Nathaniel and what was left of his troop of five hundred decided to make camp a few hundred meters from where they just finished having their battles. The dark elves that they had spared had been unresponsive to an questions they were asked, but Nathaniel still ordered that their wounds be treated none the less. After that his soldiers were busy gathering the dead from both sides for a burial, he had asked them to keep the bodies dark elves separate, he felt that their people should decided what to do with them.
He did not want to admit, but he had changed again, but he couldn't be sure if it was for the better or for the worse. The atmosphere in hell was made in such a way that you breath, eat, sleep and live evil. There was no right in this place, but somehow he had all of a sudden pulled himself out from such an existence.
He doubted if any other demon would be able to do same, even if so, it won't be as easy as he's was.
It took him five years of bloodshed, rape, murder and carnage for him to finally find balance with himself, and it made him finally ask the question he had been avoiding all this time, why did the druid tree kill him. But he was still alive, he could feel his heart beating in his chest, he could feel everything now. But it still didn't make sense.
Nathaniel was puzzled, not knowing however that over the years he had forgotten that this was supposed to be the next step of his soul trial. But the memory of the first trial was already wiped from his mind as he fell deeper and deeper into the hold and intricacies of hell itself.
He was left with questions that he did not know the answer too. But now he knew whatever decision he decided to make, he would make it without any influence from the laws of nature that governs this world, and he was terrified because of that.
Nathaniel felt a connection to being a druid, unlike popular believes, Druids were not just tree huggers and animal lovers with weak elemental abilities, they were warriors, defenders and protectors of the very balance and nature of existence itself. It was as if they were existed so that there would not be too much good and evil in the world, they were all meant to keep everything in equilibrium.
Nathaniel felt a kind of monumental responsibility due to this class of his, this might be a game, but it feels like a real world with each day that passes, and he felt Luke he was me at for something greater than the average druid. That somehow there was a destiny laid out for him, a template of fate that only he could build upon and design.
He had spent five years being evil, but he couldn't stop now. Of course he decisions would not be as bloodthirsty as before again, but this time he was going to be bad with a balance. He felt this was the way it was supposed to be, at least for now. Everything has a purpose, even the plants and the very speck of dusts that float with the air, he just needed find his own here.
Nathaniel looked down and shifted his gaze to BALANCER, even with it's blackness the sword did not even look eerie, there was a calm that just came over him when ever he looked at the sword.
A double edged sword with only one sharp edge, Balance. Defense and attack. It was beautiful and Nathaniel fell in love with it almost immediately. Unlike its previous form, which looked rather crude and bulky, Nathaniel loved its new form. He missed his old sword and staff though, he might have only held it for a few hours before he died, but he felt a connection to it, like it was a part of him.
In BALANCER's description, it said the meteor that it was forged from fell from the sky of heaven, through Zion, and then landed here in hell. It somehow put a lot of things in perspective for Nathaniel. Heaven was the good place, hell was the bad place, and Zion was the good and bad place. The middle ground and where balance truly rules.
The races on Zion are all free willed and uncompelled by the natural laws of their plane, they could decide for themselves, and maybe that was what made Zion such a mythical place for the demons. All of them might not know the reason why they really yearned for Zion, even Nathaniel would not have known until the sudden revelation he discovered.
They all wanted free will and a chance to decide their own destiny, in Hell they can only be one kind of person, there was a variety of skills and personalities, but deep down they were all the same.
He did not think there was anyway that he could change them, as long as they were all in hell, there was no way that they could find balance. So the only thing he could do was lead them out of here and into a better place, a place of balance.
Vane was standing right behind him, keeping a look out for anything or anybody who had even so much as smidge of ill intent against Nathaniel, he couldn't help it, and somehow he found himself becoming embarrassed by Vane's nannying.
"My lord what happened?, I have checked every exposed part of your body, and I couldn't find any injuries, neither was there a feeling of magic in the air, so my lord please tell what happened to you."
"You don't have to worry Vane, it's not serious, my heart just started beating again."
"Oh, okay I guess that's not to serious. Your heart has not been beating for five years only to start all of a sudden, of course it's nothing serious."
He said all of this with a straight face and an even tone that it actually took Nathaniel a few moments for him to realize that they demon was being sarcastic. Nathaniel could not help it but shake his head in amusement, before today Vane would not even dream of making fun of him or speaking to him in that sort of tone. And to be honest this was the most surprising thing to happen to him today. Vane being sarcastic or making a joke was thought that o be a feat bordering the word impossible, but today something seemed so to have changed.
Nathaniel knew things were different, and it had to stem from his sudden change.
He was a very different person now, and because Vane had a connection to him, the change was also spilling over to him.
It was also an enigma, but Nathaniel had a possible explanation for that. The Anansi spider demons were tricksters, spies and one of the best piers in the history of hell's countless species of demons. However they also have something that's made them highly valuable, which has also pushed them to the brink of extinction.
The Anansi demons could swear to service one master their entire life, and in so doing. Give them person they chose to serve power over the secrets of those around him and a connection to the Anansi demon that steadily increases the power of both party. Vane and Nathaniel had such a relationship, Vane was stronger than your average spider demon, and he was also Nathaniel's top general, his closest confidante, his spy master and dare he say it, his friend.
So it was only obvious that any thing that affects Nathaniel also affects him in more ways than one, as an Anansi demon would be compelled to commit suicide if their master should come to harm. Nathaniel felt it was a useless tradition, but Vane was old school. He would stick with it no matter what.
Nathaniel picked himself up and made his way towards where the dark elves were being held captive. They had accepted the treatments, but they had refused to be fed, instead they kept a calm face, a shut mouth and a steady heart.
They were not saying anything, even amongst themselves. Nathaniel had to commend their discipline, for most of his soldiers he had to try through a whole lot of trial and error rounds to get them to be as half as disciplined as the dark elves. And even then, only a few of them were able to recognize the importance of being silent in your enemies camp.
Nathaniel came to a stop in from of the dark elf that had been responsible for the failed exchange with Brutus. For Nathaniel's observation, it seemed to him that this guy was ruthless and careless with his subordinates life. When he had discovered that they were out matched, and even more so that they were being decimated by the attacks of one man, he should have ordered a retreat. But instead he had pressed on, and now out of three hundred soldiers there was only twenty eight left.
"You made a mistake, two big mistakes. Would like me to tell what they were?"
There were ripples behind his eyes, but his gaze was still resolute and looked straight ahead as if Nathaniel's words did not affect him one bit. He looked like he was ready to withstand any torture and keep his secrets within him even till he gets to the after life. His courage was commendable, but for someone like Nathaniel he was stupid.
"Your first mistake elf, was attacking me when I came bearing an olive branch. But of course there are no olive trees in Hell so you wouldn't understand. I came to you with peaceful Intentions, seeking refuge and peace. And you attacked me, without even giving me a chance to turn back and return from where I came from, that my friend was very dishonorable, and I'm pretty sure your ancestors will be ashamed."
At the mention of dishonor Nathaniel held him breath in sharply. And he could not help but think to himself 'bingo'.
The dark elves lived completely secluded from the rest of hell, they felt superior, and the one thing they prided above all others was their honor. They believed it was what truly set them apart from the rest of the races. No matter what action they took, they always tried to be honorable about it, even if they were killing a child.
Nathaniel had found out about their obsession with honor from Vane. That spider demon had conducted his own investigation ever since it was decided they were coming to the dark lands. Brutus never mentioned this, maybe he forgot, but Nathaniel would be an even bigger fool to believe that. The elves honor, was the only way for him to get through with them.
"Your second mistake, was not asking your men to retreat when you knew they could not win. Like a coward you led them all to their deaths!"
"I will not be called a coward you vile invader!, we never run away from a fight, we fight to the last man standing, each man carrying the will of his fallen demon brother for strength and vengeance until every last one of you vile spawn are wiped of the face of our land!"
He was very passionate about his outburst. His eyed were red with an obsession and a strong belief in what he just said. His conviction was strong, but Nathaniel was not worried, they still had time.
"No it's a cowards way to die and let your enemy live, even if you run. There's always a chance that one day you will return stronger and avenge your losses. But when you cowardly throw your life a way, in a the name of a stupid pride that takes you nowhere but your own grave, it makes you more than just a coward.... It makes you the most dishonorable type of scum to walk on Hell."
"No!, that's not true, that's not true. You don't know what we're like, you're just a filthy invader."
And this was their sin; pride. They had so much that it blinded them to common sense, it made them very vulnerable to someone who knew how to manipulate pride, it made them vulnerable to Nathaniel.
He was going to draw conviction from his pride to withstand Nathaniel's comment, but Nathaniel felt sorry for him. Right now he was just talking, the torture has yet to begin.