drawer overflowing with more documents. His bed was on the opposite end of the room, and a flower pot with a freshly picked rose stood on the window sill. Besides these furnishings the study was completely empty.

"I have a few questions," Navarr stated.

"Ask away," the stranger said.

"What group do you belong to?" he asked. The leader replied

"I am part of the guild called the 'Hero's Blade". I can't say 'known' as since not many know of our existence."

"What does your guild stand for?"

"We help those that we run across, protect those that want our protection."

"How did you acquire your sword?" inquired the Lord Commander. "As a sword of that quality is hard to obtain." No one in the Night's Watch had obtained a sword made of diamond, either through travels north, which few came back from, or trading, as there were few willing to give them up. They could not be made either. Since anything made of diamond won't last very long, the Mages developed a way to forge them magically, and that way none but them knew of the method, and all the Mages have long since dwindled away to forgottenness, or faded from the world.

He waited a second or two as if recalling his thoughts, then answered

"I went into the Giant Camp and slew a few giants before finding one."

They stared at each other. Navarr could see clearly that he was an experienced leader, suited to making quick decisions and taking risks. You had to be if you tried to lead a group in this world, or even survive by yourself. But he also saw something else. He could see there was something more to this man. Navarr was very perceptive, especially when it came to judging people's personality and how they act. However, he wasn't able to discern what it was about him, what it was that made him uneasy.Then of a sudden the stranger spoke, saying

"My name is Duril. And I have come here to ask you a question."

"What is your question?" Navarr asked. Duril seemed to hesitate a bit, fiddling with a ring on his finger set with a sapphire.

"I have come to ask for your aid."

"Aid with what?" said Navarr.

"With a bandit guild named the Shadow Brothers."

Part Three

"Up to no good"

The people on the wall watched the soldiers on the ground. The soldiers only looked forward. The only movement they made was when zombies attacked them. The Watchers on the wall reacted fast, but the people on the ground already dealt with the zombies and were back in their original positions.

"They were quick" said Lezalith.

Another member of The Night's Watch, Nalacion, added "And very efficient."

The both jumped when one of the corporals told them "Quit your yapping and do your job!"

So Lezalith got back to watching the silent, still soldiers. This is boring, he thought. I wish I could do something else. He turned around to make sure no one got through the gate and saw a suspicious looking man wearing a hood walking down an ally way. Probably nothing, he thought.

Many people in Romero were edgy. Zombie attacks were growing larger and more frequent, as was the case with people turning into them inside the city. But then he saw the glint of steel. After this he knew he was up to no good, for iron weapons were banned for citizen use. Lezalith requested leave from duty and went off in the direction of the suspicious man.

They ended up behind the Lord Commander's house. The man pulled out a bow and started to string an arrow to it. Lezalith acted quickly. He drew his sword out and plunged it into his back.

"You won't be killing me commander," he told the would-be assassin.

"I wasn't going for him," he gurgled as he went limp.

After thinking about his words for a moment Lezalith suddenly knew what he meant. He went back to his post, still considering what to do with this information.

Part Four

Leaving the City Walls

The next day Navarr called for a meeting. The meeting was not only for members of The Night's Watch but also citizens of Romero, the permanent garrison, and the rare passerby that was let into the city.
"Yesterday soldiers came to the gate of our city," he began. "Their leader wished to speak with me, and I have found out why. He came to request the aid of The Night's Watch. And we will go to their aid. We will hasten back as fast as we can."
The crowd murmured and shouted out questions and remarks. Duril leaned against the side of a building, listening to the short speech. He had objected to it, saying that he could at least keep the reason they were going a secret. But he barely did. Might as well tell Shadow Brothers what we are doing, he thought. One of the Night's Watch members came up to him and told him that they were ready to depart soon. Duril looked at the messenger. This man has some secrets. Dark secrets, he thought.
"So Lezalith," he said as Lezalith turned to leave. He stopped right in his tracks when hearing his name.
"How do you know my name?" he asked him.
"Keep your secrets safe," Duril said ignoring his question. "Or rather, tell someone so that you don't get in trouble because of them." He could sense the meaning in those words. Lezalith stood still for a moment then continued back towards the city.
***
The combined forces of the Hero's Blade and The Night's Watch marched to the west. A formidable force of men. For the Hero's Blade it was a mission to stop one of the worst guilds in the realm. For The Night's Watch it was a mission to stop necromancers. It is the job of The Night's Watch to rid the realm of the undead. And that includes the people who can control it.
They marched for three days north west, a feeling of unease grew within the combined groups. Everyone was on edge, and no one knew why. Then the group reached the town of Frostbain. The town was cleared of the usual zombies, and after the area was searched the group started setting up camp in the middle of the town. Frostbain had already been deserted. But the feeling of unease grew largest here. Then from out of nowhere a group of heavily armed soldiers came and attacked them. There ensued a furious battle, the second major battle between the Hero's Blade and the Shadow Brothers, with The Night's Watch caught in the middle. At first it seemed like the heroes were winning, but the Shadow Brothers' soldiers kept pouring out of no where. After a hour of intense battling the stream of enemies suddenly vanished. Many bodies littered the ground. Most of their combined force had been wiped out. Everyone had been accounted for, dead or not. All except for one person.
"Lez is messing," reported Nalacion to Navarr. Duril overheard, and a thought came to his head. Could it be? he thought. As he got confirmation from the survivors he took his worry to Navarr.
"I think we have a problem," he stated.
"What is it?" asked the Lord Commander.
"Lezalith is a traitor."

Part Five

Nothing Gained

They hunted Lezalith for days with no luck. Sometimes they would find a group of bodies in between the trees and in the clearings, the only signs that the traitor had left behind. The survivors were furious. He had given the enemy information about where they would be. Nothing like this had happened since the Night's Watch was formed. But they couldn't go on searching. The survivors were too tired, too hurt. So considering the mission a failure they gathered up what they could and headed back to Romero.

********

Lezalith walked down a dark underground tunnel. There were other people who wore robes and hoods with strange symbols walking in it too. They all kept their distance from each other, but they especially avoided Lezalith. Then he reached two large black iron doors. He pushed through them without bothering to knock and faced up to the man on the throne.
"You didn't say you would attack them," he said angrily.
"What would you expect telling me their plans?" the man said back. "You are trained not to get attached to anyone we are aiming to destroy." Lezalith and the First Disciple stared at each other.
"Fine, but next time you need to tell me what you are planning," Lezalith stated. He turned to exit the room when he heard a chuckle. It was a ghostly laugh, one dripping with malice.
"There won't be a next time," he told him. Lezalith spun around quickly.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"You are now going to die," replied the First Disciple.
"You can't kill me!" exclaimed Lezalith.
"And why not?" retorted the man.
"I- I still have information on them. You can't get it without me," he said hurriedly, not realizing his mistake. The First Disciple looked at him. Then he said
"Then you will be punished for withholding information." Lezalith looked with horror at him as he saw dark magic begin to build up. The he screamed as he was plunged into a world of his darkest nightmares.

Part Six

The remnants of the mighty force made their way back to Romero in low spirits. Of the seventy soldiers of the Hero's Blade, only 29 remained, and of the slightly larger number of 80 from the Night's Watch, only 32 were left alive, not counting the traitor Lezalith. The way back was worse than the travel to Frostbain. A blizzard came from nowhere and delayed them for two days, making quite a few fall ill and three die from the cold. However, there were no signs of life, undead or otherwise, which was unsettling. Zombies were in abundance, and it wasn't too uncommon to find a group of small wild hogs or a pack of thin wolves in the forests. The fact that there wasn't anything moving seemed unnatural, if anything was natural. The remaining members of the Hero's Blade were ordered by the lead sergeant, Eamon, since their leader was unresponsive. Duril had probably taken the least amount of wounds from the battle, even though he had been at the fore front the entire time. But no matter what someone did to try and get his attention, he was completey zoned out, or tuned everything out. And this continued until they arrived at the coastal city of Romero.

The people of Romero lined the street leading into the city. While the Night's Watch was gone crime again found surface, and despite the best efforts of the police they could not quelch it down. Zombies were increasing in numbers and ferocity. Trade was completely cut off from other cities, which also inevitably meant communication. And then seeing the expressions and wounds of those returning, as well as their diminished numbers, they knew then that the outing was a bad omen. This was one of the first things that caused the downfall of the Watch.
Navarr started to be barraged by questions and accusations. As he drew himself up to speak, the citizens, expecting some speech or answer, waited in anticipation.
"Good people of Romero," he began. "I know that you all have lots to say." At this many people started saying what they wanted to at once.
"However, you must wait. Those that returned need rest, including me. And now I shall return to my home." Navarr gave orders to the remaining rangers to rest and to find places to house the soldiers of the Hero's Blade, then turned to walk towards his house. Almost everyone was in shock. Never before had Navarr done something like this. He always found time to answer the people's wants and needs when they were asked, as long as they were possible.
"Something out there must have changed him," some said. "He will start ordering things about in disregard to us!" others said, though untruly. "About time," a few of the older generations said.

Navarr was sleeping. It was a long and tiring trip back, and they had arrived at the city in the late afternoon. The Lord Commander had stayed up taking care of the documents and work that had accumulated in his abscence. Sleeping in wasn't something he normally considered, since he pretty much ran the city ( as the mayor wasn't too intelligent). However, he had definitly considered it then. It was about nine in the morning when he was jolted from sleep by a rude banging on his door.
Hastily putting on a shirt he walked down the stairs to the door. Waiting a few seconds, he jerked open the door, to find Duril standing there. As soon as the door was completely open, Duril spoke.
"We need to talk."
"Follow me to my study," Navarr replied.
Navarr thought there might be some sort of emergency. After all, he didn't see him as the sort of person to bother people without reason. When they entered his study, Navarr pulled a chair to the desk and carefully placed the stack of papers on top of it on the floor. Duril didn't even sit down.
"We found him." This abrupt statement had him momentarily confused. Who was missing that they were searching for? After a minute realization sunk in.
"You found Lezalith?!" exclaimed Navarr. "Where was he?"
"In the sewers," answered Duril. "Very unsanitary down there."
"What was he doing in the sewers?" asked Navarr.
"He was hiding from something, and not us," he said with brief flash of what looked like disgust and pity.
"How do you know?" While Lezalith was considered a traitor, Navarr personally liked him. He had been a slave taken from far away lands, and had escaped and became a pirate. He had however turned from that life and joined the Great Army during the days when the Gods became twisted. After the Gods had been defeated, he went off on his own for a while, then turned up at the Night's Watch recruitment center. Navarr wanted to be absolutely sure about Lezalith's case before making a decision on it.
"I took the liberty of questioning him," Duril replied. Hearing that answer made Navarr somewhat upset.
"And what made you think you could do that? He is a Night's Watch member and is subject to us," Navarr said.
"But what he did concerns me and my guild as well. We should be able to do what we must to get information." Both men were getting a bit angry.
"By doing that you ignore the law and overstep your boundaries. You're lucky I don't prosecute you right now."
"I don't have to take this from someone like you, telling me about what I can or can't do!" shouted Duril, slamming his fist down on the table. As soon as he hit the table, the whole building shook, making things throughout the house shatter or fall over. Then Duril froze, staring straight forward, while Navarr sat shocked. And then he turned, and left.

Part Seven

Lezalith was a survivor, escaping slavery, execution, and death during the War. Eventually he was found by the Shadow Brothers, where his skill was utilized and praised. He was one of the most respected and feared of the order, and now he was lying on a cold stone floor dying. Not a very fitting ending for me, I don’t think, thought Lezalith. He had endured through all of the torture put to him by the Disciple. Most he didn’t remember, and what he did he pushed out of his mind. All he was feeling at the moment was extreme pain. Fortunately he was put in a room below the Romero sewers, and knowing the layout of the base and of Romero, he was able to escape. Right into the hands of the Hero’s Blade. Stumbling wearily and wounded through the sewers, Lezalith had no idea how they found him. They seemed to know exactly where he was, and no wonder, he thought. Their leader was with them. Lezalith always suspected that he knew what he was. But since he could still pass off as being a good honest person, he stuck with it. The leader of the Hero’s Blade would never have been able to investigate with all that was going on anyways. And now he has incentive to make time.

When Lezalith and Duril had last interacted before setting off, Duril had put a sort of tracking device on him. It was a work of genius crafted by the mages in the days of might, and he wasn’t exactly sure if it would work or not. It did work, and Duril was able to know exactly where he has at all times. Even unto where his base was located. It did not make sense why it would be where it was. It might not have even been the location of his dastardly order, but a place for him to hide out for a while. Even so, he could not take chances. Taking ten of his best remaining men Duril set off under the sewers of Romero looking for some sort of hidden door or crack in the walls. And then Lezalith started to move. And now we catch two fish with one rod. Hurrying to intercept him, while still being stealthy, they caught him unawares as he turned a corner. Seeing them, Lezalith took a stance, one useful for running or fighting. When seeing who was there and their equipment, he decided it was in his best interest to get far away as soon as possible. Duril never gave him the chance. As soon as he saw the spy he swung at him, and knocked him unconscious.

They dragged Lezalith to a different part of the sewers. After waiting several minutes for him to regain consciousness, they finally grew impatient and dumped him in the sewer water. Unsurprisingly, he woke right up. They bound his arms to his sides and his legs together to keep him from escaping, and got to questioning him. He resisted at first (most likely due to instinct than anything else). He was still very sharp witted and powerful in will, even though he was left tired and weakened by his recent torments. However, Duril’s will was far stronger, and Lezalith had no choice but to succumb to the questioning. He told them about the Shadow Brothers, his role in the group, all the information he had gathered about the Hero’s Blade and The Night’s Watch. It was unsettlingly extensive. The inner councils of the Night’s Watch, Hero’s Blade, and a few other groups were mostly hidden from the spy, but much of them was still known to him. All of this Duril wrung from Lezalith, and yet more, which does not come into this story. Eventually the sun started to rise, and Duril, by obligation, had to go and inform Navarr of the information he had gained. He left the warriors he had taken with him to guard Lezalith, and then exited the sewers. However, Lezalith escaped right from in front of their eyes. Not 15 minutes had passed since Duril had left he got out of their clutches, and no one is still exactly sure how he did it. The spy and now outcast to both sides slunked down the sewers into some hidden passage, and disappeared from everyone’s thoughts until much later, when all hope seemed lost…