A Rattling Monster

Ok, so I was followed by Oslo. That is great? But I wonder what does it give me. Well, maybe if I listen to the lich I will know. But he is really good, I mean he managed to detect that his god was following me and that I don't have the mark of the god of the ratmen. But that's an issue too, I can't fool the ratmen. They will know if I am part of their group. But at least, I know that before meeting them. Imagine me, walking into their lair and get killed without knowing. Not a good thing.

"You are ri-right, sleek sleek. I am not part of the ra-ratmen you know. And Oslo himssself is looking after me."

(Hey don't try to scam my believer. Even if you don't hear me, be careful of what you think.)

Don't worry, if you tell me everything you know I won't kill you. Probably. Look I am in your side, I am followed by your god.

(I knew it, if it was a hundred year ago, I would have made you feel more pain than you can possibly imagine. But I am too weak now, because of that b*tch and that *sshole.)

"Kakaka, very well. Let me tell you a story that has started a long time ago, on another planet. At that time, we were called the Agorians. We were the human race ruling the world. We exterminated every heretics and infidels, but we didn't expect what could have happened. One day, the Sorcerer-king, our leader, told us that a meteorite was coming, one that will destroy our world. Our god, hearing our distress, decided to give us a way out. But the price was huge, millions of our people were sacrificed to open a portal, leading to this very world."

After saying this, the lich lightly laughs, a bitter one. He shakes his head too.

"Kakaka, we were foolish, thinking that we were saved. The world we arrived on was a perpetual war. Elves fighting human, dwarves against undead, lizardmen hunting earth elementals. The god ruling this world was weak and changed many times. But no one managed to reinforce their rule strongly enough. Many gods were fighting for it, and it is at that moment that one of them, the treacherous Salazar thought of a plan. His forces were the djinns; I don't know if you already met them. At that time, this place was an orchard, full of delicious apples. And the desert was not that huge, confined in the North. But with the help of their god, the djinns cursed this world, dooming it to transform into a giant desert. If it was a normal world, they could never have complete it. But no one noticed their machinations before it was too late. They used the souls and life force of everyone dying, and it succeeded."

Then, the lich slowly gets up. He leaves his seat and approaches the table behind it. He then removes the dust on a gem. A dark gem.

"After saving us, Oslo had to recuperate. A portal is not that easily opened. But after seeing the completed ritual of Salazar, he had to intervene. Since he couldn't prevent the desert, he gave us a choice. Die because of our human condition or be reborn as undead. You can think of what we chose. After turning into undead, our Sorcerer King sacrificed his life to fragment his heart. Each of the numerous priests turned into lich were to keep it, and infused their power in his heart. That way, the desert will not spread any further. In every temple where a lich is still standing, you can find one of those. Unfortunately, because of his death, our connexion to our god was severed. In an external world, with no possibility to be blessed by him, we slowly decayed. Millennia passed, Aria finally took control of it. But she was arrogant and prideful. She thought that she didn't need to exterminate the non-believers. She thought that by strengthening her forces, she will survive. And it worked. Until Salazar decides to send his army of ratmen. Until they scavenged enough power to create a portal between two worlds. Until the Portal War. Now come."

I follow the lich toward a sigil, then we both stand on it. He clearly doesn't have any evil intention toward me. But what he is saying is truly shocking. If it is true. But the fact that Oslo has watched me can verify some facts. I can hear him casting a spell and shortly after we appear in a round room. I can see 3 circles of tables and chairs, with us in the middle. Some are intact, while some are destroyed. I look at the lich, and I think he understands my questions.

"We are in the Necropolis, precisely in the council room. Before, hundreds of priests could have been seen. Now, only a handful remained. Your arrival probably means that one last session will be held. Go take a seat, on the chair of the sorcerer-king, he isn't alive anymore. We never had one after we were turned into undead. I will light the ceremonial crystal, to call the others."

I do as he ordered me and take my place on the chair. The reason I can distinguish it is because of the gem encrusted on it. The same that he showed me, a dark gem. It is the only one which has a gem. Then I see a blue crystal light up in front of the lich. After a small waiting period, a lich appears at the same location we did. He looks toward me, inspecting me for a long time, before finally reaching his place, on the second row of tables. Many more appear after him, all peacefully going toward their place. One time, it was a banshee that appeared. She was barely visible but easily recognized. White dress, floating at 1 meter away from the ground. In the end, only twenty or so were present. Only lich, beside the banshee and me. Then, the one that had arrived with me begins to talk, while in the middle of the room.

"Greeting my fellow priests, milady, I have convoked you one last time, before our time on this world end. You know that our duty is failing, the ritual will consume this world without us but our enemies are on the move one more time. Ratmen are seeking for monster cores again, djinns are plotting to annihilate us. A new threat, in the form of the Order of Krieg is rising. Our eternal fight will end, without us victorious. But there is one thing that we can do. This ratman, is blessed by our god, Oslo. Salazar hasn't tainted him with his madness and destructive thinking. He is the link to restore the communication with Oslo. But you know what will happen to us. So let's vote, the final action of the Tomb Kings, our final strike. Are you with me, Agorians?"

I can see everyone one raising his hand, one after the other, starting with the banshee. I didn't understand everything, but they are clearly planning something big. And it is probably the last time that they will doing something like that. Just by seeing them, I can feel that they are out of forces. Thinking about the skeletons and seeing the previous despair of the lich I met are good indications. When all the hands were raised, that lich walks toward me. He begins to remove the gem on my chair. I suppose that was the original heart of his sorcerer-king.

After that, he returns to his initial position. Then, I can see the banshee floating toward him. She put her hand on the gem and fade away. Truly the last action indeed. After that, a lich does it too. And begin to crumble on himself, only leaving the rest of his shattered clothes. In the end, only two people are still standing. With sadness in his blue flames, he walks toward me. He stares at the gem for a long time.

"Maybe you will use it against Oslo. I don't know you, I don't know why when you were born, you didn't receive the mark of Salazar. You are an aberration for the ratmen. But I hope you will avenge us. This is the memory and power of the Agorians, the human race ruling Pashkat. After this is completed, recover all the heart fragments in the temples. All the undead are already destroyed by now. Don't let those djinns get a hand on them. If they give that to the ratmen, your life in this world will be incredibly difficult. Now, farewell, the one who is followed by Oslo."

"What'sss your name, sleek sleek?"

"My name, kakaka, my name is… I don't even remember, kakaka. "

And while he was laughing, I could see him begin to disintegrate. Right before he truly disappears, he put the gem in contact with my head. I can sense magic passing from the gem toward my body.

"Congratulation to the user for gaining the power from a god, the god is: Oslo"

(Can you hear me? Tell me they didn't fail?)

Yes, I can. Greetings Oslo.