A Sundered Blade

[Seheren]

The ruined wasteland of Argyle spread out before him, darkness and foul mist cloaked the ground. It's tendrils grasping at the feet of the two Knights as they marched forward. As they passed over the top of a rise the Tavern came into view and Korvus could see the Disciples of the Hells going about their business in the distance.

Korvus turned his head and studied the Knight at his side as the continued. His dark armor was magnificent and fear inspiring. Though, what drew his attention most was the glow in his eyes. A Baneknight. Only the most devout and worthy were granted such a fearsome honor.

The two spoke little until the Keep loomed into view in the distance. The Knight paused and turned to Korvus. "Do you know what creates respect?" he began. The Knight held Korvus' eyes as they spoke of the tenants of their Faith. The virtues of Fear and Strength, the true path to Order.

"This place.." The Baneknight spread his arms, a sweeping gesture across the dark landscape before them. "This hellpit teems with chaos. Disorder. It is why we tend to refuse to work with Demons. Rather we would work with the more predictable Devils. We do not wish to perpetuate this kind of madness.." The Knight looked out over the broken path, his glowing eyes drinking in the injustice of it all. The senseless chaos that roiled at its surface.

"This Chaos gives rise to unpredictable endings, regardless of strength. This is something the Order seeks to crush beneath the Iron Fist f Bane." The Knight continued, his voice like a whip.

"There is a Demon within. A powerful servant of that Chaos that you must remove. Show us your strength, show us how you bring this Chaos to Order." The Baneknight's eyes flared with intensity as he gave Korvus his trial. "You will find your test within the Ruined Chapel. Go there, I will await your success or Death."

The path seemed in sharp focus from behind the gilded helm as Korvus wound his way down past the Tavern. He tread carefully as he neared the the graveyard. He could almost feel the presence of the Demon's before he saw them. A great host, fleeing the shadows to descend upon him. It was more then he had expected, and he cursed his arrogance as he summoned his Skeletal Knight. The bones twisted into reality as the first closed, Korvus let his servant wade into the tide of demons with its Halberd as he wrapped himself in protections.

The demons fell over his servant like a wave of putrid flesh. The skeleton whirled its polearm around, catching more then one as Korvus joined the fight with his dark blade in hand. The first moments of battle went to Korvus and his servant, but the numbers increased as more twisted and bloodthirsty creatures fled the shadows to meet them.

Flashes of Abyssal magics streaked across the sky, Succubi and other demons flying in from above to rain their magics upon him. He could feel the wards stripped and the bite of their weapons at his defenses. Korvus called upon Bane for strength, his sword hummed with power and he caught a demon flat-footed, removing its head with a swift strike. Yet as the blade severed one, another from behind found Korvus' side, slicing in between plates and into his flesh.

With a groan Korvus turned, the blade ripping at his flesh. His dark blade came down, but too slow. Through the slits in his visor the battle was a blur, he continued to fight but the numbers threatened to overwhelm him. He roared in defiance, pushing his way through part of the throng to pick his ground. The fight grew desperate as the blood seeped from his side, his arm growing tired and slow.

Korvus raised his blade high, arching it down towards the skull of a disgusting ape looking Demon. Before his blade reached it, his vision went white. A flash of magic streaked past his face, nearly blinding him. He could hear the crack of more magic as it streaked behind him, the dying cries of the demons mixing with their growls of bloodlust.

He turned on another beast, and he saw then.. He saw as the disciples joined the fray. Blasts of Hellish magics raining down on the demons, tentacles of ice wrapping them up and tearing them apart. The Warlocks shouted out at him, and rallied to his position, driving what Demons remained into the darkness....

[Seheren]

As the last Demons fell or fled, Korvus fell to one knee. The gash in his side continued to bleed, and his vision spun. Weakly he harnessed what divine strength he had, enough only to stem the tide of blood as the men circled around him. Straightening as he could, he took a silken bandage soaked with curative salve and held it to his side as he rose.

The Disciples spoke first, "We are sorry to have intruded, but we saw the size of this horde and knew we must step in." Their leader stood forward, looking down at the wound on Korvus' side.

"No. Your aid was most welcome.." Korvus replied with a strained tone, pausing as he adjusted the bandage. "Treachery is their weapon, and I misjudged them.."He continued. Korvus' strength returned slowly as they spoke, the Disciples curious to the Knight's motives. Korvus revealed his intentions, and gleaned more detailed information from the Warlocks of his foe. With little convincing the disciples agreed to follow him as their purpose was aligned with his own.

It came to him suddenly, and he could see it. He was not meant to face all challenges alone. If not by Bane's own hand, it was fate that these Hellions were here. They were to be his tool, the shield that guarded him as he brought Bane's will down upon the Chaos he was here to destroy.

Little else stood in their way as the entered the desecrated chapel, but as they entered the fight found them anew. The Demons threw the thralls at them, and stood back to throw their spells and laugh at the wanton destruction. The laughter and screams of bloodlust soon turned to cries of death as the Disciples magics ripped through them as surely as Korvus' dark blade.

The first of the Disciples fell then, his heart ripped through by a demon's blade. He would not be the last as Korvus led them through the darkened halls. The Demons were numerous, but they fell before the organized effort. They threw themselves at Korvus and the Warlocks that he led. They ambushed without thought and fell to the groups practiced discipline.

Inch by inch they neared the Chapel's main altar. The deepest corner of the corrupted Temple. There he would find his test, and there he would bring down the Iron Fist of Bane and send the Demon back to the Abyss.

Only three disciples remained as he pushed into the final chamber. The Demons raged in protest as Adhnmâdûr cut through them, the Divine powers searing their flesh with it's dark power. The last in the room was hardly corporeal. The Demon struck from shadows that it was nearly one with. Its powerful reach claiming yet another Disciple in the fight before it too fell against the power of Korvus' blade.

The death brought a long silence in the chapel, and Korvus' deep voiced echoed off the ruined stone to break it. "Enough of these wretched minions! You know why I am here.." Korvus' voice was laced with a smoldering fury. A call that may have struck fear into a lesser being..

The Demon's response was mocking, "Very well! I will test your steel, Tin Soldier of Bane." It laughed, the bestial voice was quickly accompanied by the rush of wind beneath giant wings. The two Warlocks called out their warnings too late as it dropped between them. The first to die attempted to throw a spell as the Balor's clawed hand grasped his head and broke his neck. The man fell limply to the floor, but before the body ever hit the ground the Balor's Abyssal blade struck the head from the last Disciple.

As both lay dead, Korvus whispered a short word to the Tyrant and met the Balor's gaze. With only a rolling growl escaping his lips Korvus charged at the Demon. Just before they clashed he made himself invisible, and using items he had commissioned from the Scions he wrapped himself again with warding magic and met the Balor's swings.

The two dark blades met, and Korvus pressed in, striking the Balor swiftly. The strikes drew a howl of pain from the Balor, but cost Korvus a glancing blow to his shoulder. Feeling the press from Korvus the Balor summoned his power to blast him with abyssal fire. Korvus anticipated the Demon's move and shifted his movements, sliding behind a pillar free from the blast.

He rolled around it and struck the Balor again. Wrapped in magic, and using the tight fighting space against his enemy, Korvus pressed the Balor back. Adhnmâdûr bit into the Demon hungrily, and the blade hummed with power as Korvus swung through and met the Balor's blade with a tremendos clash of power. The sound crashed off the walls as the Balor's blade shattered. The blow sent the Balor awkwardly forward, and Korvus saw his opening and drove his dark blade upward. The blade bit through the Balor's chest with ease, the point piercing through its spine.

The Balor howled in pain and cursed at him with it's last breaths as the fires began to consume him, "I will find you Knight, and you will suffer.." Korvus ripped his blade free and dove across the small space to shelter himself behind the Altar as the Balor erupted in flames.

As the debris settled Korvus rose and brushed it from his tabbard and cloak. Moving toward the scorched stone, his eyes fell upon the Balor's sundered blade. A fitting trophy for his victory. With care Korvus wrapped the blade in cloth and put it in his magical bag, the large weapon fitting easily in the small object.

His trial done, Korvus looked out upon the devastated corpses of the Disciples as they lay strewn about with the corpses of the Demon's thralls. A pitty, but you served me well.. He thought. He knelt before each corpse and took from them the symbol of their Infernal God. Let yours remember the service you gave to Bane, and your God, Korvus thought as he held each of the symbols in his hand.

Korvus' steps echoed in the empty and quiet Temple as he left to return the dead's symbols to their own...

((DM GD: Nice work, 500 rep.))