Amnesia: Sol's Dark Descent

Sol's hooves made a soft echo as he passed through the corridor, always checking behind him incase more Gatherers had come for him. He didn't want a close encounter with one, and checking the oil on the lantern, he dimmed it so that the fire would be completely out and he was left in the glow of the torches. With every step he took though he couldn't ignore the feeling that he was sensing something. Everytime he looked behind him, the torches would be off and he couldn't see the end of the corridor, and everytime he would look back he would hear Jae hiss in the back of his head DON'T GET NEAR IT!!! and the 'Power Vitae'  that he had command of would twist his head fiercly forward and guide him away. The more that he turned back though, the more frightened he grew, Jae assured him that this was a good thing and he was "building up for a surge that would give even YOU command of your Power Vitae!" But Sol didn't believe any of this. He looked behind him and, despite Jae's warning, he went to check it out, then the darkness started closing in around Sol! It was sickening, it felt like a grotesque mass of tentacles was closing around him, and the sound of squelching flesh made him sick to the stomach and he struggled continuously at the darkness. A small blue aura surrounded him and Sol, Jae, and whatever they had with them, exploded out of the shadow. He gasped on the ground and something that felt like flesh came out of his mouth. Disgusting... Sol thought as he picked himself up and took the satchel and ran through the rest of the corridor, the darkness picking up speed behind them. Sol was terrified and his vision started to distort, he didn't like what was going on.

Sol reached the end of the corridor after what felt like a year to him. He slammed the large steel door behind him panting in exhaustion. That was way too close! Jae's voice sounded strange, as if he felt fear as well. This confused Sol at first but he realized that Jae was also -- what he called -- part-human. He took out the lantern from the satchel and turned the knob gradually until it was all the way lit. He looked around and he couldn't really see 5 feet past the light of the lantern. Sol looked down and there were blood stains on the ground...fresh ones. He took a sudden interest.

"What do you suppose left these?" Sol said taking out Jae and lowering the enchanted golden statue down onto the ground next to the blood. **I know this blood well...it was a pony, no doubt a unicorn. Their blood seems to have a sparkling effect to them when they hit air. Jae's voice also sounded curious. Sol was disgusted, almost as disgusted when he saw a tabloid article called "Pink-Insanity!" where an 'ace news team' went with some guards into Pinkie Pie's basement and found real-life victims cut open and disemboweled. Of course princesses Luna and Celestia proved this to be completely false when paranoid ponies started tearing apart Sugar Cube Corner.

Sol put Jae in the satchel and picked up the lantern and followed the blood trail. It was easy to do since it sparkled and the scent distinguished it from other blood found on the way. As he ventured in the room he found very plush couches and chairs. When he came to the end of the blood trail there was a big stain on a plush chair, he went over to inspect it. Suddenely something broke down the door. Figlio di Putana! Another Gatherer! Jae said urgently. He was breaking down the door fast and suddenly a hoof clasped over Sol's muzzle and pulled him behind the chair.

"Keep quiet or he'll hear you!" A mare whispered into his ear. He left the lantern on the ground when he was looking over the chair they were now hiding behind and when the Gatherer came up to it he expected something like the one that he first encountered -- but this wasn't like that at all! He had a head that was cut in a rose-like pattern and he stood on two legs and his front hoof was replaced with a large blade. He seemed to have an eye in the middle of his head and he was very tall and had iron armor that seemed to be strapped and nailed to his skin. He seemed to have deformed hooves, but one thing was sure...whatever this thing was, he smelled the same as the Grunt, death and blood. He went over to one point of the room and with a single slash of his blade he split a desk in half. He went around the place where the unicorn blood was. The mare nodded and sneaked around, signaling Sol to follow her. Sol hesitantly followed behind her, leaving Jae and the lantern behind. The mare went behind the monster and drew a dagger -- not a foam one, a REAL dagger -- and pulled it back. The brute started to swirl around, hearing the unsheathing of the blade, and swung his massive blade attempting to cut her head off, luckily the mare ducked, while the blade zoomed over her head the monster sent her across the room in one kick, when it turned around, it's eye was pointed directly at Sol. Just looking at it made Sol's vision blurry and distorted, when the monster dropped his blade, Sol somehow rolled out of the way, but a part of his leg was severely slashed by the giant armblade.

3 minutes later, Sol and the mare were both bleeding and breathing heavily. Nothing seemed to stop this thing. Sol broke furniture over it's head, the mare kicked his armor in, but it didn't seem to go down as easy as the Grunt did. The Brute was closing in and they were almost out of plans. The blackish silver mare came up with a plan almost immediately.

"Hey, pegasus!" The mare whispered, "See that chandelier right there?" She pointed at the ceiling, and sure enough, Sol saw a brilliant silver chandelier. It's candles were aflame and giving off a soft orange light. The mare handed Sol her knife, "Take this and cut the rope that's hanging the chandelier, I'll try and keep him still, go!" Sol nodded and with a lightning-yellow flash, he was up near the chandelier. Holding up the lantern the mare gave a 'Go ahead' type signal. As soon as Sol began working the ropes, the unicorn was trying to make her magic work against the Brute. Levitating and immobilizing it with clear difficulty, out of panic the Brute slashed his armblade around and nearly got her. Due to her wound she couldn't keep him still, although Sol was half-way finished with the chandelier. The mare's legs started to buckle under, and her magic started to fail.

"Buck this!" Sol yelled and brought the knife back and with a strong slash the chandelier broke loose and fell onto the Brute, the candles igniting with it's skin, melting the iron and painfully burning the Brute. He helped her up, and stood her up.

"Thanks..." The mare said hoarsely, Sol nodded.

"By the way....who are you?" Sol asked, the mare sighed.

"I'm...Umbra." She replied. "And you?"

"Sol, and this," he began picking up Jae. "Is Jae." They both can clearly hear his untrusting growl. You seem to be some one rather out of the ordinary...how did you get here?. Umbra smiled lightly.

"Maybe if you can find me some bandages I will tell you." Umbra said as she fainted due to too much blood loss. Sol chuckled as he took Jae to find something to patch up her bleeding wounds. He took one look at the Brute and made a little promise to himself. I'll never forget...If I succumb to Amnesia...I'll never forget this place...these monsters...Umbra...I'll never forget.