Nightingale popped off the cork of the vial and simply poured it onto the ground in front of him. When he did this, the liquid began to swirl on the ground creating what looked like a whirl pool that emanated a strange energy. I tried to use the third eye that Nightingale had helped me open and focused on the whirlpool. For some reason, when I tried looking deeper at its energy I began seeing strange golden symbols floating within it as it spun in circles. "W-what is this?" I questioned. Nightingale seemed to pick up what I had done and smirked. "I see you're getting the hang of it. What you are seeing are called runes. They are ancient lettering that are used as a bridge between an enchanter's energy they are channeling and the object they are trying to enchant. By themselves they hold no power, but combined with different types of energies within the world they can create enchantments you could not possibly imagine. They are quite a remarkable tool. The runes inscribed within this water are my brother's special combination that no normal enchanter could even dream of creating. We will jump into this whirlpool and it will take us where we want to go. Now take my hand and we'll be on our way." Nightingale said as he reached out his hand. I hesitated for a moment, then took his hand. Before I could even prepare myself, Nightingale jumped and pulled me straight into it. "HOLD ON A SECOND!!!" I yelled out, but it was too late. I felt myself plunged into the strange pool of energy. Despite it only being a small puddle on the ground, it felt like I had just fallen into a deep body of water. All of the water around me continued to spin around in a powerful flowing motion. Then in an instant, it felt like I was forcibly thrown out of the whirlpool and onto dry land.
I quickly came to my senses and looked around me and there was no longer any whirlpool on the ground. Not only that, I wasn't wet at all. My clothes were completely dry and we were now in a completely new place. It was broad daylight and we were sitting right on the edge of a small cliff. "That was amazing! But where the heck are we?!" I exclaimed. Nightingale chuckled and said, "I'm sure that was quite the experience for someone who's never used Gone water before. It is absolutely the most useful item my brother has ever created. Right now, we have landed on the edge of an area called the Black fields." After hearing the name, I really took a moment to take in my surroundings. I looked out around me and checked over the side of the small cliff we were on. Down below was a huge expanse of large black pool scattered across a huge range. I had never seen something like this before, but there was something else that hit me like a ton of bricks. All of a sudden, I felt a wave of sorrow spread across my body. Not only that, I felt the presence of what seemed like thousands of bones deep beneath the ground… "Sir Nightingale, what the hell is this place? This place… It's filled with Death." I said as I gazed at the deep black pools. Nightingale looked at me and sighed, "Well, I suppose I should have anticipated this. What you are looking at, is the eastern most part of an area called the black swamp. As you may have noticed, there are no living things within this area. No plants, and no creatures of any kind. Those pools are made of a substance called Tar. Not long ago, this place was used to dispose of prisoners taken by the kingdom of Cashmere… So it is no surprise that you can feel death here. I'm certain that those pools of tar must be filled with thousands of souls. It is a thick and viscous substance that can completely trap you inside, suffocating you with its grasp. However, due to the geographic location, these tar pools in particular are also incredibly hot. Just touching it will completely burn through your skin. I am sure that whoever died in these pools experienced an excruciating death." Nightingale said with a sorrowful look. Just thinking about it was dreadful. It was no wonder I could feel so much pain and sorrow emanating from these pools. It was as if the bones trapped inside were screaming for me. I was feeling overwhelmed… "That is just, sickening. How could anyone do that to people? That has to be the worst way to die I could possibly think of." I said in disgust. "Believe it or not, there is only one record of a person ever making it out of these tar fields alive…" Nightingale said with a more grim tone. "I actually met him once and he told me all about it… I was quite shocked when I heard his story." He commented. I couldn't believe someone could actually survive that!? If that substance could burn straight through your skin, how could anyone make it out of that situation? "Sir Nightingale, how is that even possible?! How strong could he possibly be to escape a death like that?" I questioned in awe and disbelief. Nightingale looked at me as if he was debating telling me about it, and then let out another sigh. "Very well, this is the tale of a man they call… The Black Snake."
Some years ago, there was a young boy whose life was filled with misfortune. He had a younger brother and father of great renown. His father was known as an excellent swordsman, some would even call him one of the greatest of the era. He was so incredible in fact, that his sword became known as the hero's sword, a coveted and prestigious weapon. Both the boy and his younger brother looked at their father with awe and reverence, hoping to one day be like him. However, because of his fathers renown he was often challenged by those across the kingdoms wishing to show their strength and take his title as the greatest swordsman. Many of which wished to claim the hero's sword as their own. This boy's father had never been beaten, and this gained him much fame and respect. But one day a group of rather unsavory noblemen challenged the boy's father to a duel. The father respectfully declined the duel, knowing that there would be consequences if he participated. These noblemen were known for their underhanded tricks and arrogance. To the father, he knew that he could easily beat these men of hubris without much effort. Unfortunately, if he was to bring any form of humiliation upon them… Not only he, but his children would be met with their reprisal. The noblemen urged that they would not take no for answer, as they also secretly wished to take his coveted sword. They goaded him and insulted him, using every trick they had in order to provoke his fury. All the noblemen needed was an excuse to engage him in a duel. To no surprise, the father remained resolute in his intentions of refusing the duel. The boy, on the other hand, had a different point of view. The boy's pride in his father blinded him, he didn't understand his actions and knew that his father could easily defeat these men just like all the others. He spoke to the noblemen out of emotion saying, "My father can easily beat you! You could never stand beside him! You should know better." In doing so, the boy gave the noblemen exactly what they wanted. They now had all the justification in the world to seek out a duel with the boy's father. However, instead of initiating the duel they had originally planned, the dastardly noblemen came up with something far more sinister. They went after the boy thinking that the father wouldn't do a thing due to his son's words. The noblemen thought that this would scar the swordsman pride far worse than a simple duel. This was the first misfortune that befell the boy. The father who loved his children dearly could not sit by and allow them to be harmed. He struck out his sword with a mighty swing and beheaded the noblemen all at once. He cared not for the consequences that faced him. All he wanted was to protect his children. Knowing what was coming for him and his family, the father took his two sons and hid them within the poverty stricken district of their kingdom. He told his boys that he would come back to get them by nightfall. Then, they would escape their kingdom to find asylum elsewhere. He told them that if anything was to happen to him, that the oldest of his sons must take his younger brother and escape without him. Of course the boy objected at first, but after seeing the fear in his younger brother's eyes, he decided to trust his father and promised that he would do as he asked. After all, his father was a renowned swordsman and he was sure to return and take them to safety. As the day passed on and night fell, the boy and his brother waited and waited. Their father did not return. Fearing the worst, the boy comforted his younger brother and told him that their father was sure to meet up with them even after they leave. So the boy took his younger brother, and they headed out towards the shipyards in hope of finding a way out of their kingdom. Along the way, they began to hear the sounds of cavalry following behind them. In the dead of night, they ran as far and as fast as they could. Eventually the two brothers made it to the shipyards and snuck their way onto a ship without being seen or heard. They had narrowly escaped the kingdom's cavalry, which was in fact searching for the two of them. As the two boys stowed away on the ship, they hid deep within the cargo hold away from prying eyes. What they didn't know… Was that they were about to embark on a long and arduous journey.