Story 651: Blood Oath

The storm howled outside the ruined cathedral, but General Viktor "Bloodfang" Kruger barely noticed. He stood in the candlelit gloom, his combat knife glistening in his hand, the serrated edge still stained with remnants of his last kill.

A dark presence loomed behind him.

Reaper-77. The undead enforcer had not fallen easily in their last battle, but even death hadn't been enough to stop him. His hollow, inhuman voice broke the silence.

"Do you fear what you've become, Kruger?"

Kruger exhaled slowly. He lifted his knife, inspecting the dried blood along its edge. A symbol of his path, the endless war that had led him to this point.

"Fear?" he muttered. "No. But I understand it now."

With a flick of his wrist, he sliced his palm open, watching crimson droplets fall onto the ancient stone floor.

Reaper-77 stepped forward, his yellowed eyes gleaming from beneath his mask. "A blood oath?" he rasped. "To what end?"