Haunted Dream One
The demons come to you again this night. Demons of your childhood, demons of your past, demons of your conscience. It is almost the same nightmare you have always endured every sleepless night of your life…
You are in your childhood home again on the night when you lost your family. You see the horrific image of your mother screaming as she tears her hair from her head and her skin from her face. You see your father frantically try to restrain her, shake her to wake her from the madness while you and your brothers and sisters weep in fear and confusion. You scream out a warning to your dad to protect him from the sickening blow that you have witnessed a thousand times. Your warning is once again in vain as you watch your crazed mother grab a water jug and knock your father to the floor.
The image quickly shifts and you now lay hiding beneath your little bed trying not to make a sound. You peek out from under it and see your older brother lying dead on the floor staring at you.
Suddenly smoke pours into the room and fire races across the ceiling. A hand reaches under the bed to save you and you look up to see a beautiful angel calmly smiling down upon you amidst the smoke and hellish glow of the burning room.
You reach out to take his hand but the smoke begins to engulf you, burning your lungs and causing yours eyes to water. You feel yourself being swept up from the floor, through the window and into the cool night air. Without opening your eyes you know that the angel has rescued you but as you look you realize it is not an angel but a horrific demon that holds you in its grasp.
You scream in uncontrollable terror as the vile demon slowly opens its bloody maul and begins to feast ….
Haunted Dream Two
You stand surrounded by white winged angels within a pure white cathedral made of marble and ivory. Great stain glass windows welcome warm golden light into the chamber while a chorus of heaven fills the cathedral with beautiful song.
At the front of the church, a glittering diamond altar rests on a raised platform. Flanking the altar stands ten blue skinned angels wearing golden robes. Each angel’s attention and furrowed brow is directed at you.
Your attention is turned to the rafters and the circular opening in the rooftop above you. A bright golden light pours from the opening and a golden angel slowly drifts down to gently rest behind the diamond altar.
You don’t understand why but you know her name is Celeste, arch angel of the heavenly choir, but your heart breaks when you see her eyes filled with tears.
‘You have lost your way my beautiful child’ she whispered. ‘I had hoped with all my heart that you would turn away from the sins of ambition and pride ….’
Looking to first her left then her right she turns back to you, lowering her head in sadness, ‘You have been cast from heaven, never to return….’
‘NNNNnnnoooo!’
Your heart roars with unbearable pain, your soul screams in anguish and your mind descends into rage.
‘Kill me instead Haloen!’ You hear yourself weep, ‘If I am lost to heaven then heaven shall be lost to you all.’
And the blue skinned angels change into slobbering demons and swarm towards you to feast upon your soul….
Haunted Dream Three
You scream in agony as your soul is torn in two. The ritual complete, you stare down in pain at you chest and watch as a six fingered blackened hand rips from your chest clutching a white ball of light.
Holding it aloft Graz’zt, demon prince of the damned, marvels at your soul, as you stumble to your knees in pain.
‘What a price you are willing to pay’ you hear him laugh, ‘what hatred you must have to seek my aid’.
You attempt to speak but the pain is too much. Instead you just raise your gaze to glare at the demon lord in anger before rolling to the ground once again in agony.
‘Rest assured though my white winged friend’ Gyxaat sniggers, ‘my Northern Army is yours and my greatest general Occiptus to lead it…but first I have another gift to share’.
‘Occiptus’ you hear Graz’zt command, ‘Come to me’ and all around you is suddenly blanketed in smoke and flame burning your skin and eyes.
‘Yes my prince’ a voice bellows from high above you. You force yourself to look up from the ground to the colossal legs of demon that stands over you.
‘Here is the gift I promised you my servant’ Graz’zt continues and you see the demon lord holding up the torn piece of your soul.
You feel a loss greater than you thought you could ever imagine and you stare helplessly as Graz’ztt flies upward towards the chest of the demon.
‘The reward requires a sacrifice though Occiptus’ the black prince says as he reaches into the demons chests and tears forth a piece of its black soul before pushing your missing piece of soul into the chest to replace it.
Roaring in pain of his own Occiptus falls to the ground causing the floor to crack and break.
‘And as a special gift to you my angel’ Gyxxat laughs as he floats to the ground with the dark piece of Occiptus’ soul clutched in his six fingered grasp ‘you can take a piece of his soul as well’. And with that he pushes the dark orb into your chest while you vainly attempt to rise.
A new wave of agony spills over you as you feel your body begin to tear and change. From your back your wings transform into four writhing snakes which glare at you before biting your face and next over and over again……..
Haunted Dream Four
The landscape around you is beautiful - white cloud-like hills, a sparkling twilight lake, and a gold and ivory cathedral. A sweet gentle wind carries the song of heaven through the air. Looking upwards you see the sky above you is a heartbreaking blue, spotted with silver lined clouds.
Part of your heart swells with peace and joy, but another part feels increasingly sickened by your surrounds.
Suddenly the peace is broken.
A tangible wave of deafening noise strikes you, the echoes of an epic battle ringing loudly in your ears. You follow the noise and fly towards the edge of the cliff face and gaze down into valley below.
Two great armies fight below you with spectacular magic and with awesome might.
One army is breathtakingly beautiful. White winged angels sound mighty horns, balls of light dart above the battle firing rays of power, majestic hound headed soldiers wield great swords while beautiful blue skinned angles lay waste to their enemies with a wave of their hands.
The other army is as horrifically ugly as the first army is beautiful. Skeletal demons fight with flaming scythes and scorpion tails, huge boar-like demons barrel through their enemies ripping with bloody mauls, snake tailed women with six whirling weapons cut a path through the angel ranks while great horned demons strike out from above the battle with flaming whips and dark swords.
Standing at the rear of the demonic army is Occiptus - a creature of colossal proportions. The howling demons at his feet seem like rats compared to his epic size. Dark smoke and flame pour from the demonic generals eyes and four gigantic white feathery snake-like appendages writhe from his back as he roars in anger at the angel army before it.
As you watch, Occiptus holds one hand open, creating a massive black smoking ball of flame, and hurls it into the celestial army ranks, consuming hundreds of the screaming angels.
You mentally command your reserve forces to attack and complete the conquest.
Howls of horror echo down from high above the valley heralding the approach of thousands more demons. The new demons pour down either side of the valley walls, screaming with bloodlust, keen to taste victory.
You watch as the angelic army valiantly fights on with a sense of pity, only prolonging their inevitable destruction.
High in the sky you hear a single horn sound, a perfect note piercing the terror and calming the tide of panic. You turn your attention upwards and see the clouds part and a great column of light pour down onto the battlefield. Diving from the clouds and through the light, a golden angel flies downwards towards the conflict –Haloen.
As one the angelic army drops to their knees, oblivious to their demonic enemies. The demons stand confused and look upwards.
High above the golden angel slowly places a crystal trumpet to her lips.
You quickly take to the air, desperate to get to the golden angel before she can sound the horn and make the ultimate sacrifice, but you know you are already too late.
A note of sorrow softly sounds at first, then the note begins to escalate and an immense wave of light blasts outwards from the trumpet, completely consuming the golden angel and blasting the battlefield with terrifying holy power.
The ground itself violently shakes as the note and light continues, and the cloud-like ground behind you begins to tear and rip, quickly forming an expanding crack.
Occiptus roars in disbelief and pain before tumbling dead to the ground.
You watch helplessly as the crack turns into a chasm and the chunk of land where the battle has raged is torn away from the heavens.
The land suddenly drops and you feel yourself falling from heaven … falling into the depths of hell.
Haunted Dream Five
Lifting your head slowly from the soft floor you look down to see the white cloudlike ground change into a grey, sickly looking skin. Hairs begin to grow up wards out of the skin and you find the ground spongy and clammy to touch.
You rise to your feet and survey the landscape.
Thousands of bodies litter the ground about you. Hideous demons lie entangled with beautiful angels. But as you watch the skin-like ground begins to open up beneath the demon corpses and their vile bodies are sucked down before the ground once again closes up.
Around the angels large translucent blisters begin to form and totally encapsulate the celestials within sickly boils. These cysts form cords which snake down to join with the skin and begin to slowly suck the angels essence down.
You take to the sky on white wings and see the colossal form of Occiptus lying dead in the distance. Flying closer you see the skin fall away from the demonic general leaving only his great skull and ribs thrusting up from the ground.
In your head you hear the voice not for the first time. ‘We should claim this land and make it ours to command!’
‘No’ you hear yourself scream in response, ‘my place is in Heaven with my love, not in this vile place of evil.’
For a moment there is silence, and then in a voice dripping with bitter disappointment the voice responds ‘If you are too weak to claim the power that this land could give you, then reclaim your pitiful soul that was taken from you. It lies waiting in Occiptus skull and then leave this land forever!’
Suddenly there is hope.
Could this be true? Could you dare to hope such a thing was possible? Or is it another way for your Inner Demon to drive you insane?
Either way you had to know.
Flying through the dark sky you come to rest upon the lip of Occiptus’ great empty eye. Inside you could see a pure white light spilling across the chamber and, stepping forward, a small ball of light and dark hovering in the centre of the hollow skull.
You hesitantly step forward and then, every so tentatively reach out to grasp the light.
‘Ahhhh!’ Pain, incredible pain washes over you as you are suddenly immersed in an agonising column of black flame.
One of your eyes explodes and you scream louder and attempt to rip yourself from the flame. Your eye begin to burn and from your empty eye first one then another plasm of flame flies, circling the room before darting through Occiptus’ empty eye and towards the dark sky.
Finally you fall from the flame with smoke billowing from your missing eye.
You lie there weeping from the pain, from the torture, from all you have lost. Despair overwhelms you once again and you feel yourself slipping out of consciousness and further into madness.
From the dark recesses of your mind you hear the demon whisper –
‘Hail the ruler of Occiptus…’
Haunted Dream Six
You clutch the pitiful angel by his throat; watching his strength begin to falter and the spark of life begin to fade in his eyes. Demons encircle you and howl with bloodlust and scream for the angel’s death.
‘Kill his slowly my lord so we may saviour his death!’ says one, ‘and then drink his celestial blood!’ you hear another guttural voice add in support. Turning to your left first, then your right, you see two great horned demons, one with one half of its face scared and its eye and horn missing while the other has two red horns that curl over its face. Your lieutenants - To’lor and Gutlal both smile wickedly towards you with eagerness.
You attention turns back to the angel in your grasp and you feel his struggles cease. Staring into his eyes you feel something unexpected, something you had not dared to feel in decades.
You feel pity.
From the deep recesses of your consciousness you hear the seductive voice command you - ‘Kill him, kill him now! Your army deserves to feast upon him after the deaths he caused!’
‘No!’ you scream out loud, resisting your Inner Demon, ‘he fought well. He will live for the moment.’ Chain him to my throne!’
The demons are visibly disappointed and angered by the command. ‘But my lord, he dared try and hunt you down to kill you!’ the great horned demon by your side asserts.
‘He will live until I tire of torturing him, now To’lor and Gutlal leave me and take the troops with you!’ you order. Fire flares up in the lieutenants demonic eyes before they bow, ‘As you order my lord’ they say in unison and they signal the other demons to follow them from the throne room.
You sit on a throne made of demonic skulls and bones within a cathedral of gold and ivory staring at the chained angel at your feet.
‘I was once a pitiful angel like you - blinded by the light of heaven, ignorant of the truth that I was but a meaningless pawn’ you eventual say with venom in your voice.
‘I am nothing like you – DEMON LORD!’ the angel spits back, ‘you have turned your back on heaven to lead the very thing you once fought to destroy!’
‘Ahhh, so you know me do you? You know everything about me?’ you say rising to your feet, ‘you know nothing!’ and you lash out with your foot slamming into the angels face. Your voice rising with growing anger you spit down at the cowering celestial ‘I did not turn my back on heaven, they turned their back on me!’
‘I was a general of Heavens armies. I was a champion of their cause. But what was my reward – banishment! And my crime – love. Yes, love. I dared love an angel forbidden to me because of her station. In heaven love should be cherished and worshipped, not punished.’
You stand over the angel ripping him to his feet to look into your eyes, ‘And you call me a demon lord like it is an insult. Well when heaven cast me out the demons embraced me. They followed my command and they heeded my call. In hundreds of worlds they have erected statues, shrines and temples to me and worship me like a demonic god ’
Throwing the angel to the floor you say coldly ‘And when I needed help it was Graz’zt, curse his black soul, my old enemy who granted it too me, not any celestial!’
‘But, you once fought against Graz’zt. You repelled every invasion the demon lord sent against us.’ The angel dared to respond.
‘Yes, he has been my enemy for a millennium. I was a desperate fool to seek his aid. Now he has found a way to curse me with an Inner Demon who did this to my eye and who threatens to drive me to the brink of insanity. But I am too strong, I will not let despair overcome me any longer!’ you respond dropping back into the throne.
Tentatively rising to his feet, the angel looks at you with a new level of understanding and sympathy brimming in his eyes. ‘I came to kill you Adimarchus. I came to save us from the immense army you are building to invade heaven, but perhaps heaven is not the enemy you should be attacking…...perhaps Graz’zt is.’
After a moment of silence in barely a whisper you respond–
‘Perhaps Graz’zt is Angel, perhaps he is…’
Haunted Dream Seven
You step from the black flame and into a skull chamber of Occiptus. Turning about you will the final stage of the test to be complete.
From your Smoking Eye a great fiery plasm roars and flies directly at the black flame and then disappearing within its midst.
‘It is done, Saureya’ you hear yourself say and turning to face the angel by your side ‘the Test of the Smoking Eye has been created and the ascension of the next ruler of Occipitus after me assured. Perhaps that shall be you Anthux?’ you finish with a laugh.
‘You know I would never rule this evil place Adimarchus and I’m hoping you will soon seek redemption and cease ruling it yourself too,’ you the angel say.
‘Perhaps after Graz’zt is destroyed by our army, Saureya’ you say in response.
‘OUR army Adimarchus…OUR army! He is an enemy not an equal or even an ally!’ the voice erupts in your head, ‘you are a fool Adimarchus.’
Ignoring the Inner Demon has proved increasingly easier the longer you spend conversing with the angel Anthux.
‘Lord Adimarchus’ a guttural voice interrupts
‘Yes To’lor’ you respond in annoyance at being disturbed.
‘Our scouts report that Graz’zt’s forces outnumber ours by three to one’ To’lor reports with a tinge of fear betrayed in his voice.
‘I have never lost against the six-fingered fiend. Have no fear for I will could never lose against one such as he’ you speak with utmost confidence.
‘Come, we must ready the army for tomorrows conquest’
Haunted Dream Eight
Dark armies howl and scream as they face off against each other over the debris littered battlefield.
‘They are too many Dark Lord! We must retreat!’ Gutlal forces out through his scarred mouth.
‘Nonsense! I will destroy half of Graz’zt’s army on my own’ you hear yourself scoff. ‘and Saureya will destroy the other half, now order the army to attack, I will lead the reserve troops once they are in position, Anthux will head the main force’
‘As you wish, Lord Adimarchus’, Gutlal replies with a sinister look in his eye.
You take to the air high above the impending conflict and glide unseen with your white feathery wings towards the great force of gigantic demons you have hidden at the rear of the conflict.
You land on a great pile of bones and rusted weapons discarded from countless other conflicts and appear.
‘Giant demons of the Wastelands’ you begin, quelling any noise immediately. ‘You are the greatest of my troops, the most powerful of my demons!’
The gigantic monsters murmur their approval.
‘You are undefeated and feared by all creatures, you invincible to their pitiful attacks’
The great demons eyes begin to glow with fiery battle lust and some begin to strike their chests or shields.
‘You shall crush this army beneath your feet, you fuel your strength with their blood. Nothing will stand in your way!’
The demons begin to growl and shake their weapons feverishly.
‘I will lead you myself this day to glorious victory – ready yourself for Graz’zt’s destruction!’
Once again you take the air lifting your sword high, ready to charge out of the cover and into the enemies ranks when something catches your eye.
To’lor frantically flies across the dark sky from the direction of the battle. You hold up your hand to stay your force as he approaches and notice he bears numerous gruesome wounds.
‘Lord, Saureya….he has been captured and taken from the battlefield’
Fear washes over your mind…terrible, numbing fear. You feel helpless and sickened with terror at the loss of Anthux.
‘Where has he been taken?’ you frantically ask.
‘I fear that he has been taken to Carceri my lord, to Graz’zt’s terrible asylum called Skullrot!’ To’lor answers.
‘Then I must save him,’ and you begin to cast.
‘What of the army Adimurchus and this force?’ To’lor urgently asks as you begin to fade.
‘You command them, I care not!’ and you fade away into nothingness…
Haunted Dream Nine
‘Ahhhh….Nooo, I beg you…kill me now!’
From within a cage shaped like a coffin made of metallic bones, the bars studded with spikes and cruel hooks, Saureya screams in agony.
You watch horrified as he tears at his dark hair, ripping great bloody clumps out before then clawing at his skin in an insane attempt to the end his unbearable pain.
You strike the cage again and again with spell, sword and even your bare hands yelling for the angel to stop, yelling for him to try and escape, yelling for him to see past his madness and just hear you…
The Lich-Fiend cackles again at your frustration. ‘His pain has just begun angel, he will sink further and further into his own despair, pain and madness until his mind is forever broken!’
You turn to the vile creature with burning rage clouding your vision. You can feel all of your frustration and pain instantly transform into incredible terrifying anger.
Recognising your intent Skullrots powerful warden quickly intervenes - ‘Destroy me Arch Angel and you will never know how to release him!’
‘Speak quickly Lich-Fiend, your time is running out as is my self control!’ you roar on the brink of losing all control.
‘Heeheeeheee’ Dark Myrakul cackles once again with delight.
‘To release him dark angel is a simple thing Adimarchus, simple yet the most difficult decision you will most likely to ever be given’
‘Enough of the riddles Myrakul, answer me now or die where you stand!’ losing all patience.
‘All you have to do dear angel is merely take his place!’
The Lich-Fiend’s cackles esculate in volume as he watches the revelation of his statement wash over your face.
No! There must be another way! You will destroy Dark Myrakul and return when you learn another way to release Saureya. But turning to gaze upon the angel lost in agony, terror and insanity you know you can not let him endure this living hell a minute longer… no matter what the cost.
Lowering you head in resignation and defeat you whisper –‘Then so it must be!’
Staring into Saureya’s mask of agony you speak louder with conviction, ‘Release him unharmed and return him to his home and I will take his place.’
‘Of course Adimarchus,’ Dark Myrakul replies sounding almost respectful yet sly, ‘step away from the cage and his pain will soon end’
You slowly move away from the prison and watch as the Lich-fiend approaches the dark twisted cage and runs his hand over the bars. Instantly a door appears and swings open with an auditable moan like the wail of a sorrowful spirit.
Reaching into the cage Dark Myrakul roughly pulls Saureya from the cage and throws him towards the floor. You lurch to catch him, saving him from any damage and then cradle him in your arms like a child.
Anthux continues to writhe in agony in your arms oblivious to what is occurring around him. His eyes dart about, his mind still lost in his own dark insanity.
You snap your head upwards, ‘You said he would be unharmed!’ you warn through clenched teeth.
‘And so he will be the moment the cage door closes within you inside’ Dark Myrakul relies with a cruel smirk
Turning your gaze back to Saureya your eyes soften instantly.
‘You finally won my dear friend’, you whisper, ’I have turned my back this night on all evil and fled from a vengeful victory to save another soul.’ Shaking you head with an ironic smile you add with a sad chuckle,
‘I fear instead of me converting you to the dark, you have brought me back to the light.’
Gently lowering Saureya to the floor you step up towards the open cage and, taking one last look at the pain wracked angel you say, 'I do this for you my dear friend’
And step into the dark cage hearing Dark Myrakul close the door with a resounding click of finality.
‘Heeeheeeheee’ Dark Myrakul cackles as you feel the beginning feelings of pain begin to grow within you mind. Repressed for so long, within the dark recesses of your consciousness you feel your Inner demon stir.
You grasp the bars of the cage with pain and twist your head towards Saureya's prone form to seek some form of solace from the growing agony.
You watch the angel slowly rise to his feet. Shaking off his lunacy Saureya meets your gaze. For a moment a look of sorry is etched in his face before it slowly twists into look of sheer delight and glee.
‘Fool!’ you hear him say; ‘Now you will rot in hell, destroyed by dementia and knowing that it was I, Anthux, Graz’zt’s own son that brought down the great Adimarchus!’ And before your eyes Saureya form changes from a dark angel to a black skinned demon with six fingers on each of his grotesque hands.
At first you believe that your mind is playing tricks on you, your Inner Demon creating evil illusions to break your heart and mind but then you realise the truth.
This is neither illusion nor trick of insanity, it is real and you have been betrayed by your own weakness and your own need for redemption. Your whole life has been for nought and all that you have ever loved a lie and lost to you forever.
The mere thought drives you into a spiralling descent of utter despair and madness. A terrible corrupting madness blasts out of your mind and prison, spilling out over Carceri, finally giving the Inner Demon the power and voice he had always sought….