The Abysmal Records

Malik & Pyne

Richard groans from the ground, his eyes flickering open as he rolls to his side. Looking at Erebus in fear, Dean scurries over to Richard. Leaning over him, he lifts his head into his lap as Richard's eyes open.

"Bro, what just happened?" Richard says weakly.

Dean looks over at Erebus, his small figure floating in front of the doorway in the tree. The tree radiated with malicious energy, the ground around the tree devoid of color.

Looking back down at Richard, Dean touches one of the black leaves in his hair. Instead of it being a soft leaf, it seemed made of rock, maybe of obsidian origin. His eyes are faintly glowing green, his energy seeping into the ground around him.

"My tree is being used to open a portal to the abysmal plane," Richard mutters softly, looking over at Erebus.

Erebus, meanwhile, placing his hand on the door, called forth names Dean had never heard and phrases older than time. With a push of his hand the door swung open, a space devoid of light laying beyond.

There was a rumble from the tree; the runes burned, beginning to bleed a black oil-like substance. Dean looks down at Richard and sees the same stuff coming from his mouth, his eyes losing all light and starting to mutter in a bizarre language again.

Erebus backs away from the door, stepping out of the way as a form starts to come from the door. A long and lean black figure walks out of the doorway, taller than the average man. As his form started to take shape, his face was the first thing to fully form. Blue fire flowed out from where his eyes should have been, his face skeletal and thin.  The oily substance is flowing off him to reveal a dark blue suit, oddly enough. His hands long and sharp, he stood tall over Erebus.
His face breaks into a smile wider than his face, bowing deeply in front of Erebus.

"My Lord it has been so long since I've been in the light," he jumps high into the air, and wings of black spring from his back.

"Malik, come down here," Erebus says as another figure crawls out of the doorway. This figure walking on all fours, a creature of horns and black fur ran toward Erebus. Reaching up to pet the huge beast between his horns, Erebus looks over at Dean.

"This is Pyne," Erebus says, the beast's eyes flaming purple.

The door slams shut, the runes on the tree flaring gold as the portal closed.

"Richard is over here dying so you could call some fucking friends," Dean screams, cradling Richard's limp body.

"This was the best conduit to get our companions ready," Erebus says, obviously caring none about Richard's life.

"These are my most civil constructs I crafted while in my abysmal plane," Erebus says with a smirk.

"I thought you said you weren't the bringer of evil or whatever," Dean yells, his head pounding as he sees images of terrifying creatures crafted in the dark flash through his head.

"I said I wasn't the one who was driving people to insanity," Erebus's smile grows wider just as Malik fly's down to his side, "that's what my constructs are for."

"My last victim was a wise man who had a thing for his grandchild," Malik's high-pitched laugh continued. "I drove him to slaughter his whole family in one night with a whisper here and a whisper there."

Dean looked at Erebus and his friends in horror, wondering what in the hell he had summoned.
"Richard, get up," Erebus says with a wave of his hand. Richard springs off the ground, his energy turning from light green to a dark, almost black-green.

Richard looks at Erebus with deadly intent, his eyes flaring as he tries to fight the bonds set on him.

"My Tree of Light was never meant to open to such atrocious realms," Richard spits black onto the ground.

Dean stands up and picks up Richard's staff, the gold leaves turning a light purple in his hand.

"Erebus why are you summoning these evil things," Dean says, rushing in front of Richard. Dean thought that if Erebus was anything like Tapio he would be kinder, friendly. But the monster he saw in front of him did not seem like a friend.

"Relax master, I would never hurt you," Erebus says tilting his head slightly.

"I think it might be best to lock him in the abysmal plane," Malik says with a grin. "Just to keep him safe," his laugh high pitched.

"No," Erebus says, "he has free reign over his life, but Richard may need some adjustments in my playground."

Richard started walking toward the door, out of his eyes and mouth black liquid flowing. Every step looking forced, he looks over at Dean with fear in his eyes.

"Erebus stop," Dean yells, swinging the staff at him. Pyne moves in the way, biting the stick and snapping it in half.

"Don't worry I won't let him die in there," Erebus says from behind Pyne.

The door swings open again, this time a stairway leading downward appearing.

"Make your descent and don't stop until you reach the bottom," Erebus chuckles.

Dean rushes over to Richard and tried to push and pull him off course, but he continued onward. As he passed through the doorway, an invisible forcs wouldn't allow Dean to follow.

Richard looks back at me, his face smeared with the oily substance, glares at me with a hurting smile.

"I blame you," he says as the door slams behind him.