Battle of the immortals

CHAPTER 7: The Dark Alliance.

As the waiters approached him with offerings of flesh and blood, Royce rejected it in horror. "No, thank you," he said firmly, pushing the offerings away. But the waiters persisted, urging him to eat the forbidden delicacies.

The third time they offered him the meal, Royce's resolve wavered. Fear filled his heart as he stared into the hollow eyes of the waiter, whose face changed into a skeleton face before his very eyes. With trembling hands, Royce reluctantly accepted the food. 

As Grimnar wrapped the robe over his shoulders and placed the crown on top of his head, As Grimnar placed the crown on Royce's head, he proclaimed, "I crown you as a Governor, my second in command.”

A surge of power coursed through Royce's veins. It was as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, replaced by an intoxicating sense of authority and control. The cheers of the assembled crowd washed over him like a tidal wave, their jubilant cries fueling his newfound sense of confidence.

He sealed an oath with Royce, Grimnar took out a small, ancient-looking dagger with a handle that seemed to be made of bone, carved with symbols that Royce couldn't understand. The blade gleamed under the dim light, its edge razor-sharp. Grimnar gently cut across the palm of his hand, a line of dark blood welling up instantly. He then offered the dagger to Royce, signaling him to do the same.

With a hesitant hand, Royce mimicked Grimnar's action, feeling the sting of the blade as he made a similar cut on his palm. The moment their bloodied palms touched, a faint glow enveloped their hands, and the air around them grew heavy. The symbols on the dagger began to glow, casting strange shadows on their faces.

"This bond is sealed with blood," Grimnar intoned solemnly, his voice echoing slightly in the suddenly silent room. "Your fate is now intertwined with ours, bound by the ancient laws that govern us."

Grimnar commanded one of his demons, "Bring forth the throne before Royce!"

The demon bowed deeply and replied, "Yes, my lord," before hurrying to carry out Grimnar's orders.

As the throne was brought closer to Royce, Grimnar declared, "This throne shall be yours, Royce. Sit upon it and claim your rightful place."

As Royce looked at the throne brought before him, made from skulls and bones, covered with animal skin, he felt a chill. The throne flashed with lightning, making it look even more frightening. Royce realized he was changing. Thoughts of evil and darkness filled his mind, and these new thoughts didn't scare him; they felt right. He knew he was losing the person he used to be.

 Royce settled onto the throne, and a feeling of immense power surged through him. The room, which had briefly transformed into a feast hall with a semblance of normalcy, reverted to its original state of darkness. 

Grimnar walked up to Royce, who was sitting on the throne looking very powerful. "Royce Evans, it's time for us to do something. We need to get back at the humans for what they did to my mother," Grimnar said. His voice was serious and a little scary. As he talked, fire suddenly shot out of his mouth and burned two demons into nothing right there.

“What's the plan?” Royce asked with evil written all over his face.

Grimnar came close, speaking in a low, scary voice. "Our plan is simple," he said, his eyes shining meanly. "We're going to cover their world in darkness. No light at all. You, Royce, with your new power, will help us start the attack. We'll hit them where they're not watching, scare them, and mess everything up."

He walked back and forth a little. "We go after their leaders first, make everything fall apart. Without leaders, people won't know what to do. They'll be easy for us. This darkness isn't just going to be everywhere; it'll make them feel hopeless too."

Royce watched him, a nasty smile spreading on his face.

As Grimnar spoke, a demon dared to interrupt, and with a single, furious motion, Grimnar choked it, his grip so tight and powerful that the demon simply exploded, turning to dust. 

He then turned his gaze back to Royce, his eyes burning with a mixture of sorrow and unbridled fury, and began to share the tale of his mother, Althea. 

"Althea was the cherished daughter of a high priest in a land known for its devotion and strict traditions. They celebrated a grand festival each year, a time when the veil between worlds grew thin," Grimnar recounted, his voice growing softer, yet laced with a venomous edge.

"During one such festival, Althea's heart was stolen by an immortal, my father, a being of great power and mystery. Their love was a radiant flame, but in her land, it was an unspeakable sin. She was warned, threatened, but love, as it often does, blinded her to the consequences," he continued, his fists clenching at the memory.

"The king, a tyrant masked in righteousness, ordered her arrest. In a public spectacle of cruelty, they bound her to a stake and set her aflame, all under the guise of preserving their sacred laws," Grimnar's voice broke with the weight of his grief and rage.

"My father, in his wrath, descended upon them, a storm of vengeance. But the humans, fearful and cunning, had prepared. They summoned ancient powers, shackling him with chains no mortal could break, and imprisoned him far from the light of this world. To this day, he remains their captive, a trophy of their fear and hatred."

Grimnar's expression turned dark, a shadow passing over his face. "I will not rest until I have avenged my mother's death and freed my father from his unjust imprisonment. The humans will pay for their transgressions, their lands will burn, and their screams will be a lamentation for their sins." The intensity in his eyes told of a vengeance long-awaited, a bombardment ready to break upon the world.

Royce, now covered in the authority of his new position, wasted no time asserting his command over the gathered demons. With an evil spark igniting in his eyes, he began issuing orders, his voice echoing through the large, shadow-draped halls of their hideout.