John had hoped his death would have been quick and painless…but Gary wasn’t merciful. The cult leader took immense pleasure in bringing the former priest pain, repeatedly stabbing his pitchfork into him as the man desperately crawled towards his crucifix. He screamed in pain, but the cult leader didn’t care. In fact, Gary smiled, looking down at the many bleeding holes he put in John’s body as it went limp. The man who had interfered with his plans one too many times was finally gone. Now, he could complete what he had started.
John could still feel the pain as he awoke. He glanced around in confusion. He was someplace new and unfamiliar. He examined his body to see the injuries Gary gave him across his body, but oddly enough, they weren’t bleeding. He shivered and absently noticed his body felt cold.
Looking at his surroundings, he noted the area he was in was very blank besides the chains and wooden stakes that he saw. It took a moment for his eyes to get accustomed to the scene, but soon enough, his eyes spotted three figures in the distance.
He almost doubted what he was because it took him so completely off guard. The figure on the left was a black cat with a scar across his left eye. He had on black and red robes along with a staff with a moon on it in his hands. The figure on the right was also a black cat, but this one didn’t have a scar across his eye. He had on white robes along with a staff with a sun on it in his hands. The final figure was also a black cat that stood in between the other figures, towering over the other two. He wore a white robe that was stained with blood, a black crown with a red eye, and a veil that covered his own three red eyes. Unlike the other two figures, he was in shackled in chains.
John instinctively went to reach for his crucifix.
Where was his crucifix?
Umm…not good…definitely not good.
With no way to protect himself, he instinctively took a small step back.
“Come closer. Fear not, for though you are already dead, I have need of you,” the large figure called out. John hesitated for a moment before approaching the cats.
Narinder observed the human as he got closer. The human was dressed oddly. He concluded that the man had not been killed by the Bishops as they would have chopped his head off instead of stabbing him to death. It certainly was a surprise for him to see a human in his domain as they were rare in the parts he used to rule over, but it certainly wasn’t an unwelcome surprise. He wasn’t one to deny a new vessel for his plan.
“How curious,” the former Bishop chuckled. “It seems an unknown force has brought you to my domain. No matter, I’m here to make a deal with you.”
John’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like the sound of that.
“I can give you life again.”
“What’s the catch?” John asked, warily.
“Ah, smart boy. Yes, there is a price! All I ask is that you to start a cult in my name. Now, do we have a deal?" Narinder offered.
John felt his heart drop hearing the offer. To get his second chance at stopping Gary, he had to start the thing that brought about this whole problem in the first place. Hell, he knew nothing about the being standing before him. He could be worse than Gary. He could be lying for all he knew.
But what choice did he have?
Denying Narinder's offer wasn’t going to get him anywhere, and he didn’t want to leave his loved ones at the mercy of that monster. Father Garcia. Lisa. His ex-wife. They didn’t deserve the fate Gary had for them…
“Ok,” John answered, reluctantly.
The former Bishop grinned. "A wise choice…take the Red Crown, which I once wore. With it, you shall command the loyalty of followers and strike fear into the hearts of our enemies,” Narinder said. “Return to the land of the living, start a cult in my name, and begin recruiting followers. Once you have done so, you will see me again. Now, GO!" Upon Narinder transferring the crown to John, an overwhelming power overtook him, and everything went red.
Gary and the others looked over to see John’s body moving once more. What in the hell? The wounds on his body healed, as if nothing had happened, and his body was lifted into the air. His eyes glowed a bright red as the Red Crown manifested atop the former priest’s head. Father Garcia quickly pointed his shotgun at John, fearing it was some ritual Gary had done but lowered it upon seeing how the cult leader staggered back from the body in surprise.
As his body lowered to the ground, John’s eyes returned to their normal blue color. He immediately turned to Gary, anger in his eyes. He saw that Gary had been shot, seeing blood pour out of a wound on his shoulder. The Red Crown glanced at the cult leader before manifesting into a sword in John’s hands. Gripping the sword tightly, John immediately charged at Gary to finish what he had started.
