Nothing. In front of him was a dull grey and overcast sky with the darker grey of the stone of the mountain, the lip of a small tight path around the side and the massive gouge out area of land that had once been the demons last hope. Kadin made his way forwards again and began shuffling along the edge of the chasm heading towards the little dip in the land that would take him back out on to the mountain side proper. As he made his way along the path, he kept glancing back to the caves looking for any signs of pursuit – he didn’t expect anyone out of the entrance he collapsed, but he didn’t know enough about the cave system to know if the tunnels were connected and as exhausted as he was he wouldn’t be able to fight off many of the demons should they come after him, he looked back on all that had happened and first he kicked himself for using his firestorm scroll … if he hadn’t wasted it he could have unrolled that threw it through the portal and at least put a dent in the demons numbers … maybe slow them down enough to get out a warning. But then again, Kadin didn’t think that his fight with the orc war party would have went as well if he had saved his scroll, the goblins and orcs should have been ok … but not being able to boost himself with magic, the trolls might have caused a bit too much work for him – speaking of now that he was under the clouded and stormy sky … he would need to focus on not using any magic again.

He was about at the half way point where he heard it – a massive crack followed by a deep rumble where the ground started to move, it was just a little shake but it sounded like a mountain had just been split in two, looking back at the cave entrances for a sign of pursuit Kadin was happy to see none. He steadily made his way along the narrow path getting closer and closer to his escape. The rumbling lasted only a few second and then there was nothing, silence followed apart from the occasional gust of wind or crack of thunder. As he found the hidden passage and made his way through and back out onto the hillside, he could see the little scorch mark, a black stain on a baron rust red and brown landscape, that was his fight with the orcs, the light was starting to fail and with the constant storm overhead he couldn’t be sure if the storm was getting heavier or if the sun was setting but it felt like dusk was closing in, he started towards that little black scorch mark and his path out of the blasted lands and home … not sure how he was going to explain things.

‘at least I have complete my contract.’ He thought

‘I won’t be kicked out of the guild for that, but for unleashing an endless demon horde… well that won’t be well received.’

He then started to wonder if he would even be believed.

As he slowly trudged on, getting closer to the site of his scroll, exhaustion was fast catching up with him he felt his eyes droop and every step was getting heavier, his movement becoming more and more sluggish, if he came across another orc patrol now he really doubted if he would be able to fight them off. Then he started thinking if he should look for a place to make camp, he felt really uneasy about making a camp as even with the cave in he suspected it wouldn’t be long until they got out. After a moments though he decided to trudge on for a bit longer he needed to put as much distance between himself and that portal as he could. He cast a good look around himself as he approached the blackened and charred landscape making sure no reinforcements had been sent but it was still all quiet apart from the occasional gust of wind, he skirted the edge of the battle site keeping in as much cover as he could the black stain on the land would draw attention to any eyes for miles around, but his luck held the silence and peace continued.

Kadin was getting closer to the base of the mountains, and every slow laboured step took all his willpower to keep moving forwards he had a fleeting thought of

‘I need to find somewhere to get a couple of hours sleep.’

Then it happened.