Salvation
My dreafins clawed hooves break up the dead soil beneath us as we approach the battlegrounds. The air is silent but the stench of dried blood surrounds me. The battle has ceased for now but there will be more death to come. The creatures that inhabit this damned terrain have ceased to feel or breathe. A poisonous vapor has crept into our atmosphere causing them to mutate into something strange, something deadly. They fight for battle among themselves and I wonder if it will ever end. My wild hair becomes tangled in the wind enraptured in its deadly roar.
The dreafin has reached the bridge above the battlegrounds and he is unsteady, he senses something unnatural here and he is wise to think so. Blood and intestines line the pit of entangled corpses. I notice a detached eyeball glaring up at me and nudge the dreafin to go forward. He remains unmoved, and I gaze further into the pit sickened by the massive bloodshed. At last I seize control of the frightened beast with my psychic abilities and he moves across the bridge. The creature that eats the dead will arrive soon and we must make haste to the Kings quarters; my assignment awaits me there.
The beast is calm now and he moves swiftly across the rocky surface of Perdita kicking up decayed matter with his mighty talons. He huffs fiercely steam rises from his nostrils. His coat is slick with a thin coating of perspiration but the trip has hardly exhausted him. Dreafins are a mighty breed of horse-like animal possessed with the dark energy of Perdita. They are as ancient as the land itself and no one is quite sure of their origin.
My eyes perceive the dark structure ahead, Castle Arichea in the heart of the demon world. It looms above the darkened terrain commanding its presence be known. The great spires are encrusted with rubies that glint and glow even in the dark of night. It is believed that the rubies are fashioned from the blood of the ancient demon lord Morbius. A massive cloud drifts above the palace engulfing the peaks of the structure in a misty haze, about the castle lies a moat that bubbles with an acidic glow. Dorjan has signaled for the gate to be lowered and it rattles in the distance. I have long been in the service of Lord Dorjan; I fought bravely in the wars of Knoton and Makan. It is I Demitrius who has arisen as the true protector of Dorjan. My valor as a warrior is unmatched.
A breeze brushes my face beckoning me into the castle and my dreafin shuffles forward. The interior of the fortress is lined with animal skins some still fresh dripping dark ooze onto the stone floors. I hear a whimper in the background and then dismiss it, probably nothing more than a wild animal caught in a trap. A boar-like guard approaches me, "Sire, may I take your dreafin," he asks.
"Indeed but please tend him well or it will be your hide," I reply only half jokingly.
"I will tend him as if he were my own sire," he says expelling spittle from his lower lip.
I hand him the reins to my dreafin and ascend further into the castle corridors. Around me I see tokens taken from the human world in ancient days, a couple of black draperies against the glistening walls, a vase decorated with images of war, and perhaps the greatest of all a portrait of an unknown lady. The portrait contrasts strikingly to the somber backdrop of the castle, I am humbled in its presence. The origin of the painting is unknown so many mysteries lie within these walls.
Dorjans room lies ahead the door is embossed with a gold emblem, protection for the king while he sleeps for all are aware that he is weakest while he slumbers. My boots scrape loudly against the stone and my sword clinks in its sheath, my presence is known. Two reptilian guards slink from the cover of the dark and advance towards me.
"I am friend of Dorjan, Demitrius Dark Knight of Perdita, step aside gentlemen," I pronounce flashing them the symbol singed into my hand.
"Of course," they murmur and step quickly out of the way.
Only those chose personally by Dorjan receive the mark of the Morbius, its a procedure conducted with dark iron imbibed with the power of the ancient demon lord. It is proclaimed that Morbius placed the last of his energy into the staff so that his death might be avenged by the brave who are chosen to wield his mark.
It was upon the day of my first victory in battle that I received the dark insignia. My body was drenched in the blood of the fallen and I wailed into the night air. I could taste fear in the murk of the battlefield in my own way I was king that day, commanding life killing those that crossed me. Dorjan did not forget me that day nor did he forget the intensity of my performance it wasnt long after that battle that he welcomed me into his circle of protectors.
My mind settles once again into reality and I welcome the possibility of becoming something more than a mere knight and perhaps I will. Dorjan has said many times that I fight with the strength of ten demons, truly I am destined for godhood. One of the guards approaches the door and announces my presence to Lord Dorjan the door creaks open and I am allowed admittance. My feet drift over the pale marble as if they were made of a million air particles. Dorjan stands and looks about the room, his body emits a faint red glow and he is dressed for the occasion a heavy black robe drapes his massive bulk his hair pokes out in tiny brown strands. The horns upon his brow are truly remarkable each shimmers as if it were constructed of the purest silk.
His eyes make contact with mine and I am frozen. His voice booms with a mighty resonance, "Oh it is you Demetri have a seat at the table my boy I have plans for you."
"At once sir."
"Now guards bring me the book," Dorjan commands pointing to a huge structure bound in flesh of some sort. As the guard nears us holding it carefully in his hands I notice the faint odor of death about the book. He trips over an invisible structure and the books falls with a loud crackle to the floor. The book, now open flutters wildly around the room emitting a faint dark light. The guard stares up in sheer amazement and is petrified by its presence.
"You fool, what have you done!" Dorjan bellows.
"Sir, forgive me."
"It is not I who must forgive you."
"Wh-wha-what do you mean?"
"You will see the true power of the book, imbecile. Behold!"
A spark flew from Dorjans fingertips and the book jolted into position. Each page came undone whirling about in a huge tornado. The dark winds ripped at my flesh and I was filled with a deep invigoration; the power was seeping into my very pores. The guard stood frozen, eyes focused on the entity before him. Dark rays of light penetrated my flesh and it sizzled with a faint hiss. My eyes burned with the black fire of the text I could feel the force imprinting my soul with its scripture. The book merged with my being; it tore at my body with invisible talons. I ached inside but I did not cry out for fear I would be rejected. I yearned to be one with the text to possess the knowledge it held.
"Im getting the hell out of here."
"I think not," Dorjan chuckled.
The guard scrambled for the door tripping along the way. The entity broke free from my body forcing me back against the marble. My body was bruised a dark purple flecked with crimson but it would heal soon. The book had given me supernatural strength; my senses were heightened. The guards eyes lit up with fear and he cried out. I knew that nothing would save his poor soul now, the force would devour him from the inside out.
