Serpent Blackheart, Supreme commander of the armies of the House Blackheart stood atop an observation tower as the battle unfolded on the plain before him. The opposing armies had met on the plain and the devils had charged out immediately. The forces of the Dukes of Hell stood on the field taking the brunt of the offensive from the High Branch infantry. The Army of Aspberg had attacked from the flank and was in the process of driving the High Branch forces back into the forest when a flight of bronze hued dragons fell upon the Aspbergian militia breathing fire and searing over half of them to a crisp in a matter of moments.
"Damn dragons!" Serpent pounded a fist at the platform guard rail. The impact rattled the entire structure, a twenty meter construct of poles and ropes. "They got the drop on us even though we were expecting them." Serpent watched in dismay as the dragons climbed high into the sky, obviously to make another strafing run with their flame breath.
"Signal man," he said to the aid on his left. "Raise the green pennant."
The aid complied and the reaction was immediate. The remaining Aspbergian troops and the minions of Hell surged forward with a blood curdling yell. The masses of soldiers merged into a conglomerate of writhing carnage.
Serpent smiled as he saw the deadly flight of dragons hesitate then veer off towards the forest. He laughed and yelled, "What? You won't burn your own troops?" Of course there was no answer. The dragons would not inflict casualties to their own allies. Serpent grinned. He would have.
The melee drifted near the edge of the forest. Serpent discussed with General Kana the option to give chase should the enemy try to flee into the woods. Suddenly a horn blast sounded and Serpent turned to see a haze drift out of the tree tops at a startling speed. Intrigued Serpent recognized the haze as a massive volley of arrows. He watched as the arrows arched down towards the crowd of combatants. Abruptly, a second horn blast sounded, and with this signal, the entire enemy army fell to the ground with their shields covering their backs. An instant later the rain of death poured down onto Serpent's army.
Soldiers were slaughtered mercilessly. The Aspbergian forces were halved again, leaving even Serpent to admit to the superior military tactics of the generals of High Branch.
With a curse, the Lord of Aspberg drew his dark sword and descended from the platform at a run. Out onto the field he ran brandishing the black blade of death wildly, carving out a path into the enemy ranks. Body parts littered the ground, a telltale sign of his passing. With each blow, Serpent felt his strength increasing. He hacked his way across the field terrorizing both friend and foe alike.
Serpent Blackheart dispatched an armored and mounted cavalier with barely a gesture and was about to enter into the thickest part of the battle when a shadow fell across him. Looking up he barely had time to raise his arms when he felt the fore claw of the huge silver tinted dragon close around his torso. He cried out in rage as he felt himself carried aloft by the noble creature.
"So, Lord of Aspberg," the creature's voice was heard above the rushing wind and the beat of its wings. "You are the cause of all this trouble. It is because of you that the Pact was violated and dragonkind was forced to obey the treaty and help in putting down this rabble of a rebellion you have started."
"Release me, spawn of lizard!" Serpent demanded. "I am a servant of the dark god, and in his name do I call upon thee to release me."
The dragon sneered. "The dark god is not my master any more than you are."
Serpent Blackheart shook his gauntlet from his free hand. "By Set's hand do I smite thee down." With that Serpent reached out and traced a line across the armored chest of the dragon. Where his finger passed a huge wound opened up and the dragon let out a bellow that could be heard for leagues. The dragon reflexively released Serpent as both fell spiraling to the ground.
Serpent braced himself for the impact of the fall. He was high enough that he probably would not escape injury, though he would survive. Unexpectedly, just before he reached the ground, he slowed and floated the rest of the way down. "Morteous," he said relieved.
"Here as always, brother mine." Morteous was no where to be seen but his voice sounded nearby.
"Will you spend the whole day invisible?" Serpent asked.
"I may not have to," Morteous replied. "For look near the forest's edge."
Serpent gazed at the indicated area. Standing untouched by all the fighting around him stood a very handsome human with golden hair. He stood about two meters tall and wore silver armor. In one hand he held a shield that burned like a golden sun and in the other was a sword that shone with a cold white light. It was the god of war.
"He too is invisible to the common eye," Morteous explained--now visible and standing at Serpent's right. "I have bestowed upon you the ability to see those who are employing phantasmal invisibility."
"Then I must act now or the moment will be lost," Serpent declared as he hefted Reaper and started towards his target.
"Be careful," Morteous warned. "You must not let him know that you see him or you lose the advantage of surprise." Serpent nodded and continued into the fray.
The massed bodies littering the ground and the fighting combatants crowded together hindered the Lord of Aspberg's movements, but Serpent hacked his way in the general direction of the god of war. Thrice combatants tried to engage him in battle and thrice he had to stop and deal with the attacks.
Finally, he stood no more than ten meters away from the god when he decided to make his move. With a leap and a lunge, Reapers dark tip skewered the air where the god had stood.
"O arrogant son of the Godking," War said in a harsh voice. "Did you really think your plans could escape all our emissaries?" Suddenly he rematerialized to Serpent's left. "We were on to your plans since you sought to feed off the life force of those you summoned to this world."
Again Serpent lunged hoping to slay the god. This time the shimmering blade of light swept up and knocked Serpent's lunge aside.
"Cease this pitiful display of ambition and I will grant you pardon to live. Even your sire will not intervene otherwise for you have aspired to attack a god and that is not to be tolerated.
Serpent was furious. He had underestimated a god! How could he have been so stupid. It seemed that all was lost. This was Dahr, the god of war. His skill as a warrior was unmatched.
Remember the prophesy! It was the voice of Morteous inside his mind.
The prophesy! Of course, the prophesy. No weapon forged by man or god could stand against Reaper. Serpent threw the dice one last time. He raised his sword above his head and brought it down in a strike at the god's head. Dahr made a show of irritation and brought up his sword to block the blow. Unlike before, when the thrusts had been parried, the god now sought to directly oppose the Sword of Doom.
Reaper descended and the cold, rank smell of a tomb filled the air behind it. The dark blade passed effortlessly through the glimmering light of the god's weapon with a blinding flash. Serpent barely avoided flash blindness just in time to see Reaper neatly cleave the god's skull in two.
Serpent watched dazed as the body of the god of war sank to the ground. His shield and armor likewise. The sword, still intact was still clutched in his dead hand. Serpent marveled at that momentarily. He expected the god's sword to shatter or break, but the Reaper had simply passed through by some unknown process.
Serpent's reflection was interrupted by a rumble in the earth. The ground shook violently for several long moments and a hard wind blew uprooting many of the weaker trees. Then after a few moments there was silence. A lone figure, a bent old man appeared from out of nowhere and inspected the body of the dead god. The man then turned his wrinkled face to the sky. "My king, one of our own has been slain!"
"Cease this rabble!" The words entered Serpent's mind. Unlike Morteous' communication which was barely a whisper, this thundered and echoed throughout his skull and the very earth. He instantly recognized the speech of his father, the Godking. Serpent looked around and saw everyone, living and undead alike, devil, demon, or human frozen like statues. Serpent was well aware of the power of the Godking's voice. It was not sound one could hear--it was the speech of pure thought and it revealed itself directly to the mind traversing linguistic barriers. The sheer power and authority of that voice demanded obedience in man and god alike.
Slowly the area around the fallen god of war shimmered and grew brighter until the Godking himself stood before the opposing armies. The Godking showed no features. It materialized as a bipedal luminous being with no apparent sex or race. Immediately every being beholding the sight fell prostate to the ground. Even the trees seemed to bow their limbs and the wind grew obediently still. Not a sound could be heard. All was silence.
"Who dares raise arms against a god?" The whole plain shook as the words rang out.
Serpent trembled at the sound reverberating in his mind. Without conscious thought he raised himself to his knees. The voice demanded obedience.
The Godking watched detached as his firstborn raised himself to his knees. "You, my son? You have done this thing?"
"I have my lord," Serpent said with genuine fear. His father the Godking might be, but the terrible unmatched power of this being gave fear to the stoutest heart.
A second being, a woman in a silver mantle with green robes came to the Godking's side. "A god has been slain, master," she said. "The Law of our Convention must be obeyed. The killer and his kind must be destroyed."
"Hold," a second being said. It materialized next to the woman. This being was masculine, with the body of a human and the head of a jackal. "The goddess of justice is correct in that a god has been slain, my lord, but the slaying hand was not that of a mortal."
"He is in fact a follower of your sect, Set," she accused in return. "Do not tempt the master to play favorites lest the gods revolt!"
"No, Jahara," the Godking addressed the goddess. "The snake god of darkness speaks true. No favor is given. The accused is not a mortal."
"By the Convention," Set continued, "two immortals may settle their differences in combat so long as mortal lives are not endangered." Set turned to Serpent. "This one has fought valiantly against Dahr, the god of war, and has emerged victor."
"What was his grievance?" the goddess asked pointedly. "That the gods of good had the numbers to veto the policies of Set and his companions?"
Set smiled at her. "How convenient that the Law of our Convention dictates the power of a slain immortal be bestowed upon the slayer."
The goddess turned to the Godking. "The ploy is clear," she said. "Will you risk the revolt of the gods and the breaking of the Convention?"
"There will be no revolt," the Godking said. "The Convention is clear on this. From this day on will Serpent Blackheart be known as the god of war. This I command. Johara, you and your compatriots were outmaneuvered this time. Accept your defeat with grace. The discussion is ended."
The Godking vanished and the goddess, Johara addressed Serpent. "Welcome to our ranks," she said sourly. "I recommend you learn your new place well for you have made some powerful enemies." Without another word, she too vanished.
Set stepped forward and placed a hand on Serpent's shoulder. "Do not take her words lightly," he warned. "She can be a deadly enemy." The snake god too vanished.
With that the entourage disappeared leaving Serpent alone before the prostate armies. The battle was over. After what had just transpired the aggressiveness was gone. Demon, devil, zombie and human could only stare dazedly.
Morteous appeared at Serpent's right. "My lord," he said, "allow me to be the first to proclaim myself your subject."
Serpent Blackheart, god of war, raised his sword skyward. Reaper seemed to suck in the light of the day like a sponge. He laughed. Power ran through his body. The thoughts of those around him were his to know. The word of life and death was his to command. The new god of war was the incarnation of the ultimate warrior. The world was his to conquer.
Serpent signaled his general and the forces of Aspberg retreated. "See my army safely home," he commanded his brother. "This fight is over and we have won."
Morteous bowed again and backed away.
Serpent let him go. He spread his arms and cast himself upon the wind. Slowly he faded from the battlefield.
No comments:
Post a Comment