Before me stretched a tapestry of verdant grass and flowers, their colors so impossibly vivid they seemed to hum with life. My hollow, soulless gaze lingered, unwilling to part from the brilliance of their beauty.
As I turned my head, towering trees embraced the clearing in a cocoon of green. Their leaves rustled softly, punctuated by the occasional melody of unseen winged creatures. Overhead, I caught a glimpse of them at last—a flock of shimmering, feathered forms moving in perfect harmony against the bright sky.
Where was I exactly? I hadn't the faintest idea.
Who was I? Blank was my mind.
What am I?
...
.
I am a Death Knight.
The elite enforcers of the Goddess of Death, bound by duty to serve as judge, jury, and executioner. My sworn purpose was to sever the condemned from the cycle of reincarnation, to ensure they never touched another world again.
The weight of that purpose was carved deep into my very essence—yet here I was, adrift and bewildered
Where were the ash storms of the damned, the ceaseless wails of the accursed, the choking miasma of despair? This place was far too vibrant, too alive for the underworld I knew.
Utter confusion swirled within my thoughts like a maelstrom. To not know where I was—nor even who I truly was—was an unforgivable lapse.
I paused, taking a deep, hollow breath, though my lungs held no air.
What if the Inquisitors find me?! What can I possibly say?! The thought struck like a hammer to my chest. I dreaded the sight of those... monsters.
I need to get back to my post first!
Panic threatened to overtake me, but I steeled myself. No, I must focus. I must return to my post!
Rising, I surveyed myself. My dark armor with a faint glowing blue hue bore the scars of countless battles—scratches and dents etched into its surface like an ancient map of violence. My tattered cape fluttered faintly in the breeze, a grim banner of my station.
I felt nothing on my body, the minute shifting of my plates and chainmail as I walked towards the larger part of the opening of this strange green forest.
I began my march, my steps slow and deliberate, the ground beneath my boots crunching faintly. I stopped now and then, plucking a flower or a blade of grass, feeling its life force flicker and fade in my grasp.
This place teemed with vitality. Every leaf, every creature exuded energy, a stark contrast to the desolation I had always known.
The stillness of the forest was deceptive. Though I could sense no danger, my instincts remained sharp. The chirping of the winged beasts above had faded as I ventured deeper. The only sound now was the faint rustling of leaves and the distant murmur of water.
Where am I?
They didn't mention the other realms in my orientation; we were supposed to be guarding the palace, helping mete out punishment to the sinners, and doing other sorts of specialized grunt work.
I halted.
'It was supposed to be the inquisitors that were sent out to the other realms!'
I stomped and stomped on the dirt, swiping my sword on it a couple of times; mounds would form as I let out my frustration.
'Maybe this is a test?' I thought to myself, 'Or maybe it was an accident.' I slouched down, realizing the spiral that I was going into; luckily, I was self-aware enough to not waste my time thinking such things.
This place felt unreal, a vivid dream, yet I knew it was no illusion. The Goddess Hela's domain had never known light like this, never pulsed with life so freely. I stopped by a cluster of wildflowers, their colors so bright they seemed to burn. My gauntleted hand reached out to touch them, but I hesitated.
I withdrew, unsure of what effect my touch might have.
I decided to sit down on a dead log nearby.
'Ah, excuse me.' I saw a line of insects moving through; I couldn't notice them quick enough due to how overwhelming the lifeforce everything in the forest was exuding.
The bright ball of fire high above me lit up the entire area, letting the creatures and plants see and frolic, going on about their day.
In this strange world, I was not a guardian. I was a blight.
And yet.
Why was I taken from my post? To be brought to the realm of the living, I presumed.
I couldn't help it, that thought won't cease. I couldn't stop thinking about it.
By the time I realized what was happening, it was getting dark, and the chorus of the living world had quieted, replaced by the soft whispers of the wind. I returned to the spot where I had awoken, hoping for answers.
'Thank you for letting me rest on your home.' I parted with the log, where inside was a society of small insects thriving, storing their food in numerous places, caring for their youngling and managing their colony.
The sound of me walking through the same clearing, walking carefully as to not let too much pressure weight on the green grass and various flowers.
So many fragile beings here, yet I rarely see them in my time as a Death Knight, was it because I was stationed at where the most graveous of sinners are, where not much of these things was due to how corrupt those who were condemned were? I didn't know.
Maybe there was a section of the Underworld for these insects and plants? These non-sentient life who may die someday.
I shook my head at that thought, for if there was such a place, that must've been a popular destination.
The trees weren't unfamiliar; so too were the flowers and grass. My realm had them, though they weren't in such large quantities compared to here; this was why I was surprised and confused at the beginning.
'Oh, excuse me.' I stopped dead in my tracks as I let a shining insect fly through. Letting it make its way, I go around.
I stood there, motionless, watching as more glowing insects rose into the twilight.
They illuminated the darkness like stars reborn.
From the two earlier, went to four, then six, then eight, more kept popping out of nowhere.
What was happening? Is it because it was dark that they decided to come out?
I didn't want to interfere with their way, heck I wasn't even supposed to be here, yet their light was oddly mesmerizing, it was....
Beautiful.
Beautiful was the word that came to my empty skull as I watched it slowly fly towards me; the moment it did, it slowly landed on my pauldrons.
My large horned pauldrons, made with Soulshard Steel, refined again and again to a dark perfection, the hues of blue were the various souls I've personally condemned to be my armor, sword, and shield clung onto me with rage and despair.
Yet unbothered by these facts, the insect landed. Not knowing what to do, I decided to cup it with my large hands and release it to the flower, but its small and frail size and physique made it hard to do.
Everyone and everything would stay far away from me.
For whatever reason though, this small thing landed on me, What was I supposed to do besides trying to evict the thing?
Swing
Swoosh
Swoosh
Swing
After several attempts, this lone insect kept flying towards me.
'If I run, I might trip and even kill the grass due to my weight.'
Swoosh
'Worth a shot, I guess.' The buzzing of its small wings, the insect flew towards me once again.
I made my way through the clearing as more lights awakened; the shimmering and glistening was beautiful, but the insect was still following me.
What the heck is wrong with it? Why won't it stop following me?
'Woah!' I stopped abruptly; I was close to the mouth of the woods, where I first woke up, but more insects blocked my way.
Hm..
'Excuse.... me!' I walked through the flying lights; none were stuck onto me, luckily.
'Finally!' I quickly checked my surroundings, then my armor; nothing was stuck on it.
I was free!
Now....
I wait...
Again..
I guess.
For hours, I waited. I stood atop my initial spot, my sort of summoning or spawn origin.
Will anything happen if I wait here? I don't know, but it was worth a shot.
Heck, maybe an Inquisitor might find me here!
Knowing the foolishness of trying to find my own way back rather than enduring a harsh speech and subsequent hearing by the Inquisitor corps...
At least they had a surefire way of going back.
Well, for now I wait once again.
In this empty space.
10 Days Later
The forest changed around me, its rhythm moving with the flow of time. The vibrant flowers wilted and were replaced by new blooms. Creatures came and went, some bold enough to approach the edges of my presence before skittering away.
Ten days. Ten days of silence, of solitude, of uncertainty.
.....Where are they?
Where were the Inquisitors?
I resigned myself to my fate, a harsh reprimand and probably a demotion.
But why was it that the Inquisitors haven't found me yet?
Wasn't I supposed to be high above the Knighthood?
Each passing moment brought a new wave of questions. Why had I been brought here? Why had no one come for me? I was a Death Knight—one of the Goddess's elite. Was I forgotten? Abandoned?
Pheeeeeew
Calm down
Calm.... down
The thought burned. My station, my purpose—everything I was—demanded recognition, yet here I stood, a shadow in a world of light. My armored fist clenched tightly, the metal creaking under the strain.
I must remain calm....
For I am a Death Knight...
An Undead like me can't be seen like this...
But the heavens remained silent.