Game of the Gods

Chapter 1: Death

It was cold. Always cold. He felt it on his skin like the touch of a lover's hands. A lover that had been dead for three years. He laughed at this thought. It was dark, as well. He didn't care, nor had he ever. He had no need for warmth or light. All that he needed was thoughts. Such was his mind, such was his world.

Morbdos lay in thought, contemplating the inner workings of the universe. Each thread tied just right to make the picture perfect...and if just one thread was pulled...Morbdos smiled at this thought. It tickled his fancy and drew beautiful pictures into his mind. Pictures of nothing, empty blackness on empty blackness. And that was what Morbdos wanted.

His thoughts were interrupted suddenly by the sound of footsteps. A Gilarnth, Morbdos's messengers, was coming to deliver news. He slowly rose to his feet, black robes draping all around him. He took the hood of his robes and put it over his head. Black, leather gloves covered his hands, and the robes went down to the ground, thus, his whole body was covered. A dim light entered the room on its own accord, washing the marble room with an off white.

The messenger stepped into the room. It was a humanoid with leathery skin and wings, each a dark, sickly green. It was hunched over and pathetically naked, a grim expression painted on its pointed face. It opened its mouth, as if to speak, but shut it again. Morbdos nodded, and it began again.

"M..." it stuttered. "Master...news of the battle." Another nod. "We have defeated the enemy forces and driven them back." Morbdos cleared his throat slowly. "Good," he said. The Gilarnth's face lit up at the words. What an honor to be spoken to by its master! "Is that all?" Morbdos asked, his voice emotionless. This time the creature nodded. "Then you may go." He turned away from the beast. It looked at the doorway, then back to the tall, imposing figure clad in black.

"M...master?" it said softly. Morbdos didn't move. "Yes?" he responded after a short pause. "M...may I see you?" Morbdos sighed and looked back to the beast. "What is your name?" "I...Ihngarth, my great lord." A second passed as Morbdos searched through his mind to find the name. "Hmmm, Ihngarth. You have delivered many messages for and to me. Very well, you shall have the honor of looking upon your master." The creature braced itself eagerly.

Morbdos held his hands out to his sides. The robes, the hood, the gloves, something seemed...different. They almost looked like they were rippling, like black water. Soon, it was obvious that this was exactly what they were doing. Then they slowly faded away, until they were gone. The Gilarnth's eyes widened in horror. It grabbed its face and shrieked pitifully.

Before it stood a skeleton. The bones were yellow with age, and inside the eye sockets, two malignant red orbs glowed. The fingers were sharpened to a point, and the bottoms of the jaws were horned. It wore an eternal smile that reeked of damnation. "Yes!" Morbdos cried, though he had no vocal cords with which to speak, "Look upon your master, Morbdos, god of Death, Bringer of Ruin, Tainter of the Land! Look upon his aged bones, your eyes searching his features for how he stays together. Your pathetic mind couldn't contain half of what holds me together! Yes, look upon me...and DIE!" The creature gave another scream, and turned black. It fell apart, and as the body touched the ground, it sank through. "Fool."

He turned around again, the clothes quickly reforming onto his body. He waved a gloved hand, and the wall before him melted away, showing a rocky battlefield. Men and women, some garbed in red, some in silver, were running in delicious fright, large explosions following them. Morbdos would've smiled if he weren't already.

Suddenly, the room flashed bright red. Screaming could be heard as Morbdos's concentration was shattered. The world began to fall apart, but it quickly rebuilt itself. He cursed. "An emergency meeting! Bah! I don't understand why they even bother to send it to my realm anymore. I never answer...and I never shall!" The last word echoed through the room. The light sank away, drowning the room in darkness again. He lay down again, thoughts drifting through his mind...