Fey stared intently at me.
A strange, dark miasma was creeping across the ground, almost ominously. It reminded me of a deep fog —an opaque vapious mist with a hint of a shimmer.
’Is this her power?’ I wondered as the mist advanced. I had witnessed her using it against the Serzar, but this was my first time seeing it up close.
And then the miasma enveloped me.
I could almost taste it as it filled my senses —it had a subtle, woody scent.
And then the fog solidified into a scene.
I was suddenly before two grand gates.
I felt a connection to whatever was inside, like there was a secret contained within I desperately needed — some memory I had lost.
I pushed open the golden doors. Inside, there was a deserted hall— no trace of human presence could be found. No footprints, no light, just a heavy ancient silence pervading empty columns.
I took a few nervous steps inside.
I wanted a look at whatever was inviting me in.
I could feel it whispering— beckoning me forward.
My pupils dilated when I found it.
It was up ahead— the strangest thing...
I didn’t know how to describe it.
Within a curtain of blood colored mist, images shifted, coming into focus and then blurring out again like transmissions in storm.
I stepped on the carpet and approached the curtain of blood colored fog.
I saw mountains erupting with laava in the curtain, wild fires raging, strange, demon resembling beast prowling the earth.
Whe I finally touched the curtain.
I was in a different time.
A giant crimson sun blazed cruelly above the world. Storms of fire and wind roared above the earths surface, and I had the feeling I was watching a time from before the first men— eons ago.
Giants strode across the barren land: a man with onyx black skin and horns of a ram, a white lioness with a blood- soaked maw, a red- skinned woman with a golden third eye embedded in the center of her forehead.
Others swirled around me, constantly shifting shape from humanoids to beast to cyclones of fire and lightning.
On an obsidian throne in the center of a dense mountain range sat an unusual creature.
A tall, horned, divinely handsome, red-skinned male almost 20 meters in height in rich black robes with flowing jet-black hair, a pair of glowing, molten, golden eyes located where there shouldve been one each.
There was a powerful air about him ——a kind of force, even gravity, as if his power was so dense that it radiated its own field of magnetism.
The other giants drifted towards him.
The air cackled with the energy of their collective presence —a volatile friction so powerful that thunder boomed between them.
And at the creatures side knelt several beautiful females that shared his strange features, one especially sultry woman affectionately carressed his bare chest.
She was dressed more conservatively than the others; maybe because her belly was swollen with an infant life.
"Iris," the man on the throne spoke.
The pregnant woman turned towards him and smiled sweetly. "My lord Marduk, the time of his birth is almost nigh."
"Thank you, concubine. And soon my throne will have an heir— Asharum, the great one! He shall be the strongest amongst us. He shall be the one to devour this pathetic world."
Iris kissed her husband softly on his chest. The element still raged aroung them, colossal footsteps shaking the earth, the very air brimming with primal energy.
Suddenly the skies darkened. A cold wind washed over the realm.
A woman descended from the skies. She was tall— her features celestial in their beauty.
Her air of power was almost a match to Marduk’s, and she had similar features. Large Horns, two pairs of molten golden eyes but with dark red skin, ink black robes, and long pitch black hair. Generally, she looked more human, except for when she smiled. Then her slightly elongated canines glared.
All the giants froze. The wind stilled.
Marduk rose from his throne. "Nerferti," he said in a grave tone.
"You were banished from our mist!"
Neferti laughed, and the tension in the room broke.
Despite her wicked smile, her laugh was a soft, cottony, musical sound. It was warm and friendly, as if she was the kindest soul in the world.
"I come to fix the rift between us!" She sighed. "After all, the young prince shall see hist first days soon."
"And I bring a gift!"
She waved her flawless palm. Seven grey skinned giants with the heads of boars marched into the room, carrying a beautifully designed palanquin.
My heart palapitated nervously. I felt an air of blood and danger radiating from the Palanquin.
No! I wanted to yell. Do not enter!
But the assembled giants were besides themselves in amazement, awed by the delicate blood crystal tassels and embedded runes that glowed softyl.
The sinister looking boar-men set down the palanqui , and I saw its door was already open. The interior was gilded with red silk.
"This glorious ride," announced, "was made by my finest artifact smiths, using the rarest items. Look it is fineness, is it not beautiful beyond reason? Any creature that sits within, even for a mere day, will see his wisdom increase a hundredfold! His power shall be without any limits! His reign shall never end! It is a gift"—she smiled coyly at Marduk—"for the one and only endless worthy of such a prize!"
I would have run far away from Nefertis crazy smile.
But what did I know? I was just a dumb mortal. The endless came rushing forward;
Pushed each other out of the way to get into the Palaquin.
But all of them had no luck entering, as if the magic of the interior were rejecting them.
Even after a while, no one was able enter.
Several of the endless cursed and growled as others, anxious to try, shoved them out of the way.
Neferti turned to Marduk with an innocent laugh. "Well, my king, we have no chosen yet. Will you give it a try? Only the strongest endless can succeed."
Marduk’s eyes shone. But within his pupils, a little wariness persisted, because he knew Nerferti was not one to bring selfless gifts.
All the other endless looked at him expectantly, and I could easily see what they were thinking: if the Palanquin allowed him enter unbarred. . .
Even Neferti, the cruel one, would have to admit that he was the greatest of the Endless.
Even the Marduk’s concubine agreed. She ardently lickd her husband’s lips with her pearly tongue. "My lord, do not falter. You are the greatest of us. No one has the power to harm you"
"Do you distrust me my lord?" Neferti sounded genuinely hurt while reading Marduk’s reluctance. "Can I not celebrate the nearing birth of the young prince? Am I so cruel as to harm my lord when he is especting new life? (Of course she was.)"
Marduk smiled at Nerferti. "Of course today is a special day, so even you are welcome here. And I shall partake of your gift."
He rose from his throne. The endless bowing as he strode through them.
"All hail Marduk!" They cried.
The king of the endless entered the Palaquin with absolutely no resistance, and when he glanced in my direction, just for a moment, his expression was knowing— sad.
A reflection of my own.
Dont! I thought again, somehow sure of what would happen. You will not survive this!
But Marduk took his seat within the Palanquin. The couch was a remarkable fit, as if it were tailored for him.
A cheer went up from the endless, but before Marduk could rise, Nerferti flashed a cruel smile.
The door of the Palanquin slammed shut.
Marduk roared in fury, but his cries were muffled by several sharp sounds— like swords unshaeathing.
Then Marduk howled in pain. A sparkling golden liquid leaked out of the Palaquin’s doors.
Even without being privy to the inside of the Palanquin, it was clear enough what was happening.
The screams grew weaker. The other endless rushed forward to intervene— but
Neferti wasn’t having it. She brought her palm down and the sun retreated, the world was abrubtly plunged into complete and total darkness.
The endless retreated back fearfully. The boar -men drew out their swords and bounded after them.
"Kill them all." Neferti commanded with a ruthless indifference— like was giving an order that could not be anymore reasonable.
"Villain!" Iris wailed. She peddled back into the darkness, anxiously protecting her belly.
But Nerferti reached out with her hand and Iris rose from the ground, clutching her throat as if an invisible force were choking her.
"There will be no escaping today, Iris," Neferti cooed. "Come to think of it, I am truly grateful for your stupidity. Thanks to you, this plan went on without a hitch. Marduk is dead, and your child shall never be born!" As she spoke a scythe appeared in her hand. She advanced slowly, savoring the moment.
Then suddenly I could feel the emotions of the Iris. I could sense her fear for her childs life as Nerferti brought down the scythe.
She screamed.
My heart beat furiously in my chest like it would burst, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and the images evaporated.
Next Chapter title: Ichor