Recalled to Service...

Day 1,118, 11:32 • Published in Finland Finland • by Erwin Schauman


Music to set the mood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTXPRb8nuO8



I open my eyes in the infinite darkness...

Taking a deep breath, I fill my shrunken lungs with the surrounding cold air, the act causing my body to shudder violently. Sharp pain hits my chest as my lungs get used to performing their duty after the long slumber.

Loud thumping noise fills my ears. My heart has began pumping precious blood in to my dormant limbs, filling me with a passing sensation of warmth that is quickly replaced by an overwhelming sensation of cold.

Cold... so cold. I begin to regain control of my frozen limbs. First just the fingers and toes, slowly managing to lift my arms above my body, before their movement is obstructed by something. I feel around the invisible surface with my half numb fingers. Very cold... but soft.

I continue to probe the obstruction with my hands, trying to find some indication what keeps me from moving. I am interrupted by a sensation I had not felt in ages: a drop of water runs through the palm of my hand down to my sleeve. Suddenly the realization strikes me: ”snow...”.

Mustering all the strength left in my weakened body I start digging through the frosty layer towards what I believe to be the surface. After what felt like an eternity my efforts are rewarded as I punch through the snow, feeling the cold winter wind blow through my now bleeding fingers, causing the blood to clot.


”Silence fills the empty grave, now that I am gone...”

I crawl up from my icy tomb and allow my eyes to get accustomed to the dim light. Slowly my blurred vision becomes clearer, allowing me to distinguish more of my surroundings. Above me opens up the night sky with its millions of stars. The Northern Lights in the horizon illuminate the surface of the land with eerie, green glow that allows me to see the infinite, snowy fields covered by tormented pine trees that almost seem to beg for the sweet release of death from the rape of Winter. I can relate to their wishes...



Suddenly, I see movement in the corner of my eye. Turning my head towards the direction of the movement, I see a group of dark clad figures in robes approaching me. Using a near-by tree to lift myself from the ground, I prepare myself for the encounter. Death comes easy in these lands, and many are the dangers that wait the unwary.

As the figures get closer, I see an emblem on their robes that awakens long forgotten memories in my clouded mind.

”So this is how it is...”, I whisper quietly to myself.

The figures stop in front of me. Taking a deep breath, I utter between my cracked lips words that sound like they come from beyond the grave:

”Priests of Perkele! Why have you summoned me from the Underworld?”

After a brief moment of silence, the elder shaman approaches me and offers me a parchment with a message written in deer's blood. I hold out my hand and circle my trembling fingers around the parchment, exerting myself to break the seal around it, and bring it closer to my frozen eyes.

As I read the message, my expression changes as great anger takes hold of me. Crushing the parchment with new found strength, I face the elder shaman and give him his orders:

”Prepare my gear. The Ancient Evil has risen again.”

”My fight is with /V/akistan tonight...”

End of prologue...