[ WP ] A soldier in the heat of battle suddenly hears a voice that says `` I am your child 's imaginary friend . They have sent me to protect you in your greatest time of need . ''

The air was thick with the vapor of blood. Roman blood, the cold morning mist carrying it over the wind, filling his nostrils with the smell of entrails and shit, piss, fear and boldness. 
 Lucius gripped his sword in his left hand, blood gushed slowly, and dark from his left forearm. It made his sword handle slippery. He tore a rag off his his sleeve and tied it around his hand as a makeshift grip. Better. 
 His forces had lost yesterday at Antium, they were bloodied, and tired. There numbers where low, they might all die here. He heard the Volsci, their screams cutting through the countryside morning fog and disappearing in the mist. 
 For nearly a century, the Volscians had plagued the Roman countryside. Lucius' family, being Statesmen had land out in the South Eastern country, Volscian country. He heard a screech, then stillness one more. He thought about his wife, Flavia, his children Marcus and Augustina. He chuckled, he remembered their'friend'. 
 `` Lucius....'' A voice rustled through the leaves, he whipped around to meet it, but there was nothing there but fog and footsteps. He knew he saw something from just beyond the trees, in the bushes, staring at him. He readied his sword. 
 `` Lucius...'' Again came this voice, it called out to him from the recess of his mind, vaguely familiar, yet totally foreign. 
 `` Who goes there? Face me coward! This is my Father's land, and his before him. Come hastily, for the time is nigh to meet your maker.'' He was too slow, a tribesman ran out from behind him, opposite the brush-spearing Lucius through the chest. 
 Lucius turned to face his enemy, sword still drawn as he brought it down hard across the right trunk by thrusting it down through the neck, snapping the bones of the spine and severing the Volscian nearly a quarter in half. The man spurt blood out in a gargle, splashing it on Lucius' face. They both fell onto the grass. 
 Lucius felt the blood pouring, thick, viscous and hot all over the grass. He felt the dew condensing over his leathery, worn out face. The sweat beads mingling with them as they dripped off his face. Again came the voice, like a rattle snake. He saw a shape, a figure cloaked in black emerge from the bushes by the trees. He was gargling blood, choking on it. He knew this creature. 
 `` Lucius why have you shut me out? I have missed you. We have missed you.'' 
 `` Who..ahh..y..ou?'' He could barely speak. He did n't want this to be real, for if it was, then his Gods have indeed abandoned Rome. 
 `` You remember me Lucius. You know exactely who I am. You know I have never left. I have watched over you all your life, and when you began to shut me out I began to look after your children. I can help you Lucius. You just have to let me in.'' 
 `` H..o.w...?'' He gargled, his eyes began to roll to the top of his head, the creature slipped down and picked Lucius up into his arms, he could see behind the cloak now. 
 `` You say my name and that you accept me.'' The creature said, as it's lips moved maggots dropped out from it's crusted lips, a cockroach crawled out of it's eye and into an open sore on the side of it's exposed cheek. 
 `` Say my name and I will lay waste to your enemies. You shall dine on their blood, feast on their children, their future. Their blood will make fertile the lands of your forefathers and I will infect their whole house, their nation will rot at the cloves of my feet. What is my name Lucius.'' It said one last time. 
 `` I... accept you..Lu..c..ifer...'' 
 

