Smug Slug
Flames and ash choked his lungs, searing him with eternal judgement. The wails of the damned howled around him. Not a drop of water in this land of smoke and pain. Not a blessed drip of liquid to quench his thirst. He deserved this, he knew. The torment. The suffering. He had been so very wrong. The Dark Side led only to destruction. He came to that realization amidst the bubbling hiss of his flesh. Somewhere along the line it had been forgotten, though. Somewhere amid the ceaseless anguish his mind had snapped. Now... now he only knew pain.
And then it all disappeared.
Air came rushing into his lungs and his eyes flared open. He blinked. He lay upon a cold floor, devoid of any garments.
"Hauum," gasped the Herglic, remembering his name for the first time in what felt like a millennia of agony. "Where am I?"
An unseen force yanked him into the air, where he hung suspended. Around him were tattooed faces that watched in silence. At the back of the room sat a figure shrouded in a darkness which no eye could pierce.
"HION OF GIJU," the ineffable voice spoke with a quaking power which fractured his eardrums. Blood exploded from his earholes and he loosed a trill of torment. "YOU HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK FROM THE NETHER, YOUR SOUL EXCHANGED FOR ANOTHER OF YOUR RACE. HIS SOUL PERISHED FOR YOURS. YOU NOW INHABIT HIS MORTAL SHELL. A WORTHY SACRIFICE FITTING OF MY NEWEST SERVANT, ORCUS. THERE SHALL BE NO ESCAPE, SCION OF MY HAND."
The grip around Hion loosed and the Herglic collapsed upon the floor. No, no, no! He recognized the voice of the Dark Lord. He would not serve. His eardrums knit back together even as they blew apart again. The darkness at the other end of the room inhaled sharply, contorting the ephemeral black.
"I CAN SMELL YOUR RELUCTANCE, HERGLIC. DO YOU WISH TO RETURN TO YOUR SUFFERING?"
Tendrils leaped from the Darkness, wrapping around Hion and slowly draining him of life. He could feel his very essence begin to leech away. The Realm of Chaos loomed before him. He could smell brimstone and sulfur.
"NO!" He bellowed.
"GOOOOOOD. HERE, I BESTOW UPON THEE THY FORMER ARMOR."
The sound of a thousand clicks swarmed toward the Herglic who lay upon the ground. Hion's enormous eyes widened in terror. No. No it couldn't be. He swarmed as his body was engulfed by Orbalisks that greedily latched onto his body. Sudden, searing glyphs seared into his forehead, flippers, and feet. Each a single word. "Slave."
"THE SPELLS I HAVE PLACED UPON YOUR BODY WILL PREVENT THE ORBALISKS FROM CONSUMING YOU WHOLE. DO NOT CAUSE ME TO REGRET MY MERCY."
His screams slowly subsided until at last silence reigned. Approval radiated from the Darkness at the back of the room.
"RISE, ORCUS."
Slowly, the enormous Herglic got to his feet, body numb, then slowly he kneeled before the Dark Lord and his Court. Hion of Giju had perished in the Flames of Chaos and the Dark Lord's rending voice. Only Orcus remained... and he would serve the Dark Lord.
"HAUUUUM! We are One."
[member="Darth Isolda"] [member="Darth Vornskr"] [member="Darth Shara"]
And then it all disappeared.
Air came rushing into his lungs and his eyes flared open. He blinked. He lay upon a cold floor, devoid of any garments.
"Hauum," gasped the Herglic, remembering his name for the first time in what felt like a millennia of agony. "Where am I?"
An unseen force yanked him into the air, where he hung suspended. Around him were tattooed faces that watched in silence. At the back of the room sat a figure shrouded in a darkness which no eye could pierce.
"HION OF GIJU," the ineffable voice spoke with a quaking power which fractured his eardrums. Blood exploded from his earholes and he loosed a trill of torment. "YOU HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK FROM THE NETHER, YOUR SOUL EXCHANGED FOR ANOTHER OF YOUR RACE. HIS SOUL PERISHED FOR YOURS. YOU NOW INHABIT HIS MORTAL SHELL. A WORTHY SACRIFICE FITTING OF MY NEWEST SERVANT, ORCUS. THERE SHALL BE NO ESCAPE, SCION OF MY HAND."
The grip around Hion loosed and the Herglic collapsed upon the floor. No, no, no! He recognized the voice of the Dark Lord. He would not serve. His eardrums knit back together even as they blew apart again. The darkness at the other end of the room inhaled sharply, contorting the ephemeral black.
"I CAN SMELL YOUR RELUCTANCE, HERGLIC. DO YOU WISH TO RETURN TO YOUR SUFFERING?"
Tendrils leaped from the Darkness, wrapping around Hion and slowly draining him of life. He could feel his very essence begin to leech away. The Realm of Chaos loomed before him. He could smell brimstone and sulfur.
"NO!" He bellowed.
"GOOOOOOD. HERE, I BESTOW UPON THEE THY FORMER ARMOR."
The sound of a thousand clicks swarmed toward the Herglic who lay upon the ground. Hion's enormous eyes widened in terror. No. No it couldn't be. He swarmed as his body was engulfed by Orbalisks that greedily latched onto his body. Sudden, searing glyphs seared into his forehead, flippers, and feet. Each a single word. "Slave."
"THE SPELLS I HAVE PLACED UPON YOUR BODY WILL PREVENT THE ORBALISKS FROM CONSUMING YOU WHOLE. DO NOT CAUSE ME TO REGRET MY MERCY."
His screams slowly subsided until at last silence reigned. Approval radiated from the Darkness at the back of the room.
"RISE, ORCUS."
Slowly, the enormous Herglic got to his feet, body numb, then slowly he kneeled before the Dark Lord and his Court. Hion of Giju had perished in the Flames of Chaos and the Dark Lord's rending voice. Only Orcus remained... and he would serve the Dark Lord.
"HAUUUUM! We are One."
[member="Darth Isolda"] [member="Darth Vornskr"] [member="Darth Shara"]
