Editing Dreams of a Fallen Crown:Characters:Oath-Graven Diamond (section)

== Exaltation ==
<P>In his twentieth year, Suraga volunteered his scale, by now an outstanding force, for the pursuit of a criminal into the wastes.  The captain leading the composite talon was directed by a monk of the Immaculate Order to find a man accused of using blasphemous necromantic magics.  They finally caught up to him at a large structure, half-buried in the sand.  As the force stormed into the great building, the monk realized this was a Manse, and a tomb.  None dared touch the enormous sarcophagus as tall as any two men which lay in the middle, carved with the features of a muscular dark-skinned man, a great orichalcum glaive laid atop his carved hands with a heartstone socketed in its base.  "Anathema," the monk spat.</P>
<P>At that moment, the criminal's voice rung out from the far end of the chamber, echoing off the high ceiling.  "You think to take me within the very seat of my power?" he laughed madly.  "You shall join the ranks of MY legion!"  Suddenly, a veritable army of jackal-headed zombies stepped from the shadows!  The soldiers drew steel and engaged them in the enormous hall, but no blow struck against the creatures caused them any harm.  The talon was surrounded, the screams of men a terrifying counterpoint to the zombies' silent attacks.  Suraga ordered his men to sheathe their swords and concentrate on defending themselves. Within minutes, a glance showed that few remained alive, barely more than a fang left of his own troops--and that more than the any of the other four scales.  Though the foe turned his bowels to water, he managed to keep the fear from his voice as he spoke to his troops over the din.  He reminded them of their skill and their duty to the empire, and planned to make their way out by pushing back the zombies with their shields.  It was a desperate plan, and Suraga hoped aloud that he would, in his death, bring to his family some measure of the honor he had failed to bring in life.</P>
<P>His plan never went into action, however.  As he spoke, he felt a new heat swelling in his chest, burning away uncertainty and fear.  The onslaught of the zombies seemed to slow to a crawl, and a great voice like the clash of a thousand swords spoke to him.  "Child of fire, you lead men bravely against the enemies of your people despite the wrongs done to you by them.  I once turned my face from the world's injustice, but no longer.  I Exalt you above all others.  Know that I am the Unconquered Sun, and lead the world into a new age in my name!"  The searing heat flowed through his body and lanced out through his brow, burning bright as the sun.  White-gold fire blazed around Suraga, and the zombie assault finally halted; the creatures quailed at the sight of him, of the tall robed figure of golden fire who stood above him.  Every eye turned on Suraga.  The word "Anathema" rippled through the handful of remaining men, but many were yet entranced by his words and his appearance.  In another moment, the spell was broken.  The scale shattered, men fleeing heedless into the zombies to be cut to ribbons, or cowering on the floor until the same fate overtook them.</P>
<P>Four soldiers rallied around him, shields ready as they guarded their commander.  Around Suraga, dead flesh burst into flame at his glance, but he was still overmatched.  As he backed against the sarcophagus, he felt his hand reach--almost without thinking--for the great glaive.  A strange urge pulled him to grasp it, to use it.  Suraga vaulted the sarcophagus in a single leap and grasped the haft as he passed.  He felt power flow into the impossibly heavy weapon, and it lurched up off the stone cradle, light as a feather in his hands!  His anima blazed again as he shouted to the necromancer.  "I am Cathak Suraga, and I will see justice done this day!"  
The glaive clove zombies in twain at a singles stroke, hacking through dead flesh and moldy bone as he approached the dais where fear finally touched the necromancer's eyes.  The remaining mortals were struck down one by one as zombies crowded close.  The sorcerer gathered himself to call down some foul magics upon Suraga, but he never got the chance; the glaive rose and flew.  It flashed through the air and pierced his chest to the base of the blade, hurling him against the wall and pinning him there.  The necromancer died on the orichalcum blade, words of power still half-formed on his lips.  The zombies fell where they stood.</P>
<P>Suraga retrieved his weapon, letting the corpse slump to the floor.  White fire slowly consumed it under Suraga's gaze.  He wandered the floor, zombies burning in his wake until nothing remained but a dusting of ash.</P>