The Dark Lord Rises

Scarecrows march to the sea

I woke up long before everyone else did, the moon was still in the sky and I could not see the rays of the sun on the horizon. I shuddered as I felt the coldness of night moving all around me. I went over to where Pikagirl and I stood before and what I saw there was a lone scarecrow gazing at the falling moon. It looked as though it was standing on its own two hay feet, except the fact that the hay within the scarecrows feet could ny support the scarecrow.

This particular scarecrow seemed different than the rest, it looked as if it was grieving. It just stared sadly in the distance and just stood there. The scarecrow didn't move, not even when the wind blew, this scarecrow was in its own world trapped by its grief of the one that fell.

I noticed that someone had written something in dirt near the scarecrow.

I have failed you

Not knowing what to do I decided to leave the scarecrow alone because I didn't want to summon Johnnymaster. When I was back at the camp I saw the raven atop a dead tree branch, staring in the direction of the scarecrow. The raven looked up and in a streak of black flew away.

I looked up and felt my heart drop. Vultures were circling around the area, waiting for us to fall. I got a bad feeling about them, they weren't normal vultures, they were glowing purplish. They were Empty.

The vultures stopped and then flew away. They seemed scared of something. I ignored it but I still felt that something was off.

There was a strange sickness in the air. It smelled of decay and years of neglect.

"I have....failed...you." a quiet voice said.

Behind me was the same scarecrow from before. He was limp and lying on the ground as if he was playing dead. On his face, under his eyes, we're dark streaks as if he was crying and never stopped until now.

He held no sign, nor was there any writing nearby him. He was just there on the ground. I walked over to him and I saw two white dots in his seemingly empty eyes.

Two dots of light within his dark, lifeless eyes. It looked like he was awake but was never truly alive. I felt something within me, something that was banging at my heart. Without thinking I put my hand on the scarecrow and the eyes of the scarecrow lost their light.

The scarecrow opened his mouth and said "M-my l-l-lord....I'm......sorry." he croaked.

I was shocked, the scarecrow talked to me and called me his lord. As if that wasn't enough the scarecrow caught fire as soon as he stopped talking. I quickly stepped back and saw the flames burn away the remains of the scarecrow. Within ten minutes all that remained was ash and a few pieces of straw.

Across the forest I heard a lone whisper "Blazes purge what has stolen us
This is a secret to remain hush
Claimed by the Dark and forgotten by the Light."

I looked around the area and saw no one else nearby, was that my imagination? I found out my answer when a figure in a white hood appeared from behind the trees. I couldn't move. I wanted to go over to the figure but I wasn't able to move.

I focused my concentration at the figure and then I teleported in front of them. The figure fell over from surprise and their hood fell back. I felt my heart stop as I saw Grace under the hood.

" What business have you here Dark Lord?" Grace asked.

"Grace why are you here?" I asked.

Grace looked amused "I am not your friend Dark Lord, what you see is the person who is destined to become the ruler of Light."

"Ruler of Light?"

"The one chosen by fate to engage in battle with the ruler of Darkness. The Darkness is ice and water while light is fire and wind." said the figure.

" What are you talking about?" I asked.

The figure didn't answer immediately but instead pointed at Shadows edge and said "That cursed sword is proof you are the Dark Lord. As the Dark Lord you possess extroadinary powers. Tell me, what will you do when you have to fight your friend?"