It's dark, that's the best way to describe it. I was a soldier in the Spartan army who was chosen as the king's personal guard. Chosen? More like volunteered. It was guaranteed we'd die and my fiance had just left me, so why not? Never did I think I'd find such a glorious life after death. But who am I to get ahead of myself, I apologize. It was dark indeed, and cold. The ocean spray made a crisp salty aroma that clung to the rocks. It wasn't my watch, but I was awoken. An attack. We made our defensive pose in a phalanx and waited on the trail immediately north of our camp, the only path between us and millions of enemies. Our breaths were apparent as they flowed out of our helmets, mine and my brothers. Raised from children, raised to kill, born to be brothers. But that would change this night. Only one approach from the north. One. He was clad in no armor I've ever seen. And wielded weapons I'd never heard of, mowing scythes? A long thin blade? Was this a peasant? What was this? It stopped and scanned our ranks with intelligent red eyes. Was this what we had to expect from the legendary immortals? It raised one crooked hand and pointed to me. I stayed in rank. A voice pierced my mind, sickening, yet calm. Join us, Diem. Carpe Diem. How does it know my name? What is this? It never lowered it's arm. That finger kept fixed on me. My brothers cheered me on, telling me to engage it. Being the pankration champion from my group and unrivaled in one on one combat they encouraged me to take it on. Smiling, I broke rank and stepped forward, my blade, my shield, and my spear, my closest friends and the only thing death would never separate me from. It drew its blade, a long dark sickly looking blade that seemed to be ablaze. I crouched behind my wall fortress, my shield, my life's only protection and rested my spear against the corner. I was ready, life or death. Moments of silence passed, we both waited for the other to move. Be a soldier for us, Diem. I charged with a savage scream that had made men crumble before me, but this thing didn't flinch, swinging it's blade down onto me, I blocked with my shield, but the blow crumpled me with a force I've never felt, fire poured over the sides of my shield, burning what it could reach. I stabbed my spear at the fiend who sidestepped and grabbed it, pressed itself against my shield and stared into my eyes with malevolence. A strange black strain made it's way down my spear towards my hand, and as soon as it reached my grasped fingers, memories flooded my head. Legions of black clad men and women, each as strong as the foe I was engaged in battle with now, raging over the land pillaging and murdering. I dropped my spear screaming, pushed away, and drew my sword. The ideas of my brothers and I, was it not beautiful? Did it not appeal to that animalistic rage you hold deep in your heart? The voice pierced my head. I'll show you animalistic rage. I charged again, and again it brought it's blade down onto my shield with shattering strength. My shield split and fell apart. What is this trickery? I swung my sword with unparalleled speed and aggression directly at the fiend's chest, it blocked, but I blew it's sword out of it's hand and into the cliff point first. It stuck in the bedrock with a deafening scream. I covered my ears and looked at the creature. It spoke. "That was my blade, my Phoenix. You have angered her." Fire poured from the blade as it blew out of the rocks and back into its owner's hands. It cradled the blade as if it was a child. "I'm sorry dear," It spoke, " but this is not a fight for you." He stowed the blade away onto his back and drew his scythes. "My name is Algren. And you will be mine, Carpe Diem." He initiated the attack, blindingly fast, efficient, and the edges of those blades screamed death. I back-stepped and dodged for my life casting in a swing every opportunity I got. Every now and then I'd make contact with the scythes and my blade would pay for it with horrendous cuts into the metal. There was no way my blade would last. None. One opening and I would take it hand to hand. It swung wide and I parried, this was it. I clenched it by the arms, holding the blades away from me. It laughed in amusement, dropping the weapons. It snaked its hands through into mine and my mind flooded with more images. A man coated in darkness, horns, a giant mace, a roar pierced my mind as well as my attackers, I could tell by the way it smiled. "Our great lord Micou approves of you. Oh does he approve." More images flooded my head. My fiance, wrapped in the arms of another, fondling, fucking, laughter. Anger poured into every inch of my body. I heard my troops cheering me. I clenched and screamed, letting all the rage out that had consumed me. Dark fog, dark as darkness itself rolled out of my hands and over the arms of this Algren. Startled I jumped back. "What is this?" I screamed staring at my hands and the darkness that now subsided. 
"With those wondrous views I put into your head I also planted what powers you will have as one of us. We went into your mind, Diem. We like what we see." 
"And what do you see, Algren?" I spat.
"Anger, fury, leadership, passion, rejection, things that make a soldier turn into a demon even without the help of us." I grunted as the fog stopped flowing out of my hands. I smiled. "No."

The fight went on without a hitch, I'd strike and he'd parry. I'd clench and he'd roll out of it and vice versa. He was on the same level I was in hand to hand and I loved the challenge. This strange feeling grew in my head that I wanted to be with them, but I didn't know if that was my though or theirs.  The whole time I felt this Micou's gaze on us. What is this? A dream? I had to be dreaming. Demons and powers, this wasn't real. I threw an uppercut that should've connected, and he slid out of the way as if it was nothing and grabbed me on the jaw. Was this a fatal mistake? No they wont kill me, they want me. They won't harm me. This I found to be wrong as Algren leaned and whispered something into my ear. "Your mortal wounds will all heal during time of possession." A flash of pain as my jaw was ripped out and dangled by one side, I screamed. My troops all roared and tried to run to my aid but there was a flash as a wall of fire blocked them from my view. I was being dragged, but to where I did not know. I blacked out from the pain and woke what seemed to be days later in pure darkness. in front of me was the manifestation of the dark lord Micou. The vision except real. He looked down on my with scarlet bloodthirsty eyes. "What is it you most desire, Carpe Diem?" He asked in a soothing voice. I didn't think I could speak but feeling my jaw, it had been reattached without a scar. I thought long and hard, the heartache and the pain, and the anger. I had two answers. " Can it be anything?" He smiled wide, baring angry looking fangs at me. "Of course."
" I want to have her forever and I want to have power beyond imagining to fight away all of my pain and fears." At that his smile subsided. "If we grant you these wishes will you join us?" My answer I felt pained me. "Yes." The black fog poured from my hands and surrounded me. I didn't do this. It was him. My dark lord. My. Micou. When the cloud stood over me it enveloped me pouring into my every opening, eyes, mouth, nose, ears, I felt like I was drowning, but I could breath. I felt my body swell times over, but it didn't hurt, I screamed as I felt immense pressure build up like I was going to explode, yet it subsided. I fell to my knees. I fell to my knees as a new creature. I opened my eyes, everything was prestene and sharp. I looked into the now azure eyes of my dark lord, " Thank you Micou."

I went to her running as fast as I could. This new power, I felt it surge through me, I loved it, I hated it, I cherished it already. I came to her home. Our home. I opened the door and walked in to a horror. The vision. It was true. One of my brothers had bed my bride to be. Brother? Some brother. Rage filled me. He went to try to talk me down and I grabbed him by the face. I smiled as I looked at her horrified face. I love you. I fucking love you, I wanted to scream, but the only words that came out was, " We will be together forever. In life or death." I crushed my brother's face with a sickening crunch and his delightful gurgles filled my ears. He struggled trying to pry my hands loose, so I thrust him into the stone floor. I kept pushing, his agonized muffled screams escaped the clench of my hand as I drove him further into the ground, the granite cracked under the pressure. I mounted him and let his face go. His distorted face looked into me with begging eyes. "Please." His mangled lips whispered. No. I began to punch until all I hit was granite and his head was nothing but mush and pulp. She didn't make a sound. Frozen in fear? I do hope so. She did this. I looked to her next, she seemed happy didn't she? Micou was right. I was angry. I was rejected. I did have this animalistic fury. This was all right. She walked to me calmly and tried to hug her way out of it with I love you's. No. I grabbed her, not as you would nicely and calmly as you would a lover. I shoved my hand into her chest and grabbed her heart. Her breaths became short and choked. I felt her life leave her. No I want it, I want her. The fog poured out of my hands and enveloped her Holding onto her life, keeping her alive, overtaking her. " I love you." I said. I drew back everything, all the fog and everything it attached to. Her body, her soul, her mind. She slowly floated into my hands with the fog of darkness and a new shape was formed in her stead. A deadly, sickly looking blade of the same kind of Algren. But in the shape my heart desired. This was my compromise of love forever. I held her to my heart. The sword dissipated inside me. The last thing I heard before she was gone was her voice, " I love you, I will forever." I'd always have her with me, and she'd love me forever. I turned to walk away. To my surprise Algren was at the door and with a sharp joyful voice he said, " Welcome to the Azure Demons."

Horrified I ran. Blowing past Algren, out the door, into the world, released chaos. How was I to react with this new power? In anger. I just killed the only person who ever meant a thing to me due to this Azure Demons. Infuriated, lost, enraged, I ran far and fast. I could hear her speak to me through the sword that she was now, but what consolation was that? I hid, I ran and hid, like a coward. Like some poorly beaten child. When I stopped I was in some foreign land days later in some village. People were running and screaming as their home was being ravaged. Who the hell was I to think about just passing them by? I have to help. I raged again, the fog poured from my hand and manifested my love. She seemed dry and thirsted for blood, such a surprise to me. I charged in, who were these invaders? Who knew? I made it to the middle of the village and stood there waiting, trying to distinguish enemy from ally, but I soon found myself surrounded. Seven men, two spears, four swords, one mace. "Are you a villager?" I heard one question me. I smiled, my scarlet red eyes in a fury. "I am but God, bow and I shall let you live." They all laughed, a spear-man stepped forward insinuating making a game of killing me. Two in the ring. One comes out. If he didn't make it, the next person came in. Someone thought they were a hardass. He stabbed for my shoulder. I parried wildly hurling the spear out of his hands into the other spear-man. He made a choking noise as he fell to the ground. I smiled again, "Bow." He screamed at me telling me I had just killed his brother and had a swordsman throw him his sword. As soon as he caught it he spun into a swing, I blocked it with ease, but he refluxed it off of my blade and grazed my leg. I fell to a knee in pain. He roared in approval, but as he raised his hands my darling, my blade, my love of a sword, decided to take it into her own hands and cleave through his stomach with ferocious speed. His top half hit the ground before his legs buckled, amusing. I looked at my blade now drenched in gore. "Now love, let me do the fighting." The group roared in protest and another swordsman stepped in. I stood up and faced him with the same devilish smile. He swung wildly for the head, parry, reflex, arm. His limb hit the ground and he fell to his knees. I walked behind him, grabbed him by the head and squeezed until his skull collapsed with a sickening crunch. I then held his body up and wiped my blade off on his shoulder and proceeded in letting him fall. "Next?" I mused. Two swordsmen stepped in, one picked up the sword he threw to the enraged spear-man. They attacked together making the simple mistake of swinging at the same time as well. I sidestepped the one to the left and watched the one on the right's blade fall, when it was the right level I punched it mid swing, sending it into the other swordsman's throat. He fell taking the lodged sword with him in his neck. Horrified the swordsman picked up his partner's sword and yanked his own out of his partner's neck, dual wielder eh? He spun in making wide swings and advancing rapidly, also really large steps which was a horrible mistake. I dodged, parried, and refluxed my blade through his forward leg. He screamed as he stumbled, but made an effort to lunge at me. A pitiful effort. I jumped the attempt and landed on his back, possibly breaking his spine, I didn't look as I swung down, I kept my eyes fixed on the other members of the group as I blindly beheaded this fool. They looked horrified as the last of them stepped forward, all but the mace wielder. They attacked at different paces, making it harder to time my shots. I dodged the first sword, but the second sword swatted my sword, knocking my arm away from a blocking position, and the mace-man swung down towards my head. Instinctively thinking I had a shield I raised my arm, but I realized too late as the mace found home on my bracer, bending it in on my wrist. He kept pressure on it until his swordsmen recovered and resumed to join him, they prepared to swing as one and desperation grabbed me. Desperation and anger. The fog rolled out of my blocking hand making a wall of darkness between me and the men. They swung through, but I blindly dodged, the mace still heavy on my arm. I need my shield I thought panicked. But the most curious thing happened. The fog formed a round circle as wide as I thought was sufficient without me even thinking it. The pressure from the mace seemed to lessen, and the fog hardened into a massive round shield bearing the hand of the Azure Demons. I looked at it as it seemed to shine with pride. I smiled, this wasn't even fair anymore. One swordsman ran in, I bashed the fuck out of him with my shield sending him flying. I rested the shield on my hip and used the weight to propel a wild, wide, blind swing towards the other two not even knowing about the second swordsman approach. I felt resistance in my swing for a split second. I recovered and ducked behind my shield, peering over the edge at the two men. The swordsman stood there with a blank expression on his face, then his face split in half as the top of his head slid off. He fell to the ground without sound. The mace-man was stunned, and the sword man I bashed came back holding his chest, broken ribs? I hope that feels good. He ran in as if he had something to prove, so I proved to him that the edge of my shield was harder than his face, with a delightfully sick crunch he flew back first into the ground. I followed up by thrusting my sword into his chest. One left. The mace-man approached slowly, putting both hands on his weapon, we both waited for the other to move, but I was tired of this fight. I charged in and he swung hard onto my shield, I used the momentum of his strike to spin, bringing my sword to his now exposed throat.I halted the blow just inches from his vital jugular. "Bow." I said. Shaking the man dropped his mace and fell to the ground hands first and bowed to me. " Since you actually listened I will let you live, but share word of me, mortal. I am Carpe....." I stopped. I was no longer a thing of the day and the light. I was a demon, an immortal raiser of hell. I smiled slightly at my adjustment. " My name is Carpe Noctem." The man shuddered agreeing and thanking me, calling me his god. I did enjoy it as he ran, stumbling over the body parts of his fallen friends. I will be known forever, and I will not let anyone forget the fear I will evoke. I am Carpe Noctem, I am the night.

I felt voices in my mind, Micou and Algren, and what did they say? Stunning display of power and prowess in your new strengths, my child. Now we have a task for you. Find us worthy soldiers and bring them before us. Find us more soldiers like you. Ok. So where do I start? Where I'm at now. I had no clue where I was, but I fought for what seemed to be years, and it was, it was hundreds of years before I found anything. It was four hundred and twenty years of failures. In the Island now known as Britain I had come across some lady, a wench? No far too elaborately garbed for such a down position. The crown upon her brow made me come to see she was a queen. She was pacing the outskirts of a forest in frustration and fear. I heard her cry out for her god to help her in battles against invaders. May god help her, I thought musically. Through my years as a demon I further discovered multiple powers I possessed, one of them was to appear in any shadow anywhere within sight or memory. So I sunk into the shadow I was standing in and visualized myself in front of her, and there I appeared. "Your majesty." I greeted properly with a bow. She met my manners with a blade shouting something about proper respect. I walked up to her and smacked her sword out of her weak hands, grabbed her and pulled her close and said " And you would do well to show me proper respect, mortal." She had guts, but she was no fighter. But yet she sparked something that I felt would benefit the demons. "Are you a god?" She asked out of breath and on the ground where she fell. I laughed, “A god?” I mused, lifting her chin to look at me. “Not quite. No, nothing quite so…agreeable. On your feet,” I ordered. I thought for a moment I had immense amounts of power I could assist her with, but at what cost would she pay? “I can give you the assistance you so urgently require.” She actually questioned me. “How so? If you are not a god, stranger, what assistance could you offer me?” Well then, allow me to make this clear. “Because, I am better than that you’d find in your gods. Because I am something more powerful than your gods.” I flash stepped behind her, faster than human eyes could comprehend. “I am a demon.” I whispered in her small delicate ears. I did circles around her, she seemed shocked, but that was her problem, she had just better not try to use that dagger she keeps fingering hidden among her robes. “I can make your army seem 3 times its size. I can offer advisement and strategies.” And again with the questions she went. “Why would you help me, Demon? And what do you ask in return for this assistance?” I smiled slightly, "Nothing. If you win." She made the deal, offering her outstretched hand, but I didn't take it. As I turned to walk away she asked, “Wait, won’t you stay and fight?” I smiled widely, it was war she wanted, not a slaughter. “That wouldn’t be fair, but I will be watching. You’ll see me again,” Time for some burn. I flashed towards her, she drew the dagger but I grabbed her on the wrists, burning her flesh as Algren did my jaw, marking her. She dropped the dagger as her hands writhed in pain. I backed away, “When the battles are over and your war is won and lost.” I smiled as I teleported away to a distance where i could see her. Her sword I put in it's scabbard on her back, which she seemed shocked about, on top of what just happened. She turned and walked away, I knew in the future years she would become arrogant and lose, thus giving us another demon possession. I came to her only before battles in secrecy, she wore gauntlets to cover her marks, I paid no attention as I showed her how to win decisively. And over the years she won, as well as become arrogant and conceded in her ability that she claimed was her own. All of my help she claimed was her own doing, calling herself Andraste, their goddess of victory. And as certain as death itself, she lost. Even more she tried to hide and take herself, taking poison, too bad the marks already made her immortal without possession. I flashed in, “Congratulations are in order, my dear,” I smiled. She looked afraid, "What do you mean, cruel fiend?" If it wasn't already apparent, “You wanted to be immortal!” I taunted, I bent down and whispered in her ear, “Your wish has been granted. And as reparation for my aid in battle, you will fight among my legions until the end of days. When you are struck down in combat, you will rise to fight again until the last battle has been won and lost.” She tried to work her way out of her deal, “But you said I would owe you nothing!” 
“If you won,” I reminded her, “But you didn’t.” She almost seemed like she was going to weep.“Please, just let me die,” she begged, I smiled again. “Where would be the fun in that?” I swept her away to Oblivion where she became Andraste of Oblivion.