Power has always been important to one such as I. Born in a place where suffering reigned supreme, the weak would wallow in defeat as the strong place their iron boot to their back. Where to go it alone was to risk coming into contact with creatures that will bring about your end. Though their are worse fates than death. 

 I was once someone who protected those from such a fate. Though I doubt it was out of the desire to save the innocent. No, it was the power gained from seeking out the cursed fate. As only those willing to face corruption and can truly fight it as monster are far better at ending other monsters.

 Though that was a lifetime ago. The craving for power still persist to this day. I guess power was what brought us together. Each coming from places where we truly lacked control of our own fates. That’s why the old man’s tales enticed everyone of us. 

 He told stories of what once was and even what could be. He taught us this world and the way to survive it. To harness what came before and lead us down the path of creating the first empire that could reach beyond the world we found ourselves. Sadly power always corrupts in the ends. Each and everyone of us just wasn't good enough not to fall to our own personal corruption.

 We became false gods to our subjects. Tried to harness the magic of this world. Though when we couldn’t gain true mastery of it we sought the forbidden. Behind are masters back we entered the realm between and sought power of a creature we once saw do the unbelievable. 

 Taking it’s power for ourselves, we left behind the pile of sludge incapable of seeing or pursing us ever again. Then in secret we used that power to create relics capable of making us true gods. Though in the end we couldn’t simply use said relics we weren’t built for it, thus we created the descendants. 

 Our children, our legacy, those who were created to carry our power and the secrets of magic encoded into their very blood. With them we had the perfect vessels to house the power of relics. Even if they burned out their would always be another one. Our guardians given a fraction of this power as we siphoned off the rest for our selves.

Our mentor did nothing to stop us from walking our path. Just stood their and watched, making sure to share words to those who didn’t listen. It would all come to ahead when the thought to take his gift of foresight from him. We betrayed him, we killed him. We gained nothing from him, just a book and a promise that are end will grow from the seeds of our sin, that we will betray one another through our ambitions and bring about a war that will be the end of our empire.

 How foolish we be. Instead of heading his words, we turned blades on one another. Only the great builder clean of this final sin, who choose to have no part in this war. Hidden in their great forge creating who knows what.

 The lady of the fallen manipulating us so she could feed on the death we bring as I and the lord of Order do battle. She strikes from the dark as her power grows as she embraces her dark nature.

 And here I sit upon my throne. Raxium, Lord Raxium, the Lord of Chaos. Pondering my sins as I await the one who has been creating disloyalty among my warriors. A young woman who wore a mask to hide their true face. 

 Was this another scheme of the Lord of Order to weaken my troops before I send them to the front. Then again this can be the machinations of the Lady of the Fallen tempting my men to fall to her corruption. All will be known once she is brought before me.

 There was a knock upon the large doors which gained my attention. I waved my hand at the guards, making them open the door. I leaned back in my throne to get a good look as another set of guards brought the prisoner in.

 The prisoner was a young woman who was wearing rags fashioned into a robe. On her head was a porcelain like mask that was either black or a dark blue based on how the light hit it. She didn’t fight them as they brought her in chains, her head held high as the mask hid her expression.

 “We bring you the prisoner as ordered Lord Raxium.” One of the guards said before giving a slight bow.

 “I see, though I do wonder.” I said before motioning to the mask the prisoner wore. “Why have you not removed that mask of hers?”

 “We tried, but there seems to be no way to remove the masks from her head. We even tried to break it open, nothing could even dent it.”

 “Interesting, what of you prisoner, have anything to say.” 

 “Just that there is no way to remove this mask unless I want to remove it.” The Prisoner said mockingly.

 “So prisoner, what brings you to my lands. Are you in service to one of the other Lazari or simply someone who wanted to make name for themselves.”

 “I serve no one and I have no need for glory.” The masked woman said as she took a few steps toward me. The Guards pulled on her chains to keep her from moving closer.

 “Then why do you spread Heresy amongst my army.” I said as I stood up from my throne. 

 “I only spread truth to those who listen. For I may be a deceiver, I do not lie.”

 I stepped up close to the prisoner so I could grip her head by the chin of her mask making her look me in the eyes. “So you admit to deceive. What deception do you speak of?”

 The color of her eyes inverted in color and a shiver went down my spine as I recalled the look of those eyes. “By taking a form to seem weak. Though I think I had a form like this once.”  The sound cracking bones were heard as she began to contort and shift the bones under her skin. 

 The guards looked on shocked as a took a step back from her before looking at my sword leaning against the throne. Could I get to it in time. I made my move for it as I heard the sound of chains hitting the floor. 

 I reached my sword and pulled it up just in time as one of my guards were flung across the room hitting the wall beside my throne. I turned around and saw the masked woman lift the other guard and flung him toward me. 

 I dodged the flying guard and rushed toward the woman who stopped my blade with a clawed hand. She gripped the blade of my sword and tried to pull it from my hand as my gripped tightened.

 “Nice blade, Raxium, Lord Raxium the false god.” The woman said before laughing until the tip of a spear tore through the back of the woman.

 Her grip loosened on my sword, allowing me to tear it away from her before swinging it to chop her head clean off. The head flew through the air before clattering to the ground.

 “You did good boy.” I said, as the guard pulled his spear from the dead woman. “You have proven to be rather useful in this fight.”

 The guard bowed before looking me in the eye with excitement. “I aim to serve.” He said.

 The other guard came up and looked at the dead corpse before making his way close to me. “Sir what should we do with the body.”

 “Hmm, toss the body into the furnace of the forge.”

 “You think you can just burn away your sins.” 

 I turned to face the chopped off head that just spoke. My eyes widening as I noticed it stirring. 

 “My Lord watch out” I didn’t have time to react as I was knocked across the room. 

 I dug the claws of my gauntlets into the ground to slow down my momentum. Once I came to a stop I looked up to see the body of the woman take on a form crossed between ooze and beast.

 “What are you?” 

 “I’m the one whose power you stole. The one who lived in peace till you took what was not yours to take,” the creature said as it slid across the floor to reach its head.

 “Impossible.” I mumbled as I stood up recalling what the thing remained me of. “That thing was not capable of this.”

 “Oh I’m capable of a lot of things. Many of which I learned from you.” The creature said as it picked up her own head. 

 She lifted her head up held it over her head. Letting her actual head to ooze out of the masks. It began to take on a shape of a head that looked like it was melting.

 “So how bout we have a little fun.” The creature said before the spear tore through its slime like chest.

 The creature head turned to face the guard. “What made you think that would work now.” It said before its head grew and shot forward, clamping around the guards head.

 The muffled screams could be heard just before the snapping of bones could be heard. Its head retracted back into position before the creature turned to look at me.

 “So false god are you ready for your punishment.”

 “Why not this has been rather exciting so far even if I lost one of my men to a beast like you.” I walked over and lifted my sword up again. 

 The creature rushed me but this time I used the broad side of my sword to block the strike of the creature. My muscles tensed as I pushed the creature back.

 I rushed the beast and kept the pressure as I swung my sword cutting the beast in half as it tried to gain ground. 

 The left side returned my attack by slashing into my side.

 I quickly reinforced my side as I turned it into something similar to hard stone. Only for me to flinch in pain as his claws dug in.

 I quickly blocked the right sides claw with my blade. Using the force of its attack to aid in a reverse swing to slash the left arm of the Creature.

 The creature let out an inhuman sound before it began to reform its self as one.

 I jumped back making sure to grip the claw in my side to pull it out before tossing it toward the beast as a slender hand grabbed the claw. The claw turning to ooze before it took in supple flesh that was this creatures feminine left hand.

 “You are rather resilient, I guess you are a truly powerful warrior. But you’re no god.”

 “And you are hard to kill monster. What you think this form will make me hesitate in killing you.” I said as I lifted up my blade.

 The creature chuckled before walking closer in a seductive walk. “I’m sure you have no problem cutting through a woman, maybe even children if they stand in the way of your goals.”

 “Silence, monster nothing you said will make your death easier.” I said before going in for another slash.

 The creature dodged my attack before kicking my blade to the side. I didn’t have time to react before her face turned monstrous as she clamped down on my right arm.

 I did my best to harden my arm as her teeth dug into my arm. With my free hand I swung my blade to cut her head free only for her to clamp harder as I felt the flesh begin to tear. 

 The sound of ripping was heard as I seethed against intense pain. I fought the pain as I finished my swing freeing her head from her body.

 The door slammed open as one of my warriors came in and took noticed of the situation. The head on my arm began to turn into ooze as the headless body took some steps back. 

 “Lord Raxium.” The man yelled out before pulling out his weapon and rushing up to his lord to help fend off the creature. 

 The body stumbled to the mask it wore and picked up as the ooze that made up her head flowed into it. She then place the mask were here neck is and her reattached to her body.

 “Well I guess that’s it for now.” The mask woman said. “Just know false god. As your near severed arm nearly hangs off. Just know everyone will see you as a broken man.”

 I yelled out in wage and rushed at the woman reaching for her neck only for her to dodge me and trap my weapon from my hand. She the. Brought it down on my severed arm before slamming the blade into the ground.

 I kneeled on the ground in paid as I held my stump. I glared at the monster before me as she walked up to my severed arm.

 Before she get there the new guard began to attack the woman forcing her back. She chuckled and whipped her arm out like a whip and wrapped her appendage around the arm and yanked it toward her. 

 “I got what I came for. I would ask for applause, but I don’t think you’re capable of that.” She said before rushing off toward the window with the guard after her.

 The guard peeked outside the window and looked for the monster woman who escaped with my arm. He turned around and looked at me. 

 “She got away.” The guard said.

 I growled and let out her frustrated yell. “Clear the halls and get the gateway activated to the Forge Masters little hideaway. If I hear anyone has heard of this attack I will rip your head from your shoulder, you hear me.”

 “Yes my lord.” The guard said and bowed nervously.

 I gave him a look, and he left the room leaving me to wallow in my defeat. Alone with one good hand that I clenched tightly.

 “I will hunt you throughout these lands Deceiver. No one not even the other Lazari will stop me from my vengeance.”