Tyranny of Steel

Berengar marched his soldiers from the base of the Great Sphinx to the entryway of the Great Pyramid of Giza, where a group of German Archeologists had quarantined the area. Upon seeing the Kaiser and his soldiers arrive, the leader of the expedition quickly saluted his monarch before responding with a hint of surprise in his tone.

"My Kaiser, I did not expect you to personally grace us with your presence. Although you have made a long journey, I can't in good conscience allow you to descend into the abyss!"

An arrogant smirk appeared on Berengar's lips as he quickly informed the man that he did not need his permission.

"Apologies Doctor Arendt Fritlingen, but like it or not, I'm going into that pyramid, so why don't you explain to me what this abyss is and how I should face it?"

The lead archeologist seemed quite nervous as he heard this, but ultimately sighed in defeat before revealing what little he knew about the pyramid.

"Under your orders, we have been searching for signs of the supernatural within the boundaries of the Reich and the borders of our Allies. As you know, I reported the incident to the Kaiserin, who has closely watched over our expeditions from the very beginning. 

Roughly two years ago, during our investigations of the Ancient Egyptian civilization, we found a black stone, which contained both the egyptian hieroglyphs and the ancient Greek characters. This allowed us to be able to accurately translate the ancient egyptian tongue into modern german. 

Upon reading some primeval inscriptions, we found an obscure reference to the eye of Horus, being a divine artifact bestowed upon the ancient rulers of Egypt. After some careful digging, we now believe its current location is buried somewhere within the Great Pyramid of Giza. 

However, upon first trying to enter the tomb, a black miasma which we call the abyss blinded our explorers, and every team we have sent into the pyramid has yet to return. We fear it is some kind of curse that is preventing outsiders from entering.

It would explain why in the thousands of years of this pyramid existing, there has never been a report of a successful grave robbery. There are even local rumors that no man who has entered the great pyramid has ever returned to tell the tale."

Berengar nodded his head when he heard this before responding to the Archeologists' claims.

"Alright, I understand. Either way, we're going in there. So tell your team to prepare the entrance."

Doctor Fritlingen could only sigh once more before nodding his head in silence. He quickly informed his team to open the gates that sealed the dark miasma away. Meanwhile, Berengar and his team marched towards the entrance, where they ensured that their weapons were locked and loaded. 

After careful consideration, Berengar decided to snap one of his chemlights before tossing it into the black smoke whose whisps tried desperately to enter the outside world. The red light was immediately suppressed upon entering the miasma, proving to Berengar that this was indeed some kind of supernatural presence. 

The soldiers felt their spines tingle as they gazed upon the abyss which swallowed the chemlight's illumination. However, Berengar was not deterred. He shouldered his submachine gun in one hand, while lifting his right hand and pressing it forward.

After a brief incantation in the Latin language, the light of sol spread forth from his ring and dispersed the dark miasma. With a confident smirk on his face, Berengar lifted his soldiers' spirits before boldly taking point into the cavern.

"We do not need to fear the darkness, for we have the light of Sol on our side!"

Berengar had experimented with the ring ever since he first came to possess it, and this was his last resort, as using the light to disperse the darkness prevented the ring from protecting his person. Meaning that so long as he wished to see in the Great Pyramid of Giza, he would be prone to danger. However, it couldn't be helped and thus he pressed forward, boldly, without fearing the power of whatever ancient deity guarded this tomb. 

Adelbrand was the last to follow Berengar into the tomb, deeply regretting his choice to accompany the man into such a dangerous territory. Despite this, he ultimately decided to follow the group and protect the rear. 

With each step, the shadows of the abyss tried to consume the light of sol, but were quickly forced to retreat. As Berengar walked forward into the darkness, he heard a spectral voice called out to him.

"Dog of Sol! You dare to desecrate this tomb with your presence? I will have to judge you for your crimes!"

Upon hearing this, Berengar looked around to see if his Jaegers had heard these words, but he found that once again, he was by himself. He could only sigh and shake his head as cursed out loud.

"Every fucking time!"

It was at this moment that the darkness dispersed, and a giant scale appeared before him. At one end of the scale was a feather, yet the other was empty. Berengar felt his heart sink as he gazed at the sight. He knew exactly what this was. He had just entered the domain of Anubis, and the ancient god of death was about to judge him. 

Berengar quickly turned around with the intent to flee. However, the moment he did so, he came face to face with the Jackal headed god, who plunged his fist straight through Berengar's chest. The Kaiser felt an immense pain in his chest, as the hand that plunged into it gripped itself around his heart, before mercilessly pulling it out. 

Berengar gazed in disbelief at his beating heart, which was in the hands of the ancient deity. He was still alive, and yet he could feel his heart missing from within his chest. Anubis had no expression on his face as he slowly walked over to the scale and placed the beating heart on the opposite side of the feather. 

Berengar could only stare in awe at the scene before him, kneeling on the ground, while gripping his chest, which was in intense agony. The scale swayed back and forth until finally the side with the heart began to lower beneath the feather.

Anubis sneered in disdain towards Berengar as he was about to judge the man guilty and sentence him to oblivion. However, in the next moment, the feather plunged down to the bottom of the scale, while Berengar's beating heart hung at the greatest height. It was at this moment that the ancient god of Death reacted with intense shock. He could not help but voice his disbelief.

"Impossible! I know what you have done. I could see your memories the moment I grasped your heart. How is this possible? How do you feel no guilt?"

At this moment, Berengar broke out into laughter, realizing that he had passed Anubis' test. A feat that few men in history could possibly achieve. He rose to his feet in defiance and approached the ancient deity before glaring at him with the utmost confidence.

"Everything that I have ever done is for the sake of my people! Why would I feel guilt for that? Now give me back my heart, and release my men!"

Anubis glared at Berengar, snarling like a common beast as he did so. For nearly four thousand years, no man who had entered his divine domain and ever escaped. They had all had heavy hearts, and yet Berengar's was lighter than a feather. It was truly remarkable. He could not help but question Berengar's identity.

"You wear the ring of Sol, but you stink of Odin. Has that old bastard in the north broken our agreement and summoned a champion? Hmmph, it matters not, you passed the first trial. If you seek the eye of Horus, you must undergo more than just one test. I will release your men and send them outside my Divine Domain, but you will remain here and fulfill the Trials of Anubis. If you fail, your soul will belong to me!"

Berengar merely smiled when he heard this and nodded his head in agreement. There was a look of the utmost confidence in his eyes as he swore to be victorious.

"I'll accept your wager. However, when I am victorious, you must answer a few of my questions!"

Anubis merely scoffed before snapping his fingers, revealing the horrified expressions on Berengar's soldiers' faces as they entered the same room as the kaiser, as if appearing from thin air. Before they could speak, the god of death lifted his scepter and cast them out of the tomb. After doing so, he spoke to Berengar once more before opening the next path for the man to follow.

"They are lucky they have such a daring leader, for their hearts were not as light as yours. Are you sure you are willing to risk your soul for theirs?"

It was now Berengar's turn to scoff as he looked at Anubis with a look of contempt in his eyes before responding.

"What kind of leader would I be if I left my men to suffer in eternal damnation, while I alone walked away with freedom? I will take your trials, and when I have finished them, I will walk out of here with my prize in hand!"

After saying this, Berengar did not wait for a response and entered the path to the next trial that had been provided to him. When he was finally out of earshot, Anubis said one word before disappearing into the darkness.

"Well said..."