Reborn of Thunder

Rain pelting off of their battered armor, the grim line of soldiers stared down at the siege machines being dragged into place across the moat, and the campfires of the muddy army doing the dragging.  Thunder rumbled in the background as the first shots began thudding into the curtain wall.
An armor-clad figure leapt up onto one of the crenellations, the grasping fist of Heironeous proudly emblazoned on his shield and chest.
“Troops!  You have fought this enemy valiantly.  Any who wish to leave now, to tend to their families, their sons, their towns, you may go.  There is a wizard in the courtyard making final preparations.  But I ask of you one thing.  Think, before you go… if this fight were not fought, if this evil went unopposed… what would happen?  Who would stand up for you, when you need it?  Stand with me!  And if it be our last, then so be it!”
A collective cheer went up from the slightly thinner line of men, a few shadows slinking down the stairs to the courtyard.
Siege ladders began thumping against the side of the wall.  Most were dislodged, sending the invaders crashing down to the moat or the hard ground below, but a few were allowed to gain the walls.  With a wordless war cry, Heironeous’ servant raised his blade for a mighty blow  at the first of the scaly creatures to slither from the ladder.

CRACK.

Lightning split the sky, arcing down into the sword and his body.  A few twitches and a fall to the flagstones of the courtyard, and that should have been his end.

* * *

For what seemed to be days, he drifted through an immaterial, timeless void of shifting colors and flashing lights.  Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of a pair of eyes, or hear snippets of a message.  They seemed… frustrated.
Crackle, only hope… rescue f… oblivion… avatar on earth…. The idol… guarded i… tacombs… br… me… Tristam…. Go t…. et with… in Tristam…

* * *

“He’s awake!  Come quick, everyone!”
Marduk groaned and tried to reach up and take his helmet off, only to find he wasn’t wearing one anymore.  He opened his eyes and glanced around, looking into the overjoyed eyes of his fellow combatants.
“Argh… what happened?”
“Good question… what DID happen, Marduk Shahrivar?”  An elderly cleric pushed his way to the front of the crowd, slightly out of breath as if he had run all the way from the keep.  “What dark powers have you been consorting with?”
“…what?  Dark powers?  What do you mean?”
“You know EXACTLY what I mean… as soon as you were stricken, a creature of air and lightning itself emerged from where you had been standing!  It destroyed enough of our enemy that they were forced to retreat, a good number of our own troops, as well as half of that wall of the castle!  It had a darkness to it that defied definition…”
A few of the nearby troops nodded in agreement, muttering among themselves.  Father Geldeon went on, angrier than Marduk had ever seen him.  “As the official delegate of the Heironean Church, I accuse you of heresy, no small matter!  You are hereby stripped of your title, and of your powers!  And if I ever, EVER see your face again, I’ll drag you before the judgment of the god himself, and you’ll see what for!”  He grabbed the holy symbol that hung around Marduk’s neck and gave it a sharp tug.  The chain snapped, and with that, the priest stormed away.  
The spectacle over, soldiers began drifting away in twos and threes.  None so much as spared him a glance.
“But…. … …”  Nobody remained around the improvised hospital bed to listen to his pleas.  He sighed.  “Tristam, huh?  It seems that’s all I have to go on… I need to find out what happened, and to clear my name…”