His fragmented memory, patched together from twin pasts, was long clouded over by the onset of corruption. It was only his faith that kept him going now. Or, perhaps better to say, his greed.

One step, and then another. Hour by hour.
Had he been abandoned? He yearned for the companionship he once held. Perhaps the void of its absence was the seed that began this process. Or perhaps the corruption was inevitable. Trudging through these unhallowed grounds, maybe it had only been a matter of time before the darkness crept in.

One step, and then another. Day by day.
His companions tugged at his arms and legs, urging him to rest. He needed no rest. His companions chirped and pleaded, but his heart was long since smothered by corruption. His companions tried to give up, to leave him, but the trails of his shadow held them hostage. His companions forgot the feeling of hope, and were dragged along behind. His companions became one with the shadows.

One step, and then another. Week after week.
He held his prayerbeads forward, muttering incoherent growls that once had been the syllables of a prayer. All the same, the greed behind the sounds retained its power, and the prayer beads floated steadily Northward, guiding him blindly onward.

One step, and then another. The seasons watched his tireless march. The beads tugged ceaselessly, and his feet followed. Until the beads stopped.. He stared forward at the ruined fringes of a mighty fortress outpost. He had arrived.