À vos plumes
Seeker of Fate: Part6
Published
5 ans agoon
[simplicity-save-for-later]“We really make a gallant duo, mister Lazlo of Horis.” Said Boran after burning the last skeleton to oblivion.
“You’re overfriendly. Maybe we should keep our distances.” Said Lazlo.
The three continued their path leaving behind dozens of the dead either burnt or evaporated by the blessed church silver. They felt a cool and fresh breeze coming from a certain direction.
“The exit must be from here.” Said the Sun Knight.
“I want to ask you something, Boran.” Said the Herald Knight.
“ Go on.” Replied Boran.
“You said when you saved us that we had saved you already. What did you mean by that?” Asked Lazlo.
“Uhh , I forgot to explain. That mad necromancer hunted me down when I entered this dungeon with his minions who succeeded at cornering me. However, it seemed that they lost interest in me and had gone. Perhaps, they went on to chase someone else…” Explained Boran.
“I see. We nearly lost our lives because of some weird old man seeking trouble with the realm of the dead.” Said Lazlo.
“Man, that’s so mean!” nagged Boran amicably.
The party reached the outside of that accursed dungeon. It was a sight to witness. Similar dungeons were stuck above and near each other forming mountains of rubble, rocks and bricks in a harmonious and peculiar way.
“Wow! This is a wonder!” Said Acina.
“Only if it wasn’t plagued by these cursed beings.” Said Lazlo as he was pointing toward Thunderbirds roaming above and the dead wandering below.
“This place is fitting for the likes of me! I don’t fear danger. The danger must fear me!” Boasted Boran as he advanced. The maiden and the herald had no choice but to follow him.
“You said that you want to escort this church’s nun to Horis. I think I know a way to the real world.” Said Boran.
“Weren’t you ambiguous when I told you that? .” Stated Lazlo.
“I forgot, man! It was because I had no intention to return to the outside before completing my mission!” Explained Boran.
“And so, how do we return to our world?”
“Maybe, you should give up.” Affirmed Boran.
“Huh?!! What did you say??” Replied Lazlo angrily.
“Sir, why should we give up?” Asked Acina.
“Because you have to basically kill a god.” Uttered Boran.
“A god?! What are you saying?! There might be demons and there might be undead! But gods? There is only ROD!” Claimed Acina nervously.
“I have been in this ‘realm of the dead’ for so long. I saw a lot of things that you would never imagine but I heard that a species of godlike beings exist amidst this treacherous world. Perhaps, they’re gods or maybe they’re not. Assuredly, what I can confirm about them is that they’re nothing like anything and that if they return to reality, they will make life and death one.” Said Boran calmly.
“Quit this silly tale. We don’t have the time for this. Tell us already.” Said Lazlo.
“What you call the realm of the dead is just their tombs. In other words, if you want to return to reality, you probably have to commune with them.” Added Boran.
“ There’s no mention of these friends of yours in our holy book and so we don’t believe you.” Said Acina.
“Ahaha, young woman. Your faith is ruthless! I really don’t know myself. Maybe, these rumours are exaggerating but what I witnessed made me sure that they are the hands of Fate himself.” Said Boran.
“So you met with them?” Said Lazlo attentively.
“And now you’re suddenly interested in my pitiful legend?! You’re hiding something from me ,my friend! Hahaha!” Laughed Boran.
“This old man is indeed sharp, maybe I should trust his knowledge.” Thought the Herald.
“I’m asking if you had met with them or not.” Replied Lazlo.
“Yes, I did in the day when the Dazbog Sun fell. Fifty years, one of these gods destroyed our village and burnt its legendary tower of the Sun. I saw it when I was still a young warrior who was powerless against that living catastrophe. I… I just had to escape with my brother as the only survivors.” Narrated Boran.
“Hehehe… HAHAHAHA!!” giggled Lazlo.
Acina and Boran were stunned from this sudden change of mood coming from Lazlo. The Herald Knight stopped laughing and apologized.
“I’m sorry. I just can’t stomach that story of yours. This home of madmen and evil spirits played well with your mind, old man. We all know that King Triglav and his Tribal Knights were the ones who conquered the tribe of Dazbog.”
“Ehh…” The Sun Warrior sighed and breathed deeply. “That’s the greatest sin of Mankind, forgetting or ignoring history.” He added.
Suddenly, a wide light flashed across the horizon. It was so bright that they had to cover their eyes or deviate them away. Even the dead were troubled and shocked by that light.
“What was that?!” Said Lazlo.
“I have no idea!” Answered Boran.
Moreover, a violent and massive shockwave emerged from beyond the horizon and blew everything in its way.
“Cover your ears!!!” Shouted the Sun Knight.
They retreated towards the entrance of the dungeon and did what the old man ordered them to do. It was a terrifying and intense echo underlying the shockwave.
“My ears… my ears!!!” cried Acina… even though she was covering them.
“Damn it! What is happening here??” Thought the Herald.
The Storm passed away. However, it did ravage everything around: These dungeons and ruins did crumble even more and the thunderbirds were thrown away to the far sea.
“Is this… one of them?” Wondered Boran. “ Since I reached his island, I witnessed few ‘thunderbolts’ like this one. You witnessed it, isn’t it godlike?” Added Boran.
Lazlo could not answer as he had no idea about it. Despite all the trouble he faced, his priority was to finish his mission.
“What shall we do now, Dazbog’s warrior?” He asked.
“We have one answer: to reach the source of that immense thunder.” Answered Boran as he stepped outside of the cave.
“I guess we have no choice. But it seems we will be hindered even more.” Said Lazlo as he saw Acina fall to the ground.
“Did the shockwave get her head?!” Boran was really worried and tried to examine her. However, Lazlo did not allow him to do so and was the one looking for the maiden.
“Not really, she’s exhausted and she clearly didn’t eat since a long period of time.” Concluded Lazlo.
“Oh! That is the reason why being Undead is bad, you become unaware of the value of life.” Mocked Boran.
“That’s not the time to joke! Curses… as if I wanted to be one in the first place!” Yelled Lazlo angrily.
Boran felt about after what he said and apologized but Lazlo did not say anything as he was lost in thoughts. He was realizing that the state of the maiden was worsening quickly but he could not do anything.
“I can actually help.” Said Boran.
“Huh? What can someone like you do?” Said Lazlo.
“It’s not going to heal her but it should give us more time to save her.” Said Boran.
The old man took her hand gently and closed his eyes. He imagined a morning sun gazing at him from the far horizon. A benevolent golden energy flowed in his body and was transmitted to the maiden’s body.
“Now, she’s better off with this supply of energy. Her body will stop deteriorating for the time being but we have to hurry and find an exit for you two.” Said Boran as he carried her on his back.
Lazlo did not say anything. Perhaps, he was touched by the kindness of the Sun Knight. Or maybe he did see a parental figure in him.
The Huntress was thrown away outside of the monument and rolled over the giant stairs. Indeed, she was bleeding hard and bits of electricity were emanating from her.
Floating in the air, Persolis came outside of the tomb as his eyes were ignited with thunder.
“This is the power of Fate.” Said Persolis as he channeled a wave of thunder at her.
She got up quickly and evaded the strike but it seemed that the attack returned at her from behind.
“Ahhhgh!” Screamed the huntress out of extreme pain.
“That’s a joke really. How come you claim that you’re undead? … So pitiful. I expected a true challenge from the Undead Slayer but it seems that she’s a naïve soul like everyone else.” Said Persolis.
“This is absurd… How did he get such power? There’s no word that transcribes such knowledge or art in the book of the dead… that’s-” Thought the masked one.
“I assume you’re trying to comprehend what’s wrong with your own calculations. You thought that I will be like any other of Elymas’ students, brainless, mindless and hypocritical each in their own way. But I’m different. It’s true that Elymas pushed me to begin my real journey in life but… he was a fool himself. He believed in the supremacy of death above life and worked for that idea and of course such idiotic beliefs will lead one to their one doom.”
“Hehehehe…” the Huntress giggled calmly.
“You’re laughing as if you think you have the ability to defeat me which is a wrong assumption.” Said Persolis as he was moving towards the Huntress.
“If I’m a toy for the threads of Fate then why are you insisting on the futility of me trying to defeat you? Let me do what I want as a pretty good pawn. For that, I never intended to unmask myself, but it seems I have no other choice.” Said the Huntress as she was forcing her mask out of her face. It was connected to her face via few bloody tendrils.
The confidence of Persolis dropped considerably after this new development, he feared that and decided to throw a thunder bolt at her and he did strike her but it accidentally made her quicken the process.
Her face revealed a pretty and young right half while the other half was dark and scarred ugly one with an acute vampiric eye.
“The desires I wanted to suppress, I will let them go for now. Help me to find the answer if they’re real or not, if they’re just a mere fabrication of pure randomness and nothingness…” These were the last words of the huntress before she started screaming like a mad beast and metamorphosed into a cursed abomination: The left half of her body transformed into that of a black demonic and bloody being with gnashing white teeth, grim-eyed and fierce and clawed left hand. In the other hand, the supposedly human right half turned into a lifeless and decaying being with a jade energy twisting and twirling from and around it.
“No way… no way! Could it be that she also acquired the power of one of them too!!!?” Said Persolis as he felt that his foe was not to be underestimated anymore.
TO BE CONTINUED
Articles similaires
A student of Computer Science Engineering from ENICAR. He stumbled upon an epiphany, very suddenly and quite by accident. Here we stand, feet planted in the earth, looking to the sky and searching for heavens...but might the truth be very near us, only just within ourselves?
You may like
weekly stories
Chapter 5 : Medea, A fractured halo.
Published
5 jours agoon
12 avril 2024 [simplicity-save-for-later]The heat was unbearable to say the least, a suffocating hand squeezing the very air from my lungs. As if eternal damnation wasn’t torture enough for the inhabitants of this cursed realm.
Tartarus wasn’t for the weak. Or at least, that’s what I gathered from the looks of it. Down here, the whispers of Asphodel and Elysieum were a cruel joke. Every instinct in my body was begging me to turn and flee, until a flicker of movement in the distance snagged my attention, making me halt in my steps.
Someone was watching me.
“Mermerus?” a woman’s voice echoed through the abyss, “Mermerus, is that you?”
Words died on my tongue. Though a silver of desperation lingered in her voice, everything about the approaching figure sent chills skittering down my spine. Crimson red robes, the color of spilled blood, clung to her form, a stark contrast to her pale skin. Her untamed black hair almost covered the entirety of her back. Something about her seemed disturbingly primordial. This was no benevolent spirit, no sorrowful soul. This woman was a true creature of darkness, someone who had not simply adapted to Tartarus but seemed to thrive in its haunting embrace.
As she drew closer, I could see the disappointment in her eyes slowly settle in. For I wasn’t Mermerus, nor did I know of this person she despondently wanted me to be.
Mere inches separated us now. She towered over me then reached out her hand to cup my face. Her touch wasn’t one of comfort, but far from it.
“You do look remarkably like him.” She murmured, the softness in her voice a fleeting mirage.
“Who is he?” I managed to let out as she turned around and started to make her way back.
“My child.”
“And where is he now?” I dared to ask.
The sound of her footsteps abruptly stopped. In the deafening silence, she turned, a cruel smile twisting her lips.
“Dead.” She said, her voice devoid of emotion, “I killed him.”
A minute passed, or maybe an eternity I’m not certain. Those last three words hung in the air between us, words that felt more like a boast than a regretful confession.
“Oh please, spare me the shock, I’m sick of it, Who are you boy? Did Aphrodite send you to further taunt me? Sending a boy who looks like my dead child is a wicked move I must admit.”
“No, my lady.“ I gulped, “Forgive me but I don’t even know who you are.”
A notorious laugh escaped her lips. “Gods and their twisted games.“ she spat, a flicker of something akin to boredom flashing in her eyes. “Fine then, I am Medea, Grand-daughter of the sun. Daughter of the sea, Niece to supreme sorceress Circe. Witch.” She took a step closer, forcing me to crane my neck to meet her gaze. “ A mere thread separates the bumbling foolishness of mortals and the cruel whims of the gods » she hissed, the last word dripping with venom. “ And I walk that thread fueled by powers you, child, can faintly comprehend.”
Ignoring the termance in my voice, I managed to ask “How did you end up here then? amidst this…torment?”
“Why don’t I show you?” she whispered, her voice laced with dark amusement.
Before I could protest, she reached out for my hand. She muttered something in a tongue I couldn’t quite decipher, a strange incantation. The world began to wrap and twist, the great sleep, the great forgetting, darkness, then light.
The world solidified again, I was no longer in Tartarus. My body didn’t feel like mine, Stagnant powers lurked within me, Realization dawned on me.
I wasn’t looking at Medea anymore, I was Medea.
Everything was a blur, experiencing one’s memories through their eyes was nothing short of disorienting. The visions got slightly clearer; A Flash of a golden fleece, the triumphant glint in a pair of unfamiliar eyes. A love so intense it burned. Sacrifices made, yet promises shattered, betrayal, passion morphed into a cage of raging fury, lust for revenge, bloody hands. The smell of death, A chilling satisfaction, A hollow victory, Then back to darkness.
My eyes fluttered open. I stretched my hands, relieved to feel my own body again.
“How did you do that? Doesn’t being in Tartarus stop you from casting any spells?” I breathe out, still dizzy from the lingering magic.
Medea arched an eyebrow as if I had just asked her the most nonsensical question ever.
“I am a witch, boy. Forever bound to earth. I am tied to the four elements. Tartarus is filled with one of them in all its forms, Fire. My power comes from within. Although this cursed place has tamed it, it could never quench its flames.”
The frustration in her eyes mirrored the confusion churning within me. The visions… hazy fragments that have left me reeling. “I felt them…” I stammered, meeting her gaze, “Your emotions, your rage, as if they were mine.” The weight of a story demanding to be told hung in the air. “Tell me Lady Medea, what has happened to you?”
A sigh followed by, then she began to unravel her past before me.
“Colchis was my home. Magic flowed through my veins, a birthright passed down from my ancestors. Then came Jason, a Greek hero with eyes that shimmered like the Aegean sea and a smile that promised forever. How foolish I was. For him, I defied my own blood. I won him the golden fleece, a prize named by his uncle in order to reclaim his throne. Looking back now, I realize what a waist of muscles Jason was. Without my magic and my wits, he could’ve never returned to his lands victorious AND unharmed. I vowed to protect him. I fled my home to be by his side. Bloody sacrifices on the altar of his empty ambitions. I was promised by Aphrodite an everlasting love as beautiful as dawn breaking over mount olympus if I aid him in his ‘heroic’ quest. I forgot however that while Jason was the goddess’s chosen, I was nothing but her pawn. A mere puppet that will grant her ephemeral glory once hit by Cupid’s bows. But promises made by the gods are fickle. A lesson I had yet to learn at that age.”
Medea’s fists clenched, turning her knuckles white. She glared into the distance, as if she was reliving the past.
“Another woman caught Jason’s eye upon our arrival to Greece. A princess named Glauce with royal blood and a kingdom to rule over. He cast me aside, leaving me and our children within a blink of an eye . Foolish, foolish man. He had underestimated me, like the rest of them. My grief turned into rage. Revenge became the ultimate goal, a burning ember demanding to burn all it touched. Killing him was never an option. I needed him to feel an ounce of the agony I have felt while breathing still. So I did what had to be done. I took from him what he grew to value most, his new fiancé, her father’s money, and our own offspring. And if I had to, I would do it all over again.”
A look of serenity washed over Medea’s eyes. She unclenched her fists, her shoulders relaxed. I waited in silence for her to finish her story.
“Heaven and Hell became mere words to me. I fled Corinth, cloaked in the golden chariot my grand-father Helios sent me, leaving Jason a broken shell of the man I once loved. People may call me a villain, a mad woman, the devil incarnate for some, but I call myself a hero. I was the one who won the golden fleece. I have defied dragons and armies, navigated foreign waters alongside Jason’s crew and secured his throne all by myself. I deserved the recognition. I have spent my whole life diluting myself to make it easier to be loved. I have dimmed my magic, a witch masquerading as a human for an oath of eternal happiness. I was more than content with working in the shadows and letting Jason take credit for my mastery if only it meant he would be with me. And what do I get in return? Betrayal. Tragedy is a condition to existence, and I have chosen madness as my defense against it. For the dog that weeps after it kills is no better than the dog that doesn’t. My guilt will not purify me. And I accepted that long ago. Let them fear my wrath, let them whisper of my madness. Let them blindly pretend that all of their favorite heroes haven’t bathed their hands in blood too. But of course, blood doesn’t taint a man’s heroism. When a man seeks vengeance, it’s a mark of strength. When a woman does the same, she’s branded a monster.”
She tipped her chin upward, as if addressing the very gods who have betrayed her.
“I am no longer a pawn of fates. I am Medea, I am my own person and I shall spend my remaining days here in Tartarus, my new found home, where I truly belong.”
I stood there, transfixed. Words failed to decipher what I felt at that moment. Medea eyed me up and down one last time.
“It’s truly incredible how much you look like Mermerus.” she softly whispered, “Be careful boy. Don’t trust anyone but yourself down here.”
My mind grew heavy with questions left unanswered. I watched as Medea disappeared in the swirling sulfurous mist just as she had emerged from it moments prior. As I started to make my way back towards the gates, I realized that by simply accepting her fate, this scorned woman has already defied the gods. I may not call her a hero, as she demanded to be called, but she definitely wasn’t a villain either. The very line between good and evil blurred before me. I left Tartarus with a heavy heart and a newfound perspective.
Written by : Fatma Ben Romdhane.
Share your thoughts