Hehoteb sat on her litter that was being carried by four mummies, a smile residing on her face. She was currently at an oasis that was nearby the city, amassing what forces she could get. Currently, a well-sized army had been formed with two hundred mummies, two hundred sphinxes, one hundred girtabilu, and they even managed to recruit a hundred mercenary elves somehow. It was not the largest army, but it would do.
Inpu was there as well, but she would not be coming along with her. "Your highness," spoke Inpu, making a slight bow as she came over and stood in front of her.
Hehoteb turned her gaze from her forces to her advisor, "Yes, Inpu dear?"
"Are you certain we should be amassing a force this size for...one man?"
"Yes Inpu, if what the rumours say is true, this will be plenty."
Hehoteb expected that to be it, but Inpu persisted in her questions. "None the less, does it not seem to be a bit over the top?"
All Hehoteb could think of was to simply step down off her litter and patted Inpu on the head, a slight chuckle could be heard from Hehoteb. "That is why you are my chief advisor Inpu, at least you question me sometimes, even with my power unintentionally influencing you to always do as I say."
A flustered look came on Inpu, obviously not expecting that before she recomposed herself. Inpu merely nodded and walked away to help organize the army, not desiring to question her any further.
Hehoteb got back onto her litter, and in a few minutes, she decided that she had acquired enough forces. In a loud and commanding voice, she gave her command, "You have all come here to assist me, today I shall claim my husband. If I decide you have all done your parts well, I shall give each of you husbands of your own. For now, however, YOU WILL MARCH!"
The moment the command to march came upon her lips, Inpu went back towards the tomb, and all the remaining mamono began to get into formation and began to march to their location. They did not know where the Red Hood was, but they could draw him out. All they had to do was attack a caravan and hope that he would intervene.
Granted it would be hard for an army to sneak up on a caravan in the desert, but that was what the girtabilu were for. Until then she would have to wait as they travelled to their destination. For hours she sat and waited as they marched, thinking about what sort of man the Red Hood was.
That kunoichi a week back had said he was exactly like the rumours, but even still she didn't care. What mattered was if he was indeed worthy of her, and that would be decided when they first meet.
After a few more hours of travel later of traversing the desert, something finally happened. "A large caravan spotted your highness." Spoke one sphinx captains.
"Very well, send the girtabilu forth!" Commanded Hehoteb. Right away the girtabilu of their forces began to sneak up the large caravan, and despite their numbers, they managed to start taking out the men. Many of their other mamono started to rush the caravan and join in but Hehoteb raised her hand, silently commanding them to halt.
Nothing of interest happened, however, as the girtabilu started dragging away all the men. That is until Hehoteb saw something the distance. At first, it looked like a red dot, but it moved at a rapid speed towards them on all fours. Eventually, it got nearby where she could see him very clearly, but unlike the rumours, he did not attack but instead halted in his tracks. The girtabilu, now dropping their soon to be husbands and getting into formation.
Hehoteb was not expecting him to look as he did, in fact, he almost looked like the monsters of old from one of her foggy memories. Slowly she rose from her litter and looked at the man. Before she could test him, he spoke in a voice that seemed radiate power, "You... will leave these people untouched..."
Hehoteb was slightly amused at this. This was strange, yes, but even heroes that fell instantly to her did this as well. Now she would test him, "Are you the one known as the 'Red Hood'?" She got no response, only silence. Fine, she would end this now. She spoke in her commanding voice, using as much of the power of the kings as she could muster in her words. "Even if you are not, you will kneel and serve me."
Once again silence, until the giant spoke one word, "No..."
She went silent at that.
Did he... did he refuse her?
This...this was the first time to ever have happened.
To think someone could say no to her...
She started giggling. Even if he looked as bad as he did, she knew she could fix that. Her priests could heal that gaping wound of his, and their union would make him look young again. Even if he was not the Red Hood, she now had to have him
"I am glad you said that. Because now I know you will be mine!" Hehoteb gestured for her units to begin their plan. The elves stood in a firing line, unleashing a sea of arrows, the girtabilu flanked the Red hood from the sides and from the back. The sphinxes and mummies acted as living walls, defending the elves and distracting the Red Hood as best they could.
The Red Hood dodged the arrows, avoided the girtabilu, and was hardly distracted by the sphinxes and mummies. He unleashed blow after blow, killing several poor mamono. Sometimes an arrow would land on him, but he seemed hardly effected, more like agitated as he shot out 3 fast golden discs at the archers.
The archers lost a fourth of their units from that attack alone, the same was said for the other units. The Red Hood's assault seemed relentless, but Hehoteb had something planned.
As her army kept him busy, she pulled out a scroll. Hehoteb smile grew wider, for years since her awakening she and her court mages were working on this spell. It was made specifically for one such as this man.
The giant leapt into the air and decimated a row of mamono, then turned around and slashed a few more girtabilu. He then turned his head to see Hehoteb casting a spell. Hoping to stop it he started to fade away and reform near her, but she was faster as she finished casting the spell.
Emmiedietly before the Red Hood could escape, a large dome of demonic energy surrounded him and trapped him from within. Pink smoke filling the dome, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.
That was it, no one could get out of that. Besides even if they did, they would have been turned in seconds. All the mamono surrounded the dome, still unsure. Hehoteb however, knows that they were hers now.
Then something happened, a tiny crack formed on the barrier...
(-)
Gael was trapped within an accursed spell, and things were now not going as expected. He wanted her to come to him so that he could end the attacks once and for all, but now he was here.
Strange energy was seeping into him, whatever it was it was not lethal. None the less it was affecting him. It made him feel...agitated?
It made them...hungry
It made them feel...incomplete
They did not want to be...separated again.
They wanted to be...whole again.
Then a loud voice could be heard in Gael's mind, a voice he was all too familiar with.
"We... WE WILL FEAST"
(-)
More cracks started to form on the barrier, and the pink cloud of demonic energy started to turn red.
The world went dark as more and more cracks formed, "Why is it getting dark? What's going on!?" Asked one of the elven mercenaries. Eventually, the sky itself had become completely dark; the sun not able to be seen as it was blocked by dark void.
Crack...
Thunder started raining down from the skies.
Crack...
The wind grew heavier
Crack...
A sense of dread started to spread across the army
Crack...
With one final crack on the barrier, it busted open. Red smoke bursting from the shattered barrier. Hehoteb was now in shock, "Wha- impossible, how... how can this be!?"
They all waited for the red smoke to clear, but instead, another unexpected thing happened. Red floating skulls short forth from the smoke, heading towards the army. At first, the mamono only watched, but that changed as when one made contact with one of them, the mamono immediately collapsed onto the ground dead.
More skulls flew out, the mamono trying to destroy them before they could get to them, but to no avail. Mamono after mamono started to die off from the skulls, but suddenly...they stopped.
The smoke at long last cleared up, revealing the Red Hood. Unlike like last time, however, he was standing straight up, strange red energy seeping out of him. Slowly he walked towards them in an upright position.
"What...what are you all doing!? Continue battle formations!" Commanded Hehoteb. Reluctantly the mamono charged, but unlike last time the Red Hood was not having any of it.
Instantly he faded and reformed at the archers and unleashed a flurry of blows, killing almost all of the elves. The girtabilu tried to flank the Red Hood, but his cape stretched out and severed them all into pieces. All that was left was the mummies and sphinxes.
Hehoteb regained her composure and knew she had to do something or else. She teleported in front of the giant as it slung its blade downward to finish off a sphinx. The Pharoah formed a barrier to block the attack, but it was only somewhat successful. The barrier shattered and the blade went down on her, leaving a nasty wound on her torso. Hehoteb fell down onto her knees, the pain being too great.
"Leave her alone!" Screamed one of the sphinxes as it charged at the giant alongside the rest of the army. The giant held his blade with both hands and reformed within the centre of the army, unleashing a wave of attacks from both his blade and his cape.
In seconds there was nothing left, save for Hehoteb and this beast. With all her might she casted another spell, a large beam of demonic energy shooting forth at the hooded creature, but he lept into the air and struck downward. She created another barrier but just as last time it was shattered, and she received another painful wound.
Once again, she tried to cast another spell at him, but he formed behind her and swung his blade. The barrier she formed to stop it failed just like the other times, only preventing the attack from killing her instantly.
She fell down unto the ground again in a small puddle of her own blood. Hehoteb looked up at beast above her, who stood like an executioner about to give judgement. Her attacks were worthless, her barriers did nothing, and he was unaffected by her power of kings. "What...what are you?" Asked Hehoteb, but she got no response, and she could not see anything from the dark void within the hood.
The creature raised his blade and brought it down upon her. Ending their life as her head rolled onto the sand.
No one survived the Red Hood that day, not even the caravan as they were soon devoured by him.
(-)
Deep below underground, within a long-forgotten laboratory, an old and rusted door was creaked open. Two individuals walked through it, both a man and a woman holding torches to light the darkened room. "Man, to think something like this was underneath us this entire time." Came the man's voice
"Same here Etail." Replied the women, walking towards a glass window. "The only question is, was this built before or after Lescatie's foundation."
The Women looked through the window, holding the torch close as to see what was inside. At the very edge of the room was a large insect looking humanoid chained up to the wall. It's arms and legs unnaturally long, and Its torso was bloated and twisted. It looked like what one of the monsters of old before the current monster lord. Its pale white face looked up at her, dark empty eyes staring at them.
"Hey...Etail, you might want to see this."
Etail came over and looked through the window to see what she was talking about. "What in the name of the gods is that?" He looked to the walls of the room itself, which was covered entirely with nearly faded runes of some strange design. "I don't know about you, Thea, but I have never seen those kinds of runes before."
"Me neither, but now I am starting to wonder, why is this thing here?" Both Thea and Etail stared at the creature, who only stared back in reply.
"You think that thing can hear us?"
Thea shrugged, "Only one way to find out." She tapped the window with her free hand and spoke as loudly and clearly as she could, "Hey, you there, can you hear me?"
No reply came, it only stared at them with its cold empty eyes. Etail put his free hand on her shoulder, "Guess not, anyway come on. We need to go back and report our findings."
Etail muttered, a disappointed look on her face, "Yeah, I guess you're right." The two turned around and started to head back from where they came. That is until they could hear the creature say something.
Even though it was slightly muffled from the glass, its voice could still be heard clear as day.
"One was an enslaved undead, going on a seemingly impossible quest. Only through near-perfect unity with the dark did he, at last, find what he sought."
"Fear not, the dark, my friend."
"And let the feast begin."