I awoke.

It was unexpected for me as well but I suppose I have to be conscious to receive my punishment.

As my spirit, soul, and/or ghost stabilized in whatever plane of existence I now inhabit everything began to get clearer.

I was nowhere, eternal nothing. No God and no Judges to determine my fate of how I had lived my mortal life. It lacked everything, apart from me. I tried to check for injuries but realised I had a form unfamiliar to me. Unfamiliar in the sense that I had never been like this before but wholly comfortable with it.

I recalled my last hour once more. It was the epitome of chaos, messy fights, and uncoordinated forces trying to rally against one another while trying to protect the Mad King, being ordered to hold the position and in doing so killing several people and hurting my friend.

Because of that damn fucking Oath.

The God I pledged it to isn’t even here.

I died for a God whose throne sits empty, the Angels gone, and the Palace dark.

I have given up too much, cast away my wants, sealed my desires.

Sacrificed everything.

For nothing.

I felt change within me, like ink slowly dripping into water, but it burned like fire and acid. It burned away inside me like removing the impurities of my soul but at the same time emphasizing who I was at the core of my ego.

And as soon as it came, it was gone.

And I was left changed.

Then I simply was once more, I was on a dias. Elevated by five stairs to a chair, six large marble columns surround me; two in front, two beside, two behind the dias. Dark red cloth draped from the columns, large sheets made a roof that did nothing to protect against the rain. Water leaked through the roof taking some of the dye with it causing dark red droplets to fall. The sun was setting opposite me, glowing in a moody red as it slowly dimmed behind the horizon but providing enough illumination to see the street in front of me and all its pedestrians that had stopped to gawk at me.

I rose from my chair, it was simple with iron fitting and a dark redwood. It was cold and silent as the civilians on the street just stared at me with a look in their eyes I’ve only seen in the most reverent of Paladins.

I took several steps down the stairs and onto the marble floor towards them. The only noise that roused them from their gawking was the clinking from my sabatons. I frowned, I wasn’t wearing sabatons when I died. I hadn’t noticed but the plate mail stuck to me as if it were skin, I hadn’t noticed the weight. It moved easily and effortlessly, my helmet while not being worn was hanging over my right shoulder, attached to me by some string.

On my person, I had my leather belt, a small compartment for potions on my right hip, a scabbard on my left hip for a sword I didn’t recognize. A small dagger on the front, maybe another weapon on the back of the belt.

I approached the townspeople, I had questions on my mind and I needed answers. Some of them bow even deeper and not even a single noise was heard, I could see at the edges of the congregation that some people were trying to get a look or immediately turning around to go another way that wasn’t blocked.

“Where am I?” I asked to no one in particular, my gaze sweeping left and right over them until they landed on the closest, no one answered until my gaze had stilled.

“B-Babel M’Lord.”

“Babel?” I said aloud, saying the city’s name as if it were a question. I had never heard of this place.

“M’Lord?” The man asked, almost fearful. I look behind me towards the dias again. I couldn’t see it before from under the cloth ceiling but now I could see, A massive tower, one that put kingdoms, empires, and archmages to shame. One so high you got dizzy from looking up at it, one that seemed to reach the Heavens itself.

I scowled, nothing was making sense right now. I must be in a death dream, this is my punishment but at the same time everything just didn’t add up. I watched the Dias as the decor slowly evaporated into motes of red light.

I think I’m beginning to see a pattern with the red.

“Are you a God of War?” Someone asked from the crowd.

I pondered the thought for a brief moment as I tried to understand why he asked that question. “No.” At that moment a group of guards had arrived and started yelling at people to begin moving again and stop holding up the foot traffic.

“Apologies M’Lord, we weren’t expecting anyone else.” A guardsman with a blue tabard over his armour tried to explain.

“Who are the others?” I asked.

“M’Lord?” The guardsman asked, confused.

“Don’t bother, the poor sop won’t be able to answer any of your questions.” A heavy voice rang out to my left, it had a level of gravitas that only some of the most experienced commanders I’ve met had. It was a voice that when spoken, you listen.

“Lord Ares…” The guardsman bowed and backed away in a smooth motion, I turned to look at who was talking to me and I saw a grizzled veteran commander, one that commanded a thousand battles and was victorious in a thousand more.

“I am Levi.” I bent forward at a slight incline, left hand on my scabbard and my right fist over my heart. He responded the same.

“And I am Ares.” He stared deeply into my eyes judging me.

“What happened to me?” I asked and he sighed as if not knowing where to begin.

“Come, we’ll chat on the way.” He began walking in a direction.

“To where?” I asked once more.

“A fucking pub.”