FRAGMENT II: TORMENT

"They are weak and impure. They are here because they are the failure of creation. They are here because they are inferior to us. They deserve their fate..."

The Hell Knight grinned ghastly and looked once again at the fiery pits where creatures spent their days in terrible torture. They were all from races I had never before seen, abducted from their home worlds in Universes I could not even imagine.

Some time had passed since I set out on my long journey through Hell, which would last for more than thirty human years. My Lord and Master, Baphomet, had sent me on that perilous journey, intending to make me and all of my twelve brothers perfectly familiar with our own home realm and its peculiarities. For that time, my strength had increased significantly, and so did my ability to manipulate the chaotic forces that emanated with great force from the depths of Hell. I had mastered the basics of warlock magic and necromancy, and was currently engaged in honing my skills of corruption of mortal souls. Several of my test subjects could be seen in their cages, mindlessly injuring their own flesh, while chanting foul prayers to Baphomet. My manipulation of their minds had brought them nothing but madness. Still, I felt no pity for any of them.

Numerous flaming pits dotted the ash-covered plain all around me. An area at the south-west region of the great continent of Hell, this zone was a place of smoldering wastelands, forsaken dungeons, and the pits where hapless beings met their cruel destiny. Starting from the Icon of Sin, I had traveled much of the western part of this continent, yet my greatest desire was to spend more time far to the east, where the mystic continent of Inferno emanated waves of pervading darkness and the elusive sensation of the concentrated chaotic power that all demons coveted. The Pandemonium and the fortress of Mount Erebus were locations that seemed particularly attractive to me. On the other hand, the Monster Condo and its libraries were one of my greatest interests as well. I thought that the choice would not be hard, as I had plenty of time for my journeys.

The horizon to the south was hidden by the black smoke columns that rose from the underground furnaces and forges. Right above my head, there was a blistering stream of energy that had erupted from somewhere beyond the Searing Coast. The molten seas of Hell roared under the intense heat and the disruptions of the sudden energy discharges that caused sounds like those of a fierce thunderstorm. Ash and hot charcoals started raining from the twisting skies, and I decided to go back into the crypts and explore the lower network of tunnels that stretched towards the north. Along the way, there were numerous chambers that contained things left there in forgotten ages.

My mind got to thinking about the age of Hell once again. I did not know precisely when and how Hell was created, but I was well aware of the existing enormous networks of catacombs and crypts beneath its surface. One of the Hell Knights had once told me that the denizens of the burning realm sought to abide under the surface cause of the terrible conditions above when Hell was young. One of the Warlocks, however, told me that demons sought to be beneath the burned crust of the realm because they needed to be close to its source of power. I could not understand what he meant by that, yet I was aware that unimaginable energy constantly erupted from the depths of Hell, coming from an unknown source. I was not allowed to ask about it...

The ghostly light of greenish crystals filled the underground system, where the demons of the region retreated to rest and wait for the new cycle to come. My companions spread into several directions, each looking for his lonely chamber, where they would spend some time in solitude and contemplation. As for me, I headed north through the tunnel. I did not plan to remain in that region much longer, as there was not something of interest to me, and, besides, I did not wish to disturb the contingent of Hell Knights that dwelled there. For some time they were working on the construction of a fortress that was to maintain the supply lines in that area. I still had no idea what Baphomet's plans were, though, for some, reason my Lord was cautious about potential attacks against Hell. I could not even imagine who would dare attack our realm, but the construction of the fortifications was evident...

The tunnel led far to the north, beyond the system of chambers that the local demons used as storages. My surroundings changed into dank catacombs filled with strangely designed urns and coffins. None of them contained a single corpse – they were filled with artifacts and other objects such as I had never seen before. My only guess was that they were left here long ago, because they were not necessary to anyone. The tunnel itself was turned into a storage for all those relics... And I went on, sensing that I would probably emerge somewhere in the area of the Black Mountains that rose along the north-west coast of the continent. That would be the first time I would go there, and that is why I carried on with my journey to the north. The exit was far away, and yet I could feel a cold wind that carried a new and strange sensation to me. It was attracting in its own way, and aroused unusual passion for corruption and temptation within me.

As I walked, my mind was constantly occupied with the purpose of Hell as a place of torment. My mentors had told me that pain and suffering released unique energies that strengthened the realm of Hell and its master. All that was the result of ancient spells that were interwoven within the very fabric of everything around me… and even in me. I was also aware that Hell was bound to the Universe in a unique way – outside of its boundaries, and, at the same time, fundamentally attached to it. What I knew so far was that the powerful magical chains were crated by Baphomet, and served to siphon and devour specific energies and existence patterns from the physical world. That is how the souls of other species got here in the first place. I also knew that those spells were also somehow bound to the mysterious source of power that lay deep under the surface. While I was underground, I could always feel different – the presence of something that made me more confident and focused. I could only hope that one day that mystery would be revealed to me.

As I drew closer to the exit, the new sensation grew stronger. It was very similar to what I felt at the sites of torture, yet it was stronger, more compelling, and more refreshing than anything I have felt before. I could only think that there was an unholy ritual going on there, such as I had never seen before. I knew that the Barons of Hell and the Warlocks gathered at shadowy ceremonies, yet I was never really interested to know what they did there. Some of those ceremonies served to enhance the powers of Hell and its minions, but others only had symbolic meaning, designed by Baphomet to keep the loyalty and the morale of his servants high at all times.

The tunnel went on through an area littered with hot charcoals. Glowing glyphs of power and destruction were carved on the wall. The wind ahead was stronger and saturated with the odor of brimstone. The first rays of reddish light heralded the end of my journey underground. I climbed a set of stairs and emerged on the top of a small watchtower, integrated in a set of minor fortifications along the southern rim of the Black Mountains. A rocky path led towards a small valley, through which a river of molten metal ran. It was from there that the dark power emanated.

A specific sound told me what creatures lived in this region. The ominous hissing from ahead could only be the call of the manifestation of perversion and atrocity that Baphomet had spawned – the Cacodemons. I was well aware of their affinity for causing pain and anguish, as well as their position as the prime tormentors of Hell. My vision, sensitive for the spectral emanations of torment, caught sight of the mighty energy waves that came from that valley. That was a major torment site that I had never seen before.

Each step I made was faster and stronger than the previous one. The great power that I felt fueling my being, attracted me like the smell of fresh carnage. I reached the height of the hill and looked over into the smoking valley, where numerous burning pits were filled with screaming victims. Hordes of Cacodemons soared in the hot air, overlooking their hapless subjects. I looked at those creatures... I had never seen such species before.

My interest was aroused. I approached the pits and examined those beings. They looked quite fragile and weak, yet I felt that they possessed some notable strength of spirit. The released energies of their torment were more lucid and powerful than anything I had ever sensed before, as if they pulsated with the rhythm of my own burning heart. I knew that the fabric of Hell was created in such a way that the whole realm was strengthened by pain... and those creatures' energies felt as if they were made precisely for maximal effect.

Or maybe Hell was created in a way to best respond to the energy signatures of those creatures? I called one of the Cacodemons to ask him a few questions...

"Why, indeed, young Gatekeeper," the creature hissed, "Those beings are a young race, yet their roots go back into a past that is concealed in shadows. They are not like the other races in the mortal plane, they are marked by something more."

The creature made a short pause, looking at those creatures.

"In his great wisdom, our Father and Master, Lord Baphomet, created Hell in such manner that it channels the powers of those creatures at full focus. Yet, none but Baphomet himself knows the reason for that choice of species..."

I looked at them once again. What could be so unique about them, so that it made my Lord and Master shape the patterns of Hell in accordance to them. Could that mean that he planned to gather many of their souls to fuel the whole realm to levels of power never before imagined? Could he be planning to conquer them completely one day?

I asked about the name of those creatures.

The Cacodemon's grin sparkled in the crimson gloom that dominated the valley. Then came his response:

"Humans. They are called humans, and their home is a planet known as... the Earth."