Behind the mist covered mountains of Ivadal, far beyond the scope of the traveled world; sat a tomb made of pristine marble. It was hidden in a valley, towered by snow peaked mountains. Strange runes and engravings lined the intricately carved marble, adding to the already extravagant beauty. The runes appeared to be nothing more than artwork meant to add to the majesty of the tomb. That is, until mighty thunder shook the earth and the sky was lit by a crimson flash.
The runes flared to life, activated for the first time in history. They shone brightly for several moments, then settled into a soft golden hue. Deep inside the great tomb, a marble slab sat in the center of a chamber; surrounded by beautiful jewelry and artwork. On the table laid a body, perfectly preserved from the ravages of time. It was the body of a man, with alabaster skin. His hair was pure white, and cascaded elegantly down his shoulders. The man's face was handsome, but aged and wise. A well kept beard hung from his face. The tomb had been built to protect him, a man who slumbered for over 10,000 years; his golden eyes were now open and a satisfied smile danced across his lips.
****
Cassius groaned, his entire body was sore and ached with pain. With great effort he opened his heavy eyelids only to be met by blinding light. "Fuck." He moaned as he clenched his palms down on his half blinded eyes. After several minutes he attempted to open his eyes again; much slower and more carefully this time.
Once a few intense moments of pain, his eyes had finally adjusted well enough to the bright sun. He forced himself into a sitting position so he could have a better view of his surroundings. Much to his surprise, he was lying in the midst of a dense and beautiful forest naked as the day he was born. Evergreen trees towered over him; sprawling in every direction. "Where the hell am I?" He asked a loud as he tried to remember how he'd got here. He focused carefully for several minutes until he was able to recall the disaster. Images of charred corpses and pain flashed before his eyes; along with the memory of the heavenly crimson stone that he had managed to grab without being burnt, unlike his men.
Tears threatened to roll down from his eyes. The hardened Captain forced back tears for the first time since losing his beloved son. In his life he had witnessed everyone he ever cared about ripped away from him; yet, Cassius was always left behind to suffer and move on. Fate was cruel that way. Cassius wiped the grime from his face and steeled his resolve; self pity would not see him out of this situation, nor solve the massacre of his squad. First, he had to determine where he was; and how to report what happened to command.
He sat on the forest floor a few more moments, massaging the cramps out of his sore muscles. Once he was ready, he stood. "Okay, now to figure out how to get out of this damned forest." He scanned the ground looking for boot prints; after several minutes of failure, he sighed and began walking in the direction that he assumed was north.
The journey through the dense foliage and giant evergreens was exhausting; and very nerve racking. Several times he had to find cover from what appeared to be giant wolves; at least twice the size that one could find in the wilderness off his home state, Wisconsin. These wolves were dark grey and extraordinarily fast. After seeing these wolves several times, Cassius rubbed dirt across his naked body to mask his scent; and avoid falling prey to the vicious creatures.
He noted several strange beasts that he had never seen, nor heard of. One such creature was almost humanoid in appearance; it was giant and had rocky grey skin. A bulbous head, with crooked teeth sprouting from it. The creature lugged around a large limb, as a weapon of sorts. Cassius hid silently behind a tree for near an hour before the beast wandered off deeper into the woods. After that, his hike was much easier and the forest grew warmer. He found the heat comfortable due to his nakedness.
Cassius finally found a gap in the forest that led into what appeared to be a large clearing. He scouted out the location and remained hidden long enough to determine its origins. A large lake. It was clear blue water and sparkled brightly in the sunlight. He warily moved down the bank towards the water; careful to avoid the creatures that drank from it.
The bank was formed from soft sand and evergreen roots. It was mysterious in nature and quite beautiful. "Wow." Cassius breath caught in his throat as he gazed out upon the lake. With a pleased smile he slid his dirt covered body into the surprisingly warm water. He washed himself thoroughly. Once he was satisfied he was clean he exited the water and stood on the bank.
His eyes focused on the still water in an attempt to see his reflection. He blinked, a different man was staring back at him. Glistening blonde hair cascaded down his wide shoulders. Piercing blue eyes stared intently back at him. His once ruggedly handsome face was now unnervingly beautiful. His body was rippling with muscle; he looked like he had been cut from stone. "What the fuck," he whispered as he stared at his completely transformed body.
His attention moved to what appeared to be tattoos lining his body. They were intricately made, and one that sprawled his muscular bicep caught his attention. It was beautifully designed; it was of a giant dragon with its mouth open in a roar. The dragon had crimson scales and ruby red eyes; the detail was so great that it almost seemed real. He ran his fingers across the many tattoos; he collapsed onto his butt in the sand. He tried to think what could of possibly happened to him; he was in a completely different body. Sure, his face still resembled his past self, but he had never been so handsome or muscular. He definitely didn't have all these tattoos.
He could still remember his whole life; his wife, son, and military career. "This all has something to do with that damned stone." He cursed. First, his squad had been massacred by it. Second, he had been transported completely make somewhere. Lastly, his body was completely changed!
As he continued to replay the days events in his head, he failed to notice the elegant creature that snuck up behind him from the woods. It was a woman; who definitely wasn't human. She had a tall body and natural grace. Long white hair hung down her shoulders; while emerald green eyes watched the giant, naked man on the bank of the lake. Her eyes gazed in shock at the runes that lined his body; they were ancient, as old as the earth itself.
She had determined that the thinking man couldn't be trusted, he was strange and out of place; out of time even. The woman glanced back over her shoulders and made several quick hand signals. Immediately, a dozen similar creatures exited the tree line as well; some were men, while many were women. As one they approached the unaware man from behind; their goal to apprehend him.
Cassius's head jerked up as the quiet sound of leaves crunching reached his ears. It had came from right behind him; his mind processed this in milliseconds. His military experience and training screamed to him that several combatants were approaching with hostile intent. With speed that he would previously been unable to dream of, he turned and raised his fist; to his shock, he was facing near a dozen beautiful beings. They were obviously not human, but they were definitely humanoid in shape and thought.
The woman gasped in shock, the man had been aware of them and quickly turned to face them. Her eyes locked with his and she felt herself be pulled into an endless blue see. The dragon rune on his bicep seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. Without thinking she, along with her comrades dropped to their knees in reverence. "Ancient One," they whispered in their native tongue.
Cassius watched with a calm demeanor as what he previously deemed hostiles dropped in obedience to him. On the inside he was shivering in shock, "What the fuck have I gotten into." He mumbled just as a guttural roar sounded from the tree line.
****
The Lich-Lord sat quietly on his throne, overlooking the vast armies of dead. His black eyes burning like coal, malevolence radiated from his body in droves. The charcoal skin around his eyes twitched slighty. Anger and hate simmering under the calm visage. His forces stood quietly in undeath, displaying no emotion. The gray sky above the dead valley only reinforced the grim setting. Soon his massive army would be prepared to march on the mortal realms for the first time in tens of thousands of years. Only this time, he would conquer it. There were no great heroes left to stop his endless army. Yes, he would finally be free to eradicate all life.
His evil thoughts were interrupted by a crimson flash across the sky, followed by cracking thunder. The very ground of the dead world shook from the thunder's might. He stood in shock, his mask of calm slipping away. To his right, his most loyal vassal quivered in his boots. Complete silence settled upon the realm of undeath, and his giant keep. It began quietly at first, but soon grew louder; it was a deep and sinister laugh. It oozed hate and made Mahtore's evil seem insignificant, he fell back into his throne. "It can't be." His numb bones shook.
"I have returned..." Chuckled the voice, "I see you've prepared for me, servant."
Mahtore's eyes went wide, fear setting into his body. "Bal-Tuhn," He whispered, shocked at the unexpected return of the Undead God.
"And so the game resumes..." Bal-Tuhn hissed, his voice echoing through the valley.
****
The acolytes worked in the sweet serenity of the mountain temple. Their lives calm and quiet, but ever persistent in their training. The Order had existed for 10,000 years; each generation passing their knowledge and skill down to the next, grooming them for the return of their God. The world had widley accepted the Gods had died, and were not returning; yet the Order remained steadfast. So they trained, year in and year out. They mastered the arts of combat. Knowing, they would be prepared for the return of their master, Mephu, God of Justice.
Te'gun Sha'tu sat quietly atop the ledge, his mind lost in the blissful realm of meditation. His soul at peace with his mind and body; his being concentrated into a whole. He was a man of principle and honor, a Warrior Monk of the Order. His heart was pure and his soul uncorrupted by the wants and lusts of mortals. While the mortals fought out of greed and lust, Te'gun fought for Justice. To protect the innocent and extinquish the guilty; or so he told himself. Over and over he repeated that mantra, that his life was not wasted by sitting in the solitude of the mountain temple. Yet he knew in his heart that he thirsted to leave. To be true to his role and bring Justice and honor back to the world of man.
His pointed ears twitched, the air had changed, and became thick with power. Power that even he, an Elven Monk, had never felt before. His eyes shot open as a crimson light flashed above him in the sky. It was followed by the loudest crack of thunder he'd ever heard; causing the very earth to shake underneath him. The ancient well that had set in the middle of the Temple grounds for thousands of years suddenly burst, shwoering the plants with pieces of rubble. Te'gun stood, his mouth open in shock as a giant hand burst through the ground.
The dust hung heavily in the air, blocking view of the rubble. Te'gun dropped to his knees in worship; a giant, but incredibly beautiful man stood in the center of the temple. His dark skin had a golden hue, and his bald head was riddled with runes. A giant smile was placed firmly on his face, and his eyes shone with glee. "Mephu." Whispered Te'gun and the hundreds of other monks who had gathered to witness the spectacle. They were all bowed and staring in shock at the sudden appearance of the God of Justice. He scanned the monks surrounding him, and his eyes locked on Te'gun; his smile grew even larger.
His voice instilled peace in the monks hearts, but flowed with immense power. "The game has resumed.."
****
Dragon's Reach shook as powerful thunder shook the earth; and a crimson light flashed across the clear blue skies. A large, stone platform crumbled inwards, revealing steps that led down into the dark. The darkness was replaced with a crimson light as ancient runes came to life; they lined the walls leading down the stairwell.
A blast of hot hair soared out, followed by a deep and ferocious roar. Silence hung across the mountain tops; every beast went into hiding, no matter their might. They had inherited this trait from ancient ancestors; every beast that walked Telon knew the call of the Dragon...
For several minutes there was no sound, but that changed as a muscular man stepped out from the stairwell. He was giant, with even large muscles. His fiery red hair hung perfectly down his back, his beard was trimmed elegantly; his strength and anger were immense. After all these years, the Dragon King has returned...