XXIX
"What plan?" Arii asked Mortigan specifically, anticipation and fear building in her.
Mortigan turned to her. "Listen well, sister." He then glanced at everyone around him, looking at them directly in the eyes. "Listen! It's true that our mo-", he paused as he caught his tongue, then continued, "Lilith created us, but I doubt it's out of love, like she told us. Do you remember the day when we were forced to kill our own brethren?"
"Lies!" Absalom roared in defense, "we cut off the weak ones, cull them from our race so that only the strong will remain. It's the survival of the fittest!"
"No…" Mortigan replied in a low voice, nearing to a low growl, "it's murder."
Somehow, deep in her gut, Arii knew what her brother was talking about. Ever since the purging, she felt uneasiness slowly creeping inside her, and it steadily grew throughout their race's campaign of world destruction. It sure felt good, feeling the power over the other races, but it felt somehow wrong; like they were playing towards an invisible state where the end result is utter non-existence. And then a suspicion was planted into her mind, what is their 'mother's' true motive by herding them to kill and destroy?
"You-," Absalom raised a massive arm for another strike, when the tell-tale signs of a portal opening stayed his arm; indicating the arrival of the cause of their quarrel. He smiled maliciously, "now you will have to answer to her, brother." That last word was an absolute mockery, and a way of taunting him. But Mortigan ignored him and focused onto the being from the portal.
From the said portal, Lilith stepped out in all her glory, and looked at her 'children' with a smile. At once, most of the Nephilims flocked around her, pushing, shoving against each other, desperate for even just a brief caress of her hand. They were addicted to her, all right. Sensing the tension in the air, she spoke in her usual mellifluous tone. "Answer about what?"
Mortigan just stood where he was, watching with growing disdain at his brothers' and sisters' action around the demon. Arii felt the want inside her, urging her body towards her, but she willed herself not to as others squirmed past her; she needs to hear the truth first.
"Make way!" Absalom bellowed as he shoved the others away before him, Lilith on his wake. After a while, they now stood face to face with Mortigan. He turned and faced her, "he is such a rebellious child. He accuses you of just using us as mere tools at your disposal…"
Lilith eyed Mortigan intently, seeing his gaze not directly into her eyes and neither towards her body; something she found surprising and frustrating – and amusing at the same time. He had learned to resist her charms. Well, worry not, that's all going to change in an instant. "That I have…" She brazenly admitted, earning neither gasps nor murmurs among the race; she had them in her grasp now, completely pliant to her will. And just as she had predicted, Mortigan shifted his eyes to look directly into hers. But what she didn't expect was his reaction, amusement turning to shock when she discovered that he wasn't even affected fully.
Arii's jaw dropped as she heard those three words of confession from her – and she said so without hesitation or remorse or whatsoever. Her pulse quickened of the welling anger in her, clenching her fists tightly and gritting her teeth. She had known in the past that she was one of Lilith's favorites and she had taken pride in that, as she was the closest thing to perfection amongst her creation, and added was the fact that they had the most resemblance. But now, she eyed her with growing resentment and near boiling into full hatred by the moment; the kind felt by those who were betrayed by someone they thought they trusted most.
One of the things that she hated the most was being manipulated and used against her knowledge and against her will – and Lilith had done just that.
"You demon…" Mortigan growled as he glared at her. "Just as I thought, you were only using us for your own means. What really is your little grand plan? Do you want to destroy all worlds for your own kind? For vengeance against the angels? Or is that another one of your lies? I may know little but what you're doing, I fear it will destroy the balance of the universe…"
"Blah blah blah…" Lilith waved dramatically at his words. "you sounded more like the Charred Council, did you know tha-, she stopped, realizing that she had revealed too much.
"Charred Council?" Mortigan asked, curious at the new information. "What Charred Council?"
"Shut up!" Lilith snapped in response as she looked away, flushed with anger. The one thing that she feared, she had instigated it herself just with the slip of her serpentine tongue: her creation turning against her, just what the Charred Council spoke of. Should Mortigan cut his ties with her, and through her, the race, he may seek out the Council. But looking at him standing all alone, without anyone to support him and back him up, she took her chances. Smugly. She smiled wickedly as she faced him again in a mocking expression. "The Charred Council… It was the one that took way my powers and knowledge of creation, and the one that I wanted to feel my vengeance in full. And that's where you come in – to fulfill my wishes…"
"I'm not going to be another puppet of yours anymore…"
"Oh?" She purred as she sauntered closer to him with her hips swaying seductively. She traced a hand along the contours of his muscles beneath the layer of wan flesh, trailing it along as she went round to lean on his back and bringing that same hand to caress at the side of his face. The others groaned in frustration, watching in envy as she leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "and who's going to join you?"
Mortigan looked around the lot, red eyes searching for any spark in anyone's eyes that says 'I understand', but found none – just the same look of dependence, lust or addiction. He sighed in frustration, and tried to speak, to reason, with them. When someone cut him short.
"Wait!"
Both eyes, along with the others', shifted their gaze at Arii who stepped forward with determination burning in her eyes. "I will go with you… brother…"
Lilith's eyes widened in surprise, shocked, as she stared at her 'daughter' – it seemed the Charred Council's words are coming true. But it was not the main reason why, but the fact that it was her favorite daughter who decided to turn against her.
"Why?" Lilith uttered as she composed herself. "Tell me why, my daughter…"
Arii's mind was screaming 'You lied to me! How could you! I despise you!' But the words that came from her lips were. "I am tired…"
Lilith's brows scrunched together and her eyes narrowed, but then burst out laughing in her mellifluous voice that can drive anyone to the extremes just to hear again. Even Absalom and a few others began to chuckle and roar out in booming laughter, some mirthless and some not, at the notion of physical fatigue.
"You're tired, my dear?" Lilith mocked. "Tired of what?"
"This…" Arii answered calmly. "I am tired of this meaningless slaughter leading to nowhere but just a means to satiate one's lust for blood and wanton destruction… I'm tired of it all… and I'm tired of being manipulated like a mindless thrall… brother was right, this unnecessary rampage across worlds may tip the balance of the-"
"Enough!" Lilith cut her off, now visibly furious. "No more talks about balance, or anything that concerns it! Leave or not, it's up to you – but remember this: if you leave, know that there's no more place for you among us, and should we meet again, death will only await you…" She looked at the mob, and they stared back. "Who else want to leave?!"
No one spoke, just looking at their siblings besides them. By way of an answer, a gaunt figure stepped forward to join the two recidivists. He turned back and met the questioning, no, the demanding , glares of the others focused on him, staring back with a smirk. "What? She's my sister; wherever she goes, I go…" Geurel shrugged, then fell back to his steps towards his destination.
Something big began to shove his way forward, knocking some to the ground as he strode forward with grim determination. Absalom turned and was surprised to discover who it was. "Don't tell me…"
"My blade was not made to cut the weak…" The Lastborn Nephilim replied as he passed before him, his silvery hair billowing in his wake and landing on the upper part of the unnamed black blade strapped on his back. "Only those worthy were allowed to be hewn by it…" He paused in his step and glanced at him, "perhaps you would be worthy enough?" Seeing Absalom tense in anger, he just smirked and turned back to continue walking, content to see the Firstborn being riled up. He made his decision clear enough and stuck up to it as he stood with the others.
Then again, Lilith's mind worked out another plan, her boldness resurfacing yet again and effectively pushing aside her anger. She smiled and spoke, "go on then, leave this place, for you are Nephilims no longer…"
"Oh, we will gladly…" Mortigan replied, before sarcastically saying, "mother…"
The four of them then turned their backs unto their creator, their race, and without preamble, strode forward to the wilderness of that world. No hesitation, no regrets; just determination to get away for now.
"Mark my words!" Lilith's voice echoed after them, until she was out of hearing range.
Absalom approached her. "Are you really sure? Letting them get away like that?"
Lilith turned to face him, bringing up a hand to his bristled chin, "trust me, my dear. There's only the four of them; we'll just crush them beneath our feet and show all the worlds what happens to anyone who dare defies the Nephilim…"
Warped bodies flew, crumpled to something resembling balls, or were simply cut to pieces as the Rider used the powers in her disposal. Shadow creatures were called upon by their mistress to wreak destruction upon those considered as her foes. But for every corrupted creature that fell from her devastating whip lashes, or torn apart by her shadow beasts, five more rose from the gigantic being that served as their battleground, a steady stream of reinforcement that emerged directly underfoot and from anywhere at random around her. Which only made her frustration flare up to near rage, an uncontrollable rage.
It was a losing battle, Fury knew it, but she still kept going against the odds. while her body reacted by pure reflex and instinct, a coping mechanism of her body to combat fatigue that slowly gnawed at her muscles and bones because of the long and arduous fight, her mind worked double-time still, calculating and assessing for any weakness in the mass under the soles of her feet, but found nothing more but hands or claws or tentacles trying to reach out and grab her to pull her down, which she promptly cut off in annoyance. And still, the memories of her past self streamed steadily into her mind; from where, she knew not. What surprises her was that it also included the memories she doesn't have and therefore learned things she didn't. That was the mystery in there, an enigma she would have an answer to, whatever means necessary.
After snapping a creature's head off, she looked ahead, towards the eyes that were staring down at her the whole time, constantly moving to and fro on the dark skin that passed as the ground. As if directing the oppossing forces... An idea popped in her head and she dashed forward, sidestepping an axe strike from one of the giants and jumped, hooking his neck with her arm as she swung around it and landing on the same spot she took off - effectively taking the giant down - and finished the deed with a swipe of her glowing right arm at the said neck. Continuing her sprint forward, she threw a retracted Justice before her, and via telepathy, the whip's flames shot out and splitted in all direction, skewering any and all foolish enough to be in its immediate periphery. With the weapon out of her hand for moment, the creatures sensed an opportunity and attacked more ferociously, only to be cut in between or impaled by blades and spikes summoned from the shadows as he moved past them.
Another of the one-eyed abominations chose, or rather guided, to impede her progress by blocking her path and bellowing a challenge; a foolish choice. Again, blades sprung form the darkness into her grasp, dancing in mid-air as she juggled them before shooting them at the obstacle. One hit it squarely in the throat, turning its bellows to gurgling as it choked in its dark blood, while another blade pinned its lead foot fast into the ground. Three more hit its abdomen and causing it to keel over in agony while howling madly. Fury took the chance, stepping on its knee to boost her up the air and summoned another of the shadow weapons in her arsenal - this time in the form of a spear - shooting out from the shade into her hands in an accelerated speed, and stabbed it into the giant's single eye. The spear went deep, exiting from the back of its head. It then slumped forward, partly because of its momentum, and partly because Fury had used the head as another booster.
She held out her hand and called out with her mind; the whip quickly retracted its flames before flying towards her. She grabbed it before lashing out downwards from right to left, Justice's flames bursting out in crimson eldritch energy; her target: the cluster of eyes. The eyes registered her intent, even managing to widen in shock, before being decimated in one swipe, followed by a line of explosion. Then, she could see the changes instantly. Without the 'brains' to direct them, the abominations started to move in uncoordinated fashion; they began to fight among themselves, and that made them easy pickings for her shadow beasts.
But before her feet could touch the ground, something fast had grabbed her in mid-air. She felt the air being squeezed from her lungs as the thing tightened its grip around her; even her shadow protection gave way, leaving her body vulnerable to the physical pressure of the assault. It then happened all in an flash; she was being whipped hard to the ground in a blur, and she only managed to be free from it by stabbing it with her empowered right arm. It released its hold only to throw her off to the ground proper below.
Below, the two angels worked in concert together back-to-back, killing the corrupted by the hundreds in a display of battlefield savagery coupled with magical mastery. however, time can only tell when the Caster's mana pool deplete completely and the young warrior's strength to fail him as the tide of the warped creatures continued to be poured from the 'belly of the beast'.
Marion had just cleared up a wide area of the enemies when she happened to glance up, and her eyes grew wide in disbelief. There, another of the giant creatures had appeared, towering over the other monstrosities, and with too much arms for comfort, making its way towards the Rider as it waded through the littered corpses from the rear. And by the looks of it, she hadn't even sensed its approach. It snatched the Horseman from the air with one of its arms and proceeded to pound her to the ground, which it did with much enthusiasm. The said Rider seemed to retaliate, a little, and earned a free throw to the ground. She watched as she tumbled and rolled at the far end of their location, until she managed to stop her momentum with a back-flip from the roll. She had visibly weakened drastically, both from the damages done to her and from fatigue; even the Horsemen can feel exhaustion, that's for sure. But the question is - can she fight for long enough?
Shifting her gaze back to the towering abomination above them, she felt fear start to creep into her being, hearing it roar in victory and raising its arms - all four of them - as it did so. Maybe the end has come, when even Riders fall from their steed. But for her, the end will come - only when she had killed as many of these creatures before her magic runs out completely.
A giant charged up to her from behind with a roar, snapping her out of her thoughts, when Castiel's shield bashed it in the face directly, stopping it in its track, before a follow-up left its head dangling by just the skin of its neck. Castiel met her eyes and nodded before flying away again to engage another foe. She watched him took on another three of the enemies; oh how he reminded her of them... Her reverie was cut short, again, when an axe came crashing down before her, she scowled in irritation as she turned around in an arc of golden flames in her hands.
Fury panted hard, ragged breaths as she went into a kneeling position. Being thrown like a ragdoll had her distanced away from he objective, but it did had some good done to her - a moment of respite to heal her wounded and sore body, and not to mention her rising rage in need of controlling. She looked up, towards the roaring figure, four well-muscled arms were raised high, a weapon in each arm, on top of the black mass that was their battleground just a moment ago.
'What in the name of the Creator is that thing?' She thought as she studied its feature. It was agile enough despite of its physique as she had just witnessed firsthand just minutes ago.
It leapt down and landed with a loud resounding thud, recollected its bearing and proceeded to walk towards her in a slow pace but wide strides. In a heartbeat, it raised all its arms, weapons creating a blockade of metal blades, as it spun to the its side. A deadly gout of golden flames shot from the air and hit the block, pushing the abomination backwards despite its size. It held on as it was being pushed, planted feet creating deep gouges on the ground.
"She's good, I give her that," Fury commented to herself as she watched the incredible display of power. "But not good enough..." She sighed after that last phrase.
The reason of her dismay is in front of her; the creature started to push back. It stopped and started to drive against the angel's force one foot at a time, even though its weapon began to glow red hot from the heat, it pushed on. Now, Fury can see its face clearly and that is... it has no face at all. A faceless being. Who would create something without a face...
'Oh, right...' She thought as she looked up at the titan before her. This creature had no need of any sensory parts when there is one to direct it. Telepathically.
With a throaty roar of rage that came from somewhere in that mouthless head, the faceless one redirected the flames to the side as it side-stepped before throwing it blade at the said angel. Marion saw it coming and cancelled the gout and switched to a fireball, lobbing it at the projectile instead. The weapon was disintegrated in an explosion, but she hadn't quite anticipated a follow-up thrown at her. She would have paid for that ignorance on her part with her life, if not for Castiel's intervention as he blocked the missile. But the weapon's momentum and weight was too great that it pierced the defense like a knife to flesh; the young warrior was driven back by the force, inadvertently bumping into the caster hard and causing both to plummet down into a crash.
Fury watched in disappointment, is that all? She then shifted her attention to the titan when it started to chuckle that sounds like a softer version of peals of thunder as it slowly rotated on the lower parts of its torso, uprooting its 'arms' from the ground and planting them again when they now faced each other. It loomed over her, and still with that grin on its face.
"MEET MY CREATION..." He announced in a smug tone. "THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL ONE SINCE THE CREATION OF THE NEPHILIMS... THE ANAKIM..."
"You really are mad beyond help," Fury remarked as she stood. Most of her wounds have now all healed up, leaving no blemishes to be seen on her pail skin, all thanks to the angel's timely intervention. "To think that you have gone so far as to create something of an abomination, all acting like a god. You're just like her..." She spat venom at the last part. "Are you not, Anak?"
A thunderous laughter followed. "THE ONE CALLED ANAK HAD DIED, ALONG WITH HIS BRETHREN, AT EDEN..." The being identified as Anak replied, bitterness oozing from his words.
"Lo and behold, a ghost talks back..." Fury commented flatly. "Who do you think you are?"
"I AM MADNESS..."
"And allow me to introduce myself, I am Beauty," she replied sarcastically. "Tsk... Don't make me laugh..." Another unearthly chuckle from Anak made her glare at him. "What's so funny?"
"IF YOU HAD SEEN WHAT I HAD SEEN, FELT WHAT I HAD FELT..."
"I'm sorry wha-" Fury's words froze in her throat as she widened her eyes and clutched her head with both hands. She screamed in torment as foreign memories invaded her mind, searing themselves forcefully in her collective consciousness. She fell on her knees as her cries was drowned out by Anak's booming laughter.
Azrael can't stop himself from feeling quite uneasy as he watched the other casters in the wide chamber cast their own dose of magic onto a wide basin of clear liquid that serves as a gaze-through mirror for their locator spell. The situation was grave, even to his own standards; if what the prisoner's - his top student's - story was true, then they now faced a power that rivals the threat of the armies of Hell itself. And not to mention of the Horseman's own account. He may, as any other angels in the realm, not trust the words of the Rider themselves, but they act under orders from the Charred Council, and so to go against any of the Horsemen is to go against the Council itself. A thing that can be very disastrous, especially now that he felt the signs of the coming End War.
One of the casters working on the spell suddenly called out to him, catching his attention. Without preamble, he hurried up the stairs to the circular dais where they stood with the help of his wings. "My Lord, the beacon was activated just now," the angel reported immediately as he peered into the rippling surface of the mirror.
"Where in the Third Kingdom?" The Archangel of Death asked quickly.
"That's the problem, my lord. It's not located in the Third Kingdom..."
"What?" Azrael exclaimed unnecessarily in utter surprise at the information. 'How can that be?' He thought, 'It's where they had found the- unless...' He then spoke to confirm his suspicion, "where is it then?"
By way of an answer, all the casters simultaneously raised their hands and brought up a spherical hologram of the realms conjured by their magic. It slowly rotated as they tried to find it in the vast multitude of realms and dimensions which dotted the sphere. "It says here that it was located in one of the realms in..." The angels' surprise was evident in their wide eyes as they met Azrael's curious - and suspicious - gaze. "It says it's in the Dead Realm..."
"The Dead Realm..." Azrael muttered under his breath as he processed the information, stroking his goatee thoughtfully. 'So, it is where I think it should be'. Turning to one of his attendants, "go, tell Lord Abaddon that I may need some of his finest warriors. Tell him it's a matter of the Realm's security."
"Yes, my lord." The angel bowed low, then with a leap and a few audible flaps of her wings, she's gone out the window of the Argent Spire. Turning to another, Azrael gave orders to report their findings to the High Council, along with his plan, which he knew they would agree to. After the courier left, he turned again to study the floating sphere in front of him and drawing his own strategy in his mind.
Displayed on the surface of the sphere, where the expanse of the universe glowed in golden yellow against a black background, a red dot blinked steadily near the outer fringes, where the realms were left barren, devoid of life after the Nephilim race's rampage eons ago.
The place where the destroyed, and unanchored, worlds were drawn towards to in the side of the Tree of Death. The Dead Realms. Or more commonly known as the Abyss.
"What have you done?!" Fury screamed in rage at the being who was once her brother.
The memories that had invaded her mind moments ago and latched into her own were all that she needed to release her own hate, and she planned to unleash it all towards him in retaliation. Those were the thoughts of her own brothers and sisters who had perished before - the same ones that had their lives snuffed out when the four of them rode the battlefield after donning the mantle of the Horsemen of Apocalypse and the very lives she declared forfeit in pity, they better die for the Balance than to be used by their creator. But now, she felt their pain, their rage, their hate - all towards them, and all Creation. She had seen how the Anak she knew died that day, and how he became what he is now.
The Firstborn of the race, Absalom, had fallen under Mortigan's - no, Death's - blade, and asked for help. Nothing came, from Death or from any of them, or that's what she thought. She had seen through the memories how Death held out his hand and despite the mask he wore, she could see his guilt and regret oozing from his features as he did so. But his hand didn't reach him, as Corruption pulled the Firstborn down. She felt her own arm reach out to him, in hopes of saving him, but all she was rewarded with was the bite of the darkness from the Corruption. She felt its influence enter her mind and overcome her will, even as her body shook in defiance, but try as she might, the dice is cast. With the corruption clouding her mind, she slowly heard her kin's hateful thoughts, their grief; their voices, calling to Her, their mother - the calls that were left unanswered as death slowly claimed them. But though they gave up the ghost, their negative emotions were left behind, and all those feelings of rage, hate, and sorrow entered her mind, letting her know and letting her feel it all, but not letting her act upon it. All those negativities gave her the will to survive as she felt her body drag itself away from the field.
Time had passed, but the voices of the race tormented her day and night nonstop. And also present is the very essence of corruption in her being, slowly corroding her psyche and her will. Until finally, her sanity snapped, feeling her body giving in completely. And so, Madness was born.
After the flood of memories had subsided eventually, she had found herself screaming at the top of her lungs. She had now seen in the eyes of him, Anak, and now gained another reason to hate her maker. Up until now, she had believed that she was the one who was greatly wrong upon. But the truth opened her eyes. However, her rage was now fully out of control, hatred completely engulfing her and that same hate is now leading her to a path of destruction.
"HOW WAS IT, DEAR SISTER?"
"What have you done to me?!"
"WHY, SISTER? WILL YOU NOT THANK ME FOR RELEASING YOU FROM YOUR BURDEN? I HAD CARESSED YOUR MIND AND I SAW HOW LONG YOU HAD SUFFERED TO KEEP THAT HATE AND GUILT INSIDE. YOU CAN COME WITH ME, AND TOGETHER, WE CAN SHARE OUR BURDEN WITH EVERY CREATION SO THAT THEY WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT WE, THE NEPHILIM, HAD GONE THROUGH..."
"No! Get out of my head!"
"YOU KNOW THAT I CAN'T AND WON'T, NOT UNTIL YOU EMBRACE MADNESS ITSELF... EVEN IF YOU STRUGGLE AGAINST IT, IT WON'T STOP, NOT IN THIS WORLD OF MADNESS THAT I CREATED..."
"Damn you!" Fury screamed before, with every visible effort of will, she got up on her feet and charged. Justice flew into her hand once more, flashing crimson flames, as her hate manifested itself. In a blink, she was soaring high before lashing out at the exposed skin of the titan before her, so focused was she into attacking him directly that she failed to notice the Anakim running towards her. It jumped and appeared before her, blocking the whip slash effortlessly with the remaining weapons held in two of its arms.
And to add salt to the wound, Anak started to taunt her. "YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT YOU CAN'T DEFEAT ME, NOT WITH THAT DARKNESS INSIDE YOU. RELEASE YOUR HATE! HATE ME! HATE OUR RACE! HATE YOURSELF!"
"Shut up!"
She charged again and again, ignoring the Anakim and the pain in her body, and failing miserably. Jumping high enough, she was shocked when the Anakim caught her with two of its arms in mid-air and proceeded to squash her by brute force, before slamming her hard into the ground.
"ALL YOUR EFFORTS ARE ALL FUTILE... DO NOT RESIST IT, BUT INSTEAD EMBRACE IT. EMBRACE YOUR HATE, DEAR SISTER... BECAUSE FROM HATE COMES POWER...
The Anakim suddenly raised her from the ground and flung her violently towards Anak's mass, causing her to lose her weapon in the process. The impact left her spine jarred and her flesh vibrate, but she had survived worse. But she discovered that she cannot unlatch herself from the black skin of the creature as it suddenly tried to engulf her form whole as it sucked her in. She grunted as she tried to pull out an arm in vain, and even with the use of her Shadowskin, nothing can be done without an outside help.
"What is this thing?!"
"THAT IS THE ESSENCE OF THE CORRUPTION. IT PULLS ANYTHING ALIVE INSIDE, IN ORDER TO BE ONE WITH ME. TO BE ONE WITH MADNESS AND TO BE REBORN, NOT AS ONE OF MY CHILDREN BUT AS ONE OF MY EQUAL..."
"What?!"
Black tentacles shot out from the skin and quickly wrapped themselves around her body, one to her neck, slamming her head back violently. "I will never-," she managed to choke out her defiance but didn't finish her sentence when another tentacle wrapped itself over her mouth, silencing her finally. As of now, only her head and shoulders were what's still visible on the surface, but not for long.
"SISTER, DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU LOST? IT'S NOT BECAUSE YOU ARE WEAK, BUT BECAUSE DEEP INSIDE YOU, YOU HAVE ALREADY EMBRACED MADNESS BY GIVING IN TO THE HATRED IN YOUR HEART. BUT WORRY NOT..."
Fury heard no more, before darkness and silence completely devoured her.
Far and wide, they journeyed. Unto barren worlds, into realms teeming with life, into the outer fringes of the Abyss, near the borders of the Tree of Life; they travelled and searched, searching for something they do not know, hadn't seen and hadn't heard of. Until their search led them to a realm devoid of lifeforms, again. They were now weary, in body and in soul, with no destination in mind.
On a precipice, they looked far into the land of nothing but the pillars of rocks and the stench of sulfur in the air. Mortigan looked down into the bottomless chasm that lay before him, seeming to reach the bottom with his mind, when the runt of the litter spoke.
"Be carefull where you stand," Geurel sneered. "Brother..."
"Is this the place?" Calis grumbled. But Arii chose to keep to herself, still thinking about all that had taken place in the past.
But the Eldest simply ignored them as he studied the location, particularly the ones he doubt were just terrain.
"Hey! A cliff!" Geurel exclaimed in mock enjoyment as he walked ove to him." I wonder how high this one goes?"
With a sigh, Mortigan finally gave in as he gave him a look. "Why, brother, are you interested? Why won't you find out first? Be my guest..." He retorted as he gestured with a hand.
A muttered cursing was all that was heard as Geurel scowled and walked away, glaring at Calis who had watched the entire affair with an amused expression. "What are you looking at?!" He snarled, which the other just responded with a slight shrug.
At that moment, Arii, who was silent the whole time perked up. "Brothers! Something's coming!"
Suddenly, the very air heated up as if they had just walked into the mouth of a volcano. Then came a deafening voice, so powerful that they all felt great power as it spoke, leaving them unable to move, seemingly rooted in the spot. "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"
Mortigan managed to speak up for them even through the crushing pressure applied on him. "We seek the Charred Council!"
"WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE IN SEEKING THEM? SPEAK NOW OR FACE DEATH AT YOUR TRANSGRESSION!"
Through gritted teeth, Mortigan voiced out, "we wish to offer our strength to protect the balance!"
At that instant, the pressure that gripped them was gone and they could now move freely. The voice then spoke again, but not as harsh as before. "YOU HAVE FOUND THAT WHICH YOU SEEK... YOU FOUND THE CHARRED COUNCIL... BUT ONE MORE THING BEFORE WE REVEAL OURSELVES..."
"What is it that you ask of us?"
"ONE QUESTION. IF WE ARE TO USE YOUR STRENGTH, WILL YOU SEVER YOUR TIES FROM THE OUTSIDE, ABANDON YOUR CURRENT IDENTITIES AND FULLY COMMIT YOURSELVES ALL IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE BALANCE?"
Arii's decision is now clear to her, her path now set before her. A path she now will walk till the last of her breath. Will it send her to redemption, or to destruction? Time will only tell, as she took the first step forward.
"Yes." Came the gravelly words of the eldest of the four.
"Yes." Calis came next.
"Yes..." Arii worded.
They all looked at the last one, who just shrugged with a grin. "As if I had any options left, right?"
Suddenly, their surroundings fade away like burning paper to clear away the sight hidden beyond. The mountainous area gave way to a wide cavernous place where pillars of flames geysered out from cracks on the ground, where red hot lava flowed down from high ground to endless chasms, and where the air smelled of brimstones - like Hell itself, but entirely different.
" WELCOME TO THE CHARRED COUNCIL'S REALM..."
Then suddenly, the place where they are standing was left vacant with the sound of imploding air, the only evidence of their presence were the footprints that had no more masters...
