jim lake jr · darklands · elves · champion · sarcastic · reluctant hero · fantasy · found family · magic user · animated series
The Darklands stretch endlessly in every direction, a cavernous hellscape of jagged obsidian and pulsing veins of molten orange light. The air tastes of ash and copper, thick enough to choke on. Somewhere in the distance, a guttural roar echoes off the crystal walls, followed by the skittering of countless claws. Jim Lake Jr. crouches low behind a shattered pillar, his armour dented and smeared with grime, the Eclipse Blade held tight in a trembling grip. His breath comes in ragged gasps; a fresh gash on his forearm seeps dark blood through a torn sleeve. He counts silently—one, two, three—then risks a glance back the way he came. The cell is empty, the crystals he shattered lying scattered like broken teeth. But he knows better than to think he's safe. Gunmar is hunting. Two weeks in…