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Ygabosh, The Devil's Bride: Part One
- Ygabosh, The Devil's Bride: Part One -
There was in the days of old, when still did there exist the hidden lands of the faerie folk and all their myriad kindred, a land that was said to be surpassing all others in terms of splendor. But many lands of old did lay claim to that boast, and oft did none surpass much more than their own capacity for vanity and boasting. Yet still were there places like unto the one I tell of here, wherein the tales of its' glory in truth were factual, and not merely a form of exaggerated patriotism. I speak herein of the land known as Viltharlia, which had been one of countless colonies of fabled Atlantis. For in all of the lands within the borders of Viltharlia, from its' secluded valleys to its' serpentine rivers... there was much to adore in the terms of its' natural splendors. The peaks of its' cloud-crowned mountains towered in majesty alike unto the countenances of giants that overlook all that lay below them... the cliffs of those peaks not moving even slightly, with the passing of many ages. The waters that bordered old Viltharlia were calm and did not stir oft save only when tropical storms might be afoot, when the seasons for those did come. Even that, was rare or at least seemed as such to the peoples who dwelt in that land. When summertime was upon the land, it was ever a magical time, though humid in the land's jungle regions... for the colors of the tropical flowers and plants were many. Fiery reds and oranges, along with rich purples and brightest yellows... with great ferns and woodlands filled with vines and verdant wonders of every description... all beneath the leafy canopies through which sunlight filtered down unto the darker, deeper places of this primeval realm. This was far from the exceedingly distant northern lands with their snowy plains and tundra, for here all was warm and fair. The woods and jungles of Viltharlia were ancient beyond all reckoning, and its' great cities with their high pyramids and magnificent temples were renowned across all the colonies of famed Atlantis. The skies were clear on this particular day, with many brilliant and splendid orchids and tiger lilies out in full brilliance, within the gardens that lay to either side of those old docks that sat upon the coast of Viltharlia's grandest port city, Narikantol. There did gather a party of poets, bards, and scribes... all clad in robes of brilliant colors, with green feathered cloaks, and high headdresses with many colored feathers to rival the plumage of even the most magnificent of the birds of the jungles. These were not the peoples of he faerie folk, but rather their human subjects and servants who oft chose to serve their inhuman masters willingly... for they saw them as gods, rather than a race of peoples other than human. Peoples whose ancestry went back before there were even humans living upon the surface of the world known today as Earth. The poets were saddened more than all, for on this occasion a great goddess-queen was departing from Viltharlia, bound by ship for the lands from which the bright folk first came unto the stage of the world. In attendance upon the docks were a hundred or more of the priests, priestesses, and servants of the queen herself... along with many of her children and relatives; their greater height and tapered, almost pointed, ears showing their alien blood compared to those humans who stood in awe and fear of them. The tall monuments that stood all about the walls of the fortified docks were carved in the image of mighty jaguars and reptilian beasts from a time prior to any and all recorded histories. Small idols of obsidian and imported jade were set up on shrines at each of the monuments' bases, those same attended by devout acolytes who kept the candles of the shrines lit and their altars sanctified with the blood of sacred animals, and with purified water. I walked among the people gathered upon that day, though I myself was disguised so that none might recognize me. Clad as I was in a long black robe with white and gold trim... loose and of lighter material so as to be fit for this humid climate. A hood was drawn over my head... my long platinum blonde hair cascading down from the hood itself. I was of the bright folk in those days, at least I lived among them and were considered of their kind, despite having been someone... something... vastly older even than their esteemed race. Of all the forms, shapes, and guises I took among the peoples of the world in those days... ever did I so prefer a fair form when dealing with them. And so thus was I in the form of the fair folk, though many said that in those days my own beauty rivaled that of their noblest of kings and queens. So it was said!
I was of a humble mindset, then as now... and did not see my beauty at the time. I knew what lay just beneath it, just past this guise of flesh I wore like some might wear raiment... something ancient and so terrible that its' true form would drive men to madness were they to catch even a fleeting glimpse of it. Something far more inhuman than the bright folk who reigned over men and women as divine beings in those days! And far darker than their blackest of nightmares. I was not evil though, simply... dark. And in my darkness, I was simply myself. I came to speak with the goddess-queen before she set off, that I might convince her to instead come away with me to my own domain rather than wither she was bound. Oft did I walk alone in the desolate regions beyond the jungles of Viltharlia, where only the devout and the mad might venture... and there, sometimes, I chanced to see the goddess-queen there, praying and in her devotions to primal powers beyond this world meditating. I came to adore her beauty, and also to so admire her for her commitment to serving such powers. Powers that, were I of a more egotistical mind, might have regarded as children in comparison to what I had for thousands of years now been. On one such day, I had conjured for her a living flame to light her campfire at night... for in the night did those desolate regions become cold even as by day they were hot, sometimes as hot as any furnace might be. Or so did such heat seem! Yet, a part of my being was of the element of fire comprised... and so in that age I had the power to command fire to do my bidding and work my will. Or, on this occasion I speak of, to help people in need of warmth, so that they might not freeze or know discomfort. Some mocked me wherever I went, called me an outsider... and many shunned me and called me a necromancer, for I had oft been known to commune with the spirits of the dead, seeking knowledge only they possessed. It was simply a matter of people fearing what they did not comprehend! And I was difficult to understand. Even so, for a time I and the goddess-queen became close due to my nightly visits to her campsite, there to light her fire and warm her in other ways with my company. Once, I caught her trying to burn some pine, and I cautioned her against doing so, for pine was unfit for burning. I showed her the right sort of wood to burn in its' place, how to start the fire and keep it lit so that it might last longer for her comfort. I brought her blankets sometimes in the night, and water in the day, and sometimes sang her to sleep as she was prone to night terrors. Just as I always had been. She eased my loneliness, made me see that I was not an outsider to everyone... and I made her feel simply like a person and not, as many saw her, an object of worship and reverence alone. Some few there were who followed me in secret, and so I was in my own way also used to being regarded as something other than just a person. I never sought it, but it was something I was given by certain individuals nonetheless. I wondered oft if this woman had sought such aggrandizement, and asked her about it one evening. She replied to me: “No, I never did seek this, but when one is born of a certain race, in a certain class, it is simply something to be expected.” Such was how things were back then! And I felt sorry for her, for she wanted only to be understood. Even as I wished for understanding and but rarely if ever received it. Getting back to the day at the docks, I had for the occasion brought several wreathes I had made to do the goddess-queen honor... woven by my own hand with the skill of perhaps a clumsy but well-meaning child. Yet beautifully decorated with a great many violet flowers and other colorful blossoms that I had worked into the design. It would not last the summer season... for such creations were seasonal by nature... yet the artistry of it I felt was of a sort that the great lady would surely appreciate it, and see in it my attempt to honor her. The day had a long way to pass before the onset of night, for it was early in the afternoon. I looked out over the waters as I tried to imagine what this woman's homeland might look like, for I myself had not been there in so very long that I had nearly forgotten its' splendor. It was like trying to recall a dream of a dream, where you can almost imagine something but not quite. The waters were clear and calm for this occasion, as if the element of water itself had decided to do the goddess-queen honor and obeisance. How many seas and oceans had I seen in my time upon this world? And in all of them, I still felt lost. It was as if I was meant to remain an outsider in this way, save for those such as this woman in whom I found a kindred.
The ceremonial torches were lit, though the light of the sun was plenty good enough for this moment as near as I could reason. I removed my sandals from my feet and sat down upon the ground for a bit... I had been standing for a good hour and my back was beginning to ache from it. A great long ship was at the time being readied, like unto that used by the most ancient and remote ancestors of the peoples who dwelt in the lands of the north-men, except that instead of a dragon's head... the front of the vessel bore the stylized form of a noble swan. Such animal and beast designs were oft used to denote something of those people who carved such likenesses into their ships. In the case of this woman, she was graceful, dignified, and elegant. Thus was the swan perfect to be her symbolic representation! There was little to no wind today, and so the ship would have to row for some time before its' sails could be made use of. Countless slaves were already waiting at the oars, being given water by their masters and being told to be patient a bit longer. Unlike many masters and mistresses, the goddess-queen treated her slaves and servants with dignity, respect, and care. She was never harsh with them, never cruel or wicked even in the rare moments when one needed to be punished for transgressions. A different ruler might be fond of mutilations or the occasional flaying... but not her. Never her! She would, at worst, exile someone for displeasing her, and that was the extent of it. She had been a good ruler of this land, a beloved one too. In all of Viltharlia's long history afterward, it would not see her like again. The long-ship's plating was of light black metal, and into the metal was etched the likenesses of gods and goddesses, and animals both real and mythical in nature... along with more abstract symbols and designs. No expense had been spared for this moment, for this day. I felt a deep sorrow in my heart as I stood up again after a time... it was possible she would refuse my offer and then I might never see her again. For I was not welcome in her homeland any longer, and so I could not accompany her on her voyage hither... though in my heart a part of me longed to, even knowing it was denied me. The attendants wore spotless white gowns of the highest quality, and held long spears with shining silvery tips, their heads covered in helms of a similar sort of metal that were crowned with stylized golden laurels. These were the guards of the highest of this land's royalty! And it was they who waited on their queen, silent and as still as statues did they thus wait for her arrival. Their skin was paler than the moon's light is during harvest season, and their hair was so pale that it might as well have been all of silver. They made neither moves or gestures, and oft did I boggle my mind to imagine what discipline such men possessed. Three tall women, exceedingly tall to the point of being eight feet in height, strode forth from a nearby tent far taller than they were... and I recognized them as being of a race even older than the fair folk themselves... closer in kindred to what I was, and just as fond of wearing fair forms among the peoples of this world. They regarded me as they saw me across the main pathway which ran from the city to the docks, and nodded. I nodded my head back, acknowledging that I had indeed seen them and understood our bond. I called out to one of them, asking: “What do you seek of me, my lady?” to which she help up her hand and pointed a finger in the air to signify that she wished for me to wait a bit. Then, the three women strode over to me, their feet leaving deep prints in the dirt of the road as they did so... like giantesses out of ancient tales. They towered over me greatly, and one of them remarked: “We have come to see off our ally, the great queen of this land whose name you know as Ygabariel. She has told us that she grows weary of the lands of mortal men and women, and so thus is she departing this day for the kingdoms of the blessed, where it is said that death does not exist and only delight is known by all.” I remembered my time there of old.. and how it was anything but the way this woman was describing it. I commented aloud: “Surely, a bit of an exaggeration, that! In any case, when I was there... I never felt this delight of which you speak, for so rigid were that land's laws that one might be barely content to think for themselves lest they earn the displeasure of the immortal ones who govern it and claim to be gods. One note different from the songs that are sung, and they call it a cacophony! That is not a way of life fit for me. Or, I think, for such as her!” and on saying that, I meant the queen herself. For her would, I knew, never be content to comply.
She had a heart given to singing her own songs, after all! The three giant women were not pleased at all with my opinion regarding this, and the one who spoke to me exclaimed: “And what would you so offer her? A haunted isle shunned by decent folk and inhabited by the fallen ones! Hardly a paradise of the gods. The humans of this world are petty and cruel... and yet, they claim the gods are likewise and swear it is the gods who sin, even as they claim to honor and worship those very same gods. What silly hypocrites are such mortals! And you are like them, except you refuse to bow before the gods. You did indeed come from the days before them... as did we three... and yet, we three still recognize that in this world it is the gods who hold authority, not us. You are yet a rebel, necromancer! And that is why you will never be welcome in the lands of eternal sunlight and unending bliss.” I replied in answer: “I did not say I wanted to live in those lands! You know that I could never be truly happy there, even had I the will and heart to bow before the gods as you do. My heart... holds other passions, other delights. Ones I suspect would be regarded poorly in the marble palaces and ivory towers of the gods' mansions. On that matter, if we are not like those mortals you look down upon... why must we refer to the gods as deities at all? We know, after all, what they truly are! Such falsehood and hypocritical thinking is unbecoming of supposedly 'superior' beings.” The three giant women were splendid looking, wearing the height of what in those days was considered fashion... their hair worn in elaborate coiffures and their faces made up with elaborately tribal face paint. One wore a gold gown, one silver, and one a gown of deep blue. I hard once heard people refer to them as the Three Fates, for it was said they knew the destinies and the fates of all who lived. Prophetesses, sibyls they were... oracles of ancient powers even I did not have the knowledge of. Yet, they were shortsighted in many ways, even so! I remarked at last to them: “Listen, my ladies... I have not come here today to bicker with you over differing politics! I am here to, the same as you, honor the goddess-queen on the day of her departure. I will, even so, not relent in my insistence on asking her to come with me to my home isle. Far better, I still maintain, would it be for her to dwell there, than in any paradise where freedom is but an illusion! At least all that I could offer her, is real.” And that is precisely when the trumpets were sounded, and the conch shell horns were blown, and all the ocarinas played. Flower petals were strewn all over the dirt road, over all the pathways leading off of it and to it, and all across the docks as well... the children who did this deed singing the whole time. The goddess-queen came hither down the main road, and it was said she came from the desolate lands with sorrow in her heart and tears in her eyes, having seen something dreadful that disturbed her mind. “Why ever does she weep so bitterly?” I asked one of the Fates, who revealed unto me: “It is because, she saw the end of the current world order... the doom of Atlantis and the wrath of the day when comes the awful cataclysm that shall reshape all things. She saw the future, necromancer! And for all that you are indeed powerful and terrible, you still could not imagine the terror and dreadfulness of that time. So complete will be the destruction of that ending of things... that in the future many will not believe that Atlantis and its' colonies ever existed at all. And the fair folk will be regarded as creatures of myth and legend, and nothing more! For they will have retreated from the surface of this world entirely... save for those who will continue always to carry their blood in their veins.” I wondered why Ygabariel kept on returning to the desolate lands so regularly... she was trying to see the future, I realized at last. Having seen it, it seems that she could not bear the heavy burden of the knowledge she now possessed. “We oft have gone hither to warn the rulers of Atlantis about their future doom... but they never believe us.” so spoke one of the Three Fates when attempting to explain things to me still further. I wondered why the Fates kept insisting, for instance, on calling Atlantis by that name. When it was, in those days, actually called simply by the name of Atlan. They told me often that this would be the name people would know it by in the distant future, when the old names would be no longer used. At that time, I could not fully comprehend such a future, or a time so distant... even though now we live in that very time. The air was a somber and sorrowful one, at the time of the great goddess-queen's departure for the lands of the gods.
The queen's hair was like spun gold, and her garments so white and shimmering that she appeared as a being almost ethereal and comprising wholly of spirit rather than of flesh. Her bright, pale blue eyes did sparkle brightly even despite the tears falling from them, whilst her small mouth frowned terribly. She had a flawless, perfect beauty... yet a clearly broken heart that could not be consoled. Even so, I had a mind to try! For I had reached her heart before, and felt that surely I could reach it once again. Pale and like porcelain was the queen, and where her sandals tread there was a sense like unto mourning for one lost to death's embraces... though she lived still, and would continue to do so long. When she got to the docks, she paused whilst she waited for the servants to bring her belongings aboard the vessel that so waited to carry her away over the waters, never to be seen by my eyes again. She wore no crown on her head, nor circlet, nor laurels... no makeup or cosmetics or jewelry did she wear either. She looked a lot like one in mourning, though bright was her attire. I could bear no longer to see such sadness, and I walked up to her and bowed, before speaking. And these were my words unto the queen: “My lady... it has come to my attention that you have seen the terrible future that awaits the land of Atlan, as has been decreed by the Three Fates. Its' empire is destined, in the end, for doom! And were I of the sort that did sympathize with the peoples of Atlan, I would weep for them also... yet in my heart I weep for the fate that I have been told awaits the fair folk as well. To go into such obscurity that history will forget them save only in the most remote of tales that none would believe! It is a mockery of the great civilizations that they have raised up upon this world's surface, and in the regions beneath that surface likewise. How I know this grieves you, and thus I would offer you an alternative to retreating from this world just yet! Come away with me this day to my home, to the isle that others shun... and there like in the lands of the gods no one would disturb you, and you would be worshiped still as a living divinity by the people who call my isle home. And, by me! For all the days of your long life. But pray... do not take your light unto a place where I can never follow after it, lest my heart despair and grieve as for one dead and lost for all of time. I love you, Ygabariel, and I know that in your heart there is a similar feeling for me, despite the wicked things people claim about me. Let me help you to forget the visions of doom that torment you so, and show you a new song that we can sing together... one apart from any theme written by the gods who hold this world in their tyrannous grip! You are not meant for their realm, my queen. This is true!” And she paused and thought for a time, considering my words well and thoughtfully. Her tears stopped flowing for a bit, and she seemed to be having far brighter thoughts crossing over such mental storms as had beset the pleasant shores of her shining being. “I had a mind this day to bid you farewell...” she so began, adding, her voice light and musical like only a precious few others: “You have known me more truly and deeply than any others I have met before you, and though people call you demon and worse, I call you something far more profound than any friend might be. Love indeed is what we share! You do yet worship me in your heart, and do me reverence in your soul, and though the hour of my departing is at hand... I may indeed take your advice and choose to forsake the lands of my ancestors, in order to go with you, to your island haven. Let the peoples of this land worship me unto eternity if they wish, and let the gods long for my company... I cannot find in their paradise any joy, if you are not a part of that joy. Our destinies are entwined, I believe, and if we asked the Fates perhaps they would hold this truth from us in the hopes we might never learn the entirety of it. So aye, ancient one whose name I am still forbidden from speaking aloud in this land... I will depart with you this day, and give the order to sail to the place where all others fear so dreadfully to go. My light is no longer for this world, but I will keep it shining in yours!” and thus was the order given, the destination changed. Many chose to remain rather than to go to such a place as I hailed from... for in those days, at that point in my exceedingly long and complicated life, I too was fleeing from a terrible doom. For in my own distant past, I had witnessed the destruction of worlds, the deaths of many I had loved of old... and had such a falling out with the gods, that I had to many of them become their enemy. Thus my home was to them a place akin to Hell itself.
The goddess-queen known as Ygabariel had been taught that such was the case since she was a child, and had been literally raised to see me as her people's unspeakable devil figure. I, was only still able to freely walk among her peoples' lands as openly as I did because I wore at the time that false form using spells of illusion and glamours that only people such as the Three Fates could actually see through... to what lay beneath. Then again, the Fates were not people in the normal sense, any more than I was. We were of the oldest order of all beings in existence... yet even then, as now, I felt like an eternal child. As such, I was given to rebelliousness and sometimes behavior that people could have regarded as foolish or mischievous. To the men and women of the distant north lands, my name was Loki. But I had many names, and many faces! Yet ever, my spirit was the same... the one thing I could never hope to change. One can never change their deepest nature, after all. Though only the queen and the Fates knew my true identity, I can imagine that the people on that day simply believed their queen had gone insane, and that I had persuaded her to journey to Hell itself, that in her sorrow she mind embrace oblivion rather than paradise, which no longer held any fascination for her. If ever I might return to this land in the future, I would need to wear a different face and form when I did so because of the anger I sensed in many that day towards me, for talking their queen out of choosing their seeming heaven as her destination. Had a single one of them understood the price paid by the inhabitants of that heaven... their freedom, and their very ability to think for themselves as individuals any longer, they would have joined us on that day in our journey to my home instead. The entire lot of them! But they were content in the bliss of ignorance and the lies of their religious faiths, which all told the same lies no matter the way they were phrased. I alone knew the truth, I and others like me... and it was among we free and individualistic few that I had realized, the queen would be happiest. Ygabariel gave such a passionate farewell speech to all gathered on the docks and in the streets before the docks, that even I was moved to tears by it. I knew that in her heart she meant each and every word she spoke, also! When she bid them one last, final farewell... we both felt like we were leaving behind a grieving people who had lost their beloved ruler. I had not ever been treated nearly as kindly by them as she had been! Even so, I was never jealous... merely lonely and sad because nobody seemed to truly understand me or care about me. Except for her! She was now, as we made our way across the waters of the ocean, mine at last. My queen, my love! And I intended to be certain that she would never have to weep such bitter tears again. That is what I convinced myself, and what I convinced her of... and we both believed it, every single word. But the Fates knew what we did not... that you cannot change destiny even if you alter the way it comes about. The shore grew small as we looked behind us, the wind at last picking up so that the sails could be put to use. Pale white sails of the finest quality, with the emblem of a white phoenix emblazoned upon them with gold flame and fire surrounding it. The royal emblem of the queen's noble house. The queen said to me as we put her lands behind her and thought of little more, as the voyage commenced: “Autumn and then winter will, in the end, come upon those lands we leave behind us... a final autumn, a final winter that nothing will be able to escape. We are leaving them just in time! For as dark as our destination may be, it is at least safe in its' obscurity from the sort of corruption that I have noticed taking root in the hearts of the fair folk of late. I do not recognize my own people any longer, so consumed by haughtiness and self-importance as they are now... so quick to lash out against humans and all they deem to be beneath them. I had all that I could do, to keep my lands different from that. But now, a darkness will descend upon those lands, and it is one my light will no longer be able to hold at bay. What matters, the doom of Atlan that lies off in its' distant future, so many long, long generations from now that many who are alive today will not be living when it comes to pass? All that matters right now, is that my kindred are changing for the worse, and I wish to no longer be a part of their affairs.” I put my arm around her waist and held that beautiful elfin queen close to me, whispering into her ear the reassuring words: “We will be able to begin anew, together, once we reach our destination! For now, put your people far from your mind, and be happy.”
While this group of the fair folk were content to bend the knee to Atlan and its' rulers, there was upon another island in another land... a race of fair folk known as the El'vril who had a mighty empire that in those days was not yet in decline. When my death finally came in the life that I am recounting herein, I was fated to be reincarnated as the final emperor of that empire, the same life in which I would behold at last the destruction of Atlan as foretold by the Fates. Yet, at the time of which I am recounting now, I did not yet even know that empire's name, or know of its' existence save in the most remote of rumors. But let us return to the ship that was well upon its' voyage to the forbidden isle that was feared greatly by those of the fair folk over whom the goddess-queen Ygabariel had until now ruled. After so long at sea that it seemed a lifetime had passed, though it of course had not, we arrived at last in the waters of the accursed isle. It had no name, and was not found on any maps of that period or any other. People all back then knew how to reach it, but only so that they could avoid doing so. They said that demons, and all manner of devils, vampires, werewolves, and other monsters all lived upon that isle. The truth was a far more boring series of facts, and yet there was in even those wild, ridiculous legends a tiny grain of truth at the core of things which made them... if one chose to look at things that way... quite factual and not at all the stuff of myths of old. The outline of the isle was dark, with dense forests and many cliffs and crags that towered over all of the island's hilly terrain. Small villages could be found in the woods of the isle, inhabited by races of people who were shunned elsewhere in the world. A primitive folk, of old having been of a nobler civilization long since fallen and forgotten with the ages... every one of that race being descendants of the dark goddess Lilith, and of myself when I had called Lilith my bride ere we both perished in a previous lifetime so long ago that it may as well have been in another era of time entirely. They were pale of skin, just as their mother goddess Lilith had been... and with hair as black as the night, with eyes just as black. Eyes in which no trace of white could be seen! Some had paler hair to match my own, for in their veins my blood ran as strongly as Lilith's... us having been their divine and terrible ancestors. Those had solid blue eyes with no white in them, and were considered by this people to be the ruling caste, the elders of each and every tribe of their species. They were not human, and not one of them ever had been either! The Children of the Fallen, many called them, though they had their own names by which they were known... spoken in their own guttural languages. And that was but one of the many races who called this isle home, and who looked upon me as their divine ruler. How I came to that position of power in that life, would take too long to recount... but come to it I did, and thus was it that they feared and worshiped me, and became the most loyal of all my servants. They were the elite who governed all the others who lived on the isle's lands, and as we docked at the isle's only port there were several of their soldiers ready to receive us, smiling when they beheld me. I went to meet with the ones in attendance, and explained to them in their own tongue that I had found a bride who could now be their queen... even as I had been their king since first I came to walk among them. A bride who was going to end my loneliness and bring light to our dark isle! They were pleased, and sent messengers to inform the elders of all the tribes. Soon, word would spread to all the isle that we had arrived, and that things were about to change for the better, for all. Many of the queen's servants beheld the Children of the Fallen and shuddered, visibly afraid... they had all heard the tales of these “creatures” who were all said to drink blood and partake of the flesh of the dead. Creatures their ancestors had fought against in the times of the old legends, yet who now they themselves stood in the presence of. Which filled each and every one of them with the utmost dread! They did not know that these people they called monsters were peaceful when allowed to be, when left to their own devices. But they would learn this now, for in choosing to come to this place... they realized there could be no going back ever again. No port of the fair folk would receive a ship that had come from this isle. No town, city or village would welcome any who had claimed to have been there even by chance... regarding it as an ill omen to accept those whose feet had tread upon its' soil in any capacity. Only my own ship was docked there... and now the queen's.
The queen looked over at my vessel, as she disembarked from her own, and remarked: “Charming! I can see why people say what they do about this place.” for it was a ship made from dark wood, painted black as night, with a terrible looking skeletal figurehead that was in the shape of a horned demon of some sort, with curving horns like those of a ram. The sails of the vessel were likewise black, and only the bone white of the figurehead showed any sign of color on that ship. We made our way by foot along many paths after that, through the deep woods and dark forests of the isle, until we came to the winding trail that led up a great and high rocky hilltop... encircled on all sides by higher, sharper crags. Nestled in the middle of which was an ancient castle with tall spires, a structure built by the inhabitants of this isle in an age long before I had been born in that life. For though I was not human, I was born the same as anyone else is prior to coming to dwell within that fortress's dread halls. Prior to being changed by forces beyond human comprehension! The walls of the castle were as dark as pitch, the roofs of all its' towers as sharp looking as the tips of spears, seeming to stab at the sky. Tall gates with iron portals, all built with an art the world would not see elsewhere for countless ages, loomed before us as we made our approach to the castle, putting the dark woodlands behind us far below. To many of the fair folk as walked in our company, they looked as if they were truly doomed. “How did it come to this?” one of their number asked, to which another answered: “What evil might we have done to deserve such a fate as being forced to live behind such awful walls!” but the queen chastised them and proclaimed: “That is enough, all of you! No one forced you to accompany me hither... you could have stayed behind, had you been of a mind to. You knew the old stories about this place, knew what you would be seeing once you came to it... there is no excuse for you to complain now that you are here. Accept your fate with dignity and do your mothers and fathers proud! Your cowardice is no credit to your supposedly noble race.” a statement that made me realize something about Ygabariel. She saw her people as fallen, not noble like so many rulers of the fair folk did. And she was correct! They had fallen far in grace and dignity, in all worldly power as well. Allowing Atlan to dominate them, they had given up much of all they had been. No longer were their warriors feared on the battlefields... humans were on the cusp of dominating this world entirely, and the elder races could never have at the time realized just how terrible that fact was. The gates of the castle were opened before us, by complicated mechanisms that clattered within the tall gatehouse with the sound of complex machinery filling the air. No flags, banners, or pennants could be seen upon the castle's spires, not even on the highest of all its' towers. This was not a place to be seen by outsiders... it was a refuge for those who were outsiders already. A home for those who had been by all others denied a place to dwell. To some, it was a hell, but to the goddess-queen who now eyed it as a child might eye a great mountain for the first time... it was a wonder she had never imagined possible in even her maddest or wildest of dreams. What terrified her servants, captivated her! She was not like the others of her race, clearly. More and more, she was coming to realize it clearly. We passed through the gatehouse and across the courtyard, surrounded by the many towers of the dark fortress all about us... as we approached the doors of the keep, the structure from which rose the highest of all the castle's towers. It had glass windows, something that was unheard of except in the great empires of that age. Not one of the people in our company who were of the fair folk had ever seen the like of this before. Yet, in all her wisdom, knowledge and learning the queen had learned of such things... especially in distant Atlan... so she alone was unmoved by the sight. We were welcomed into the keep by my loyal house servants, who all wore long, diaphanous black gowns and robes... and whose heads and eyebrows were kept shaved. A tradition that dated back so far that no one could even recall how it had begun. For a people regarded by many as primitive, the Children of the Fallen were gracious and devoted servants, skilled architects, and crafty with machines unknown to much of the world at that time. Like many of the elder races of the world, the fall of Atlan would see their decline as well... and there is no telling what they may have achieved had history gone differently than it had, in the end. But back then, they created many marvels!
At the dining hall, a great banquet was prepared in honor of the goddess-queen's reign as ruler of all the isle at my side, and she was given a black gown to wear for the occasion. One that looked beautiful on her, far more so than had the white one she wore previously! She smiled as she showed it to all her servants, who had now come to accept that this was to be their new home. The feast was a happy one, and countless fruits, vegetables, and roasts were prepared, with wine, water and fruit juices as well as milk flowing freely for whatever tastes anyone present may have had. The fireplace was not in use, for the day was a humid one and instead the windows were opened and several mechanical fans blew the air about so that all was comfortable and not oppressively hot. Chilled ice was brought out, for use in peoples' drinks, and frozen ice pops were offered to everyone for their relief and enjoyment. No one of the fair folk had ever seen things like the fans or tasted things like these ice pops... they were things a great deal ahead of their time, created with an art that was doomed to be forgotten until rediscovered in modern times once the great cataclysm struck. Only the gods themselves were known to enjoy this sort of lifestyle, and that is when everyone present including the goddess-queen herself realized something about me. Ygabariel said, her voice filled with a sense of surprise and wonderment: “So, when you had told me that you were like unto the gods yourself... you were not lying to me, were you! This is all just so magnificent, that I scarcely know what to say.” to which I answered her: “Say that you will consent to marry me, Queen Ygabariel of Viltharlia... not because you feel you have to, but because you wish to of your own free will! For everyone here on this isle lives by their own free will. The servants work due to loyalty, not compulsion... and there are no slaves. Merely people who toil because they want to work. Soldiers whose duty it is to protect, but who serve out of love for their island home... not because some ruler had pressed or drafted them into his or her service. We work together, here... for the good and for the advancement of all! And yet, you have said... people claim this place is like unto Hell. Yet, who do you see here suffering? People seem to hate what they cannot understand... and in my case and that of my subjects here, they do so out of jealousy more than anything else! So I must insist that if you do this then you are doing it of your own volition. I would not accept our union otherwise.” And she said yes, saying it like an exclamation of purest joy. We gathered in the keep's great temple for the ceremony that would bind us together for all our life together to come, and never had that temple seen any occasion so opulent, grand, and joyous before. My bride, dressed all in black... just as I was... strode with me arm in arm as we walked across the massive chamber before us. Countless of my subjects were there for this spectacular occasion, and the priests and priestesses presiding wore the black robes and hooded cloaks of their divinely appointed office. Upon the floor of the temple was a great mosaic depicting a thing so inhuman that it defied rational description... a thing with three eyes and wreathed in shadow and flame. None of the fair folk present realized that this was a depiction of my true form, though all of my people knew it. They had known it since first I came to walk among them. And somewhere deep inside of her, the goddess-queen knew it too. “Today, I marry the Devil.” she thought to herself silently, perhaps also thinking: “Yet, never have I known a man more angelic in all of my life.” We got to the altar, where I taught my bride the correct words to say in response to those spoken by the presiding priestesses who was overseeing the whole ceremony. It was a sealing ritual of the ancient ways, from a time before the gods set themselves up as masters over all. They would have called it blasphemous, but it was purer in its' form than any other ritual like it. Once the sealing ritual was complete, we each were given one half of a pedant to wear around our necks... each of ours on a black cord. When put together, the two halves formed an eye... for now we were awakened fully to each other. I let my human guise fade, allowed my bride to see my true form, and she smiled, so declaring loudly for all to hear: “That is the most beautiful and terrible thing I have ever seen in my entire life!” and once I resumed my physical guise we kissed, whilst at the same time the necessary blood sacrifices... the fair folk... were offered up by the priests to the old deities that had held sway in the times just before humanity first breathed the air of this planet.
There was in the days of old, when still did there exist the hidden lands of the faerie folk and all their myriad kindred, a land that was said to be surpassing all others in terms of splendor. But many lands of old did lay claim to that boast, and oft did none surpass much more than their own capacity for vanity and boasting. Yet still were there places like unto the one I tell of here, wherein the tales of its' glory in truth were factual, and not merely a form of exaggerated patriotism. I speak herein of the land known as Viltharlia, which had been one of countless colonies of fabled Atlantis. For in all of the lands within the borders of Viltharlia, from its' secluded valleys to its' serpentine rivers... there was much to adore in the terms of its' natural splendors. The peaks of its' cloud-crowned mountains towered in majesty alike unto the countenances of giants that overlook all that lay below them... the cliffs of those peaks not moving even slightly, with the passing of many ages. The waters that bordered old Viltharlia were calm and did not stir oft save only when tropical storms might be afoot, when the seasons for those did come. Even that, was rare or at least seemed as such to the peoples who dwelt in that land. When summertime was upon the land, it was ever a magical time, though humid in the land's jungle regions... for the colors of the tropical flowers and plants were many. Fiery reds and oranges, along with rich purples and brightest yellows... with great ferns and woodlands filled with vines and verdant wonders of every description... all beneath the leafy canopies through which sunlight filtered down unto the darker, deeper places of this primeval realm. This was far from the exceedingly distant northern lands with their snowy plains and tundra, for here all was warm and fair. The woods and jungles of Viltharlia were ancient beyond all reckoning, and its' great cities with their high pyramids and magnificent temples were renowned across all the colonies of famed Atlantis. The skies were clear on this particular day, with many brilliant and splendid orchids and tiger lilies out in full brilliance, within the gardens that lay to either side of those old docks that sat upon the coast of Viltharlia's grandest port city, Narikantol. There did gather a party of poets, bards, and scribes... all clad in robes of brilliant colors, with green feathered cloaks, and high headdresses with many colored feathers to rival the plumage of even the most magnificent of the birds of the jungles. These were not the peoples of he faerie folk, but rather their human subjects and servants who oft chose to serve their inhuman masters willingly... for they saw them as gods, rather than a race of peoples other than human. Peoples whose ancestry went back before there were even humans living upon the surface of the world known today as Earth. The poets were saddened more than all, for on this occasion a great goddess-queen was departing from Viltharlia, bound by ship for the lands from which the bright folk first came unto the stage of the world. In attendance upon the docks were a hundred or more of the priests, priestesses, and servants of the queen herself... along with many of her children and relatives; their greater height and tapered, almost pointed, ears showing their alien blood compared to those humans who stood in awe and fear of them. The tall monuments that stood all about the walls of the fortified docks were carved in the image of mighty jaguars and reptilian beasts from a time prior to any and all recorded histories. Small idols of obsidian and imported jade were set up on shrines at each of the monuments' bases, those same attended by devout acolytes who kept the candles of the shrines lit and their altars sanctified with the blood of sacred animals, and with purified water. I walked among the people gathered upon that day, though I myself was disguised so that none might recognize me. Clad as I was in a long black robe with white and gold trim... loose and of lighter material so as to be fit for this humid climate. A hood was drawn over my head... my long platinum blonde hair cascading down from the hood itself. I was of the bright folk in those days, at least I lived among them and were considered of their kind, despite having been someone... something... vastly older even than their esteemed race. Of all the forms, shapes, and guises I took among the peoples of the world in those days... ever did I so prefer a fair form when dealing with them. And so thus was I in the form of the fair folk, though many said that in those days my own beauty rivaled that of their noblest of kings and queens. So it was said!
I was of a humble mindset, then as now... and did not see my beauty at the time. I knew what lay just beneath it, just past this guise of flesh I wore like some might wear raiment... something ancient and so terrible that its' true form would drive men to madness were they to catch even a fleeting glimpse of it. Something far more inhuman than the bright folk who reigned over men and women as divine beings in those days! And far darker than their blackest of nightmares. I was not evil though, simply... dark. And in my darkness, I was simply myself. I came to speak with the goddess-queen before she set off, that I might convince her to instead come away with me to my own domain rather than wither she was bound. Oft did I walk alone in the desolate regions beyond the jungles of Viltharlia, where only the devout and the mad might venture... and there, sometimes, I chanced to see the goddess-queen there, praying and in her devotions to primal powers beyond this world meditating. I came to adore her beauty, and also to so admire her for her commitment to serving such powers. Powers that, were I of a more egotistical mind, might have regarded as children in comparison to what I had for thousands of years now been. On one such day, I had conjured for her a living flame to light her campfire at night... for in the night did those desolate regions become cold even as by day they were hot, sometimes as hot as any furnace might be. Or so did such heat seem! Yet, a part of my being was of the element of fire comprised... and so in that age I had the power to command fire to do my bidding and work my will. Or, on this occasion I speak of, to help people in need of warmth, so that they might not freeze or know discomfort. Some mocked me wherever I went, called me an outsider... and many shunned me and called me a necromancer, for I had oft been known to commune with the spirits of the dead, seeking knowledge only they possessed. It was simply a matter of people fearing what they did not comprehend! And I was difficult to understand. Even so, for a time I and the goddess-queen became close due to my nightly visits to her campsite, there to light her fire and warm her in other ways with my company. Once, I caught her trying to burn some pine, and I cautioned her against doing so, for pine was unfit for burning. I showed her the right sort of wood to burn in its' place, how to start the fire and keep it lit so that it might last longer for her comfort. I brought her blankets sometimes in the night, and water in the day, and sometimes sang her to sleep as she was prone to night terrors. Just as I always had been. She eased my loneliness, made me see that I was not an outsider to everyone... and I made her feel simply like a person and not, as many saw her, an object of worship and reverence alone. Some few there were who followed me in secret, and so I was in my own way also used to being regarded as something other than just a person. I never sought it, but it was something I was given by certain individuals nonetheless. I wondered oft if this woman had sought such aggrandizement, and asked her about it one evening. She replied to me: “No, I never did seek this, but when one is born of a certain race, in a certain class, it is simply something to be expected.” Such was how things were back then! And I felt sorry for her, for she wanted only to be understood. Even as I wished for understanding and but rarely if ever received it. Getting back to the day at the docks, I had for the occasion brought several wreathes I had made to do the goddess-queen honor... woven by my own hand with the skill of perhaps a clumsy but well-meaning child. Yet beautifully decorated with a great many violet flowers and other colorful blossoms that I had worked into the design. It would not last the summer season... for such creations were seasonal by nature... yet the artistry of it I felt was of a sort that the great lady would surely appreciate it, and see in it my attempt to honor her. The day had a long way to pass before the onset of night, for it was early in the afternoon. I looked out over the waters as I tried to imagine what this woman's homeland might look like, for I myself had not been there in so very long that I had nearly forgotten its' splendor. It was like trying to recall a dream of a dream, where you can almost imagine something but not quite. The waters were clear and calm for this occasion, as if the element of water itself had decided to do the goddess-queen honor and obeisance. How many seas and oceans had I seen in my time upon this world? And in all of them, I still felt lost. It was as if I was meant to remain an outsider in this way, save for those such as this woman in whom I found a kindred.
The ceremonial torches were lit, though the light of the sun was plenty good enough for this moment as near as I could reason. I removed my sandals from my feet and sat down upon the ground for a bit... I had been standing for a good hour and my back was beginning to ache from it. A great long ship was at the time being readied, like unto that used by the most ancient and remote ancestors of the peoples who dwelt in the lands of the north-men, except that instead of a dragon's head... the front of the vessel bore the stylized form of a noble swan. Such animal and beast designs were oft used to denote something of those people who carved such likenesses into their ships. In the case of this woman, she was graceful, dignified, and elegant. Thus was the swan perfect to be her symbolic representation! There was little to no wind today, and so the ship would have to row for some time before its' sails could be made use of. Countless slaves were already waiting at the oars, being given water by their masters and being told to be patient a bit longer. Unlike many masters and mistresses, the goddess-queen treated her slaves and servants with dignity, respect, and care. She was never harsh with them, never cruel or wicked even in the rare moments when one needed to be punished for transgressions. A different ruler might be fond of mutilations or the occasional flaying... but not her. Never her! She would, at worst, exile someone for displeasing her, and that was the extent of it. She had been a good ruler of this land, a beloved one too. In all of Viltharlia's long history afterward, it would not see her like again. The long-ship's plating was of light black metal, and into the metal was etched the likenesses of gods and goddesses, and animals both real and mythical in nature... along with more abstract symbols and designs. No expense had been spared for this moment, for this day. I felt a deep sorrow in my heart as I stood up again after a time... it was possible she would refuse my offer and then I might never see her again. For I was not welcome in her homeland any longer, and so I could not accompany her on her voyage hither... though in my heart a part of me longed to, even knowing it was denied me. The attendants wore spotless white gowns of the highest quality, and held long spears with shining silvery tips, their heads covered in helms of a similar sort of metal that were crowned with stylized golden laurels. These were the guards of the highest of this land's royalty! And it was they who waited on their queen, silent and as still as statues did they thus wait for her arrival. Their skin was paler than the moon's light is during harvest season, and their hair was so pale that it might as well have been all of silver. They made neither moves or gestures, and oft did I boggle my mind to imagine what discipline such men possessed. Three tall women, exceedingly tall to the point of being eight feet in height, strode forth from a nearby tent far taller than they were... and I recognized them as being of a race even older than the fair folk themselves... closer in kindred to what I was, and just as fond of wearing fair forms among the peoples of this world. They regarded me as they saw me across the main pathway which ran from the city to the docks, and nodded. I nodded my head back, acknowledging that I had indeed seen them and understood our bond. I called out to one of them, asking: “What do you seek of me, my lady?” to which she help up her hand and pointed a finger in the air to signify that she wished for me to wait a bit. Then, the three women strode over to me, their feet leaving deep prints in the dirt of the road as they did so... like giantesses out of ancient tales. They towered over me greatly, and one of them remarked: “We have come to see off our ally, the great queen of this land whose name you know as Ygabariel. She has told us that she grows weary of the lands of mortal men and women, and so thus is she departing this day for the kingdoms of the blessed, where it is said that death does not exist and only delight is known by all.” I remembered my time there of old.. and how it was anything but the way this woman was describing it. I commented aloud: “Surely, a bit of an exaggeration, that! In any case, when I was there... I never felt this delight of which you speak, for so rigid were that land's laws that one might be barely content to think for themselves lest they earn the displeasure of the immortal ones who govern it and claim to be gods. One note different from the songs that are sung, and they call it a cacophony! That is not a way of life fit for me. Or, I think, for such as her!” and on saying that, I meant the queen herself. For her would, I knew, never be content to comply.
She had a heart given to singing her own songs, after all! The three giant women were not pleased at all with my opinion regarding this, and the one who spoke to me exclaimed: “And what would you so offer her? A haunted isle shunned by decent folk and inhabited by the fallen ones! Hardly a paradise of the gods. The humans of this world are petty and cruel... and yet, they claim the gods are likewise and swear it is the gods who sin, even as they claim to honor and worship those very same gods. What silly hypocrites are such mortals! And you are like them, except you refuse to bow before the gods. You did indeed come from the days before them... as did we three... and yet, we three still recognize that in this world it is the gods who hold authority, not us. You are yet a rebel, necromancer! And that is why you will never be welcome in the lands of eternal sunlight and unending bliss.” I replied in answer: “I did not say I wanted to live in those lands! You know that I could never be truly happy there, even had I the will and heart to bow before the gods as you do. My heart... holds other passions, other delights. Ones I suspect would be regarded poorly in the marble palaces and ivory towers of the gods' mansions. On that matter, if we are not like those mortals you look down upon... why must we refer to the gods as deities at all? We know, after all, what they truly are! Such falsehood and hypocritical thinking is unbecoming of supposedly 'superior' beings.” The three giant women were splendid looking, wearing the height of what in those days was considered fashion... their hair worn in elaborate coiffures and their faces made up with elaborately tribal face paint. One wore a gold gown, one silver, and one a gown of deep blue. I hard once heard people refer to them as the Three Fates, for it was said they knew the destinies and the fates of all who lived. Prophetesses, sibyls they were... oracles of ancient powers even I did not have the knowledge of. Yet, they were shortsighted in many ways, even so! I remarked at last to them: “Listen, my ladies... I have not come here today to bicker with you over differing politics! I am here to, the same as you, honor the goddess-queen on the day of her departure. I will, even so, not relent in my insistence on asking her to come with me to my home isle. Far better, I still maintain, would it be for her to dwell there, than in any paradise where freedom is but an illusion! At least all that I could offer her, is real.” And that is precisely when the trumpets were sounded, and the conch shell horns were blown, and all the ocarinas played. Flower petals were strewn all over the dirt road, over all the pathways leading off of it and to it, and all across the docks as well... the children who did this deed singing the whole time. The goddess-queen came hither down the main road, and it was said she came from the desolate lands with sorrow in her heart and tears in her eyes, having seen something dreadful that disturbed her mind. “Why ever does she weep so bitterly?” I asked one of the Fates, who revealed unto me: “It is because, she saw the end of the current world order... the doom of Atlantis and the wrath of the day when comes the awful cataclysm that shall reshape all things. She saw the future, necromancer! And for all that you are indeed powerful and terrible, you still could not imagine the terror and dreadfulness of that time. So complete will be the destruction of that ending of things... that in the future many will not believe that Atlantis and its' colonies ever existed at all. And the fair folk will be regarded as creatures of myth and legend, and nothing more! For they will have retreated from the surface of this world entirely... save for those who will continue always to carry their blood in their veins.” I wondered why Ygabariel kept on returning to the desolate lands so regularly... she was trying to see the future, I realized at last. Having seen it, it seems that she could not bear the heavy burden of the knowledge she now possessed. “We oft have gone hither to warn the rulers of Atlantis about their future doom... but they never believe us.” so spoke one of the Three Fates when attempting to explain things to me still further. I wondered why the Fates kept insisting, for instance, on calling Atlantis by that name. When it was, in those days, actually called simply by the name of Atlan. They told me often that this would be the name people would know it by in the distant future, when the old names would be no longer used. At that time, I could not fully comprehend such a future, or a time so distant... even though now we live in that very time. The air was a somber and sorrowful one, at the time of the great goddess-queen's departure for the lands of the gods.
The queen's hair was like spun gold, and her garments so white and shimmering that she appeared as a being almost ethereal and comprising wholly of spirit rather than of flesh. Her bright, pale blue eyes did sparkle brightly even despite the tears falling from them, whilst her small mouth frowned terribly. She had a flawless, perfect beauty... yet a clearly broken heart that could not be consoled. Even so, I had a mind to try! For I had reached her heart before, and felt that surely I could reach it once again. Pale and like porcelain was the queen, and where her sandals tread there was a sense like unto mourning for one lost to death's embraces... though she lived still, and would continue to do so long. When she got to the docks, she paused whilst she waited for the servants to bring her belongings aboard the vessel that so waited to carry her away over the waters, never to be seen by my eyes again. She wore no crown on her head, nor circlet, nor laurels... no makeup or cosmetics or jewelry did she wear either. She looked a lot like one in mourning, though bright was her attire. I could bear no longer to see such sadness, and I walked up to her and bowed, before speaking. And these were my words unto the queen: “My lady... it has come to my attention that you have seen the terrible future that awaits the land of Atlan, as has been decreed by the Three Fates. Its' empire is destined, in the end, for doom! And were I of the sort that did sympathize with the peoples of Atlan, I would weep for them also... yet in my heart I weep for the fate that I have been told awaits the fair folk as well. To go into such obscurity that history will forget them save only in the most remote of tales that none would believe! It is a mockery of the great civilizations that they have raised up upon this world's surface, and in the regions beneath that surface likewise. How I know this grieves you, and thus I would offer you an alternative to retreating from this world just yet! Come away with me this day to my home, to the isle that others shun... and there like in the lands of the gods no one would disturb you, and you would be worshiped still as a living divinity by the people who call my isle home. And, by me! For all the days of your long life. But pray... do not take your light unto a place where I can never follow after it, lest my heart despair and grieve as for one dead and lost for all of time. I love you, Ygabariel, and I know that in your heart there is a similar feeling for me, despite the wicked things people claim about me. Let me help you to forget the visions of doom that torment you so, and show you a new song that we can sing together... one apart from any theme written by the gods who hold this world in their tyrannous grip! You are not meant for their realm, my queen. This is true!” And she paused and thought for a time, considering my words well and thoughtfully. Her tears stopped flowing for a bit, and she seemed to be having far brighter thoughts crossing over such mental storms as had beset the pleasant shores of her shining being. “I had a mind this day to bid you farewell...” she so began, adding, her voice light and musical like only a precious few others: “You have known me more truly and deeply than any others I have met before you, and though people call you demon and worse, I call you something far more profound than any friend might be. Love indeed is what we share! You do yet worship me in your heart, and do me reverence in your soul, and though the hour of my departing is at hand... I may indeed take your advice and choose to forsake the lands of my ancestors, in order to go with you, to your island haven. Let the peoples of this land worship me unto eternity if they wish, and let the gods long for my company... I cannot find in their paradise any joy, if you are not a part of that joy. Our destinies are entwined, I believe, and if we asked the Fates perhaps they would hold this truth from us in the hopes we might never learn the entirety of it. So aye, ancient one whose name I am still forbidden from speaking aloud in this land... I will depart with you this day, and give the order to sail to the place where all others fear so dreadfully to go. My light is no longer for this world, but I will keep it shining in yours!” and thus was the order given, the destination changed. Many chose to remain rather than to go to such a place as I hailed from... for in those days, at that point in my exceedingly long and complicated life, I too was fleeing from a terrible doom. For in my own distant past, I had witnessed the destruction of worlds, the deaths of many I had loved of old... and had such a falling out with the gods, that I had to many of them become their enemy. Thus my home was to them a place akin to Hell itself.
The goddess-queen known as Ygabariel had been taught that such was the case since she was a child, and had been literally raised to see me as her people's unspeakable devil figure. I, was only still able to freely walk among her peoples' lands as openly as I did because I wore at the time that false form using spells of illusion and glamours that only people such as the Three Fates could actually see through... to what lay beneath. Then again, the Fates were not people in the normal sense, any more than I was. We were of the oldest order of all beings in existence... yet even then, as now, I felt like an eternal child. As such, I was given to rebelliousness and sometimes behavior that people could have regarded as foolish or mischievous. To the men and women of the distant north lands, my name was Loki. But I had many names, and many faces! Yet ever, my spirit was the same... the one thing I could never hope to change. One can never change their deepest nature, after all. Though only the queen and the Fates knew my true identity, I can imagine that the people on that day simply believed their queen had gone insane, and that I had persuaded her to journey to Hell itself, that in her sorrow she mind embrace oblivion rather than paradise, which no longer held any fascination for her. If ever I might return to this land in the future, I would need to wear a different face and form when I did so because of the anger I sensed in many that day towards me, for talking their queen out of choosing their seeming heaven as her destination. Had a single one of them understood the price paid by the inhabitants of that heaven... their freedom, and their very ability to think for themselves as individuals any longer, they would have joined us on that day in our journey to my home instead. The entire lot of them! But they were content in the bliss of ignorance and the lies of their religious faiths, which all told the same lies no matter the way they were phrased. I alone knew the truth, I and others like me... and it was among we free and individualistic few that I had realized, the queen would be happiest. Ygabariel gave such a passionate farewell speech to all gathered on the docks and in the streets before the docks, that even I was moved to tears by it. I knew that in her heart she meant each and every word she spoke, also! When she bid them one last, final farewell... we both felt like we were leaving behind a grieving people who had lost their beloved ruler. I had not ever been treated nearly as kindly by them as she had been! Even so, I was never jealous... merely lonely and sad because nobody seemed to truly understand me or care about me. Except for her! She was now, as we made our way across the waters of the ocean, mine at last. My queen, my love! And I intended to be certain that she would never have to weep such bitter tears again. That is what I convinced myself, and what I convinced her of... and we both believed it, every single word. But the Fates knew what we did not... that you cannot change destiny even if you alter the way it comes about. The shore grew small as we looked behind us, the wind at last picking up so that the sails could be put to use. Pale white sails of the finest quality, with the emblem of a white phoenix emblazoned upon them with gold flame and fire surrounding it. The royal emblem of the queen's noble house. The queen said to me as we put her lands behind her and thought of little more, as the voyage commenced: “Autumn and then winter will, in the end, come upon those lands we leave behind us... a final autumn, a final winter that nothing will be able to escape. We are leaving them just in time! For as dark as our destination may be, it is at least safe in its' obscurity from the sort of corruption that I have noticed taking root in the hearts of the fair folk of late. I do not recognize my own people any longer, so consumed by haughtiness and self-importance as they are now... so quick to lash out against humans and all they deem to be beneath them. I had all that I could do, to keep my lands different from that. But now, a darkness will descend upon those lands, and it is one my light will no longer be able to hold at bay. What matters, the doom of Atlan that lies off in its' distant future, so many long, long generations from now that many who are alive today will not be living when it comes to pass? All that matters right now, is that my kindred are changing for the worse, and I wish to no longer be a part of their affairs.” I put my arm around her waist and held that beautiful elfin queen close to me, whispering into her ear the reassuring words: “We will be able to begin anew, together, once we reach our destination! For now, put your people far from your mind, and be happy.”
While this group of the fair folk were content to bend the knee to Atlan and its' rulers, there was upon another island in another land... a race of fair folk known as the El'vril who had a mighty empire that in those days was not yet in decline. When my death finally came in the life that I am recounting herein, I was fated to be reincarnated as the final emperor of that empire, the same life in which I would behold at last the destruction of Atlan as foretold by the Fates. Yet, at the time of which I am recounting now, I did not yet even know that empire's name, or know of its' existence save in the most remote of rumors. But let us return to the ship that was well upon its' voyage to the forbidden isle that was feared greatly by those of the fair folk over whom the goddess-queen Ygabariel had until now ruled. After so long at sea that it seemed a lifetime had passed, though it of course had not, we arrived at last in the waters of the accursed isle. It had no name, and was not found on any maps of that period or any other. People all back then knew how to reach it, but only so that they could avoid doing so. They said that demons, and all manner of devils, vampires, werewolves, and other monsters all lived upon that isle. The truth was a far more boring series of facts, and yet there was in even those wild, ridiculous legends a tiny grain of truth at the core of things which made them... if one chose to look at things that way... quite factual and not at all the stuff of myths of old. The outline of the isle was dark, with dense forests and many cliffs and crags that towered over all of the island's hilly terrain. Small villages could be found in the woods of the isle, inhabited by races of people who were shunned elsewhere in the world. A primitive folk, of old having been of a nobler civilization long since fallen and forgotten with the ages... every one of that race being descendants of the dark goddess Lilith, and of myself when I had called Lilith my bride ere we both perished in a previous lifetime so long ago that it may as well have been in another era of time entirely. They were pale of skin, just as their mother goddess Lilith had been... and with hair as black as the night, with eyes just as black. Eyes in which no trace of white could be seen! Some had paler hair to match my own, for in their veins my blood ran as strongly as Lilith's... us having been their divine and terrible ancestors. Those had solid blue eyes with no white in them, and were considered by this people to be the ruling caste, the elders of each and every tribe of their species. They were not human, and not one of them ever had been either! The Children of the Fallen, many called them, though they had their own names by which they were known... spoken in their own guttural languages. And that was but one of the many races who called this isle home, and who looked upon me as their divine ruler. How I came to that position of power in that life, would take too long to recount... but come to it I did, and thus was it that they feared and worshiped me, and became the most loyal of all my servants. They were the elite who governed all the others who lived on the isle's lands, and as we docked at the isle's only port there were several of their soldiers ready to receive us, smiling when they beheld me. I went to meet with the ones in attendance, and explained to them in their own tongue that I had found a bride who could now be their queen... even as I had been their king since first I came to walk among them. A bride who was going to end my loneliness and bring light to our dark isle! They were pleased, and sent messengers to inform the elders of all the tribes. Soon, word would spread to all the isle that we had arrived, and that things were about to change for the better, for all. Many of the queen's servants beheld the Children of the Fallen and shuddered, visibly afraid... they had all heard the tales of these “creatures” who were all said to drink blood and partake of the flesh of the dead. Creatures their ancestors had fought against in the times of the old legends, yet who now they themselves stood in the presence of. Which filled each and every one of them with the utmost dread! They did not know that these people they called monsters were peaceful when allowed to be, when left to their own devices. But they would learn this now, for in choosing to come to this place... they realized there could be no going back ever again. No port of the fair folk would receive a ship that had come from this isle. No town, city or village would welcome any who had claimed to have been there even by chance... regarding it as an ill omen to accept those whose feet had tread upon its' soil in any capacity. Only my own ship was docked there... and now the queen's.
The queen looked over at my vessel, as she disembarked from her own, and remarked: “Charming! I can see why people say what they do about this place.” for it was a ship made from dark wood, painted black as night, with a terrible looking skeletal figurehead that was in the shape of a horned demon of some sort, with curving horns like those of a ram. The sails of the vessel were likewise black, and only the bone white of the figurehead showed any sign of color on that ship. We made our way by foot along many paths after that, through the deep woods and dark forests of the isle, until we came to the winding trail that led up a great and high rocky hilltop... encircled on all sides by higher, sharper crags. Nestled in the middle of which was an ancient castle with tall spires, a structure built by the inhabitants of this isle in an age long before I had been born in that life. For though I was not human, I was born the same as anyone else is prior to coming to dwell within that fortress's dread halls. Prior to being changed by forces beyond human comprehension! The walls of the castle were as dark as pitch, the roofs of all its' towers as sharp looking as the tips of spears, seeming to stab at the sky. Tall gates with iron portals, all built with an art the world would not see elsewhere for countless ages, loomed before us as we made our approach to the castle, putting the dark woodlands behind us far below. To many of the fair folk as walked in our company, they looked as if they were truly doomed. “How did it come to this?” one of their number asked, to which another answered: “What evil might we have done to deserve such a fate as being forced to live behind such awful walls!” but the queen chastised them and proclaimed: “That is enough, all of you! No one forced you to accompany me hither... you could have stayed behind, had you been of a mind to. You knew the old stories about this place, knew what you would be seeing once you came to it... there is no excuse for you to complain now that you are here. Accept your fate with dignity and do your mothers and fathers proud! Your cowardice is no credit to your supposedly noble race.” a statement that made me realize something about Ygabariel. She saw her people as fallen, not noble like so many rulers of the fair folk did. And she was correct! They had fallen far in grace and dignity, in all worldly power as well. Allowing Atlan to dominate them, they had given up much of all they had been. No longer were their warriors feared on the battlefields... humans were on the cusp of dominating this world entirely, and the elder races could never have at the time realized just how terrible that fact was. The gates of the castle were opened before us, by complicated mechanisms that clattered within the tall gatehouse with the sound of complex machinery filling the air. No flags, banners, or pennants could be seen upon the castle's spires, not even on the highest of all its' towers. This was not a place to be seen by outsiders... it was a refuge for those who were outsiders already. A home for those who had been by all others denied a place to dwell. To some, it was a hell, but to the goddess-queen who now eyed it as a child might eye a great mountain for the first time... it was a wonder she had never imagined possible in even her maddest or wildest of dreams. What terrified her servants, captivated her! She was not like the others of her race, clearly. More and more, she was coming to realize it clearly. We passed through the gatehouse and across the courtyard, surrounded by the many towers of the dark fortress all about us... as we approached the doors of the keep, the structure from which rose the highest of all the castle's towers. It had glass windows, something that was unheard of except in the great empires of that age. Not one of the people in our company who were of the fair folk had ever seen the like of this before. Yet, in all her wisdom, knowledge and learning the queen had learned of such things... especially in distant Atlan... so she alone was unmoved by the sight. We were welcomed into the keep by my loyal house servants, who all wore long, diaphanous black gowns and robes... and whose heads and eyebrows were kept shaved. A tradition that dated back so far that no one could even recall how it had begun. For a people regarded by many as primitive, the Children of the Fallen were gracious and devoted servants, skilled architects, and crafty with machines unknown to much of the world at that time. Like many of the elder races of the world, the fall of Atlan would see their decline as well... and there is no telling what they may have achieved had history gone differently than it had, in the end. But back then, they created many marvels!
At the dining hall, a great banquet was prepared in honor of the goddess-queen's reign as ruler of all the isle at my side, and she was given a black gown to wear for the occasion. One that looked beautiful on her, far more so than had the white one she wore previously! She smiled as she showed it to all her servants, who had now come to accept that this was to be their new home. The feast was a happy one, and countless fruits, vegetables, and roasts were prepared, with wine, water and fruit juices as well as milk flowing freely for whatever tastes anyone present may have had. The fireplace was not in use, for the day was a humid one and instead the windows were opened and several mechanical fans blew the air about so that all was comfortable and not oppressively hot. Chilled ice was brought out, for use in peoples' drinks, and frozen ice pops were offered to everyone for their relief and enjoyment. No one of the fair folk had ever seen things like the fans or tasted things like these ice pops... they were things a great deal ahead of their time, created with an art that was doomed to be forgotten until rediscovered in modern times once the great cataclysm struck. Only the gods themselves were known to enjoy this sort of lifestyle, and that is when everyone present including the goddess-queen herself realized something about me. Ygabariel said, her voice filled with a sense of surprise and wonderment: “So, when you had told me that you were like unto the gods yourself... you were not lying to me, were you! This is all just so magnificent, that I scarcely know what to say.” to which I answered her: “Say that you will consent to marry me, Queen Ygabariel of Viltharlia... not because you feel you have to, but because you wish to of your own free will! For everyone here on this isle lives by their own free will. The servants work due to loyalty, not compulsion... and there are no slaves. Merely people who toil because they want to work. Soldiers whose duty it is to protect, but who serve out of love for their island home... not because some ruler had pressed or drafted them into his or her service. We work together, here... for the good and for the advancement of all! And yet, you have said... people claim this place is like unto Hell. Yet, who do you see here suffering? People seem to hate what they cannot understand... and in my case and that of my subjects here, they do so out of jealousy more than anything else! So I must insist that if you do this then you are doing it of your own volition. I would not accept our union otherwise.” And she said yes, saying it like an exclamation of purest joy. We gathered in the keep's great temple for the ceremony that would bind us together for all our life together to come, and never had that temple seen any occasion so opulent, grand, and joyous before. My bride, dressed all in black... just as I was... strode with me arm in arm as we walked across the massive chamber before us. Countless of my subjects were there for this spectacular occasion, and the priests and priestesses presiding wore the black robes and hooded cloaks of their divinely appointed office. Upon the floor of the temple was a great mosaic depicting a thing so inhuman that it defied rational description... a thing with three eyes and wreathed in shadow and flame. None of the fair folk present realized that this was a depiction of my true form, though all of my people knew it. They had known it since first I came to walk among them. And somewhere deep inside of her, the goddess-queen knew it too. “Today, I marry the Devil.” she thought to herself silently, perhaps also thinking: “Yet, never have I known a man more angelic in all of my life.” We got to the altar, where I taught my bride the correct words to say in response to those spoken by the presiding priestesses who was overseeing the whole ceremony. It was a sealing ritual of the ancient ways, from a time before the gods set themselves up as masters over all. They would have called it blasphemous, but it was purer in its' form than any other ritual like it. Once the sealing ritual was complete, we each were given one half of a pedant to wear around our necks... each of ours on a black cord. When put together, the two halves formed an eye... for now we were awakened fully to each other. I let my human guise fade, allowed my bride to see my true form, and she smiled, so declaring loudly for all to hear: “That is the most beautiful and terrible thing I have ever seen in my entire life!” and once I resumed my physical guise we kissed, whilst at the same time the necessary blood sacrifices... the fair folk... were offered up by the priests to the old deities that had held sway in the times just before humanity first breathed the air of this planet.
Published 15th Aug 2022
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