Who am I? What have I done?
Skale awakens from his sleep with a silent scream, eyes wide as he stares upon the plain, stone wall before his bed. The startled red head slowly regains his composure, taking deep breaths to retain whatever calm still remains within his trembling and twitching body. As he thinks upon the events that had transpired only two elvish days ago, he cannot help but reconsider his life choice. But deep down inside, the mage knows his lust for power, his hatred for peace, and his love for the darkness will never allow him to turn away.
I am one with the dark, I am one with insanity.
Hours pass before he falls back into a state of sleep, dark dreams racing through his mind, the whispers of insanity nipping madly at his brain.
Dhaun'che, you have given your life to protect your family. His subconscious speaks these words, refusing to allow this matter to die. I turned my back on you. I lied to you. I lied to the others. I've spent many hours gaining the trust of dozens of clerics, druids, and mages simply to turn around and stab them in their frail backs. I let you die for my power, I let you fall for my ascension. As much as I loved you my niece, you were but a pawn. Your children will be taught, they will be warped, and you will thank me from the realms beyond.
Skale awakens from yet another nightmare filled night, sweat running down his hollow and face, eyes bruised and sunk deep into his pale face. "It is time."
After many hours of travel, stopping to speak to the Itharel Hosper and the Archdruid Gi, once again regaining their trust, he stops before a dark swamp, dread sending shivers through his spine, goosebumps popping up all across his flesh. With a single deep breath, Skale steps deep into the swamp, his robes sweeping out around him, a dark wind moving across his form, sending the robe billowing in a frightful manner, blending in with the environment. After his trek through the dark swamp, the dark mage comes across the meditating form of Siggourdnbad. He raises his hand, palm open and facing the prone form. Upon such an action, the kneeling mage stands, turning back to Skale, his cherry red eyes meeting those of the albino.
"You have come..." Siggourdnbad muses, a smile pulling at his lips. "You think you are able to defeat me, Kibolroch? You are put a child in the force of phobism, compared to my own mastery." He raises his own hand, water beginning to snake about his sleeve.
A toothy smile, even more pale than the flesh of it's holder, can be seen from the dark shadows of the red-headed mage's hood. The darkness from within seems to dissipate, revealing the face of Skale. "You seem to forget Sigg, I may not be a master of phobism, but my magic is much stronger than your own." From his raised arm, a ball of flame burns into existence, taking on an eerie red color, as if the fire itself were sick. The two mage's meet one another's gaze for a final time, Siggourdnbad shaking his head. The ball of flame flies forth, meeting between the two with the snaking water, sizzling embers and steam bursting from the collision.
Skale begins to work furiously, stepping to his right, Siggourdnbad mirroring his movements, the two working a circle about one another as they focus. A dark chant bubbles forth from the lips of the elder cultist, bringing dread to any nearby. “Nozlot-khow! Radarm nuzk’sek zedr-ka!” A shard of midnight black forms, appearing from nowhere, as if ripped from space itself. Directly in front of him, another fireball forms, this one the size of a cantaloupe . Siggourdnbad fires first, thinking himself the superior, leading the shard to slam into Skale's form. But instead, the red-head simply stops moving and steps back, seeming to throw his fireball across the clearing, slamming it directly into the chest of Siggourdnbad.
The fireball explodes upon impact, setting his robes aflame, melting them into his skin. The cries of pain and fear erupt from Siggourdnbad, the horseman falling to his knees, attempting to crawl towards the swamp-water. Only inches away, Skale slams his booted foot upon his hand, snapping fingers like twigs.
"Upon this day, Siggourdnbad dies but is reborn. A new horseman rides upon this dark night." Skale watches the fire burn the body, charring and mutilating the flesh beneath. The light leaves the elder's eyes, his face slumping forward into the dirt. Skale, now Siggourdnbad turns away, arms crossed, robe once more billowing outwards from the wind. "With Kknotos fall, I've finally been able to remove the disease that is this fool, Lord Ikuras..." He looks up into the night sky, ears twitching. "Pestilence rises, reborn, soon Death and War shall follow suit..."
The dark, dreaded laughter of Ikuras echoes across the swamp...