Portal inferos scriptor

{This ending is part of the Finish the Story Contest, the 20th(!) contest so far. Click here to see the contest… Hey a music pair! I suggest "Descent Into Cerberon" by Sonic Mayhem (and from the Quake 2 OST)... also happy 20th contest @f3nix!}

The Prompt

And finally dawn came, mercilessly, to reveal the blasphemous massacre of that night. The sulphur smell of the Flaegreian fields was mixed with that of the blood and entrails, while clots of death, horribly coagulated one with the other, slowly melted inside the iridescent pools of acid water. There was no honour of weapons for the vanquished, whose remains were hideously smeared on the battlefield.
Instead, something else was crawling in that silent scene: the unnatural profanity of a rape, far beyond the concept of victory of one army over the other. It was as if the ground, pierced by fumaroles and teeming with mutilated bodies, wanted to shout to the sky a silent cry of faltering horror. From the piles of corrupt meat, a black pillar emerged in the middle of the plain. An invisible and incandescent flame was emanating from that dark mountain, making the landscape all around tremulous due to the intense heat.

"I brought you some wine, Xarag." The man in armour approached cautiously to the black and immobile human tower.

"I do not find it right that you have to stay still for all this time instead of celebrating ..."

"Tell me you did not come alone just with that nauseating spicy wine." Glaring through the black metal of the helmet, the paladin abruptly interrupted the officer.

"I also have the serum, Xarag. Our queen never forgets the needs of her most valiant servants"

"Oh yes, she's always so thoughtful". The sudden pain obliged the paladin to an added effort for emitting the last word, which barely came out through the bloody clenched teeth.

"Do not worry, I cannot figure out how much you suffer, Xarag, and I won’t even dare to, but I promise you that also this time, when it has cooled down, we will manage to get you out of the gift."

"The gift, of course, guard of the queen. I know you'll do a good job with that piece of meat that still sticks to my bones," the black tower murmured in a metal hiss. "Now pour the whey into the wine and then leave me. You, at least, go and celebrate."

Xarag, the Black Star, barely approached the chalice at the deformed hole of the helmet and drank avidly. His meats, slowly devoured by his own armour, produced sounds that he would never get used to. He wanted to look up from that vision of death, he wanted to look for a star in the sky, among the poisonous and sulphur fumes, but the steel colour of the abyss no longer allowed it by many battles. He wanted to think to her, if only he didn’t have to bleed for the effort of not being torn apart in his body, mind and soul at the same time. For him, the battle would have still continued in solitude for long hours.

The fires projected cheerful arabesques on the cobalt walls of the camp tents, where the unrestrained bacchanal of victory was taking place. A group of officers argued in the galley tent, away from the crowds.

"I told you they did not fight! The angel approached, and they just looked at each other for a very long time ... at least that's what I saw as long as I could," said the young man with shelled eyes to the rest of the group.

"If only I could fight one of those damned celestials simply by standing by... Maybe even while scratching my balls.” The silly laugh of the inexperienced official interrupted in a strangled sob.

"Listen to me well, piece of dung. Just because you miraculously survived your first battle and you got good marks at the academy, do you think you gained the right to talk about the Black Star?" The veteran's arm had relentlessly triggered at the young man's throat with a ruthless grip.

"First of all, that was not just an angel, but it was one of the Powers, sent into battle directly from the third triad. Have you already forgotten the lessons on the enemy hierarchy, cutie?" The grip loosened just before the colour of the young officer passed from red to dark purple.

"Also," continued the veteran, "you can bet they were fighting, as the Power had managed to overtake the first two auras of Xarag's armour and was now attempting to force the third inner one: the disintegration of the essence."

The senior officer would have continued but was interrupted by a loud disturbing roar. The immediate shock-wave overwhelmed those present and all the contents of the tent. Perhaps the battle was not completely over.

The Ending by @theironfelix

Xarag displeased that the battle continued decided it wasn't worth his time to scream and listened carefully instead.

"Protect Xarag at all costs! Damn you if you don't!" As the veteran unsheathed his arsenal to charge towards the unseen enemy, but after spitting at the dolt officer.

Wherewith, the entire war-band pressed towards Xarag and pressed harder whence hearing of tossed objects. 'Til one braved to see what was flung unto them.

"Those ain't rocks!... They're corpses! BRACE!!!" And the entire war-band started to dodge the carcasses pelting the Earth with their rotten blood bombs. Yet the volley stopped and they reached their target destination safely, an officer seeing his foes began to lose posture.

"They ain't Flægreian! but whom are these sluggish demons?... Crikey! prepare for another volley!" Preparing their counter-volley, Xarag gritted his teeth on the thought of flies crawling into his armor, then he and the war-band began to pick up on their tongue as they convened.

"Even more war-bands, thought we timed our entrance correctly Advisor R2-A? Hmm... seems they are slightly better equipped technologically, but another volley shall suffice until our forces arrives?" Xarag winced at how casual it sounded and the war-band officer cadre trembled, then the veteran spoke:

"For Xarag's sake, charge ye!... For that is the only way!" Which the Veteran lodged his javelin at an Advisor, piercing hard on its back - forcing it to drop and scamper away in pain. With determination rechristened, they launched their volleys and readied for the fight, the Advisors following suit with their volleys.

"Officers, ready the crossbows!... Take fine aim at your new mantelpieces!... Steady!... Fire!..." The Advisors' count began to drop, but they realized their mistake and corrected it by deflecting bolts in thin air to the war-band's surprise.

"That's why you use crossbows for volleys! ready the sword and swing hard!" For which the veteran leaped towards the air and sliced through the barrier and into the metallic eyepiece. The Advisor in one motion covered the bleeding eye and repelled him into the charging officer cadre, effectively stopping their advance on contact. Yet in that one motion, that Advisor was struck hard with a poleaxe to the head - ceasing its life.

"We hadn't a fight so glorious, but 'tis time to smart harder!" Blurted by an officer as he fired bolts at an Advisor's rear, stopping its attempt of proboscis on a mercenary.

"GAH! This is why we guide, not fight. Retreat from these taffers. We got better to do!" Wherewith the surviving Advisors collectively forced repelled the war-band as they retreated, never forgetting the injuries sustained - especially the ones crawling away intensely. Then the portal closed, but not without a bright light and the same roar from earlier. Upon closing, the war-band rejoiced yet again; Xarag could only sigh in relief...

"Carpe Diem..." To whom he said it for, Xarag cared less as he began to drift towards sleep - the potion effects were kicking in hard now.

Cited Posts:

@f3nix - "Finish the Story Contest: Week 20"