Ashes of the Storm

Night had fallen over the War Machine, with thousands of fire burning across the plains as soldiers repaired armor, cleaned their weapons, and whispered about the flames consuming the swamp. Yet Black smoke rolled across the sky like a Funeral pyre for the lose of general Emo. No one wanted to break the silence as this tasted like the War Machines first defeat. At the center of the encampment sat Lord Diyu. Sitting upon his thrown. Staring out into the night over the swamps still glowed like a dying star. He dare not move, or speak, he waits. Waits for Emo to return. Emo had led many campaigns and survived them all. Swamp raiders and hidden assassins were nothing compared to the the battles we faced together. Diyu thought to himself.

Diyu folded his massive arms. "He is late." he said quietly to himself. 

No one answered, no one wanted to answer. The officers nearby avoided looking at him all the while silence stretched long enough to feel wrong. Then at the edge of camp a horn sounded. Not a signal of Victory, not a signal or retreat, something worse. Two Soldiers stumbled into the command circle dragging a third between them. The wounded Kreegan's armor had burned nearly black. One of his arms hung uselessly at his side, he collapsed to his knees before Diyu.

"My Lord..."

Diyu leaned forward with a slight perplexed look on his face. "Where is General Emo? He should be the one to brief me."

The Soldier's eyes filled something of a mix of sadness and terror of what is to come. 

"The serpent... Elder Vakusi..."

Diyu's brow narrowed. "Speak clearly."

The soldier took a second to catch his breath and compose himself.

"We reached the burning causeway. The Swamp was collapsing. The Ophidians attacked from the smoke." His breathing became uneven and emotion began to swell in his voice.

"General Emo held the line. He fought... he fought like ten warriors."

Diyu waited as the silence pressed harder and the soldier voice regained composure to finally whispered the word 

"He faced their leader. Vakusi"

Even the fires seemed to dim when the name left his mouth.

"And?" Diyu's voice dropped into something dangerously calm.

The soldier trembled unsure of what his own fate was going to be.

"My lord... no one could stop him."

"Vakusi moved like a ghost. Faster than any Kreegan I have ever seen... He disarmed General Emo." He paused for a brief second, "He... spoke to him."

Diyu felt something inside his chest tighten. "... and what did he say?"

The soldier shook his head weakly regaining his fortitude to tell the final bit. "I could not hear everything... but the General... he didn't beg. He only said..." The soldier hesitated with how his words would be received. 

"What did he say?" Diyu's voice sharpened and barked quickly."

"He said...  'forgive me... my friend."

The words hung in the air like a blade to the chest. For the first time since becoming metal, Diyu felt something close to pain. A deep hollow pressure in his chest

"No," Diyu said

The soldier flinched thinking this was he last seconds of life.

"My lord?"

"No." Diyu's voice thundered across the command circle. "Emo does not fall to shadows in the swamp." His metal fist clenched with the sound of metal grinding against metal. No one spoke, the camp fires seemed to shrink from the tension in the air. Then Yorlee stepped forward his voice was low, and careful.

"My lord... the scouts confirmed it."

Diyu slowly turned toward him, and for a brief second Yorlee could see pain in his Lord's face. Something he had never seen before. When he was conquered at the capital he figured Diyu was some kind of machine sent by the God's to curse him for using technology that was considered Taboo. For a brief second Yorlee almost felt sorry for Diyu, almost. 

Silence fell and Yorlee followed up and let the words fall gently. "The Ophidian scouts displayed the General's blade at the swamp edge. A warriors message, that our General is dead." The world felt suddenly smaller.

Quieter.

Emo.

Gone...

Diyu remembered the first time meeting Emo, the conflict with the village elder, and the march to the capital. facing the monster of the capital, and all the debates over strategy. He was the only voice that had always challenged him when others simply obeyed. Emo had never feared him, not even after the metal transformation or when rumors of him being called the Lord of Destruction rose... suddenly a whisper stirred behind Diyu's thoughts, soft yet satisfied. 

"Ssseee what mercy bringss you. Your enemy takes your General, your FRIEND. Your hesitation cost him his life."

Diyu closed his eyes unable to shed a tear for his friend or display any real emotion of the lose. for a moment, the Giant warlord looked almost tired. Yorlee stepped closer.

"My lord... the serpent elder killed the only Kreegan brave enough to be your peer."

Diyu opened his glowing red eyes. The faint grief inside them was already beginning to fester and harden. Yorlee's voice grew sharper. "Vakusi sends you a message with that blade. He says your strength is nothing in his swamp."

The whisper inside Diyu's head returned. "Burn it. Burn everything!"

Yorlee gestured toward the horizon where the swamp still smoldered. and before the whisper could finish his words Yorlee talks over top the whisper. "You gave them mercy and they answered with humiliation." Yorlee voice rises slightly, "General Emo is dead because we showed restraint." Yorlee leans in closer "No more patience." his words ending the same time as the whispers do in Diyu's head the emotion of anger is burning up inside diyu. Diyu Stands quickly and lets out a metallic Roar the sound that Hadawon has never heard before. The sound of this roar strikes fear even in his own men, for everyone who could hear it knew that Chaos will follow. Diyu gets up and runs over and lifts the main camp fire cauldron above his head spins 360 degree generating momentum and throws the cauldron deep into the swamp. while in the air burning debris rain down in trail fallowing the cauldron setting fire to the natural oils in the ground and with a large explosion of fire and sparks the cauldron lands and sets a fierce fire that will surely burn it all. The whisper curled through his mind again.

"Lord of Destruction they call you, Lord of Destruction you will show them."

Diyu looks to his officers stiffened. "Prepare the oil reserves. we do not burn the swamp in pieces anymore." as he stomps around the camp. "Tomorrow... we burn it all!!" With the death of General Emo fresh on the minds of every solider this was surely the correct response, no mercy. Every solider wanted revenge, and Diyu's emotion sparked those feelings. The Soldiers stood to their feet and screamed to express their will to dominate the swamps. Somewhere deep within Diyu's mind, Zurrotan Smiled, and knew he had his Lord of Destruction.

Night did not bring rest o the War Machine. The swamp continued to burn. Black smoke rolled across the plains and rose into the sky for miles. While the orange firelight turned the sky into a restless, flickering wound. The smell of oil, rot and burning vegetation clung in the air so thick it coated everything. At the center of it all stood Lord Diyu. He had not slept, he had not rested, he had not even moved from the front line of the marsh. Where soldiers grew exhausted, where machines stalled, where supply lines faltered, Diyu did not. He worked relentlessly, barrels of crude oil from the war machines outer reserves were hauled forward and split open across the mud flats. Thick black rivers spilled into the reeds and stagnant water. 

Teams of soldiers pumped pressurized spray canisters normally used for lubrications and cleaning machinery, now filled with oil and volatile swamp gasses. Under Diyu's command, the crude devices became weapons. Metal tubes were welded to the canisters. ignition coils were fastened to the ends with salvaged wiring from damaged war machines. Make shift flame throwers able to spark oil and gas mixture into flame and spew it a good distance. Soldiers triggered the pressure valves, and fire roared from the nozzles. Streams of burning oil sprayed across the marsh in violent arcs, igniting pockets of gas trapped beneath the surface that exploded in chain reactions that rippled across the wetlands. The swamp screamed at the atrocities happening. Tress burst apart, mud geysers erupted where the heat reached buried oil veins. Entire sections of bog collapsed into bubbling pits of flame. The War Machine worked in shifts to keep pace with the inferno. Diyu never stopped he never faulted as if possessed with hate. Again and again he ignited the fires himself, towering above the soldiers like a living siege engine. Oil splashed across his metal skin and burned away without leaving a mark. The flames reflected in his glowing eyes, and inside his mind the whisper of Zurrotan stirred with pleasure and beguile. 

"Yesss... Let grieft become fire. Let the world burn with you."

Diyu moved deeper into the marsh, igniting everything in his path. But something stirred in the swamp unforeseen to Diyu some ancient and something powerful. The ground trembled, at first the soldiers thought it was another gas explosion. Then the mud began to ripple, and water surged outward in violent waves. Something beneath the swamp was moving. Finally the surface ruptured as a massive elongated cylinder shape burst from the black water with a sound like splitting stones. 

"A Serpent" cried one of the soldiers!

It was ancient and monstrous in size. Its scales were dark as swamp mud, thick as armor plates. its body wider than any war machine and long enough to coil through entire sections of the marsh. Its yellow eyes burned with ancient fury, the creature let out a roar followed by a deep hiss that shook the burning tress around it. The Ophidian scouts watched from distant shadows frozen in awe. Their oldest legends spoke if this creature, a swamp guardian. A God. this serpent of the deep marsh was awakened by the desecration of its domain. Now its set and posed to strike, A soldier quickly points his flame thrower at the snake and blasts it with flame. Only this has no visible effect on the creature and in turn opens its mouth and spits acid out on the solider that instantly turns the his flesh into liquid goo leaving just the flame thrower on the ground unscathed. as the ancient snake made its way slithering through the swamp spitting its acid at soldiers the Ophidian scouts rallied behind the snake and began to charge forward. four scouts rushed toward Diyu in hopes of claiming his head to please their living god. arrows fired in quick succession, all bouncing off Diyu metal skin with a metallic "tink" sound. This only annoys Diyu and he begins to move more like a wild animal then a control solider. using all for limbs to travers the swamp and leap into combat at the scouts. He lands and grabs one by the throat and squeezes feeling his thumb rip into the scouts neck and crush his wind pipe. with the scout still in his hand he swings the scout around like wild animal hitting another scout and sending him flying backwards. The last two scouts draw their swords and charge in recklessly. Diyu throws the dead scout at one of them knocking him down. while the other swings his sword with great precision in a overhead swinging arc. Diyu catches the blade in his hand and pulls the scout in close still angry by the loss of Emo he screams in the scouts face to show his dominance and rips the scouts arm off with the sword and slams the sword back into the side of the scouts head. Scout number 3 gets up and shots 2 more arrows at Diyu trying to find a weakness but no arrow finds such a mark. Diyu now walking with arrogance towards his prey knowing this scout can't hurt him picks up one of the arrows fired at him. with a flick of the wrist sends the arrow clean through the scout instantly killing him. Now there is only one scout left and Diyu slowly makes his way to scout who has now witnessed all three deaths of his comrades. 

"You can't win, Our God has finally awakened and it will consume you all!" the scout shouts at Diyu in hopes by chance that will deter Diyu from ending his life. 

"Is this God of yours preciouses to your Elder?" Diyu inquisitively asks.

"It is our God of course it is preciouses to us all, and it will end you." the scout replys.

"We shall see." snidely responded as Diyu leaps clean over the scout causing him to flinch and expect his death. However Death did not come for the scout this day. He could only watch as diyu leaped and charged toward his great God. 

Diyu's path is locked there is no time to waiver as he ignores all attacks made by scouts at him. Their attacks do not effect him anyway. Finally he stands before the Ancient Snake God, ready to deal blows. The Snake spits his acid all over Diyu and believes the fight is over and begins the slither away. The snake is caught and forced to stop.

"Where are you going monster?" as Diyu grabs his tail.

The snake looks back to see Diyu is unharmed by his acid spit and lunges at Diyu. The massive jaws slammed toward Diyu with crushing force. Diyu did not move away, he stepped forward and into the jaws of the snake. As the jaws closed around his metal torso with a thunderous crack. All of the War Machine shouted out in horror as the scouts seemed to rejoice in the Diyu's situation. The serpent tried to crush him, the sound of metal groaned under the pressure of its ancient strength.

Then Diyu let out slow fake laugh "Ha... Ha... Ha" his laugh was low with no emotion, something inside him had snapped when Emo Died. Now every strike, every roar, every once of resistance fed the growing hunger inside him. He planted his feet deep in the burning mud. Then he grabbed the serpent's Jaws. Both hands clamped around the creature's upper and lower fangs. The serpent trashed violently, its massive body tearing through flaming tress and knocking scouts and soldiers alike into the air. Diyu Pulled the jaws in opposite directions, the sound was sickening as bones popped and snapped. Ligaments snapped and muscle and skin ripped free. The serpent hissed in fury as its jaws fought against the impossible force tearing them apart. Diyu roar with every agonizing sounds the snake made. Oil fires reflected across his metal skin as he pulled harder, and feeding on the destruction, and violence as the fury boiling inside his chest. A wet, splintering sound echoed across the burning swamp as the serpents jaws split wider, and wider and wider still. Until the skull finally tore apart with a sickening ripping noise. Blood sprayed across the firelit marsh, and the serpent collapsed, its enormous body thrashing violently as the life slowly fled from it. Diyu stood in the center of the wreckage, drenched in black blood and ash. He let our a breath but the fury inside did not fade, it grew! and what scouts were left quickly made a retreat as diyu claimed the body of their God. By dawn the serpent's body had been dragged to the edge of the swamp. the War Machine carved it apart into massive sections. These sections of flesh were mounted on towering pikes along the marsh border as a brutal warning. This wasnt just a life for life trade. This was a life for a God. With the Serpent's enormous head was being placed at the center. Diyu stepped forward with a torch, his glowing eyes scanned the dark swamp beyond the flames. he knew the Ophidian scouts were watching. he could feel them.

"your god is dead," He said quietly. then he drove the torch into the serpent's skull as oil soaked scales ignited instantly. The giant head burned like a beacon, a insult, and a challenge. 

Across the swamp, hidden amoung the shadows of twisted roots and smoke, Elder Vakusi watched in silence.