Prototype's Gate

Tav watched as the old gnome, Hela, opened the door. She seemed fragile, her small frame trembling slightly as she held a roller in her hand, her face marked with distress and exhaustion. Her eyes, dark with worry, landed on Tav, who immediately softened his tone.

"Hello," Tav greeted gently. "Are you Hela?"

The old woman nodded, her expression filled with a mixture of hope and grief. "Yes… Are you here to find my son?" Her voice cracked with a desperate edge, and it was clear she had been waiting for news, clinging to any glimmer of hope that her son might return.

Tav’s heart sank, but he kept his composure, nodding. "If you’re willing, can you tell us what happened to him? Any details you remember could help."

Hela’s hands began to tremble violently, her emotions overwhelming her, as though simply being asked to recount the story brought back the sharp, fresh pain of loss. Tav, sensing her distress, raised his hand and summoned a small, ethereal flower, its petals glowing faintly with a soothing purple hue. The flower drifted through the air and gently landed on the old woman’s head, its calming aura wrapping around her like a blanket.

Hela gasped softly, her hand instinctively going to the flower. She touched it, her trembling easing, and her frantic breathing slowed. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice steadier but still heavy with sorrow. "Please, come inside… I’ll explain everything."

Tav exchanged a glance with Astarion and Gale. Astarion, who had been lounging in the shade, sighed, clearly disinterested but too loyal to ignore the situation entirely. "Are you coming with us?" Tav asked.

Astarion rolled his eyes but stepped up beside Tav. "Yes, yes, I suppose I am." Gale followed quietly, deep in thought, and together they entered the small home.

Hela guided them to a modest, round table. The chairs were far too low for Tav and his companions, so they chose to sit on the floor, their knees brushing the wooden planks. The house smelled faintly of herbs and old wood, the warmth of the hearth doing little to lift the weight of grief hanging in the air.

A few moments later, Hela returned with a tray of tea and some homemade cookies. The old woman’s hands shook as she set the tray down, her eyes continually drifting to the empty chair at the table, the one where her son would have sat. She clutched the glowing flower tightly, as though it were the last source of strength she had.

"I’m sorry," Hela began, her voice barely above a whisper. "Orbis’s disappearance has… it’s shattered me." She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as tears welled in her eyes. "He’s my only child. My heart, my joy…"

Tav leaned forward slightly, his expression soft and full of understanding. "We’re truly sorry for what you’ve gone through. We’ll do everything we can to bring him back to you. But first, can you tell us if you noticed anything strange before he disappeared? Anything at all?"

Hela’s gaze drifted downward as Tav spoke, her frail hands tightening around the cup of tea, trembling as the memories seemed to unravel her fragile composure. She took a shuddering breath before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Orbis… my son… he hasn’t been the same these past few days." Her words were heavy, and it was clear she was reliving the torment her son had been through. "It started with nightmares—terrible ones. He would wake up screaming in the middle of the night, covered in sweat. I would rush to his side, but he… he could barely speak about what he saw."

A tear slipped down her wrinkled cheek, her fingers trembling as she wiped it away. "The nightmares… they were relentless. He said it felt like something was chasing him, a darkness he couldn’t escape. Each night, it grew worse. He stopped sleeping, afraid of what awaited him when he closed his eyes. And even during the day, it was as if the nightmares followed him."

Tav exchanged a glance with Gale and Astarion, the weight of Hela’s words settling in the air like a thick fog.

"He would sit by the window, staring into the shadows, watching… always watching." Hela’s voice faltered as more tears welled in her eyes. "His gaze became paranoid, like he was expecting something to leap from the darkness and take him away. He would flinch at every small sound, convinced that something was… coming for him."

Her voice broke as she continued. "I—I didn’t know what to do. I thought maybe it was just his mind playing tricks, that he was exhausted. But it wasn’t just that. It was real for him… and then, one night, he—he just disappeared." She wiped her eyes, her hands shaking uncontrollably now. "I should have done something. I should have help , find someone who could help him before it was too late."

Hela’s grief was overwhelming, her small frame shaking with sobs as she clutched the glowing flower Tav had summoned for her earlier. The ethereal petals seemed to pulse softly, offering some comfort, though it couldn’t erase the pain she was feeling.

Tav leaned in gently, his voice soft but firm. "Hela, I know this is difficult… but you’ve already given us so much information. These nightmares, the paranoia… they might be connected to something more sinister. We want to help find Orbis, but to do that, we need every possible clue. Could we… could we check his room? There might be something there that could lead us to him."

Hela looked up at Tav, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She hesitated for a moment, her lips trembling as she considered the request. Then, with a slow nod, she stood up. "Yes," she whispered. "Of course… maybe there’s something I missed."

Tav rose to his feet, and Astarion and Gale followed suit, their expressions serious. Hela led them down a narrow hallway to a small door at the end. Her hand hovered over the doorknob for a moment, as if she was afraid of what lay behind it. With a deep breath, she pushed the door open, revealing Orbis’s room.

It was simple, with a bed pushed against the wall and a small wooden desk cluttered with papers and books. The air was heavy with a strange, uneasy energy, as if the shadows themselves were thicker here, darker.

"This is it," Hela said softly, stepping aside to let them enter. "I haven’t touched anything since he disappeared."

Tav scanned the room, his eyes lingering on the scattered papers. He could feel it—a presence, something lingering in the air, like the echo of Orbis’s torment. "We’ll find something," he murmured, glancing at Astarion and Gale. "Let’s look carefully."

The three of them began to search, Tav’s hands brushing over the papers on the desk. They were filled with scribbled notes—disjointed, frantic writings about shadows, eyes watching from the dark, and something that Orbis only referred to as "the bug." Tav’s brows furrowed as he read the words, the sense of dread deepening.

Astarion knelt by the bed, his pale fingers reaching under the frame as he rummaged through the dust and debris that had gathered there. His hand brushed against something small and rough—a journal. He pulled it out, frowning as he noticed the wear and tear on its edges, the pages frayed and dog-eared from constant use. "This might be something," he murmured, flipping it open. His eyes scanned the hastily scribbled notes, the paranoid ramblings that mirrored the fear Hela had described. As he neared the end, Astarion’s hand froze. The last page held a crude drawing—something that looked like a bug, but twisted, grotesque in its form, with long, spindly limbs and too many eyes.

"I’m not sure what this is, but it’s certainly unsettling," he said, his voice carrying a hint of unease. Astarion, usually so composed, couldn’t shake the creeping discomfort the image stirred in him.

Meanwhile, Gale, who had been standing near the window, paused. His eyes zeroed in on the faint scrapes near the lock, marks that suggested a struggle. "Something struggled to open this window," Gale muttered, his voice low and tense. His fingers traced the scratches, the uneven grooves etched into the wood. It was subtle but telling—a sign of desperation or force.

Tav joined him, his eyes narrowing at the evidence. His mind raced with possibilities. "Whatever took Orbis must be responsible for these marks," he said, his voice grim. "It looks like it forced its way out..."

Astarion stepped forward, holding the journal open to the disturbing scribble. "This is what I found in Orbis’s journal," he said, his usual nonchalance replaced by something darker. The sketch of the bug-like creature loomed between them all, its distorted form sending a shiver down Tav's spine.

Gale’s face, usually calm, twisted in sudden realization. His eyes widened as the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place—the nightmares, the growing paranoia, Orbis’s disappearance. It all made sense now. He took a sharp breath, his voice laced with both dread and certainty. "Meenlocks," Gale whispered, his words cutting through the silence like a blade. "They’re the ones responsible."

The room seemed to freeze. Tav felt a chill crawl down his spine as the name sank in. Meenlocks—creatures born from fear and nightmares, beings that thrived on terror. They hunted their victims relentlessly, feeding off their growing despair until they turned them into one of their own.

"They must have targeted Orbis," Gale continued, his voice now heavy with urgency. "His nightmares… the fear… it’s exactly how they operate. They find those who are vulnerable, those plagued by their own fears, and they torment them until they break. Then, they drag them into the shadows… and change them."

Tav’s mind raced. "That means…" He swallowed, dread settling in his chest. "Orbis could still be alive, but he’s—"

"He’s becoming one of them," Gale finished, his face pale. "Or worse, he’s already turned."

Astarion cursed softly under his breath, his usual sarcasm absent. "So, we’re not just dealing with a kidnapping. We’re dealing with a transformation. If we don’t find him soon, there might be nothing left of Orbis to save."

Not that he cared to much about Orbis but Alex gave them a mission and he wouldn't be the one to disappoint him.

Tav turned to Hela, who had been standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with horror as she listened. Her face drained of color, and her hands clutched the glowing flower even tighter, as if its warmth was the only thing keeping her grounded. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she shook her head in disbelief. "No… not my Orbis," she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of the revelation. "He can’t… he can’t become one of those… things."

Tav stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hela, we’re going to find him. And we’re going to stop this before it’s too late." His voice was steady, filled with conviction, but deep down, he knew the clock was ticking. They had to move fast, or the Orbis they found might not be the son Hela remembered.

Astarion, his eyes dark with thought, glanced at Gale. "If they’ve taken him, where would they have gone? How do we track these… Meenlocks?"

"They thrive in dark, isolated places. Underground, in the shadows," Gale explained. "We’ll need to follow the trail of fear. If they’ve been feeding on Orbis’s nightmares, his presence will be stronger in the places they’ve taken him."

Tav’s resolve hardened as he glanced back at Hela’s fragile form, shaking with grief. Her sobs echoed softly in the small, dimly lit house, filling the air with a heavy sadness that Tav carried with him as they left. He promised himself again—he would not return without her son. The Meenlocks had taken enough.

They ventured into the village and started to ask the villagers if they had nightmares recently. Many were hesitant at first when Tav and the others began asking but after hearing that would help them find Orbis and realizing the seriousness of the situation, they opened up. Their faces paled as they recounted restless nights and visions that chilled them to their core—creeping shadows, inhuman whispers, and an overwhelming sense of being watched.

Among the group, Astarion was the most successful in getting people to talk—though not for the right reasons. The women of the village, young and old alike, flocked to him, giggling and blushing as he laid on the charm, casually tossing his silver hair back and flashing his perfect smile. Tav, irritated, had to constantly remind him of their mission.

“Astarion,” Tav said with a warning tone, pulling the vampire away from a group of particularly infatuated women. “We’re here to find Orbis, not to play matchmaker.”

Astarion smirked. “Oh, but Tav, the people seem so much more willing to help when they’re, shall we say, enchanted.”

That smirk vanished when a group of husbands started glaring at Astarion, their patience with his flirtations quickly running thin. Astarion, always one to stir the pot, only grinned wider, provoking them further. It almost escalated into a full brawl in the middle of the village square before Tav and Gale dragged him away.

“We have a perimeter,” Tav said, marking the village map with a piece of charcoal. His voice was all business, his mind racing to find the pattern of where the Meenlocks could be hiding. "The nightmares seem to cluster around this area."

“The area is fairly small," Gale said, looking over Tav’s shoulder at the map, "but there are no buildings or woods big enough for them to hide in.”

Astarion, still somewhat bored, chimed in from the side. “Unless… they're underground.”

The realization hit them all at once. "Exactly," Gale said, nodding. "They’d be hiding underground, somewhere we can’t see. If that’s the case, Bullet could dig around and lead us right to them."

They found Bullet exactly where they had left him, just outside the village, his massive, hulking form lying in wait near the road. The sun was dipping lower, casting long shadows that danced on the ground as they approached the creature. Tav stepped forward.

"Bullet?" Tav called softly.

The land shark’s eyes opened instantly, locking onto Tav with unwavering attention. There was something almost reassuring in those predatory eyes. Tav knelt down, meeting Bullet’s gaze with calm resolve. "We need your help," he said, his voice steady despite the weight of what they were about to face. "Can you dig here?" He pointed to the map he had sketched, marking the area they suspected the meenlocks might be hiding.

Without hesitation, Bullet gave a sharp nod, eager to assist his companions. But Astarion, standing off to the side with a lazy posture, let out a scoff, crossing his arms. "Do you think he's smart enough to understand that?" His voice dripped with sarcasm, his eyes scanning Bullet with skepticism.

Bullet’s head snapped toward Astarion, his sharp gaze narrowing in what could only be described as annoyance. Tav quickly moved to calm the tension, placing a reassuring hand on Bullet’s side. "Ignore him, Bullet," Tav said with a smile, trying to ease the situation. "We trust you."

The land shark seemed to huff in response before turning back to the task. With a thunderous crash of earth, Bullet’s massive claws tore into the ground, ripping through soil and stone like it was paper. Dust and debris filled the air as he disappeared into the hole, the sound of digging echoing around them like the heartbeat of the earth itself.

They waited, the silence growing heavier with each passing second. Astarion, leaning against a nearby tree in the shade, sighed dramatically. "And now we wait. How thrilling."

Tav shot him a glance but didn’t respond, his focus instead on the dark hole that Bullet had left behind. His heart raced, anxiety gnawing at him. Every second that passed felt like an eternity. What if they were wrong? What if Bullet couldn't find anything? What if they were too late?

A sudden rumble broke the silence as Bullet re-emerged from the tunnel, shaking dirt from his massive frame. He lifted his head and pointed with his snout toward the hole, his eyes locking onto Tav’s.

Tav stepped forward, his heart pounding in his chest. "You want us to go in?" he asked, though the answer was already clear.

Bullet nodded firmly, his gaze steady and unblinking.

Tav exchanged a glance with Gale, whose expression mirrored his own worry. Astarion, still lounging in the shade, raised an eyebrow in mild disinterest, though Tav could see the tension in his jaw, the way his fingers twitched toward his weapon. This was no casual venture.

"Let’s go," Tav said, his voice low but resolute.

Gale murmured a soft incantation, casting Darkvision over his eyes, the faint shimmer of magic barely noticeable as they descended into the dark, winding tunnel. Tav and Astarion, already able to see in the dark, moved silently beside him. They dared not use any visible source of light, knowing it would draw the attention of the lurking creatures below. The earth felt cold and damp against their boots, the faint echo of their footsteps barely perceptible over the oppressive silence.

When they reached the tunnel’s end, they paused, peering out from the shadows into the cavern beyond. The space was vast, the edges swallowed by darkness. Tav’s eyes narrowed as he spotted the small, frail figure lying in the center of the cavern, unmoving.

"That must be Orbis," Tav whispered, his breath barely stirring the air. His heart raced at the sight of the gnome, but unease clawed at his gut. "But where are the meenlocks?"

His question was met with a sickening sight. Orbis’s body began to convulse, his limbs twisting grotesquely as a low, guttural sound escaped his throat. Before their eyes, the gnome’s flesh warped and shriveled, his form contorting into something dark and insect-like. In moments, Orbis had been consumed, replaced by a newly born meenlock. The grotesque transformation was complete.

Tav's heart plummeted into his stomach. His hands curled into tight fists as an overwhelming wave of guilt and sorrow crashed over him. He had been too late. The image of his mother's face, flashed in his mind, twisting the knife of his failure deeper.

"Shit. We were too late," Tav muttered, his voice thick with emotion.

Beside him, Astarion watched the scene unfold with a raised eyebrow, though his voice was uncharacteristically serious. "So, what do we do now?"

Tav inhaled deeply, forcing himself to steady his breath. He couldn’t afford to hesitate. Not now. "We kill them all," he said, his tone hard, unyielding.

Astarion’s face lit up with a wicked grin, his fangs flashing in the dim light. "That’s more like it." Without waiting for further instruction, a psionic aura crackled around him, forming an ethereal armor that glimmered briefly before he launched himself into the cavern. His speed was terrifying, a blur of predatory grace.

Tav blinked in shock, watching as Astarion leapt into the fray. The vampire spawn had told him about his new psionic abilities, but seeing it in action was something else entirely. Astarion soared through the air and came crashing down on the newly transformed meenlock that had once been Orbis, the creature barely managing a startled hiss before Astarion’s psionic-fueled punch splintered its exoskeleton.

It was over in an instant—Orbis was gone.

A chorus of hisses echoed through the cavern as the shadows began to shift, dozens of meenlocks emerging from the darkness. Their grotesque forms skittered over the walls and floor, pincers snapping hungrily as they surged toward Astarion. Two dozen, maybe more.

But Astarion only smirked, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Come on then, ugly bugs!" he taunted, throwing punches with terrifying precision, each blow cracking through the Meenlocks’ armor-like bodies. Though his attacks didn’t kill them outright, they were enough to injure and disorient the creatures.

Tav didn’t waste a second. He raised his hand, summoning glowing orbs of light that floated around the cavern, casting an eerie glow. The meenlocks screeched in pain, recoiling from the sudden brightness.

"Gale!" Tav shouted.

Gale nodded, raising both hands as he conjured a massive sphere of fire. The air around them warped from the heat as he hurled the fireball directly into the mass of creatures surrounding Astarion. The explosion rocked the cavern, fire roaring through the air, obliterating half of the meenlocks in one devastating blast.

"Hey!" Astarion shouted indignantly, emerging from the flames unscathed but clearly annoyed. "Watch where you’re aiming!"

"You’ll be fine," Gale retorted calmly, already preparing another spell.

Tav summoned a wall of fire with a wave of his hand, the flames roaring to life in front of him. meenlocks rushed toward him, only to be incinerated as they collided with the inferno. The acrid scent of burning flesh filled the air, and the screeches of the dying creatures echoed through the cavern.

Gale, not content to stay at a distance, charged forward, his hand glowing with arcane energy. He unleashed Burning Hands, a cone of fire erupting from his palms, engulfing the meenlocks in front of him. Their high-pitched screams of agony filled the air as their bodies were reduced to ash.

One meenlock, half-charred but still alive, lunged at Gale, its pincers snapping viciously. Gale dodged to the side with fluid grace, his elbow slamming into the creature’s head with a sickening crack. Tav heard the faint snap of bone from across the cavern.

Another meenlock rushed at Gale from behind, its claws raised to strike. Gale didn’t even turn around. Instead, he placed a hand on the creature’s head and flipped over it just in time for Tav to hurl a Chromatic Orb filled with fire. The orb slammed into the meenlock, sending it staggering backward, barely standing.

Gale finished the job with a swift kick to the head, the creature’s skull caving in as it collapsed to the ground.

The cavern roared with fire and chaos, the echo of battle reverberating against the stone walls. Astarion, still in the thick of it, grinned with a ferocity that matched the brutal storm of combat around him. His psionic aura rippled with every punch, cracking meenlock carapaces like they were fragile shells. His movements were like a deadly dance, swift, graceful, and devastating.

Tav, standing amidst the burning carnage, summoned another chromatic orb, his fingers sparking with elemental energy. He hurled it toward a cluster of meenlocks scurrying along the cavern wall, the orb exploding in a brilliant flash of lightning that sent the creatures screeching and twitching as they fell to the ground, convulsing in death.

Gale, calm in the center of the storm , unleashed spell after spell with terrifying precision. His fingers weaved through the air as he conjured arcane sigils, a shimmering shield appearing around him just as a meenlock lunged, its claws scraping harmlessly against the barrier. He flicked his wrist, sending a streak of fire that ignited the creature, its shrieks of agony filling the cavern as it was consumed in flames.

Tav saw movement to his left—a pack of meenlocks skittering toward Gale, their pincers clicking in ravenous anticipation. "Gale! Left!" Tav shouted.

But Gale had already sensed them. With a quick incantation, he thrust his hand forward, and a gust of wind howled through the cavern, slamming into the meenlocks with the force of a hurricane. The creatures tumbled through the air, crashing into the walls with sickening thuds, their exoskeletons cracking under the impact.

“Can’t let you have all the fun, Gale!” Tav called out, his voice strained but determined. His breath came heavy, but his heart burned with the will to see this through as a fireball crash on the meenlocks.

Astarion, now covered in the ichor of the fallen meenlocks, chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with amusement. "Oh, by all means, Tav. I wouldn’t dream of stealing the spotlight." He ducked low, dodging a swipe from another meenlock before driving his elbow into its thorax. The creature let out a guttural hiss, stumbling backward, only for Astarion to leap onto it and drive his fist straight into its skull, crushing it with brutal efficiency.

Tav gritted his teeth as he summoned a Blade of Flame to his hand, the fire roaring to life around the hilt. He dashed forward, slashing through the horde of meenlocks with deadly precision. Each swing of his blade sent arcs of fire blazing through the air, slicing through the darkness as the creatures crumpled beneath his onslaught. His muscles screamed with the effort, but he pushed through, each kill fueling his determination.

Gale stood back momentarily, his eyes glowing with arcane intensity as he began to chant a more complex spell. “Cover me,” he said, his voice steady, despite the storm around him.

Tav and Astarion leapt into action, forming a defensive line around him as the remaining meenlocks, their numbers dwindling but still dangerous, closed in on them. Tav’s sword danced in fiery arcs, slicing through limbs and exoskeletons, while Astarion’s psionically enhanced blows shattered skulls and sent creatures flying back with every strike.

The air around Gale crackled with energy as he finished his incantation, and suddenly, the ground beneath the remaining meenlocks erupted in a torrent of flame and molten rock. A Wall of Fire burst forth, encircling the remaining creatures in a blazing inferno. The heat was so intense that Tav could feel it against his skin even from where he stood, but the sight of the meenlocks writhing and shrieking in the fire was worth it.

Astarion, still grinning like a maniac, wiped ichor from his face. "You know, there’s something deeply satisfying about watching these ugly things burn."

As the last of the Meenlocks fell, their twisted bodies charred and broken, a heavy silence descended over the cavern. The only sound was the crackling of flames and the distant drip of water from the ceiling. The battle was over.

Tav stood amidst the destruction, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his body aching from the intensity of the fight. He scanned the cavern, ensuring no more creatures lurked in the shadows. His heart still raced, adrenaline coursing through his veins, but a sense of grim satisfaction settled over him. They had done it. They had won.

Gale approached, the glow of magic slowly fading from his eyes. "I think that’s all of them," he said, his voice calm but edged with exhaustion.

Tav nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow. "We got them… but Orbis—" He swallowed hard, the reality of their failure hitting him. They had lost Orbis to the meenlocks, a innocent turned into a monster.

Astarion stretched his arms, unbothered by the carnage around him. "Well, at least we made sure the rest of these pests won’t be turning anyone else."

Tav turned to the center of the cavern, where Orbis had fallen, now just another broken, insect-like husk. His fist clenched tightly around the hilt of his flaming sword before he extinguished it. "We did what we could," he said quietly, though the weight of his own words felt hollow.

Gale placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes, the victories are bitter, Tav. But we saved the village. Orbis may be gone, but others will live because of what we did today."

Tav took a deep breath, nodding. The fire inside him was still there, still burning. "We can’t undo the past. But we can stop this from happening again."

Astarion let out a mocking sigh. "Oh, how noble. But yes, yes, we’ve done our hero bit. Shall we get out of this miserable hole?"

Tav glanced at him, managing a faint smile despite the weight on his heart. "Yeah. Let’s go."

With one last look at the battlefield, they turned and made their way back through the tunnel, the echoes of their victory—and their losses—trailing behind them.