It was late in the evening as the sun had started to set and most people had already gone asleep when 6 ships emerged over the horizon. Behind them came an ominous-looking cloud of fog.
Guards of the town of Segres watched the ships approach with excitement and dread at the same time. Though they were excited to see the long-to-be-thought-lost ships return, hopefully with good news and lots of riches gathered from their journey. They couldn't help but feel that something was off. They all got a bad feeling while looking at the approaching ships. They couldn't explain it, but something just felt off. There seemed to be something ominous about the ships and the way they looked and moved, something unnatural.
No more did the ships seem to be clean and pristine like they were when they left all those months ago. Now the ships looked worn with cracks and splinters covering the whole wooden frame of the ships. The sails were also gravely torn and burned as if some mighty storm had assailed the ships. Not only that, they couldn't even see any life onboard the ships. It was as if the ships were moving on their own, pushed forward by some unseen force.
This made the guards want to ring the bell and sound the alarm. But they hesitated for the town was already on edge and asleep. The war has affected the people's mood greatly as of late. Taxes had risen, and more men were called to the war effort, leaving only the elderly and young boys behind. Not only this, there were also rumors of bandits hiding in the nearby forests preparing to strike. So they didn't want to disturb the people unless absolutely necessary and surely their worst fears were unfounded. For these ships were theirs and it was to be expected that they would look a little beat up after such a long voyage.
After over 8 months at sea, it was actually a miracle that they had even managed to return home at all. Watching this scene the guards spoke amongst each other.
" Hey! You think they are all dead? " Asked guard one.
" Could be. Maybe raising the sails and setting course back home was their last action and now they all are lying dead on the ships deck. " Said Guard two.
" Or maybe the ships are infested by those Arabic pirates and they are just waiting inside the ships in ambush. " Suggested guard three.
" Enough talk! Wake up the rest of the men and prepare yourselves to meet whoever is on board those ships. If it looks bad let's just sound the alarm and retreat back into the castle. " Commanded the guard captain.
" But sir, what about the town folk? " Asked guard two in concern.
" Don't worry about them. Our job is to protect the lord and our families living inside the castle. And besides, at worst the women in town will be raped and enslaved. Maybe the elderly men and young boys will die but at least the women and girls will survive. " Said the Guard captain.
Shocked and disturbed by his words the men be ragingly followed the captain's orders.
The docks were on the low ground surrounded by cliffs and there were only two stairways leading to them. On each stairway, 6 guards with muskets formed up as the captain and two guards walked to the dock ready to greet their fellow people.
As the ships approached a thick fog came from the sea past the ships and quickly it enveloped the entire town as if it were magic.
Now close to the docks, the ships slowed down as if they were controlled by some other-dimensional being. Then the guards could see some dark hooded figures emerge onto the decks of the ships as they then started to pull down the sails.
Seeing this the guards were startled as they couldn't clearly make out the distant figures in the thick fog. But as the ships came into the docks they were able to finally see them. Quickly they recognised the armor of the hooded figures and lowered their weapons. Then with smiles on their faces, they started to cheer. " Hah, they actually made it back! Those crazy fucks! "
Now as the ships were next to the docks dark hooded men jumped off the ships. One by one as they landed in full battle gear with ropes in hand the docks shook under their weight.
Then as they started to tie the ships in place ramps extended out from the ships and onto the docks.
From the middle dock, Marino dressed in black with his face only partially covered by his dark hood walked off the ship. He was followed by the now two-and-a-half meters tall Sloth and a group of 6 men carrying chests.
Sloth wore the same gear as the rest with a helmet and hood covering his face. The only exception was that his clothes had multiple sewn patches on his now tight-looking clothes.
As they approached the group of guards standing at the dock with heavy metallic footsteps. The group of guards unconsciously took a step back as sweat formed on their faces and they started to hesitate.
The sight of their approach through the fog was quite intimidating to their medieval superstitious minds. Though the armor they recognized, but to them there seemed to be something off about the black armored men, something they couldnt quite explain.
Stopping but a few meters away from the guards, Marino lifted his smirking face to look at the guard captain. Now with his face in full view, the guards were startled and drew their swords.
" Who are you? Identify yourself! " The guard captain commanded in a now hesitant time of voice.
What he saw under that hood was not the same man that had left on these ships all those months ago. No this was something that resembled more of a monster than a man.
Firstly Marino's outer appearance was completely different. His right arm was completely black made up of some black stones by the look of it. Not only that he had greatly grown in height and width. Now Marino stood a little bit over two meters tall and looked like a muscular bear instead of a man, with his wide frame.
Secondly and most startlingly his face was unrecognisable. Almost his entire face was covered in the same black stone that covered his right arm. His face looked more like a stone mask instead of a face. At places it was smooth but at some it was rough, giving him a menacing look. And then he had a singular horn that slightly protruded out from his hood. But most horrifying was his red glowing eyes that sent shivers down a man's spine and sent danger signals ringing in the guards minds.
As Marino grinned and opened his mouth to speak the guards could see two sharp rows of teeth, like a shark would have and then came the voice. Like two separate entities speaking at the same time, the voice rang out as it said.
" Who am I you ask? Well, I am Marino if you can't tell. It is true that my appearance has changed slightly throughout these past months but I assure you I am still me. But now I am better, stronger and something much more than before. Something you mortals could possibly not understand. "
Then before Marino could continue the captain spoke with a trembling voice. " P-prove it! Prove that you are who you say you are! "
Annoyed by the man's question Marino's stony black face shifted and formed into a frown as he spoke with force. " Fool didn't you hear what I just said! I am Marino and this is the same crew that left these docks all those months ago! Now enough talk! Take me to the lord, I bring gifts from my journey and there is something I wish to say to him in person. "
With that said Marino stepped forward expecting the captain to step aside and make way. But then his danger senses went off as the captain yelled in desperation.
" Die you demon! " With trained and swift movements he struck his short sword forward, aiming for Marino's neck.
Noticing this Marino simply grinned evilly and took the strike head-on.
With a cling and a small crack sound the sword struck Marino's neck, cutting the dark fabric covering it and exposing his neck.
Underneath the fabric what could be seen was the same black stone covering his entire neck. The sword had only managed to chip away at the black stone a little.
At this moment the entire dock area was silent as all the guards were completely stunned at the scene unsure of what to do. While at the same time, Marino's crew watched all this in silence.
The captain pulled his sword back in horror and managed to take one step back when Marino flexed his neck and spoke. " Pathetic! "
Then with a quick motion he extended his right arm forward and grabbed a hold of the captains armoured head. His hand was big, enough so to almost completely wrap around the captains head.
Seeing this the two other guards stepped back in fear and before anybody could say or do anything, Marino said. " Die! "
His hand flexed, grip tightened and the captains feet left the ground as he was lifted slightly into the air. The force of his grip also broke the captains helmet causing the metal to dig into his skull, causing extreme pain. " Aaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhh! " The captain managed to scream after which his head exploded like a watermelon, sending blood and brain matter flying everywhere.
Horrified by this sight the two soldiers accompanying the captain screamed in terror and dropped their weapons as they started to run.
But before they could get far Marino kicked the captains body and sent it flying towards one of them. At the same time, he sprinted forward towards the other one.
The captains body hit one of the guards sending him stumbling to the ground. As he fell, Marino had already reached the other fleeing guard and with great force ripped out his head still attached to his spine.
Blood sprayed out of the open wound as Marino swung the spine like a whip towards the fallen guard.
The force and speed of the spine whip was so great that the air crackled and the whip turned into a blur. Then like a knife cutting through moist meat. The guards neck was split from his body, the spine whip shattered into pieces on contact with the wooden dock and blood was sent flying everywhere from the now-dead corpse.
All this had happened so fast that the guard guarding the stairs had yet to register in their heads what was even happening. But as blood flew and their fellow colleagues and friends turned into lifeless corpses, realization finally kicked in.
" You fucking monster! Die! " Yelled a guard as he hastily lifted his musket towards Marino and pulled the trigger without a second thought.
Marino watched this amused as the musketball completely missed him and hit the wooden ground underneath him.
Taking this as a signal, all the guards started to fire their muskets toward Marino's crew with little success as their targets returned fire.
As the battle started Marino took one last look at the severed guards head lying in front of him. The man was somebody he didn't know by name but he recognized his face.
He was but a young man in his thirties, with a long future ahead of him and a young wife and two daughters waiting at home. That much he knew, as his parents had at one point considered his daughter as a marriage candidate for Marino before he met Lara.
But now he was but a dead lifeless man. Well, no matter, for now, he was here and he would most definitely be keeping company with the dead man's family. Especially the dead mans now single milf of a wife. Thinking of this Marino grinned evilly. Then as a musketball whistled past his head he came back into reality and rage took over once again as he said angryly. " Kill them all! Slaughter whoever stands in your path! Let's Rape, pillage and conquer this town and surrounding towns for I the chosen of God demand it! "
Bells rang out waking the town as men dressed in black and many demonic unholy creatures sprang out from the ships. Quickly the guards on the stairs were overwhelmed as Marino's forces pressed forth into the town and towards the seaside lords castle.
Elderly men and young boys holding makeshift weapons sprang out from their houses to meet this mysterious invader.
But soon they were shocked and horrified to see mutated men with crab-like arms and many other deformations emerge from the mist. From behind them moving undead creatures and red demonic dogs came also.
Paralyzed by fear the townspeople were quickly overwhelmed and slaughtered under the dark night sky.
Many screams of terror could be heard all around the town prompting the townspeople living further away to start running instead of resisting. But hopes of escaping were short-lived as demonic bats emerged from the dark night sky. They slaughtered all holding weapons and resisting as others were cornered and bound by the somewhat intelligent but sadistic bat creatures.
Leading the assault towards the castle was Marino. With only a handful of guards remaining to defend the castle Marino and his forces broke through the outer gate with ease.
Like a battering ram, Sloth ran through the weak outer gate like a professional American football player. Afterward, Marino's men mercilessly proceeded to slaughter the 3 guards stationed at the wall.
Then as they entered the outer courtyard the priest and his two bitches stepped out from the castle chapel in full battle armor.
The muscular bald warrior priest lifted his hammer in a righteous challenge to the invaders and yelled. " Whoever dares to defy the lord's place of rest! Prepare to meet your due punishment by the hammer of this lord's servant! Come at me you vile invaders! With me my sister's! Forward! "
Then with that said the priest and the two warrior nuns charged towards Marino.
In response, his men charged past him with their own new battlecry. " Servant of the false god! Prepare to meet your doom! "
As cultists and the warriors from the chapel clashed, musket balls flew from the castle firing holes and walls toward the invaders.
Uncaring of this Marino protected by his new black skin charged forward towards the gatehouse followed by Sloth who simply tanked all the musketballs.
As they charged cultists, undead and demon dogs fell all around them to the musket balls. On their right side, the priest smashed cultists to bloody messes as nuns did the same with their flail maces.
Charging towards the wooden castle gate Sloth faltered as more and more musket balls hit his big body.
Watching this from the back Marino got worried. At such low speed Sloth could never break through that thick wooden gate, Marino thought. " Come on Sloth! Push forward! Do not give up now, not when we are so close! " Marino yelled.
Marino needed Sloth to succeed in this or else this would take much more time. For Marino had not planned for this. His plan was simple. That was that he would pretend to be giving gifts to the lord from the new world as a tribute. While in reality, he would use that opportunity to simply assassinate the lord and like that take over the town. But now everything was all wrong.
With Marino's words of encouragement, Sloth cried out a mighty battle cry and charged with all his ogre might.
Shit! That's not enough, thought Marino as he watched this. Then as a final solution, he used all his force power and pushed Sloth forward sending him flying towards the gate, like a deer flying through a shop window.
Then with a hard boom, Sloths massive body fucked up the gate and he was sent flying past almost lifeless into the inner courtyard.
Unprepared for this the two guards guarding the gate watched in shock as Marino simply ran past their shocked faces towards the door to the Great Hall.
" Hey, you stop! " Yelled the other guard, right before and cultist ran his sword through the distracted guard.
Running past Sloth Marino heard him say. " I think I've broken something. "
Uncaring of this he kicked down the door to the Great Hall. Before him, he could see an angry-looking crippled lord on his throne and his few servants yelling in terror at Marino's entrance.
Walking towards the small throne he pulled out his sword from its sheath as the somewhat deranged-looking lord spoke. " You Thief! You you Barbarian! Have you come to rob my seat of power from me? Well, you can't have it! It's mine by right! "
Grinning Marino walked In front of the seated lord grabbed a hold of his throat with his left hand and spoke. " No lord! I am merely expropriating what is rightfully mine! "
Putting his sword to the lord's chest Marino was about to run the lord through when he stopped as the lord asked through gritted teeth. " By who's right! "
Smiling Marino pushed his sword into the lord's crippled body and as the life faded from his eyes, Marino said while grinning. " My own right. For I am the chosen of God and all that I desire belong to me by my own right. For I am the highest authority on this mortal plane! "
...