Of Things To Come?

[Drankathar]

Once again he knelt in his room. Bare chested, eyes shut, breathing calmed. The room was bathed in the soft yellow glow of a single candle. It was quiet, the silence only shattered by the rhythmic sound of breathing. He shared this room now; he could here her delicate breathing as she slept soundly on his bed. He glanced back at her, her silhouette outlined by the candle, her long toned legs gave way to her equally toned stomach, her skin soft and tanned. He smiled as he looked at her. He was at peace again.

Like the countless nights before this he allowed himself to fall into a trance like state. Keeping his minds eye focused on the image of his axe he fed it his emotions and thoughts until nothing was left but an overall sense of calm. This inner peace had always helped him since he learnt it all those many months ago. It helped him to sleep. It helped him to lose his bloodlust and hate. It helped him to forget. Tonight, however, he was to use this feeling to search himself, for tonight he searched for answers. What was to come if he followed this path? What was it that he wanted? Should he just give up?

He knelt there for what seemed like hours. Slowly an image form in his mind. A man stood upon a pillar, his arms and legs where bound by chains to the pillar itself. Yet despite this fact he stood defiantly, as if he accepted his fate, almost as if he welcomed it. In his right hand he held a rusted and battered axe, the armor he wore was little more then rags, splattered with crusted blood. Weather it was his own or a foes one couldn’t tell. In the gaps in his amour one could see many wounds and scars, yet somehow the man still lived despite this. Upon his face he wore a black velvet mask, jagged lines like lightning strikes streaked out around his left eye and down the left side of his face. The lines had a deep crimson colour to them. His eyes seemed to burn with dedication, hate and determination. His hair was dark black and cut short and spiked somewhat due to the dried blood.

The pillar itself seem to be new when first glanced at, however when looked at closely it gave off a sense of agelessness. Like it had been there in the dark for eternity. The pillar was a dull black colour with runs that glowed wit the fires of hell etched up along its face. With every passing second the pillar seemed to change as if it had a life of its own. It somehow seemed alive.

Surrounding the pillar was all the races of the world. From the proud humans and graceful elves to the strange illithids and mystical dragons. They stood as if stone looking up to where the figure was chained. Silence stretched out, not a sound could be heard as if they waited for something to happen. Slowly the figure lent back and let out a scream of defiance and rage, the single sound of his scream shattering the silence. As one the figures that stood and watched began to crack, what looked to be blood flowed from these cracks, then they shattered leaving nothing but dusts where they once stood. Still the figure bound to the pillar screamed, his voice echoing through the darkness that now stretched out before him, until at last he sunk to his knees. His head looked up to the heavens, a single tear rolling down his masked face, he spoke slowly "Finally… oblivion… is mine". The chains that bound him to the pillar shattered as he slumped over the side of the pillar and tumbled into the growing darkness. The pillar began to crack then fell in on itself leaving nothing but darkness in its wake. Silence.

He opened his eyes his body caked in sweat. His legs ached as he tried to rise. The candle had long since burnt itself out leaving the room in darkness. A whisper formed in his mind "serve me and get the oblivion you crave". It was a woman's voice, seductive and tempting. He glanced at the girl in his bed. She stirred and opened her eyes. Her beautiful brown eyes looked around lazily till they fell on him, she smiled. "I didn’t here you come in" she spread her arms "come lie with me". He walked over to her and lowered himself gently onto her. She giggled and smiled at him, wrapping her legs around him. "I will serve" he thought as he kissed her.