Titan Mauler

The Everfree forest was a source of unrelenting danger and death. Those that thrived in it, thrived off the thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline coursing through their veins as they tear into their prey. The meek and feeble herbivores who inhabited the forest spent their lives in fear of death, running from the hunters. Clearings being the only safe haven for the hunter's prey to hide, during the day.

One such clearing housed a large figure, sprawled across the floor and unmoving to the untrained eye. A large sword was held tight in its grip, with a small leather sack sitting on top of the thing. Attached to the sack was a long black stick made of various materials. The being's body was covered in hard red scales, horns on its head, and a long tail protruding from below its waist. Simple leather pants wrapped themselves around the being's legs. Scars covered its unclothed chest, some intersecting and some parallel to each other.

Suddenly, it twitched. Then again before it quickly rolled, stood, and held its sword up in a defensive position. Pivoting around, constantly shifting its stance, scanning the treeline. Sliding its sword back, it held it by the handle and halfway down the blade. The trees rustled in front of it before I deer jumped out, walking towards the massive creature.

The being put its sword in a sheath on its back and reached out towards the deer. “Young one.” The being hummed in a deep baritone voice. “These woods, they are alien to me. Guide me.” He asked the deer.

The deer turned and hopped off, the being following close behind. He truly felt like an intruder in these woods, as if they were just as surprised as the being that he was here. Though they did not know who he was, they guaranteed him Safe Passage through them.

After a long time walking, the being was guided to ruins of a Castle long abandoned. It was decrepit, depressing, and falling apart. He mused that maybe it had once been a Castle of great importance, but now? Now it was nothing more than rubble.

Stopping just before an old rope bridge, the deer looked at the castle and stepped aside to look at the being. He nodded, patting the deer on the neck before he started to cross the bridge. With every step, it creaked and sounded as if it would bust at any moment. At the end, one of the ropes started to strain as if it was ready to snap. The being quickly leaped for the edge as the rope snapped.

Looking back at the bridge, he sighed. “No turning back now.” Turning away, he walked towards the castle. Observing the architecture as he walked, he smiled as he dragged his hand across a broken wall. “Dwarves. Built to last.” Spying a banner of two horses in a ying yang pose, one representing the sun and the other the moon. “But what house?” Meandering through the front door of the castle, the being saw an altar of sorts to what he did not know.

Kneeling in front of the altar, he pulled the black stick made of different materials off his pack and set it in front of him. “Ithquenti di nomeno treski.” He started as he bowed forwards and touched his forehead against the concrete of the floor before raising back up. “Nymuer ve, renthisj ekess be.” Holding his arms up high, he raised his voice and shouted at the top of his lungs. “Si mi Amenadiel, Arytiss di wer Imperiium.”

Opening his eyes, he found himself in nothing but darkness. “Warrior.” A voice hissed from all around him. “I... am the Night.” A blue mist started to surround him. “My rightful place hassss been… usssurrrrped.” He could feel something drag along the underside of his chin. “Fight for me… and I will give you, whatever you desire.”

Closing his eyes and opening them again, he heard hooves behind him as he lowered his hands. “We will discuss more later.” Bowing down and touching his forehead against the hard floor, he heard hooves approach him.

“What are you doing with the elements?” A female voice asked uneasily from behind the being.

Grabbing the black stick, he slowly raised and reattached it to his rucksack before grabbing the handle to his sword. Wordlessly, he drew the large sword and stood, turning around to find six tiny horses of various colors. Holding the sword in front of him, the being grabbed his bicep and crouched down slightly. “My purpose.”

“Twi!” The orange horse shouted as she grabbed the purple one and pulled her back before the large creature could start swinging his sword above his head, driving it into the spot where the purple one once stood.

The group scattered as the thing swung its sword again. The purple horse fired a beam that hit the thing in its back. Shrugging, he swung his sword in that direction to hit nothing. The blue one with the rainbow hair flew up high and slammed down into the tall being, knocking him off balance. The orange one took the opportunity to buck him in the back. Pushing him forwards for the pink one to pull out a cannon and blast him with what appeared to be confetti.

The large being was thrown backwards and hit the floor with a thud. A blue mist swirled past him and started to form into an almost normal sized horse. “Useless.” It muttered before turning to the six tiny horses, becoming fully formed. “No matter. I don't need minions to achieve Eternal Night!”

“Not if we have anything to say about it!” The purple one shouted back.

“Eternal Night?” The being asked as he slowly stood. Fixing his grip on the sword and stepping towards the six tiny horses. “Without light, there can be no darkness.” As he stood in front of the six horses, he turned around and raised his sword in a defensive stance. “And without the darkness, light cannot thrive.” Crouching down slightly, he slid his hand down his blade until it stopped halfway down. “I… am Amenadiel, Warrior of the Light so I may serve the Dark, Imperial Guardsman of the Imperiium of Draconic kind, and Beast Master of the Order of the Forgotten Realms.” Narrowing his eyes at the horse, he crouched down even lower. “And you just wrote your name in big red letters on my shit list.”

“You dare stand against me, knave?!” The horse demanded as she stomped her hoof. “I am a Queen! A God compared to you! I can raze entire Kingdoms to nothing! You are nothing to me! You understand? NOTHING!”

Launching forwards, Amenadiel slammed his head against the horse's and watched as it collapsed in a heap on the floor. “Good thing I slay Kings for a living.”

Turning his sword to the horse, he prepared to drive it into her before something inside of him called out. “Stop!” And before he could do any more, a rainbow of light engulfed his vision.