42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xcqKNazJO
“The Darkness was the greatest42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4jy2XQqdq
evil humanity had ever faced. If she is released once again, I fear42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwB5qzNy55
for us all.”
-Unknown
None remembered the beginning of the world, not42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRpKvOcQLO
even the Deities who formed it. Everything had taken on a form of its own and42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4Yu3EmnJi
many believed the Deities to be myths and legends without fully understanding42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLLzN1hk9s
how much they still impacted the world around them. The Deities roamed freely42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmXpEm7RSC
interacting with their creations making sure to keep their memories alive even42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYMP4LqweD
if it’s only in their stories.
None of them loved humanity more than Imitae, the Lord42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANpdOspN3S
of the Light, husband to Veyar and the grandfather to humanity. He shunned his42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyd32GXLoHg
powers and walked freely among them, helping them with their problems, healing42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0C8KIOaFxv
their ales and listening to their stories about his family. So, he didn’t think42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZMBXZr58R
twice about helping someone who needed it. He followed a beggar to their home42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghC96U3oj2
because his family had fallen ill. Once there he was hit upside the head and42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHvDRRzhCB
knocked unconscious. He felt himself being dragged on the ground then down a42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsZylyF2kX
flight of stairs into the cold, dank darkness.
When he woke up again, he found himself in a dungeon42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvSmTzorNL
chained to a wall. Water dripped down from the ceiling onto his pounding head.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmxLOCpkil
The room was damp and smelled of mildew. Rats skittered in the corner fighting42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeT47PZ6QuD
over a bone from the last person who died here. One walked over towards him42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNEl5luneh
trying to take a bite, but he lashed out with his foot sending it flying into42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2J2ij1Wd3V
the wall where it lay still. Not willing to leave fresh meat lying around, the42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ494fqm0y0S
rats tore into their friend leaving Imitae trying not to vomit. His granddaughter’s42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaDQucDEws
creations were disgusting.
He tried to use his powers to free himself, but they were always just out of reach. No42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUl6MkBjCvf
matter how much he tried, no matter how much he struggled, the powers he42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6EZeped7g
controlled refused to answer him. So, he sat there, his hands held above his42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskbiAjZnXx
head with rope with nothing to eat or drink. He wasn’t sure how long he had42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRACgkC1TD
been down there, time had lost all meaning to him eons ago, but it was the42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEL7aWe3ZX
boredom that threatened to make him go insane. Just when he thought he was42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKxuQG2ECy
about to break, he heard the door on the other side of the room open.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5mV7J9Otx
Two men walked into the room. One of them was dressed in a long black robe with the hood pulled down low covering their face. In his hand was a thick, leather-bound book. The spine was cracked, the words were in a language that had been spoken for thousands of years. He recognized the book as the Darknomicon, the book his daughter had written that explained her cursed powers. This person was an acolyte of hers, he didn’t know how they escaped into the present day, they were supposed to have been hunted to extinction. However, it was the second man that garnered his attention the most.
This man wore a long white vest, but no shirt underneath to show off the muscles he obviously42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytsQlKrinG
spent a lot of time on. He wore loose fitting pants, but no shoes on his feet.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC60lwVFxDO
His head was shaved bald while his light hazel eyes gleamed in the low light. There were no weapons that he could see, but42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEtugoMuA6
based on his physique and the dangerous aura he exuded likely kept any would-be42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYUzTVZaIJ
attacks away.
As he walked closer, the pressure surrounding the captured god grew heavy. He could sense his daughter’s vile power coursing42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXoR4DpcjR
through his veins, but unlike most, it didn’t show on his skin, but covering42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtbTxeayXx
the body in black spots thickening their blood until it turned to mud. No, the42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHrNPsX19m
only indication was his scent and the darkness swirling under the skin.
“This is him?” The man turned to the acolyte who hastily nodded their head. The man’s42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdx6Rp6wqN
heavy brown eyes studied him for a long time. It was hard to read this human’s42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lF06lBbgF
face, but the warning bells in his head kept ringing. This man was dangerous,42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ889kwMa692
he should be killed before he brings doom upon them all. But he was useless42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSxqmwwmI1
currently, so there was nothing he could do.
“What is it you want from me?” Imitae found his voice, but it came out in a low42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJg9O2NMne9
whisper. It was dry and cracked, he hadn’t had any water in ages. Not very42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDQM3nYr4W
dignified for a God, but dignity was in short supply these days for him. Anger42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WuPMV53mu
flashed in the man’s eyes. He strode over, grabbed Imitae’s platinum blonde42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkAEJJrGlQ
hair, so blonde it was almost white, and yanked his head back to stare his42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbE3dJHuHb
captor in the eye.
“You speak when you are spoke too, Imitae.” His voice came out like a hiss. “This is my42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XYGjeGiaZ
domain, not yours.”
“Be careful who you speak too, mortal.” Imitae shot back. “You are nothing in my eyes,42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhkmRjCnGF
just an insect who hasn’t learn their place.” The man reached back and42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFoYxiSBF4
punched the god in the face. He was surprised when his head smashed backwards42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUajgwr1LG
against the wall he was tied too. He tasted blood which was something he never42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Cu3JAmLe3
thought possible. He spat the golden liquid into his hand and just stared.
“You have no powers here.” The man grinned. “You are completely at my mercy.”
“What is it you want from me then?” Imitae asked. He was roughly shoved back to the ground42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWuku6a9dG
before the man stalked away.
“I need to find the Ma’akti, and you’re going to help me.” The man smiled. Imitae looked up42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQPQ1kz8ML
at him confused. The Ma’akti were the chosen of the Deities, why would this man42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJycfiHfNHX
want them?
“Do you wish to be one yourself?” Imitae asked. “If you free me, I will give you, my42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1r4idZj74
blessing.”
“What do I need with your power when I already have it?” He laughed. A small ball of light42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gBbl21Aoo
flashed in his open palm as he grinned at Imitae. “No, I need you for42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxi7EAS5xz
another reason, one you don’t need to know about. You!” He snapped at the42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFihrzabJn
acolyte. “Get what you need from him, but make sure you keep him alive. We42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1S4HFolPRG
will need him.”
“Yes Lord Whitesun.” The man bowed his head. “Your wish will be my command.” Imitae42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSUPw4MDBE
watched with dismay as the man left the room, leaving him at the mercy of his42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhtBOJD4oz
enemy.
The acolyte placed the book down on the ground. As he stalked closer to the God, he removed42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNBF7Nc9kJ
a wicked looking, curved dagger from the inside of his sleeve. “Those42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cztTXwtL5
chains holding you down are made from part of a meteorite and quenched in the42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmuuiKQmcg
water of light blessed by Humjir. They seal your power’s making you mortal. But42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswdkvCuXQx
don’t worry Imitae, this will only hurt a lot.” He placed the dagger on the42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTnPp0NlGX
God’s skin. “Tell me where the Ma’akti Unna’tun is.”
“No.” Imitae stuck out his chin in defiance. The acolyte didn’t ask again. With a large42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDvtYYthqZ
smile, he started to cut.
For the first time in the God’s long life, he screamed.
ns 18.68.41.179da2
