“Ah finally, you’ve made it”, I hear a deep, hoarse voice echoing in every corner of the room, it almost feels like he growled.
“What took you so long?”, The voice is closer now, right next to my ears.
“I had to pass all of your zombie and demon guards, and they weren’t happy to see me, that’s for sure”, I answer back with a slightly sarcastic tone to hide the tremble in my voice.
He puffs out a laugh. “My child, you know I can smell fear, there’s no need to hide. I don’t bite. Well, not you at least.”
I see him finally materializing in the room, a tall, dark figure, smoke cascading down his cloak, his mighty grey horns pinching the air. I don’t see his face, never did. He says I’m not ready.
“So tell me, why did you come? Did you get tired of your mortal life again? Tried to cheat faith and asked death to take you faster? Are you looking for asylum for your eternity? I’ve told you, it’s not your time, yet.”
“No, I’m not here as a soul.”
He starts examining me, realizing that I’m wearing full body armor to protect my human flesh from the poisoned touch of the dead.
“Ah, I see, the castle made a quest again. Another one of Augustus’ fleeting caprices and distractions.”
“Augustus is dying. His powers…the protection around the castle is slowly fading away. The vampires are coming, we don’t have much time left.”
“Ah, such a pleasant thing to hear. I can’t wait for that man to reach my realm, to torture him for eternity, I have a feeling that I’m going to enjoy it more than I expect.”
“I’m not here to talk about that,” I say, patiently waiting to see if I’ve upset him in any way before continuing.
“Hm, yes, you mortals have more important things to worry about. So tell me, child, why are you here for, then?”
Before I can stop myself, the words start flooding my mouth. He’s compelled the truth out of me and even I can’t resist his power.
“Two months before Augustus fell ill, an old hag came to the town gates at night seeking asylum. We’ve settled her into the healer’s chambers, offering her food and clothing while our healer mended her wounds. Then, after two days, she requested a meeting with the citadels’ priest. She claimed to have psychic gifts, and shared a prophecy with him, that the king will take his last breath in no more than three months, that the city walls will fall and the undead will rise from underneath the ground, marching towards us to free their queen from her grave and break the binding spell cast on the unholy ring, so they could walk into the sun again.
When they reach us, she said they’re going to destroy everything in their wake, drinking our life essence and slaughtering our newborns, getting stronger with each drop of blood touching their tongues.
She said there was only one way in which they could be stopped. In her prophecy, a legendary warrior would travel down to the deepest pit of hell, and bring back the obsidian spectrum that fell from a star 600 billion years ago.”
“What was her name? Myra?”
“I don’t know. She never gave us her name.”
“Sound like something she would do.”
“Do you know her?”
“Ah, yes, she was one of my disciples. And what did the priest say about the prophecy? I reckon the last time I checked, priests weren’t so fond of fortune tellers, or anyone who was able to predict the future without them being God’s protegee.”
“He didn’t believe her. He said she was merely a witch trying to spread fear. That the obsidian spectrum was kept safely in Dothora. They arrested her, and when Augustus fell ill a few days later, he accused her of cursing him and wanted to burn her at the stake, but she disappeared before the execution.”
“Ah, yes, it’s one of her tricks. She’s immortal, you know.”
“Well, in any case, both peasants and the army rose against the church and protested. If the hag was right, our kind would cease to exist and then the only thing keeping the vampires from destroying the world would be gone. Augustus agreed as he too is a bit cautious regarding superstitions and prophecies. He sends the best soldiers or anyone who felt up to the task, to descend to hell and find the real spectrum. The one to bring it back would be the warrior to lead us against the armies of the undead.”
“How many?”
“About fifty. Thirty gave up when they saw your gates and ran back to the castle crying like babies. Said they wanted to be with their families before the vampires kill them. Nineteen dared to go further, but they died fighting demons or by eating the cursed fruits. The temptation was too strong, they couldn’t fight it.”
“And you’re the only one who reached this far?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell them?”
“What?”
“That one of the king’s guards, the bravest and strongest of them all, is also a witch? A child of, what was it that they called me, Satan?”
“No. And I’m not going to.”
“And how will you be able to explain that you passed all hell’s trials without, well, any kind of help? Are you going to lie, and make up a story about strenuous work, determination, and resilience? Are you going to tell them that you deceived Satan himself through some witty scheme you plotted, and stole the spectrum right from the throne room?”
His voice is strong, and steady, and starts echoing in the whole room again. It has a touch of excitement attached to it and I sense the smirk he has on his face. I know what he wants me to say, so I do.
“Yes. They’re mortals, they need their heroes to be righteous and moral, their idols to be merely perfect, even if it’s just a figment of their imagination. It gives them hope, keeps them going.”
“Good.” He says, and his smile gets bigger. If I was able to see his face, I think I would catch a glimpse of his unbelievably sharp teeth. “And how do you plan to take it?”
“I was hoping you would simply give it to me, as I made it all the way here.”
“I give nothing for free, you know it. I want a deal. What could you possibly give me that I don’t already have?”
“My allegiance, my soul?”
“Are you trying to trick the devil, child? I already have those, remember? Once you die, you will be standing right here next to me, serving the darkness. Maybe I’ll make you immortal, like Myra, and send you out into the world to do my deeds.” He smirks again
“What is it that you want, then? I can’t seem to think of anything that would satisfy your hunger.”
“My son, Lorus, I want you to take him with you and be his protectress. Without his knowledge, of course.”
“But why?”
“I’m punishing him, for he has grown to be entitled and pretentious nowadays. He needs to learn about pain, fear, and suffering. You know, the ways of the world. I am adamant that will humble him and teach him to be more responsible with the power he holds.”
“But… he’s immortal.”
“I’m taking that away from him for a while. But he’s still my son, and there are far worse places a newly made mortal could end up in, than hell.”
“Ok, I say. We have a deal. How long will this take?”
“Once you defeat the vampires, I will send him to you. I’m tying his life thread to yours. You will both be descending back here as soon as the fates stop spinning it and it ends.”
“I humbly accept. Now could you please give me the scepter?”
For a few seconds, he disappears, and I stand completely still thinking about the decision I just made. I have a feeling this wasn’t a good decision, but what other options do I have?
He appears again, just as fast as he left.
He’s standing closer to me now and he’s holding the most beautiful scepter I’ve ever seen in my entire life. It’s made of pure gold, a wig from the Tree of Life circling it. At the top of it sits the black obsidian, held only by tiny buds at the top of the wig, that never sprout. I feel like I’m staring into the void looking at it, and then I notice it slowly vibrating from time to time. I can sense its power, 600 billion years of power, maybe more, larger than life, infinite, patiently waiting in an extraterrestrial rock to be released. I begin to think, maybe it wasn’t meant for humans. It was made for miracles, that’s for sure, and that’s exactly what Tryglesia needs now a miracle.
“Be careful with it. It holds immense power. You’ll know how to use it when the time comes.” And he hands it to me.
He’s disappeared before I get to say “I know, I’ve noticed.”

© 2023 Silver Poems