Chapter Text
WHAM!
The thunderous noise rang throughout the halls of Moonrise towers, hitting the ears of every cultist inside. Even if a dozen doors were between the source and a listener they would hear the sheer rage and force emitting from it.
Ketheric Thorm stood in the centre of the grand chamber, his often regal and intimidating armor now covered in blood and scratch marks. The General had just survived a fight. With someone he never thought he would see again. His war hammer dripping with fresh blood. Clearly used to deliver the finishing blow that created the monstrous noise.
Suddenly behind him, Thorm could hear it. Maniacal clapping and laughing from behind him. He snarled at the mere noise before turning around.
“Well done, General. Truly well done.” Gortash said, slowly clapping as he approached. “Now if you don’t mind me asking, who exactly was stupid enough to interrupt our meeting and attack you?”
Gortash’s eyes locked onto the body of Thorm’s victim.
A young man, age slightly unclear but still fairly youthful. He had wavy blonde hair with bright blue tips and highlights. A good stocky build and bright sliver and blue battle armour encasing him.
But what stood out most were his wings. A pair of large angelic wings sprouting from his back. The white feathers now stained with the blood drawn during the fight. The rest of his body seemed to match the colours.
Ketheric sighed, as his eyes now looked the same direction. “An old friend.” He spoke. “From a lifetime ago. We didn’t end on the best of terms.”
“That can be said for most of your friends, can’t they General?” Gortash quipped, now side-eying Ketheric
Ketheric’s face turned a rage filled red. He slowly shifted towards Gortash. “Perhaps you would like a taste of my wrath as well, Gortash”
“Tut, tut, tut. Gentlemen, as you bicker, this freshly destroyed corpse is rotting. It should be put to use. This boy’s wings would look fantastic mounted above my bed” Orin spoke smugly, her hands drawing closer to the boy.
“Control yourself, Orin!” Ketheric yelled. His voice almost carrying a small note of pain in it.
Orin stepped back. Her face staying smug as she began to circle Gortash.
“Oh? What’s this? Does the mighty General have some sort of connection to this being? I notice the spark of life hasn’t left his body yet” Orin teased. “What is he? Some fey creature you summoned as a boy and lost? Like a little lost puppy?” Orin spun her knife around in her hand as she laughed.
“No.” Ketheric spoke with a stern tone in his voice. “An old ghost from my past. One who came back with a bit more fire in his soul since we last met.”
Ketheric looked back to the body. He took in every last detail of his appearance. He knew better than to show weakness in front of Gortash and Orin but knew what would happen if this boy died.
He turned back to his allies. “Just know this.” He spoke “if this boy were to die, our plans would be hit with a force so powerful, we would have no way to recover. Everything would fall apart.”
“A pity.” Orin said. “I will have to find a new prize to satisfy my hunger this night.”
Gortash looked to Ketheric. “Well then, what would you have us do?”
Ketheric looks to his disciple, Z’rell, gesturing her over.
“Throw him on a nautiloid. Perhaps should he become a thrall or True Soul, we can get him to listen to us. Perhaps we’ll be lucky enough to avoid the consequences.”
Z’rell nodded, though not quite understanding what he meant, she lived to serve the General. “Of course, sir. You two!” She shouted at a pair of nearby guards. “Grab his arms and bring him below. Have him placed aboard a ship. He will soon feel the embrace of our lady’s love.”
Two guards stepped forward. Swinging their arms around the winged man’s shoulders.
As they carried him off, Ketheric looked back once last time. He saw the boy being dragged away. He saw the wounds he inflicted on him but above all else, when he looked at him, he saw memories of a different time. A nicer time.
As the tower fell silent, and Gortash and Orin moved away, Ketheric Thorm spoke one last sentence.
“Goodbye Cole. It was nice to see you again”