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The Tower of Illusive Splendors
- The Tower of Illusive Splendors -
It was a rough and terrible fortress that dominated the landscape of the small isle on which it sat, like a primordial giant, immense and looming over those waters that lay all around, just off the coast of the mainland. Stained glass where the windows, but some were open and through the open ones it was not difficult to see for a great distance indeed. The shores of the isle were rough and jagged, but in starkest contrast was the pleasant countryside of the mainland, where placid streams babbled down from those high mountains that defined the farthest part of the landscape itself. The woods all thereupon were of a myriad shades of deep, dark green, and out of the trees could be seen rough-looking castles and many an old fort or several. I speak here of great distances, but from the tower all could be seen of them, and of other things as well, some more subtle in nature. No one traversed the wilder places beyond sight, no one knew for certain what might befall an errant traveler amid those parts of the land where protective walls and natural defenses were nowhere to be found. The granite cliffs of the quarry from which the foundations of these fortresses were built of the rock harvested therefrom, even those were far and very distant from the tower that rose up from the sea... and so that fortress had few visitors due to the nature of its' remoteness in a land of black forests and lingering shadows. Especially long did they linger when the seasons of the year turned to the time when the leaves of many trees began to turn and show colors. At this time many of those colors were orange and red, with few yellow hues between, and so there had been wherever evergreens were not present a kind of fiery look to the woodlands that lent them a nearly otherworldly air. One might have wondered if fair folk of elvish kin might dwell in such places, though all who sought them oft sought in vain and most who went on such quests were never heard from again.
I stood before that mighty tower, standing as I was upon the only bridge that linked it to the mainland, and I could not reason how anyone might have thought such a rough place could be a goodly dwelling. I found its' location lonely and desolate, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore was not a pleasant sound with so many sharp rocks and dangerous reefs thereabouts. Perhaps a hermit or a druid, or a practitioner of darker arts than any druid might consider did call that tower fortress home! But this to me did seem a place on a strange boundary between worlds, though naught was of it that might give such an impression overtly. It was a subtle thing, and a frightful notion. The sky was unpleasant on that day, a shade of grayish yellow such as when it had rained on a day that aught to have been sunny for the most part. To the west was the sea, and over that vastness my mind could imagine countless wonders... and even more dangers. I had never been beyond that tower prior to that point, never over those waters. Not those particular, peculiar waters anyway. There was no blue peeking through the clouds, for thick were they and gloomy. The reddish glow of the setting sun brought fiery hues to the sky that were of a sort to rival those of the colorful woodlands of which I spoke previously. Yet I could not afford long to wait and regard these glories of the natural world, for I had come hither to learn from the one who was said to dwell within this tower that I now stood at the very gates of. Like an ant I felt, before the form of a great titan... or like a mortal before a towering god out of ancient legends. I look up at those windows, the ones that were open, and I realized that indeed this place was inhabited quite evidently. It would be nightfall soon, and with it the blackness like a void that is only broken by moonlight and the twinkling of impossibly distant stars. I ran my slender hand across my shaved head, and breathed heavily after so long a journey on foot, through paths both rough and secret. I had not slept for two days by that point... and I was hopeful to be granted permission to sleep within the tower by the one who called it home. It had been to the point where I felt dizzy and somewhat faint, though I had eaten well enough at several inns along the way. Why I had not paused to rest at them, I did not know! I certainly could have, had I not been in such mad haste. For surely, only madness could drive someone at the expense of their very health and sanity! This land was strange to me though, and I did not wish to linger long in certain spots.
There was no answering from the other side of the gates of the tower, those large wooden portals that were many times larger than the tallest of men. I knocked hard, and called loudly, for I knew that there was someone there... lights could be seen within even the closed windows of this structure. I could only wait and see who might answer, yet no one did after a very long, long period of waiting. And so, I tried my luck and pushed upon the gates, which opened as I did so... they were no locked, oddly enough. So it was, that either the one who lived therein feared no trouble from visitors, or I was in fact expected. If I was expected, then this was uncanny for I had no previous correspondence with anyone from this lofty dwelling. I journeyed hither of my own accord, unannounced and perhaps ill-prepared. I looked at the other side of the gates as I entered the tower and saw that there had been quite sturdy and secure locks and bolts, but then why were they not in use I wondered. This made me wary, and so I drew my dagger from the sheathe at my belt, creeping with care through the hallways before me. All was bright and of a comfortable appearance... the residence of royalty by the way the furnishings appeared, and by the great antiquity of the tower's tapestries and other artworks. I eventually reached a series of room that were all arranged around the central spiral staircase that lay in the tower's exact center... and seeing a bedroom that was unoccupied I passed out upon the bed it contained, unable to remain conscious any longer after so long without rest or sleep. The bed was comfortable enough, and of a sort fit for a noble... rather than the rough straw or feathers of peasant beds. There was a lamp on a small table next to the bed, and it so cast a warm glow all throughout the room, one that reminded me of home. I set my black silk cloak to one side next to the bed before giving in to my weariness, and that was the last thing I remember doing.
I did not dream at first, though dreams came all the same... and when they did, I could see in them so many variations of events from the past of my own life, and glimpses of events I had never lived before and so I thought perhaps they pertained to some future yet to transpire. Shifting realities flitted here and there before my dreaming sight, and those realities were of every era of history prior to that point and of a sort that was also of histories yet to come. I saw nations being put to the sword, conquerors coming to the fore only to perish in obscurity... and the lives of people of every sort, from the lowest of the low to those considered noble or famous. I saw my own life as a strand in a greater tapestry, and I knew where my strand had been, seeing also where it might lead in the years to come. I saw my youth, and I saw in the course of those days the innocence I feared still to lose. There was a goddess-like figure who strode across the images of my dreams on that occasion, and she was familiar to me though also strange. She told me that I was soon to reach a place where none had walked before save heroes out of legend... and she said that this journey would task me greatly. Armies had perished seeking this tower, and not one of any kings or queens of the greatest of nations could say why or how... and yet, I saw no bones and not a single trace of human remains outside the tower. But in these dreams, the ghosts of the dead soldiers, of many a bold and valiant warrior did gather on the bridge outside. They gathered, but were unable, any of them, to cross the threshold of the tower's gates. Something stopped them, kept them from being able to accomplish their quest, and something had slain them to a man as well.... in such a way that nothing remained of their physical forms any longer. It was a nightmare, my dream, at this point... and I wished the goddess in the dream could have lingered longer ere the horrors came. Pale was this goddess, with hair of raven hue and softer than spun threads, her hair being seemingly of spun night. She was so pale that it was frightful, and her eyes vacant of any light... yet there was illumination in those eyes of a very uncanny sort. Her full lips were as red as freshly spilled blood, and her manner was welcoming and as a mother's manner might be if she be a goodly mother. “Who are you?” I asked, but she did not tell me, if a name she had to tell. “Mark all that you see in these visions...” she commanded, adding: “For within the fabric of these tapestries of dreaming, countless truths therein do await.” and so I did as she bade of me, and paid close attention to the bizarre, surreal images that came at me like phantasms out of graves.
Something occurred to me, and I so realized that I had known this goddess once, and that we had been very close, like lovers might be. Ever had I known her, in many forms, in many guises, and ever would I thus know her again, and that was as it should ever be. Our meeting was destined, ordained, fated, and there was something in these visions that my ancient companion wished for me to discover. “When it is that you awake, and soon you must... go forth up the great stairs of the tower. There, you shall meet the one who has been expecting your arrival for all the days of your life.” And that was what the goddess told me whilst I studied the visions I was presented with. She was imperious in her voice, and as soon as I awoke and saw that it was morning... I knew that I needed to begin my day and accomplish the odd quest upon which my feet were set to walk. I felt at home in that tower, but could not say why... I took a bit to wash in a side chamber set up for this purpose, and I shaved my face and upper body as was my way. I despised body hair, and was only half male as it was. In a closet there were many beautiful and elegant choices of clothing, undergarments neatly set upon the closet's floor. All of the garments were of a size that fit me perfectly I came to see, as I tried them on to decide what I wished to wear. I did not feel as if I was taking the belongings of another, but instead somehow I knew that these were mine. For a reason I could not comprehend logically, they had always been mine! I donned a long yellow colored skirt and wore a matching yellow blouse with long, billowing sleeves. The blouse was tied in the front with a drawstring, like a peasant blouse is but of a quality more approaching the attire of nobility. Just under the skirt, I put on a pair of bloomer-like undergarments and over them a light canary yellow slip. The skirt and blouse were more of a mustard shade of yellow. There were cosmetics laid out on a desk with a mirror, and I took some time to put on the makeup that I normally favored. I looked rather pretty once this was completed, and put a pair of pearl earrings in my ears to complete my look. Dark yellow slippers were nearby, and I slid my feet into them before venturing out of those chambers in which odd as it sounded I had begun to feel at home. Before ascending the stairs I noticed a kitchen and also there was a great dining hall across the way... and I ventured into the dining hall upon hearing sounds coming from that direction. I glanced out one of the open windows, and noticed that there were chunks of rock that were now floating in the air by some strange power... and yet otherwise all looked as normal as it had the day previous. I walked over that window, distracted as I was by this marvel, and saw a terribly vast and thick reddish mist forming in the forest off in the distance. Within it were shapes moving, of a sort that were indistinct and impossible to make out the exact forms of. There was magic at work here... and it was magic of a truly alien variety to anything I had seen the like of before. Then I was reminded of the sounds I heard coming from the dining room, distinctly those of voices, and I knew that I had to go there and see who or what was awaiting me. My heart felt nervous, and my hands began to shake a bit, as oft they did when I felt anxious or nervous to such a degree as this. This place was very strange!
I stepped thence into the dining hall, and it was a splendid place indeed with a fantastically elaborate chandelier that held candles providing all the warm light that the hall needed for its' occupants to enjoy. Food and drinks of many varieties were laid out on silvery plates at a great rectangular table covered in a richly embroidered red tablecloth, and there were many dutiful servants waiting upon noblemen and noblewomen who were seated in comfortable chairs all around the magnificently prepared table, where they ate, drank, conversed and made merry, their manners as impeccable as their flawless attire. These people were all very tall too, not a man below six feet in height, and every woman at least a head taller than the tallest women I knew. Though even they were not as tall as the men I saw here! I felt very short and small in comparison, and I was at first intimidated by their great height... and worried about how I might be regarded by the lot of them. Or how they might regard me. Even so, I walked toward the table, cleared my throat and asked if I was expected. One of the women called out, her voice very light and of a lilting tone: “Oh of course you have been expected, dear! Here, be seated right next to me, all is well.”
She wore a long gown of the softest silk, as elaborately embroidered as the tablecloth seemed to be... and the gown was of an ancient style that today would be comparable to something one may associate with the Greeks or the Romans of old. The gown was light pink and the woman's hair was of a platinum blonde that was so light it appeared almost white... which matched her nearly albino skin tone. She had perfectly soft blue eyes, and her laughter was delightful to hear. Her ears were somewhat pointed, and it was on seeing this that I knew she was not human... no one seated at that table was. And I... I no longer knew how to regard myself in terms of humanity. I had turned my back on humanity a decade previous, and that was when I decided to set forth in search of this tower. I felt like I belonged in the company of these sorts of elfin peoples... so unlike their kin whom I had made the acquaintance of in the past, who had been of a far more haughty, vain, and arrogant personality than these warm, delightful people I was in the company of now. This felt like a family I never knew I had been missing, and I began to wonder if I was falling under some sort of an enchantment or glamour. I partook of the food and drink that was offered me, and chose fruit juice instead of wine since I needed my wits about me. The woman whom I was sitting next to kept putting her hand on my thigh and smiling at me mischievously. “Would you be agreeable about remaining here with us for a time?” she asked, and I did not know how to answer her. And so, I stated: “I was planning to climb the stairs and have a talk with the one whose tower this is, if that is not at all a problem for anyone here. I am a stranger to this place and do not know your customs, so you must truly forgive me if there is some protocol I am unaware of that has to come first.” to which the noble lady replied: “Oh, you are no stranger to us... to me! You have always belonged here. If you wish to climb the stairs, then allow me to climb them with you and show you the way to the one whose tower this is.” I agreed to that, and she added: “Then, perhaps, you will consent to remain.” and as she said that she gave my thigh a bit of a squeeze and licked her lips suggestively. I had no doubt what her designs upon me were, and yet strangely there was something seductive about her eager manner. I had been with women of the night who tried to put forth a manner such as this, and yet who could not oft do it convincingly. But this woman, she made me feel good and at ease, and made me believe that she held for me a measure of actual love despite us only having just met. Once we had been through eating, the woman took me by the hand and led me to the base of the great stairs, pointing upward and explaining to me: “The one who dwells on the highest floor, that same is the one whose tower this is. The climb is long, and we will need to stop at various points on some of the upper floors so as not to tire ourselves. I trust you are not in any great hurry?” and I admitted that at present I was not. She noticed the dagger I kept belted at my waist, and asked me why I needed it here. I answered: “It is out of habit, my lady, for in the past I have ventured into certain strange places only to wish I had brought protection with me of this variety.” she agreed that my reasoning was wise, adding: “Better to be safe, I suppose, than sorry.”
A good way up the stairs, we stopped just as the lady had advised me, and there we were in a round chamber with eight smaller chambers encircling the central staircase. These were darkly lit, and all the decorations and furnishings of this part of the tower were rather minimal and perhaps even of a spartan sensibility. I felt a sense of dread from the eight chambers, and told the elfin noblewoman that I had no desire to venture into any of them. “What do you fear from those rooms?” she asked me, and I admitted that I did not honestly know. “Let me show you something.” she said, and went into the nearest of these rooms, emerging afterward with a silver ring that had a fiery red ruby set into it. She offered it unto me, and I found that the band on the ring was adjustable and so I fit it unto my left hand's ring finger, where it felt comfortable and looked beautiful. “You chose the wedding finger.” remarked the lady, who then said: “Perhaps since this is my gift to you, this means we are meant to be together always.” A part of me was yearning for her, for this love she clearly had for me. But I did not even know her name! I then decided to ask her what it was, and so I inquired: “Good lady, would you mind telling me your name?”
She replied by telling me: “I think you know it, or a part of you does anyway, and so I shall wait for you to recall it to your memory. Consider it a little game, one for just we two to play together!” I had a mind to be impatient, to demand answers, but I composed myself and accepted what she told me. I said of it to her: “Very well, if that is the way it must be. But I tell you, I have never met you before today!” and out of another room stepped a man wearing a long black robe with a hood, who appeared to have no face, only shadow where a face should be. The man exuded an aura of dread and terror, and he was of normal, average height, though his appearance was frightfully intimidating. He did not speak, but his breath was loud and sounded labored. “Who are you?” I asked him as he strode towards me. But he had no answer for my question. The elfin noblewoman stepped back, giving the newcomer room to speak with me, or so I imagined was his reason for approaching me as he did. And yet, he would not say even a word! “Sir, I must insist that you tell me at least what it is that you want from me!” I demanded, and my voice was filled with fear quite visibly. There was a chill in the tower now, at least where this man stood, and when he breathed you could see his breath like when it is cold in the wintertime. Though as chill as it felt, it should not have been possible for the air to become that cold, that fast. The faceless one stood there, and if he had eyes beneath that hood they were most definitely staring at me. Staring into my very soul, I could imagine! “Are you the one whose tower this is?” I asked him, but still there was silence from him and silence only. My hand moved to the dagger at my belt, for I feared some sort of menace from this person, or creature, or whatever it actually was. Sounds emerged from the cloaked man, and they were not words, not at first... instead, it sounded like machinery trying to approximate a voice. Soon, the sounds became words, and the black cloaked man spoke at last in a way that I could fully understand... the voice was unnatural sounding, but clear regardless of that: “No, I am not the one whose tower this is, I am a messenger only. Only the worthy may approach the upper floors! Only those who are meant to reach them. Tell me... are you worthy?” and I was not certain how to answer, saying in reply only: “That is not for me to decide. If my lady feels I am worthy, then perhaps I am! But if you feel that I am not, then give me a reason why you feel that way and we shall discuss the matter.” Then the creature, for this was I realized no man at all but something else, made more bizarre sounds of a sort like those I described previously. There was a puff of steam or something akin to steam, that blew out from the robed figure's hood, and its' hands seemed to tense as if it were getting ready for a fight. I kept my hand firmly on my dagger, for something about this seemed very wrong. I did not once take my eyes off of this thing, but I did call out to the noblewoman, asking: “My lady, do you know whatever is the meaning of this messenger? I thought our ascent, would be uneventful.” but she did not answer me, her gaze being firmly fixed on the messenger, her eyes wide with shock and perhaps even terror. Most clear it was, that she was just as unnerved by this apparition as I was. “You know fear.” the messenger stated, adding: “That is wise! But fear does not make one worthy.” and the messenger's left hand emitted some sort of long fiery looking beam of light out of it. “Look out! It means to slay you.” cried out the woman, but I was already certain of that fact. I spun around behind the messenger, which seemed to confuse it. It lashed out, its' movements clumsy and there was a strange creaking and clattering sound when it did so. The thing's movements were stiff, I realized, and what I took for labored breath was some sort of steam that the messenger emitted from its' hood every so often. Whatever I was facing, it was definitely not entirely human. Perhaps not even human in any capacity! I kept evading its' attacks, the fiery sword it wielded, for such it what the peculiar beam seemed to be, kept missing as the messenger swung it in great arcs that were easy to predict. Taking a chance I rushed in and stuck my dagger deep into its' back as hard as I could before withdrawing the blade and leaping back out of the creature's way before it had a mind to react to my attack. There was blood on my blade for certain... this thing was human after all, or some variety of humanity at the very least. It tried to reach one of its' arms around to feel its' back... but in doing so the messenger appeared to become unbalanced. I ran around, and pushed the man over.
The beam sword went out with a fizzle as the messenger hit the floor with a clanging sound. I pulled the hood back and saw that there was indeed a human face beneath it but with much of its' face replaced by mechanical parts and pieces. The man's entire lower jaw was made of metal, and tubes ran out from both sides of the man's mouth, connecting to ports that were set into his neck and shoulders. Four tubes in all, two on both sides... all of them working with a pumping action similar to a blacksmith's bellows. Half of his face was metallic, and only the right upper part of his face was not. His right eye was normal and hazel in color... whilst his left was like unto a camera lens which kept trying to focus, set as it was into the metal plating that covered his face's left side. I cut the tubes as quickly as I could, and they all expelled air as I did so. Not steam after all, but the air was being expelled much like bursts of steam! This caused the messenger to struggle to breath it seemed, and seizing the moment I plunged my dagger into the man's right eye, which at least half blinded him... though I was not certain if this would prove to be lethal enough to stop this enemy. I pulled my dagger out, and a great torrent of bloom came with it and spilled out from the messenger's eye socket. He tried to reach up and touch his face, but his arms had a great difficulty attempting to do so, clumsy as they were... mechanical and robotic as they were. With his breath leaving his lungs due to the severed tubes, this effort was enough to cause him to at the last expire, soon breathing no more. The messenger was dead, and my elfin noble companion was quite glad to notice this, her relief evident as she exclaimed: “You killed it! You killed the messenger.” and she rushed over to put her arms around my shoulders, giving me a big warm hug before kissing me on the lips with a great deal of barely retrained passion. “Thank you! You do not know what you did, in doing such a bold deed.” She told me then how she kept staring so fearfully and intently at the mostly mechanical man because she always had been taught to consider him to be the guardian of the tower. That is how I learned that she had been doing so. “So are you all prisoners here then?” I asked, to which she answered: “We were until now! Now... I do not know what will happen. I mean, there is nothing to stop us all from leaving now if we wish to. But I doubt the others ever would! They are content to stay here, to be pampered as they are... whilst me, I would like to accompany you when you decide to leave. At least... if you would have me.” I told her that I would like that very much, but that first I needed to meet with whomever it was that ruled over this place. “Have you ever met the one whose tower this is? I mean, clearly, you have encountered the messenger before, but what of the master or mistress of the tower itself!” and she confided in me that she had not, elaborating: “No one here has ever seen that one and returned to speak of it... all who ascended these stairs never came back down again. That is why to be honest I was not in a hurry to take you up this way... though I knew I had to, all the same.” I found that choice of wording curious. Why did she have to, if she did not want to? I chose not to press her on the matter though. Instead, I let her lead me higher and higher, after we had taken a bit to rest and catch our breaths after that awful encounter with the messenger. I was becoming fond of this lady, very much.
As we ascended the stairs, we still had to stop every so often at some of the floors, especially as we so began to reach the upper levels... but there were no further adversities to experience when we did so. I was thankful for that much, for after seeing the horror that was the messenger I did not wish to know if there may have been worse monstrosities than that in this place. I had cleaned off my dagger using the dead messenger's cloak and once more it was sheathed at my belt, where I hoped it could remain for the rest of my sojourn in the tower. Though I was no stranger to combat and danger, my heart was that of a poet and an artist first and foremost... I preferred a peaceful solution to problems, when there could be such a solution. The elfin noblewoman kept staring at me, I noticed, her gaze becoming more intent and intense, the higher into the tower we ascended. She was well and truly smitten with me, I reasoned, thus I had resolved to return the affection as much as possible. We walked hand in hand, our hands held in each other's grasp affectionately. I smiled at her whenever I found my gaze meeting hers... that, happily.
At the top of the stairs, we arrived in a large circular chamber with a high domed ceiling. Eight pillars rose tall and stately at eight precise points about the chamber's circumference... carvings that appeared to be entwined snakes decorated each of these slender columns. Gothic style arches were between each of the pillars, and the chamber's architecture was very sharp for the most part. There were hanging pots with leafy and flowering plants in them, and tapestries and draperies of elegant, splendid design. I had a great fondness for the more comfortable aspects of this part of the tower, and the scent of the flowers in its' fragrance mixed with some sort of incense that was burning to create a pleasing air. The colors of the stained glass windows, on a sunnier day than this, would have caused rainbow hues to land in many corners of the room. But it proved to be a gloomy day outside, and so the best light came from colorful stained glass lanterns and some candles that were to be seen here and there about the chamber. There was a large bed in one place, circular in design and with comfortable coverings and pillows. Upon it too were many cushions of an almost oriental design, and the whole of this place exuded luxury to rival the sort known in the palaces of kings and queens. Tapestries decorated some of the walls, and there were bookshelves containing ancient looking tomes and yellowed scrolls and parchments. There was nothing sinister here, only expressions of knowledge and comfort. The elfin noblewoman looked about her, and then regarded me with a loving expression in her eyes. She seemed thoughtful for a moment, as if she were unsure of what to say to me, as if choosing her words with care... and then she told me something I had not expected to hear: “So, what do you think of my chambers?” she asked, adding: “It has been a long time since I have been able to contemplate leaving my home, but thanks to you we can both leave this tower together. This tower needs its' mistress no longer!” and I knew by this that she was the one whose tower this was, after all. She said my name then, and told me: “I have long been awaiting the day and the hour when you would arrive to deliver me from this burden, from my servitude to this place. So it has come to pass, and in doing as I expected you would... you have fulfilled my expectations and in all ways exceeded them.” I asked how she knew my name, and she told me: “I am no witch, nor am I a prophetess of any renown! But the gift of seeing into one's dreams is something I have possessed for the bulk of my rather lengthy life. And when you fell asleep upon your arrival here, I looked into yours and learned your name thereby, along with many other secrets. For the first time... I realized, that someone had come hither who was honorable and bold enough to do what needed to be done, and no I was never at any point using you to get you to do it either. I am sincere in my feelings for you, for having looked into the depths of your dreams I had learned of your sadness and sorrows, and all that you hide from the world. It is for this reason that I wish to become your companion and your love, if you so desire it. Let us depart from this place on the morrow... but spend the night with me here in my chambers, so that in our lovemaking we might both ease each other's hidden pains.” I ached to agree, and yet I felt afraid of this tall and glorious woman, knowing that she harbored so many secrets of which I might never learn the full truth thereof. “Why leave, if now you are the one in control here? Why not make this place your own more truly than ever, and be its' queen rather than its' prisoner!” I offered, to which she was visibly hesitant to give a reply. I added: “I can understand a desire to leave, but have you any home outside of here that might be waiting for you? I know that I do, but it is quite distant and across the land and far away, far to the east. There, you would be welcome as my queen! But could you leave this behind, this being seemingly all you know, in order to make this happen?” She then asked me a question in turn, her tone genuinely puzzled: “If you have your own kingdom, than why did you set out to this tower in the first place? I mean, what drove you to journey so far! I had been told in a dream to expect your arrival, but what brought you to embark upon this quest of yours, I wonder.” It was then, that I began to truly be curious since I explained then to her: “My dear lady, if you truly did look into my dreams then you do already know the answers to all your questions! I have no further secrets to keep from you, even though still you have not told me your name.” She realized then that this was true, and appeared to blush a bit.
The tower's glamour then failed, and all became as it truly was... the walls cracked with great age, the decorations and furnishings weathered, the tapestries tattered and faded. The plants and flowers were as if they had been long dead, the bed was covered with rags and pillows and cushions that were no longer comfortable. All was ancient beyond counting, and the windows had no glass in them to speak of. Out of them I saw that there were no floating rocks like those I had seen before. The magic was gone from the tower, its' spells broken by a simple statement of fact that I had spoken. My clothing, however, was still splendid and was all that was not tattered and ruined looking. The woman who stood before me... she was still very similar in appearance to what she looked like previously, only now her hair was a lot longer, down to her knees, and blacker than a starless night. Wilder looking too, with deep blood red highlights, and streaks of white here and there. Her ears were sharper, more pointy than they had been, and her mouth contained only fanged teeth. She was still albino pale, only now I saw that her eyes were crimson red rather than blue. About her she wore a black cloak that in design resembled how the wings of a bat look when folded, and her gown was black with reddish trim but of the same design as it had been when the glamour was in place. She was beautiful still, and seemed agelessly youthful, but I saw that she was not of the elfin peoples... she was something older, and more sinister by far. She was of a race and kindred close to my own spiritual kin, and today she would be called a vampire. Though back in those days, a different name was used for that darkly noble people. She looked deep into my eyes at that moment, and said to me: “We are more alike then either of us might wish to admit, shape-changer. The only difference is in what masks we choose to wear! I wonder what lies beneath all of yours.” to which I told her: “I think you know! You see? I can be as elusive with my words as you can, daughter of Lilith. I knew your mother well, and if you would still have me... I would know you well also.” And in that moment we did not need to tell each other our names, for all that we had not said was in all our revelations to each other made plain to see visibly. She was an outcast, just as I was... a rebel just as I am to this very day... and a spirited, passionate, noble lady. We would both become the bane of those ages in which we dwelt, our dark presence causing changes in the world and in others that could not be undone. I had been drawn hither by the spirit of Lilith, who wished for me to meet her daughter so that the two of us could share our destinies. That was the beginning of many things, and ere we left that old and terrible tower... I had indeed spent the night with this vampire princess. This all took place in an age of myth and legend, in a time before time... in a sense. I still have dreams of that era, of that place, of the hour of my meeting with her. And I wrote of it herein exactly as it exists within all my memories.
As we passed the servants' area of the tower, I saw that the other nobles seated around the table were all long dead, their bones not moving and their feast but dust and ancient mold. Rats scurried about, as did insects and worms, and the smell was terrible. The servants were also long dead, but they were not immobile... for their bones had been made animate, by the mechanisms that made them into what they now were. Lifeless automatons, who still went through the motions of chores that ceased to have proper meaning when the ones they were created to serve died. The only living souls here, after all, were that terrible messenger and the vampire princess herself... other than me, of course. Now I knew well why it was that my new mistress wished to depart from this tower! She would indeed be welcome back in the lands wherein my kingdom lay... far more so now, than when she appeared to be an elfin noblewoman. As we neared the exit of the tower, my attire changed into all black colors, as black as ebony... though of a design the same as I had described before. “We are well suited for each other, my lady!” I remarked to her as we crossed the gateway of the tower and began to make our way across the bridge. The gates had been smashed in long, long ago, wooden splinters, shards and pieces were in piles and heaps lying here and there. In the shadows of the gateway there did lie the bones of the soldiers and warriors who had come in search of this tower never to return. All them slain to the last man, left where they all fell.
None of this was the work of magic, though it might seem such to those who know not the sciences that the most ancient inhabitants of this world once employed and had at their disposal. In those days... the old magics, as you might call them if choosing not to call them sciences, were still able to be known and learned by those with a will to master them. Like the fell princess herself, I too had magic that was at my command, and in time I would teach her some of it, just as she would teach me some of her own. This was long, long before the great cataclysm that doomed so much of the world as it had been back in those times... and as we made our way back to my kingdom the vampire princess and I had to be highly cautious of both humans and elfin kind alike who had no love for beings such as my companion. That was the sad irony of the fair folk! Their long years afforded them no greater wisdom for having so long a span of life as they possessed back then. Many were quite cruel, and quick to persecute the children and descendants of Lilith, a prejudice encouraged by the gods and their emissaries. The bad blood that existed between the gods and I was itself legendary, and so I protected my new queen with the utmost gallantry until at long last we were back safe within the borders of my realm. A place the gods and the fair folk alike shunned, partly out of fear of what was there and partly out of a dread of the unknown... for mine was a domain that to them was of shadows and darkness, though the sun shone there just as hotly and the skies there could be just as clear and blue as anyplace else on Earth. And so did I bring to my home that daughter of the fallen goddess Lilith, and in the absence of that goddess I did allow the princess to rise high as the next queen of all that was dark and infernal. How we were hated by so very many, and yet we did not once in those days seek to impose our way on anyone else, nor did we seek to expand our realm beyond its' rightful borders! We taught secrets unto mankind, as Lilith and I had, and as others of our kind had as well... and gave them gifts of learning. It was only when those gifts started to be misused that the gods cried that we had corrupted humanity by helping them to be free from any sort of ignorance or tyranny... and when they brought conflict to our lands, that is when we looked far beyond our borders and realized that we could remain isolated from the world no longer. I had many, many names even back in those early times on Earth... as did she who was Lilith's daughter. The fallen angels who served us in our self-imposed isolation knew them all, and I knew all of theirs in turn. The vampire princess who came to be their queen, she was not nameless! But in this work I shall not name her, for the power of her ancient name is still great. And from the shadows, Lilith watched all that we did and was pleased by what she beheld with her many eyes! For in the dark, her eyes were many and her forms without number, just as my forms are equally numerous. She was never as absent as it thus had seemed to me at the time, but back then I did not fully comprehend the grandeur and scope of all that she truly was as the embodiment of death, and of the night itself. Many of the fair folk who came to learn that Lilith's daughter was now my queen, as many as found it frightful were darkly fascinated and due to that fascination fell to become fallen themselves. Those fallen fair folk came unto our lands and willingly chose to serve us as their new masters, in turn being afforded more rights and privileges than their own kind had ever granted them. Those same became known as dark elves by their former kindred and were far from the last of their kind to grace the surface of this world and the subterranean places far beneath it that they later would prefer to call home. Doubtless they are there still, in their hidden realms and lonely dwellings, keeping far from the doings of humanity and its' troubles... growing wiser with the passing of the centuries, increasing in knowledge that would come to surpass many sciences even now, so that men and women might call it magic were they face to face with it. And sometimes, when the stars align just right and the moon is in a certain phase... there are still places like unto that lonely and forsaken tower, where one might slip into a glamour and find themselves in a place of tremendous enchantments and splendors. Only to later behold the true grim face of paradises that became desolate when those who established such wonders became so enamored of illusions that they lost sight of the ruin that their reality had become whilst they sojourned in dreamlike wonder, awakening to face horror.
It was a rough and terrible fortress that dominated the landscape of the small isle on which it sat, like a primordial giant, immense and looming over those waters that lay all around, just off the coast of the mainland. Stained glass where the windows, but some were open and through the open ones it was not difficult to see for a great distance indeed. The shores of the isle were rough and jagged, but in starkest contrast was the pleasant countryside of the mainland, where placid streams babbled down from those high mountains that defined the farthest part of the landscape itself. The woods all thereupon were of a myriad shades of deep, dark green, and out of the trees could be seen rough-looking castles and many an old fort or several. I speak here of great distances, but from the tower all could be seen of them, and of other things as well, some more subtle in nature. No one traversed the wilder places beyond sight, no one knew for certain what might befall an errant traveler amid those parts of the land where protective walls and natural defenses were nowhere to be found. The granite cliffs of the quarry from which the foundations of these fortresses were built of the rock harvested therefrom, even those were far and very distant from the tower that rose up from the sea... and so that fortress had few visitors due to the nature of its' remoteness in a land of black forests and lingering shadows. Especially long did they linger when the seasons of the year turned to the time when the leaves of many trees began to turn and show colors. At this time many of those colors were orange and red, with few yellow hues between, and so there had been wherever evergreens were not present a kind of fiery look to the woodlands that lent them a nearly otherworldly air. One might have wondered if fair folk of elvish kin might dwell in such places, though all who sought them oft sought in vain and most who went on such quests were never heard from again.
I stood before that mighty tower, standing as I was upon the only bridge that linked it to the mainland, and I could not reason how anyone might have thought such a rough place could be a goodly dwelling. I found its' location lonely and desolate, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore was not a pleasant sound with so many sharp rocks and dangerous reefs thereabouts. Perhaps a hermit or a druid, or a practitioner of darker arts than any druid might consider did call that tower fortress home! But this to me did seem a place on a strange boundary between worlds, though naught was of it that might give such an impression overtly. It was a subtle thing, and a frightful notion. The sky was unpleasant on that day, a shade of grayish yellow such as when it had rained on a day that aught to have been sunny for the most part. To the west was the sea, and over that vastness my mind could imagine countless wonders... and even more dangers. I had never been beyond that tower prior to that point, never over those waters. Not those particular, peculiar waters anyway. There was no blue peeking through the clouds, for thick were they and gloomy. The reddish glow of the setting sun brought fiery hues to the sky that were of a sort to rival those of the colorful woodlands of which I spoke previously. Yet I could not afford long to wait and regard these glories of the natural world, for I had come hither to learn from the one who was said to dwell within this tower that I now stood at the very gates of. Like an ant I felt, before the form of a great titan... or like a mortal before a towering god out of ancient legends. I look up at those windows, the ones that were open, and I realized that indeed this place was inhabited quite evidently. It would be nightfall soon, and with it the blackness like a void that is only broken by moonlight and the twinkling of impossibly distant stars. I ran my slender hand across my shaved head, and breathed heavily after so long a journey on foot, through paths both rough and secret. I had not slept for two days by that point... and I was hopeful to be granted permission to sleep within the tower by the one who called it home. It had been to the point where I felt dizzy and somewhat faint, though I had eaten well enough at several inns along the way. Why I had not paused to rest at them, I did not know! I certainly could have, had I not been in such mad haste. For surely, only madness could drive someone at the expense of their very health and sanity! This land was strange to me though, and I did not wish to linger long in certain spots.
There was no answering from the other side of the gates of the tower, those large wooden portals that were many times larger than the tallest of men. I knocked hard, and called loudly, for I knew that there was someone there... lights could be seen within even the closed windows of this structure. I could only wait and see who might answer, yet no one did after a very long, long period of waiting. And so, I tried my luck and pushed upon the gates, which opened as I did so... they were no locked, oddly enough. So it was, that either the one who lived therein feared no trouble from visitors, or I was in fact expected. If I was expected, then this was uncanny for I had no previous correspondence with anyone from this lofty dwelling. I journeyed hither of my own accord, unannounced and perhaps ill-prepared. I looked at the other side of the gates as I entered the tower and saw that there had been quite sturdy and secure locks and bolts, but then why were they not in use I wondered. This made me wary, and so I drew my dagger from the sheathe at my belt, creeping with care through the hallways before me. All was bright and of a comfortable appearance... the residence of royalty by the way the furnishings appeared, and by the great antiquity of the tower's tapestries and other artworks. I eventually reached a series of room that were all arranged around the central spiral staircase that lay in the tower's exact center... and seeing a bedroom that was unoccupied I passed out upon the bed it contained, unable to remain conscious any longer after so long without rest or sleep. The bed was comfortable enough, and of a sort fit for a noble... rather than the rough straw or feathers of peasant beds. There was a lamp on a small table next to the bed, and it so cast a warm glow all throughout the room, one that reminded me of home. I set my black silk cloak to one side next to the bed before giving in to my weariness, and that was the last thing I remember doing.
I did not dream at first, though dreams came all the same... and when they did, I could see in them so many variations of events from the past of my own life, and glimpses of events I had never lived before and so I thought perhaps they pertained to some future yet to transpire. Shifting realities flitted here and there before my dreaming sight, and those realities were of every era of history prior to that point and of a sort that was also of histories yet to come. I saw nations being put to the sword, conquerors coming to the fore only to perish in obscurity... and the lives of people of every sort, from the lowest of the low to those considered noble or famous. I saw my own life as a strand in a greater tapestry, and I knew where my strand had been, seeing also where it might lead in the years to come. I saw my youth, and I saw in the course of those days the innocence I feared still to lose. There was a goddess-like figure who strode across the images of my dreams on that occasion, and she was familiar to me though also strange. She told me that I was soon to reach a place where none had walked before save heroes out of legend... and she said that this journey would task me greatly. Armies had perished seeking this tower, and not one of any kings or queens of the greatest of nations could say why or how... and yet, I saw no bones and not a single trace of human remains outside the tower. But in these dreams, the ghosts of the dead soldiers, of many a bold and valiant warrior did gather on the bridge outside. They gathered, but were unable, any of them, to cross the threshold of the tower's gates. Something stopped them, kept them from being able to accomplish their quest, and something had slain them to a man as well.... in such a way that nothing remained of their physical forms any longer. It was a nightmare, my dream, at this point... and I wished the goddess in the dream could have lingered longer ere the horrors came. Pale was this goddess, with hair of raven hue and softer than spun threads, her hair being seemingly of spun night. She was so pale that it was frightful, and her eyes vacant of any light... yet there was illumination in those eyes of a very uncanny sort. Her full lips were as red as freshly spilled blood, and her manner was welcoming and as a mother's manner might be if she be a goodly mother. “Who are you?” I asked, but she did not tell me, if a name she had to tell. “Mark all that you see in these visions...” she commanded, adding: “For within the fabric of these tapestries of dreaming, countless truths therein do await.” and so I did as she bade of me, and paid close attention to the bizarre, surreal images that came at me like phantasms out of graves.
Something occurred to me, and I so realized that I had known this goddess once, and that we had been very close, like lovers might be. Ever had I known her, in many forms, in many guises, and ever would I thus know her again, and that was as it should ever be. Our meeting was destined, ordained, fated, and there was something in these visions that my ancient companion wished for me to discover. “When it is that you awake, and soon you must... go forth up the great stairs of the tower. There, you shall meet the one who has been expecting your arrival for all the days of your life.” And that was what the goddess told me whilst I studied the visions I was presented with. She was imperious in her voice, and as soon as I awoke and saw that it was morning... I knew that I needed to begin my day and accomplish the odd quest upon which my feet were set to walk. I felt at home in that tower, but could not say why... I took a bit to wash in a side chamber set up for this purpose, and I shaved my face and upper body as was my way. I despised body hair, and was only half male as it was. In a closet there were many beautiful and elegant choices of clothing, undergarments neatly set upon the closet's floor. All of the garments were of a size that fit me perfectly I came to see, as I tried them on to decide what I wished to wear. I did not feel as if I was taking the belongings of another, but instead somehow I knew that these were mine. For a reason I could not comprehend logically, they had always been mine! I donned a long yellow colored skirt and wore a matching yellow blouse with long, billowing sleeves. The blouse was tied in the front with a drawstring, like a peasant blouse is but of a quality more approaching the attire of nobility. Just under the skirt, I put on a pair of bloomer-like undergarments and over them a light canary yellow slip. The skirt and blouse were more of a mustard shade of yellow. There were cosmetics laid out on a desk with a mirror, and I took some time to put on the makeup that I normally favored. I looked rather pretty once this was completed, and put a pair of pearl earrings in my ears to complete my look. Dark yellow slippers were nearby, and I slid my feet into them before venturing out of those chambers in which odd as it sounded I had begun to feel at home. Before ascending the stairs I noticed a kitchen and also there was a great dining hall across the way... and I ventured into the dining hall upon hearing sounds coming from that direction. I glanced out one of the open windows, and noticed that there were chunks of rock that were now floating in the air by some strange power... and yet otherwise all looked as normal as it had the day previous. I walked over that window, distracted as I was by this marvel, and saw a terribly vast and thick reddish mist forming in the forest off in the distance. Within it were shapes moving, of a sort that were indistinct and impossible to make out the exact forms of. There was magic at work here... and it was magic of a truly alien variety to anything I had seen the like of before. Then I was reminded of the sounds I heard coming from the dining room, distinctly those of voices, and I knew that I had to go there and see who or what was awaiting me. My heart felt nervous, and my hands began to shake a bit, as oft they did when I felt anxious or nervous to such a degree as this. This place was very strange!
I stepped thence into the dining hall, and it was a splendid place indeed with a fantastically elaborate chandelier that held candles providing all the warm light that the hall needed for its' occupants to enjoy. Food and drinks of many varieties were laid out on silvery plates at a great rectangular table covered in a richly embroidered red tablecloth, and there were many dutiful servants waiting upon noblemen and noblewomen who were seated in comfortable chairs all around the magnificently prepared table, where they ate, drank, conversed and made merry, their manners as impeccable as their flawless attire. These people were all very tall too, not a man below six feet in height, and every woman at least a head taller than the tallest women I knew. Though even they were not as tall as the men I saw here! I felt very short and small in comparison, and I was at first intimidated by their great height... and worried about how I might be regarded by the lot of them. Or how they might regard me. Even so, I walked toward the table, cleared my throat and asked if I was expected. One of the women called out, her voice very light and of a lilting tone: “Oh of course you have been expected, dear! Here, be seated right next to me, all is well.”
She wore a long gown of the softest silk, as elaborately embroidered as the tablecloth seemed to be... and the gown was of an ancient style that today would be comparable to something one may associate with the Greeks or the Romans of old. The gown was light pink and the woman's hair was of a platinum blonde that was so light it appeared almost white... which matched her nearly albino skin tone. She had perfectly soft blue eyes, and her laughter was delightful to hear. Her ears were somewhat pointed, and it was on seeing this that I knew she was not human... no one seated at that table was. And I... I no longer knew how to regard myself in terms of humanity. I had turned my back on humanity a decade previous, and that was when I decided to set forth in search of this tower. I felt like I belonged in the company of these sorts of elfin peoples... so unlike their kin whom I had made the acquaintance of in the past, who had been of a far more haughty, vain, and arrogant personality than these warm, delightful people I was in the company of now. This felt like a family I never knew I had been missing, and I began to wonder if I was falling under some sort of an enchantment or glamour. I partook of the food and drink that was offered me, and chose fruit juice instead of wine since I needed my wits about me. The woman whom I was sitting next to kept putting her hand on my thigh and smiling at me mischievously. “Would you be agreeable about remaining here with us for a time?” she asked, and I did not know how to answer her. And so, I stated: “I was planning to climb the stairs and have a talk with the one whose tower this is, if that is not at all a problem for anyone here. I am a stranger to this place and do not know your customs, so you must truly forgive me if there is some protocol I am unaware of that has to come first.” to which the noble lady replied: “Oh, you are no stranger to us... to me! You have always belonged here. If you wish to climb the stairs, then allow me to climb them with you and show you the way to the one whose tower this is.” I agreed to that, and she added: “Then, perhaps, you will consent to remain.” and as she said that she gave my thigh a bit of a squeeze and licked her lips suggestively. I had no doubt what her designs upon me were, and yet strangely there was something seductive about her eager manner. I had been with women of the night who tried to put forth a manner such as this, and yet who could not oft do it convincingly. But this woman, she made me feel good and at ease, and made me believe that she held for me a measure of actual love despite us only having just met. Once we had been through eating, the woman took me by the hand and led me to the base of the great stairs, pointing upward and explaining to me: “The one who dwells on the highest floor, that same is the one whose tower this is. The climb is long, and we will need to stop at various points on some of the upper floors so as not to tire ourselves. I trust you are not in any great hurry?” and I admitted that at present I was not. She noticed the dagger I kept belted at my waist, and asked me why I needed it here. I answered: “It is out of habit, my lady, for in the past I have ventured into certain strange places only to wish I had brought protection with me of this variety.” she agreed that my reasoning was wise, adding: “Better to be safe, I suppose, than sorry.”
A good way up the stairs, we stopped just as the lady had advised me, and there we were in a round chamber with eight smaller chambers encircling the central staircase. These were darkly lit, and all the decorations and furnishings of this part of the tower were rather minimal and perhaps even of a spartan sensibility. I felt a sense of dread from the eight chambers, and told the elfin noblewoman that I had no desire to venture into any of them. “What do you fear from those rooms?” she asked me, and I admitted that I did not honestly know. “Let me show you something.” she said, and went into the nearest of these rooms, emerging afterward with a silver ring that had a fiery red ruby set into it. She offered it unto me, and I found that the band on the ring was adjustable and so I fit it unto my left hand's ring finger, where it felt comfortable and looked beautiful. “You chose the wedding finger.” remarked the lady, who then said: “Perhaps since this is my gift to you, this means we are meant to be together always.” A part of me was yearning for her, for this love she clearly had for me. But I did not even know her name! I then decided to ask her what it was, and so I inquired: “Good lady, would you mind telling me your name?”
She replied by telling me: “I think you know it, or a part of you does anyway, and so I shall wait for you to recall it to your memory. Consider it a little game, one for just we two to play together!” I had a mind to be impatient, to demand answers, but I composed myself and accepted what she told me. I said of it to her: “Very well, if that is the way it must be. But I tell you, I have never met you before today!” and out of another room stepped a man wearing a long black robe with a hood, who appeared to have no face, only shadow where a face should be. The man exuded an aura of dread and terror, and he was of normal, average height, though his appearance was frightfully intimidating. He did not speak, but his breath was loud and sounded labored. “Who are you?” I asked him as he strode towards me. But he had no answer for my question. The elfin noblewoman stepped back, giving the newcomer room to speak with me, or so I imagined was his reason for approaching me as he did. And yet, he would not say even a word! “Sir, I must insist that you tell me at least what it is that you want from me!” I demanded, and my voice was filled with fear quite visibly. There was a chill in the tower now, at least where this man stood, and when he breathed you could see his breath like when it is cold in the wintertime. Though as chill as it felt, it should not have been possible for the air to become that cold, that fast. The faceless one stood there, and if he had eyes beneath that hood they were most definitely staring at me. Staring into my very soul, I could imagine! “Are you the one whose tower this is?” I asked him, but still there was silence from him and silence only. My hand moved to the dagger at my belt, for I feared some sort of menace from this person, or creature, or whatever it actually was. Sounds emerged from the cloaked man, and they were not words, not at first... instead, it sounded like machinery trying to approximate a voice. Soon, the sounds became words, and the black cloaked man spoke at last in a way that I could fully understand... the voice was unnatural sounding, but clear regardless of that: “No, I am not the one whose tower this is, I am a messenger only. Only the worthy may approach the upper floors! Only those who are meant to reach them. Tell me... are you worthy?” and I was not certain how to answer, saying in reply only: “That is not for me to decide. If my lady feels I am worthy, then perhaps I am! But if you feel that I am not, then give me a reason why you feel that way and we shall discuss the matter.” Then the creature, for this was I realized no man at all but something else, made more bizarre sounds of a sort like those I described previously. There was a puff of steam or something akin to steam, that blew out from the robed figure's hood, and its' hands seemed to tense as if it were getting ready for a fight. I kept my hand firmly on my dagger, for something about this seemed very wrong. I did not once take my eyes off of this thing, but I did call out to the noblewoman, asking: “My lady, do you know whatever is the meaning of this messenger? I thought our ascent, would be uneventful.” but she did not answer me, her gaze being firmly fixed on the messenger, her eyes wide with shock and perhaps even terror. Most clear it was, that she was just as unnerved by this apparition as I was. “You know fear.” the messenger stated, adding: “That is wise! But fear does not make one worthy.” and the messenger's left hand emitted some sort of long fiery looking beam of light out of it. “Look out! It means to slay you.” cried out the woman, but I was already certain of that fact. I spun around behind the messenger, which seemed to confuse it. It lashed out, its' movements clumsy and there was a strange creaking and clattering sound when it did so. The thing's movements were stiff, I realized, and what I took for labored breath was some sort of steam that the messenger emitted from its' hood every so often. Whatever I was facing, it was definitely not entirely human. Perhaps not even human in any capacity! I kept evading its' attacks, the fiery sword it wielded, for such it what the peculiar beam seemed to be, kept missing as the messenger swung it in great arcs that were easy to predict. Taking a chance I rushed in and stuck my dagger deep into its' back as hard as I could before withdrawing the blade and leaping back out of the creature's way before it had a mind to react to my attack. There was blood on my blade for certain... this thing was human after all, or some variety of humanity at the very least. It tried to reach one of its' arms around to feel its' back... but in doing so the messenger appeared to become unbalanced. I ran around, and pushed the man over.
The beam sword went out with a fizzle as the messenger hit the floor with a clanging sound. I pulled the hood back and saw that there was indeed a human face beneath it but with much of its' face replaced by mechanical parts and pieces. The man's entire lower jaw was made of metal, and tubes ran out from both sides of the man's mouth, connecting to ports that were set into his neck and shoulders. Four tubes in all, two on both sides... all of them working with a pumping action similar to a blacksmith's bellows. Half of his face was metallic, and only the right upper part of his face was not. His right eye was normal and hazel in color... whilst his left was like unto a camera lens which kept trying to focus, set as it was into the metal plating that covered his face's left side. I cut the tubes as quickly as I could, and they all expelled air as I did so. Not steam after all, but the air was being expelled much like bursts of steam! This caused the messenger to struggle to breath it seemed, and seizing the moment I plunged my dagger into the man's right eye, which at least half blinded him... though I was not certain if this would prove to be lethal enough to stop this enemy. I pulled my dagger out, and a great torrent of bloom came with it and spilled out from the messenger's eye socket. He tried to reach up and touch his face, but his arms had a great difficulty attempting to do so, clumsy as they were... mechanical and robotic as they were. With his breath leaving his lungs due to the severed tubes, this effort was enough to cause him to at the last expire, soon breathing no more. The messenger was dead, and my elfin noble companion was quite glad to notice this, her relief evident as she exclaimed: “You killed it! You killed the messenger.” and she rushed over to put her arms around my shoulders, giving me a big warm hug before kissing me on the lips with a great deal of barely retrained passion. “Thank you! You do not know what you did, in doing such a bold deed.” She told me then how she kept staring so fearfully and intently at the mostly mechanical man because she always had been taught to consider him to be the guardian of the tower. That is how I learned that she had been doing so. “So are you all prisoners here then?” I asked, to which she answered: “We were until now! Now... I do not know what will happen. I mean, there is nothing to stop us all from leaving now if we wish to. But I doubt the others ever would! They are content to stay here, to be pampered as they are... whilst me, I would like to accompany you when you decide to leave. At least... if you would have me.” I told her that I would like that very much, but that first I needed to meet with whomever it was that ruled over this place. “Have you ever met the one whose tower this is? I mean, clearly, you have encountered the messenger before, but what of the master or mistress of the tower itself!” and she confided in me that she had not, elaborating: “No one here has ever seen that one and returned to speak of it... all who ascended these stairs never came back down again. That is why to be honest I was not in a hurry to take you up this way... though I knew I had to, all the same.” I found that choice of wording curious. Why did she have to, if she did not want to? I chose not to press her on the matter though. Instead, I let her lead me higher and higher, after we had taken a bit to rest and catch our breaths after that awful encounter with the messenger. I was becoming fond of this lady, very much.
As we ascended the stairs, we still had to stop every so often at some of the floors, especially as we so began to reach the upper levels... but there were no further adversities to experience when we did so. I was thankful for that much, for after seeing the horror that was the messenger I did not wish to know if there may have been worse monstrosities than that in this place. I had cleaned off my dagger using the dead messenger's cloak and once more it was sheathed at my belt, where I hoped it could remain for the rest of my sojourn in the tower. Though I was no stranger to combat and danger, my heart was that of a poet and an artist first and foremost... I preferred a peaceful solution to problems, when there could be such a solution. The elfin noblewoman kept staring at me, I noticed, her gaze becoming more intent and intense, the higher into the tower we ascended. She was well and truly smitten with me, I reasoned, thus I had resolved to return the affection as much as possible. We walked hand in hand, our hands held in each other's grasp affectionately. I smiled at her whenever I found my gaze meeting hers... that, happily.
At the top of the stairs, we arrived in a large circular chamber with a high domed ceiling. Eight pillars rose tall and stately at eight precise points about the chamber's circumference... carvings that appeared to be entwined snakes decorated each of these slender columns. Gothic style arches were between each of the pillars, and the chamber's architecture was very sharp for the most part. There were hanging pots with leafy and flowering plants in them, and tapestries and draperies of elegant, splendid design. I had a great fondness for the more comfortable aspects of this part of the tower, and the scent of the flowers in its' fragrance mixed with some sort of incense that was burning to create a pleasing air. The colors of the stained glass windows, on a sunnier day than this, would have caused rainbow hues to land in many corners of the room. But it proved to be a gloomy day outside, and so the best light came from colorful stained glass lanterns and some candles that were to be seen here and there about the chamber. There was a large bed in one place, circular in design and with comfortable coverings and pillows. Upon it too were many cushions of an almost oriental design, and the whole of this place exuded luxury to rival the sort known in the palaces of kings and queens. Tapestries decorated some of the walls, and there were bookshelves containing ancient looking tomes and yellowed scrolls and parchments. There was nothing sinister here, only expressions of knowledge and comfort. The elfin noblewoman looked about her, and then regarded me with a loving expression in her eyes. She seemed thoughtful for a moment, as if she were unsure of what to say to me, as if choosing her words with care... and then she told me something I had not expected to hear: “So, what do you think of my chambers?” she asked, adding: “It has been a long time since I have been able to contemplate leaving my home, but thanks to you we can both leave this tower together. This tower needs its' mistress no longer!” and I knew by this that she was the one whose tower this was, after all. She said my name then, and told me: “I have long been awaiting the day and the hour when you would arrive to deliver me from this burden, from my servitude to this place. So it has come to pass, and in doing as I expected you would... you have fulfilled my expectations and in all ways exceeded them.” I asked how she knew my name, and she told me: “I am no witch, nor am I a prophetess of any renown! But the gift of seeing into one's dreams is something I have possessed for the bulk of my rather lengthy life. And when you fell asleep upon your arrival here, I looked into yours and learned your name thereby, along with many other secrets. For the first time... I realized, that someone had come hither who was honorable and bold enough to do what needed to be done, and no I was never at any point using you to get you to do it either. I am sincere in my feelings for you, for having looked into the depths of your dreams I had learned of your sadness and sorrows, and all that you hide from the world. It is for this reason that I wish to become your companion and your love, if you so desire it. Let us depart from this place on the morrow... but spend the night with me here in my chambers, so that in our lovemaking we might both ease each other's hidden pains.” I ached to agree, and yet I felt afraid of this tall and glorious woman, knowing that she harbored so many secrets of which I might never learn the full truth thereof. “Why leave, if now you are the one in control here? Why not make this place your own more truly than ever, and be its' queen rather than its' prisoner!” I offered, to which she was visibly hesitant to give a reply. I added: “I can understand a desire to leave, but have you any home outside of here that might be waiting for you? I know that I do, but it is quite distant and across the land and far away, far to the east. There, you would be welcome as my queen! But could you leave this behind, this being seemingly all you know, in order to make this happen?” She then asked me a question in turn, her tone genuinely puzzled: “If you have your own kingdom, than why did you set out to this tower in the first place? I mean, what drove you to journey so far! I had been told in a dream to expect your arrival, but what brought you to embark upon this quest of yours, I wonder.” It was then, that I began to truly be curious since I explained then to her: “My dear lady, if you truly did look into my dreams then you do already know the answers to all your questions! I have no further secrets to keep from you, even though still you have not told me your name.” She realized then that this was true, and appeared to blush a bit.
The tower's glamour then failed, and all became as it truly was... the walls cracked with great age, the decorations and furnishings weathered, the tapestries tattered and faded. The plants and flowers were as if they had been long dead, the bed was covered with rags and pillows and cushions that were no longer comfortable. All was ancient beyond counting, and the windows had no glass in them to speak of. Out of them I saw that there were no floating rocks like those I had seen before. The magic was gone from the tower, its' spells broken by a simple statement of fact that I had spoken. My clothing, however, was still splendid and was all that was not tattered and ruined looking. The woman who stood before me... she was still very similar in appearance to what she looked like previously, only now her hair was a lot longer, down to her knees, and blacker than a starless night. Wilder looking too, with deep blood red highlights, and streaks of white here and there. Her ears were sharper, more pointy than they had been, and her mouth contained only fanged teeth. She was still albino pale, only now I saw that her eyes were crimson red rather than blue. About her she wore a black cloak that in design resembled how the wings of a bat look when folded, and her gown was black with reddish trim but of the same design as it had been when the glamour was in place. She was beautiful still, and seemed agelessly youthful, but I saw that she was not of the elfin peoples... she was something older, and more sinister by far. She was of a race and kindred close to my own spiritual kin, and today she would be called a vampire. Though back in those days, a different name was used for that darkly noble people. She looked deep into my eyes at that moment, and said to me: “We are more alike then either of us might wish to admit, shape-changer. The only difference is in what masks we choose to wear! I wonder what lies beneath all of yours.” to which I told her: “I think you know! You see? I can be as elusive with my words as you can, daughter of Lilith. I knew your mother well, and if you would still have me... I would know you well also.” And in that moment we did not need to tell each other our names, for all that we had not said was in all our revelations to each other made plain to see visibly. She was an outcast, just as I was... a rebel just as I am to this very day... and a spirited, passionate, noble lady. We would both become the bane of those ages in which we dwelt, our dark presence causing changes in the world and in others that could not be undone. I had been drawn hither by the spirit of Lilith, who wished for me to meet her daughter so that the two of us could share our destinies. That was the beginning of many things, and ere we left that old and terrible tower... I had indeed spent the night with this vampire princess. This all took place in an age of myth and legend, in a time before time... in a sense. I still have dreams of that era, of that place, of the hour of my meeting with her. And I wrote of it herein exactly as it exists within all my memories.
As we passed the servants' area of the tower, I saw that the other nobles seated around the table were all long dead, their bones not moving and their feast but dust and ancient mold. Rats scurried about, as did insects and worms, and the smell was terrible. The servants were also long dead, but they were not immobile... for their bones had been made animate, by the mechanisms that made them into what they now were. Lifeless automatons, who still went through the motions of chores that ceased to have proper meaning when the ones they were created to serve died. The only living souls here, after all, were that terrible messenger and the vampire princess herself... other than me, of course. Now I knew well why it was that my new mistress wished to depart from this tower! She would indeed be welcome back in the lands wherein my kingdom lay... far more so now, than when she appeared to be an elfin noblewoman. As we neared the exit of the tower, my attire changed into all black colors, as black as ebony... though of a design the same as I had described before. “We are well suited for each other, my lady!” I remarked to her as we crossed the gateway of the tower and began to make our way across the bridge. The gates had been smashed in long, long ago, wooden splinters, shards and pieces were in piles and heaps lying here and there. In the shadows of the gateway there did lie the bones of the soldiers and warriors who had come in search of this tower never to return. All them slain to the last man, left where they all fell.
None of this was the work of magic, though it might seem such to those who know not the sciences that the most ancient inhabitants of this world once employed and had at their disposal. In those days... the old magics, as you might call them if choosing not to call them sciences, were still able to be known and learned by those with a will to master them. Like the fell princess herself, I too had magic that was at my command, and in time I would teach her some of it, just as she would teach me some of her own. This was long, long before the great cataclysm that doomed so much of the world as it had been back in those times... and as we made our way back to my kingdom the vampire princess and I had to be highly cautious of both humans and elfin kind alike who had no love for beings such as my companion. That was the sad irony of the fair folk! Their long years afforded them no greater wisdom for having so long a span of life as they possessed back then. Many were quite cruel, and quick to persecute the children and descendants of Lilith, a prejudice encouraged by the gods and their emissaries. The bad blood that existed between the gods and I was itself legendary, and so I protected my new queen with the utmost gallantry until at long last we were back safe within the borders of my realm. A place the gods and the fair folk alike shunned, partly out of fear of what was there and partly out of a dread of the unknown... for mine was a domain that to them was of shadows and darkness, though the sun shone there just as hotly and the skies there could be just as clear and blue as anyplace else on Earth. And so did I bring to my home that daughter of the fallen goddess Lilith, and in the absence of that goddess I did allow the princess to rise high as the next queen of all that was dark and infernal. How we were hated by so very many, and yet we did not once in those days seek to impose our way on anyone else, nor did we seek to expand our realm beyond its' rightful borders! We taught secrets unto mankind, as Lilith and I had, and as others of our kind had as well... and gave them gifts of learning. It was only when those gifts started to be misused that the gods cried that we had corrupted humanity by helping them to be free from any sort of ignorance or tyranny... and when they brought conflict to our lands, that is when we looked far beyond our borders and realized that we could remain isolated from the world no longer. I had many, many names even back in those early times on Earth... as did she who was Lilith's daughter. The fallen angels who served us in our self-imposed isolation knew them all, and I knew all of theirs in turn. The vampire princess who came to be their queen, she was not nameless! But in this work I shall not name her, for the power of her ancient name is still great. And from the shadows, Lilith watched all that we did and was pleased by what she beheld with her many eyes! For in the dark, her eyes were many and her forms without number, just as my forms are equally numerous. She was never as absent as it thus had seemed to me at the time, but back then I did not fully comprehend the grandeur and scope of all that she truly was as the embodiment of death, and of the night itself. Many of the fair folk who came to learn that Lilith's daughter was now my queen, as many as found it frightful were darkly fascinated and due to that fascination fell to become fallen themselves. Those fallen fair folk came unto our lands and willingly chose to serve us as their new masters, in turn being afforded more rights and privileges than their own kind had ever granted them. Those same became known as dark elves by their former kindred and were far from the last of their kind to grace the surface of this world and the subterranean places far beneath it that they later would prefer to call home. Doubtless they are there still, in their hidden realms and lonely dwellings, keeping far from the doings of humanity and its' troubles... growing wiser with the passing of the centuries, increasing in knowledge that would come to surpass many sciences even now, so that men and women might call it magic were they face to face with it. And sometimes, when the stars align just right and the moon is in a certain phase... there are still places like unto that lonely and forsaken tower, where one might slip into a glamour and find themselves in a place of tremendous enchantments and splendors. Only to later behold the true grim face of paradises that became desolate when those who established such wonders became so enamored of illusions that they lost sight of the ruin that their reality had become whilst they sojourned in dreamlike wonder, awakening to face horror.
Published 28th Sep 2022
Author's Note
This work is based upon some of my past-life memories.
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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9th Oct 2022 3:49am
Another great epic from a time before history's count of time began! And the most amazing thing about these epics of yours is that they really happened too. I remember the era you write of here... and the darkness that fell upon the world in those times, which became most manifest in the events that doomed Atlantis in the end. But I was not present for what transpired in this adventure of yours to that haunted, forsaken place. That tower was shunned by all the Fair Folk and for good reason... given whom it was the abode of. But you had no fear of seeking her out and showed no fear in her revealed presence either! Which is more than I can say that I would have been able to muster given all I heard about that dark lady and the terrible things she was actually capable of. I am certain the tower was exactly as haunted as you describe, and it does not at all surprise me that trained warriors never returned from it either. Just hearing about it always gave me the chills! It is perhaps a good thing that it no longer exists, nor anything remaining of it, today... it would be a very dark location spiritually if it still did. And here is a thing that I find remarkable about you! You loved that woman, despite how evil she was known to be... and you actually found good in her and brought it out in her at times. Yeah, I remember a LOT about all of that, having been there for it! There always was a tower that became associated with legends surrounding you too... I mean, there was that one on the planet Ra'qia, and then there was the one you wrote of in this account, plus the one they called the Tower of Glass that was built by the Fomorians back when you were known to them as Balor of the Eye. Even the temple dedicated to your worship in Atlantis could be said to have been like unto a tower given where it was located! It seems like a recurring thing throughout the ages that is always associated with you in some fashion or another.... proof that history can and often does repeat itself in very unexpected ways, even if the exact events that transpire happen differently in the way that they unfold each time around. Which lends credence to your teachings about time being a cycle rather than being a linear progression. In a cycle, things will always repeat with only small differences. Whereas if time were linear such tell-tale patterns would not exist! I love how reading your works gets me thinking about deep stuff like this. Really fires up my imagination lots and lots! Tee-hee-hee!!! You're the best.
I am so happy to hear some of your thoughts about those days, and to hear a bit of your own unique perspective regarding the events that surrounded what I wrote of in this particular account of mine! It is a very refreshing and interesting thing... to be honest, I had not heard the darkest legends about she who dwelt in that tower. To me she was simply the daughter of someone who was already quite dear to me and given Lilith's reputation I had not thought that her daughter could have eclipsed her in darkness so powerfully, though she had. And yet indeed, there was much light in her, as there ever was in Lilith too! And many of the more terrible legends seemed to be but wild bits of exaggeration at times compared to the truths that lay behind them. Much like how a lot of the really crazier stories about me from when I was Vlad Dracula back in the 1400's were often exaggerated by my enemies in order to demonize and slander me so that it would make them feel better about standing against me. Sure, I did get up to a lot of crazy stuff, but not nearly as crazy as in the more bizarre legends! Although I must confess that I do love some of those legends since they make for good horror tales even if they have very little factual basis in real history. In any case, there were few saints in the days I wrote of in this particular account and the Fair Folk were ever biased and sometimes haughty in their views of those they deemed as "lesser races". Which sometimes had made them come off as being somewhat xenophobic actually... a sad and tragic irony given how bigoted humans were towards them much of the time. The Fomorians! It has been a long time since I gave them much thought, but they were a brilliant people with a great grasp of the ancient technologies of the Titans from the days before Atlantis fell. They even created a mechanical body to house my spirit when I was Balor, but it was destroyed by that one hero of the Tuatha de Dannan, Lugh of the Long Arm. He always was very jealous of the Fomorian peoples, and the Tuatha de Dannan under his direction even attempted to commit bloody genocide against the Fomorians, which ended in the destruction of the Tower of Glass. Which was actually a kind of ancient skyscraper that would today not be out of place in a modern city! I was mortal during my life as Balor, and my people (the Fomorians) attempted to try and find a way to circumvent the gods' decree that I remain so by creating that mechanical body to which my spirit was transferred after I was mortally wounded in battle against the Tuatha de Dannan. But Lugh used a very powerful weapon to destroy that body and that was the end of me in that life. Atlantis was truly a dark chapter in human history despite its' advancements... many of them made possible only because they stole Titan technology and forced those of us who knew it to impart our knowledge unto them or else. My time as a hostage of its' mad king was something that kind of repeated in my life as Vlad Dracula when I was made a "guest" of King Matthias of Hungary at Bran Castle and some other choice locations he thought of for me to stay at such as a rather miserable castle in Budapest that I absolutely hated. Sometimes, certain events do indeed repeat, though they transpire in unexpected ways compared to how they went down previously in history! So, you are very, very correct, my love, in noticing those patterns... as they do exist. But most people would prefer not to notice that they do, since to think that time is linear gives some people a bit of scant comfort. Until history repeats itself once more, that is! I am glad my works fire up your imagination so much, honey love, your every delight is my joy. :D
9th Oct 2022 9:36pm
Your works fire up my imagination just like you fire me up in all the other ways, lover! Oh yeah, I remember you from when you were Vlad Dracula... that is an excellent comparison you did there too. Especially given the whole vampire connection and all that stuff. Oh wow, and this is such cool timing too since it is almost Halloween... best time of all to be talking about things like vampires and the "old country" and stuff! Yeah, some of the Elves really, really were very nasty pieces of work I have to admit. I wanted to slap some of them silly when they got talking trash about people so much! Nothing is worse than a bigot, and a lot of them were totally against anyone who wasn't Elven by blood. Racist pointy-eared jerks! Almost as bad as the last king of Atlantis for sure, though by far he turned out way worse by a huge margin. One thing at least I am glad keeps on repeating all throughout history, is that we keep meeting and falling in love! Cuz to me, honey love, you're the best.
9th Oct 2022 10:29pm
Halloween is one of the best times of the year in general for me! I love this season so much... it just feels so primal and colorful and perfect in so very many ways to me. Autumn and spring to me are the two times of year that I love and adore the most of all! Me doing an over-the-top movie Dracula accent: "Ah yes! The old country... I remember it well." Hee hee! Yeah, I'm in a bit of silly mood today. Oh baby, you can be very certain that we will always meet again in each and every life, all across space and time! We just always end up drawn to each other, so it happens. And it is beautiful every time it does! Just like you are beautiful, my love, in body and soul alike. :D
