Hall of the Immortals
Chapter 4: Oark and Sidh
Oark and Sidh lay enveloped in a
loving embrace. Centuries had blinked by to the two immortals and
their strong love for one another had never waned. Night after night
they met under the cover of darkness near the spot they'd first
encountered one another by the creek. During the winters they would
meet in a nearby cave that Oark had found and made comfortable for
the pair. Occasionally a bear or panther would take residence there
over the summer months but Oark would always drive the beast away
before they would start using it as their meeting point. Often with fire or steel and he would use the hides of those he'd slain to make the cave more comfortable for his lover. She never complained but he wanted her to have grand comforts.
This was his favorite time of year however when the flowers have just started to bloom. The trees began growing new foliage and the scent of Spring was heavy in the air. They laid there embraced lovingly on a night with only the sounds of the gentle wind and bubbling from the creek just beyond the small patch of grass they were on. Oark looked lovingly into Sidh's black eyes and kissed her gently. As they kissed a violent gust of wind swept through the clearing. As the chilling wind passed through the clearing the trees withered black and died, the grass turned brown and quickly black before blowing away in the gust. Thousands of small budding flowers blew into the wind but they too faded black and disintegrated in the chilling wind. Oark and Sidh both rose startled and saw the deadly figure standing at the edge of the clearing. Death itself stood there pointing a skeletal finger at the pair. No words came from Death but a bone chilling voice permeated Oark's mind and he heard a screech that sounded so inhuman that he fell back into the dust where the grass had been moments prior.
This was his favorite time of year however when the flowers have just started to bloom. The trees began growing new foliage and the scent of Spring was heavy in the air. They laid there embraced lovingly on a night with only the sounds of the gentle wind and bubbling from the creek just beyond the small patch of grass they were on. Oark looked lovingly into Sidh's black eyes and kissed her gently. As they kissed a violent gust of wind swept through the clearing. As the chilling wind passed through the clearing the trees withered black and died, the grass turned brown and quickly black before blowing away in the gust. Thousands of small budding flowers blew into the wind but they too faded black and disintegrated in the chilling wind. Oark and Sidh both rose startled and saw the deadly figure standing at the edge of the clearing. Death itself stood there pointing a skeletal finger at the pair. No words came from Death but a bone chilling voice permeated Oark's mind and he heard a screech that sounded so inhuman that he fell back into the dust where the grass had been moments prior.
How dare you defile your body with a
mortal?!
Death
had addressed Sidh who humbly fell to her knees as Death moved into
the clearing.
"I
beg forgiveness." Her voice trembled and Oark could clearly hear
the fear dripping from her tongue.
Had not I sent you to this realm to
claim his life?! Had not you told me his soul was sent to my realm?
Oark
rose and boldly moved between the two. Sidh reached instinctively to
stop him but it was too late and Death moved in an instant to his
face.
"She
did come as you asked but was unable to take the life from my body."
How dare you address me mortal? How
dare you speak to a god?!
With a
violent lunge Death's skeletal hand drove into Oark's chest and
ripped his heart from him. Oark's eyes glazed over as he watched
Death crush the still beating organ. Blood poured from the cavity in his chest and
he collapsed. Feeling life leave his body he felt himself die.
Emptiness filled his mind and he ceased to exist. Then once more as
had happened in the past he was aware of his own existence again in
this endless void. He saw light and felt himself rushing towards it
at a frightening speed. With a gasp Oark sat upright and his chest
heaved with labored breath and burned hotter than any fire he'd ever
witnessed. Instinctively his hand felt the cavity in his chest but
there was none and he felt his heart pounding strongly. Awareness of
his death struck him and made his mouth taste like bile and blood.
Then his attention returned to his surroundings and he realized both
Death and Sidh were still here and Sidh was begging for forgiveness.
-and thus forth you shall remain
cursed. Your immortality forever stripped of you. You shall walk this
realm unable to return to any other. You shall forever be doomed to
take the life of the mortals to live yourself. In this way only shall
you remain immortal, through the mortality of others. You are cursed
to walk in the shadows of these mortals for their sun shall hate you
for the attrocities you shall commit on her children. May your love
for this mortal-
As
Death gestured towards Oark was when both became aware that he had
returned to life. Rising once more Oark addressed Death with the
boldness he had confronted Sidh centuries prior.
"You
may kill me but I find the light of life in the pitch of death. Do
not punish Sidh for my transgressions. It is I who have slighted you
of my death and not she." Death rose swiftly into the air above
the pair upon hearing this statement.
You too shall be punished though it
is clear you are mortal no more. Seek for the love of my daughter but
you shall find her heart hardened due to the curse you brought upon
her. You defiled the offspring of a god child of the sun. May you
ever contend against the darkness you have created.
With a
violent blast of purple hued energy which swept the creek and killed
all it touched, Death was gone. The energy of death flowed back trying to enter Oark's body but was unable to do so and instead entered into Sidh's body. She sunk to the dust and wept loudly. Oark
turned to Sidh to comfort her but to his dismay she pulled away from
his touch.
"Be
gone Oark. Touch me no more." Her words dripped with contempt
and tears flowed freely from her face. She rose and gathering her
garments she clothed herself slowly. Oark felt his heart shatter as
he watched her leave the clearing. Desperation clung to him as he
longed to follow her but knew in his heart she would not allow him.
With a heavy heart Oark returned to his home in the city. The city and people dwelling there continued to marvel him as much as he marveled them. The had in generations prior took to calling him Oark-Asin-Ai, or Oark God King, and despite his protests to the title all from old to young referenced him as such. The old told the young tales of how the God King had never changed throughout their lives and that their ancestors passed tales of the unaging king. The people themselves were innovative and thanks to Oark had developed technologies far surpassing anywhere else in the known world. Projectiles driven by fire and metal, wheels which turned without work but with gears, even ways to communicate without letters, symbols, or being close to the proximity of the person being spoken to. Some had even developed methods of making clothing from plants. Farming had been non-existent prior to the creation of the City Kingdom which had developed the name of Ahrook. Now farmlands extended far to the south to supply the Ahrook with the sustenance needed for the survival of its people. They had come far from primitive cave dwelling gatherers they had been a few dozen generations prior and Oark was astounded at their innovations.
As he passed the elaborate city gates the guards stood with smiles on their broad faces at the site of their God King.
"Asin-Ai." They both humbly greeted. Oark waved them both as he walked by but every step leading to his chambers left him feeling more and more drained. By the time he arrived at his dwelling he felt the last of his energy leave him at the door. With a mighty heave he landed on his bedding and fell to sleep with a vivacious accord. His dreams were haunted quite heavily by Death and Death berated him further for stealing Sidh's innocence and defiling her body with his. Death tormented him with various ways of his death. That night Oark died the worst deaths imaginable and witnessed the deaths of both Awwt and Hah countless times. Death took him back to when Awwt and he had first bonded and laid holding one another. The stars filled the sky and the moon shone bright. The perfection of Awwt's skin glistened in the moonlight as she held tightly to her lover. She cooed into his ear as he pulled her tight and with a squeal she had stood and pulled him to the cool waters of the creek below where they bonded yet again. Oark asked aloud in his sleep why Death would show him something so serene and then in an instant they were at a funeral pyre but only Awwt was present. Her body burning and the scent of her burning flesh permeated the air. Oark looked about in desperation for himself but did not find him in this memory. He tried to move but could not and as Awwt screamed in agony Oark found himself fading. The screaming persisted as darkness enveloped him.
Oark awoke with the smell of burning flesh and the screaming of agony still ringing loudly. He rose and shook his head but found that the screaming had not stopped. In an instant he realized that the screaming he'd dreamt had been happening in reality. Despite his great exhaustion from Death torturing him in his dreams he rushed from his dwelling and joined the trove of others as they crowded towards the front gates. As he squeezed through the crowds and approached the scene he was dismayed to find the corpses of the two guards he'd passed crumpled. One had been killed with such force his face was discernible. As he inspected the bodies his attention turned to the lack of blood. Puncture wounds were all over their bodies and no blood could be found. He turned the bodies over to a healer to investigate the wounds and lack of blood.
Oark slowly turned and walked back towards his dwelling within the city. Despite the crowd clambering to him for answers over what nature of beast could have performed such an atrocity he could not be stopped. His mind was hazed and he walked with a stare of death upon his countenance. The chief of the city guard, a strong man named Durakk stopped him forcefully. As Oark's mind came out of the haze he was in and noticed Durakk in front of him he felt the clarity of his mind snap back sharply.
"Durakk."
"Asin-Ai, what shall we do to protect the people?" Oark reflected for a moment and looked into the eyes of both the chief of the guard and the many people around him.
"Search the city. Go in groups of six," he paused once more reflecting on the situation and then added, "Be cautious and do not engage anyone or anything." With a sharp bow Durakk turned and started gathering together his men to sweep the city. Oark knew that it was likely that Sidh was still within Ahrook. Returning to his dwelling he gathered his short spear and drank a small sip of the golden water, the very last of the water he kept hidden within a small flask in his room. Feeling his mind grow sharper once more invigorated him and he knew what he needed to do. So he set out to hunt for Sidh and for Death itself. Though he never found either even after searching for the whole of the day. He wandered to any spots he thought Sidh may have been hiding however it wasn't until night that he made his way to the creek. It was in the light of the midnight moon in which he found himself returned to the scene of death from the night prior. With a mighty bellow Oark screamed out to the darkness in the hopes to summon Sidh. Anger filled him as she did not appear.
"DEATH!" he bellowed in anger and disgust. In an instant the figure stood in the clearing with him.
And thus is it that she shall forever be doomed to take the life of the mortals to live herself. In this way only shall she remain immortal, through the mortality of others.
With a heavy heart Oark returned to his home in the city. The city and people dwelling there continued to marvel him as much as he marveled them. The had in generations prior took to calling him Oark-Asin-Ai, or Oark God King, and despite his protests to the title all from old to young referenced him as such. The old told the young tales of how the God King had never changed throughout their lives and that their ancestors passed tales of the unaging king. The people themselves were innovative and thanks to Oark had developed technologies far surpassing anywhere else in the known world. Projectiles driven by fire and metal, wheels which turned without work but with gears, even ways to communicate without letters, symbols, or being close to the proximity of the person being spoken to. Some had even developed methods of making clothing from plants. Farming had been non-existent prior to the creation of the City Kingdom which had developed the name of Ahrook. Now farmlands extended far to the south to supply the Ahrook with the sustenance needed for the survival of its people. They had come far from primitive cave dwelling gatherers they had been a few dozen generations prior and Oark was astounded at their innovations.
As he passed the elaborate city gates the guards stood with smiles on their broad faces at the site of their God King.
"Asin-Ai." They both humbly greeted. Oark waved them both as he walked by but every step leading to his chambers left him feeling more and more drained. By the time he arrived at his dwelling he felt the last of his energy leave him at the door. With a mighty heave he landed on his bedding and fell to sleep with a vivacious accord. His dreams were haunted quite heavily by Death and Death berated him further for stealing Sidh's innocence and defiling her body with his. Death tormented him with various ways of his death. That night Oark died the worst deaths imaginable and witnessed the deaths of both Awwt and Hah countless times. Death took him back to when Awwt and he had first bonded and laid holding one another. The stars filled the sky and the moon shone bright. The perfection of Awwt's skin glistened in the moonlight as she held tightly to her lover. She cooed into his ear as he pulled her tight and with a squeal she had stood and pulled him to the cool waters of the creek below where they bonded yet again. Oark asked aloud in his sleep why Death would show him something so serene and then in an instant they were at a funeral pyre but only Awwt was present. Her body burning and the scent of her burning flesh permeated the air. Oark looked about in desperation for himself but did not find him in this memory. He tried to move but could not and as Awwt screamed in agony Oark found himself fading. The screaming persisted as darkness enveloped him.
Oark awoke with the smell of burning flesh and the screaming of agony still ringing loudly. He rose and shook his head but found that the screaming had not stopped. In an instant he realized that the screaming he'd dreamt had been happening in reality. Despite his great exhaustion from Death torturing him in his dreams he rushed from his dwelling and joined the trove of others as they crowded towards the front gates. As he squeezed through the crowds and approached the scene he was dismayed to find the corpses of the two guards he'd passed crumpled. One had been killed with such force his face was discernible. As he inspected the bodies his attention turned to the lack of blood. Puncture wounds were all over their bodies and no blood could be found. He turned the bodies over to a healer to investigate the wounds and lack of blood.
Oark slowly turned and walked back towards his dwelling within the city. Despite the crowd clambering to him for answers over what nature of beast could have performed such an atrocity he could not be stopped. His mind was hazed and he walked with a stare of death upon his countenance. The chief of the city guard, a strong man named Durakk stopped him forcefully. As Oark's mind came out of the haze he was in and noticed Durakk in front of him he felt the clarity of his mind snap back sharply.
"Durakk."
"Asin-Ai, what shall we do to protect the people?" Oark reflected for a moment and looked into the eyes of both the chief of the guard and the many people around him.
"Search the city. Go in groups of six," he paused once more reflecting on the situation and then added, "Be cautious and do not engage anyone or anything." With a sharp bow Durakk turned and started gathering together his men to sweep the city. Oark knew that it was likely that Sidh was still within Ahrook. Returning to his dwelling he gathered his short spear and drank a small sip of the golden water, the very last of the water he kept hidden within a small flask in his room. Feeling his mind grow sharper once more invigorated him and he knew what he needed to do. So he set out to hunt for Sidh and for Death itself. Though he never found either even after searching for the whole of the day. He wandered to any spots he thought Sidh may have been hiding however it wasn't until night that he made his way to the creek. It was in the light of the midnight moon in which he found himself returned to the scene of death from the night prior. With a mighty bellow Oark screamed out to the darkness in the hopes to summon Sidh. Anger filled him as she did not appear.
"DEATH!" he bellowed in anger and disgust. In an instant the figure stood in the clearing with him.
And thus is it that she shall forever be doomed to take the life of the mortals to live herself. In this way only shall she remain immortal, through the mortality of others.
No comments:
Post a Comment