Cool water pressed against my backside. The gentle lapping of a stream reached my ears. It seeped into me, calming my fuzzy mind.

Where was I? The river carried me down it, an aimless journey. What had happened? Why couldn't I remember?

"It is not your time to drift down my stream."

A voice! I tried to perk my ears, but my body refused to move. The water curled around me in a hold that refused to let go.

"Come, we have must to discuss, little one."

A force grabbed me, tender, as I lifted from the water's embrace. My hooves pressed against cold stone, and I shivered at the sudden coolness. The grip released me, and I fell onto my hands and knees.

Once freed, my eyes fluttered open to see slate stone in front of me, a red star in the center. A lump formed in my throat at the sight of the pentagram. A sharp inhale left my snout as flashes appeared before my mind's eye.

I gripped my throat, only to find my head connected to my body. Voices, a ritual, sharp pain—

"Come."

The voice again. My eyes drifted toward it, only to see a large pathway before me, lit by candle light. The place I was in was dark. The only light was the flames before me. Looking around, the rest of the strange place was draped in shadows, like a moonless night.

The path was clear. There was only one way for me to go.

Taking a deep breath, I rose to my hooves. Facing the lit path before me, I stepped forward. A sharp bleat left my throat as my foot touch cool water, barely above my ankle.

Shaking off the sudden shock, I placed my other hoof into the water. The flames around me appeared to glow brighter as I left the pentagram circle. Almost as though they were guiding my way.

Walking down the path, I tried to use the flames to see why was beyond, but only inky blackness greeted me. Unease welled in my chest, wondering if it was a good idea to listen to the voice. Who were they? What did they want? Was I being led to my death?

The pathway soon gave way to a small clearing, more candlelight circled around, lighting up the area in hues of yellow and orange. My gaze was drawn toward the large figure that sat in the center of the clearing, placed on a throne fit for a royal.

The being, even while sitting, stood tall. A creature that blending into the sheer darkness around us. They leaned forward, and with the light of the candles, they came into view.

A feline with the blackest fur I had ever seen, easily able to melt into the dark void around use with ease. A white dash on their chest, the only color aside from their twin pools of darkened sapphire that stared down at me. They wore a robe, easily able to cover their whole body if they stood up. A slender tail switched at their side, and a pearly white grin flashed in the flames' light.

"Come closer. We have much to talk about, you and I."

I stood my ground, eyes wide as I gazed at the monster of a beast before me. If they wanted to, they could easily swipe me to bits with their massive ivory claws! One of those talons beckoned me forward.

"Come on, I know you can hear me. Step closer. Let me get a good luck at you."

"... Who are you?"

"Do you not know who I am?"

"Should I?" I asked.

The being let out a deep, low chuckle, his body trembling from the trimmers. "You are quite the funny one, little goatt."

"I fail to see the humor behind my question."

"It is to be expected. You did just die after all."

The blood in me ran cold. "I... died?"

"Yes, you did. You are within the Afterlife."

"Then you are..."

"Another Godd. The Godd of the Afterlife." The feline leaned down toward me, eyes staring into my own. "You may call me Anarion."

I swallowed, looking around what I could see of the Afterlife. If I was dead, then where was the rest of my kind? My family, friends, the whole herd? Shouldn't they have been here? Why were they not here to greet me? Why was this God here instead?

"You have many questions, as expected for the newly departed." The Godd held up a paw as soon as I opened my mouth, silencing me. "They will be answered in due time. However, even though you are dead, I still have need of you. Use of you."

One of my ears twitched, and I titled my head to one side, cringing as the cold metal of the shackle around my throat dug into my skin. Even in death, I was doomed to be chained. What cruel fate—something I failed to notice in my panic earlier.

"You want me to help you with something?"

"That is correct. Only you, little goatt, can do the task I'm about to ask you. For it is your calling. Your destiny."

"My destiny?" I blinked, feeling more confused. What did the Godd mean? What destiny did I have a roll in? "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Your death was by no means an accident. It has been foretold with a prophecy."

My blood ran cold, and also burned with a rage. "Are you telling me that my whole kind was killed because of some stupid prophecy?"

"That is correct, little Goatt."

Dark fur bristled as my ears folded back. My short tail lashed behind me, and I bared my teeth in anger. "What the hell kind of reason is that to slaughter a whole race? Not just mine—but any that were closely related to goatts!"

"Your rage is justified, caprine. I can help you get your revenge on all who had wronged you."

"Go on."

The feline grinned, wide and open-fanged. He leaned closer to me, facing me on eye level. "Within you, I see the heart of a warrior. A fighter. A champion. A savior of those who are weak and frail. In you, I see the one who can change the fates for the better."

"I fail to see how," I huffed, crossing my arms. "In case you forgot, my whole kind was killed—how can see you any of that in me when I'm no different than the rest put to the blade?"

"Correct you are, goatt. Yet, also very wrong. For you see, unlike those who came before you, they were not connected to the prophecy. They were not the last goatt to be sent to death. They didn't suffer nearly as long as you have. For you to have survived as long as you did before your captor, that shows me more than enough you are capable. You are the one that I need to be my warrior. You can have your revenge on the Godds and all who wronged you. All you have to do is accept my offer. What do you say?"

My gaze drifted to the ground, ears twitching as I pondered over the offer planted in front of me. If I accepted, I could have my revenge. I could strike down all who ruined mine and many other lives. But the question above all else, even greater than to say yes or no, was how?

I was dead, simple as that. If what the Godd said was true, which, given what I remembered, it was. How in the hell was I supposed to become his warrior if I was already not alive?

What this some sort of sick joke? How did the Afterlife Godd want me to do that? Did he just want to get my hopes up, only to crush them all the deities before him? No. His voice had no mocking tone in it. He was serious.

"How?" I demanded, looking up at the feline god. "How would I get my revenge? I'm dead, in case you forgot."

"I can bring you back to life." If the deity was faced by my sass, he didn't show it.

I narrowed my eyes, distrust and doubt clear. "I thought you were the Ruler of the Afterlife?"

"I am."

"Then how can you bring me back to the living world?" If I was able to, I would have crossed my arms with my huff. "Wouldn't that be the job for whoever rules over the living?"

The god's mouth twitched, and his eyes narrowed a tad. "I am god over both. Do you accept or not?"

"Do I even have a choice? A say in the matter? Or are you just letting me think that I do?"

"Drop the attitude, goatt. You are correct. You don't have a say in the matter. You're going to help me no matter what. As it has been foretold." The deity stood straighter, staring down at me with a open fanged grin that sent a shiver down my spine.

With a snap of his fingers, I bleated in surprise as I found myself floating above the ground. The chains and shackles that bound me shattered, falling to the dark void below. My tattered and ragged clothes changed to that of a double cloaked, the shade of blue. Divine energy surged through me, leaving me dazed from the overwhelming power that ran through my body. I blinked rapidly, as though I had an eye-opener, and a change in my very being. My hooves pressed back onto the ground once my new master was done.

"You are now no longer mortal, caprine. Instead, Hunger, sleep, all mortal needs are beneath you," my lord declared. "They can still happen—should you overwork yourself or use your powers too much—then you will need to rest and eat. You can still be killed, but never fear, for I shall bring you back whenever you have stuck down in battle."

A blade the color of silver, and the hilt and guard golden, was tossed at my feet. I picked up the weapon, looking it over in awe. I swung it around a few times, trying to get a feel for it, though the best way to do that was in combat.

"Walk over to the pentagram you were brought to. I will send you back to where you died using that. Be gone with you now. You know your mission. Strike down those who wronged you; be my warrior. My champion. And show them our divine wrath."

"Yes, my Lord." I bowed before the mighty feline, before doing as I was ordered. Once again, I found myself hovering in the air for a moment, before the world darkened around me.