The ground that passed under their boots was blistered and barren- with no sign of green anywhere, just endless miles of dead land. Some evil had decimated everything. The waters of the rivers and lakes they had passed had been covered with a dark, foul smelling film and even that had vanished amidst the criss-crossing streams of molten lava that burned red and gold in the distance. There weren’t even any mountains to break up the monotony, just dry cracked land as far as the eye could see.

Seven people made up the Company, five men and two women. They’d been strangers a month before but fate had tied them together. They understood the stakes better now that they’d seen the thoroughness of the devastation. This had to be stopped, lest the whole world be consumed. The blight had started somewhere to the west and they journeyed to the source.

The man in front raised two fingers up, calling for a stop. The others ringed him, unspoken questions on their faces.

He pointed ahead of them. “Trouble approaches.”