Chapter 7

A glimpse of red revealed the Blood Moon in the horizon behind the Dark Ridges. Shining in the dark sky of the Underworld, the ever-present cursed moon illuminated Nitramneadh with its unnatural red light. Ancestral legends said the moon was made of the blood of the dead, and in the Judgement Day that blood would cover the Underworld and raise an undefeatable army.

It might be, thought Narayan, walking alone through the streets. But in that moment, the Underworld's satellite would only mean for him a gathering of warlords he was to assist, and that idea didn't please him at all. Three millenia had passed since his arrival to the Underworld, and he'd never involved himself in the local hierarchy. He could remember the time he had been trapped in that hell - then, the Underworld was ruled by a king - Vaurk.

The necromancer stopped in the Hall of Tombs, right in front of the Warlords Council's main entrance. There, right there, where he stood, Vaurk had been killed by two rogue warlords who had become too greedy. He owed Vaurk everything. Still he couldn't do nothing for him. And his son, Nardris, who ascended, wasn't strong enough to control the warlord's rebellion that erupted few years after his father's death. He was murdered, too, and the warlords took the power. He had never entered the Council again since then.

Until that very day.

* * *

"Well, well", said Bir'Kaar, one of the nineteen warlord sitting in the great assembly. "The Rogue Necromancer in the Council. Thought you didn't like politics."

The others laughed, looking at him with wild curiosity.

"And I don't", answered Narayan, his eyes burning towards Bir'Kaar. "But I've been summoned."

"Summoned?", Bir'Kaar asked back. "Summoned by whom?"

"By me", said Norcross, crossing the door assembly's door.

Silence fell like a stone. No warlord dared to speak, as Norcross walked to his place, signaling Narayan to follow him and sit by his side. Everyone present wondered why Norcross had summoned the Council, and why had him brought the necromancer with him.

"Now that you arrived", started Sia'uhl, a massive warlord seated right on Norcross' side, in the assembly's upper level, reserved for the greatest warriors, "perhaps you could explain why have you called us."

"Of course, my friends", said Norcross, as sarcastic as he could be. "First of all, I'd like to thank you for coming..."

"Cut that crap, will ya?", interrupted Bir'Kaar. "Go straight to the point; what are we here for, and why is he here with you?", he asked, pointing to Narayan.

"Bir'Kaar is right", said Amok, sitting in the third level. "He is not one of us. He hasn't the right to sit here among us."

Norcross smilled with disdain for both warlords. "He is here with me because I wanted him to come. I wondered, gentlemen, once you don't agree with his presence among us, perhaps you would come up here and send him out?"

Amok and Bir'Kaar looked at each other with anger, and said nothing.

"That's what I thought", Norcross said, sarcastic. "Well, you want me to go straight to the point, right? So be it; Time has come for our armies to cross the Eastern Gate and to invade the Earth and Mil'Garion."

Bir'Kaar laughed. "That's what you say."

"Wrong", replied Norcross. "That's what I'm going to do. I summoned the council to inform you that actually I am taking your legions and gathering them under my standart. The full invasion of Earth will start with the next moonrise."

"You what?", asked Amok, incredulous.

"You heard it well", said Norcross. "I want each one of you to join me freely. That's why I summoned you. To hear what you have to say about this."

"Well, I say you're out of your goddamned mind!", exclamed Bir'Kaar. "You come sayin' you're going to take over our warhosts to invade the Earth... I won't give you the command of my armies!"

"You won't?"

"No, I won't!", shouted Bir'Kaar.

"Fine", Norcross said simply. He raised from his chair, descended to the third row, approached Bir'Kaar and, without warning, drew his great sword and cut his head off. Then he climbed to the second row, and stared at Amok. "Were you about to say something?"

Amok remained silent, still staring at the fallen, headless body of Bir'Kaar. Norcross gave him no time to say nothing; he grabbed his horned head, lift him into the air, and smashed his head. Then he threw the dead body to the floor next to the alley's door, and turned to the council. "I suppose now you know what I mean, right?"

"What? Are you sayin' you're gonna kill us all if we oppose you?", asked Irhsan, a warlord of the first rank, as Norcross.

"If I have to", replied Norcross, facing the other unnafraid.

"Goddamnit, Norcross, you will never change", said Sia'uhl, laughing. "But there will be no need for that. I am with you, and so are my legions. Just one question: is the Rogue Necromancer with us?"

Everybody turned to Narayan, caught by surprise. He never expected Norcross to do that. Not so early. He wasn't already prepared for that; but there was no turning back. Norcross started it all. He had to accomplish... and see what he could do.

"I am", said Narayan at last, after some seconds of hesitation. "I am giving you the dark shamans I've trained. Think they'll be useful in the frontlines."

"Actually", replied Norcross, approaching the necromancer, "I was expecting you to come with us. But yes, the shamans are welcomed."

Narayan's face darkened. He glanced at Norcross, trying to understand what exactly did he want. But his intentions were dubious, he had no doubt about it.

Still he didn't fear him.

"Sure. I will join you", he said.

"Fine. What about you, gentleman?", he asked, turning again to the council. "Does anyone here oppose me, or can I count with each one of you for the incoming war?"

No one said nothing. After Norcross' small demonstration, no one dared to speak agains him. He was the strongest; even Sia'uhl recognized it. They had no other choice. Besides, time had come for them to put aside their differences and to finish what they had begun many millenia ago. Time had come for the Underworld to rise from the darkness oncemore and overrun the other worlds. Every warlord agreed with this. They just needed a strong leader to command the hordes of darkness; and Norcross rised as that leader.

"Very well", said Norcross. "This council is over. Gather and prepare your warhosts. After the next moonrise, the Earth will be ours once and for all."