The army was on the move.

Leading the way were hulking monstrosities of death and disease, golems made from stitched and mismatched human parts. The end result looked like they were slapped together by a child with vague notions of human anatomy and an overactive imagination. Their roars filled the morning air and sang the sweetest song to my flesh-hungering mind. Those abominations paved the road for me. Literally. Their great size and Plague-riddle bodies carved a path through the forest almost a mile long, leaving nothing but black spoiled earth underneath. Everywhere the Plague went, life left. Nothing would grow from that blighted soil ever again. Powder dust was kicked up by our marching feet, nearly blotting out the sun overhead. It was so thick it would have choked me, if I was actually breathing.

The village had awoken to a picture perfect morning. It was autumn. The forest trees around us were decorated with their yearly red and orange patterns, staining the surrounding in a rusted gold color. The beauty was not lost on my other half. He marveled at the colors, enjoyed the sound of the wind blowing through those leaves. The wind was also singing a song, a different one that reminded him of another time, of a past that seemed a lifetime ago. In some ways, it truly was. I thought upon that as the order for halt was called. I rose up on my legs and sniffed the air, looking for the prey I had been promised.

Behind me came a group of robed men wielding strange staves that reeked of shadow magic. Their robes stunk of it as well, covered with glowing violet runes of power. They moved amongst us, waving their hands over our brows and muttering words of a language I did not understand. One of them came to me and smiled wide through his bushy beard. His skin was gray, his hair as white as mountain snow. He extended his arm and placed it across my forehead, granting his blessing of protection and strength. I felt power returning to my aching and rotting limbs and growled with pleasure as I felt the might behind them. I would feast well today.

Sudden, burning hatred overtook me. That man, and others like him, had made me this beast. They and their allies, this army I was a part of, had ransacked my kingdom and my country. They had destroyed my home, had destroyed me. I wanted to leap among them, lash out with my claws, pull them close and rip out their throats and paint the trees red with their evil blood –

I'll hunt you down…

Spineless shits…

I will gut you…

Rip your flesh like paper…

Murder you…

End your Light damned lives...

I tossed my head. Meaningless words, pure gibberish. Those men were living, yes, but not prey. Silent whispers from another told me that. The whispers soothed me and slowly, the anger passed.

I moved up quickly, making my way towards the front with the abominations. It was my favorite spot, viciously sought by my peers and fellows. The early bird gets the worm, as they say. In this case, the first ghoul in line got the best morsels. I crouched on all fours and waited impatiently, eager for the slaughter to begin. I wanted it more than I could describe. The feeling that came with it, the rush, the thrills of the hunt, the victory in the kill, it was all so liberating. I wanted to feel my hands close around my quarry, I wanted to see my claws rip them apart like paper, I wanted to feel the meat slide down my throat and taste the blood. I was a crazed dog on a leash. Let me loose. Free me. Please!

Then came the signal.

The abominations ripped through the pitiful barricades and tore into the village defenders. I noticed in passing we were fighting elves this time. I paused only to confirm with The Master that they were, indeed, my prey, and rushed forward. I leaped and dug my claws into the back of an abomination as I scrambled up and over its broad back, launching myself off his head and right on top of an armored elf. One powerful hand held down his sword arm while the other slapped his helm off his head and clawed his face apart. I tried to yank his armor off to get to the meat underneath and howled with frustration when I could not.

Stopstopstop -

Voices, voices, always voices. I stood up and angrily threw the screaming elf into the crowd of undead behind me. I was livid now. I had acquired a target and had been denied my prize. I was determined to make sure this did not happen again. I scoured the melee around me. Elves stacked head to toe in plate and chain mail were going man-to-man with ghouls and winning. But then the robed men, the necromancers, followed behind the ghouls and launched bolts of their shadow magic at the elves. They dropped like flies, and the ravenous ghouls swarmed over them.

The abominations smashed aside houses and buildings like they were not even there. They cleared the way for bounding and groaning ghouls, who snarled at the fleeing villagers before pouncing on them. Elves died by the dozens, torn to shreds and devoured by my undead comrades. Comrades that were eagerly eating away at my food! I had to find an elf. Just one, just for me, and I'd leave this shattered homestead happily. Another necromancer caught my eye, the same one that had blessed me before. He noticed me and waved his hand, motioning for me to join him.

"Servant!" he cried. "Come to me! The fun is this way!"

I knew what he had found. More elves, more victims for me to take, more meat for me to feast on. All in the name of The Master, my father, my king, my god. And as always, I was eager to serve. With two quick bounds I was by the necromancer's side, dropping to all fours and searching for a target. He pointed into a nearby house, a construct of stone and straw, and spoke his command. The only command I lived for. Kill everything. Short, simple, and easy to understand. Too easy. Another leap took me beside the door. I let out my battle cry and tore it down with a few swipes, shoving the debris aside as I leapt into the room. This was a dwelling, a home for a family of innocents. There would be no armored knights here. Here I could find food.

I spotted the first elf after he saw me, and only because he had decided it would be a good idea to impale me on his spear. Ha! The elf could butcher me all he liked, he would not kill me. And in close quarters such as this, I was on top. One, two, four blows from my claws, and the elf was on the ground, dying pitifully trying to push his ribcage back inside his chest. There was another, female type, screaming something. Sounded like a name. Wasn't mine, and she was no necromancer. So I walked forward, grabbed her throat, and threw her straight up into the ceiling. Hard. I could hear her neck snap against the beam before her body fell back to the floor.

"Stop it!"

Whoops. Missed one. Another elf, younger, female, cowering under a table. Whatever. Perfection is practiced, not given. So I walked over and slapped the table aside. That strength, that power, never ceased to amaze me. But speed was not one of my virtues. The girl scampered from under the table and ran up a nearby staircase. I eyed the landing above me and crouched, coiling my legs under me and leaping ten feet straight up into the air. I cleared the banister and went on my hands and legs again, searching for the girl.

Found her! She was watching me from behind a door, teary eyes wide with horror and fear. She would be mine. I'd grab her head in my hands and crush it like a grape and let her brains run down into my mouth –

Something was wrong. I snarled again and tried to push forward, but my body would not respond. I was frozen, paralyzed, completely unable to move. And in light of this revelation I felt…relief.

Won't…

The whispers came again, provoking me. This child was prey, food to quench my constant hunger and cravings. I wanted her more than I had ever wanted anything my entire unlife. She was right there, shivering and moaning, too scared to run. Two steps and she'd be mine.

One step. Then…

NO I WILL NOT KILL HER.

Hold up.

Confusion.

What am I doing here again?

I am a paladin. I am the Light.

I?

You can't break me.

OBEY.

You can't -

OBEY.

Two steps. Hands reached out, and the girl screamed –

I roared out and backed away, all the way to the stairs. My arms lashed out, smashing the banister to pieces and nearly sending me over the edge. There was a loud snap as my left arm broke against the wall. The pain was excruciating. But it did not matter. I'd kill myself before I laid a hand on that girl.

"YOU CAN'T BREAK ME!"

The first words I'd spoken in over a year. My first defiant cry against The Master. It was glorious. That was my song. I had overcome him. I was free.

OBEY.

I found myself on my legs, slowly walking towards that girl. One step. Two steps. Three steps. And now I was opening the door.

NONONONONONONONONONONO -

Her screams felt like her father's spear, punching through me in front of untold agony. And as I lifted her up and sank my teeth into her torso, I was screaming just as loud. For with my brief moment of freedom had come memories. I remember my friends and family. I remember my fellow soldiers and brothers at arms. Dead, all dead, all dead by my hand. All in service to The Master. My father, my king, my god, my slaver.

OBEY.