between mountains of gems, some the size of a man's fist.”
“They quickly found themselves disoriented and lost their way in a fog which swirled around the great space. Then a voice boomed out, which chilled them to their very core, because it was all of their voices and all the voices of everyone they had know, living or dead. 'Who comes to feed me their souls?' it asked.”
I shifted uncomfortably at what I described next. “My ancestors, unsure of themselves, stuttered out who they were and that they sought the power that was rightfully theirs. It laughed at them, and the sound of it seemed to claw at their very beings. They tried to turn and run, but they could not get their limbs to obey.”
“In the swirling fog, they got glimpses of a being so very terrible and impossible, with an air of power that threatened to drive them mad. He looked to be a man, but they somehow knew that it was just a mask the creature wore. It was something from mankind's deepest nightmares, a temptation so great yet so terrifying, and they were helpless in front of it. It stank of death and of sweet meadows. A tempting corruption they were helpless against.”
I growled out, “He had said, 'If it is power you seek, I will give you power unlimited. But there is a cost. There is always a cost.' They readily agreed, their minds filling with the possibilities of striking the same fear and awe into others that this demon had in them. None would cross their family line.”
I gritted my teeth. “Those from Xerxes camp heard their screams for days, but they say the most frightening part of it was the moment the screams had suddenly ceased.”
“When the demon was through with the fools who sought him out, he said to them, 'You have what you asked for, now leave me lest I consume what is left of your souls and place them with my other gems.' That is when they looked around and realized what the mountains of gems truly were, the souls of those who dared enter the man beast's domain.”
“They chanced a single question. Not feeling any different than when they had entered the chasm, except for the madness of their torture that had eroded their minds as a raw and corrupt power seemed to flow through them like an unrelenting tide. 'We feel no different. Did we endure your torture for naught?'”
I grimaced as I relayed. “His anger boomed out from him, his patience wearing thin, stripping some of their humanity from them in thousands of voices. 'You have what you desired, you have simply to wish, and it will be. But do not let your greed guide you and abuse the power, or the price will be exacted.' They asked what the price was, now afraid of the fact that they hadn't asked before. He just screamed, 'get out!' at them, sending them tumbling out of the great chasm with the force of it, their ears bleeding from the fetid evil in the tone. The cliff face closed, swallowing the chasm as if it had never been.”
I sighed and ran my hand through my hair in exasperation, knowing why I was as I was now and hating everything about my ancestors and their greed and drive for power. “They found that when they wished as the demon had told them, that whatever they wished for became a reality. The power drove them mad with desire for their every whim, not thinking of the price to be paid as the creature had warned of. Xerxes seemed to encourage them, humbling himself in front of their great power. But he knew the beast, for he had bargained away his very soul as well. It had made him the King of Kings of his land.”
“My ancestors saw the others making more and more sweeping wishes, amassing more power and influence, and one, Synne, saw it as a threat to her own power. So for her tenth wish, she wished the others dead, so she alone could wield the power of the gods. To be a virtual goddess among men. She laughed at how pathetic the rest of her kin were to not have thought of it before she
“They quickly found themselves disoriented and lost their way in a fog which swirled around the great space. Then a voice boomed out, which chilled them to their very core, because it was all of their voices and all the voices of everyone they had know, living or dead. 'Who comes to feed me their souls?' it asked.”
I shifted uncomfortably at what I described next. “My ancestors, unsure of themselves, stuttered out who they were and that they sought the power that was rightfully theirs. It laughed at them, and the sound of it seemed to claw at their very beings. They tried to turn and run, but they could not get their limbs to obey.”
“In the swirling fog, they got glimpses of a being so very terrible and impossible, with an air of power that threatened to drive them mad. He looked to be a man, but they somehow knew that it was just a mask the creature wore. It was something from mankind's deepest nightmares, a temptation so great yet so terrifying, and they were helpless in front of it. It stank of death and of sweet meadows. A tempting corruption they were helpless against.”
I growled out, “He had said, 'If it is power you seek, I will give you power unlimited. But there is a cost. There is always a cost.' They readily agreed, their minds filling with the possibilities of striking the same fear and awe into others that this demon had in them. None would cross their family line.”
I gritted my teeth. “Those from Xerxes camp heard their screams for days, but they say the most frightening part of it was the moment the screams had suddenly ceased.”
“When the demon was through with the fools who sought him out, he said to them, 'You have what you asked for, now leave me lest I consume what is left of your souls and place them with my other gems.' That is when they looked around and realized what the mountains of gems truly were, the souls of those who dared enter the man beast's domain.”
“They chanced a single question. Not feeling any different than when they had entered the chasm, except for the madness of their torture that had eroded their minds as a raw and corrupt power seemed to flow through them like an unrelenting tide. 'We feel no different. Did we endure your torture for naught?'”
I grimaced as I relayed. “His anger boomed out from him, his patience wearing thin, stripping some of their humanity from them in thousands of voices. 'You have what you desired, you have simply to wish, and it will be. But do not let your greed guide you and abuse the power, or the price will be exacted.' They asked what the price was, now afraid of the fact that they hadn't asked before. He just screamed, 'get out!' at them, sending them tumbling out of the great chasm with the force of it, their ears bleeding from the fetid evil in the tone. The cliff face closed, swallowing the chasm as if it had never been.”
I sighed and ran my hand through my hair in exasperation, knowing why I was as I was now and hating everything about my ancestors and their greed and drive for power. “They found that when they wished as the demon had told them, that whatever they wished for became a reality. The power drove them mad with desire for their every whim, not thinking of the price to be paid as the creature had warned of. Xerxes seemed to encourage them, humbling himself in front of their great power. But he knew the beast, for he had bargained away his very soul as well. It had made him the King of Kings of his land.”
“My ancestors saw the others making more and more sweeping wishes, amassing more power and influence, and one, Synne, saw it as a threat to her own power. So for her tenth wish, she wished the others dead, so she alone could wield the power of the gods. To be a virtual goddess among men. She laughed at how pathetic the rest of her kin were to not have thought of it before she
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