The first thing he felt was weight heavier than what he remembered.
It all hit at once, the increased gravity, the air flowing with a heat as if a fire was blazing next to him.
Then the pain. Mind-numbing pain, memories jumbled together making it hard to piece them back together.
____
Guss dropped to his knees the moment he arrived.
The ground beneath him was cracked, dry and soaked in old blood that had long since turned pitch black. Dust kicked up around him as his hands caught his weight, fingers digging into dirt, head pounding to the point of dry heaving bile.
A crushing pressure, as if coming off the worst hangover imaginable, except worse came.
*Cough*
He coughed, air burned going in and back out again.
His vision swam, blurring in and out of reality as if it hadn't settled yet.
Fragments flickered. Star, a voice, laughter, then a final good luck.
Guss clenched his jaw, trying what he can to steady himself.
"...That's right... I've been given another chance."
But even with fragments helping him, he wasn't any better.
____
Then a light came down.
As if the sky split apart, a blinding light shot down slamming directly into Guss, carving into the haze and dust that has yet to settle.
It didn't feel warm like a day under the sun, nor like the feeling of when you stabbed a fork into the socket as a kid electrocuting yourself...
It felt different, heavy, there was a weight behind it. Like when you are given an important task you know you cannot mess up.
And with the light, came a moment of pause.
____
Far off across the broken field. Men saw the light come down, and with that they froze.
The soldiers of New Antioch had been holding the line for hours.
Maybe longer? Time blurred in places like this.
A no man's land just outside Jerusalem, where the ground itself looked like it had been fought over for centuries. Trenches carved deep. Sandbags torn open. Bodies scattered between shell craters and broken earth.
Gunfire had slowed enough that when the light came everyone noticed.
"What in God's name…"
One of them lowered his rifle slightly, staring out into the field.
The pillar stood there in an impossible fashion.
Untouched by the smoke, the ash, the drifting embers of a battlefield that has been going on for centuries.
"DON'T!"
Another soldier grabbed his arm.
"DON'T LOOK AT IT!" A Lieutenant, someone of authority screamed across the field.
There was fear in his voice.
Real fear.
Not of the enemy nor of dying but something else something that shouldn't be here.
Something worse than these vile demons.
"We've heard the stories," someone whispered. "If it's one of them, if it's an angel..."
"Then we're not meant to see it," another finished.
No one moved or fired for a short while. They just looked in a daze at what they could before trying to focus on something else, for fear of what could happen if they kept watching.
____
Across the field the other side noticed this phenomenon as well.
Heretic Troopers, a big majority of the Heretical forces. Units that have stared into the Gate of Hell and survived, yet damned for all eternity. Were the first to take notice since they are usually the front line.
The light was like a poison to them, eyes melting in their helmets, agony coursing through their veins.
The Heretic Troopers might have had it bad but the wretched were the ones that took the most damage. Troops with no worth other than being slaves to the Princes of Hell. They do whatever they can to make some achievement in their wretched life to gain a chance to attain freedom.
The closest of the wretched were the poorest of the bunch. The light was too powerful for their bodies leading them to instantly turn into dust. Some not even knowing they perished.
Many still survived though, holding rusted weapons, bodies broken. Blood seeping from wounds carved into their bodies.
They stared at the light like moths to a flame. They had no fear, sure many died but fear wasn't on their agenda.
Only what looked like recognition flashed across their faces like they have already experienced something similar.
____
After what felt like hours while only seconds passed, the light vanished.
Gone in an instant, as if it was never there to begin with. Many would think they were having hallucinations if it wasn't for the fact of the damage it caused, as well as someone knelt where the light once was.
____
Guss sucked in a sharp breath.
The pressure from before fading a good amount, allowing Guss to be able to focus on his surroundings for the first time.
For once blurry shapes became clearer. First the ground filled with scattered body parts and blood.
'Blood?' Guss thought
Then came the breeze bringing the smell as well.
He froze, because he recognized this smell of blood, rot, and the smell of gunpowder.
This was the smell all too familiar. This was war.
____
His hands tightened against the dirt as he pushed himself up slightly.
"Where the hell…"
His voice came out rough, deeper than before. That made him pause since the sound that came out wasn't the voice he remembered.
After a second he decided now wasn't the time, since something else caught his attention. Around him there was a faint glow. You wouldn't notice it if you weren't looking, but it was there. Radiating off him like heat would off cement on a scorching day.
____
The wretched that were the closest were the first to move. A howl like a dying animal came from their throat from the damage sustained earlier making it so that was the only sound able to be produced.
More and more 'War Cries' came as they charged back into the fight.
They broke into a sprint across the open ground, weapons raised, bodies jerking with unnatural speed.
No hesitation or fear radiating from them only the hunger for freedom.
____
Back at the line formed from the New Antioch forces.
A Lieutenant called out getting everyone out their stupor.
"They're moving! Hold steady... Hold..."
Yet no one fired, for the reason of the charge wasn't at them but at the figure in the middle of it all.
A figure with nothing but the clothes on his back, and an aura radiating off him.
____
Guss turned, at first slow not fully there, but enough for him to recognize something coming right for his face.
"Fucking hell, I just got here."
The first one reached him. A rusted blade came down in a wild arc.
His body moved before his mind caught up, shifting just enough allowing the blade to miss him by an inch.
He didn't even realize he'd moved.
"What..."
The second came in, faster than the last, blade swinging for his face, steam bellowing out the bird cage mask the wretched was wearing.
Guss reacted on instinct, before the blade could land his left arm parried the attack while stepping forward, right arm shooting out with speed grabbing the wretched throat in the process.
He froze, not because of what he grabbed but because of the ease he was able to do it with.
The wretched struggled, clawing at his arm, snarling.
It felt light, too light.
"…Interesting."
Then something else happened.
The glow radiating around him pulsed, it wasn't dramatic but it was as if the air around him vibrated a little.
The wretched clutched in his hand began to burn.
It wasn't fire, there was no flames or smoke, but the skin blackened where his hand touched, cracks spreading outward as if whatever vile evil was in the sack of flesh was being purged.
It screamed, even with its throat already destroyed it still managed to scream.
And oh to Guss's ears the sound was beautiful in its own way.
A smirk grew on Guss's face, excited by the gift God has given him.
"Yeah..."
His grip tightened.
"I can get down with this."
After saying that he lifted the wretched high before slamming him into the floor with all his strength.
The sound of bone shattering and flesh ripping came forth. Its body imploding on itself. In a way it was a fast and easy death.
____
After seeing the wretched die the way it did, only riled the group of slaves even more knowing they can gain their freedom if they were to take this monster down.
They didn't slow, no they got even faster.
One lunged.
Guss didn't even hesitate and stepped forward. Grabbing the wretched's left arm and his head before slamming his head into its helmet, completely caving it in, metal ripping in half and piercing its owner's skull.
Guss then proceeded to tear the wretched's left arm off before throwing his body at another enemy, and keeping its arm as a weapon.
Another came from the side, a spiked club came swinging towards him. Guss turned catching the enemy's hand holding the club before rotating the severed hand to face forward and impaling the wretched through the torso, instantly killing him.
As the body dropped Guss yanked the club out the guy's hand and continued to mow down whatever came at him.
More continued to follow, three, four, then more and more.
Guss stood his ground, the glow around him strengthening slightly.
If you looked closely, the closer one got to Guss the slower and more sluggish they became.
Skin splitting from the radiation waves slamming into them. As if something in their skin can't stand being near Guss.
____
Back at the line of the Antioch they watched in stunned silence from the carnage that continued to follow from the being.
"Do you guys think..."
"Yeah it might be..."
They conversed to themselves before one finally finished what they were trying to avoid.
"It's an Angel..."
The Lieutenant butted in after that with a grim voice.
"If that really is an Angel then we are all dead. Let's hope you are wrong."
____
Guss rolled his shoulders slightly.
The weight of his body settling. It felt different from before, stronger, taller, faster.
He glanced down briefly.
"…Huh."
No time to think about that.
Another came.
He met it head-on.
Somewhere in the back of his mind a memory echoed.
A voice.
"You will be given a surprise gift"
Guss exhaled slowly.
A faint grin pulling at the edge of his mouth.
"Good, I like the surprise so far."
Then he stepped forward into them.
And didn't stop.
____
____
And that's it for this chapter. Made it longer than normal.
I'll try to have one more out tomorrow but I've been very busy.
Hope you enjoyed and leave a comment and some powerstones if you do.