Chapter 47: Fountain of the Immortals and the Tale of Hith
And the tale of Mynax and the Fountain of the Immortals was soon as lore amongst the people of Arrasia and great men and women made journeys in search of it and each endured great hardship and adventure and many were lost before they ever came to it and most never found it at all, for only rumor and superstition did give clues to its whereabouts. But some did indeed come to the Fountain in Tuska and there they supped from it and let its cool waters flow into them, but this was the essence of Onnus and only the greatest and most true would receive great reward, so even at that climax they did died or were took with madness and insanity.
Two more only, since Mynax drank from it, came to the Fountain and were given the gift the great gift the sought, that of immortality. The first was Zidodd, who was a great warrior of the lizard people who came to make war with the Aslah, for her people suffered greatly and they did nought. So it was she came Tuska and drank from the Founatin and to her was given the gift of immortality and the protection of her peoples.
And the second was Hith, a great mage, who sought the power of the Fountain for his own ends, which were good only for him and he cared for none other and there was only greed and desire in his black heart. And he came to the Fountain after high adventure, for long had he sought the greatest myth and he drank from it. But his gift were like that of no other, for he did indeed fine immortality, but from his heart was sucked any good that might still remain and a madness filled his mind and a great malady took him. So did Hith become Aslah, being granted the gift of immortality, but his thoughts were black and could not be reasoned and long he walked the outer rims of the world as if in a daze and he was consumed by a great evil and wickedness and was long forgot, if ever anyone did once even know him.
Thus did he come to return to Arrasia and there hid in the darkness of the underworld and for long he sat in the darkness and watched all that went on there, though none could say what he thought, not even he, for his thoughts could not be understood. But he was now Aslah and to him came others, slowly, who served him and built for him a palace and a city and his great wickedness was felt by all and to him came creatures of great evil and Xagraxsus did learn of this new foe in his realm and knew that there would be trouble between them. For such were the ways of the underworld.
So it was that a great army of orcs were raised by Hith and his cohorts and they served him and bowed down to him and there was indeed a great war between Hith and Xagraxsus and the underworld fell into a great chaos, for Hith's mind could not be fathomed and Xagraxsus knew not when next he might strike or how. And the war under the surface of Arrasia was fought for many generations and there was great evil done and much blood was spilt, but Xagraxsus had long reigned in the darkness and he gathered around him a great army and knew it was time to face his enemy.
And so Xagraxsus came to Hith and stormed his city and there was a great battle and Hith and Xagraxsus fought and it seemed that the world would fall on them, such were the violence of their blows. But Xagraxsus was mighty powerful and Hith knew he would be beat, so he fled from the darkness and at his heels did his army follow and they were driven out of the darkness of the underworld and Xagraxsus was victorious once again for the underworld was his and remained thus so.
