Origins of Chaos - Finale

Origins of Chaos - Finale

And so, five corrupt, evil humans floated in an infinite darkness. They stared at each other for some time, until finally, Darius spoke:
“Does anyone else get the feeling this is not what the afterlife should be?”
“Well, I blew up my own homeworld. Maybe this is punishment?”
The giant among them joined in:
“Were the planet's inhabitants weak?”
“More or less.”
“Then the destruction was justified.”
Jason was visibly irritated.
“Hey, stop boasting, mister 'I'm cool in this suit'! I doomed my home, too, ya know. To undead, no less.”
“Betrayed a lot of people that way, I bet. Just like me.”
“Oh, shut up. The one I was serving then tricked me! I was supposed to become a demigod.”
“You should have had a backup plan.”
“Heh. Look who's talking. If you're dead, yours was probably not that perfect, am I right?”
“Why, you...!”
Suddenly, a terrible voice echoed throughout the dimensional space:
“SILENCE!”

They all froze, but their eyes still watched the surroundings. Nothing. Just the same darkness. Suddenly, before them, appeared an awe-inspiring figure. Humanoid, clad in red armour with many spikes and golden runes on it. In the middle of his chest, a massive, azure gem was implanted, probably the only 'organ' he had, since there didn't seem to be place for anything else. His helmet only showed two glowing, blue eyes.
The archmage again spoke:
“Who the Hell are you?!”
Those two eyes met with Darius', who felt a chill go through his entire body.
“I am a being as far above you, as you are above insects. And I came here, to give you another chance.”
“What chance?”
“I will bring you back to life, as my servants. My name is Agorash. I am one of the many gods of Chaos, one of the primal forces, which control all of existence. I started a massive war between dimensions. But the other fools stopped it and now seek to imprison me. But I will not let my efforts be forgotten. Chaos will destroy Order and the Neutral fools! That is where you come in! My enemies are at my doorstep and are too many to defeat. But you five... can continue to spread glorious Chaos. You will upset the balance of Existence and spread destruction.”
The commando spoke:
“Where's the catch?”
“There is none. You shall get a new chance to destroy, as beings far more powerful, and you will serve me. That is all. Do you accept?”
The five stood for a moment, but then spoke, one after the other:
“Many more schemes must be completed.”
“Many more enemies must be crushed.”
“Many more things to hate.”
“Many more souls to control.”
“Many more allies to betray.”
“Heheheheh. Hahahahahahahah! Excellent. Now, forget about your names. They shall mean nothing upon your rebirth. You shall share a certain psychic link. You shall be brothers, so to speak. Now... receive new names.” he came closer to Nathan, “you are a backstabber, opportunist. You shall create ruses of the moment, tricking the enemy. You shall personify Treason.” Agorash was suddenly in front of Jason, “you wished to have control of souls for evil purposes. Unlife was your dream. You are now known as Death.“ then to Julius, “your entire life was filled with hatred towards every element. Therefore, Hate shall persist within you.” then to Balian, “you hold might in the highest regard, yet you are a cunning leader. Enemies shall tremble before the awesome power of Strength.” and finally, he appeared in front of Darius, “and you. You are a cunning schemer, making the vilest of plans over entire years. You are ruthless, sadistic, power-hungry. Powerful. You embody Chaos itself. You shall be Mind, the consciousness behind every action.” the god then moved back to the centre, “your bodies still lie within your home dimensions. I shall return you there and the corpses shall change, to reflect your new power. Spread glorious destruction!” before any of them could reply, Agorash raised his hands and they all vanished, “heheheheh. I may get locked up. But Chaos will still prevail!”

******

Among the ruins of a once proud tower, many priests and healers were looking for survivors. They found one in general Runnigan. The news he had given were terrible, indeed. The archmage, a traitor who poisoned the king? No one had thought such a thing possible. Yet, it happened.
“Ohhhhh... it hurts, but I'll live. Can't say the same for the traitor, though. May demons devour his soul.”
Suddenly, the rubble near them started moving. A flash of purple light and a humanoid figure blasted into the air. It didn't seem to have any clothes and its skin changed colour rapidly. A dark purple robe rose into the air and wrapped itself around his form. His hands were soon covered by a pair of black gloves and his legs disappeared entirely, the dispersed energy entering a grey mask. A dark mist formed where his legs had been and a hood completed the design. The entity floated in the air, its constantly blue eyes in contrast with the shape-changing mask.

One of the soldiers screamed:
“What kind of demon is that?!”
And Mind, leader of the dark five, answered:
“I am no demon. I am something much worse.”
The general could not believe his ears.
“That... that voice! Darius! No, it can't be!”
“Oh, if it isn't the good general! As you can see, your efforts were futile! In fact, I have a feeling this land will experience a fate far worse than my rule! But I have a special reward for you!”
“Smite him!”
Many arrows flew into the air, along with several rays of light. All of those attacks harmlessly bounced off a dark barrier.
“Pathetic! Now it's my turn! DIEEEEEE!”
Black spikes suddenly rose from the ground, impaling any foolish enough to stand against the schemer. Except for a certain general. Mind descended and now floated but a few feet above ground. Most of the impaled were still writhing in pain. And he obviously took pleasure from those wails. He was now above the general. His mask held the form of a blank plate for a while, creating even greater terror, before changing again.
“So... you're gonna' kill me slowly?”
“Kill you? Heheheheh. Oh, you are not that lucky!” one black glove caught Runnigan's neck and lifted him off the ground, “certainly not. Let's see how this works.” as the general stared in terror, Mind plunged his hand into Runnigan's chest. The an wanted to scream, but none such sound escaped his throat. He could suddenly feel a terribly cold make its way through his entire body. And then... his skin started darkening. His armour turned into a black, twisted mockery of its former beauty. His holy blade turned into one of Chaos. Red orbs were the only things seen in his horned helmet. And Runnigan was no more. The armoured body fell to the ground, seemingly lifeless, “heheheheh. It worked, indeed. Now, rise, my servant. Rise, Gugulash!”

The black knight rose and bowed before his master.
“What do you require, lord Mind?”
“Heheheheh. For now, nothing. Stay put and show any foolish challengers your might.”
“Understood.”
“Good. I have things to do.”

With that, the schemer flew high into the sky. He soon reached the borders of Cadonia, where a war was still being fought. He watched the battle of man versus beast from the clouds, amused. It was time to end it. His arms went into the air and an orb of dark energy started forming. It grew and grew, until it was like a twisted version of the sun. And he released it. All would soon be over.

- - - - - -

Or so he had thought. For at the tower's ruins, he found a body. And not just any body. A red robe, which hid a frail figure, flaming red hair, pointy ears and closed, but emerald green eyes, as he knew. And a hole in her chest. His spikes... had killed her. He felt a wave of anger sweep throughout him, filling him with disgust towards his very being. But those had to be kept inside, for he was now part of greater schemes. Gugulash stood close by.
“Is something wrong, master?”
Without answering, the boy rose into the air and then vanished in a small wormhole.
“You'll be safe there... Elira. I'm sorry.” he then turned to the corrupted warrior, “If anyone learns of this, Gugulash...”
“I will not tell a soul, master. Not even the other four.”
“Good. I believe you shall prove to be a valuable servant.”
“Give me a task and I shall accomplish it.”

******

In another reality, a ranger by the name of Arthur was overseeing the burying of a dead body. The body of a monster, to be precise. Even in death, every soldier thought it was necessary to tie up the corpse and place it in a metal canister. Served the beast right.
But then, a bashing came. Everyone in the vicinity froze, their eyes on the 'coffin'. In a couple more seconds, an arm with bone-armour on it burst through the steel and the whole lid flew through the air, eventually hitting a few soldiers nearby.
Balian's body stood up. And started changing. The bones broke into individual pieces and started assuming different positions, going so far as to even change shape. More bones rose from the very ground around him. The dragon skull he had used as a helmet was now his head. And then... his flesh vanished, leaving only a massive skeleton behind. Powerful muscles soon started forming out of thin air, much to the horror of the watchers. Yet it lacked a tail. In moments, a new creature stood before them.
Thrice the size of man, skin purple and nigh-unpiercable. Its blue, serpent-like eyes watched those before him, its huge arms ready to tear them apart. Balian was no more. The mightiest of the five spoke, half-growling:
“I return, a god among mortals. Face my power!”
Several men immediately drew their blades and charged. With a single blow, Strength crushed shields, swords, armour and bones, practically severing their torsos from some of their limbs and covering the ground with blood. Most just fled after that.
The ranger screamed:
“This arrow you down before and it can do so again!” from his golden bow, a silver one was shot, heading straight for the beast's eye. The servant of Chaos didn't even attempt to dodge. The arrow broke in half as soon as it impacted his iris, “no... impossible!”
“Nothing is impossible for an immortal being!”
With incredible speed, the dragon-beast made its way to the Arthur. Strength grabbed him with a massive hand and started squeezing. And listening to the bones slowly breaking.
“Aaaaaaaaaaghhhhhhhh!”
“Yes! Scream! Scream like any fool, who would dare oppose me! Oppose us!”
Before Arthur could react, draconic jaws closed around his head and ripped it off, creating a small fountain of blood. Strength chewed for a bit with his razor-sharp teeth, swallowed and tossed the body aside. He then roared at the top of his massive lungs, sowing fear into the hearts of any creatures nearby. Many would be crushed by the might of Chaos.

******

A body floated through the void of space, in many pieces. Suddenly, those started coming together. Julius had loved only thing during his entire life. And that was an ancient set of armour, which he had acquired through illegal means. The pieces joined and, after a flash of bright light, there floated a new being.
Encased in the very suit of purple armour, which was simply strengthened by unholy powers. His helmet had a single, thin, long horn on it and one blue orb for an eye. On his right hand, a large, roman-like, rectangular shield, covered with red markings. In the left one, a massive warhammer. Hate was ready to spread his namesake and be fuelled by it. But not before saying this:
“I hate having an entrance sequence not as epic as the others. And I hate breaking the fourth wall. Damnit.”

******

The once noble church was filled with the servants of unlife. Fleshy corpses with restored motor function, but also more magically resurrected skeletons and vengeful wraiths. From the chasm, a massive, serpent-like being, with many pairs of arms, could be seen. In each hand, a different weapon was held. Its head skeletal, with green flames dancing around the skull. But one also had to take note of its feminine features.
The goddess of death, Thanata. A truly awesome being, not to mention fond of deception. And power hungry. She spoke, in a voice, which could sap the life out of mortals:
“Yeeeeeessssss. This world is mine! And soon, this whole dimension shall follow.” a faint light appeared in the middle of the horde, “hmmm? What is this?!”
One of the mangled corpses rose into the air, his eyes in the same position as before the untimely demise. Fixed upon the painting on the ceiling. A knight and the reaper.
Pieces of black unholy armour started forming on his skin. Green gems littered its surface, glowing with an eerie glow. His head then seemed to dissipate into thin air, along with the rest of his fleshy body. A hood quickly filled the emptiness and from it, darkness watched the surroundings. A scythe made of green crystal was in Death's hands, ready to suck the soul out of any foolish challenger.

The flames around the goddess' head turned red.
“You?! I know it's you, Jason! But how?! You were dead!”
“Demise is but a temporary setback for me.”
“Hah! I am far above you! You cannot even hope to threaten me!”
“That is where you are wrong! You gain power from your servants! I have no such limitation! Also, I helped bring them here. And I can send them back!”
The scythe vanished and his hands went into the air. The undead all around the puny planet started glowing in a green hue.
“Noooooo! You can't just...! Who gave you such power?!”
“A master far mightier than what you could ever become. Come to me, souls of the damned!”
As golden lights started leaving the corpses, Thanata wailed terribly. Soon, her power would be too small to maintain any presence in reality.

******

The base was still silent, all of its inhabitants dead. Well, seemingly dead. For one of those bodies was mutating rapidly. The commando gear it wore turned from black to dark blue, his headgear turning into a black scarf and a simple black helmet. Its eyes shot open because of an ensuing pain, showing their flaming colour. He almost screamed, as his legs were split in half and morphed into spider-like ones. And so, he stood not on two, but four. Two sickly green double-daggers floated by his sides, certainly full of deadly poisons.
Treason looked at his hands. He knew the suit was not a mere piece of gear. Not anymore. It had become a part of him. And he liked it that way. His flaming eyes drifted back towards Arthur, whose body still twitched in small spasms. Nerve gas does that.
The dark one knew there was some new possibilities in this form. He made his way to the nearest computer console. Even though the base had been abandoned for some time, the links towards the Union's main HQ were still active. With sufficient privileges, one could access everything. And he knew one man with such privileges. Grand admiral Talarn, who he had received missions some time ago.
He tried to make out exactly what the admiral looked like. Grey hair, blue eyes. Probably over seventy in age. Though, thanks to the new medical tech, that was like thirty years of normal biological age. Which meant, no wrinkles. Mostly wore a blue uniform decorated with uncountable medals.
And, in a couple of seconds, a perfect replica of Talarn stood before the console. Down to the smallest detail, including voice. The console beeped and a female voice said:
“Voice identification required.”
“Gand admiral Damien Talarn.”
“Voice analysis complete. Please proceed with eye and fingerprint scans.”
Two devices popped out of the wall and he moved 'his' head and right hand closer. Two red rays scanned both and then the voice came again:
“Scan complete. Welcome, grand admiral.”
“Heheheheheh. Let's see what we can find in here!”

******

Four of the five stood in what seemed to be a realm of endless shadow, discussing their first accomplishments as servants of Chaos. Only the schemer was missing.
“I must say, controlling all those souls... felt incredible. You should have seen the look on her skull. Thanks for sending a few extras, Hate.”
“You better be grateful. Looking for the remains of my planet was not a pleasant activity.”
“Heheheheheh. Well, I sure had fun. Crushing your enemies into bloody paste is so much fun, if ya ask me.”
“Yeah, I had fun, too, muscle boy! Clicking a button, which sent the planet's entire nuclear arsenal everywhere, and then copying research and weapon designs. All the while looking like the the guy with highest military rank. Priceless.”
A portal suddenly appeared close to them and through came a floating, legless figure. Mind spoke:
“Sorry for the delay. We had this and that to do.”
The backstabber looked intrigued.
“'We', Mind?”
“Oh, sorry.” the black warrior came forth, unholy blade in full view, “fellow servants of Chaos, meet Gugulash.”
The black one bowed.
“I shall serve without question.”
“Quite. Now, we should start thinking about our little mission, eh? Corrupting of all of existence and whatnot.”
“Who needs plans? Let's just start smashing!”
“Harvesting!”
“Betraying!”
“Hating lawyers!”
“And that is the problem! What will Chaos gain with your actions? A temporary advantage, perhaps, but nothing more! We need to start thinking on a much grander scale.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Strength... we need to cause more permanent damage. For example. We could raid a planet, strip it of life and continue doing that. But, eventually, the situation would return to normal. And we would undoubtedly be eventually defeated, once the ancient gods, those in charge of existence, found about us. We need a different approach.”
“Like what?”
“Heheheheh. We shall strike where the enemy does not expect resistance. But not alone. For tasks of such grandeur, we shall require an armada.”
“Damn... I hate recruiting.”
“Recruiting would be ineffective. That would mean limited sources of troops. We need something better. And I already have a scheme ready for this. But first, we should set up a temporary base of operations. My home dimension would provide an excellent location.”
“Well, okay. I just hope these plans of yours work.”
“They, shall, my physically gifted friend. Oh, I almost forgot. We would require a name, the five of us. Something every creature will learn to fear.”
Death raised his scythe.
“Well, we shall be leaders. I believe we would classify as a... council.”
“Oh, simply perfect. The Dark Council sounds quite nice, I believe.”
“Yeah, cool.”
“I... don't hate that.”
“Wondrous like the countless names contained within souls.”
“Yeah, yeah! Can we get going now?”
“Oh, indeed.”

One by one, all six entered the portal to Mind's former home.

******

Elira was safe inside a secret chamber. The schemer had made sure of that. But he still could not quite get rid of the guilt. But such things had to be set aside. He floated along the facility's dark halls, Gugulash at his side. The walls were the remains of the once grand castle of Cadonia. The halls were now covered with blood and void of life.
“Master, may I ask?”
“Go ahead, Gugulash.”
“How do you want to create soldiers out of pure darkness? I thought were too unstable.”
“Indeed. However, with some help from Hate, who turned out to be quite a scientist, our goals may soon be accomplished. Oh, this shall be glorious. Just wait and see.”
They entered the once beautiful throne, which was now decorated with the intestines of many servants. And in its middle stood a strange device. It looked like some sort of tube, connected to a large computer panel.
“Where did we get the materials for this?”
“Stop pointing out plot holes and get in!”
“As you command.”
The tube's glass lowered and Gugulash stepped inside. It then went up yet again. Mind floated to the panel and started clicking buttons.
“Excellent. Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit.”
Small metal disks started floating around Gugulash, scanning him from every angle. They saw not only his looks, but also things invisible to the naked eye. His neural structure, skills in melee and ranged combat and more... mystical powers. In about ten minutes, the scan was complete and the black one stepped out of the tube. And had quite a few questions.
“What just happened?”
“We now know everything about you. And we will use you to form a basis for every new warrior.”
“Basis?”
“Indeed. As you have said, darkness is quite an unpredictable element. Normally, it would be nigh impossible to just create beings out of it. However, this machine gives it an already finished template to work with, annihilating the need of an expert like me.. Do not worry, they shall be quite inferior to you. Otherwise, creating one would take a long time. They shall be specialised in one type of combat, unlike you. Each and every one of them.”
“You've already created me... couldn't you have...”
“No. I corrupted you. Creating a being out of pure darkness is possible, but it requires massive amounts of concentration from the creator. Hardly effective for making an army, no? However, this machine is simply perfect. Now that we have a template, I just need to program it with different types of troops in mind. From melee to mech pilots.”
“You can make weapons like this, too?”
“Oh, indeed. And thanks to the files Treason gave me, we now have a quite broad selection of them. Oh, this shall be fun!”
Gugulash stood next to the schemer and watched dark energy gather inside of the tube. One by one, a legion was created.

- - - - - -

The other four stood before the castle, just making time pass. Strength kept picking up rocks and smashing them, Treason threw his daggers at bugs, Death made souls float around and ate commented on everything he hated.
Suddenly, the massive gates near them opened... revealing a force of Chaos. All humanoid and wearing dark purple armour, armed with every kind of weaponry conceivable. The host marched as one, creating small tremors as they went. Some, however, flew above them, thanks to advanced jetpacks.
Mind and Gugulash appeared after a flash of purple light.
“Magnificent, aren't they? Skilled in many forms of combat, each excels in one. And they are infinite. Now we just need a larger machine, with which we could create siege weaponry.”
All of them looked puzzled.
“Siege weaponry?” spoke Hate, “what for?”
“When I said we were going to attack where our enemies do not expect us... I never said the location would not be well defended. Heheheheheh.”
They traded looks, but after one more look at the army, they agreed to the schemer's plan... whatever it was.

******

The fortress-city of Kanjalon. The true seat of power, from which the myriads of gods governed all of existence. Above the streets, four towers watched over the endless plains around it. Three minor ones, which reached a mere mile, and a massive, main one, which had a mile in width and four in height. Each of the towers served a different primal power.
In the west, there stood the Tower of Chaos. The ground beneath it was scorched, almost barren, with only carnivorous or poisonous plants littering its surface. The black streets were traversed by demons of all kinds, creatures of pure shadow, flame, wind and other dark denizens. The buildings were blood red and most of them was filled with screams. In a mighty arena, many fights were held each day, in order to entertain the populace and Chaos gods.

In the east, stood the Tower of Order. The silver streets were lined with beautiful plants and flowers of every colour. Angelic beings gazed from golden balconies, accompanied by elementals of water, earth and light. The inhabitants filled their free time with dances, prayers and various games.
In between these two forces, a couple of miles south of the main tower, stood the Tower of the

Neutral. On the western side of the area lived beings tuned towards Chaos, on the eastern one, beings tuned towards Order. Mortals creatures, like humans, dryads, undead, warlocks, wizards, paladins and deathknights. The only truly neutral beings were the energy elementals, who maintained order amongst the varied citizens. The structures were of white or black marble, the streets were paved or made of dirt. Those beings enjoyed more mortal-like activities, like playing cards, duelling and drinking ale, among many others.

And finally, there stood the Tower of Reality. One could reach it by going north from the Tower of the Neutral, across a mile long bridge made of perfect diamonds. The tower itself could be seen from any part of the fortress, its height blocking out the sun most of the time. One could spot many kinds of architecture on it, each type belonging to one of the three powers. It was actually split into three parts, each part had its own entrance. West was Chaos, with terrible gargoyles and red marble, east was Order, with beautiful angelic statuettes and gold and the middle was the Neutral, making a perfect balance between the two others.
These three sections only met in one single place. The very top, where the Meeting Chamber was located. The chamber itself was completely made out of azure crystal, with three platforms. For some it could be surprising, but the lion's share of the chamber belonged to the Neutral gods, who were, despite their lacking numbers, the true voice of power. For, while Chaos and Order were more powerful and plentiful, they could never agree or compromise. And so, since ages long forgotten to any lesser species, the Neutral gods were the ones choosing the right way.

And that day was no different. But only a few gods were present. Malakor, the appointed leader of Chaos. A mighty, draconic being, whose scales were blue and armour black. A massive axe was in his hand, covered with blood. His green eyes watched the being on the other side of the room with a slight hint of disgust.

The other being, Nahonia, was the leader of Order. Her long, blue hair was in start contrast with her golden robe and silver, butterly-like wings. Her eyes were of a grey hue, her skin quite pale. No weapons only gave the image of helplessnes, for she was a powerful spellcaster.

And on the largest platform stood two beings. The two who decided the fate of entire dimensions. On the left, a humanoid with the head of a wolf. His fur was white, his eyes golden. On the back of his green armour rested two enchanted scimitars, which had uncountable runes carved into them. The Neutral god Caluto, the warrior who personally imprisoned Agorash.
And to the right, stood a quite mysterious figure. Her entire figure was wrapped in a grey cloak, only showing the shape of her slim figure and her green boots. Her eyes were hidden behind a blue scarf, which helped her inner senses. This was the goddess Talhasha, who had a rare gift. She could gaze into the myriads of possible futures and determine which would come to pass. She was otherwise quite a frail being, however.

The dragon shouted at all those present:
“You all know why I've come here! We should kill Agorash now, while he is weakened! If he should ever get out...”
“He cannot get out on his own and you know that! Unless one of your friends thinks it would be funny to release him, the defensive enchantments will keep him inside!”
“Watch your tongue, pixie. I could rip it out, you know.”
Caluto raised both of his armoured hands.
“Silence! Agorash is safely locked within the cell-dimension, which prevents him from doing any damage at all. We just locked him in there a week ago, Malakor! Today, I decide thusly: we shall leave him there for a hundred years, then meet again to decide his further fate.”
“Grrrr... fine. I suppose that is the reasonable thing to do.”
“As always, true wisdom prevails!”
“Don't forget, pixie! Without my rallying of the endless hordes, your wisdom would have been crushed under billions of feet.”
“That is quite enough! Both of you! This court has ended.” with one last look at each other, the pair left the chamber via their respective staircases. Caluto looked at Talhasha, “do you sense anything new?”
She remained silent for a few seconds, then spoke:
“I still cannot fully see... the darkness is still blocking my view.”
The wolf looked away, concerned.
“Something is not right. We have defeated Agorash, but the large amounts of Chaos energy are not dissipating. In fact, their levels are rising. I don't understand. Malakor and the other gods are already becoming restless. The danger hides in the shadows.”
“Yes.”
They stood there for a while, silent. Suddenly, they could hear rapid footsteps coming from their staircase. The waited and soon, two human soldiers in green armour entered. One of them was missing an arm.
“Lord Caluto, lord Caluto!”
“What happened?!”
The wounded one stood shakily, even with the support from his friend.
“The... the entire vanguard. Is dead.”
“What?! How is that possible?!”
“They came. Came with an entire dark armada. Their numbers were limitless. An endless tide of purple. But their commander... that one was clad in black. They outnumbered, outgunned and out manoeuvred us. It was not a battle... but a slaughter. Ugghhhh.”
The man then fell to the ground, the last drops of life leaving his body. The wolf stood there for a few seconds, before turning to the still living soldier.
“Let the news travel. Everyone able to fight must get to the defensive positions. Th rest must be sent home.”
“Understood, sir!”
The man ran off, leaving the god and goddess to plan an effective defence plan.

******

The tops of the fortress' walls were filled with creatures of every shape, size and power. From mere humans, to the likes of a massive cyclops. But they all had two things in common. First, they were ready to give their lives defending Kanjalon. Second, they all watched the other force in awe.
In the distance, the Council's massive armada marched, causing tremors as they went. The footsoldiers were innumerable and filled the horizon. Among them walked large man-beasts, who had little to no armour. Their skin was black and covered with purple marks. The weapons they carried were the size of several men and surely enchanted with dark magic.
But these were no mere barbarians. Many of the warriors carried advanced weaponry and their siege weaponry consisted mostly of huge plasma cannons and battle mech of many sizes and limb counts.

On top of one such mech, a quadruped, which looked like a mere platform with legs, stood four beings and one floated just above. Which meant he actually had to keep up with the rest. Flying does have its disadvantages.
The entire dark host suddenly stopped. Mind raised his arm and a small metallic orb flew off towards the walls. It stopped before Malakor, Nahonia and Caluto and projected a hologram before them. The schemer's shifting mask stared at them and they could feel a sort of dark presence, even though it was a mere image. Many other gods could see and hear him, aswell.
“Good afternoon. My name is Mind and I have come here, along with my brothers, to fulfil the commands of our lord, Agorash.” many froze in place at the mere mention of the name, “I believe this could all be handled swiftly.”
Caluto growled, then replied with a question:
“You serve him... but what are you?”
“I was a pitiful mortal but a few days ago. Now, I am a powerful servant of Chaos. Which brings me to my offer.” he looked straight at Malakor, “don't you feel a bit upset, great one? After all, Chaos would have won the war, had Caluto not interfered.”
“What are you talking about?!”
“This is another chance to prove Chaos is superior!”
Malakor looked full of rage.
“After seeing so many of my brethren die, you expect me to make the same mistake?! You piece of...”
“Hahahahahahah! Fine, perhaps one of the others is wiser. We shall see you quite soon!”
With that, the orb floated towards one of the human soldiers and exploded, melting the man's face. But that was just a mere scratch compared to the mental damage that single transmission wrought. For many demons started contemplating the offer.
And then, the time of thinking was over, for one of the other Chaos gods shouted, raising his sword into the air while doing so:
“That guy was right! We almost wiped out all of these Order weaklings! They don't deserve to live!”
There were arguments. And the arguments turned into bloodshed thanks to a single axe. Most of the darker defenders revolted against the rest, with only Malakor and a handful of others remaining loyal. And all Hell broke loose. Caluto raised both of his scimitars, which told the remaining defenders to open fire at the Council's host, and then buried said scimitars deep within the neck of an approaching demon. The battle had started.

On the platform, there were cheers.
“I must say, a brilliant little scheme.”
“Why, thank you, Death.”
Loud explosions echoed throughout the landscape., as massive cannons shot their explosive payload from inside the fortress' walls. Without being ordered to, the dark warriors moved further from each other, to minimize loses. Strength wanted to make those even smaller.
Without warning, the muscular beast jumped down from the platform and rushed towards one of the expected impact sites. He could see the high-explosive shell in the air and raised his hands. He caught the piece of ordnance by its sides just before it impacted and held it above ground. Strength then roared and threw it right back. The shell flew above amazed defenders and destroyed one of the cannons.

Gugulash then blew on an ancient horn, signalling an all-out attack. The soldiers walked towards the walls with grappling hooks or flew straight at the defenders with melee weaponry. Siege engines rained superheated death at the walls, which slowly began to crumble. The dark host was infinite and thanks to, in no small part, the in-fighting, they were soon on the walls, slowly overwhelming the defenders.
In less than two hours, the battle moved from the walls into the streets. The defenders were decimated and the warriors showed no mercy. Only too late did the other servants of Chaos see, that they had been tricked, for the host spared no one and nothing. They all knew, that the battle was lost at that point.
Gunfights and bladefights destroyed Kanjalon's majestic and beautiful architecture. The normal troops were getting cut down, the gods were the last line of defense. But even deities could be overwhelmed by the dark horde. And soon, only a about a hundred remained, within the Tower of Reality. Those within were preparing for the inevitable retreat. A retreat from a city they had built with their own hands.
But a handful of deities still held the diamond bridge against the attackers. Three of Chaos, two of Order and two of the Neutral.

The trio of Chaos was the very first defense line. Malakor and two lesser gods, shadowy figures in blue armour, proved to be a deadly foe. The dragon was in the front, slashing left and right with his axe, while the two blue clad rained death using their spells. Suddenly, the seemingly infinite onslaught of foes seemed to stop and the warriors retreated. The trio just stood there, awaiting an attack. But instead, there came a voice:
“Well, well, well. It seems someone has readied a last stand.”
Mind appeared on top of a nearby building, an aura of victory around him.
“You!”
“Yes, me. But also...”
Strength and Hate smashed straight through one of the nearby walls.
“Us.”
Malakor suddenly heard gasps from behind him and turned. One of the blue duo had been stabbed by two poisonous daggers and her intestines began melting as a result. The other had a green scythe where his heart had been but a minute before. Treason and Death vanished and appeared at Mind's sides.
“And the party wouldn't be complete without us.”
“So... you want a piece of me?! Well, come get some!”
“Oh, gladly!”
Strength roared and charged. Even though he was a bit larger than the other draconic one, their raw power was matched. In fact, Malakor soon started gaining an upper hand.
“Oh, this simply won't do!”
The backstabber was suddenly behind him again and stabbed him in the legs. His body resisted the poison, but Malakor was now fighting a losing battle against the muscled beast. The other four simply laughed. Strength opened his jaws and was ready to close them around the god's shoulder. But, suddenly, salvation came in the form of a blinding light.
Malakor's own flesh got burned a little, but he got out of Strength's grip just in time to dodge the most powerful of rays. The Dark Council screeched in pain and his two green eyes looked straight at his saviour, Nahonia.
“I see you're at least good for something.”
“Rude to the very last second, aren't you?”
“ENOUGH!” came a scream from the light.
An orb of shadow formed around Mind and started growing, unhindered by the blinding light Soon, it was the darkness, which was prevalent, and the light was struggling to survive. The goddess of Order could feel her power vaning.
“Stop acting like a torch! I'll take this!”
She did as she was told and Malekor almost immediately stepped in front of her. His hands started pushing against the dark field and held it at bay. But try as he might, he could not make it retreat.

Suddenly, two scimitars flew above their heads and plunged into the dark field. Green lightning shot from both and the field dissipated, revealing the five dark apparitions. The blades then flew back to Caluto who stepped before Malakor, Talhasha a bit behind.
“I will hold them. You should leave now. Order and Chaos will need strong leaders to survive these foes.”
“But what about...”
“That was an order, Malakor. For once, listen to it without question.”
“As you wish.”
With one last look, Nahonia left with the draconic one. Caluto looked straight at the five.
“So. This is what Agorash had in mind before he was sealed?”
“Oh, perhaps. I do believe this is a delicious scheme, however. Now, the seat of power for all of existence... is no more. And your numbers are too few to guard all of reality. We will win eventually. And you know it.”
“Not while I draw breath.”
“Oh, that can be arranged, oh mighty Caluto. Prepare for your destruction!”
Strength and Hate charged first, both eager to hear the sound of cracking bones. But Caluto jumped into the air, flew above them and delivered a kick to their back, sending them to the ground. Treason jumped from the roof, trying to sink his two daggers into the wolf's flesh. But Caluto was swift. He dodged to the left and shot an energy beam at the spider mutant, which made Treason crash through a wall. Death tried to use the momentary weakness, but his scythe was blocked by a scimitar and another slashed through his armour.
Hate and Strength charged again and this time, the wolf emitted a mighty howl, which made the very ground shake and froze the duo in their tracks. He then slashed with both of his blades, hitting both apparitions at once.

And so, the wolf stood there, his only foe left being Mind. And he shouted:
“I am disappointed.”
“Oh, you shouldn't be.”
In mere seconds, their wounds were gone, healed by darkness.
“What is this?!”
“The darkness has gained the upper hand here, Caluto. You cannot win. On a side note,” Mind raised his arm, but nothing seemed to happen, “you should keep an eye out on your allies.”
The wolf's ears suddenly heard a high-pitched scream. His mind knew who it belonged to. And hios voice screamed it long before he turned to see a spike through her chest:
“Talhasha!”
The spike then went back into the ground and he was at her side just in time to stop her from hitting the ground.
“Ca... Caluto...”
“No, don't speak.”
“I am doomed... and you know it. But... the darkness! The darkness is gone! Let me give you... my final vision.” Mind was the only other creature able to hear her. The other four wanted to attack, but he stopped them with a motion of his hand. The schemer wanted to hear this, “from the ranks of mortals, one shall... rise. He shall... gather many like him. Together... they shall banish the dark. Caluto, you... must find him. At all costs.”
With that, her body became limp. A tear escaped the wolf's golden eye and he picked up her lifeless body .
“Fascinating. But she mus have been delusional. No mortal can hope to stop us!”
“We shall see about that, Mind. But for now, our ways shall part.”
“You think we're just gonna' let you go?!”
“As a matter of fact, yes. After all,” a green field suddenly appeared before Caluto, “it could take you some time to get through this. The crystals that support the barrier just needed some time to charge, which me and the others were buying. You win the battle, but the outcome of the war is hidden within shadows.”
“Grrrr, yes. And I shall dwell within those very shadows, ready to rip your heart out.”
“I will be expecting you.”
Caluto then turned and headed for the Tower of Reality at full speed. The schemer looked at the other four, who just stared at the field.
“What are you idiots waiting for?! Get those siege weapons here, NOW!”
“Yes, brother!”
And the four ran off, ready to fulfil Mind's command.

******

After five long hours, the field was brought down and Kanjalon officially became the fortress of shadows and the Dark Council's seat of nigh-ultimate power.
And within the Tower of Reality's deepest catacombs, Mind had placed a special capsule. Gugulash was the only other who knew of the room's existence... of her existence. Her elvish body floated within the rejuvenating liquid, her face just as beautiful as during her life.

- - - - - -

And the remaining gods held a meeting in a far away dimension, deep within Order territory. They split the dimensions between each other, but knew they were too few to truly take care of all of them.
Hantalir was appointed as the new representative of the Neutral, to the surprise of all others.

And Caluto embarked upon his quest. He knew that the fate of existence rested upon the shoulders of a single mortal.

Only time would reveal this uncanny hero. And his dimensional brethren. Only time.