Darklight Chronicles: Book One - Genesis

10: The Death Angels Come Calling

"Dammit! The holy ground!" Yells Karshmal.

Warring factions of ogres from up and down Drengol's desert region of Saeria amalgamate in a fury of the ages. Ogrish blood stains the sand seeping deep inwards creating blotchy and sickly hues of reddish brown spots as far as the eye could see. Death of the most savage monsters in all the land; the beasts of Drengol tearing apart each other as the skies darken and a light drizzle dampens everyone on the battlefield.

Bone carcasses of long gone massive beasts interlaced with the bodies of newly decorated ogre guts and flesh lie scattered around in heaps. Surveying the damage the master of the region had lost all his power. The region whose autonomy and sovereignty was known for being the most stable was now a shell of its former glory. Skirmishes and infighting of its own people had caused irrevocable turmoil. What could the Lord of the ogres; the demon of fire and the king of Drengol since appointed by his father the first overload of Drengol, Krae now do?

Karshmal. The fire burnt within his very being. The atoms and particles that made up his unnatural aura began to immolate his body at terrifying speed. Incasing him all the while protecting him from all open attacks. He wielded this power at will. Neither paranormal nor magical. It's true origin and potential at its fullest. Any other individual would burn to a fleshy pile of ash and dust. Not Karshmal however. For him it was second nature. Able to control seamlessly, the power within just like his kinship before him. The fire welded to the small pieces of his armor yet preserving the cloth portions of it almost as if he could talk to the fire he could summon around him like a priest praying to the all mighty God.

Every cinder and spark travelled around him, circling his body in gorgeous tandem like a dancing inferno. Any ogre who would dare step their boundaries and into the midst of the walking fire God would feel the literal flame burn them at their very core. Unlike normal fire, Karshmal's demon fire radiated a higher grade of intensity that would combust anything that entered in his protected radius. As one lone and brave ogre would find out for itself. It's chainmail, thick and clanking heavily towards the demon king began rustling and blackened within a matter of seconds. It's flesh quickly melting off and peeling as even it's screams are muffled at the enormous pain it suffered being burnt from the inside and out. It had not even touched the Overlord as the massive expanse of demon fire was huge; about 3 metres long. The only thing that remains. Bones and a charred war axe.

His overseer. Urushkutarr. A lich? An undead mage? No one knew. But he somehow was negated from the horrible powers that Karshmal wielded. Yet, he was under his chain of command as his right hand man. Even stepping directly next to the God of demons and ogres, any mere human would die and be engulfed. Any woodland elf would perish. Any ice cold vampire would burst into flames. Not him however. Not Urushkutarr. They had seemed to come to some kind of agreement
Their alliance and allegiance formed seeped in mystery. Where had they met? His father needed no such assistance. His power and decree alone would see him seated at the top with no challenge from any other loyal subjects or delegates.

The usurping of Krae and his power to his son was shrouded in absolute mystery. Even more so than the origins of the demon fire. Many had come to believe the transfer of his ungodly powers would see the death of Krae as the blood war tournament and it's rules suggest. The victor. His son Karshmal, was a mere mortal as many had believed. The tournament to crown his successor was unknown and set in an undisclosed location in Drengol. Only Krae himself, was permitted to watch the event occur. Many a ogre had theorized it's happening to it being just a fantasy. A pretense for Krae to shift and change form but Karshmal was indeed the son of Krae, there was no disputing it. In just a declaration he had arisen from beneath the sand. He declared dominion over the land and United the land of ogres under him. All obeyed. Drengol was at peace...until now.

"Milord. The fighting has reached critical mass. If it is not quelled soon, the region will be unable to stabilise." Urushkutarr informed.

"Very well. We cease this battle at once" Ordered Karshmal.

As the two combine forces, the ground begins to rumble fiercely. Shaking violently. Ogres lose their footing as the sand begins to part. Massive sinkholes drown ogres into it's depths. And arises a huge fortress of stone. In the dead centre of it all a giant protruding rock face. 200 metres  tall. 50 metres wide. The ancient stony artefact was a sight to behold. And to the greatest fears of Karshmal and Urushkutarr, a deadly force resurrected. At the very top, a concave of blackness. A mystical portal now awakened. Outpoured flying creatures. Massive beings wielding two foot long blades. Hooded atrocities that looked like shorter versions of Karshmal himself. Was this the power, whose origins he shared a kinship with?

Everyone on the battlefield lay stone cold at the fearsome sight of them. Their very name stroke fear into the ogres. This is where they were born. Tales of ancient demons even more terrifying a sight to behold than them.
Female ogres spoke to their offspring of these frightening winged atrocities. They would come and get them if they misbehaved. Urban legends of what happened to the forefathers of the ogre race. Many saying they were wiped out by them leaving just a small tribe centuries later to populate the region after the decimation had occurred and they had gone back to slumber.

Now they had reawakened. Their nightmares, now a stark reality. What would they do? What could they do?

Run. Hide. Wait for the end. No matter what would happen on this fateful day. They would see destruction like no other. A bloodbath, unparalleled by anything they had ever witnessed before.

The death Angel's had come for them and everyone in the land. Not just Drengol. But the entirety of Saeria would soon feel their might and destruction.

Chapter glossary:

Krae: The very first Overlord of Drengol. Due to his diminishing strength as he would have his people's believe. He declared a tournament to crown the next king of Drengol, which was won by his alleged son Karshmal.
Blood war tournament: A mysterious tournament held under the sands deep underground. No denizen of the ogrish empire knew what actually took place during this tournament. Only that Krae sunk and vanished into the sand and within weeks arose Karshmal, declaring himself as the new Overlord of Drengol.