Kingdom of Gesa had been at war with the demons for the past 2 centuries. On a peaceful afternoon an unfamiliar and strange portal opened up, through it a legion of demons passed. They built a permanent gate before the humans could assemble their forces and prevent the construction. Through the gate, legions upon legions of demons keep pouring out to this day. It is day 84578 of war, aka year 231 since the first demons arrived on the peaceful and resourceful lands of Gesa.
“By this point our kingdom is cornered, we’re barely holding back a single province from the ever-growing demon army” I speak firmly, my voice is calm and collected – “And you, recruits, are now under my command,” I say, overlooking the newly formed unit of scouts that I am put in charge of. Beside me my righthand man, a young kid essentially, he’s 16, my eyes wander down his body, his face covered with more scars than my own. He’s been through hell.
Before me stand 200 men and women alike, some with pets, spirit familiars, or even undead companions. “Mika you’ll take charge of the western front, you get 10 squads of 10” The boy turns towards me and salutes – “Yes Captain Maleen!” His gaze wanders the 200 scouts, most are rookies, anxious, realizing that they’re nothing more than cannon fodder, but intel is what we need, and they were selected as best of the best.
Mika turns towards the soldiers and speaks in a loud neutral tone – “STEP FORTH THOSE WITH FAMILIARS AND PETS” Beside him, a white shape, a small kitten he had just picked up. It makes my heart ache to realize that this young innocent creature will be sent to war, that this young man had seen more battles than most of us in the officer ranks. My gaze darts to the kitten, white as the first snow. The cat turns its head, its eyes meet mine.
We gaze at each other for a moment before his eyes seemingly focus on something behind me. I feel a wave of cool air tickle the exposed skin on the back of my neck. I freeze in place for just a moment. Mika turns to face me, swift as an arrow, his sword in hand, his armor reflects the sunlight into my eyes which unfreezes my body, I duck, Mika leaps over me, striking whatever is behind me.
I roll and turn, drawing my own sword, before my eyes I see Mika, staring into a shape that my mind refuses to comprehend. His sword stopped in its track mid-swing, as if an invisible hand is holding it firmly. Mika grits his teeth, I can see his body shaking from tension, he’s putting his full force into this. His cat familiar leaps onto my shoulder and clings on, and at the same time my body moves on its own. I dash forth with my sword.
I close my eyes; the shape before me makes me uncomfortable and uneasy. It’s unnatural, out of this world, but it’s not a demon. What I see before me is a shape of sheer terror. I thought to this day that demons of the 6th circle of hell were the worst, but that thing, whatever it is, is far beyond demons. It’s as if pure terror took form. My sword stops, I feel like I hit a brick wall with my piercing strike.
The kitten on my shoulder hisses, its hiss turning deeper and deeper eventually becoming a growl, I am forced onto my knee from the weight, and then down onto my back as the large shape leaps off of me. I force my eyes to see before me a spectral tiger. White as the snow, stripes black as the night. Its fur glows, its body hangs in the air.
The shape before me distorts. It now resembles a floating eyeball, with tentacles for eyelashes. Its pupil is a hole, its iris is crawling with creatures resembling worms. I can feel something tickling in my eyes. The creature’s “blank gaze is fixated on me. Mika grunts but is unable to move. Vision in my left eye goes blurry, and is now obstructed with red, something warm and wet runs down my left cheek. I close my eyes, something is moving beneath my eyelid.
Panic strikes me fast but years of battle quickly surpass it. I draw my dagger and force my blind left eye open, gritting my teeth I stab at my left eye, ripping it out with the dagger and throwing it at the floor. Blood drips down my left cheek, the creature seems surprised, it lowers its defenses, Mika’s body unfreezes momentarily, his sword makes a cut through the creature’s body.
The floating eyeball creature before me seemingly ignores the wound it had just received, instead, its body morphs once more. Now standing before is me. It draws its sword and pierces the spectral tiger in the air. The kitten’s whimper echoes through the otherwise silent field. My body shivers as I watch the spectral tiger’s body become more transparent, it seemingly explodes into a puff of glitter, now hanging in the air is a bear.
Mika takes another swipe but his sword breaks against the armor of the creature that took my shape. It opens its mouth and smiles at me, its interested in me. I bring my sword up into a battle stance “Mika backs away instantly and snaps his fingers. His pet companion transforms into a bird and tries to break out of the creature’s invisible grip. The creature copies my motion and draws its sword. Its teeth are sharp, like a shark, it smiles at me and then brings the sword up to its throat.
My body follows its movements against my will. The tip of my sword pressing against my neck. My right eye is open wide. I try to fight its will, its control, but my efforts are in vain. This thing, before me is not a demon, it is so much worse and this is my end. I grit my teeth, the creature seems amused.
The sword drops and I fall to my knees, few drops of blood drip onto the floor from my neck, a voice echoes through the air – “Find me at the deepest point, bring me sacrifice worthy of salvation”. The creature disappears as suddenly as it appeared.
I make my way to the infirmary, get bandaged up, and get told to rest, but how’s that supposed to help me? My eye is missing, the war rages on and we just faced a foe that seems far beyond anything we had seen before. I make my way to the command, and give my report. They inform me of an emergency meeting tomorrow. The morning comes and debate rages on, more heated up than the recent attacks we’ve had to face.
A scholar comes through the door in a rush – “My liege! The creature! We discovered what it is” the room falls silent, the scholar gasps for air – “it’s… it’s a.. Hah!” he chuckles in disbelief of his own words “an ancient myth speak of a dormant deity of horror, it tests the resolve of those it deems worthy and if the humans prove to be worthy, it demands a sacrifice.”
My body turns cold, a shiver runs down my spine, and I gulp. Our liege, king of Gesa listens to the crazy words in silence, the other generals do too. At last, a captain speaks up – “And what sacrifice?” the scholar shrugs – “the legends speak of the greatest sacrifice imaginable.. That which you, no, every human values the most in their life.”
The captain laughs nervously – “Every? As in every single person makes the sacrifice?” the scholar pauses for a moment – “I.. that’s how I interpret it” I listen to them attentively, daring not to speak up, not after what I had experienced. That creature definitely is far beyond any demon or mythical beast that I had faced before. My mouth dries at the sheer thought of the cost of that sacrifice, a thought springs up in my head ‘what is it that i value the most?’
My consciousness tells me it’s my friends in the army. My logic tells me it’s my own life. But my heart it aches at the thought of that young boy Mika dying without having seen life. What’s death to someone who had spent 20 years in endless battles? If my life could bring peace to the kingdom, I’d give it up without a second thought. A voice in my head, not my own, tells me ‘do it’.
The debate went on and on, and each argument presented seemingly was worse than the previous. Reports came in of demon advancements in the north, we’re losing ground once again. My unit, is to search for the said deepest point. The rumors of the sacrifice and the deity spread faster than wildfire. People split into disbelievers and believers. Some demand sacrifices to be made, others proclaiming that the appearance of the deity is naught but a stress-induced hallucination.
Night before we set out on our expedition at the crack of dawn, I am asleep in my bunk, Mika in the bunk below me. We are awoken by a sudden shriek, followed shortly after by a commotion. Leaping off our bunks and grabbing our swords we swiftly make our way to the barrack common room where 5 men lay dead on the floor. “STEP BACK” I bark out an order and examine the bodies. 3 seemingly slit their own throats, and 2 were stabbed to death. “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?”
The soldiers spoke over each other. Shifting blame and trying to elaborate. None of it made sense. Some claimed they heard voices, others demanded to be dismissed. Outside screams could be heard. Upon exiting the barracks, I see a scene from a nightmare before me. People slaying each other with whatever they have at hand. Rocks, sticks, and pitchforks. City guards attack civilians, buildings catching on fire left and right.
A voice in my head ‘do it’. I shake my head – “NO!” Mika looks at the chaos before us – “demons?” I shake my head in disbelief – “No, it has to be that…that creature’s doing” Mika squints – “The 1 from few days before? That took your eye?” I nod – “yea, we should..” I pause, I know not what to say. In the other room, commotion arises again, I hear windows breaking and swords clatter as they collide.
All around me is chaos. A hiss followed by a growl. I turn and see Mika pointing his sword at his companion. “Mika!?” I exclaim nervously, the spectral tiger backed into a corner is growling at its master. My skin crawls from the simple thought that Mika too had given in. “SILENCE FOUL CREATURE” I shout out, but the voice in my head replies in a calm tone “No, I don’t think I will”
I watch Mika without hesitation swing skillfully at his companion. I step forward, my sword clangs against his as I parry his strike. The spectral tiger growls and swipes but with no intent to harm his master. “MIKA STOP!” The boy ignores me, it’s as if he can not even see me. He strikes again, I parry once more, my foot connects with his solar plexus as I kick him back. He hits his head on the fall from the sudden push and loses consciousness. “Cat come!” I order.
Taking a step past Mika, I head for the door once more, a mellow meow and a small shape lands on my back, clawing into my wooly shirt and making its way up to my shoulder. The kitten looks at its master while I cautiously open the door. “Chaos” is the only thought that comes to my mind. I make my way into the dark alleys, sneaking around, and avoiding running into people. I hear a child scream “NO MOMM!!!” and then a pained shriek. My heart sinks as I realize what I just heard.
I hear a woman gurgling as she drowns in her own blood, a man screaming in despair holding the corpse of the child he had just killed. Every single thing I see and hear strikes at my sanity. A guard rounds the corner – “YOU THERE!” My only eye squints, as without any remorse I strike at the guard the same instant I see him reach for his sword. Watching his body slump to the floor, pulling my sword out of his chest I step over him and continue onwards with no goal in mind.
‘Do it do it do it’ repeats the voice in my head. I stop and turn, looking back in the direction of the barracks I had come from. A thirst for blood, desire to kill, unclenched anger, and absolute disgust toward Mika fills my mind. “I will kill that son of a…” I pause as I feel sharp claws dig into the skin of my neck and a hiss in my ear. I gasp as I seemingly regain control of my body, emotions, and breathing
“w..what the hell” I mumble to myself as the kitten pulls its claws out of my neck. I take a deep breath and nod firmly “I need to stop this chaos..” The cat seemingly agrees, its look of resolve encourages me. I press onwards and escape the city. Half a day later the cat leaps off my shoulder and guides me towards an old battlefield where I watch it stroll through, and where it walked, spirits appeared.
They seemingly saluted the little white kitten, as if it had power over them. It rallied even demons. I watch from a distance a demon lord’s spirit take shape, kneel down and scritch the kitten’s chin. The cat took shape of the spectral tiger once more, and the spirits seemingly followed it, walking behind it like a rallied army. It stopped and stared at me. I nodded and jogged past the spirits to catch up to the cat.
We walked through a dozen battlefields. With us, now marched, multiple legions of spirit warriors, or would it be warrior’s spirits? They did not as much as exchange a glance with me, let alone a word. I marched forth, this was not my army, I am but a soldier in it. The cat caught me a deer. After a long desired break and meal I was back on my feet and the march went on.
We neared a cliff and the aura around it was eerie. The spirit warriors stretched far, further than I had ever seen. I stood at the edge looking down at a seemingly endless drop before me. The spectral tiger let out a roar that shook the very earth beneath my feet. It looked at me, I looked back at it, and it glanced at its back. I mount the beast nervously and the moment I give its thick but soft fur a stroke, it leaps off into the endless drop.
Leaping from wall to wall it slows us down, I hold onto its hide for dear life, trying to keep my balance and keep myself on the back of the creature. The spirits falling past us, are immortal, they have no fears of death. ‘You have made a mistake coming here without a sacrifice’ spoke the voice in my head ‘but very well, amuse me’.
We reach the bottom and come face to face with a shadowy shape, the creature finds this effort amusing. A low whirring sound, almost like the sound of a hundred wooden carts running through a stone street, sends my body into the fight or flight instinct, and not me alone. The tiger atop of which I currently sit leaps at the creature but gets thrown into a wall with seemingly no effort. I jump off the beast and try to strike at the creature before me.
My efforts are in vain, my sword goes through it like the air. Its shadowy shape barely distorts a little as my sword passes through it. Like fighting a shadow, it’s pointless, the shadow will win. The spirit warriors however seem to cause the creature more damage, as their ghostly weapons slash not at the physical representation of its body but at the spirit beyond it.
Still, their attacks seemingly cause it no harm nonetheless. I watch as the spirit warriors tirelessly throw themselves at the creature, and disappear from this reality with a single touch from the creature they attack when it gets bored of their efforts. Hundreds of souls are disappearing before me, I am powerless, the white spectral tiger watches from a distance as its rallied army is phased out of existence.
Something falls not far behind me, but I am far too captivated by the scenery before me to look away. I hear a growl, and then the voice ‘do it do it do it’. Bloodlust, anger, and unclenched hatred fill me once more. I turn to see Mika leaping at the tiger. Instincts kick in, and I shoulder bash and knock him out of the air. My sword moves like a trained dancer through the air, I watch a splash of blood spill onto the wall from the tip of my sword.
My eye widens as I regain my senses, watching Mika slumped on the floor, blood dripping onto the rocks beneath him as he struggles up to his knees and elbows. Tip of my blade is covered in blood. The red liquid dripping slowly off of it onto a small puddle below. The tiger hisses, it hesitates. It wants to strike at me for attacking its master but it doesn’t.
Mika falls over onto his side, gasping as he bleeds out. I drop my sword and fall to my knees – “Mika! MIKA NO! MIKAA!!” my hands are shaking, I rip my sleeve off and try to put pressure onto his wound. It is at this moment I realize that his legs are broken, as is his left arm. He closes his eyes – “F..from dea..th..com..es…sa..vior” his hand falls slump onto the floor, he lets out his last breath.
A bone-chilling shriek echoes through the canyon at the bottom of which we sit. My body completely freezes from the terror that the voice I just heard inflicted onto me. ‘Clink, clank’ something metallic, no.. something hard, like rocks on rocks, walked toward me from behind. Its aura is so terrifying that I would rather face the being from before in a fight once more and gouge my 2nd eye out than be in presence of whatever is approaching me right now.
‘Clack, clack’ the steps got ever closer, I feel its gaze on my back, as if staring right into my soul. ‘Please make it quick’ is the only thought I have on my mind. It took another step closer, and then I watch as Mika’s soul leaves his body, looks at me, smiles, and then disappears. A shrieking voice speaks calmly “Kthel, this world is not yours for the taking, not yet! The sacrifice, has been paid”
I hear a clash behind me, the aura eased up, I fall and scatter away until my back is pressed against the stony wall. I see him, the bringer of death, looking down at the being from before, the deity that brought chaos upon the world. “You are no rider” spoke he, the death. My mind refuses to believe what I see before me. Bringer of death, the rider of apocalypse, THE death itself, in blindingly white robes, before it, the being from before, groveling. “DISAPPEAR” commanded death.
And in that moment, in a blinding flash of light, the creature that brought chaos and took my eye disappeared, and following the blinding light, darkness engulfed me. I lift my head off the pillow and look around. I’m at the field hospital, alive. My eye is missing but the rest of me is intact. “Captain?” speaks a guard standing beside my bed “I am eager to inform you of the end of the war sir!” “Come again?” I reply in confusion. The guard nods – “The demons have left this world and the portal had been destroyed”
I later learned that the demons seemingly were attracted to Kthel’s energy, and that was the reason for their invasion. I spent the next 30 years mourning the death Mika and sharing the story of the finale of a 2-century long war when our kingdom, almost met its end.
And on this, I say ‘the end’
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