Hannibal The Summoned: Episode 1. The Darkness

The Darkness.

In a dark and dreary place, there in the empty void stood, a lone piece of land and on top of the land stood a tree barely clinging onto the ground around it, hammered into the tree was a lantern that lit up the top of the surface, the tree gave what life it could to the surrounding ground around it.

On the grass sat up a female child alone and scared, she wore white cloth covering her entire body it covered her body from her shoulder to her knees, bare feet and nothing else, she gets up looking around herself seeing nothing only darkness, mustering up the courage she walks near the edge of the land looking down of the side into the empty void.

Getting a shiver down her spine she steps back, but trips over a stick falling onto her back looking up at the tree leaf's fall, all she could do was laugh, so she did.

As she laughed a silent whisper could be heard in the void unintelligible to hear, so she looked around quickly, seeing nothing still until a light lit up in the distance and many lit up coming closer and closer until it showed a rope bridge.

Frozen in fear, she just looked at it with her mind blank not knowing what to do, again a whisper could be heard from the void, but this time it was legible to hear it, it whispered “forward.”

Again, a shiver fell down her back, where she took another step but stopped, the child looked back at the tree noticing the light dim, scared she ran to the first pole of the bridge clinging onto it and looked back at the tree, with it lit by a luminescent light, looking at it she forgot about the bridge, moments pass of this and what she could hear was a type of wind breeze past her blowing out the tree.

Saddened she looks back at the bridge taking a step onto it, with it cracking and not breaking, she takes another step, and it creaks with each step she takes.

The further she walked another piece of land came into view, on the land was a castle wall, a great door that stood in the centre of it, the further she stepped the closer she got to it, with now two figures coming into view.

As she got closer, she saw two women one was jumping up and down excitedly waving to her happy to see her, while the second stood there stoically with her arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face.

Finally, she reaches the other floating piece of land, her legs giving out on her as she steps onto it, the two see this and walk up to the child.

The excited one is a human woman, who has long brown hair tied up in a knotted ponytail that fell down her shoulder, her skin was as white as freshly fallen snow, and she wore a light brigandine armour set with fur at her neck, this led down ending just at her knees, she wore dirty looking trousers under that, that led to her boots they went up her leg and flapped at the top, she smiles at the child warmly.

While the other woman was a tall orc, she had long pointy ears, and tusks that went high on her cheek, her skin looked grey and monotone like her personality, and she wore loose clothing due to her well-endowed chest unlike the human beside her, and she wore a heavy dress that fell from her shoulder to the floor it is stopping before it drags on the ground, she looks unimpressed at the child with her arms crossed.

The happier one helps the child to her feet saying, “ah is tu an duine nua.”

The child looks confused at the happy one, with the angry orc looking at her hitting the happy one on the shoulder saying, “Other language.”

Laughing the happy one continues in the common language “Sorry, you are the new one is what I said, what's your name?”

Smiling the child silently utters “June.”

The happy one nods, straining to catch the whisper, but she starts to talk with what she thought she heard. “Well June, I’m Ella and this happy-looking chap is Scar...”

Interrupting, Scarlett says in a deep grumbly voice “It’s Scarlett!”

Jokingly Ella tugs on Scarlett's dress “Ah come on Scar you don't like me calling you that?”

Angerly Scarlett looks back at Ella “You know I don't, now let's get this over and done with.”

Ella says rather loudly “Fine! come on June, we must meet the leader of this land.”

Grabbing June's hand with excitement, Ella starts to basically drag the child, hurting her, Scarlett stops Ella by hitting Ella's hand, then she picks June up and sits her on her muscly shoulder.

Unhappy about this Ella pouts but continues onto the gate, the gate is the height of a large tree, and it has strange writing around the brim of the door, Scarlett says “Open it, Ella.”

Again, Ella’s smile comes back, “Say please.”

Sighing Scarlett says in frustration, “Can you please just open it, Ella.”

Nodding her head she stands in front of them, raising her hands and says “féach anseo ceannaire, oscail an doras do, do ghairdín.”

Once she said those words, the door opened slowly and creakily, as it was opening, they all walked in and as they got into the place June was greeted by a sun in the sky that enveloped the land, grass that sprouted from the fields and in the distance on top of a hill stood a large mansion.

Looking behind herself June notices the contrast between the inner walls and the outer, the only thing that can be seen is the glowing tree, looking back inside the walls felt like a paradise to the complete emptiness outside it.

First the small village, where an array of creatures from diverse races resided, including Dragonborn, Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Orcs, Halflings, Humans, Tieflings, Aarakocras, Gnomes, Fairies, Firbolgs, Genasi representing each elemental affinity, Goliaths, Harengons, Kenkus, Locathahs, Owlins, and many others that June couldn't make out.

The village was run by magic with light sources and other stuff contributing to a thriving society, as June passed through the village, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease as every gaze seemed to fixate on her. Fearing the unknown reactions of the villagers, June nervously glanced around, but to her relief, they simply stared at her as she passed by.

Powering through she puts on a brave face as she goes through the town until they pass through it, finally, they reach the bottom of the hill where Scarlett puts her to the ground, where she notices June near tears, “I'm sorry for you to hear them talking about you like that.”

Ella jumps in “Yeah, sorry all of those are very judgemental but they are good people at heart.”

Nodding her head and accepting that answer, June wipes her face with one hand and holds out her other to Scarlett. Scarlett briefly looks at June's hand before reaching out, clasping June's hand firmly in hers.

They then start to walk up the hill.

Halfway up the hill, June looks at Ella noticing her glancing at their hand, so June holds out her other hand, Ella excitedly jumps at the opportunity and holds it with excitement, together, they all proceed to ascend to the top of the hill.

Reaching the top of the hill, a figure came into view, she looked up and was greeted by a skeleton dressed in a dark black cloak, covering its entire body except its face, not knowing where it looked, it simply said, “Follow.” as it turns around and floats off.

As they walked along the long pathway, June looked around the rich garden surrounding them. She notices lovely flowers and hedges, artfully sculpted into animal shapes, adding an enchanting touch to the landscape.

June looked at the mansion as they walked to it, it was two stories and cleaned to perfection, with not a speck of dirt on the walls, and the glass windows shined as the light from the sun hit them. Finally, they get to the door, with the door opening with no one touching it, the walls look clean and proper with nothing out of place.

Inside the building lay a spacious foyer, where the floors gleamed with intricate golden inlays and the walls boasted a pristine white hue. Progressing further, they ventured behind the staircase, arriving at a door that granted access to the leader's hall.

Before the skeleton opened the door, it turned around and said, “Now before you meet the master there are a few things you must do, one, only walk up when instructed then kneel at the end of the stairs, two say sir after every sentence, last of stay at the door until we say.”

And so, the skeleton turns around opening the door without touching it, it teleported to the last step on the two-step pedestal that led to the leader's throne.

The throne was made of wood, and at the top of it was an intricate design, sitting on the throne, was a Caucasian man with his face covered by a white cloth, what she could see was small cut hair on the top of his head, with his fist on his cheek, and he had his legs crossed, he wore full brigandine armour with a great plaid over that, trousers covering his legs with dirty boots.

Ella whispers "Stay here June.”

As told June stayed there as the other two walked up to the leader, all she could hear from the hall was the clattering of boots as they got to his side of the throne.

They turned around and Scarlett gestured for her to start to walk, as she walked her heart started racing, each step she took echoed through the halls forcing her heart to race even faster.

Getting to the bottom step she stops and kneels; the leader fixes himself on the chair and says in a grumbly voice “Stand.”

June's heart jumps but she does as she was told, standing she looks at the leader as he slowly grunts as he gets up, as he does, he grabs a wooden stick on his right, to help him stand up fully and then he takes a few steps were now he stood directly in front of her.

Looking up at this menacing figure she noticed something, from his face tears began to fall. Confused she just stood there as he fell to his knees apologising profusely for what happened.

June tried to think back but that memory lay blank in her mind, not knowing what happened all she could do was to Kneel, June comforted the man by placing her hand on his shoulder. Ella quickly took June away from the leader, while Scarlett attended to him.

Being pushed away by Ella she tried to think back on what happened before this but again nothing, getting to the middle of the hall June turned her head around to see the leader being helped up to his feet.

Back out in the foyer, Ella says while itching her head “Sorry June, I’ll tell you all when you are in your room.”

Not saying a word, she nods her head. Ella’s mood changes as Ella follows. They both go up the stairs as they go further into the castle, going to a corridor where it held rooms for sleeping, her room was on the third one down.

The first one had a name on it, it was Scarlett, each door was plain with the only thing on them was a placard, the next door was Ella’s, with the third one Junes.

Getting to the door Ella says, “We're here, now you must open the door yourself because it's your memories after all.”

Accepting it she walks to the door handle and pushes it open to a bright light, until she adjusts to the light and sees the inside of a heavy standing tarp where it was held up by a large log in the middle of it and lit up by a single lantern and a bed near it, that was all in the room.

June walks in with a grin and runs to her bed and sits on it, at the door Ella stands there smiling leaning against the frame asking could she come in, with June happily allowing it.

She walks in and sits on the floor with the door closing and disappearing behind her, then she says “Sorry we have to be a bit serious now, he didn't say much about what happened to you, to be honest, I don't know a lot about what happened, but what I do know is, that, you are dead...”

Hearing this June's face saddened, but Ella continues "Wait, wait you’re not fully dead. This is difficult to explain, but you are not entirely dead, at least not fully. It is thanks to the abilities of our leader that you are like this, allowing you and us to be in this realm, so call it. If you want an item, such as a brush, merely put out your hand and say the word 'oscailt,' and it shall appear in front of you. Allow me to show you. "

Putting her hand out with her palm up she says 'oscailt,' and a hand mirror appears out of a black void, handing it to June, which June then looks at herself noticing for the first time she had horns, and her pure white hair, red eyes and darker red skin, feeling her horns starting at the base of her forehead and curved around to her temple, with Ella explaining “you are a Tiefling if you didn't know, or a horned being.”

Accepting this she smiles and says, “ok what about the leader, what's wrong with him?”

Tilting her head she says, “you're accepting this very easily?”

June looks at her saying, “Well what am I supposed to do?”

Laughing Ella says, “Fair point. However, our leader is unwell at this moment, though it happens sometimes with everyone, that is.”

Itching her face in curiosity June asks, “What is his story?”

Laying back on the ground Ella says “That's a long story...”

Intruding June says, “I want to hear it from the start.”

Chuckling Ella says, “It's going to be a long one."

To be Continued.

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