Captain Vladimir Volfguard, ruthless leader of the dark force Et Saeculi, the eternal sleep.

Before his rise to legendary criminal, Volfguard was a simple man working a dead end job to support his family. Then one day, his world was destroyed and crumbled to ash…

On the job shipping cargo from point A to point B, the ship was at ease. Then, a loud rumble echoed throughout the ship that could be heard through all of space. The rumble wasn’t a malfunction, but an attack: pirates were raiding the ship for its resources. With tactical execution these pirates boarded the cargo ship. Utilizing E.M.P. missiles to take out all systems and communications, they proceeded to kill all who stood in their way.

Volfguard abandoned his post and dashed towards the facilities where family members were stationed, moving with caution and grace to avoid detection from nearby outlaws. Now Vladimir was in front of the area block where his wife and girl resided. He hid behind crates waiting for an opportunity to sneak past the pirates and reunite with all the ones he loved. For if he left the crate fortress death would be absolute.

But they were brought to him.

The pirates escorted the citizens out of their residency and made them line up, forcing them down execution style. A group of pirates stood furthest away from the people with weapons drawn while another set stood on top of the victims with bare hands. The captain took center stage of this assault.

Those seconds seemed like an eternity as the pirates waited for the kill order. The captain gave the command with a smooth gesture and the people’s end came, with all being slaughtered slowly. A pirate took his hands and shoved them in the back of a victim, grabbing her shoulder blades and tearing them from the host. Another pirate took his young victim’s head into his arms and latched his free hand on the little boy’s jaw, ripping the bone off his face. The captain laughed as a crimson tide covered the floor.

But the massacre was far from over.

Through the crowd, Volfguard spotted what he had come for: his wife and daughter. Each were about to meet their demise at the claws of vicious pirates. The pirate lieutenant took the woman’s left arm and snapped it with thundering force. She cried out in terror for the pain was unreal. Looking away from all the madness for a means of escape, she scanned around and locked eyes with her beloved Vladimir. Then under her breath she uttered what would be her last words.

“I love you.”

Vladimir was completely powerless with no hope to save his family. Having no weapons, skill, or fighting spirit the end was inevitable. All he could do was witness the end of everything. Vladimir’s palms began to bleed from clentching so tight. Adrenaline took over filling the veins taking a toll on the body so great to nearly lose consciousness.The pirate lieutenant ripped the exposed bone from her flesh. He then turned her toward her child and forced the bone through the bottom of the woman’s jaw, pushing until the bone broke through the skull. After discarding the corpse, he turned back towards the child. Speaking to the little girl, he says “A pretty little girl like you should see no evil.” Taking the girl’s head into his palms, he began to gouge out her eyes with his thumbs until scarlet ran down the girl’s cheeks. His ego was not yet satisfied. “But absolutely say no evil.” Her tongue was viciously ripped from her mouth. Finally he said “To fully leave this dark world, hear no evil” and separated the ears of an angel who could live no more.

Vladimir was horrified at the events that transpired before him. A rush of tears and silent screams were unleashed, and his body responded with vomit. In that moment the systems came back online and a distress signal was sent to the UEE. The pirates gathered everything they could and took off in a Drake Interplanetary Caterpillar. This unfortunate scene gave birth to something dark inside Vladimir. His soul was cleansed of all holy light and consumed by evil.

By the time the UEE arrived, it was too late.

Ninety percent of the population was bathed in blood and scattered across the vessel. With all the goods and supplies gone, the remaining people were loaded onto a MISC Starfarer. Once there, Vladimir had time to reflect and visualize his best course of action. He had one goal in mind: exact vengeance through the destruction of the pirate gang. Time passed and Vladimir Volfguard grew cold and heartless. His ears were stained with the cries of the innocent, he was now hollow and arose as a madman with nothing to lose. Developing his skills in all fields, this mortal tracked down the very gang he encountered three years before, capturing each and every member of the organization. Through this righteous crusade Vladimir craved power. Having no fear of consequence the very pirates that made Vladimir Volfguard would become his slaves.

The pirate captain awoke in a room that was pitch black. In a flash, the lights came on and the entire gang could be seen tied to stumps with their hands behind their backs. Their faces were broken, beaten, and scarred. The captain angrily screamed “IMPOSSIBLE” refusing to accept the fall of his empire. In the center of them, the captain sat alone.

Out of the shadows, Volfguard appeared.

The man had fire in his eyes as he approached the source of his nightmare. Standing in front of the pirate captain, Volfguard raised his fists indicating a duel.

The captain accepted the challenge and the two clashed with all eyes on them. They were engaged in a war of strength and pride, but with Vladimir having the advantage for his rage, his power seemed beyond limit. The captain went for a right cross but Volf avoided the attack, wrapped around the arm, and broke it. The captain knelt down and drew a knife as a means to win. He desperately slashed left and right, completely missing his target. The captain went in to stab Volfguard in his stomach, but that was his last mistake. He was counter attacked and Vladimir took the captain’s knife. Thrusting it back into the stomach of the pirate, he fell back and was at the mercy of Volfguard’s ultimate judgement. Vladimir Volfguard jumped up and slammed his knee into the man’s chest. He continued with a barrage of punches to the floored captain’s face. Before the final blow, Volfguard called out for all to hear.

“You will know my name! I am Vladimir Volfguard, death incarnate! All who oppose me shall face eternal torment in Hell!”

His final punch had so much force behind it that the pirate’s face caved inward. Afterward, he took the knife, stabbed the neck, and dragged the blade the full length of the body. Turning toward the Lieutenant, Volfguard walked over ever so calmly and wiped the red nectar across his face. Then, he dropped the knife in front of him, and Vladimir tore into the lieutenant’s chest cavity. The Lieutenants screams echoed throughout the whole room, causing many of the tied pirates to cringe. The Lieutenant’s insides were exposed to the world, and Vladimir ripped out his heart before his eyes. To the shock of all the men tied to the ground, Volfguard brought the once-beating heart to his lips and took a bite of it. Discarding the bloody organ, he returned to the center of the room and pulled a device from his pocket. With the flip of a switch, all bindings were released. Volfguard spoke. “If you try to run, there is no escaping my wrath.” At once, the pirate empire bowed down to their new king. “Everyone will know eternal sleep.”

Writer: Dempsey Blackmon
Editor: Logan Vargas