Dark, acrid air pollutes the area around you. Your body is wracked with pain, your brain sending impulses throughout, trying to get you to move. You feel like crying, but the tears will not form. Screaming and commands can be heard in the distance, as other people are cut down by the invading soldiers. This was your city, your home. Now, there is nothing left but ashes and dust.
Blood stains your clothing, and your eyesight starts to darken. You can still hear the flames in the distance, no doubt burning the temple you rejoiced in days before. Your stomach burns as blood continues to run from your body. Others just like you are strewn about in a bloody heap. Suddenly, a light rain starts to fall from the sky, as dark clouds come to blot out the sun.
Who you were no longer matters my friend. The pain in you starts to subside, and soon, your vision goes to black. Sounds eventually deafen and silence, and soon, you hear and feel nothing. This is it. You are dead.
As soon as you died, your eyes rocket open. You find yourself in a burning hell-hole, with black smoke and dreadful screaming filling the air. The atmosphere is a deep, crimson red, and you can hear maniacal laughing in the background. The air smells of burning flesh, and your eyes sting from the smoke. You are standing in a line, a line slowly being herded forward by a group of terrible creatures.
Barbed and holding long, wretched staves, these devils poke and prod the enslaved, moving the group along the line quickly. Any idiot dumb enough to try to run is instantly stabbed with the stave and thrown back into line with a bleeding but ultimately non-fatal wound.
After an agonizing short amount of time, you are grabbed by a devil. He looks at your face and snarls, screaming to others in an odd language you have never heard before. They snort and scream, and soon, you are dragged from the line by the odd creatures. You notice others have been grabbed as well. Pointing you towards a small castle nearby, you reluctantly move towards the black structure, awaiting your fate as you move.
You are prodded into the castle entrance along with your companions, some that you recognize and others you do not. Talking among themselves as they escort you into the castle, the devils get eerily silent as they enter a large throne room. Sitting on a throne in front of them is a devil coated in spikes and barbs. Much taller than the smaller guards who surround you, this devil is armed with a large maul and clothed in black, metallic armor. Two large horns jut out from his head, and scraggly hair falls from his head. A broken black helmet conceals most of his face, the only thing visible being his dark, crimson eyes.
As soon as he stands, the other devils cower in fear of his magnificence. He walks forward with an odd gait, and one can see after a while that he is hurt from some battle wound. He limps but still looks majestic, the large black maul held aloft in his hand. Soon, he towers over all of you.
“Puny mortals. Slain by soldiers in the service of the God-King Vassek.” Reigning over the great Eldar Empire, the God-King, a presumed human, had been ruling over 400 years. For this reason, he was known as the God-King, and he ruled with a tyrannical, iron-fist. Invading smaller kingdoms and republics, the Eldarrion Empire was bloated and over-fed with power and riches.
Sneering at the mere mention of the man, the unknown devil continues. “As mortals go, you are now driven for revenge. You wish to destroy Vassek now, no? See his empire crumble under its own weight? I can see to it that it happens.” The devil smiled at the thought, as if he could already see Altar dead before him. “Lets make a deal…” hissed the devil as he crouched a small amount.
“I will return you to the mortal world. I will increase your abilities. In turn, you will target every single main political figure in the Empire. When all is said and done, I will let you live.” His face darkens and his grin widens as he finishes his speech. Some of the group stands a little taller, almost like they are waiting to accept.
“But if you fail me. I will keep you here for eternity…” You don’t know why, but you accept immediately. Perhaps it was to avenge your death or your families. Maybe you just cannot fathom the idea of living in hell. Either way, you accept the deal, and soon, you are whisked back to the mortal coil immediately.
