Afterlife there is Darkness

Darkness watched the fire caress and consume the logs.  The sturdy thick trees once held massive canopys of leaves teaming with life and were able to support hundreds of pounds of weight.  Now, the hungry flame slowly licked the small cracks digging deeper and deeper past the bark meant to protect it and into the heart of the wood.  It growed by consuming what was around it.  It produced heat and light by means and destruction and then eventually it would burn out and fade and only darkness would remain.  After all this time he knew he would live forever.

The soldiers of the Red Saints army had struck quickly, like a fire burning too fast, their passion drove them to consume ever more or fall in on themselves.  They would find Darkness less than amused at their interruption to his plans.  He heard them strike on his door. No doubt if they had made it this far his brides were already dead it would take time to replace them but time he had.  Patience he was out of.

The doors sprung open and the fabled Red Saint flanked by his Archon companion Exodus dared to step into the Lord's personal chamber. He could sense them there was no need to face them so he continued sitting in his chair staring into the fire.  Exodus had a heart beat though different than most mortals and with no trace of fear.  The Red Saint did not, despite the magic used to cover it death hung on his scent.  Ah so that was the secret.  Darkness thought as he welcomed his guests, "Gentlemen, I trust you have been attended by my servants and your needs have been met."

The Red Saint spoke forth in tones of command, "We are here to exercise your just reward.  Our only needs are to met justice to the unworthy."

"And I trust my servants gave you plenty of opportunity to do so.  Consider that my gift to you."

"You claim to let me kill those loyal to you as a gift to me?  You are mad and are sentenced to an eternity or imprisonment or immediate death."

Still looking into the fire Darkness responds, "Death?  You speak of it far to casually for one who has experienced it Saint.  I find the many concepts of death fascinating and perplexing.  Mortals fear it, strive the entirety of their meaningless lives to avoid it, yet in the same breath they long for the afterlife.  The life where lights are brighter and joys and sensations so marvelous their mortal bodies dare not comprehend.  I can witness to you that such an afterlife does exist.  I am living it now.  As are you Saint.  Though unlike the mortals you cling to their souls to be transported to another realm for such a life, we live it here.  Here is all we have, there is no Elysian field for us.  Nor would I want one, I enjoy my afterlife...do you?"

The Red Saint leveled his staff and cast torrents of ice and snow striking Darkness destroying his chair and extinguishing the fire.  Exodus sprang to the air lifted by a celestial wind and calling forth a symbol of light in the shape of the Saints scales of justice demanded, "Foul souless creature by the power of the Saint Justice commands you to cower."

Darkness took one glimpse at his extinguished fire his patience exhausted. He spun screaming lightning into the chest of the fallen Archon then striding toward the saint, "You will find magic of no use against me." he stepped forward.

The saint summoned a direct channel to the celestial body and manifest a miniature sun between him and the Dark Lord.

 

Darkness stepped forward entering the floating orb of light. Then stepped through it seeming to be unaffected. "I've grown much to old to fear the sun."  He then wove with the strings a cacoon for Exodus binding him beyond movement.

The Red Saint channelled through his staff and cast Resurrection on the Lord of Darkness by touching him with with diamond point.  Darkness resisted the spell and grabbed the staff in his right hand hissing at the Saint.  The staff enabled a powerful force attack on the holder that was not the Saint and Darkness absorbed the blow unflinching. 

Darkness ripped the staff away and cast it to the far side of the room where Exodus lay bound. The with his other hand faster than lightning he grabbed the Saint by the throat, "If you value your after life, you take the gift I gave you, and never dare to cross my path again.  Do not be so foolish as to think I can not drain you from here and be done with you. Stay out of my afterlife and I'll stay clear of yours."

The saint spoke his breath uninhibited, no surprise since he did not need to breath, "I seek and serve only justice.  I will be your end.  I will never stop until your Darkness is cleansed from the earth."  

Exodus had somehow managed to get free, perhaps there was more to this one. He lifted the staff of the saint and engulfed the entire chamber with light.  The next moment both he and the Saint were gone.  

Darkness was going to war.