Prologue: The Fallen Queen
POV: Lilith, A Queen of the Infernal Realm.
I dwelled in the shadows of the human realm, standing guard at the gateway to Hell. The ancient ruins lay deep within a cave, dead center of a desolate desert that man calls The Crossroads.
For years, I've tried opening the door to my realm. All efforts were in vain, for a sacrifice was made to seal this door and one must be made to unseal it. Luckily, I've figured out exactly what is needed and soon I shall unleash unimaginable horror...
I heard as my expected visitors entered the ruins, their voices echoed throughout the cave as their torch light approached. "We've made it!" A raspy toned man cheered joyously as the three entered the main chamber.
"Where is 'here' exactly Father?" Asked a softer toned one.
"My dear bishops, we stand in the holiest of places. For the last year, I've had visions of these ruins in my dreams. These visions came with a guiding voice, a celestial woman, calling for me to find it. She told me to 'find it you must follow the blood star, Empyrean awaits.'"
The priest approached the gateway, with his bishops following closely behind. "We are in the Chamber of Paradise," he continued. "The gateway to the city of celestials...a place of divine riches, fit for the purest of hearts."
I let out a sinister chuckle, my voice carried in the wind. My physical body was trapped in Hell. However, as a former celestial, I had the ability to displace my life force from my body and use it to slip between realms.
Celestials refer to this ability as Realm Walking, and it came with a risk. A life force could be attacked, using an enchanted weapon, magic, or anything of that nature. If a life force is destroyed, so too is the physical shell.
"What foul sorcery is this?" The priest cowered in response, the smell of fear setting in.
"Such a gullible man," I smirked in belittlement. "Paradise awaits for you not...only death."
"Death..." the bishops uttered anxiously among themselves.
"Unwelcome spirit, I haven't the time for your games. Show yourself, the Goddess demands it," he spoke sternly in faith.
I laughed again at his worthless words, "The Goddess cannot hear you here, priest. However, I will gladly let myself be known..." My laughter faded as the bishops began aggressively coughing.
The priest noticed their cough fits. "What's wrong?" He asked concerned.
"Can-'t bre-athe..." one groaned in pain. They both hunched over as the coughing worsened, blood appearing in their cuffed hands that were politely covering their mouths.
The priest stood mortified as the bishops' eyes rolled in the back of their skulls and blood poured from their mouths like a fountain of red. He watched while their blood gathered in a thick pool.
As I infused the blood with my life force, it rose from the ground and formed my demonic, womanly, figure. "I am Lilith, The Temptress Queen," I announced coldly. "You will kneel," I demanded, waving my hand toward the priest. I forced the priest, with magic, to bow down on one knee.
"That voice," he uttered in disappointment. "It was you, who guided me here...why?" His question brought forth a fanged smile.
"I'm sure you've heard the 'great' story of Master Kai Ren."
"That he was the founder of the Holy Knight Order?"
"Yes...but he also was one of the holiest men of his time. Like you, he was plagued by visions. Although, his were gifted from the Goddess, En'Yara. She led him to create the Holy Knight Order, unveiling to a mortal how to summon a celestial weapon in combat. After the creation of the Holy Knights, Master Kai's visions began warning him of my first attempt to open the portal to Hell, using a ritual involving a crimson solar eclipse.
A few centuries ago, there was a temple that stood in the heart of this desert... a remanent from times past. Within the temple was this very chamber, where I made my first attempt. However, Master Kai and an elite group of his Holy Knights arrived during the ritual, under the dark, reddened, daytime sky.
I summoned a few demons, using a bit of my own magic, to hold off the Holy Knights. I was able to complete the ritual and the portal started to open. Master Kai was too late... or so I believed. Do you know what that nuisance did next?" I inquired curiously. The priest nodded his head nervously that he didn't.
"As demons entered the world, the holy man knew of only one way to stop the end from happening. He called upon his celestial blade, one of the strongest in existence...The Sword of Empyrean, itself. He took the blade made of pure, divine, light, thanked his comrades for their brief service together, and plunged the blade into his own abdomen.
With his dying breath, he cast a spell taught to him by the Goddess. His corpse unleashed an immense burst of light. The light sealed the portal into this gateway, after casting me and my army into it. It also sank the temple beneath these forgotten sands and has confined me to the Infernal Realm."
I bent over, grinning happily, before the priest. "But you," I spoke seductively, stroking his cheek with the back of my hand. "You will change all that."
"Ho-how?" He uttered, almost scared to even ask the question. "I'm just a common priest."
"Did I not mention?" I laughed rhetorically. "So too was Master Kai, before the visions. He gave up the temple because he knew the Goddess needed his services elsewhere. You see...the blood of a priest sealed the portal and it will take the blood of one to reopen it." The priest's eyes grew terrorized.
To delight in his suffering, I wanted to share an important piece of information with the Father. "I want to thank you," I giggled menacingly. "I grew worried when I tried calling out to many holy men, across the continent over the many years. It would seem the true pure of heart are immune to my charms...
You on the other hand, aren't pure of heart. You're light is tainted with greed, lining your pockets with congregational coin, and lust for power, wealth, and women."
I stood back up straight as I noticed the priest was starting to mentally fall apart, having unveiled his sinful nature. All the Father did was sit there, praying to the Goddess for saving and repentance. His eyes watered with tears of hopelessness.
"Aww...save those sweet tears of suffering," I spoke jokingly. "You will have all eternity to shed them in Hell." I broke out in laughter once more.
As I raised my hand toward the priest, he slowly levitated. I flung him toward the back wall of the cave, where there was an engraving of the circular gateway with demonic runes. I slammed the priest in the center of the gateway. "[Twisted Tongue:Mäk tè błøvå otta lëmín, omay tá jath ve dakmé.] May the blood of the light, open the door of darkness," I chanted.
The priest screamed in horrific agony as my incantation began the awakening process. His body contorted and became disfigured as it began to tear itself apart. As his bones broke and muscles pulled apart from them, his blood filled the circular gateway and demonic runes in a messy explosion.
The dark red pool brightened as the gateway activated. The sounds of screams and sinister growls, on the other side, brought forth a grin. "Come forth, my horsemen," I summoned, standing before the portal.
"My Queen," deepened voices hissed out. I watched as four demons, wearing obsidian Infernal suits of armor, came through the portal made of priest.
"Legion of 'Death'," I formerly greeted. "Ruin of 'Famine', Havoc of 'War', and Reign of 'Conquest'...my four horsemen." They kneeled before me. "You will gather my army and prepare for my arrival..."
"And what of the lost child?" Asked Legion, leader of the four.
"He must be found, before The Summoning. He will be the one who invites me into the world..."
