Snippet #2096545

North America, Ruins of St Louis, Missouri:

Bullets richoet off the crumbling bricks of the dilapidated brownstones. The young girl jumps and rolls through an open first floor window as bullets zoom past her striking the back wall of the long abandoned apartment building. She rolls back toward the window and ducks low under it as she pulls a P90 assault rifle from under her brown drab robes. She peaks her brown eyes over the ledge and to look out in the rubble strewn streets. In the dying light of the day she sees nothing but knows that out there in the wasteland of old Lacledes Landing they lurk. She takes a short sharp breath and scans the upper floors of the surrounding buildings as she knows she has limited options. She can run and hope to clear the city before darkness falls or try to end this before the noise brings something far worse then murderers and rapist. Her eyes snap to the street level and she sees the two bandits who had been tailing her since she left her safe house earlier in the day.

The two slink from burned out car to rubble pile as they look warily about pointing their guns at every noise and shadow. She grimaces as she slowly pokes the muzzle of her gun over the windows ledge and takes aim. Time seems to slow as she begins to lightly press the pad of her index finger on the trigger. Her breath catches in throat as she watches a massive shadow form behind the two bandits. They take no notice as the shadow forms into a massive 6 legged demon. The monster's upper body rears back as it opens it's fanged mouth and cloud of black writhing smoke oozes out. The two bandits notice the smoke too late. They begin to convulse as their bodies seem to dry out and mummify right in the middle of the street. The smoke pulls away from them and drags a slight pulsing blue light from the now corpses as it does. The hideous demon closes it's mouth on the blue light and emits low rumbling as it's head pans back and forth as if sensing something.

The girl breath catches in her throat as the beast begins to slowly advance toward the street toward her position. The six hideous legs smashing everything in it's place as it advances. She swallows hard and holds her breath until something curious happens. The beast stops, it raises up on it's legs and it's hideous head turns toward the west. The creature lets a few deep whooping roar loose from it's mouth and then a high pitch squeal almost akin to a pleat of fear as it turns to black smoke and melts into the ground as if fleeing. The girl trembles as she takes a deep breath and sighs. She failed to notice that full night had fallen. She looks out on to the street with puzzlement as she sees an unnatural light bathing the streets. She slowly cautiously crawls over the window sill and eases out into the street to look to the west, the same direction the demon had looked before fleeing. Her eyes grow wide as she looks upon a vast red boiling cloud dominating the horizon. Even against the dark of night the sight is frightening as she sees in the center of the clouds red lighting stabbing down into the distant ground.......

North American, High Over the Ruins of Jefferson City, Missouri:


In the skies over the ruins of the capital rotunda of the state capital the boiling storm clouds slowly begin to part as a massive gothic castle begins to slowly lower itself from the center of the maelstrom. The bottom of the castle is a massive chunk of black granite shaped as if some massive hand had ripped the whole structure from the ground itself. The soaring spires of the castle are struck by the red lighting constantly as menacing flying demons flap their wings as they fly about the towers and parapets of the castle....

Deep within SkyTomb Castle, 3 massive heavily muscled demons march. They shake the floors of the floating monstrosity as they move through a set of black stone doors into a vast cathedral like room. Massive columns hold the grand vaulting ceiling high overhead. At the end of the room a massive set of stairs lead up to a great set of sealed doors. The doors are highly decorated with bas relief's depicting scenes of damnation. Fires that shoot high in the sky, demons in all their glory and the souls forever trapped there. Eerily the scene seems to always be shifting moving ever changing as one looks upon it. The 3 demon lords stop short of the steps as they look upon the female demon that sits upon the steps. One of the demon lords moves forward and with deep powerful voice says," What is the meaning of this Destain? Who are you to bring to bring the Holy Sanctum Skytomb to this forsaken world?" The female demon looks curiously at the brute of a demon lord. She slowly raises, she imperial purple robes cascading from her shoulders. Her ample bosom enclosed with in a silver chest plate. Her flowing red hair parted to allow her slender horns to show. Her coal black eyes looks upon the demon lord Magog and she smirks as she takes in the sight the heavily muscled lord hold a massive battle hammer in hand effortlessly. His massive rack of horns a tribute to his power amongst demons.

His entire body enclosed with dragon scale armor. His yellow fangs flash at her as she says," Who am I to do this Magog?" She looks at the other two and says," Do you Belial the Scourge and you Raum the Hated ask the same question?" Belial the two headed horror shrugs, his wolf head growls and snaps it's teeth while the serpent head cocks to the side as the voice of Belial seems to emanate from everywhere and nowhere all at once. "We would never questions Destain the Choosen, but we are curious as well." Raum growls as his massive stone body grinds the floor beneath him. The opening for his mouth glows as blue light flashes and the sound that comes forth is a mix of the screaming of the damned and the roar of hell itself. "We await your words..." Destain smirks at Magog and turning her back allows her black wings to flare. Her lithe form moves seductively up the steps as she says ,"Skytomb has come because it is time for him to come amongst us once again." The three Demon Lords look at one another with a mixture of looks as Destain walks up the rest of the steps and approaches the doors. She whispers something as she brings her face close to it. She slightly opens her mouth as her long serpentine tongue lashes out and traces a symbol on the door. She backs away and quickly moves down the steps as a massive shockwave radiates out from the doors.

The power of the wave moves even the mighty demon lords backward as the doors slowly open of their own accord. The lords watch as the doors open and beyond lies a vast black swirling morass. Every now and then large red eyes turn and look out from the morass before moving away quickly. From the black nether emerges a small emaciated figure. The small figure seems bent and stooped, covered over by humble brown robes, the figure uses a black gnarled wooden cane to assist in walking. The Demon Lords immediately drop to their knees as the figure stops at the top of the steps and looks down on them. One skeletal hand reaches up and peels back the hood to expose the face of an ancient old man. His eyes are sunken deep into his sockets.

His wrinkled face smiles at them as his ancient dry voice echoes out, "Ahhhh, my most beloved children." The 3 Demon Lords rise as Magog looks up and holding out his arms in welcome says," My Lord Mephistopheles I did not think I would ever see you again?" The wizened old figure chuckles weakly as he taps his cane and massive oak throne erupts out of a shaft of fire behind him. Without looking he sits down in the throne and says," Why is that Magog? Surly you did not think I would abandon my favored...my children. What is a few thousand years eh?" The old man leans back in the throne and says," Now that is enough we have plenty of time to catch up, but we must prepare, we have much work to do here on this plane young ones. Magog, I task you with building an army, go, enslave as many lower demons as you can find. Take Raum with you." Raum and Magog bow and they turn and leave the room.

The old one looks down upon Belial and says, "Belial, your unique skills will be needed. I need to know how many Gods still lurk in the ethers of this plane, and how many of their servants roam this planet." Belial's two head nod as the hulking body turns and leaves the chamber. Destain slowly approaches and folds her wings against her back in a show of submission as she kneels next to throne and kissing the skeletal hand of the old one says," And me father?" Mephistopheles looks down at her and quirking his head says," You will remain by side and advise me as I proceed with my plans." She nods as he looks distant and says," This filthy dimension would not allow me to pass through the barriers with my full power. I will time to build to my full power in this dimension."

She looks thoughtful as she says," What of the war between the Fallen and their father?" The ancient one scowls and says," The tiffs of Lucifer and his father is not my main concern. Sadly, he wields more power on this world then I...for now. So I must play the part of politician or risk having my plans up rooted." Mephistopheles looks wickedly at Destain and says," How has the war gone, has Lucifer entered the field yet." Destain shakes her head and raises as she turns to the massive open doors of the portal. She waves her hand at it as the throne that the old sits on slowly turns of it's own accord so that he can face the portal. The image goes from the swirling black mass to a view of an aerial battle between Angels and Demons over the ruins a city. Mephistopheles scowls as he says," Fallen angels leading demons, how ignoble." Destain with pity on her face says," After your fall many of the demon lords fled to their own realms but many more willing kneeled to Lucifer and his fallen angels if it meant a chance to come to Earth and gains souls." Mephistopheles skeletal hand clutches at the arms of the throne as he says," I have much to redress, but one thing at a time daughter. If any of Lucifer's emissaries come, do not kill them. Bring them to me, I would play nicely for now. And find out how many souls are left on this dirt pile, I grow hungry." Destain bows as she moves from the throne room leaving Mephistopheles to plot his next move.........