Crimson Moon - Aldrich

"To think you would fall so far. The once-proud Ruler of Elysium is now dead and buried." Simeon Wel mocked with a slight hint of a smile. "Tell me, fallen king, how does it feel to fall yet still exist?"

Clanking stone upon stone, deep within the shadows of an empty cell, sat a man in decrepit rags. He did not rise to the bait, merely continuingly striking a rock against another as if to relieve the boredom of his endless existence.

"I come in the name of my master," Simeon Wel continued, quite aware he was listening, "We have a deal for you, of course, for you and many others."

"Simeon," Aldrich voiced in a deep dismal tone, "Do not assume me being dead allows you to speak freely to me. Should the following words from your lips disrespect me any further, I shall have your head."

"So the sovereign still has fangs!" Thundering with laughter, Simeon bowed, his head low, "Then forgive me, your grace. But its as I said, my lord wishes to make a deal, and I named you."

"Continue." Aldrich sounded somewhat intrigued, yet the echoes of his somber hammering continued.

"We wish to offer you revenge, of course. What is it you know of the young child, Zariel, wielder of the second sin?"

"The second sin? Is that not form that forgotten religion that those of the Hells and Seven Heavens still cling to?" Aldrich inquired mockingly, knowing he would not dare speak of his dismissal to those of the Seven Heavens or Hells.

"Indeed, but in this case, I or should I say many have now begun saying he now carries the Second Sin, right beside the so-called ruler of hell, Lucifer, as the devils oh so claim."

"What is your point?"

Lowering his head, behind the shades of his hair, Simeon lifted his lips, "I am sure you recall, even here, in the Plane of Oblivian, the laws distorted for but a moment. A second, if not less."

"A couple of hundred years ago, if I recall," Said Aldrich, growing more curious with each word uttered by Simeon. "Who is this boy?"

"His father is the current Batlle King on Iluthath, a major player yet; he was so dismissive of the boy. A shame, a true shame if you ask me given his ability to manipulate the Weave."

Halting his ceaseless hammering. a sharp tremor ran through the faint appearance of Aldrich as he turned for the first time to Simeon, 'impossible,"

"Indeed, but I am not here to lie," Simeon replied calmly, knowing the bait was cast. "The boy has an innate ability to manipulate the Weave."

"Rising from off the barren ground of oblivion, Aldrich staggered towards the gates of his cell, slapping his hands against the iron bars. "Tell me your master was not so foolish as to anger the boy?

"You speak as though you would not have done the same thing? Master had no idea of the extent of his abilities. No one did; he was merely a child cursed at birth to be rejected by the Heavens, but his power grew till one day we overstepped."

"How does this pertain to me and my so call revenge?" Aldrich coldly asked, understanding nothing as to how Zariel was involved.

"The God of Order, Sephtis, who gathered an army to kill you, was born from Zariels actions."

"Sephtis? He is a God of Order now? That bastard was over a thousand chaos cycles. And Zariel is what a few hundred years if not a few cycles old? You think me a fool?" Aldrich scuffed, waving him off, "Leave before I kill you."

"Hear me out first. "Simeon urged softly, picking up the pace in which he spoke, "you see, going back a few hundred years, to the birth of the Second sin, Zariel did something unthinkable, in but a single moment he killed the previous God of Order using the Weave and in that single moment, two-thirds of creation was wiped out of existence. Their very souls turned to ash before they could comprehend what had happened."

"W-W-What?'

"The laws of creation flipped inside and out, sending everything from Iluthath to the Sea of Chaos into a state of anarchy, but in that single moment, my master had made a fatal mistake, using his own authority as Ruler of the Realm of BLood, he unaware that the concept of time and space was distorted as well tried to force creation back together.

"The Will of The Heavens saw to create a new Ruler of Order." Aldrich muttered sourly, looking down at the stone-cold ground, "It sent him back in time, a so far he could take up the mantle of Order as soon as the last one died. An impossible task, but durable if all the laws are disorder."

"It's as you say," Simeon pointed out, "When the previous God of Order tried to keep creation in order, he died, but in the next few seconds, a new God of Order had appeared, but by then Zariels Sin had already done its damage."

"What happened to him? The boy that is?"

"Sent to the Nines, I'm afraid, but escaped."Simeon answered with a bitter smile that did not escape Aldrich's penetrating stare, "We wish for you to kill him before his power can continue to grow."

"I am no man's pawn, Simeon. Your master was nothing to me when I was alive and nothing to me now. Tell him I am not interested in his games. Nor am I willing to take in it." Aldrich expressed, turning his back.

"I am afraid it is not up to you. For you see, it's either you join, or we begin destroying your Plane. For you see, their new Ruler just so happens to be one of ours. It will seem after your death, Elysium took no time in having a coronation."

Aldrich's footsteps came to a swift halt; as he turned burning with a seething rage, he drew closer towards the bars once more. Aldrich was many things, a killer, a thief, a liar, but a coward or a traitor he was not.

Lifting his lips, he chuckled, if only for a second, "Send me back, Simeon, but know I will kill you, whoever is seated upon my throne, and I am coming for your master. His day's like yours will be numbered."

Cracking a half-smile filled with contempt, Simeon turned towards the north, "We have to go. It will seem Oblivians mysterious Ruler has taken notice of us. How stale, but it matters not, we shall meet again, Aldrich, for the Blood Moon is now upon the land."