Chapter 8 - The Crimson Creed - Behold thy Sublime

In Arcadia, the Crimson Creed was a new faction that aimed to release the titans from their banishment. Long ago, a race of primordial beings called the titans waged a series of wars on Arcadia called the Annihilation Wars. They wreaked destruction, causing the demise of billions, and were only stopped after the surviving factions of Arcadia gathered together, banished to the vestiges of a foreign plane for eternity.

'No. They can't be here.' Reve struggled to consider the possibility of the cult being here.

He never expected the titans to have spread their influence to Earth.

Every being would be delighted to meet fellow kin of the same race. But not him, not after what he did!

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Below the sun, the Crimson Creed walked on the street, poised in their strange, eye-catching attire which earned the curious looks of bystanders.

"We are here," Nonevat said to his brethren.

When they reached what they assumed to be the center of the town, the brethren formed a circle around Nonevat and began expanding as Nonevat went on his knee.

Nonevat brought out an obsidian shard from the inner pockets of his robe and stabbed it into his forehead. He showed no signs of pain, not even a shiver, as red blood dripped from his forehead, staining his cloth.

An officer posted nearby frowned as he watched this.

He walked towards the group, shouting as he said, "Hey, hey, what do you guys think you are doing? Oh for fuck sake, this is not a fucking circus. Now move along before I get angry!"

Suddenly, a dagger whistled in the air and embedded itself into the officer's chest. He collapsed to the ground, light waning from his eyes as his body ran cold.

"Ahh!" someone screamed, causing a chain of screams.

It didn't take long for a mass panic to erupt.

The brethren calmly took out their daggers and began slashing at everyone they saw. Each of them only killed those that were in their perimeter so they don't break the circular formation.

Nonevat drew a mystical symbol on both his palms with his blood and chanted in a booming voice.

"Behold thy sublime, the Beast of Aurelia. The feral creature born of untamed wilderness and the radiant sun. The terror that thwarts conquerors. The holy beast that dwells in the depth of bestial carnality and primal savagery."

The obsidian shard shuddered and released a reddish glow.

His tone suddenly took a deep plunge, and he whispered wholeheartedly, "Thy Prince of Malice, I welcome thee."

Following his whisper, a terrible entity escaped the shard and possessed Nonevat. His body started a monstrous transformation that changed his physique and height.

His muscles bulged, revealing themselves beneath his stained robes. His eyes turned red as his hair became golden and grew in elongating spikes.

Nonevat had beastly claws for hands, powerful fangs for teeth, and a tail with sharp edges. He no longer looked human; instead, he appeared as a strange beast that towered over nine feet with a golden mane covering its skin.

After the transformation stopped, Nonevat was no more. What took his place was the Prince of Malice, and he released a terrifying roar that travelled far and wide.

The Crimson Creed stopped their slaughter and took a bow, welcoming, "The Beast of Aurelia. We have prepared the flock for you. How do you like your new host?"

The Prince of Malice gazed at himself.

A sneer appeared on his face and he said with a strange accent, "Just good enough. I will get used to him. Now, the sacrifice!"

The brethren nodded and brought their daggers to their throats.

"By the grace of the crimson, we live." They quickly gutted their neck and died.

Their blood flowed out of their body, streaming into the Prince of Malice's mouth. He made a slurping sound as he swallowed the blood along with every other ounce of blood in the vicinity.

"Hmmm… I like the taste." the Prince of Malice licked his lips.

He nudged his nose in the air and frowned. "What is this smell? This abominable scent? Ahh, I recognize it!"

The Prince of Malice's smile deepened as he gazed into the distance. "So this is why Mother sent me. He is here. The little traitor is here, hahaha!"

Suddenly, a barrage of energy bullets bounced across his mane. The Prince of Malice turned to the side and spotted troops of NIRA officers heading his way.

"Foolish humans. Even after an eternity, you remain the same. Good, I yearn for carnage. I hope you satisfy me."

He went on his fours and lunged at the incoming vehicles!

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"Attention. Attention. All officers report to Block C. It is a Code Red. I repeat Code Red!"

"Attention, all officers–"

Reve and Calen could hear the continuous blaring alarm that enveloped the camp.

Calen complained, "It is a bit cliche, isn't it? Why 'Code Red'? Red isn't even scary. It's like my favourite colour. That's just uncreative."

Reve ignored Calen and focused on the cuffs.

His mind stilled, granting him access to his hidden reserve of energy and he pulled his hands apart!

The cuffs broke with a clinching sound. When Reve raised his head with an approving smile, he realized that Calen already broke his cuffs.

"To be honest, it wasn't that hard. It is made for humans, isn't it?" Calen smiled.

Reve returned the smile and thought, 'So, he knows I'm not human. But something feels off.'

As the two escape their cell, they ignore the other prisoners and walk their way up.

On the stairs, Reve felt a strange sensation. He quickly bent his head and a small stone flew past him, shattering once it hit the wall.

Reve sighed, "You can't help yourself, can you?"

He had expected something like this.

"Oh shit, you are fast. I guess you never trusted me, huh? That hurts, Reve," Calen frowned with a smile.

Reve glanced at him and mentally shook his head. He had always been on guard against Calen. There was just something insidious that dwelled in the young man's heart, and he knew, sooner or later, it would come for him.

He just pretended to go along with Calen. If Calen didn't strike first, he would have struck when he had the chance, and unlike Calen, he would make sure he ended it in one try.

Calen said, "You have something special in you, Reve. I want it. I want your numen."

"Numen?" Reve was confused.

He never would have guessed Calen had a motive for his actions.

"Oh god, you are such a newbie. Numens are mystical abilities that are tied to the soul for eternity, and as it just happens, I have a numen that can suck numens. The whole soul harvester kind of shit."

Calen spread his arm wide and suggested, "So, what do you say? Would you kindly offer yourself to me? It won't hurt, I swear."

"F*ck off!" Reve hissed.

He didn't have any mystical ability that fit the description of numens. Calen was probably looking for an excuse to kill him and made one up. He was a real nut job.

But luckily, Reve was prepared.

He smiled and said, "You won't kill me because I know something about you. Many things, actually. I know you are hiding from New Order. You are a prisoner from Morach, but you pretended to be a common prisoner so you could escape their search."

For the first time, Calen's smile faded, replaced by a growing frown.

Reve knew he had hit jackpot once he saw that. In truth, he played the guessing game just now. The only thing he knew was that Calen lied when he said he killed the officer because he looked at his butt.

It was such an overblown lie. Yet Reve knew he had indeed brutally killed an officer, but not for that reason.

Reve brainstormed why for days and finally reached a conclusion, one that turned out to be right.

Excited, Reve spoke again, "And I know something else. I know you are not human. I know you are a cambion."