An Episode Of Carnage [M]

[Alex Silver]

This is a retelling of a past event which occurred during Alex's life before the omniverse. It is rated "M" for its violent nature which can be construed as excessively graphic and constant violence throughout. As a sidenote, since this occurs prior to his arrival in the omniverse, Alex has access below to abilities which he does not currently possess within the RP. This is, once again, a retelling of past events.

It was just as Alex had feared. Raven was now dead. Any hope of restoring the old royal family to the throne – and, by extension, earning back his title of Archknight – was lost. There was no hope for the planetary kingdom of Ichor, now ran by a tyrant who called himself ‘Lionheart the first’ , there was no hope for the children and youth whom had joined his and Raven’s side, lured in by promises of a brighter future which would now surely never come, there was no hope for himself to ever step back into the glamour of nobility – which, he had by now lost the taste for – in a world where his family name had lost meaning. Still, in spite of all this, there was one thing that kept him going forward. One sentence his friend – he was told – repeated over and over to his underlings as he was dying of blood loss from his injuries sustained at the hands of the behemoth cybernetic beast known as the ‘Dreadmore’. One sentence which, having been repeated over and over in his head, had distorted itself into a paraphrase and then changed into an order. The exact wording was; “Don’t worry. Alex will take care of everything. You will be fine.”, with time, as he was recovering from holding the corpse of his friend in his arms it became; “They don’t have to worry. You will take care of everything. It will all be fine.” Now, as he was driving towards the castle with nothing other than his determination pushing him forward, it had morphed itself into “Kill that bastard and crush everything and everyone that gets in the way!” At this point, he was more than happy to oblige such a request. He needed to pass his frustration off on something and there was no target preferable to the facial features of the man whom had robbed him of his childhood, his family and his nobility.

“Don’t worry about a thing Raven… I’ve got this.”He uttered to the thought of his dead childhood friend and the only king he would be willing to recognize which now echoed through his mind. This furthered his drive and so he revved the engine of his motorcycle as he continued speeding forward. He knew he would encounter resistance and – in fact – hoped he would. It would not be right for the king to be the only one who pays for what had happened. After all, he had viziers and strategists whom no doubt aided in planning the attack. He had generals and commanders men which made the attack possible at all. He had the support of the people without which he could not have conducted such an assault in broad daylight. He had men which made the assault possible at all. Yes, it was obvious now, every death, and every ounce of collateral damage, and every violent act he would perpetrate on his way to the king and whatever torture he would enact upon the king himself was entirely deserved. He revved the motor once more as he saw the gates of the castle approaching.

The massive fortress standing before him was almost frightening to behold and most certainly imposing. Its gigantic ramparts once bore the symbols of the Everfall family; a tasteful black background bordered by gold with a giant bird, its wings extended and its head looking down benevolently but coldly upon the people sharing this golden hue. Now however, it was ornate with the red banners on which were portrayed the head of a lion, a purple heart which matched the ornamental borders imprinted upon its forehead. The words ‘Think with your Heart.’ Now replaced the motto of the Everfall family atop the main gate. Before, what could be read was; ‘Life beyond Pain.’ Personal feelings aside, Alex did have to admit that the first was somewhat better than the latter if only in terms of meaning and for the value of the pun, but it lost its meaning when spewed from the lips of hypocrites.

What mattered more than the redecoration at the moment however were the patrolling guard before the gate, the man ramparts, and the one-armed Dreadmore sitting atop the castle, no doubt the one responsible for his beloved friend and king, Raven Alister Mandrake Pyro Axel Gregory Everfall the sixth. Alex grinned at this realization; it seemed – in paraphrase of the proverb ‘killing two birds with one stone’ – that the closer he got to the castle, the more birds he would be killing with this next throw.

Slowly, he rose his hand to his necklace and focused, he needed something with massive firepower and he knew of just the thing to call upon. There was no way about it now, it was too late to go back, this much was clear as he saw one of the guards near the gate pull out a communicator while the others readied their weapons. “The carnage is about to begin.”

The necklace took on its glow. The hue of the glow was both ominous and beautiful in Alex’s eyes, but to most of those whom had heard of him it had come to hold a completely different meaning; pure, unadulterated terror. This glowing, jagged emanation of energy seemed shaded too far red to be this bright and seemed too aggressive with its sharp edges to be a mere light. In fact, it somehow seemed to imbibe the environing light rather than shine outward, giving it a blackened edge. Truly, even by sheer common sense standards, it did appear to be something undeniably worth fearing.

The thing that truly made it something to fear however, was its reason for existing. Every time the shine came, Alex would erupt from it with a new weapon in hand. Every time Alex had a new weapon in hand, it was to be pointed at something. Ipso Facto; every time the glow came, someone died in an unpleasant and – usually – gory manner.

This revealed itself to be particularly ringing true at this point in time as what came forth from the necklace was none other than the monstrous firearm known as the ‘Hellraiser’; a seven foot long, two foot thick missile launching black cylinder. Along its length were decorative silver chains which criss crossed along several horned skulls. The muzzle of the weapon itself was, in similar fashion, the head of a horned hound, its fanged jaw ajar to allow for the ammunition to exit. A skeletal left hand protruded from the right side of the weapon, forming an ‘O’ with its digits which functioned as the sight. With the lock-on feature and heat-seeking propriety of the shrapnel missile, the Hellraiser did not just look like an overpowered machine of destruction, it was an overpowered machine of destruction.

Almost immediately – perhaps in less time than it took to even aim the device, given its sheer weight – Alex had locked the Hellraiser upon the Dreadmore which stood atop the monstrous fortress. His brow lightly furrowed as he looked upon the Dreadmore through the red tinted lense of his weapon’s sight; The monstrous amalgamation of an ogre, a behemoth class dragon, a beholder of the gazer, 500 pounds of cybernetic armor and an Enzeek laser cannon. It was truly a monstrous creature. The kind of monstrous chimera it would take to take down his most trusted friend and comrade in arms, Raven. The kind of monstrous chimera that did manage to take down his most trusted friend and comrade in arms, Raven. The king of monstrous chimera that was about to eat forty pounds of explosive metal death right in its smug face. “I’m not even going to pretend this isn’t about revenge you twisted freak of nature.” Alex uttered bitterly, and with that, he pulled the trigger.

The thundering roar of a beastial hound from the bowels of hell echoed through the landscape as the gargantuan missile saw its tail ignite. Blazing through the cannon like the device of death that it was, it was regurgitated by the Hellraiser’s deformed maw and pierced the skies in a thundering sonic boom, reaching speeds which exceeded Mach 3 within microseconds and heading directly for the massive beast before it. On its end, the semi-organic chimera – a combination of the penultimate technology the world of Ichor had to offer and the monstrosity of its most lethally capable fauna – had little time to react. Bracing itself, it shot forwards its massive remaining arm, hoping that its massive metallic fist would be able to deflect the incoming projectile. Unfortunately for it, this proved a fruitless attempt as would be seen by all onlookers, its arm blowing apart in a massive conflagration which bordered on the ridicule as large pieces of shrapnel long enough to fell an ox individually lodged themselves into various parts of its body. The monster reacted to this by violently falling backwards, crashing into the ceiling of the citadel and plummeting down to the floors below due to its sheer mass. A moment could have been taken there to make an observation upon the myth of David and Goliath and its moral that ‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall.’ But nobody present – especially not Alex who was both steering his motorcycle and reloading the Hellraiser – had time for a badass one liner at this point. Instead, what came out of his mouth as he pointed the titanic weapon forward was; “Don’t feel so left out, assholes; there’s more where that came from.” And once again, the trigger was pulled. The cannon roared, and the target - namely the gate of the castle and very much everyone in its immediate vicinity - was blown to smithereens. Giblets, bits, and smithereens.

With the path before him now cleared of obstruction, Alex allowed the Hellraiser to return within the holdings of his unicursive hexagram pendant and revved the motor once more before activated the nitro function. Blazing blue flames escaped the pipes as the fuel consumption of the monster chopper was kicked into overdrive and it, along with its rider, nearly took off at their sheer speed, soaring towards – and after a mere few seconds, into – the castle with blinding speed.

The explosion had – of course – not gone unnoticed however, and by the time he’d reached the gate guards had already began to accumulate within the main hall. Unlike the external guards, those of the interior’s weaponry was more oriented towards mid-range and melee so as not to damage the priceless possessions found within the castle, but those on the outside would likely come pouring in from behind him relatively soon.

With all this in mind, Alex violently brought his left foot to the jade floor of the building, cracking it and causing his vehicle, in its momentum, to launch his other foot up alongside with itself. Spinning in place, he was carried in into a one thousand and eighty degree spin by the motorcycle’s sheer propulsion before letting go of the handle and – by extension – launching the roaring nitro-infused behemoth of a ride through the room. A panicked guard haphazardly tried to guard the incoming blow with his sword and – unfortunately for him – this struck the gas tank, resulting in a conflagration which caused a downpour of mangled organs and bloodied limbs.

Despite the traumatic event, few had time to focus on the horror of the scene as they had their focus set on its cause; Alex Silver, full name Alexis Belphegor Yasmine Stride Silver the tenth of his name, co-leader of the Abyss Ravens and one of the three most sought after criminals of the globe under the alias of the bloodless carnage, a title he earned due to his unnaturally pale skin and the scenes of monstrous bloodshed he leaves in his wake such as the one which had occurred mere seconds ago. In a mix of terror – as they recognized the man before them - and rage – both caused by the murder of their allies and the hatred they held for the man - the disorganized, panicked guards launched after the now unarmed man and just as they thought they had a standing chance… then came the glow.

“Ladies and gentlemen…” The voice of the tall, horned man erupted from the blinding flash of crimson light, uninterrupted as a result of the guards bracing for impact as their eyes adjusted to the luminescent conflagration. “...allow me to present to you…” As he spoke, the light seemed to die off and, from its smoking remnants, the silhouette of Alex began to erupt. “…Malevolence…” as its name was uttered, the large weapon pierced through the smoke on Alex’s right, revealing itself. “…and Bloodlust…” as announced, the other weapon burst through the smoke on the opposite side, the cloud dissipating almost immediately afterwards to reveal the rebel dramatically holding both hefty weapons aloft just overhead, his arms completely extended and creating a one hundred and twenty degree angle overhead.

The two weapons were nearly identical in their appearance, save for their color schemes being inverted. Malevolence had a large black box for its guard, within which was encased its motor, and its long – seven foot long in fact – blade of the same color was encircled by a silver chain decorated by a myriad of small daggers. The hybrid between a chainsaw and a sword, like the rest of Alex’s arsenal, had a horned skull upon each side – also silver in color – and decorative silver chains criss-crossed around the box. The handle was a black helix of leather and its pommel featured another silver skull. In contrast, Bloodlust shared the same design with the black and silver interchanged where applicable. Both weapons had their names printed on each side of the “blade” in crimson as though splattered upon them with blood. Though in light of how much bloodshed they had caused in the past, it was impossible for it to be anything other than immovable paint. “Enough with the theatrics…” Alex uttered, pulling the triggers on both weapons and – in doing so – starting the rotations of the bladed chains. “…it’s time for a massacre.” And without another word, he launched forward into the still terrified crowd which gazed upon these tools of manslaughter with panic in their eyes. Alex, for himself, had a grin printed upon his face.

[Alex Silver]

The frightening scene of a blood soaked carnage occurred in mere moments following the theatrical presentation of his weapons of homicide. Running forward, Alex buried the running blade of Bloodlust into the ground, causing it to run through the jade of the floor and start carving the ground, granting him a circular momentum as three full circles were drawn around him. By the end, his opponents had begun to recover from their earlier shock and take up their weapons, but this process was too slow to prevent him from swinging the weapon in a wide arc, tearing off the top halves of three guards which quickly became repurposed as blood fountains, the cut so brutally quick that the momentum did not affect their still standing lower halves which took several seconds to collapse.

But the spectacle of massacre had already begun and Alex did not pose to observe the macabre spectacle. Instead – driven by his gathered momentum – he turned around rapidly to face the first actual opponent he would be to face, a man whom had summoned up the courage to run up after him with what seemed to be a flaming flail. This, unfortunately, resulted in little more than making the man Alex’s next target, his foot violently shooting up into his jaw. The man’s head shot up with such violence that the interlocking of his jaws caused teeth to fly outward, but he did not have time to process the pain as the saw of Malevolence was brought down upon him, cutting him into clean halves which dropped to either side as the blade ran against the ground at his feet, sending sparks outwards as it buried ever so slightly down with each passing second.

Without altering his position in the slightest, Alex lightly hopped up and this was enough for the rotation of the weapon to take over, forcing him forward in an ultra-rapid linear dash. Moving forward in such a manner, he held up the Bloodlust perpendicular to his body and let it run through several of his foes, shredding through them like a hot knife through butter before one of them had the presence of mind to raise his weapon defensively. This forced Alex into a full stop and he reacted by raising Malevolence from the ground, violently striking it against the weapon which was impeding the movement of his other saw. In tandem, the two weapons were slowly burying through the steel of the blade and – with the pressure inflicted by the full strength of Alex – slowly approached the face of the man who was attempting to block the blow with all his might. Outmatched and overpowered, he was slowly vivisected as his arms gave in to the overwhelming force, Alex turning away from this victim just quickly enough to see the incoming spear which threatened to pierce his left temple. Unfortunately, this also meant he’d seen it coming fast enough to block it, and he did just that, with the aid of Bloodlust, before cutting the spear through with Malevolence. The man whom just had his weapon serrated could only look in shock and awe as he had his own temple brutally bludgeoned with the handle of Bloodlust, the blow so violent that bits of his brain actually escaped their original casing as he collapsed to the ground never to rise again. “Come on guys… I’m literally asking for a fight here. Put ‘em up.” The Bloodless Carnage uttered with a tone too sadistic to be playful. There was one thing, if nothing else, to be said against Alex’s character; he had way too much fun slaughtering people.

Though it may have been unwise to take him up on his request, three of the soldiers immediately reacted by rushing towards him with weapons in hand. One held a large saber, the other held a battle axe and the third was gripping firmly onto a falchion. In spite of their varying weaponry however, their attack was relatively coordinate, and Alex had to actually put in a moniker of effort to avoid minor injury. First, he tilted his head to almost a full ninety degrees left and let his knees drop so that he could avoid the sword’s blow to the skull, then he made a light hop left to dodge the axe and finally he stepped into the falchion’s attempted stab, forcing the man’s arm into an elbow lock before severing it with the Malevolence which he held in the arm not directly holding him in place. He then violently jerked to the left, causing the hand of the former falchion wielder to slap the swordsman across the face – stunning him in the process – and kicked him in the chest hard enough to send him flying back several feet. At this point, a fourth man had joined to replace the – literally – disarmed falchion holder and came at Alex with a spear which he opted to use as a boost to hop overhead and decapitate both the man and the ax holder. He then came down with Malevolence upon the ex-falchion wielder which was writhing upon the floor in pain, ending his suffering, and nonchalantly chucked the Bloodlust as the swordsman who was slowly getting back to his feet, impaling him. The motor of the blade continued running and the weapon dragged the man over several feet as it crossed the room before riding up the wall, disappearing into the dark abyss which covered the ceiling. Alex now only had one weapon in hand, but this hardly mattered based on the level of skill of these guards. In mockery, he slowly raised his now free left hand and motioned his opponents to come closer. This timed to the sound of the corpse the Bloodlust had dragged up falling from the ceiling in a loud ‘thud’.

In a panic, some of the more sensible yet cowardly guards were actually starting to run away in terror, exiting the castle. This caused them to bump into the ranged units which were finally mobilizing at that moment. Timing had a funny way of making things work out for Alex. “Oh good. Maybe I’ll work a sweat.” He let out cockily, and out the pendant came out the Sadism. True to form, the Sadism – a revolver – shared the black pattern of Alex’s arsenal as well as the decorative chains and horned skulls of silver hue. It held fire rounds within, each of a caliber big enough to floor a mount class dragon, and its hammer was double action, allowing its shooting speed to be limited only by Alex’s speed of action. It was a thing of beauty, but you didn’t want to be at the receiving end of its rounds.

Meanwhile, some of the melee units had come to their senses and started to charge after him. The five swordsmen were almost difficult to parry with only the Malevolence in hand, but for Alex this was a reasonable feat. Each time the five blades struggled to reach him, the large saw seemed to put itself in just the right position to stop all five of them or – failing that – redirect them away from him. Still, he did have to take a few steps backwards or to the side on occasion to make this possible. Meanwhile, his other hand took a couple of pot shots at the door, managing to injure the shoulder of one of the incoming gunners and – by a stroke of pure luck – decapitating one of them with a clear shot to the throat. Evidently, Alex had skill, strength, arsenal strength and lady luck all on his side. This would be an uphill battle for the forces of the Ichorian King’s guard.

“What the hell is this guy?!” One of the guards barfed out in disbelief as he saw one of his allies collapse as a result of an impromptu evisceration via the use of a chainsaw. There was simply no way around it, when you created a militia immediately after an uprising, the kind of par you had to set in order to let the most people possible in meant that they were likely to be wholly unprepared for an attack from an elite born and raised to be the leader of an entire world’s personal bodyguard. It was just how things worked, and when said elite happened to have access to arcane magic, be naturally taller and stronger than everyone present as a result of sheer biological superiority and had the kind of battle experience that came with being the leader of the main rebellious force against your very kingdom… you just weren’t exactly a match for the force you were set up against. Sadly, before the man could get any real kind of answer to his question – not that anyone was in the kind of mindset required to give from memory the entire history behind Alex Silver – he was decapitated by another violent blow from the chainsaw, along with the two men standing next to him.

Finally, something which could’ve potentially caused some degree of injury came towards Alex in the form of a single bullet aimed at the head, but just as this came, the Bloodlust which had ridden around the room on the power of its motor finally came full circle, and all he had to do was to put his foot into the harness – something which could’ve been done with the honed reflex of the average trained man – and he was safely transported fifty feet away by the saw before he kicked it up into the air, letting it whirl dangerously towards another small group of guard which suffered grievous and lethal injury at its hand. Thankfully, after this the weapon fell on its side rather than on its blade, so the motor did not carry it any further away.

Meanwhile, Alex had taken aim towards the group of guards that had erupted into the room and fired three shots which tore fist sized chunks out of their chest, resulting in their nigh-immediate demise. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but the battle which had already quite a few set precedents of gory manslaughter, did not have its pace phased by such an act. Instead, the few remaining guards with ranged weapons took aim for Alex who promptly dashed into the crowd of melee units. Hopping over of sliding under men which served as his meat shields in the endeavor. In the end, the death count had surpassed the three digit bar before anyone had time to realize it. "How about we start actually trying for a change, huh?" Alex uttered on a tone which mixed his typical sadistic tendencies with a hint of boredom, and just like that, the carnage continued anew.

[Alex Silver]

In that odd, inexplicable moment, as he was dodging fire from the men of the king, Alex could not help but gaze up to a poem which was inscribed upon the walls. Of course, he did not have time to read it all in one single go, but over the course of the fight - intrigued by its message - he managed to read it whole. "There comes a time in your life when you finally get it ... When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out "ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on." And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world from a new perspective.

..........This is your awakening.

You realize that it is time to stop hoping and waiting for something or someone to change, or for happiness safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that there aren't always fairytale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you. Then a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.


So you begin making your way through the "reality of today" rather than holding out for the "promise of tomorrow." You realize that much of who you are and the way you navigate through life is, in great part, a result of all the social conditioning you've received over the course of a lifetime. And you begin to sift through all the nonsense you were taught about :

- how you should look and how much you should weigh,
- what you should wear and where you should shop,
- where you should live or what type of car you should drive,
- who you should sleep with and how you should behave,
- who you should marry and why you should stay,
- the importance of bearing children or what you owe your family,


Slowly you begin to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin re-assessing and re-defining who you are and what you really believe in. And you begin to discard the doctrines you have outgrown, or should never have practiced to begin with.


You accept the fact that you are not perfect ,and that not everyone will love appreciate or approve of who or what you are... and that's OK... they are entitled to their own views and opinions. And, you come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a "perfect 10".... Or a perfect human being for that matter... and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head or agonizing over how you compare. And, you take a long look at yourself in the mirror and you make a promise to give yourself the same unconditional love and support you give so freely to others. Then a sense of confidence is born of self-approval.


And, you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" hungry for your next fix, a new dress, another pair of shoes or looks of approval and admiration from family, friends or even strangers who pass by. Then you discover that it is truly in "giving" that we receive, and that the joy and abundance you seek grows out of the giving. And you recognize the importance of "creating" and "contributing" rather than "obtaining" and "accumulating."


And you give thanks for the simple things you've been blessed with, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about - a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, the freedom of choice and the opportunity to pursue your own dreams.


And you begin to love and to care for yourself. You stop engaging in self-destructive behaviors, including participating in dysfunctional relationships. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and exercising. And because you've learned that fatigue drains the spirit and creates doubt and fear, you give yourself permission to rest. And just as food is fuel for the body, laughter is fuel for the spirit and so you make it a point to create time for play.


Then you learn about love and relationships - how to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving, and when to walk away. And you allow only the hands of a lover who truly loves and respects you to glorify you with his touch. You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say, intentionally or unintentionally, and that not everyone will always come through... and interestingly enough, it's not always about you. So, you stop lashing out and pointing fingers or looking to place blame for the things that were done to you or weren't done for you. And you learn to keep your Ego in check and to acknowledge and redirect the destructive emotions it spawns - anger, jealousy and resentment.


You learn how to say "I was wrong" and to forgive people for their own human frailties. You learn to build bridges instead of walls and about the healing power of love as it is expressed through a kind word, a warm smile or a friendly gesture. And, at the same time, you eliminate any relationships that are hurtful or fail to uplift and edify you. You stop working so hard at smoothing things over and setting your needs aside. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK and that it is your right to want or expect certain things. And you learn the importance of communicating your needs with confidence and grace. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that eventually martyrs are burned at the stake. Then you learn to distinguish between guilt, and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to Say NO. You learn that you don't know all the answers, it's not your job to save the world and that sometimes you just need to Let Go.


Moreover, you learn to look at people as they really are and not as you would want them to be, and you are careful not to project your neediness or insecurities onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love and relationships, and that that not everyone can always love you the way you would want them to. So you stop appraising your worth by the measure of love you are given. And suddenly you realize that it's wrong to demand that someone live their life or sacrifice their dreams just to serve your needs, ease your insecurities, or meet "your" standards and expectations. You learn that the only love worth giving and receiving is the love that is given freely without conditions or limitations. And you learn what it means to love. So you stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that "alone" does not mean "lonely" and you begin to discover the joy of spending time "with yourself" and "on yourself." Then you discover the greatest and most fulfilling love you will ever know - Self Love. And so it comes to pass that, through understanding, your heart heals; and now all new things are possible.


Moving along, you begin to avoid Toxic people and conversations. And you stop wasting time and energy rehashing your situation with family and friends. You learn that talk doesn't change things and that unrequited wishes can only serve to keep you trapped in the past. So you stop lamenting over what could or should have been and you make a decision to leave the past behind. Then you begin to invest your time and energy to affect positive change. You take a personal inventory of all your strengths and weaknesses and the areas you need to improve in order to move ahead, you set your goals and map out a plan of action to see things through.


You learn that life isn't always fair and you don't always get what you think you deserve, and you stop personalizing every loss or disappointment. You learn to accept that sometimes bad things happen to good people and that these things are not an act of God... but merely a random act of fate.


And you stop looking for guarantees, because you've learned that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected and that whatever happens, you'll learn to deal with it. And you learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time - FEAR itself. So you learn to step right into and through your fears, because to give into fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. You learn that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophesy and you learn to go after what you want and not to squander your life living under a cloud of indecision or feelings of impending doom.


Then, YOU LEARN ABOUT MONEY... the personal power and independence it brings and the options it creates. And you recognize the necessity to create your own personal wealth. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart's desire. And a sense of power is born of self-reliance. And you live with honor and integrity because you know that these principles are not the outdated ideals of a by-gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build your life. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting and to stay open to every wonderful opportunity and exciting possibility. Then you hang a wind chime outside your window to remind yourself what beauty there is in Simplicity.


Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you TAKE a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.


A word about the Power of Prayer: In some of my darkest, most painful and frightening hours, I have prayed, not for the answers to my prayers or for material things, but for my "God" to help me find the strength, confidence and courage to persevere; to face each day and to do what I must do.


Remember this:- You are an expression of the almighty. The spirit of God resides within you and moves through you. Open your heart, speak to that spirit and it will heal and empower you.
My "God" has never failed me."

As he concluded reading, and the battle had ended, he could not help but look down to his hands. In one, he held the Bloodlust, its blade now broken off, and dropped it to the ground atop a pile of corpses. The malevolence, which he was holding in the other hand, was struggling to continue its rolling pace as the motor was getting clunked by chunks of flesh. Eventually, the monstrous device caught fire, and he calmly brought it to his lips along with his cigarette, using the massive torch as a lighter as he ignited the death stick. That done, he would chuck the massive object into the nearby gate leading to the arena and upon impact it exploded. The burst destroyed the door completely, unhinging it. For sole reaction, the sole horned man left standing amidst the carnage exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Where is your god now?" He sarcastically inquired to the littered and battered corpses before venturing into the offered depths. This was only the beginning of the slaughter.