4 A massacre, and a prophet?
The demon before him nodded with reverence, its fiery eyes gleaming with loyalty. "Great job, my eternal lord. These lowly creatures have gotten too arrogant. To even hesitate presenting their souls to you is the worst of sins!"
Alex's smile slowly dissipated, and his countenance grew cold once more. "Indeed," his hoarse voice intoned. "You shall be called... Anubis."
The voice, reminiscent of death's whisper, sounded again, and Anubis prostrated himself, a glimmer of emotion in his fiery eyes. "I THANK THE BENEVOLENT LORD OF HELL, SCYTHE, FOR THE NAME OF ANUBIS!"
Before Anubis could continue with his rambling praises, a grating sound, akin to nails on a chalkboard, filled the air. The scythe in Alex's hand suddenly elongated, surpassing his own height. Balancing it like Sun Wukong atop his staff, he perched crouched on the weapon's peak and surveyed his surroundings.
With a fluid motion, he slid down the towering scythe, its length exceeding even the tallest of trees. His foot made contact with it, propelling the scythe into the air, where it spun several times before returning to his grasp at its original size.
Anubis, utterly astonished by the spectacle, was about to voice his amazement when Alex seized his wrist, and they instantaneously materialised within a nearby village.
Alex turned to look at Anubis
"I'm sorry for the rush but, i'm in need of…souls"
...….
Under the veil of night, a group of knights patrolled the countryside of Valeria. Leading the squad was Captain Reynard, a battle-hardened man with a scarred face that bore the scars of countless battles. His steel-grey hair, cropped short, framed piercing blue eyes. His tall and muscular frame was clad in gleaming silver armour, that bore the crest of the kingdom of Valeria, a golden lion rampant.
His steed, a majestic black stallion named Shadow, was equally imposing, adorned in a silver plated armour.
The other knights in the group, both male and female, followed the captain with unwavering loyalty. Among them was Sir Elara, a young and agile warrior with a cascade of auburn hair that contrasted beautifully with her emerald eyes. Her armour, a sleek set of silver plate mail adorned with an intricate pattern of vines, made her look almost ethereal. She wielded a slender but deadly longsword.
As they drew closer to the ruined village, an oppressive sense of dread hung in the air. The once-thriving settlement now lay in smoldering ruins, with wisps of smoke still curling into the night sky. Captain Reynard's furrowed brow betrayed his growing unease. His usually firm and authoritative voice now carried a hint of concern, causing his hand to tighten around the hilt of his broadsword.
"What in the name of the king has befallen this place?" he murmured, his voice just above a whisper. The knights began to investigate the devastation, and the sound of retching filled the night air as some among them could not suppress their disgust. These were mostly younger knights who had not yet been hardened by such gruesome sights.
Sir Tristan, a burly and bearded knight known for his hearty laughter even in dire circumstances, clung to his helmet, his face ashen as he struggled to keep his stomach contents at bay.
Lady Aveline, the youngest of the group, a fierce and resolute warrior despite her age, was the only one whose expression remained cold and unaffected.
'Could it be true? The prophecy... Hell unleashed...' she pondered silently, her stoic countenance unchanged.
Captain Reynard's features twisted with revulsion, but he knew there was no room for weakness. He quickly regained his composure and addressed his company with grim determination.
"This is an abomination. We must report this at once to King Edmund. Such a horror has not been seen in our lands for twelve years, not since King Edmund ascended the throne! Sir Tristan, Lady Aveline, return to the castle with all haste. Inform King Edmund of what we've witnessed here."
Both knights nodded in understanding. Reynard then turned to the remaining members of his group, his voice unwavering but filled with urgency.
"As for the rest of you, you will accompany me. We must uncover who or what is responsible for this heinous act before it strikes again. Stay vigilant and keep your wits about you."
'Perhaps it is those marauding beasts we've heard reports of... but the severed heads? So cleanly removed,'
he mused, his thoughts racing as the knights prepared to venture deeper into the night-shrouded horrors of the countryside.
...
Alex's grotesque scene unfolded atop a hill of lifeless bodies, the stench of blood permeating the desolation. The once-thriving village was reduced to ruin, an eerie silence now settling over the land. Alex's scythe was nowhere to be seen, lost amidst the carnage. The acrid taste of death hung heavy in the air, and only the echoes of a man's screams penetrated the desolation.
Anubis, leaning against the grisly mound, mercilessly tormented the man, systematically tearing his fingers off one by one, each agonizing moment a relentless quest for answers. His hoarse voice echoed with fury, demanding, "TELL ME! WHERE IS THE PROPHET?!"
During his ruthless assault on the village, Alex had overheard a man muttering to himself about a mysterious prophet
After some…investigation Alex had discovered the prophet who had arrived in the kingdom's central city, warning of hell's impending release. Yet, most dismissed this figure as a madman, their laughter ringing louder than the prophet's dire predictions.
Alex was determined to uncover the prophet, this potential threats, whereabouts, by any means necessary.
The man, despite the brutal torture, remained defiant, his anguished screams resonating through the blood-stained earth. "AHHHHHH! I WILL NEVER TELL YOU THE PROPHET'S WHEREABOUTS, FOUL DEMON!"
Anubis's sinister grin grew wider, and he let the man drop to the ground, writhing in agony. His face contorted with despair as he witnessed the demon's next move.
The demon walked slowly round the back of the hill of corpses, and soon brought back
A middle aged brunette woman and a small blonde girl with sparkling blue eyes, they both writhed in pain within Anubis's cruel grip, their fragile necks held firmly in his grasp. "NO, STOP IT!" The man's pleas reached a crescendo as his expression twisted with torment.
"Now... I ask you again... where is the prophet?" Anubis's gravelly voice held a menacing edge as his and the man's eyes locked once more. The man's defiance wavered as he contemplated the fate of his loved ones.
"T-they live in a wooden hut, about 2 hours east from the central city of Ardenvale in our glorious kingdom... Beware, demon, for they are a messenger of God. You shall perish if you stand against them! I-i can take you there... if you'd like?" The man's voice oscillated between instability and newfound confidence, mirroring the shifting expressions of Anubis.
Suddenly, Alex, who had been perched atop the gruesome hill, meticulously counting his grim rewards, spoke. "I think enough has been said." With the swiftness granted by instant transportation, he appeared behind the trembling family of three, their prone bodies sprawled across the blood-soaked earth.
The young girl, no older than 10, could no longer contain her terror. She unleashed a torrent of screams and tears, unable to keep her eyes shut and dismiss this nightmare. Her anguish reverberated through the desolation.
Her cries were soon joined by the mournful wails of the woman, who begged for mercy.
"WE CAN TAKE YOU TO THE PROPHET, PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU, PL-"
SPLAT
The woman was severed cleanly in two by the wicked scythe, her pleas silenced forever. Alex hesitated when his gaze fell upon the little girl.
He had allowed Anubis to slaughter the children of this town so far, after discovering that any demon under him would automatically provide 40% of the souls they gain
His eerie smile slowly contorted into a frown, teeth still barred.
"Spread the word, Scythe, the demon lord of hell, has come to claim the souls of your puny kingdom!" With one final sentence, Alex seized Anubis's wrist and vanished from the grim scene, leaving behind only the chilling echoes of their actions and a distraught little girl.
...
