Page 7

ELIOTH

Cogost Mountains

My hands drip with inky black sludge as I pull them from the grave mound.

Wisps float out of the holes I dug, forming the spectral faces of undead warriors.

Unlike the Knights of Umbria, these beings are wraiths—ghosts of their former selves that are unable to pass into the spirit realm.

Patches of skin hang off brittle bones and a stench belches from their snaggle grins.

The smell is so foul, it causes tears to well in my eyes.

The groans and gurgling snarls grate against my patience.

Their tongues were severed by Abedon himself to keep them from speaking against him.

“The ritual will begin soon,” I advise them.

“We must go to the place where the injustices against Abedon began so we can free him from his prison and unleash the Chasm unto this world.”

Another wave of groans reverberates through the mountains as I approach the path that will lead us to Abedon.

My cloak brushes along the ash-covered ground.

Fire roils in the clouds above my head. Thunder bellows like a vicious beast hiding beyond the sky.

Red lightning strikes the mountain, breaking off chunks of stone deeply veined with diamond.

The Cogost Mountain was once a peaceful place, but the gods who dwelled on its peak were corrupt.

They valued the alliance between the humans and fae more than an alliance with those who fought in the ancient battles.

Abedon was the only general who stood up to them.

His magic surpassed the gods and they felt threatened.

Allowing Silvanus to ascend before my master was a mistake and a clear sign of their ignorance.

Now the gods are all but forgotten and Abedon will rise to rule the realms and the worlds beyond.

I lead the ghoulish wraiths to the golden doors of the temple.

The cockatrice and his disciples are already inside.

I can smell their stench through the colossal doors.

My power opens the temple and I see the opening to Abedon’s prison ahead.

I lift a hand to touch the spells, but they repel me.

The cockatrice stands at my side, as though we are equals, as though he’s worthy to be near such greatness.

A feral smile slowly slithers across my face and I grip his shoulder until he crumples to his knees.

“Are you ready to fulfill your true purpose?”

“I have turned the Unseelie against your heir. Morrigan has no power in Oronrel nor in the Shadow Realm. You are free to take your throne back whenever you please. I... believe such dedication to our mission deserves a reward?”

I squeeze harder to watch him writhe in pain. “A reward? Yes, I do believe you deserve a reward. One fitting of your actions.”

The cockatrice nods smugly.

I lean forward to whisper, “ Esahani forethalo ini amattria atak… ”

“Wait! You said I would…” The words trail off into a gut-wrenching scream as a wraith possesses the cockatrice’s body.

One by one, the fae creatures that pledged themselves to Abedon fall to the ground as the tainted spirits assume control of their flesh and bones.

They twitch and tremble, letting out deafening screams until all is silent.

After a few more moments, I help them stand and position them in their proper place atop the sigils that control the spell that holds Abedon captive.

“This is your moment. Show your loyalty to your master. Give the ultimate sacrifice.”

Blades rise to the throats of each servant of darkness.

A streak of red appears. Blood gushes on the floor as they fall.

The pool of crimson spreads towards the door as I breathe the incantation.

Magic flows through me and into the temple, reaching deep into the foundation and along the walls.

I hear the shattering of each enchantment as I thrust every drop of energy into the door.

It bulges out, stretching unnaturally as though it wishes to be rid of the darkness of Abedon as much as the Dark Lord, himself, wishes to be free…

I lift my own blade and carve my allegiance into the palms of my hands.

Black blood flows from the wound as I reach through the barrier of magic and streak the macabre offering on the door.

My eyes change, glowing brightly as the nerves beneath my skin crackle with power.

I draw from the life forces of the others.

Blood floats up from the floor, hovering in the air as though the laws of the universe no longer apply.

My chanting grows louder, deeper, and stronger than before.

The lightning outside strikes the temple just as the spell swells to its full strength...

I lift the blade once more. There is no hesitation, only loyalty.

There is no fear, only faith that the darkness within me will bring me back once Abedon is free.

I do as the others have done and drag the sharp edge of the knife across my throat.

I feel the heat of the liquid pouring down my chest, soaking into the fabric of my robes just as the spell breaks.

He is darkness.

He is power.

And now he is free.

***

ABEDON

The Tomb of the Gods

I hear the chanting of my name. Such praise has not been spoken for many years.

Blood flows from beneath the doors and I hear the screams like a beautiful symphony.

The barriers are breaking. Fractures form on the door and I close my eyes to revel in the moment.

I sense the first sigil shattering and then another until the door is as fragile as a cracked mirror.

An explosion of dark magic causes the door to disintegrate.

Elioth collapses to his knees as I approach.

I place my hand above the wound he has carved into his throat and heal him.

Shadows swirl between us. I step past him and walk towards my freedom.

Bodies litter the ground, but they will be honored in death for their sacrifice.

I step out into the light and stare up at the churning sky, raising my arms up to the heavens as ripples of dark energy course through my veins.

I clench my hands into fists and rip the sky open. “In this hour, the darkness shall reign.”

My bones pop and snap, breaking down to reform into a monstrous beast of shadow.

I leap into the air as great wings appear—bone appendages strung together by thin, translucent flesh.

Horns protrude from my head as shadow and fire embrace me.

I breathe in the darkness of the Chasm, tasting soot on my tongue.

I see the nightmares of those living and those dead, feasting on fear in its purest form.

A booming roar shakes the realms as I soar across the sky.

The walls between words tremble in my presence.

My wings slice through the barriers with ease.

The Shadow Realm bleeds into the fae kingdoms, spreading death and darkness across the lands.

Shadows morph into shapeless demons, possessing the weak and draining them of their souls.

My black riders lift into the air beside me.

The Knights of Umbria sit astride their wyvern mounts. Venom drips from rows of razor sharp teeth as they snap their jaws, hungry for the taste of flesh. As omens of destruction, the Obuqui birds caw and flap their mangled wings as their shrill voices mingle with the screams of terror.

“Find Eilish,” I growl. The black birds dive towards the ground with a cloud of ash and darkness following close behind.

Earlann stands as a beacon of light, bathed in beams of sunlight as dawn greets the kingdom. I snarl and send a ball of energy catapulting towards the tallest tower. “Destroy everything!” The Knights of Umbria obey my command. They fly above the buildings as their wyverns set the kingdom aflame.

***

ABEDON

The Castle in the Sky

I fall from the sky as my beast form melts into flesh. An army of Seelie soldiers runs from the palace to protect the innocent, but I stand in their way. “Join me and live,” I offer. “Fight and you will die before your blade can leave its sheath.”

My threat falls on deaf ears, for the Seelie are much too proud to surrender.

I hold my arms out in front of me and press my palms together.

The soldiers charge with deadly intent glistening in their eyes.

I pull my hands apart, watching the magic crackle between my fingers before I force the spell towards them.

Agony appears on their faces, features contorted into an expression of pain beyond measure, and they fall to their deaths.

Those who remain choose not to fight. A spellcaster charges an enchanted orb and tosses it at me.

I catch it mid-air. The orb explodes into a burst of sapphire light.

I shield my eyes from the spell, but when I look up, the rest of the army is gone.

“Should we go after them?” Elioth asks.

“No, they will die soon enough. Save your strength.”

Elioth follows me into the palace. My power taints the purity of the marble as we stroll through the corridors.

Bloodstone and iron replace the white and gold.

Green plants wither as I pass. The doors to the throne room open and I see Morrigan’s lifeless body lying on the ground, nearly torn to pieces by the ice dagger that rests beside her.

“It’s a pity I didn’t get to fuck her one last time,” I say.

“You still have Eilish.”

“Yes,” I moan. “Sweet, sweet Eilish. So soft and willing to please. I only wish I had been the one to take her innocence and not Silvanus. I bet she tasted so ripe.”

“Indeed. Eilish has always been beautiful and so full of fire.” Elioth licks his lips, no doubt remembering Eilish from when she was still untouched.

“Careful where your thoughts linger, Elioth. She will be my queen soon enough and only I will touch her. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my lord.”

***

THEREN

Mortal Ruins