Written by Epicstu Wyyvernwriter

It wasn’t long before the Voodoo Ward Inn started serving the Undead of Necromourne, “Business hasn’t been this good since before the war. Who knew the Dead could be so thirsty.” said Harrissa.

“Hold on, where did they get Elvish currency?” questioned Droirra.

“Pardon me,” interrupted a Feline of dirty offwhite fur. He wore a suit and held a pocket watch. “I’m looking for the Warpriests.”

A greatsword blessed with Edward’s snowfire was stabbed into the ground before him. The one holding it stepped forward, “What do you want?”

“Pip, Warpriest of Hell,” the Cat replied, “What I want is to help you serve the one you follow.”

“Who are you?” Droirra asked.

“Droirra, Warpriest of Undeath. I am Victor Wares, owner, and proprietor of Victor’s Wares, TM, and Void Transportation, at your service,” the Cat replied, enunciating the TM. “Please allow me to expand your outfit.”

“What would you have us do?” asked Snow

“You aren’t a Warpriest,” Zesrial interrupted.

“I want to be yours,” Snow replied with a smile.

“Only a Living can be a Warpriest,” Droirra interrupted.

The torches and candles lighting the Inn went out, and Snow was lifted into the air by a dark aura as a bright light shined upon her. Time stopped, and a bell tolled, and Snow fell to the ground. “Huh? What’s going on? Snow? Is that you? Of course, how could I ever forget? I cannot give you back what you have lost, but I can grant you life anew,” said a voice like Zesrial’s. The dark aura and bright light vanished as a single bolt of purple lightning struck her. The torches and candles relit.

“Was that me?” Zesrial did not know what to think. She went to help Snow up, but when she got a closer look at her, Zesrial’s eyes widened.

“I feel strange, and there is a constant thumping in my chest,” said Snow. She still looked the same. “What happened?” Zesrial picked Snow up and hugged her, “Why are you crying?”

“You are alive,” Zesrial replied.

Snow looked at her hands, her wings, and her feet. Her scales were more beautiful now than they had ever been before. In her eyes was a light like the one that had been taken from her long ago, but not the same light. A new light. Something like black sand covered Snow from head to toe and formed into armored robes. They were decorated with engravings of the Kingdom of Heaven, her legions of Angels, and her lightning. Snow stood up and tried to remove her hood, but her twisted horns held it in place through the holes that seemed to have been sown in for them.

“It’s alright, little one,” Pip put a hand on Snow’s shoulder, “we Warpriests are not allowed to remove our hoods. The very act is punishable by death.”

Snow pulled her hood down over her eyes. “Oh, don’t scare her,” Droirra interrupted, “it’s alright, that would be impossible for you to do, even by accident.” Snow pulled down harder on her hood.

“Wait, what will you have us be doing?” Pip asked Snow’s question from before.

“I will explain everything on the way, but we must leave,” Victor insisted. “Michael and Harrissa as well. You too, Zesrial.”

“What’s going on, Victor,” Zesrial asked, “Is something wrong?”

* *

“What? No giant chess board with giant chess pieces?” Aleister asked as he took his hand off his first move.

“I have a set like that, but the pieces are heavy and do not move on their own. Also, they are permanently set to the Devil’s checkmate from the match that got me put here,” Leon pointed to the monument sized chess scenario off in the distance.

“Damn,” Aleister remarked.

“Welcome to Hell,” Leon replied. “What will you ask of me if you win?”

“Did you know that I do not actually have much control over anything,” Aleister replied as the two continued their match. “All I did was pick a path, ever since then I have been working nonstop to keep the Multiverse on that path. In the short time that I have had this job, I have ended six Wars and started over a dozen more. I have made deals and broken contracts, I have saved and sacrificed millions of lives all to steer the Multiverse to where it needs to be.”

“That does not answer my question,” Leon interrupted.

“Being everywhere at once helps,” Aleister continued. “I am helping a skeleton fight a World eating God while we sit here and play chess. Edward and his army will conquer Hell, and his victory shall be sung of for millennia.” They continued to make their moves, “The future city of the Dead, however, will fall and Basilisk will devour the planet the city will fail to protect. All this must happen.”

“You still have not answered my question,” Leon interrupted.

“The Late Game’s price is high, but it must be paid,” Aleister smiled and moved his king keeping his hand on the piece.

“But moving your king in any direction at this point would put you in checkmate,” said Leon. Aleister took his hand off his king and disappeared. Leon leaned over the table and saw, where Aleister once sat, a card that read; One Free Favor from Fate.

* *

The Dragon, now pinned to the ground by the Hell Wyyvern looked around and saw his armies overwhelmed by the Wyyvern’s. “Give me what was denied me,” the Hell Wyyvern demanded.

“You want my Soul?” the Dragon bellowed. “Take it!” he breathed fire upon the Hell Wyyvern one last time with impossible force, “Take it all!”