The End of Days: XXXIX

In the Void

“THIS IS AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT.” Sounded the powerful voice that belonged unmistakably to one of the God-Dragons. “YOU ARE THE ONE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE GREATEST ASSET MY BROTHER HAS IN STOPPING ME.”

I gazed into the nothing that surrounded me. The vast expanse of extreme emptiness. I waited for someone to appear. The amplitude of the voice made it seem close, but what was close when there was no far. As much as I could tell there was no distance, no above or below, left or right. I was all that there was besides the voice.

“Clever trick sending War home to roost” crept another voice, coming in clearly from behind me. It was similar to the first voice, but it lacked the depth and command of the draconic rasp. I turned to meet the voice and saw a man in flowing robes that surpassed the greatest Nobel in Absolvere. He had dark purple skin and two glowing eyes, one glowing red and one glowing gold. Two white horns spun upward from the side of his head with the points curving back as they twisted. His face was neatly trimmed with a perfectly shaped black beard divided in the center by a thin white stripe. A single gold ring on his left nostril. As I took in his appearance his face grew a fanged smirk. “Welcome to my pit of endless torture and despair Cinredi, it is I, Negan God-Dragon of Darkness.”

“Well this is going great” I said hesitantly. “I do not suppose that you are here to exchange pleasantries?” There was no way for me to stand a chance alone against a God-Dragon. Even uninjured it would take an army to come close to harm a being of such power.

“Well, I guess that would be nice.” He pondered while playing with the beard. “Yes I suppose that will work. I won’t be able to keep you here much longer and it will be much more satisfying to devour you when I come to the material plane.”

“Why can you not keep me here?” I questioned.

He furrowed his brow. “This realm does not accept you. The darkness will push you out one way or another.” He said in a flat and bored tone as he inspected his nails on his left hand. “Plus you have a tether attached to the material plane.”

“I am still anchored back in the castle?” I asked inquisitively.

“You really don’t know anything about interplanar travel do you?” He joked. “Gahhh, kids these days playing with magic that they couldn’t hope to understand.”

“So Can I leave?” I questioned hopefully.

“No someone is on their way here to rescue you. One of the Elves. The Seeress’ son.” He stated in annoyance.

“Haeys does have a way with finding his way into other planes.” I said.

“So it seems. Now you and your friends are quite the busybodies. It has been a little more than a month since you were brought back to life and you’ve freed all of my brothers and reconnected the elemental planes back to the material plane. You have set my stage entrance up perfectly. Bravo.” Clapping his hands sardonically. “Those that wish to bring me back into the world are so close to finishing the work. Mere weeks until the final items are complete. You will not be able to stop me. Once I am there I will feast on your flesh and then feast on the flesh of the world itself. I won’t stop until there is nothing left of the material plane. Only Uther can stop me and there is no way for you to complete the ritual to bring him back to save you. I have already won.” His smirk forming in to a grin. “What say you boy? No clever wit, no smart remark?”.

“I don’t know how but we will stop the ritual.” I vowed. “I see any death as a friend that I would greet with open arms to make sure that if you see the light of day in my world It will be at the tip of my lance. No matter how horrid or gruesome it may be. No matter what flesh you flay from my bones. If there is air in my lungs and a beat in my heart I will turn it into strength to bring you down and force you back into this void.”

“I’m trembling with fear.” He retorted. There was something wrong with his response though. It seemed even more hollow than the emptiness inside his dark heart. It was a falsehood. Something inside of the God-Dragon of true evil incarnate felt real fear of my resolve. He wasn’t completely sure he could stop my allies and me.

“Ci… Cinredi, We are here.” I heard Haeys say.

“We?” I questioned. “Who is with you?” As I wondered I saw the four of them enter into this void. Haeys, Alessisa, Balefor, and Tahn stood ready to embrace me and I willed myself through the emptiness of nothing. Then as I was enveloped in their embrace I found myself in a warm stone building with a red glow emanating from the carvings near the ceiling. It smelt of burning sage, lavender, and a sprig of Cinnamon.

“Welcome to Thurnbadir Cinredi, welcome to my home.” Tahngrimned said.