Remember Your Vows

The foreign chill of death prickled Damien's skin. Was he floating or still? The sensations beyond the veil were indescribable. The only feeling he recognized, was the cold. There was no wind and he couldn't see anything. Whether his eyes were open or shut, if he even had eyes anymore, made no difference. All he could see was pure darkness anywhere he looked. He should be scared, he thought to himself, yet any emotion he began to feel quickly washed away, like heat escaping his body into the void.

How much time had passed since he met his end? Minutes? Days? Time was meaningless here, forcing him to give up trying to understand. He waited. Hoping something would change, that he was headed somewhere and that it would simply be a while before reaching it. That's when a hand grasped his shoulder.

It was warm, it's grasp was firm and if he could see it, he imagined it would belong to a large man. Normally that would be unsettling, yet all that washed over him was a sense of peace. Belonging. The owner of the hand finally spoke.

"I'm sorry to have kept you here, but there was somewhere you two needed to go."

The voice spoke in a deep yet smooth tone. It wasn't so much that he could hear it, it seemed to speak directly to within him with no clear source. The feeling it evoked was the same as that of the hand, making the owner of the voice clear. Damien tried to speak, but nothing came out. 

"Your lives were unjustly cut short, just as you had received the greatest blessing of all. You were made for more than this, and I know you can handle the trials ahead." The voice continued.

"It will be difficult, but when everything starts to feel too heavy, know that I am with you."

Despite the fact it came from a disembodied voice he had just met, the words rang true to him. Something felt right, as if he was listening to a lost long father. Not the type who would leave someone to escape responsibility, but one who was taken from him and had finally found him again. 

"Remember your vows. Your bond is strong, and can weather any storm."

A memory of his wedding day flashed through his mind. Hope's violet eyes were locked onto his. They sparkled as the light reflected off the tears of joy she held back. Her love plain to see for him in that moment. Had he ever had any doubts about her feelings, that moment alone would have washed them away.

For the first time since his death, he felt his first truly powerful emotion. Love. His Love burst forth from him like a burning fire that was out of control. Burning heat surrounded him, and he could finally see. 

The source of the voice stood before him, yet was too bright to make out any features. Behind him was a battle-scarred man sitting in chains. It took a moment but he recognized him, it was himself. Something was wrong though, he had never seen himself with such a hollow and defeated look. 

To his right sat a young woman. She looked defeated. Like she had carried the weight of the world and it crushed her beyond repair. She was disheveled and looked like she hadn't slept properly in months. Opposite to her ragged physical appearance, she wore beautiful robes and was clearly somebody important. She lifted her head and made eye contact with him. Despite her appearance, those violet eyes were unmistakable. It was Hope. 

He tried to run to her, but the hand kept him firmly in place. He began to panic and his blaze grew stronger, until a familiar hand cupped his jaw. He turned to look, that's when he finally noticed her. Standing next to him with a powerful and blazing aura was Hope, his Hope. He struggled to understand what was happening, but seeing as he couldn't speak, he pulled her into his embrace. She hugged him back and their blazes merged into one.

"The world you are entering is broken. Nearly beyond repair." The voice began to pull the entangled lovers towards him gently.

"You hold the power to fix it, and your bond will see you through."

As they touched the being, they slowly merged into him.

"Death has not done you part just yet." The voice said.

With a flash of light, the were through.

Hope was gone. Damien found himself soaring through the skies of an unfamiliar world. The landscapes seemed almost alien to him. There was a mountain in the distance that seemed distorted, as if a meteorite had struck it and bent it out of shape. When he came upon civilization, he knew what the being had meant by it being a broken world.

Smoke billowed all across the horizon. He flew over villages containing all sorts of races he had once thought to be mythical. Elves, dwarves, beast men, and more, he saw it all. Each race he encountered fought a similar threat as their homes burned. 

Strange demonic creatures of all shapes and sizes mercilessly slaughtered man, woman, and child alike. They chanted and beat their drums to a strange and haunting tune. No matter where they fought, the music was perfectly aligned. Damien crossed what he believed to be entire kingdoms, but no matter where he went, the grim music they played followed perfectly, like some sort of sadistic and barbaric orchestra playing all across the world. 

The initial cities he flew over seemed to hold off the enemies decently enough, but as he flew deeper, things got worse and worse. It all culminated in a land that seemed all but destroyed  on it's eastern front, and a beautiful city flying a banner sporting a lion with angel wings. Judging by the forces surrounding it, it wouldn't stand for long. Out of the castle, a powerful and radiant golden light exploded forth. He didn't know how he knew, but somehow he knew that was his destination. A similar light could be seen on the horizon, far into the desolated lands, but he couldn't get a good look before zipping into the castle and losing sight for a moment.

Damien gasped. He had made it, he had a body again. His excitement and curiosity was cut short by the blade held to his neck. The man wielding it had veins bulging out of his forehead. Bodies were strewn around the room, it looked like a slaughterhouse. The memories of him slaughtering everybody in the room invaded his mind. He remembered every detail of the moment he, or at least another him, performed those heinous acts. Forgetting about the blade to his neck, he immediately emptied his stomach.