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Another day. Another free breath, another moment of warmth so precious in his life on the run. One thing Antoine-Henri Jomini learned: the "life" is still an important part of the afterlife. He had met countless souls dreaming in their very own heavens. He had seen the ones trapped in their personal hells. This concept felt only natural to a rational man such as him.
But there was the truth which was far less rational and reasonable and far harder to grasp: The Beyond was a vivid ecosystem. He only learned about that word recently but he believed that it summarised this place well. There were people going on about their lives, meeting their families or even finding new lovers and friends. There were hunters fueled by bloodlust and the desire to cause pain. There were those destined to be the prey. The people, such as Jomini.
He observed that not everything around was formed by human souls. There were things utterly inhumane and those were sending shivers down his spine. Their power was immense and unimaginable. The Hell was one of those. Who decided which souls were supposed to end up there? He did not know, but he was sure that there was no heavenly gate when he died. Saint Peter did not reprimand him for his sins.
They came for him that day, with their horns, and their burning eyes and their task was to capture him. Jomini quickly spotted the demon's weaknesses and managed to slip away and since then he was on the run...
The Hell was not such an all-powerful institution, as he learned. The persistent attack of the hellspawn could be deflected. Moves and countermoves, the danse macabre of the infernal beasts and the man known as the most influential military theorist of the 19th century.
He was no traitor, he was sure. Yes, he changed the sides. But he never betrayed the great man who was once so impressed by the young clerk's insights into military affairs that he decided to accept him into his own staff. He did what he could to save him, and it wasn't enough. He was distraught, yes, but he knew he was not a traitor. It was he who had been betrayed first, by Berthier, by Napoleon, by France!
But this strange Hell didn't care. His fate was to burn in ice for eternity, as it should be with all the traitors. He felt he had no place to run until he reached that small chateau and spotted his old friend. At this point, Jomini was exhausted from the endless hunt and almost considered surrendering... But there was him, Marshal Ney in person, the man nobody could save...
Returning to his old post of chief of staff has brought him relief - somehow, those giggling miserable creatures would never venture into his marshal's presence. Whatever Ney was doing, it worked. The man has saved him for the second time.
He knows that he owes his Marshal a lot.
