Like the sky above in the mortal realm, the atmosphere within the palace walls was thunderous. A brewing storm raging in the silence. Sitting alone in her prayer corner, Mandisa trembled. There was a coldness circulating and every person she had come across that day had retreated to their quarters.No work had been accomplished that day, all hands had been idle or clasping in their laps. None could place the discontent that gained ground every second, but all were waiting for it to flourish and ignite. She wrapped her haik about her shoulders, whispering prayers under her breath but couldn't shake the fear of the rising tempest that she knew was about to strike. At one minute past midnight, it broke. A monsoon of blood and terror. The walls became stained with scarlet, flesh clung to every surface, torn from the bones of even the most innocent. Not one living being was spared the wrath.

A thin mist trickled from the sickly scented fluid that burned in vial. Its odour was a merge of death and life, crafting sensations of unease and uncertainty.It was a wise smell. Knowing more than it would ever give away, even when created by the great God himself. Atum watched with baited breath, knitting his fingers together as it wisped about the old map, dipping and tripping as it searched.Slowly and surely, it began to settle over an area, on closer inspection Atum saw it was an old churchyard just outside the outskirts of the city. "I should have known," he muttered irritably "blasted grave robbers never had any care or respect. The curses that befell them were fitting, albeit perhaps rather too lenient when one considers the damage they did." He unconsciously ground his teeth, stopping only when his jaw began to ache. "Have they no respect for the dead or their resting place?" He gave a sigh and s

Aiden looked on in repulsion as the black dog lunged forward and seized the ungainly corpse in its maws. Thick blood spilled over the ground and all life was shaken from it. Hurling the limp remains to the ground, the beast tore what meat it could, rejecting much of it, too rancid even for his stomach. The smell of rotten meat filled the near vicinity, making Aiden heave, bile burning his already dry throat and making the nausea worse.   He couldn't deny the attack worked. The approaching dead stopped in their tracks, looking hungrily at Aiden but making no further movement. Their eyes, if indeed they had them, flitted to the scattered flesh, ready to clear it up once the pair had passed.   "Thanks," Aiden muttered, keeping close as he limped along. "Dunno if you can understand, but seems like I should thank you."   The dog cast a sideways look at him but made no sign of hearing the gratitude in his voice

Aiden stepped cautiously over the rubble that half blocked the doorway, the remains of the frame and the crumpled metal of the once strong occupant, the lock the only thing still intact.Beyond, the shadows stretched into nothing in the long corridor, the only chinks of light flickering like willow-the-wisp from under sealed doors. "Watch your step," Aiden warned, holding the wall as he worked his one leg. He was starting to get the hang of it now, but that didn't mean he wanted to fall flat on his face and practice getting up. "These places have been going to wrack and ruin for years. If you're a bit of a prude, I'd avoid paying too much mind to the graffiti, it's pretty colourful in parts." Ash chuckled politely at the attempt to lift the mood, moving around to offer an arm. The darkness was so thick, one slip and Lord knew what one would land on. Already his mind was working overtime, imagining all sorts of ghouls and long-legged b

The wrath of the God was being felt the world over. The seas became heated, sending the life beneath to the surface in a desperate attempt to live. Smaller fish had little chance, floating up and forming a silver carpet on the rippling waves.Larger beasts, some unknown to mankind, followed in their wake, clearing them and whatever else was within reach in one snap of their jaws. From the deck of a fishing trawler, stranded when the fire fell and destroyed the engine, a quartet of fisherman watched the carnage. The sea a mass of foam, blood and steam.The bitter odour of rotten and burning fish filled the air around them and seeped into their overalls, already reeking of brine and scales that sparkled like gems on the fabric. "If this is it," the skipper's gruff voice reached his crew. "Then I'm glad it was with you. To die alone is the greatest fear of any man." The three fishermen loo