Pacts

[Auril]

Brightness. Darkness. Brightness. Darkness. A slow steady cycle, as he waited upon his shroud of blood red silk. Soft whispers would seep into his dreamlike state, mostly furtive and fearful. Then out of the darkness came a more urgent call.

'Lord Cyric, Master of all that is Dark, I call upon Your aid to rid Avernus of the foul minion Bel, servant of Your enemy. Grant us Your power and show us blessing by appearing before us this night.'

He felt a sinister chortle, and then a twisting deep inside. Muscles jerking with the summons, he pushed open the lid to his coffin and stepped out into a familiar clearing. A wavering haze hovered before him, swirling around and within a jawless skull. Aldric bowed, and his humility was accepted - this time.

'Go aid my servant. Inform him that he owes me a task in return.'

Quickly, before the God of Chaos could change his mind, the knight fled to Hell. The petitioner carried power, and arrogance, and a small taste of fear. Before his allies he bowed low in recognition, while some shrank back in distaste and others watched with scepticism, wariness, or confusion. They observed, while the Vampiric Knight dealt with the priest, uncertain of their role. The unbelievers were nothing to Aldric. The priest agreed to the bargain, ensuring he was further within the grasp of the Prince of Lies.

It was a simple task to find the corpses, much less easy to leave them intact. The memory of life was still strong within them, the flesh still sweet... With a vicious growl, Aldric seized the bodies by hair, by wrists, by ankles, and dragged them to the arranged site. Returning to the region of his resting place, he turned his back on the mouthlike casket and began a brief journey to a place steeped in blood, where he might sate his needs before being called upon again.