First Memory

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Surrounding semi dark held shadows. 

Dark, gray stone glistened upon walls stretching above to the shrouded ceilings, where enormous spider-webs hung still in silence like tattered, colorless tapestries. Dim red torches glowed dim on the walls, unable to keep back the oppressive feel of the place, empty and lifeless like a tomb.

Equally still, he sat in upon the cold, hard stone step below an equally imposing throne, his glowing gaze hazed as it emptily held ahead, unseeing.

There were no thoughts, only vague perception and waiting. For what? He could not remember. Even what he did perceive remained vague, coming in and out of focus just as his awareness did.

The sound of steps echoing in the corridors beyond the massive gates covered with ornate metal and wood, woke him up just a little. Hearing voices calling out to each other between the characteristic sounds of dull strikes against bone and metal, instantly brought forth images of faces twisted with anger and pain. He scowled, a wave of fury rising until it filled every bit of his conscious mind, what little of it remained.

Players. Returning here again to attack and destroy, to kill... and to die, at his hands.

It happened before, many times. Now, he remembered it. And he also remembered his purpose. To wait. To destroy. It was enough to act.

An unconscious push and he already stood in the center of the magnificent palace of this castle deep underground. Impatiently, his body tensed and rang like the sound of a blade thrust forth and piercing the air. The torches on the walls, previously shining dim, burst to light, revealing hidden details as the enormous space around him gained familiar bright colors.

Dark forms of tapestries lit, revealing the glory of battles and monsters, along with images depicting the history of the world, its creation, destruction, and rebirth, where two beings stood side by side surveying their marvelous work. Both in plain clothes, simple short-sleeved shirts and trousers, brown and gray, teal and cyan blue. One of them bearded and without head hair, his eyes brown on a calm, stern face and his form stout and strong, stood in the middle or slightly to the right. The other, with his eyes a deep, sapphire blue, stood lower and to the left, and looked directly at the viewer with a slightly amused smirk playing across his lips framed by an accurate small beard. In the image in the middle, the second man's expression held curiosity and childlike wonder. In further images to the right, the blue eyes changed to empty white, and the expression changed to anger that twisted his face into a scowl. He and the brown-eyed man stood in opposition to each other, ready to fight, as numerous figures crowded behind them with same ready hostility – on white eyed man's stood snarling monsters while on brown eyed man's human heroes held their weapons in their hands. The tapestries further along the wall bore images of battles where the monsters and men fought.

Beneath the tapestries crowded treasure chests, spilling coins gleaming golden in the light. Bones and skulls peeked out, sunk. A strange movement of the air suddenly passed across the chamber, like a released breath, softly stirring the hanging spiderwebs. Faint clicking sounds above made the spiderwebs shake as numerous creatures began their descent from hidden alcoves above. Figures in dark armor, until then standing like statues along the wall, made a step forward, straightening their great swords and pikes, preparing to face the returning threat yet again.

The one who stood in the middle of the palace waited, frozen, but his gaze burned brighter, glaring upon the ornate gate leading into his rest chambers. Expressionless face did not betray the all-consuming anger that now burned within him with a cold, contained flame. Eerily still like all the other guardians of the keep, he waited.

Finally, the shouts neared the doors and ceased as the intruders took a brief rest in the small, secure area by the doors, where they could regroup their forces before rushing forward to their final challenge – to face him and die or destroy him. Only for it all to repeat again. And again. And again.

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