Chapter IV - The Order Of The Dark

Dative explained it was a living god of Dwoveland, since the fall of the Mountain Gods it secluded it's ancient kingdom away from the rest of Crel. The turning of the cycle forced Dative into a deep slumber, upon awakening it would find its realm in ruins. So to stop that Dative remove Dwoveland from Crel and placed it into the darkness with a cycle of its own.

"Dwoveland has existed since gods first walked about this world," Dative said "not all the gods had a say though on what primordial laws would rule this world. The mountain gods decisions cost the rest of us dearly."

As the living god spoke it lead Carter into Bellfaust, Carter saw the beauty of the city, the stones it was built with glowed gentle giving it a heavenly appearance. At first there appeared to be no one else in the city but Carter could feel eyes upon him as he followed Dative.

"That is why the mountain gods fell," Dative said "they attempted to make their cycle eternal, but it cannot move onward and remain the same. Everything that changes my Avatar ends, and must be reborn, but if things remain stagnant they never have to change. A new time is upon Crel, one that'll have you as its leader, its new messiah."

Uncertain of about the cycle, changing times, and being a messiah Carter tried to focus his innate knowledge. All he could muster were images of Dative, but it was when the living god was a woman, before he could delve into the latent knowledge a question popped into his mind that needed to be answered.

What does being the Avatar mean?" Carter asked.

Dative turned to a being with a large smiling mouth that had sharp teeth that leaked black ooze.

"The Avatar Carter of the pale mountains is the inheritor of Crel. A king of kings, a being of unending life, the last Avatar is my champion." Dative answered.

That was when they came to the centre of the Bellfaust, among the tower structures was one that descended into the mountain. It was staircase with two statues were standing, one at either end of the staircase. The one on their left was made of white polished stone resembling a creature with a long beard and squinty eyes dressed in warrior regalia. Opposite of it was a statue made of rough blackened rock, of a monstrous creature with scaly skin, bulbous nose, and thick hands.

"A memorial of the cities founders, Dolus the pale, king of the long dead dwarf race whose kingdom stretched from the Stone Desert to the edge of Reavers Coast," Dative proudly stated "and Erlkönig alder-king of the goblins, whose crafts have shaped the history of Crel, and continue to this day. Both their spirits live on to this day, sadly there friendship has long since died."

Walking to the top of the staircase Dative motioned for Carter to follow, looking down he saw the stairs were carved into the mountain rock. Whose stairs disappeared into complete darkness after a few steps. Walking ahead of Carter the living god seemed to be swallowed up by the darkness, afraid to go down but excited with the unknown he followed. The air was cold but it smelt hot and bitter like a fire pit, even though he couldn't see Carter managed to walk down without missing a step.

"Fear not my Avatar," said Dative "I will be at your side in the darkness."

"What is down here?" Carter asked.

"Your baptism," Dative answered.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs Carter could smell mildew, the feel of moss under his boots was slippery and moist. Dative's hand clasped his own, guiding him through the darkness. Within the dark Carter saw glowing wisps flickering in the dark, light green, dark blues, and bright yellows danced about the black abyss. The silence of the underground passage was broken by the dripping of water and flow of stream water.

Blinded by the darkness did not delude Carter in his understanding of the expansive, labyrinthian network of caverns and tunnels they were travelling within.

Carter's spidery legs quivered as a thought came to his mind of something other than him and Dative in the caves under Bellfaust, waiting for anyone to take one misstep. A hard tug of Carter's hand forced him out of his monstrous daydream, forcing him along their way. Finally they made it to a vast cavern that had no flickering lights, but within its black abyss Carter could see himself and Dative again.

Unlike before Dative form did not change continuously and stayed the same, Carter guessed it was the gods true form. Unable to fully understand what he saw Carter instead rationalize it into a simpler form his mortal mind could comprehend, that of a giant spider with thousands of shiny black eyes, and metal limbs and wire growing out of its giant, lumpy, body.

"You see me not as I am" said Dative, whose many eyes were focused on Carter.

Frightened of Dative's form he held up his hands to guard himself but realized they had changed into spiders legs. Fear died down as he accepted this, he knew Dative would do him no harm, he was safer in its presence than anywhere else. Embraced by the giant spider as if he were a babe in its mother's arms Carter was carried further into the cavern were other beings stood around a pool black water. Three of them stood there, each of their eyes were upon him, judging what their patron god brought into their inner circle.

Each one of the three were dressed in noble finery, each with different styles from cultures all over Crel. One was in pale white plate armor styled after that of a soldier of Steelo his eyes, long hair, and aged skin were all pale white, the look in his eyes was one of pure apathy. Next to him was the tallest of the three, dressed in the purple and scarlet religious robes of the holy queendom of Zealont, his hair was a flowing bronze, eyes shone brighter than precious emeralds, he was thick bodied, and skin was a gleaming, olive brown tone. Lastly was a short statured man, whose long, black, unkempt hair frayed all about, he was dressed in black furs, kingly black garments, his hands and feet were in larger proportions compared to the rest of his body, so was his head that had large red eyes, long, sharp teeth, and a curving nose.

Freeing Carter from the motherly hold Dative stood alongside the three of them to welcome him into their fold.

"Welcome to the Order of the Dark." Dative said "The pale white man is Dolus, rider of the storms, king of the dwarfs, and master of the pale."

Dolus didn't move, he looked at Carter with disinterested eyes. Reaching out with its long spider leg Dative tapped the shoulder of the one next to Dolus.

"He is Pluto, king of the giants, owner of the helmet of invisibility, and patron of mountains."

Plutto nodded proudly with recognition, his eyes staring into Carter's own had a unmistakeable contempt in them, a smug expression of superiority came upon the giant king's face.

"And finally Judas Khan."

Confused Carter expected to hear a list of titles or notable remarks. Walking towards Carter Judas held out his land hands and took hold of Carter's spider leg and shook it as though he was shaking someone's hand.

"My pleasure" Judas said.

"Thank you" Carter responded, unfamiliar with a nobleman's pleasantries.

"Carter will be my Avatar, now we shall start his baptism," said the living god.

Ushering Carter towards the water with one of its spider legs, Carter felt rushed towards something he was unsure about.

"What is a baptism?" asked Carter.

Judas Khan lifted his looked Carter in his black eyes, wide, sharp toothed, smile on his face.

"Your birthright," answered Judas "as we all did to become part of the Order of the Dark so must you."

Putting his arm around Carter, Judas lead him to the edge of the black pool, which was blacker than the darkness of the cavern. Looking down he saw no light and no bottom of its fathomless depths.

"You must go into the water," Judas Khan explained "inside all of your mortal weaknesses will be burned away, then you will be reforged into one of us. What others see you as before will be only what they perceive of you, just as what you see us as, limited by the bounds of humanity, once it is over you shall see more than just fragments, and the change of death will never come for you. Time will affect everything else around you, leaving you the same forever."

Listless Carter could not look away from the water, barely hearing what Judas said Carter was being subdued by the pools depths. Before he could plunge into the dark pool he was stopped by Judas Khan who forced him to look into his eyes, his hands gripped him tightly. .

"Do you swear your loyalty and obedience to the Order of the Dark?" asked Judas Khan.

Overcome with a will breaking fever Carter removed what remained of his garment till he was naked, sweat pouring from his body.

"Yes," answered Carter "I vow to always be loyal."

Satisfied Judas gave Carter a rough pat on the back.

"Good," said Judas "but first you must take apart of us in and we must take a part of you in."

Unable to question what that meant Carter became drunk on some poison that boiled his blood and made him insanely sexual. Submitting to the three men and Dative, Carter sacrificed his restraint and gave up to his violent passions, pain ripped through his orifices. Blood and other body fluids mingled in his body, and just before he was about to die from the stress of the orgy he was plunged into the black water. Everything was hot, burning away at his skin, organs, and bones he was reduced to his spiritual essence, which he realized was a black spider.

Writhing in unbearable pain and pleasure Carter faded away, his name forgotten and his identity softened and made blank, waiting to be remoulded by the things in the dark pool which pulled him apart. Then sticking him together again, he was reshaped and remade into a familiar body, with added parts that were alien to him, all the while he was forgetting much but gaining so much more. Knowledge of things he never knew, powers he could've never obtained before, he was coming to know his true name, a name he would've lost if he hadn't followed his destiny. A spider's leg pulled him from the pool and he was in the cavern again, his eyes closed, his body still and unbreathing.

A sharp resurface of life caused him to vomit gallons of black water, allowing him to breathe again, opening his eyes he saw everything with a new insight. Dative caught his sight, and he saw the living god's true form was so majestic he could never describe it in any mortal language. His comrades he saw for their true selves were different than he saw before, Dolus was a ethereal being resembling the statue outside the stairway. Pluto was standing almost a hundred feet tall, with blue skin, red and gold colored eyes, and wearing a helmet of bronze. And Judas was unchanged, he was still the diminutive creature he first saw him as, unchanged even in the slightest.

"Who are you?" Dative asked.

The Order Of The Dark waited to hear the name of their Avatar, the head of their order.

"I am Dark Vull Seul," he said "and I am hungry."