Noone knows where Malicia is located, but many explorers have attempted to find it. The metropolis is for the most part shrouded in mystery. This has caused many tales and legends to circulate over the years.

Some believe it is all that is left of a once mighty civilization. Others believe it was a failed attempt to colonize the Realm of Shadows. Still others believe its builders still occupy the city.. in one form or another.

Stories of great treasures, magical curses, and unsurpassed knowledge of the Realm are commonly associated with Malicia. Are these stories true? Find the "City of the Damned" and you will have your answer.

We marched toward it for days. The dim pin point of light which had caught our attention on the horizon seemed no closer. We had begun to think it was an optical illusion or some other form of trickery. Each time we crawled into our tents to rest we expected it to be gone when we stepped from them once again.

It always remained. Like a beacon in the twilight it stimulated our curiousity and excited our imaginations. We pressed on. The vast wasteland has a way of distorting ones perception of distance. It was nearly two weeks before the pin point began to grow in size, another four days before we realized what we had been moving toward.

It was a city. It was more than just a city, it was a metropolis. Skyscrapers hundreds of feet tall reached high into the heavens. They were brightly lit like pillars of pure energy. The community was easily fifteen miles wide. From our vantage point we could not tell how deep it went.

We had encountered a few villages during our travels through the Realm. The largest had been a grouping of twenty stone houses around a tavern. It was nothing like the sight before us now.

Ten miles from the metropolis we stumbled across a cobblestone road. It led toward the city in one direction. We saw no signs of where it might lead in the other.

I pondered the situation carefully. Our encounters with the native residents of the Realm had not gone very well in the past. I did not know if entering the city was a wise course of action. However, this place was quite different than anything we had encountered as well. It was not a tiny village. It did not appear to be the type of place that psychopaths might construct. It was not the type of place that I imagined a mad sorcerer ruling. From a distance it seemed peaceful, maybe even civilized.

I did not want to miss an opportunity to find help or information. Perhaps they had maps which would end our aimless wandering. At the very least the city had to contain somewhere to take a hot bath. Who knows, maybe we could find ourselves a wife for a night, or two if her rates were reasonable.

The possibilities were endless. The temptation was to much to resist. I nudged my mounts ribs then led my men up the cobble stone road toward the city.

I watched the expressions of my men and listened to their conversations as we marched forward. Spirits seemed to be high. They smiled often and told jokes to one another. It was obvious that their thoughts about entering the city matched my own. I saw no signs that they were nervous or on edge.

This was very good to see. We had been roaming through the Realm for longer than any of us cared to remember. The long stretches between points of interest had left us with too much time on our hands. We were all veteran adventurers and managed to get along for the most part, but lately it seemed that bickering and minor quarrels were becoming the favorite ways to pass the time. Our patience with one another was growing thin. We desperately needed some rest and relaxation.

I did not know if the city would provide us with these things, but its meer existance had already boosted moral. I was pleased to have found it. Unfortunately that pleasure would be short lived. It would not be long until I wished I had headed the opposite direction when we stumbled upon the cobblestone path.

The trail did not fit with the cities appearance. This place was obviously technologically advanced enough to produce a road composed of higher quality material. I could only assume the path had been built by residents which wanted to travel to the city, rather than those that wanted to travel from it. I did not ponder the enigma long.

Finally, after another two hours of travel we reached the entrance to the city. The mystery of the roads construction was now completely forgotten as one much larger took its place.

My voice broke the silence of the deserted streets before our eyes. "Where the hell is everyone?"

The metropolis covered a vast area. The road stretched ahead as far as I could see. The cobblestone path turned to concrete and pavement at the cities edge. I could see vehicles, homes, and business's, but absolutely no people what so ever. The city seemed just as dead as the wastelands around it.

I continued ahead. My men followed close behind me. My eyes roamed freely from side to side, searching for signs of life and danger. My ears listened closely for the same. Nothing caught their attention.

We rode for another ten minutes deeper into the city. The bright light thrown from the street lamps and interiors of the buildings was hard to get used to. We had travelled through relative darkness with only flickering camp fires during our rest periods for a very long time. The constant brightness felt like staring into the sun at high noon, however the sensativity eventually began to disappear.

Up ahead, in a window on the second floor of a three story building, movement caught my attention. I had almost missed it. A figure pushed the light blue curtians aside and peered out at us before disappearing from sight once again. I could not make out its features or race, it was only visable for a second or two, but it appeared humanoid.

I turned in my saddle and looked back at my men to point out the window. They were already looking up at it.

I asked if they had seen the figure even though it was obvious they had. "Did anyone else see that?"

They answered as I had expected.

I tugged on my mounts reins lightly bringing it to a halt. I slid from the saddle and slipped my bow from my back as I began giving my men their instructions.

"Dismount. Bamon, Ashcroft.. Stay with the mounts. We don't need them stolen or killed. Fores, Doran, Lovel, Vacks.. Head into that building and see if you can track down whoever is up there. If you meet a heavy hostile force don't engage it.. Retreat back out into the street or give the signal and we will move in. The rest of you spread out and keep your eyes open. We don't know who we are dealing with.. be prepared for anything."

They answered with a few more nods and soft Aye's then began to carry out my orders.

Fores and his group moved slowly toward the building. All four of them were experienced adventurers. I hoped they would not find anything hostile, but knew that if they did, they could defend themselves well.

I walked ahead glancing through the windows I passed. I stopped directly across the street from the window which had caused the excitement. I watched it carefully, but saw no more movement.

The rest of my men spread out as I had instructed. They gripped their weapons tightly as they surveyed the area. It was obvious they were a bit nervous, but none of them seemed fearful yet.

Fores and his group reached the door to the building. They paused long enough to listen closely at the door, then opened it cautiously. They took a long look into the open doorway before moving into it and disappearing from my sight.

The street remained quiet. I continued watching the second floor window, breaking my steady stare every now and then just long enough to glance around and make sure my men were still in sight and unharmed.

This continued for over fifteen minutes. I was beginning to worry about Fores and company. I hadn't expected it to take them so long to reach the second floor. I began pondering who to send in next to see if they were alright. Before I could decide, the silence in the street was broken.

The second floor window which I had been watching so closely, exploded outward as a figure came crashing through it. It soared through the air directly at me.

I was frozen by the unexpected event. I continued to stare up at it as it got closer and closer. Time slowed to a crawl allowing me to make out its features.

The figure appeared almost human. The only differences I could see were its face and hands. It eyes were pitch black. Its mouth was open revealing razor sharp incisors and canines. Its fingers were tipped with claws that stretched out two or three inches.

It wore tattered blue denim jeans. Its shirt once had buttons down the front but they were not fastened. The shirt whipped behind it like a cape as it flew through the air.

The figure was not particularly physically fit. Its open shirt revealed a large pot belly. Its features were male.

Its skin was white, albino-like. Pale skin was not uncommon in the Realm. Most of the native citizens we had met during our travels had never even seen a sun, but this citizen seemed to lack any pigmentation what so ever.

Fores appeared in the window with his blade drawn just as the figure slammed into me. The impact was brutal. It knocked the wind out of me and sent me hurling backwards. My bow flew from my hand and skidded down the sidewalk as my back was driven into the unyielding wall of the building to my rear.

The figure seemed unphased. It stood up quickly as it snarled at me. A thick black forked tongue slid from its mouth. Several large drops of saliva dripped from it as the figure began to move toward me slowly.

I struggled to regain my breath and stand so I could defend myself. It was obvious this creature was hostile.

The figure lunged toward me. The street was filled with the sound of thunder as a flash of energy came streaking from the left. The creature toppled end over end as the lightening hit its mark, then layed there face down and motionless.

I looked to the left searching for the source of the bolt. Ashcroft was running toward me, his fingers still crackling with magic.

I pushed myself to a stand as quickly as I could manage. I looked to the second floor window, Fores had disappeared from sight. I looked back the the figure, it was still not moving.

Ashcroft finally reached me. I did not bother with a lecture about following orders. The horses might be in danger, but he had saved my ass.

The rest of my men converged on us. Fores and his group came barreling out of the building with their weapons drawn. They did not appear to be hurt.

I gave a nod of thanks to Ashcroft then gave him a new order. "Get the horses."

He gave me an odd look then nodded before turning and heading back the way he came.

I think he wanted a better thank you, but I had never been the type for long winded speeches, praise, or even politeness. He got a nod and no tongue lashing for his defiance, I was satisfied with my effort.

I turned my attention to Fores. He was slightly winded from his rush out of the building. I took a second look and was relieved to see he was indeed unharmed. "Did you see any signs that there may be more?"

He took a few deep breaths then responded. "No. That's the only one we saw. The bastard was strong."

Fores lifted his shield displaying a large dent in its surface. "Did this with its bare hand. Vacks clobbered it over the head with his hammer. Damn thing didn't go down. It just turned and dove out the window."

I looked to the figure. "Well.. It wasn't invincible."

I walked to my bow and picked it up, then headed toward the creature. I stopped about five feet from it and fired three bolts into its back. He didn't move. I was satisfied it was dead.

I continued ahead until I stood next to it. I used my bow to roll it onto its back. Its dead black eyes stared up at me. Its forked tongue was still out, burnt by Ashcrofts' blast. As my eyes roamed over it, they noticed something odd.

Its pot belly seemed to be moving. The albino flesh stretched and contorted as something inside pushed against it.

I took a few steps back as I aimed my bow at its stomach. "Fores, cut this bastard open!"

Fores was more than happy to oblige. With a quick slash of his sword, the figures belly split open revealing its contents.

A small black creature crawled from the figures innards. The albino's tongue disappeared into his mouth as the creature moved. It was not his tongue at all, it was the creatures tail.

The creature was approximately one foot long excluding the length of its tail. Its body was divided into three sections. Its head had no eyes or other features. Its middle section was where its ten long slender arachnid-like legs were attached. The last section was the largest. It was a round mass with a series of tiny tentacles and its tail attached to it.

The tentacles were embedded in the albinos vital organs. One pulled from its heart, another from its stomach, another from its lungs. The creature was obviously living off of the albino, but I could not tell if the relationship between them was parasitic or symbiotic.

The creature completed the task of freeing itself. It stood there for a moment then began to walk away leaving a trail of blood behind it. It seemed completely apathetic to our presence. I was not sure if it even knew we were there.

It found out soon enough. I let loose a bolt into its back. The creature exploded splattering the sidewalk and building with thick white fluid.

Ashcroft arrived with the horses.

I mounted mine and turned it around the direction we had came as I gave new instructions. "Mount up. We will camp out of town. I need to think about this awhile. I don't think this is a good place to stand around for very long."

We headed back out. We didn't see any more residents as we travelled, but I figured it was safe to assume they were around somewhere.

A passage from The Roamers' Journal.

�2001 Joe Pombo