[IC] Heavens Fall

[ActRaiserTheReturned]

The Old Hawke was not the most powerful mage in the world anymore. That title belongs to Darius the Great. Old Hawke could possibly be considered a crazy old man, but he knew better than to believe them. He knew the most powerful spells the world had to offer, save for various things Darius could do. The Hawke knew one spell that was an enormously powerful incantation however, and he could speak it in three syllables. He spoke words that were too old and illegible for the Human ears to hear, and one simple hand gesture, a wave, a mysterious energy conjured forth tentacles from an extradimensional portal. Tyrwin was not capable of entering the dimension called the World Of Men, but he could extenuate formations of his sheer will into the extradimensional portals he conjured. Old Hawke willed a small portion of divine intervention straight from Tyrwin.

Giant, green tentacles emerged from the portal, lashing forth at superhuman speeds at Dearg. The lashing green tentacles menaced it's target, while the other mages, seemingly doing nothing for several moments of battle, broke out of a focused gaze on Dearg, all combining their powers into massive reality altering vortex. The vortex flashed like a lightning bolt, centralizing it'self into a focused eye in the center of the main building, and made it's way into the structures of the building, with each minute fiber of the Wolf and it's paranormal being in the eyes of the vortex, it struck out, like an enormous bolt of lightning. It would keep assaulting Dearg, like a turret, as long as it remained.

[Wraithblade6]

@Thantos
Both blades flaming with magic, Chakan rode the back of the beast's haunches as it crashed, one head missing, to the ground. Blood poured forth from the severed neck as a hellhound, a cerberus, guardian of the underworld was maliciously slain. Chakan cared not for the proper servants of the god of death. She hated them, all of them.

Blades still quietly flickering orange heat, she lowered her head until the brim of her hat hid her glowing eyes, and she advanced at a walk deeper into the dark, cave-like portal. Her deal with Death was that she would be given immortality if she beat him in single armed combat, which she, unlike any other mortal being, had accomplished, but now she couldn't escape from her reward of eternal life. The only opportunity thus far offered, was that she hunt and destroy all evil, and only when all evil had been eliminated from the mortal planes would she be permitted rest. This effectively damned her for eternity, and she was pissed.

But the god, Darko, had called, and if he called her, then she might get the chance to cut his divine head from his shoulders. That was her cute mortal dream, much to her god's twisted amusement. Chakan continued into the brink of Hades, at the river Styx. Narrowing her eyes, she awaited the mysterious ferryman.

[Wraithblade6]

"Dyleon..." The will of Sekaulla did not take the form of words, but of feeling, like knowledge. "You are mine. You heed not the servants of other gods, not even Darko. ... You have fed me well my champion, and I am sated, for now. Thus, I command you to return to rest. Die once again for me, show the world your obedience to my will and mock this foolish wraith. Demonstrate to me your faith that I will make you rise again, forever. sacrifice yourself. I yet have plans for you." The goddess' will, her voice, was irresistible to her mortal worshipper.

[The Grey Dust]

The Game begins.
Each Piece moving into position.
The cosmic titans and their pawns.
Behold the Last Game to end all others.

"Our business is done Darko. I am but a messenger. Seek my Lord for further dealings." Curt and abrupt doing what it was tasked to do. Deliver the requests from X, who prefer not to descend down from the higher planes into the mortal realms, even before the wars. Keen to observe the effects, yet never to be directly involved with them. Long since had X retired into his libraries, endless volumes of pages and lore, wisdom and the writings of every event which went on in the universe. At its core worked the 42 Elders, Bookkeepers which observe all which is known over all of existence and recorded them in ever growing numbers of analects. There in his Secret Sanctum the past, present and future histories converged, with the infinite knowledge of everything at one's disposal. And yet, to find one piece of information was to hunt through an endless sea of information for the smallest sliver. So it was the paradox, of how Knowledge obscures Knowledge, how information hides itself within itself. The way was secret, but the door unlocked, the books unguarded, but the information lost!

And suddenly, the besieged temple of the White Moths was set ablaze. The sacred Braziers of X burning with the pyres of text being incinerated. Secrets to forever remain hidden. Unread and offered to X as the smoke ascended. The Moths were devoted to protecting their secrets, as they would destroy their own temples than risk it fall.

"Our temple chapter is to be destroyed. Our Order will return to the Grand Temple. We are done here, all information inside shall be put to the flames and purged of any sensitive information. Great warriors and Magi, we of the White Moth Thank you and invite you to join amongst our numbers." The Head Keeper of the Temple explain the actions his brothers and sisters took as he emerged from the burning building followed by several others clad in white robes. "It is time we leave, by the will of X, there is something greater which calls to our Lord's attention..."

---

Death was nothing.
Blood gave life.
A blood offering.

Dearg was sustaining far too much damage to continue. The Whisper of the Goddess was clear, like a subtle piercing of the mind, stabbing clarity. A lover's kiss juxtaposed by a mother's reassurance and general's orders. Faith unwavering, devotion without end, Dyleon grinned as the words without words formed within his mind. She was pleased with his tribute, yet demanded one more offering...

"Ghost of Sparta the Dark Lord, you mock your god. Death needs not to follow bloodshed like a dog licking at my heels. Keep them alive, they will bled more for my Goddess. She claims what is hers to begin with!" His calm demeanor was now cast away, his fervor increase as his voice barked, no Howled at the Shade. "I have no interest in fighting the dead, nor a messenger who is but a shadow of what he once was. Float back to Hell and deliver this message to your God. May he learn that he holds no control over me..." A sudden madness reigned, as he chuckled to himself every pore of his body opening and shedding the absorbed blood. Channeling it to Dearg who, would soon die from the assault. A fresh infusion to regenerate the flesh, Dyleon getting weaker as his laughter became manic, his flesh became blood, bone became blood and from blood became flesh upon the dire wolf.

"Go Dearg, wait for me at the place we met."

The wolf understood, fleeing from the spellslingers in a frenzy of overindulgence of blood. And once it was done, Dyleon was no more, a smiling corpse as his body turned into the crimson fluid, melting and flowing as he internalized his screams of pain.

"For you... My Love."

[Wraithblade6]

Somewhere in the darkest pits of Hell, Hades, the Blood Goddess smiled. She turned to look into the sacrificial basin, knowing Dyleon was fully hers, mind, body and soul. She had stolen him from the good God of Heroes, Hal-Reftar, and made him her wholly devoted champion. Dyleon fell from the light, forever to drown in blood.

Through the magic of the basin, Sekaulla could see Darko at the place known as the Summit, where gods may walk upon the mortal plane. Hal was also there, causing her to laugh most mysteriously. "Ahh ha ha. What games are you playing Darko?" Perhaps she would pay the two a visit. Perhaps there would be god's blood shed. Sekaulla delighted in the anticipation.

"But first, your reward, my slave..." Diving through the pool, the goddess reappeared in another part of Hades, an upper echelon, a dry, grey plain of ruin. From her dripping robes, she brought forth a desperate and beating heart, and from it generated a body from magic, blood, and her will. The liquid mass that surrounded the goddess' body grew, swelling like an incoming tide, and swirled around herself and her subject. Dyleon awoke again, standing before Sekaulla herself. A pair of giant, female, red eyes pierced his soul with their light, burning into his mind as he looked at her, blood swirling high around them both like a tornado. He could not look away as his will was locked by her stare. Then, as he gasped in awe, helpless, her hand shot forth from the blood and stabbed deeply into his chest. It was a pain he had felt countless times before as she once again removed his heart to keep for her own. He would drop to his knees, as was proper before the divine, and the wound would close over, leaving him impervious and heartless.

Then, the eyes shrank, rising up and away from the werewolf to form the head of a massive dragon of blood. No wings marred the serpentine body of this amorphous being as it inexplicably rose into the air, traveling through a medium only accessible to a god. "You are in the realm of the dead, my servant, but you are not dead. Your thirst will be tempered here. Drench yourself in the blood of the denizens of Hell and absorb their power. Grow strong. It is my will to make you into a demigod." Long spikes and fangs began to ascend above into what appeared to be an infinite dim sky, and the dragon was yet growing. With a soul-tearing screech, it vanished, blending in with the blackness above. "I will be watching."

Sometime hence, a screech echoed over the Summit.

[Master Crim]

Hal had been very aggressive at first, but as Darko explained and continued to share his findings and thoughts Hal was more at ease. When Darko had finished with his assessment of the dead guards Hal had become apprehensively trusting and concerned about what this all could mean. If a someone truly did have the blade that Darko spoke of without their knowledge it could unleash havoc that if not handled would unsettle the mortal world. Then Darko handed Hal a note, but it was written in the Dark Language of the Evil ones. Hal listened as Darko translated for him what was on the note, and this puzzled him almost beyond reason. Is this a plot thought up by Darko? Hal thought to himself why though, what would he gain from this? As Darko came to the end of his translation and voiced his concern Hal stared at the note a moment before speaking. “All of this… None of it makes any snese.” Hal pointed out. “If someone were to have the blade that you sealed in the River of Rage… Why here? Why would they strike a meeting place that holds no bounty? There is nothing here to gain.”

There was silence between the brother gods as they both felt the presence of X’s bookkeeper approach. As he entered he began speaking of a battle between the guardians of the citadel where X kept a collection of books and tombs, and the forces of darkness that were Darko’s. Hal said nothing, but instead crossed his arms and looked discouragingly to Darko. Darko began to explain why he sent his army there in the first, but Hal was unmoved. “You wish for peace and cooperation from us, yet what you seek you would take by force. You have not changed Darko.” After some consideration on this Darko recalled his dead army and put a stop to his advances. Hal was still displeased with Darko and the way he had approached the whole situation. After Darko’s forces had receded Hal nodded and Darko called for the Grand Creator to give audience with them. There was no reply, and this is what Hal had expected. “The Grand Creator would not meddle in this affair Darko. What would he do? This is what he has tasked X for. He is the one that you would want to ask for aid. As for your lord… is more corrupt that yourself, he has long since abandon the old ties.” Hal was not angry nor annoyed. He was simply stating the facts. It was at this point that X’s servant gave his final message that was meant for Hal and left.

“Increase your sentries around the gate.”

Hal thought a moment on this message before his eyes narrowed. “I know why they attacked these graounds.” Hal said uncrossing his arms. He thought of the many gates that he had posted his guard, but only one seemed to be relevant to the slaughter at this place. “These are the closest reinforcments to the gate where we sealed in the Forsaken Army!” Hal slammed his hands on the old table making dust fall from the edges. “Who is this that thinks they can free the Forsaken Army?” Hal inquired as he walked to one of windows in the meeting room and looked to the mountains. “We must be quick, the beacon of anima portas has yet to be lit. We may still have time.” Hal produced a red and gold cloth with his insignia on it before whistling, and the griffin from before fly and landed outside the window. “Deliver this to the centurion centaurs at anima portas, post haste.” The griffin did not speak nor did in motion any form of confirmation it only took off with all the speed it could gather from its great wings.

Hal turned back to Darko, walked to the table and sat. “Working together as in the past is not impossible, but the sacred books that were set in the hands of X shall remain there. I see no need for these books to be opened again. What does need addressed however is the whereabouts of the blade the has supposedly slain the guards here.”
@Thantos

[Thantos]

Darko looked at Hal. It was true that the Father of the Gods would not meddle with the affairs of his children. He could only sigh and nod. "This is true. And even though we haven't gotten along since the clash. I see no reason why we can't work together again. If what you speak of is true. The Forsaken Army is once again about to be freed and a war is to start again from an unknown enemy. The Forsaken followed one command though and for the Death of me I can't even remember anything about him." There was a faint smell of a dying rose in the air and Darko turned his attention to the shadows where The Scream Rose stepped in. "My lord Darko, your champion has reached the underworld. Shall I tell her you will be back soon." Darko nodded and turned back to Hal and sighed "only one would know why we can't remember and unfortunately he plays games and makes riddles of the problem. We'll brother I must go." He summoned his nightmares and touched all but 1. Each given a order. "Hal. Brother. We must gather our full strength. I suggest a champion for yourself. This threat is big. And we shall need to deal with it. Together. No more enemies among gods. The sacred mountain has always been a peaceful place I'm pretty sure we can come here again." With that darko mounted the last dark horse and road off to the underworld, to his citadel.@Master Crim

Now back in the underworld The torches that were held high in the Dark castle of the underworld lit with a evil flame. Darko walked into the dark citadel and noticed the Werewolf with his goddess and looked around and pondered. Darko walked up the bone like steps of his throne and sat on his throne. And waited for his champion.@Wraithblade6

[Wraithblade6]

So Hal and Darko had both left without noticing her. That had of course been Sekaulla's intention all along. But she had heard everything. She had seen the dead guards and heard the foreboding words. High in the skies above, she schemed.

The sounds of footsteps reached the werewolf's newly remade ears. Closer and closer they approached, until the faint glow of undead eyes exacted their location. Chakan glared at Dyleon with malice. "What is this? Another one of Darko's hellbeasts for me to slay?" She looked like a kid who was just asked to clean her room, as if Dyleon was just another boring task for her to do. "So be it. Die quickly monster." She brought up her swords and gave Dyleon the chance to make the first mistake.

[Thantos]

Darko looked up at immortal and slammed his scythe down and with a surge of power brought her before his throne steps and on one knee. That scythe was not a mere weapon it was darkos source of control to the dead and more in the underworld. "Enough" darko lifted the weapon off the ground and stood up from his throne. "A task my immortal servant, a deal made whole." He raised his hand and lifted her off her knee and he smile through his cowl. "My, my, you have been collecting a lot of dust over the centuries my immortal." He waved his hand and it seemed the flesh from her bones grew back her old strength returned. "I have a final task for you a threat Grows in the mortal world and you are to lead my armies against it."

[Wraithblade6]

Before Chakan could engage the bloody werecreature, the image of a scythe dropped hard out of nowhere and the familiar divine magic of her god, Darko, transported her to some other, far deeper, royal realm of Hades. She found herself down on a knee and her lord enthroned before her. Chakan gasped in shock. "Darko!"

Darko lifted her, and healed her wounds, restoring her strength. It was an unexpected gift, and the hardened female warrior could only stand confused and silent. She lifted her hands and looked down at them in amazement... and fear. Her lively beauty appeared to be restored! How cruel it would be for Darko to suddenly snatch it away from her... She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to be impervious to his torture, but when she opened them again, her body had not changed. The god of Death was... sincere?? She looked at Darko next, an innocent expression that almost made her beautiful. Then, her face returned to her usual flat frown, and she stood, but she had been definitely shocked into listening.

Something extremely serious had happened. If Darko was asking this of her, then the situation was indeed dire. Chakan puzzled over what in the 9 hells and all the realms of existence could have precipitated him to do this. "You command me to lead your armies, to destroy this threat in the material realm?" She blinked as she considered the weight of what was going down. "And in exchange, you would be willing to end my immortality?" A small voice in the back of her mind wondered what the hell was going on.

Darko reassured her.

"I have your word?! My death will be paid for?" She knew the god was bound to keep his promises. She almost couldn't believe this wasn't a dream. Her pride fought with her feelings of gratitude. "Then yes, Darko. Yes! I will do as you ask, but do not deceive me!" She threatened. Although an uncontested warrior, Chakan was insolent. Even so, she was fully controllable due to her own relentless desire. "I will lead our armies and end whatever is this threat you speak of, for you know how great is my one desire. Let this be our trade, our deal made whole."

[Thantos]

@Wraithblade6 "My Dear Chakan. You know me when it comes to My deals." He smiled a dark but clever smile. "Yes your immortality will end. Your life a new." He looked down at the threatening immortal. And raised a boney finger and removed her weapons. "To look like a champion of death one must wear the armor and carry the blades." He threw open his dark cloak and like a wave a fear and death surrounded her like a devouring wave in the open sea, there was a torturous burning feeling and when it stopped she was standing in front of the reflect pool and there she was wearing the armor of the Dark Lord and at her sides the blades of the underworld. Made from the same metal found in the underworld. "Time for the test three. Agility, strength and above all. Cunning. My generals will see to your trials. Note that armor and those weapons will increase the three. First I think we will test your strength." He clapped his hands and a hammer slammed into the room followed by a boney skeleton like brute. Chakan might have heard of him Darkos third in command. The Bonelord.

The Bonelord looked at Chakan who now wore the Armor of the Dark lord and smiled a toothy boney smile. "This will be over soon." The bonelord lifted his hammer and slammed it down. It was made of the bones of the Warriors he has slain and climes a single bone from each one and dipped it in the Undead metal. His eye red as fire and armor black as night. The dark lord watching as the bone lord squared off with his champion.

[Wraithblade6]

Chakan took one look at the Bonelord. "Bancrul... Is this some kind of a joke? Very well then, Darko. Throw whatever useless minions you want to be rid of before me and they will be destroyed. I'll waste every single one of them. Nothing is standing in my way."

Chakan watched, unimpressed, as Bancrul slammed down his immense hammer. Certainly, he was great at splattering a dead horse, but to Chakan, the Bonelord was slow and witless. His strength would never get a chance to be used. She raised her swords and approached, discovering new strength and ease in her movements. She drew close enough to entice Bancrul into thinking he had a shot, and when he wound up for a swing, she attacked. There was no point in drawing this out. The elation that she might finally be close to getting her undying wish fueled her motivation. She closed inside the range of the hammer, nullifying its threat and infuriating the Bonelord. He'd have to abandon his grip and fight her with mere fists. On the way in, she furiously bashed his elbows with one blade, disrupting him, and then thrust her other blade through his skull mouth.

Bancrul of course would not be killed by this. He was undead himself. He punched her in the ribs and then grabbed her chest, squeezing from both sides to crush her. Her new armor provided substantial protection, but she had to finish him fast. Feeling the gift of power within her and trusting in her newly fortified weapons, she shouted a battlecry and struck with her free weapon, scissoring down the other blade to decapitate Bancrul at the jaw. Her swords had cut through bone and metal together, yet were completely undamaged. The Bonelord fell over backward as she stood over him. Chakan huffed and said somewhat sarcastically, "Will there be any further testing, master?"

[Thantos]

@Wraithblade6Darko laughed and clapped as Bancrul sat up with his skull in hand and placed back on his head. "I will follow and serve my Lords Champion. My Hammer and my warriors are yours to command." Smashed his large armored fist into his chest. And Darko looked at Chakan. "Slaying my generals is not necessary, entertaining, but not necessary. Next Challange is Cunning. I trust you two know each other very well."

There was a smell of a dying rose in the air and floating in from the ceiling was the infamous Scream Rose. She smiled in her torn outfit with a rapier in one hand and a purple rose in the other. Her skin pale as the moon and hair as lovely as the rose in her hand. Her nails were dark purple and sharp and she knew what was about to take place. "I hope your ready for this. My old friend."

The Scream rose was cunning when it comes to her abilities. And she knew that she was to be outsmarted by the Immortal champion.

[Master Crim]

As much as Hal didn’t like it, Darko was right; If this unknown enemy is to be confronted then there would need to be some amount of working together on both dark and light sides of the gods. Hal lingered not much longer after Darko before heading back down the mountain. Hal trusted his griffin would be able to reach his guards in time, and deliver the warning of this coming enemy. The griffin flew high and fast over the vast forested valley between the meeting place and its destination. Hal was wrong, though, in his thought that the enemy had not yet reached the gate, and upon arrival the griffin found no one there. Using its powerful wings it gently landed on the open area before the signal of anima portas and looked around. The griffin knew immediately that something was not right and began to take off and alert Hal, his master, when a man charged out of the woods after it yelling in Dark Speak. “finally, ul meukukengas arriveuk!” The man left a trail of burning embers as he ran, and leapt onto the griffin that was now ten feet in the air. This took the griffin by surprise and it began flapping and tumbling wildly back to the ground. “perhapuk Hal saib ukee alnej now, um uko katu ku ij sma meukukage.” The man left scorch marks on the animal where he touched it causing it to crow in pain. The man pulled out a large dagger and stabbed it into the joint where the wing of the griffin attached to its body. “oh righav!” The man exclaimed looking straight into the griffins eyes. “lat can’av julderukavand alnej like kigiji.” The man began to speak normally as the griffin writhed on the ground beneath him. “Your guardians are dead, and your griffin won’t last long like this. Also I have broken the seal, and intend to release and command the Forsaken Army.” Removing his dagger from the beast he then stabbed it into the the other wing joint. “I am the coming darkness and I will make my name known!” Calcifer jumped off the griffin and drew his sword. The blade was slender, though not enough to be a rapiar, and let off a faint glow of pale blue. As the sword came near to the ground it let out small bursts of black lightning. “I am Calcifer!” He yelled as he dashed at the downed and helpless griffin. Using his sword as a lance he plunged it in just above the coller bone to the hilt. The griffin let out a half crow, stared into the sky and then fell limp almost pulling the sword out as it fell to the ground. Calcifer let out a yell that was half man and half demonic roar as he stood over the dead griffin, and sighed.

Calcifer was standing there taking deep breaths staring at the dead griffin as he began to slowly turn back to his human form. Putting his sword back into its sheath he then stared toward the tomb where the Forsaken Army was sealed. “I hope you can get here fast, because there is nothing that can stop me when I come back out of here. Not even Darko can undo the curse upon these warriors.” Calcifer walked past the field of fallen centaurs, some missing limbs and others smoldering and on fire, but all the wounds were seared from the blade Calcifer used. Taking no interest in these fallen foes Calcifer came to a great stone door way, placed his hand on it and spoke again in Dark Speak. “afar ul powas kigija jiak have agh ul Burzum jiak poukukeukuk, kilgjis dooruk liwo hap!” from his hand the great door began to crack and crumble, then with a shove the entire door fell to pieces. “I… Have returned.”

[Thantos]

Darko stood from his throne and looked around. "Chakan never mind your tests. Your strength and cunning and your agility are enough to please me." He walked from his throne and over to the balcony that over looked the underworld. "Now you are my voice. My fist. My will. The name of Chakan will be feared by many." He turned to Chakan. And lifted his scythe "there is one more thing I bestow upon you My champion." He raised his hand and a blast of dark power shot from his hand and connected with Chakan. The power from him was enough to lift her of the ground then as if from no where souls started to flow into Chakan armor and swords

[The Grey Dust]

The Door Crumbled,
and Reality Shattered.
The Gate Opening,
But opening too far...

"And so you have."

One last defense, though the futility of it was laughable, X foresaw this very moment without his terrifying insight to which he had prepared this final trick for the guest of honor. What would have led down into the place where Calcifer expected his boon to be, instead now led into the realm between. There in the black and white void, X sat awaiting, his form flowing over the singularity of a chair which collapsed upon itself as he arose to greet the Fallen One. Like greeting an old friend, X prepared himself for the ire of the one he cursed into obscurity. Stripped of his godhood and made mortal as man. Powerful, but mortal nonetheless.

"Calcifer, the Fallen One. At long last, you have finally made your move. Bold as it may be, but foreseen. Perhaps its is rightfully so that you are no longer the God of Chaos for this was all too predictable." A small, witty comment, turned into convoluted insults which were laced with both biting venom, and the bitter venom which was truth. "I bid you turn back from this path you follow. The course of events to follow will not restore what you have lost. But that is not what you seek is it? Your vengeance upon us will not be your own. Forces beyond your mortal self lie beyond us." A strange phrase at the end there, with meanings like X to distort the whorish nature of words. See he played with the syntax strange, twisting the meaning as he would distort truth into a lie and lies into truth. True the power were both beyond this precipice and beyond the control of the Gods.

"I will not stop, nor can I. Armageddon lies within your grasp, and yours alone. Yet in doing what you believe to be your own actions, of your choosing and device, I shall reveal that you nothing more than a mere pawn in the game of kings." The realm morphed into a tunnel once more, revealing the end as X passed Calcifer his warning. "Consider your path, I shall leave behind you and none shall follow you this realm hides the events within it. Goodbye, Calcifer."

[Vec]

Dragon Realm, Muspelheim

Muspelheim had always been a dreary place, more so back when the one who ruled over it soared its skies. Nowadays, what's left is the crackling sound of flowing lava and rock that can be heard in the background. The Hell Lizards had and will always roam its lands, forever bound to the will of their Overlord.

This day though is not like the rest.

Fregion's Castle, Idian Depths

Inside the towering castle that is Idian Depths, in the master hall, Fregion layed on the floor, his wings overlapping his body as if he was inside a cocoon. Today would signal the end of his 100 year sleep cycle. As he began to awaken, the temperature in the immediate area surrounding the castle started to slowly rise, eventually peaking at about 10.000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fregion's body slowly started shifting in its position; He was still enveloped in the grogginess of slumber and it was minutes before he found himself able to move. He started unfolding his wings one by one before finally revealing himself. He stood on his four legs and sniffed the air around him, his mind quickly encompassing the whole of Muspelheim. "Yes..." he thought, pleased that everything was as he had left it 100 years ago.

His servants immediately sensed that their Lord had awakened and one by one, let out roars, paying their respects. The crackling of flowing lava wasn't the only sound that could be heard over Muspelheim anymore. In parallel with his awakening, the pale blue fire-stone that he had gifted each and every of his fellow gods ages back, before the Clash of Gods, as a means of knowing when he was awake, started emitting a bright blue glow, his powers re-igniting the fire burning inside of it.

At that moment, Padmarashka entered the master hall and kneeled in front of his Lord. "Ahh, Padmarashka. It's been too long since I've seen you, my faithful servant" Fregion told him. "Indeed my Lord, It's been too long. Muspelheim welcomes you back from the world of dreams" the drakan answered back.

"Right before I went to sleep you had amassed 164 straight victories. Tell me Padmarashka, how many victories do you have now?" Fregion asked, curious to hear the number. "Yes. Unfortunately my Lord, the count has only risen by 11 and now stands at 175. As the years went by, there were fewer and fewer Hell Lizards that reached a level high enough to be able to challenge me and all 11 of them ultimately met their demise in my hands. Your servant fears that in due time, there will be no one left to challenge him within his kin."

Padmarashka's answer stirred something inside Fregion and he started laughing. "If I knew back when I evolved you, that you would become as powerful as you are now, I would have toned the improvements down a notch" Fregion said and let out another hearty laugh but soon went back to being serious, "What is the situation in the mortal realm?" he asked his servant.

"My Lord, the mortals have prospered much since you fell into slumber. Unfortunately though, they seems to have forgotten about you. They no longer pray to you and instead, see you as a myth, the legend of the four-winged beast that soared the darkened skies above the battlefields of the gods. You are still mentioned in some of their books, a slight reference here, a rough sketch there but nothing more" Padmarashka told his master with a sad look on his face.

"Hmmmm..." Fregion nodded while listening to his servant. He himself had chosen not to meddle in the affairs of mortals so being forgotten by them as the years went by was indeed a natural consequence of his choices. "Fair enough. Now, I desire to inspect my realm. You are dismissed" he told the drakan who, after a slight bow of his head, quickly left the master hall.

Fregion closed his eyes and broadened his mind.

[Wraithblade6]

She had heard the final words exchanged between Hal and Darko. She had seen the griffon take off on a desperate mission, and she saw through its blood, its killer. A thunder crackled in the clouds above the gate, as an unseen red dragon lingered among them, a red cloud herself. Behind Calcifer, the blood of the slain steed began to move, silently, eerily seeping toward the fallen god. Whispers began in his mind, voices begging for eternal carnage, getting louder as the blood trickled closer. It was about to touch his feet....

----------------

Back in Hades, Chakan slowly returned to the ground as the many souls finished filling her armor and weapons. Darko had invested everything he could in her, a formerly mortal champion, a champion who could not die until her mission was fulfilled. Chakan's curse had become the loophole that would assure her victory. Darko had known all along that with her, he could not lose.

For the first time in many ages, Chakan felt humbled, and she knelt before Darko. "My lord Death. Indeed I am... your servant. I swear that I will complete this, your final request, this last mission in return for the peace I seek. I will cut down any who stand before you and like you, I will never desist. Let us be, here and now, finally, at the end of all things... one." She drew her blades and bowed gracefully with them, eager to get this over with. "Command me, master."

[Thantos]

@Wraithblade6 Darko turned his head toward his champion and smiled through his cowl. "I have bestowed upon you my champion my power, my generals are yours to command as well as my army." He turned his head to the underworld and gestured her over. "Come hither my champion. Your death will come as soon as your mission is complete. A place here among my generals will be open." He turned to her and gazed at her. And behind her a portal opened. "Go now. To the plagued Forest. My army awaits there for your command. Darkness is your step. Blight. Your touch. Fear is your words. Head to the location on this." He held up a map to a forsaken tomb. "The army that rests in these tombs shouldn't be awakened. I send you to the one in my land. Dark and cursed. Be on your guard and know I will always hear your calls. Gather the cults as well they heed my words so they shall heed yours. Go now and make me proud."

Darko looked out his balcony and smiled when the Volcano in his world erupted. "Then the Lord of fire is awake. 100 years he sleeps then when he wakes the fires in his world burn and the lakes boil. Maybe I will pay the Lord of fire a visit and bring him up to speed on the world." Darko raised his scythe and sliced open the fabric of his world and entered the world of fire. Gazing around at the beasts that walk his world. He turned into a black cloud and flew across the landscape of the burning world to the great fire palace. He appeared before the fire drake and smiled "Good Evening Fregion, enjoy your 100 year nap?" The Dark Lord his presence alone could send a world cold. But unfortunately his presence in the world of fire was only warm. Darko was a cold being. His cloak took care of that. Unafraid of the creatures and the fire god.

[Vec]

Aside from some changes in the landscape due to the passing of the years, everything else seemed to be fine. Fregion was about to shift his attention to the mortal realm and witness himself what Padmarashka talked about earlier when he sensed an anomaly. A rift in space had been opened in his world, with the temperature around the rift dropping a few thousand degrees. Fregion instantly knew who the surprise guest was.

He watched as Darko entered his castle in the form of a black cloud before turning back to his normal self. "Good Evening Fregion, enjoy your 100 year nap?"

"Nii fon hi ahk lost ni vuldak gein muldeytorax ko laat 100 eruvos Darko," Fregion told the Lord of Death. "You came uninvited once more, 100 years ago, right before I fell asleep and caused all sorts of problems. Now that I think of it, I don't remember telling you to come back after I had woken up either. Why are you here, Ner'zhul?" Fregion spoke, obviously annoyed by the presence of the Dark Lord.