I do not appreciate you calling me a variation of donkey. I'm writing chapter 8 right now.

I will not be working on this fanfiction until boxing day, (or sooner) because I am working on something right now. I will post it on the forums when all of it is done, but not yet.

For those wondering where I have been and why I have been so inactive, I was busy making this Christmas story. This isn't any old Christmas tale however, instead it explains the origins of Ragmuth Heavensglare!

If you haven't seen it, here's the link.
http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/71383

Depth 27: Candlestick Keep

Candlestick Keep was a mystery to all. Even after being abandoned by the Owlites, Marmalade could still hear voices echoing through the halls. Even underground, a cold wind sent a shiver down his spine. Dark forces roamed the keep, but not the ones Marmalade was expecting. The Grimalkins were nowhere to be found, as if something or someone scared them off. What could scare the shadowy embodiment of chaos and evil, thought Marmalade. He didn't like it here, but he would have to go through it if he was to get to the Core. For a second he thought he saw two eyes looking at him through the windows, but he dismissed them for candles. But who would have candles outside?

Depth 18: Emberlight

"Good morning!" said Gracken enthusiastically to his customer. The customer nodded in reply and purchased a fire vial to cook their Chroma with. Gracken felt that it seemed too quiet. Normally, even in this town of outcasts the streets would be bustling with people. He too could feel something coming, like how animals can sense an earthquake before it comes. Gracken turned as the elevator came up, expecting some tired knights wanting to purchase vitapods and vials, but instead saw several Lumbers. "Kozma!" he yelled, but he was drowned out by the sound of the Lumbers marching towards them. Kozma burst out of her quarters to find the Lumbers marching towards the elevator up. Gracken valiantly tried to stop them but was met with a fist swiping his legs out from underneath him, leaving him paralysed. In his death throes, Gracken whispered to Kozma, who knelt beside him, "Warn Haven". Kozma nodded, with tears in her eyes and ran towards the elevator, taking it to Haven.

Depth 24: Dark City

The office was a busy place, observed Pendragon, watching as the cubicles bustled with devilites with Pit Bosses occasionally checking on them, either complimenting them on their work or requesting that they work overtime. Seerus showed a fake security pass to the lead boss who led them to a vault in the basement. The Pit Boss stood aside to let the knights help themselves to the disc when a magenta blade pierced his stomach, driving him to his knees. He managed to croak out a warning before he disintegrated into a pile of brimstone. Pendragon pivoted around to see Staark, only his fur was pitch black with purple hues. "Staark! What are you doing?!" exclaimed Valon. In a voice that was not his, Staark chuckled, "The demons will devour your soul. They grow stronger with every foe I kill. Yours will do nicely.". At this point they could see that he was beyond saving. Pendragon said defiantly, "You're outnumbered. You will never get past us". Staark hissed, more like a serpent than a gremlin, "Very well. Perhaps I cannot fight you now, but I will be watching. You will die by my hand when you least expect it.". And on that note, he disappeared into the shadows as mysteriously as he came. Vinny grabbed the golden disc off the pedestal and handed it to Seerus. Seerus examined it in his hands, before pressing a button in the center. The disc folded inwards, with small sheets of metal twisting and turning into place, before forming what looked to be an electronic crown. Seerus smiled, for the first time in a long while, "We should find the command centre at the Core terminal. Let us go!".

Depth 27: Candlestick Keep

They were coming. Ragmuth could feel it. He knew that they would come for their friend. They were heathens, not monsters. Heathens or not, they had fallen into his trap. This had been his plan all along. To use that foolish Knight as a bait to lure the others in, so that he could get rid of all of them at once. The more heathens killed, the better. He gripped his Divine Avenger tightly. He would need it for the battle ahead. Ragmuth was not scared though. He knew that the angels would protect him.

Depth 25: Deconstruction Zone

Pendragon and Co. headed towards the next elevator, hacking and slashing at the oncoming enemies. Valon beheaded, decapitated and sliced through the gremlins like butter. Seerus crushed the mecha-knights as easily as ants. There was no monster that was more than a match for the group. They freed several knights who were directed to Haven to help halt the Lumber army. Vinny knew that it was in vain unless they reached the console. The Lumbers would break through Haven's defences in a matter of minutes, let alone hours. No force in nature could stop an army of Lumbers, except perhaps a large amount of water, which they didn't have. His train of thought skidded to a halt when he saw the Lumbers guarding the elevator. It didn't take long to dispose of them, but they wouldn't be the last.

No, it was The Sol Terminal I was busy with, so I should be back up to normal posting speeds.

Depth 27: Candlestick Keep

The elevator made a creaking sound when it touched down to the Candlestick Keep. This was new. Most of the time elevators shuddered or made electronic sounds when they landed on a floor. Pendragon shook his head softly. This was no time for thoughts like those. They had a job to do. Even though the candles warded off the Grimalkins, he couldn't help but feel that there was something worse in the shadows, lurking in the corners watching them.

Marmalade whimpered. The knight, who referred to himself as Ragmuth had kept him here for what felt like hours. It was clear that Ragmuth was not entirely sane. No, far from it. He continuously muttered to himself, but in such a way that Marmalade was sure that he was talking to an invisible person. “They are coming. Do not worry angels. They are coming. The heathens shall fall tonight. These 'angels' were clearly the cause of his madness. Ragmuth kept looking over his shoulder as if someone was reviewing him, as Marmalade had seen devilites do when a Pit Boss was around. Ragmuth sat on a plain stool polishing his Avenger, almost savouring Marmalade's pained expression. “Soon your misery will be at an end little one.” chuckled Ragmuth, despite the fact that they were the same size. Marmalade tried to scream in protest but he could not. He was gagged and tied to a candle. It was not a preferable enchanted candle, but it was a normal candle which looked close to being put out. Sooner or later, a Grimalkin would come to feed on him. That is, if Ragmuth didn't kill him first.This was unlikely though, because Marmalade suspected that the only reason Ragmuth was still alive was because he kept on leaving out sacrifices for the Grimalkins to feed on. As long as their stomachs were full, Ragmuth would not be harmed by them. Marmalade did not share that luxury though, and wished his friends would hurry up.

Seerus grimaced. It would be a nightmare if the Lumbers reached Haven. No easy way to clean them up and bring them back to the Grand Arsenal. As well as the hundreds of innocent lives taken by the mechanical behemoths, but that wasn't that important. Seerus couldn't help but feel sorry for the knights. The only place they could call home would be destroyed in a day or so. Them closing down the command console would delay it of course, but sooner or later someone would come and burn the place down. Possibly the Almirians. They always did have a fiery temper. Literally. As they trudged through the forsaken halls of the Keep, Seerus realised that if the knights were wiped out, then no more gremlins would have to die, no innocent knockers sent into the line of duty to be inevitably wiped out, no demos torn apart by a misplaced wind-up bomb and no thwacker sliced in two by a sword-happy recruit. Seerus would have to think carefully about where his allegiances stood. Very carefully.

Marmalade struggled with the ropes around his wrist. He could hear the Grimalkin mewing now. If he could just get his gag off then he could call for help. He reached for the Swiss Army knife in his pocket and took out the blowtorch used for opening escape pods. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it would work. The candle's flame flickering hid the sound of the blowtorch somehow, allowing him to burn through the ropes. Fortunately, his wolver-hide gloves were fireproof. Now that his hands were at least free, he ripped out his gag and shouted at the top of his lungs, “HELP!”.

Pendragon stiffened, “Did you hear something?”. Valon listened for a second and nodded, “It came from that way,”, pointing towards a door at the end of the hallway. They rushed in to find Marmalade on the ground crawling towards them, “He's coming!”. Pendragon looked up to see Ragmuth striding towards them, Diving Avenger in hand, “You are too late mortals. The Grimalkin is already coming”. Vinny turned around to see a Grimalkin drift through the wall, blocking off their only escape. It resisted his attempts to ward it off with his Triglav and sent it clattering on the floor, leaving a sizeable dent. He lunged for it, only to be knocked to the ground, while the Grimalkin stared him down and made a bloodcurling meow.
As Pendragon and Seerus ran up to him, Ragmuth stood up straight and bellowed in a clear voice, “Come to me servants of the angels!”. Eight Slag Walkers promptly crawled out of the ground, their eye sockets blazing with fury. Pendragon thrusted his Voltedge into a Slag Walker and twisted it upwards, an arc of lava illuminating the path of the sword as he turned and stabbed another walker behind him. Seerus went head-to-head with Ragmuth, blocking each others blows and getting glancing swipes at places, but neither were severely injured. Valon was about to help Pendragon when he saw Vinny struggling with the Grimalkin. It was tearing through his defenses, and unaffected by his blows. Valon attempted to knock it away with his shield but even it was insufficient to halt it.

Marmalade crawled through the battlefield, wanting to help but finding no appropriate time. The candle that he had been tied to had gone out a few minutes ago, and there was no ember nearby to re-light it. He considered using his blowtorch, when he saw a much more suitable source. A Slag Walker. He stumbled towards the head of one of the deceased and picked it up. Even his fireproof gloves didn't stop him from feeling the heat of the flame soul within. He was almost to the candle when Ragmuth saw what he was doing and yelled, “ARISE!”. The skull woke up like it does when near a Grim Totem and hissed at Marmalade, showering him with volcanic spittle. It struggled to get out of his grasp and once realising that it was futile, unleashed its fiery breath, setting him aflame. Marmalade dropped it immediately and desperately patted his clothes down. He then recaptured the skull and held it over the candle lighting it. The enchanted candle glowed and the aura of light produced drove back the Grimalkin. The Grimalkin moaned and howled but it disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. Valon and Vinny helped Pendragon take care of the rest of the Slag Walkers, but Seerus was having more trouble. Seerus tried to jab at Ragmuth's stomach who blocked it and forced him to the ground. Ragmuth raised his sword in his sacrificial manner, aiming it downwards towards the heart. “You're going to pay! “. Seerus closed his eyes, and heard the sound of metal slicing through flesh. It was not through his however, and Seerus opened his eyes. He saw Ragmuth standing still, surprised. A red and white blade stuck out of his stomach. “That was for leaving me for the Grimalkin,” said Marmalade with unusual ferocity. He pulled it out, but pushed it back in immediately after, “That was for all the knights you killed!”. He then stepped back and thrusted it in again, “And that, was for revenge.”. Ragmuth collapsed and crawled through a secret passageway with surprising speed. Marmalade was about to go and get him but Pendragon rested a hand on his shoulder wearily, “He can't do us any harm. He's near dead anyway”. Marmalade sighed, “Fine, let's just go and stop the Lumbers,”.

Depth 29: The Core Terminal

The Core was like a Sun. Heating up the whole depth, it took all of Marmalade's willpower not to collapse in heat exhaustion. Seerus turned to the others and ordered, “Wait here. I will take care of the console”. He walked to a terminal, similar to the one stationed by Vaelyn, although there were no knights. Seerus opened up a console similar to that used by knights to accept missions. His finger hovered over the deactivate button. Seerus was about to press the button when a voice said, “I am afraid I can not let you do that Seerus,”. Seerus swiveled around to find Toren pointing an Umbra Driver at his head. “Toren! What are you doing here?”. Toren laughed, “What do you think Seerus? Letting the Lumbers destroy Haven of course. I thought you wanted the knights dead. You are a gremlin aren't you?”. Seerus wanted to throttle Toren, but he had an idea, “I used to think that, but after fighting alongside them, I realised that not all knights are bad,”. Toren cackled like a Zombie, “Look at you! You sound just like a stranger! Well enough of that. You are going to die and I will become the new Warmaster”. Seerus sighed, he couldn't let Toren realise his plan, “Fine. I suppose you'll want this mask,”. With that, Seerus took off his mask and handed it to Toren. Toren slid on the mask. Seerus smiled. Now for the final part of the plan, “Seerus!”, he shouted,”Get away from me!”. Toren looked puzzled, but smiled and said, “Have you gone mad already Seerus?”. Seerus chuckled, “Nope”. Toren's smile faded as a shadowy hand pulled him behind some boxes.
Staark grabbed Toren and said, “Hello Seerus”. Toren's eyes widened and he yelped, “I'm not Seerus!”. Staark frowned, ”Don't be silly, you're wearing the mask”. Toren realised what Seerus did and his defiant expression wilted. Staark held the Gran Faust to his throat, “This is for my parents”, and slit Toren's throat. At last the great menace was gone. Staark went to the elevator, satisfied. Seerus chuckled to himself about the deception as he pressed the button. A small icon popped up. Are you sure you want to end the Lumber invasion? Yes/No. Seerus pressed Yes and went to Emberlight to collect the drones.

Ragmuth looked down at the Core. A flaming ball of energy suspended in the center of a mechanical monstrosity. A riddle wrapped in a mystery. The Core called out to him. Voices screamed out in his head. Ragmuth was dying. He was mortally wounded. He wouldn't last much longer. Exhaustedly, he sighed, “I... have failed you.”, and jumped into the Core.

The End