Journeys of Tainted Souls

Prologue

Upon a remote mountain, the flame of a fire ascended higher as if threatening to reach the darkened heaven itself. The light from it alone provided the lonely mountain its luminescence, a beacon of radiant light. The palpable heat from it echoes the internal turmoil the robed figure next to it is feeling. Deeply blazing. Undeniably threatening.

He might be mistaken as one of the denizens of unspeakable night, laying in wait amidst their gloomy lair to catch the unwary and fool. Judging by the brooding presence he's invoking, danger looms to anyone who comes nearby.

His soul is now as dark as the night that denied neither the moon nor the stars. And as intense as the heat the fire is emitting in front of him, is how his heart is dangerously burning.

With trembling hands, he fished inside his leather satchel strapped behind his back underneath his dark cloak. His ringed fingers found its mark and brought it out. The amethyst ring adorning the youthful fair hands glowed eerily. Sighing, he stepped nearer the flame seemingly unconcerned by the dripping sweat coming from his brow.

The flame revealed a fair youth with amethyst eyes that glow with internal light against the fire. Black, short-cropped hair capped a fine chiseled youth. 

Tears begin to fall as he raised the thing before the raging fire. Thunder roared and lightning flashed, slicing the darkened heaven. As if painfully wounded by the luminous sword itself hurled the heaven cried.

¨Why? . .  .¨he managed to whisper in his mind with a sound of betrayal acidly leaking from his crushed heart. ¨Where is your promise eternal peace and protection? Where is your love that will guard those who will seek it?¨

¨Behold! Look upon me now!¨ He shouted above, the lightning revealing a fair youth of untamed beauty. He raised a book for all the heavens to see. A lightning flashed.

A leathery tome drawn with a cross on a cover came visible held tight by a ringed hand.

Tiny sheets of water dropped from up above. The fire that was recently burning hissed in protest with the water's contact. The unwelcome contact so hatefully penetrating, as if trying to dampen the rage building within.

But the rain intensified accompanied by the invisible force of the wind. Until the fire was reduced to red hot coals. How the world would wish the same thing might happen to this man's heart right now.

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On the other side of the realm another entity stirred to life. The scent of despair is like an incense to it. It opened up its eyes - though one as black as a pit is even considered an eye. It reared up its head as if sniffing an attractive foulness itself is fond of.

Eons perhaps, might have already passed since that fateful day it was betrayed. Caged in its own hellish damned realm, he waited. 

Now is the time for the reckoning.

Another comrade is calling him into the mortal existence. Arcane energy rippled around the ebony black cage made of bones. It encircled past the barrier that bound the creature. As the man above that lonesome mountain shriek and wailed against his creator, the more the power the dark magic grew stronger.

The bound creature moved a little, the sound of clanking chains were heard. Stretching itself to life once again, plumed black wings began to unfurl as the chains that once bound them collapsed.

¨More. . . more darkness. .  . .¨

A smile began to curved its way as another link from the chains crinkled down to dust.