Deadline is
But of course, the thing that you have to understand is that it was never truly alone. The figure – hunched, slender, faceless – was always surrounded by the soft hum of the Rift Void, a place beyond comprehension for most mortals. It spoke to itself constantly. Stranger yet, it considered itself not a single being but a multitude of forces, stitching together life with death with undeath. On nights of a frost moon, it would trace its fingers across ancient runes in the air, leaving a faint haze where the Rift was disturbed. On days of humid and oppressive heat, it would spread its venom wherever it trod, choking the life and colour from the surrounding nature. The air itself was stale with rank decay.
Then, one day, not long after they had arrived at their destination, it heard the murmurs of the dead. Their message echoed in its ears.
It was next.
It had no eyes to give its secrets away. Yet it somehow acted differently, now. Whereas before it had remained beneath the ground until it was called upon, the air seemed so hot and heavy. It had to go topside.
This was a mistake.
It had only been in the city at night before. Never had it reared its head during the daytime. It had not expected the hordes of people that it encountered; and they had not expected
Instead, they watched their former master die. As its wretched soul floated down amongst the vengeful departed, the whole of Llaranastra heard the dead creature’s chilling scream.