Blood Drunk

Xeriax could feel it in his bones. He's going to die today. A wild toothy smile cuts a path across his face. His blood boils and churns and his muscles tighten and flex of their own accord. The black flame of his scalp flares. His dick gets hard. He's ready.

The black moon is high. The smell of blood is thick in the air. Screaming, raging, yelling, blades clashing with flesh, warhammers crushing armor, the neighing of the finest Asuran warhorses, the night is ALIVE with WAR. Xeriax roars from the bottom of his lungs and runs forward.

He sees some familiar faces as he rushes towards the Field of Mayhem, his territory for the last 400 years. For centuries he has been a dominant, unstoppable force. Breaking the horns of every single Asuran brave enough to stand before him and stake their claim on Mayhem.

A true demon of Asura knows when his time has come though. He can feel it. He's not as fast as he once was. He's not as clever or creative with his martial art. It would be blasphemy to ever admit this in the great bloodmead halls, but he's getting bored...

"GAH, URGHH!!" screams an Asuran, breaking Xeriax's rumination, as a spear impales his heart, snuffing out his flame. He gurgles and leaks and expires. Xeriax laughs at the ugly death, and nods at the victorious warrior, who bows in return, out of great respect for the ancient.

Before he knew it, Xeriax's legs had taken him to the Fields. His heart burst, and his flame roared in response to the beautiful sight. Pillars of fire erupting from the ground. Large puddles of blood scatter the field. Vigorous duels and skirmishes raging all about the land.

"Beautiful." Xeriax speaks softly, as a young warrior, no older than 70 targets him and rushes him with two swords. Xeriax hardly pays the child any mind as he vigorously tries to slay the ancient and win glory and life essence for himself.

Despite the child's energy, the ancient catches both his blades in one bare hand, and shatters them with his grip. Xeriax front-kicks the child in the chest, flooring him and knocking the air out of his lungs. He laughs in the flustered child's face, as he wades into the fray.

Asurans, young and old alike either scatter or cease battle long enough to bow as the ancient warrior passes by, looking for his first kill of the day. A warrior who's maybe about 200 years old, high jumps over a skirmish and lands before Xeriax, and brandishes its greatsword.

The orange head-flame ignites, as the warrior roars, pointing his greatsword forward and taking a stance. The Asuran Ritual of Challenge. Xeriax is intrigued. He's seen this warrior draw good blood. Xeriax draws his two, trusty obsidian hatchets. "Come, you babe." Xeriax laughs.

The nameless orange flame takes a step forward, cautiously, moving through stances carefully as he moves towards the legend before him. 'Today's the day I ascend.' The ambitious beast thinks to himself. He tests Xeriax's defenses with a quick swipe of his blade... ...and Xeriax knocks it aside with one hand and at the same time rushes forward with his freehand and strikes at the orange's neck with his hatchet. The orange flame barely dodges and turns to recover and strike back at the elder's legs with his blade!

Xeriax screams at the top of his lungs and stomps down on the greatsword as it seeks to kneecap him, cracking it in half. The orange fool barely has time to gasp before Xeriax removes his head with a furious slash from his left hand axe, and catches it in his right. "TOO EASY."

"I AM BORED!!!!" Xeriax is screaming the words to the heavens themselves. "BORED!!!!" There's nothing that pisses off warriors more some old man screaming about how boring they all are. Many of the Asurans at the field turn their attention on the old flame to snuff him out.

I'm not going to waste yours or my time describing what happened. Xeriax snuffed out many flames that day, and flooded Mayhem with their blood and viscera. The Gods of Asura were surely pleased by the quantity and quality of warrior souls and guts offered to them that day.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, OLD TIMER!!" screamed a powerful voice, breaking him out of his blood-drunk trance. Xeriax's body shivered and his flame flickered feeling the energy of that voice. He'd heard of this female. She was truly murderous. He got excited. This was the moment. He turned.

Before him stood a blue flame. He's crossed paths with her. Blades, briefly. She stood confident, focused, in black leather armor, and thirsty for his essence. She'd even earned herself a name. "Nethermaw." He nodded. She nodded back. "Xeriax. Time to send you to the Wheel."

He couldn't deny that his destiny had arrived. But..."AND YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!!!" Xeriax screamed and ignited and began the attack, with no time to waste on formalities. Nethermaw smiled. Just like a real Asura to let his rage do the talking.

It was a truly epic battle. Xeriax moved like a hurricane of death and madness swinging his axes in a sequence worthy of song. Nethermaw and her bloodcrystal saber struck with precision and grace. All the warriors stopped to bear witness to the mortal dance, burning it in memory.

Xeriax smiled, and began to laugh. He was having the time of his life. Completely lost in bloodlust and fury, desperate to take the head of this beautiful demon. Nethermaw had been quite bored too and began to laugh as well, all the while trying to snuff out the ancient.

Before they knew it, the dance was over. Nethermaw got the upperhand and sliced off Xeriax's dominant left arm, and finished it with a furious thrust through his heart. Xeriax frozen in place, and his flame instantly went out. "Rest easy, ancient." the blue champion whispered.

"Let's rest together." Xeriax's flame ignited one more time, as he burned everything he had in spirit, grabbed her with his remaining arm, and bit down, deep, far into her throat, and tore it out with the last bits of essence, as her blood sprayed across his face. "Wha...damn..."

The two warriors collapsed, snuffed out. "Holy fucking shit." whispered a red-flame. The Asuran warriors still alive that day roared and cheered what they had witnesses. All hostilities for the day ceased as the living celebrated those truly demonic warriors, with song and drink.

Xeriax awakens in a very cozy, plain temple. Gray stones surround him. Beings of all make and sizes are all waiting around. Looking confused, comfortable, and everything in between...."Sigh. The Wheel." Xeriax heard about this. He waits for his turn.

Time doesn't mean a god damn thing there. So he waits for an unmeasureable amount of...time. Eventually he's called "Xeriax? Is there a Xeriax here?" He gets up and walks over to the altar-desk where a a golden haired woman awaits him with a little scroll before her.

"Hello, little golden-hair." She laughs. "You're awfully nice for an Asura!" He laughs. "I'm very tired. I've had enough of that I think." She smiles gently at him. "I can see that...let me take a look at your karma and see what you need to do next!" She rapidly reads through...

"Hmmm...looks like you need some balance in terms of creation-destruction. How would you feel about being a musician in the Human Realm?" Xeriax thinks about it. "Hm. Could be interesting. Let's do it." The priestess-clerk smiles. They walk together to a giant blue portal.

"Well, Mr. Xeriax, I hope you have a lovely time in the Human Realm!" "Thank you." Xeriax bows towards the priestess, and walks through.

Shortly after, a female Asura named Nethermaw is called, and passes through the same portal.

THE END

with Love, Genius, and BLOODRAGE anansi, the soul director griot of the stars may you always end up where you're meant to be. Xeriax and Nethermaw will return. In a manner of speaking. :P

Originally posted as a thread on X