When all that you know,
Is taken and torn to shreds.
Who do you blame.
Tell me what happens?
When your own Deity
Betrays you
Prologue; Betrayal and Revenge
This story is not one of happiness. After all what good story starts with a beginning that is happy. Tragedy always follows tragedy. If there is no right road to follow anymore whats to say that anything we do will be worth.
Our goddess, the very being that we prayed to. Left us to weather a storm that would destroy us all. Any help she could have given was denied to us. With her help I could have saved everyone, my kingdom my home.
This the ashes of my homeland. The start of a story that begins with betrayal and ends with betrayal. My goddess, who has had her name stricken from my lips, left us for dead. And in the end it pushed me down a path of evil.
The fall
The dead littered the landscape, as far as I could see was only the ghosts of those who had once lived here. My son, who had celebrated his 6th summer, was clutched in the arms of my beautiful wife. Cut down before he had even begun to learn who he was. My wife who had stood by me for my entire rule lay cold and broken with our child. Her white dress stained crimson. Among the ruins of the wall lay my brother, his broken body a testimony to the horrors. Never knowing what was coming upon on the wind. My subjects who I had served faithfully and just, stricken down as if nothing more than common cattle.
Everyone, an entire kingdom, dead. One night of complete terror, followed by silence. All the screams had died with the morning light. I stand alone, the last of a kingdom. A fallen Paladin King, now king to no one. All that is left for me is an immense thirst. A thirst for blood. Against the ones that destroyed my kingdom, and the goddess that could have saved them. This blood and lives will be paid for, even if it takes the rest of eternity to do.
One year later
To complete a vengeance against a god, one must be able to kill a god. Forbidden powers must be used. Dungeon after dungeon, chasing everything and anything that may have the power to destroy everything that I hate. Blood on the sand, or so the saying goes. For blood to be shed, hands must be stained red. Mine will no longer wash out.
Whispers plague my mind, thoughts that are no longer my own. Belonging to another who thirsts for souls. I am drawn towards it, the same as a moth to a roaring flame. Yet even now, I never once questioned my sanity. For no lengths are too great for revenge
Three years later
So much has changed since the day of darkness. I walk a warpath paved with blood. My enemies are slain with little remorse. Their souls consumed by my blade; a sentient weapon, an all-consuming force. Bound together by our souls we strive forward, eternal partner. And with the life force of those who have fallen to our might, we consume, now ageless as time itself.
Yet for all this, I am no closer to my goal. I am at the same place as when I have started. No blood of a goddess has been spilt for her sins. All I have done is slay those who stand in my path. Innocent and guilty alike. My only legacy is the genocide I have wrought. Still I must find a way to do what must be done.
Countless years
It has been so long I have almost forgotten why I started down this path. Memories are fading in and out. Times past bleed into the present. They are the only thing that remind me of what I am doing. I am becoming a ghost, just like the ones I had loved and left behind.
Every night I listen to the stories the villagers tell. They tell stories of the Death Knight or the Black Guard. In hushed whispers to frighten small children. Each and every telling is different, yet they all contain the same things. Myself, sword and familiar.
My familiar, it is still so odd to say even after all the time that has passed. A skeletal wolf of enormous proportions. I do not know where he came from and yet, I do not care. He hates everything the same as I. We are still on the hunt.
The sacrifice
The Ninth plane of hell. A place of nightmares and destruction. A constant state of war covers this cesspool of hate and villainy. Yet I come here seeking power. And power I shall have one way or another.
All power requires sacrifice. All that I have left to give is my flesh. My right arm is gone now. Traded for that of another. The soul of a dragon, shaped and added to my own. This new hideous amalgamation is mine. It smolders like the cooling lava that forms this plane.
This arm, this gift. It is from Asmodeus, Arch-Devil ruler of this plane of hell. His gift is…. Not without price. Agony and rage are barely contained within my form. It was easy to hate before, yet this rage makes it natural as breathing. Nothing will stand in the way of my vengeance. Not even Asmodeus, who now resides within my blade.
End of journey
I had done it I stood before my deity, my goddess that had left me. I looked upon her in her realm in the astral plain. She was crying. Tears that I had never seen. I was angry, raging at what she had done to me and she was there shedding tears.
“I am sorry”
She had given me up and she has the gall to say ‘I am sorry’. Gods do not apologize for anything, I know this now. Yet where were her so called “champions?” I had walked alone into this hall unchallenged. I raised my arm and pointed to her, I demanded answers for what was done.
“Your final destination is not of this world. Everything that has happened was to shape you into the greatest of warriors. A paladin that does not need the path of a god or devil to use your powers. All to protect the balance.”
I stared at her dumbfounded. My anger was simmering underneath a calm. It was so hard to keep from losing what semblance of rationalism I had and flying into a fury of metal death.
“My dear paladin I loved you like a mother, every step of your journey was seen by me. Even though I could no longer watch over you like before. I hope in your next life you will forgive me.”
As she said those words what rage I had left broke loose, and as I committed my foul deed. It snapped. I knew were the champions were. I was the last one. The last of every follower she ever had and I betrayed her. At the end all I could do was forgive her, yet I knew I would never be able to forgive myself. For as she died through my sword I absorbed her essence into my own. Feeling all the kindness she had given me. I stood there in her realm as it started collapsing in upon itself and awaited oblivion.
The contract
I had died and yet I hadn’t, my body ceased to exist. Sitting in this corrupted plane waiting for the end of my soul as well. I wait in an eternity alone. She had told me of the next step and when it comes I will accept it. As planned I will become the balance. Simply a force that shapes the will of the harmony and chaos. A true gray paladin.
And one day it happened, a visitor to my desolate throne. An odd one at that. She was regal yet not human. A pony, an Alicorn to be specific.
“Welcome to my humble abode. You, my gracious guest are the first and last visitor to this realm. You are the one I was told to wait for.”
[Queen Soliana]
I was utterly confused. This creature was waiting for me? I have never set foot on this plane before. Yet here was a sentient waiting for me.
“I am at a loss of words. I believe we have never met or even properly introduced. I will start I am Queen Soliana of Equestria.”
“Well met Queen Soliana. I am Volaren Arclite. My kingdom No longer exists. All I have left is the balance that I preserve.”
Stunned at what I had just heard. The last of a mighty kingdom. Thinking quickly as I watched him begin to fade. I could not, would not allow him to be alone any longer.
“Come with me. Serve the balance on my world. Sleep until you are needed. In my plane of existence the balance has been disrupted. Our world’s greatest creation the elements of harmony must be protected. For they will need you in their time of greatest need. You must know how important that this is?”
Silence pervaded the room. Eating away at the soft sound of the creature’s breath. Several moments had passed before any reply.
“Very well. I have no reason to hold on here any longer. While death is waiting for me it is still not my time. I will sleep and when you or your descendants need me they shall simply awaken me. However the only condition I have is that they do not know that they have summoned me. I will not be controlled again.”
“You will have a new life in my home. I hope you sleep well.”
[Volaren Arclite]
I made the contract. All that was needed to awaken me was a simple spell cast on the royal seal. For within it was a secondary seal that would last until I was awoken. When it was time for me to wake the second seal would make whoever cast the spell and any in the immediate vicinity that knew of the spell, forget that it was cast. Only a simple message saying that they were saved would appear.
I have no idea what is in store for me. But I may never be at one with myself. I have committed terrible atrocities. Murdered as many people that I have saved. Doing right doesn’t erase the wrong. I will pay for my wrongs till I give my final breath. No atonement for the wicked. Only regret.