The ruined castle stood like a monolith amidst the raging storm, its stone walls cracked and worn, the wind howling through its empty halls like a chorus of restless spirits. Maajin fled overhead, their twisted forms silhouetted against the dark sky as they gave out chilling screeches that pierced the din of the tempest. The air was thick with the stench of decay and corruption, and the ground trembled beneath the feet of the dark-robed figures that moved through the castle's depths.
The Apostles of Doom.
Within the castle's depths, a different kind of chaos reigned. Sarcophagi, dark-skinned cocoons adorned with briars, thorns, and pulsating veins of dark magic, hissed and steamed as mutated Maajin burst forth from their confines, their grotesque forms unfolding like dark petals as they poured out of the slime within their cocoons and onto the cracked stone floor. The sound of shattering stone and the screams of the Maajin filled the air, echoing off the walls as the dark-robed Apostles of Doom moved through the throng of newborn creatures.
The Apostles inspected the Maajin with an unblinking gaze, their eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intensity as they determined which creatures would be worthy of serving Minatori's twisted will, while those that were too deformed to be of use were instantly killed and their corpses were taken away. Even dead, they still contained curse magic and could serve as the cores of the cult's weapons or be torn apart and stitched back together to become perverse reanimations with no will, just empty husks that performed perverse roles. Well, not that they were any different from the successful Maajin transmutations.
As the hatching process took place, however, some of the Maajin refused to be tamed, their feral nature asserting itself as they attacked the Apostles with savage abandon. The dark-robed figures countered with blasts of curse magic to restrain the perverse creatures, their power surging through the air like a dark tide as they subdued the rebellious Maajin, chaining them with heavy links that seemed to hum with malevolent energy. They would instantly engrave runes on the Maajin's heads and take away whatever little sense of self they had, making them "obedient."
The tamed Maajin were led, stumbling and halting, towards the inner sanctum of the castle, their eyes glowing with an unnatural hunger as they moved deeper into the heart of the fortress. The Maajin currently being "born" had taken on insect-like characteristics and possessed high concentrations of curse within them, like living batteries of corruption. Maajin came in different forms and sizes. These ones, however, seemed to have been bred for a specific purpose. All according to the Lord of the castle, Chaos Lord Minatori's, grand design. Only he knew why he had given them this form, and soon, Ezkanur would find out as well. The air grew thick with anticipation, and the darkness seemed to pulse with a malevolent life of its own.
In the throne room, Minatori sat enthroned, his gaze fixed on a screen that displayed a distant battle hovering in front of him. He tilted his head, resting it on his fist as he observed Mekna and Keo clash with Maajin, their movements a blur of steel, ice, and flame as they moved to subjugate the intruders. Minatori's expression was unreadable, but his eyes gleamed with interest as he watched the battle unfold.
The battle ended, and the two Archadians decided to take the people in for questioning.
Minatori's eye followed, although the transmission began to glitch due to interference from the Mystium in the area reacting with it.
Keo's senses picked up on a presence lurking in the trees, a one-eyed blob with bat-like wings that seemed to be observing the battle with an unblinking gaze. She, however, continued watching without turning, making it seem as if she hadn't picked up on it.
Snow rose from the ground, coalescing into a snowflake-shaped projectile that shot out of her palm faster than the blink of an eye, moving toward it before curving around the trees, hitting the thing from behind and bisecting the blob with deadly precision. The creature froze, its body shattering into a thousand pieces as it hit the ground.
Minatori's gaze flicked to the screen, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
"Interesting," he murmured, his hand swiping across the screen to change the scene to the snowy region of the northern continent. Four dark-cloaked individuals knelt before him, their faces bent in submission.
"Forgive me for speaking without permission, my Lord, but why do you seem so pleased?" one of them asked, his voice trembling slightly.
Minatori's smile grew, his demonic fangs glinting in the dim light. "It's all according to plan," he said, his voice low and measured.
The Apostles of Doom were a hierarchical organization, with the 12 Dark Apostles at the pinnacle of power. There were five ranks below them. Directly under the Dark Apostles were the rank of Umbra, the inner circle of Apostles who served as the Dark Apostles' most trusted lieutenants.
The four individuals - Mante, Kekeli, Dakka, and Kezai - were of this esteemed rank.
As Umbra, Mante would oversee the recruitment and indoctrination of new Apostles, ensuring that only the most devoted and ruthless individuals joined the ranks. Kekeli would be responsible for gathering intelligence and conducting espionage, using his cunning and stealth to uncover secrets and weaknesses in their enemies. Dakka would lead the Maajin legions, commanding the twisted creatures to fulfill whatever it was that her master desired of her. Kezai, meanwhile, would serve as a master of developing their curse magic, developing new and innovative ways to wield the forbidden arts in service of her lord.
Together, the four Umbra would form a formidable team, working in tandem to further the goals of the Dark Apostles and the Cult of the Apostles of Doom to bring a new age of terror to the world, all in the name of their Lord Minatori.
The kneeling figure, Mante, hesitated before speaking again.
"But, Lord, what plan could be good for our test subjects to escape and our Maajin scouts to be killed?"
Minatori's expression turned cold, his eyes flashing with irritation. "That's not for you to know, Mante," he said, his voice dripping with menace.
As he spoke, Minatori raised his hands, and cuts appeared on his fingers, dark teal-colored liquid shooting out like tentacles. The liquid stabbed into the four kneeling figures, lifting them off the ground as they screamed in agony. Minatori paid them no mind, his gaze fixed on the screen showing Eldrida as he continued to infuse them with his blood.
"You have another role to play in my scheme," he said, his voice dripping with malevolence. "One that will bring you great pain, but also great power in me."
The Apostles' robes tore, and their naked bodies began to expand and distort, their skin stretching like balloons being filled with liquid, stretched taut over their now bulging veins. Vines from the walls attached to them, wrapping around their bodies like living chains as they formed hardened sarcophagi. Minatori's smile grew, his fangs gleaming with wicked pleasure.
As the transformation took hold, the Apostles' screams grew louder, the silhouettes of their bodies contorting from within their cocoons in ways that seemed impossible for human flesh. Minatori watched with an unblinking gaze, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he brought his twisted plan to fruition. The storm raged on outside, but within the castle, a different kind of tempest was brewing, one that would bring destruction and chaos to all who stood in Minatori's way.