Wake up mortal,
take in the stench
of your decayed
and rotting flesh.
The gift of death
does not abate,
neither cleans
that old and
dirty slate
nor opens up
your guilt torn
mind, that soul
of yours' burning grime.
You're dead and gone
and long forgotten,
your past open,
bleeding rotten
in the eyes of
those left behind
your wicked deeds
they sought to find,
then bound you to
that ashen wood,
with scars and gashes
in despair, your hands
sought refuge in the flame.
Abandoned to the burning air,
you came to me
on fateful wind
and asked to be
returned to them.
A joke you said,
a smile so cold
upon your face
bereft of mirth
hardly a trace
told of rage,
your inner pains
boiling up, out of your
eyes, wretched in
that attempted
disguise. I told you
simply, we might find a deal
but i would need
your fealty and soul
for a wicked deed.
The dealers choice,
favors himself,
and as you fled
with knew knowledge
burrowing its
way into your head
you had to of known
just what I'd asked,
this errand i sent
not a simple task
but in the darkness
of the night
you returned, aghast
a look of fright.
but beneath it, rigid
that cold hard smile
for revenge was surely
all worthwhile.
The head of the lamb
bounced on the ground
as you dropped it forward,
hands weak as a gash
of blood, slow and sleek
worked its way, across your arm
and you related this tale
with little alarm.
You had stalked off
in your plight
towards the direction
where I'd said you
would find the light.
Green in the darkness, you
gave pause, and looked
in hope, that i would be wrong.
You crept up toward
that pale fence
a sickening white
among the long grass.
You saw her beauty
in the glade
the sickly radiance
casting shades into
your mind, into your soul
your being quickly draining
as you began to fall.
You heard the clink,
from your knees,
of the vial of mine
you'd taken for this task.
With grim resolve,
you tarried no longer
and quickly climbed
over that repulsive gate.
What you found inside
you said, spitting blood,
continuing then was
a broken illusion of
transient wonder
the meadow now was torn
asunder, a brilliant light
radiated out, but blinded not
as you looked out
on a small field,
primitive, bare, stone
in the middle, an altar
though not bare.
Her hideous beauty now
had lost its charm
as you watched skin
stretched and bound,
her magic ringing,
screams of the shrieking
that fell into her trap,
you steeled yourself
the vial tight in our grasp.
Calmly you walked forward,
and grabbed her neck,
her arms spun round
and tore your flesh.
But you had won,
my chosen son,
forcing the vile into her face
watching her lose form, shape,
and twist before you,
into the lamb, which you then
held, up to the altar,
carving softly, slowly lightly,
the eyes aflame in bitter
disgrace, flared their last
as the head fell away.
Carrying it back,
eyes burning bright,
smoldering in your
furious delight,
you came to claim
that lost prize of yours,
whooping and cheering
with silent uproar.
You spat again,
ending your tale,
as i leaned forward,
bones creaking and stale.
Your eyes stared
in abject wonder,
the hint of a question
turned into a blunder,
as the skull fell to pieces,
unraveling in my palm,
the flesh drying up,
blowing away, gone.
What stood there then,
as your eyes strained to see
was a pale green jewel,
pulsing steadily.
I said to you then,
your task is not done,
you've proven yourself worthy
and only now, just begun.
I saw the outrage in your gaze
and the brewing fires
a questioning rage,
but in that glow,
pale green and frail,
the light began
to dance a telling tale.
Before us stood
your lonesome grave,
and all the indecency
and disgrace that those
who buried you affected.
Tale told at last,
your body and temper
cold at last, you were
ready i could see,
to perform for me,
whatever test it was
this time I asked.
Your pace this time,
the fever gone,
took you through
the desolate throng
of dying oak
and rotten alder,
the knife you carried
but a glimpse of silver.
The darkness swam
around the trees
ghostly thick in
the foul breeze.
This place you were
coming to understand,
heaven nor hell
but a damned land.
You were searching now
for another prize, but
had no clue, as to
this forgotten guise.
The fog slowly parted,
sifting and falling,
in its' macabre dance
had you enshrouded.
You pulled back the
sheet of grayish cloth,
peering out through
the cleared lot.
Baffled and awash
in radiant curiosity,
you walked towards
the thick door,
of the sanctuary.
Candles on the ceiling
shone clearly through
the smokey haze.
Light falling down
from the rafters,
caught glints of dust
'tween the walls.
The silence hung
oppressively still,
frightening to
your sure will.
You paused here,
and felt a twinge
of familiarity
prying at the hinge
of your broken mind,
daring to leave you
mad and blind.
You fell into that
shadow where
upon waking,
stripped and bare,
chained to a wall,
you knew not where,
you screamed and cried
rage and curses,
to this new captor.
lies of boldness
promising demise.
The solitary candle
burning brightly
grew stronger now
as you fought might'ly.
You gazed around,
on the brink of wonder,
as the room unfolded
further and further.
You gazed the distance
and saw no end,
the binding chains
suddenly a friend
as you grew ill,
retching hard,
failing to notice
your passing guard.
He came to you,
a smirk on his face,
but when you looked up
you saw the truth
for his face was not
but a smiling cask,
bronzed over where
the skin had fallen past.
The smile held
a vague twinge
of permanence,
hardened within.
The metal parted
as he spoke,
'oh foolish man,
that oath you spoke
as you fell into this place
will curse your body
and ruin your face.'
As he stalked slowly
wandering away
the madness shifting
his gait astray,
his torn habit
swaying to and fro
you caught glimpses
of studded flesh
writhing and flowing,
the metal surely
spreading slowly.
Your gaze was taken
from this man as
the cuffs and chains
began to burn,
smoldering against
your flesh and turned
the skin against them
to an acrid smoke
the metal itself,
melting, broke.
You fell away, free
from your shackles,
and rose against the
burning stench
of your quickly
melting flesh.
Upon rising and
looking about,
you walked until
your face fell flat
against some barrier
some strange surface
and realized then
that vast darkness
was but reflection,
simple and shrewd,
a magicians trick,
familiar in this new world.
Wrists still burning,
you raised your arms
the glass falling away
with the tinkling of charms.
What lay beyond
you hardly believed
was not a dungeon
or stone reprieve
but the sanctuary
that you sought.
The door of your entry
stood thick and heavy
almost tempting you
to run to it frantically.
But you knew and remembered
just what I had said, and saw your
dagger still on the ground.
You slowly walked looking round
the adornments of the hall
and statues your found
now repulsive, standing still
your grim understanding
could not leave gaps to fill.
The expressions there of
penance or of prayer,
some of peace and some of terror
pained your arms and you hurried
quicker to the dagger,
snatching it up, wandering back
in search of your treasure.
At the end of the hall,
the pews filled and stacked,
with frozen forms
in permanent worship,
you saw a large table
the height of a man
with terraced center
and a beating sound.
Its front a beautiful
painted relief,
you saw atop if
an object hardly believed.
The golden heart
that oozed burning blood,
fire and light, a dreadful sight,
must surely be your prize
with none other in sight.
The table sat as an altar should
raised up to whatever god
this beating heart proclaimed.
Coming closer, you saw
with a stutter, taking pause
the front of the altar
was not painted glass
but the blood of the heart,
burning fast. You knew
the risk of what you did,
and looking up saw warning
in the windows perched
so high above, of a punishment
to those who dared to
steal this sacred, ancient prize.
The gaze of those
who came before
rested squarely on
your squalid form.
These frozen worshipers
nearly changed this task
from one of necessity
to that of the profane.
You ambled up, to that table,
the heart just above eye level,
knew what you must do,
but tarried still,
looking around at this tableau,
haunting your will.
The golems, umoving
and unseeing before you,
bade you come, and join their ranks.
With this thought you turned
and plunged your hand deep in,
twisting the knife and tearing it free.
The calamity that befell
that place, sent you racing from
its gate, out through the woods,
the fog but a mist, gone was
that unholy soup which
trapped you in that lonesome place.
You came to me and hardly noticed,
the blade you carried now
was pulsing, bulbous,
a golden thread curled 'round
its fine and pointed length,
filled with bitter rage and hate.
Your arms now cool,
banded in steel, with tendons,
sinews, bones now unreal.
The spreading poison had ceased
its' crawl, and now you sat,
nearly a fall, in front of me
and told me this, holding
forth the dagger, to my bliss.
Taking it from you,
I cut into your arm
now metal and hard,
Dragging it down
hearing your screams
whelps of terror, misery.
You try to move
and I kick you still,
pinning you down
and holding your will.
'You must be patient
while I work
these marks you'll
need for your work.'
Your maddened eyes,
gazed up into mine,
cursed the understanding
that this was no lie.
The work down,
I stepped away,
your body limp
drained and gray.
The metal greaves,
now etched and slick,
covered in blood,
pulsed anew with
the dagger's hue.
This revelation
startled you:
power and grace
flowed to you
from these ancient
eldritch runes
carved now, into you.
The metal you found,
almost like armor,
bled as flesh but
was thick and harder.
You gazed to me
as i took my seat
dagger set into a
neatly prepared sheath.
I palmed the jewel,
as you came near,
sitting before me
your intentions,
questions clear.
I told you now
that you must wait,
time must pass.
You seemed to understand,
turning away with a sigh,
but you turned back,
catching my eye.
You asked how soon
you would return
just where the end
of this errand lies.
'In hell my boy,
we'll venture there,
once we're ready
to face the terror.'
The expression that
followed, showing you hollow,
that fear that wells up
escaping through
dying eyes of men,
told me you hadn't
considered this possibility
as I laughed happily,
amused at your
hesitancy.
After a moment,
a dreadful pause,
you asked where you
might find some rest;
a solemn, bitter retreat.
I replied that in
this place you might
find peace but
if you wished to leave,
to be cautious but feel free.
Return to me when the
time is right, you'll
know by the burning
high in your arms,
in you flesh, that
spreading insanity
that will guide you
to me, to this place,
so we might continue
your return, to
that forsaken place.
You stumbled out,
still weak and weary,
found a room, with cot
and cheerily greeted
a sweet sleep,
the first you'd found
since you dying deed.
Dreams couldn't find
you in that place,
so you tossed and
turned with dismay.
On waking you
left this place,
walking into the
dark gray day.
The orb above
cast down its light,
diffused and empty
strange, silver, bright.
You looked out on
devastation, finding
this world torn,
thrown away, used up.
The night had hid
the stakes and crosses,
the gallows and pikes,
the bloodshed that
hid from sight,
recoiled from the mind
make believe in the night,
solid here in silver
light cascading down,
falling heavily,
pulling you down
to your knees.
Your screams I heard,
loud and true
and knew you'd now
work with strength anew.
When you rose again,
wracked with sorrow
and shaking with horror.
To your astonishment
arose in your body a
craving which you
then abhorred, but
knew there was
only this way, only
this rout, to your
revenge that you
mustn't doubt but must
partake of this crime,
your fate was already
sealed before, so
what could this do more?
You walked up to
an ax man's block,
your body dragging you
against your will,
to pull an arm up,
fresh and chill
in the morning light.
To your mouth you
brought it, a first
slow, delicate bite.
With horror you bit
down and relished then
in this ripe delight.
The flesh was fresh,
the blood like sugar,
the bone snapping
to share marrow sweet
as you devoured this
sinister treat.
Definitely going to be continued
