Ascension
Five — The Choice
I awoke to the sound of a monotone, distant chanting and the thick smell of incense in the air. It hurt to open my eyes. I was lying on my side on a cold concrete floor, while hooded figures circled around me, casting long shadows in the light of multiple torches.
Struggling to get up, i found that i was chained to the ground with heavy iron chains, covered in glowing runes and symbols. The metal felt scalding hot on my skin. I realized that i was kneeling inside a circle of runic wards, desinged to imprison me while dozends of monks gravely recited the litany of exorcism. For a moment i thought that i was naked, until i discovered that i was wearing a thin disposable paper gown.
The room was large and circular and the only exit seemed to be a heavy reinforced gate, covered in further runes and sigils. I noticed that some of the hooded figures around me were carrying long spears whose tips were pointing towards, me while others were carrying torches or smoking metal censers.
A high, sickly voice spoke up. “She is awake, my lord.”
A chair creaked. There was movement. Someone was approaching from the door, casting a long shadow ahead. With each step there was the distinct clink of interlaced armour segments. I saw that the man carried a huge two handed sword over his shoulder. The bright torchlight was reflected by the skin of his shaven skull and formed a halo of light around his head.
I almost feinted when i recognized him. Master Gaetano, my old mentor. He was wearing a harness of masterfully crafted plate armour that gleamed with golden sigils, trailing a huge purple cloak behind him. His stern, weathered face looked down on me in contempt. He rose his voice.
“Depart, then, transgressor. Depart, seducer, full of lies and cunning, foe of virtue, persecutor of the innocent. Give place, abominable creature, give way, you monster, give way to Christ, in whom you found none of your works. For he has already stripped you of your powers and laid waste your kingdom, bound you prisoner and plundered your weapons. He has cast you forth into the outer darkness, where everlasting ruin awaits you and your abettors.”
I looked him the eyes. “Have i ever failed you master? My flesh may be corrupted but my spirit is pure and untainted. I am no slave of Satan but faithfully serve the Lord.”
Two hooded monks stepped forward, stabbing out with their lances. Both pierced my flank and agonizing pain radiated through my body. I bit on my tongue to supress a cry of pain. Blessed weapons.
Master Gaetanos eyes narrowed as he looked around the room. “Know this first, the demon is a liar! If you confess your sins i promise to administer the last rites to you, so your immortal soul may ascend to heaven when the sacred flame clenses your corrupted flesh of its taint. So i ask you, do you confess your heresy, do you confess going against the first of the ten commandments ‘You shall have no other gods before me’?”
“I will not confess what is not true.” Another jab of pain as a lance pierced my back just below my ribs. “B..But i promise to tell you the full and complete truth.”
“Do you now...” He slowly paced around me before turning to the hooded monks. “Leave us. All of you.”
Immediately the men began to leave, setting their torches and censers to the ground. With a low rumble the heavy gate closed, leaving me alone with my old master.
I told him everything i knew, everything that had happened. He listened silently and afterwards had me repeat everything i had said, again and again. I talked for several hours and he listened.
Finally he sighed. “Even if everything you told me was true, you still have to die. You are tainted beyond recognition, you have changed to much to notice this yourself. That or you are in fact posessed. I will find out more while interrogating your little friend.”
“She has nothing to do with this! I swear, i have told you everything!”
He spat on the ground. “You dare to lie to my face? I should have killed you together with your deranged parents.” He roughly grabbed my hair with a heavy gauntlet, pulling my head into my neck.
“I don’t understand..i..”
“Do you think we find all our telepaths in orphanages? No, your parents were blasphemers and heretics, working as faith healers in Romania where they pretended to do the Lords will.”
I could scarcely believe what i was hearing. With a casual sentence everything i believed, everything i believed to know about myself crumbled before my eyes. I stared at him in confusion.
He leaned down and smiled. “Do you know that they attacked us as we came for you? Do you know that your father died whimpering like a dog in a puddle of his own feces, crying out for his mother as i carved out his eyes?”
Each word was a stab into my heart. I began to curse and scream at him but he silenced me with a heavy backhanded blow of his armoured fist. My nose broke with a crack and i had to fight to remain conscious.
“Oh don’t faint. I want you to hear this. It was your old friend Vitus who betrayed you.”
I just shook my head in disbelief, staring at him with hate filled eyes. “You are the liar! He would never betray me!”
“Oh he resisted. He tried to protect you, but when the pain became too strong he begged for his death. He told me everything i needed to know.”
I spat at him. “You are a monster! How can you even look into my eyes after all this?!” I was hysterical now.
His fist came down into my face again. “Such strong emotions. I doubt a demon could put on such a convincing act. So you are still in control of yourself after all.” He scratched his chin. “Don’t take this personal, Milena. I have sworn a holy oath to protect humanity from demonic threats at all costs. So have you. I will fullfill that oath. Now, tell me about your friend. Who is she, what crimes has she commited in your name?”
“You can beat me for hours, i will tell you nothing!”
“Yes, i know. It is easy to sacrifice oneself is it not? Only when the ones we love are in peril is our conviction truly tested. Say, do you love her?”
I growled at him. “If you so much as touch her...”
“I won’t touch her. If you don’t tell me what i want to hear, my men will rape her. And amputate her fingers with a blunt pincer. And rape her again. And cut off her nose and ears. And break every bone in her arms and legs. And drag her disfigured form in front of you where i will ask you the same question again. And if your answer doesn’t please me i will resort to even more extreme measures. Do you understand me?”
I was crying now, despite myself. “No no no Gaetano don’t do this! She is just a girl, don’t do this! I will confess everything you want, but leave her alone!”
“Everything i want? Maybe. And maybe not. I don’t believe that you mean it. But when i am finished with her, you will.”
With that he walked out. My helpless screams echoed through the darkness.
I screamed and trashed, crying, whining, pleading for someone, anyone to help me. I pulled against my shackles until my skin tore, until warm black blood started running down my neck and wrists. More and more of my blood began to leave my body and slowly my strength began to leave me.
I began to feel cold. The beating of my heart slowed and my vision was becoming blurry. Scenes of my childhood passed before my eyes and i could have sworn that the faint scent of lavender permeated the air. I had often imagined the moment of my death. Would i be screaming, crying, begging for mercy? Would i be afraid?
Somehow i wasn’t. I felt calm, almost peaceful. The pain faded away. I closed my eyes and merciful darkness engulfed me.
I awoke in familiar surroundings. Black marble, wonderful frescoes and paintings, depicting all different kinds of arousing sexual themes. There was the lavishly decorated table and a very familiar figure sitting behind it. The man rose.
“Milena. At last we meet again. And sooner than expected.” He extended a groomed hand to help me off the setee. I noticed that the aura of wrongness was gone, replaced by a strange feeling of acquaintance.
I took the offered hand and looked into his icy blue eyes. “You tricked me.” “I did. But then you tried to trick me too. We were enemies.”
“Not anymore?”
He shook his head. “When last we met, we both were predators and each considered the other his prey. But you are not a huntress anymore.”
I cast my eyes down. “I don’t understand why i can’t hate you. You took everything from me. My life, my humanity, everything.”
He gently led me to the table. “Almost a millenium ago, my favourite consort was expelled from this world. Your order destroyed her corporeal form and banished her spirit, condemning her to restlessly wander the mental plane between your world and ours.” He sat down on the chair next to me, resting his hand on my knee.
“The collar was designed to attract her spirit to your body, allowing her to posess you so that we could be united again. Unfortunately, only someone with an exceptionally strong mind and body would be able to survive the posession by a demon queen.”
I saw a single tear form in the corner of his eye. “I did what i did out of love. Because i missed her, because i wanted to end this cursed unlive your people had condemned her to.”
“So you never planned for me to join you.”
“No i did not. I wanted your body, not your mind. But you thwarted my plan. You replaced the one i loved. Consumed her.”
“And now you have come to punish me?”
He shook his head again. “You misunderstand me. You did not destroy my wife, she became a part of you. That is why you cannot hate me, as much as you want to. And that is why i can’t hate you.”
I looked up again. He smiled weekly at me. He looked like a broken man in that moment, not like the powerful demon he was. Out of a strange notion i stroked his cheek. I realized how much he meant to me. “And what now?”
He gently stroked my hair. “I have pleaded with my liege to grant you the ascension to full demonhood. There is nothing left for you in your world.”
I shook my head. “There is someone. A girl. She will die because of my foolishness. I cannot leave her behind.”
“You won’t have to. If you join me, you will have enough power to free her if you choose to. To take her with you into my kingdom.” I startled. The voice had come from the other end of the table. I looked around in surprise.
On the end of the table sat a person, its form completely enveloped by a shadowy dark, hooded cloak. I couldn’t make out the slightest detail but its form radiated raw, concentrated power. There was something wrong with the angles of the room, something wrong with the light.
Somehow the light, no, the room itself was bending in around his form, as if the man was a black hole, too heavy to be supported by reality itself. It wasn’t hard to guess who or what he was. There was no telling what might happen to me if i accepted his offer. But could i really risk not to accept it?
“What is your answer?”