I stood there looking back at the Imperial city, Athros. Screams could be heard as my undead horde slaughtered its citizens. I felt nothing. They were tainted. We have all sinned. There were no innocents left in this world.

I waited until the air was rich with blood and death, to absorb the vast amount of mana that came from the bowels of the dying city . When I thought that it was time to continue onwards, I turned to face the gate of the Imperial Palace and absorbed the mana from the air.With the blood and life energy of an entire city flooding my body, my meridians and mana pool began to burn and creaked as though they would soon shatter. The mana wanted to be released and ran rampant throughout my body, but I forced it to do my bidding.

I channeled the mana down through my arm and out into my sickle.It felt like lava moving through my veins but the pain did not faze me. I had experienced much greater pain in my short existence.The runes engraved in the sickle’s metal, illuminated the sickle’s dark and jagged crescent-blade with a white glow.

My sickle began to vibrate in my hand and I knew that I had no choice but to unleash it. I scraped the tip of the sickle across my wrist and my blood flowed onto it. The sickle greedily drew in every ounce that streamed out. Fueled by my blood, the white light coming from the sickle started to turn a dark red color. When the weapon had drunk its fill, I ceased feeding it blood  and swung it at the gates, with a mighty roar.

A large crescent-shaped wave of unstable energy, burst out of my weapon and swiftly soared towards the gate. Spread out along the gate, runes flared into existence in reaction to my attack. A blue screen of mana appeared, blocking all hostile incoming energy.

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The violent impact of the two energies filled the air with screeches and roars. My crimson wave of energy attempted to shred through the barrier like a feral animal. After only a handful of minutes had passed, cracks began appearing across the blue screen, shielding the palace, while various runes along the palace gates burned out, popping like firecrackers.

Mages standing on the wall attempted in vain to provide the gate’s shield with more energy and quickly fainted from mana exhaustion, as they dropped like flies. How could those sad little magi hope to compete with the energy of an entire city?. Worn down, the blue screen shattered under my assault and was completely dispelled The red energy surged forward, once again, unhindered and crashed into the gate. After the dust settled, I saw that it had ripped a large gash in the metalwork and smiled in satisfaction.  With an imperious wave of my hands, I commanded the mob of undead behind me to charge forwards into the palace grounds.

Assorted types of undead pushed past me, eager to taste the blood of the imperial army stationed beyond the gate. Dullahan's, Death Knights, Ghouls, and Vampires ran to meet the Empire's finest fighters.

Then I waded into the battle, with a purpose. Commanding my personal guard, the Crimson Banner, we slaughtered our way towards the imperial estate. It was time to teach the nobles a life lesson.

I learned it in this city and so shall they.

No one is above death.

No one is innocent.

We

Have

All

Sinned.