"In chains below, though impatient he waits"
When Eve opens her eyes, she is belatedly surprised to find herself standing upon a similar looking array, glowing with ominous power. There was a white mist in every direction, obscuring their field of vision no matter how hard they squinted. The only thing they could make out through the masking plumes were chains, hundreds of chains stretching beyond what they could see both above and below them, interspersed with upside crosses.
This is not After as mother depicted, she mused to herself. One more thing they were wrong about it seemed.
Their ears twitched at the sound of something rumbling, their eyes drawn forward as the mist slowly parted leaving a flat, open space clearly beckoning them onward. They slowly rose back to their hooves, following the wordless command deeper into the strange land lined with various skulls and scattered skeletons. It only took them a few steps before they heard growling and snarling, angered and low-snarled words of rage accompanied by the aggravated rattling of chains. With every clatter, the dangling chains shook and trembled, though their own path did not falter.
They tilted their head back as he came into sight - towering above her, the mountain of a feline, his face hidden behind a graying veil that did little to hide the combined expression of glee and aggression. Burned and blackened skeletal hands were chained into the mists below, the white cloak he bore dripping with blood down the center as if his throat had been sliced open and the blood left to trickle down and stain.
At his feet stood two, much smaller cats. Still taller than Eve yes, but more along the lines of what she was used to seeing from a mortal cat - each with slight frown affixed to their faces,
"Come closer," rumbled the towering being. "Fear not, though you are already dead, I still have use for you."
Eve's gaze sharpened even as she stepped forward - use for her, huh? A job then, a new contract. She had to admit - when she'd been bested by that behemoth of a warrior, one of the fallen Lady Shamura's own disciples she had assumed that was the end of her. And she hadn't been too displeased - she'd lost to worthy warrior, one who'd fought for his life as Eve did every day. He'd earned her respect and thus, her co-operation.
But it seemed she would be graced with another chance.
"Those foolish bishops thought they could keep you from me," the being said, teeth bared in a menacing mimicry of a smile. "But in sentencing you to death, they only brought you to me."
The being seemed to focus his three eyes upon her, "I will give you life again but only for a price-"
A contract indeed.
"You must make a cult in my name," the being, the One Who Waits Beneath said. "Do we have a deal?"
A cult? Eve wondered. That was an odd condition to the deal - though they must admit, this was an odd situation in general. It wasn't often that Crown-Bearers were her clients - it had happened before, but usually through liaisons never from the crown-bearer directly.
But this was a way to return to life, so Eve nodded.
"Wise choice," the being said, visibly pleased. "Take the Red Crown which I once bore and use it to command the loyalty of my Followers and strike fear into the hearts of our enemies."
The dark object upon the being's head rose slowly, floating towards her as the being continued to speak, "Return to the land of the living and start a cult in my name. Begin recruiting followers and then you shall see me again - now, Go."
