Friday, August 27, 2004
The Book of Bloods
This is an idea for a story that would be part of a collection of stories revolving around a magical, dark book. I wrote it as a response to the challenge in East of the Web Short Stories Uncut.
When I saw the ancient scripting filling the piece of paper, I recognized it immediately. I had had a very comprehensive education, that had included the black arts of the old times. The lore I learnt in my young days had helped me in unthinkable ways, and had made me the man I was. Good part of my wealth and power had been brought to me by the combination of my magical knowledge and my disregard for morality. Those two things had just helped me to murder the old, wandering wizard before he could become troublesome. He should not have tried to stay in my dominions and steal my authority over my people. Taking him unawares had been surprisingly easy, and he was furthermore yielding this little treasure that I had taken from his purse and was now studying eagerly.
It took me some time to put into practice my rusty knowledge of that oldest of languages, but little by little I translated the first sentences, and then the real value and potential of that small, battered piece of paper came to me. It was undoubtedly an excerpt from the Book of Bloods! The page did not actually come from it, it was just a transcribed copy of one of its paragraphs, but I knew it still preserved a great power that I intended to put into good use. For my benefit, that is. I carefully hid the manuscript under my robes and quickly left the place.
I returned to my mansion and occupied myself in the translation of the script. It proved to be a complete spell and I was soon able to pronounce it complete by heart, intoning the magical words with the old pronunciation that gave them their full might. In the following years my wealth and authority increased rapidly and I became a great dark lord ruling over all the civilized towns of the county. I used my privileged status and imposed my authority with my usual ruthlessness, governing over my petty peasants with fear and terror. I was really enjoying it all.
But after three years of unsurpassed supremacy over all other mortals, I started to feel a presence over me. It did not have any kind of embodiment, but I could sense it watching me from afar. I became afraid of leaving my premises unaccompanied and was suspicious of open spaces. Invisible eyes stared at me from the distance, and only beneath the walls of my castle did I feel safe. But those eyes kept getting closer and more insidious, and soon I could not even peer through the windows without feeling menaced. I tried to use the spell from the Book of Bloods against that presence but to no avail. Finally, I ordered all the windows blocked and retired to my private chambers. I hardly saw anyone and lived oppressed by the stone walls and the stale air surrounding me. I felt miserable and tried to find strength to revel against that situation, but I was confronting a force much more superior than all the supernatural means I knew of.
That final day I woke up and found myself in total darkness. I tried to stand up and search for a lamp, but couldn't. I tried to call for help, but no sound came out of my mouth. I was paralyzed and totally helpless, and somehow I knew I had fallen into a state that was to last forever. I could see or hear nothing, and was shocked into terror when the door slammed closed definitely. I've been crying since then and cannot stop. Somehow all my energies are being withdrawn by means of that scream, and if my madness would allow for it, I would realize that my blood is being insufflated into the Book.
*****
The Grand Master saw once more how the selected page glowed in liquid red, and closed the Book over it with a slam. Small drops of thick blood spilled slowly from among the pages. Nurturing the Book was his main mission and he intended to continue with it. So he once again opened the volume at random and cast his breath upon the revealed spell.
When I saw the ancient scripting filling the piece of paper, I recognized it immediately. I had had a very comprehensive education, that had included the black arts of the old times. The lore I learnt in my young days had helped me in unthinkable ways, and had made me the man I was. Good part of my wealth and power had been brought to me by the combination of my magical knowledge and my disregard for morality. Those two things had just helped me to murder the old, wandering wizard before he could become troublesome. He should not have tried to stay in my dominions and steal my authority over my people. Taking him unawares had been surprisingly easy, and he was furthermore yielding this little treasure that I had taken from his purse and was now studying eagerly.
It took me some time to put into practice my rusty knowledge of that oldest of languages, but little by little I translated the first sentences, and then the real value and potential of that small, battered piece of paper came to me. It was undoubtedly an excerpt from the Book of Bloods! The page did not actually come from it, it was just a transcribed copy of one of its paragraphs, but I knew it still preserved a great power that I intended to put into good use. For my benefit, that is. I carefully hid the manuscript under my robes and quickly left the place.
I returned to my mansion and occupied myself in the translation of the script. It proved to be a complete spell and I was soon able to pronounce it complete by heart, intoning the magical words with the old pronunciation that gave them their full might. In the following years my wealth and authority increased rapidly and I became a great dark lord ruling over all the civilized towns of the county. I used my privileged status and imposed my authority with my usual ruthlessness, governing over my petty peasants with fear and terror. I was really enjoying it all.
But after three years of unsurpassed supremacy over all other mortals, I started to feel a presence over me. It did not have any kind of embodiment, but I could sense it watching me from afar. I became afraid of leaving my premises unaccompanied and was suspicious of open spaces. Invisible eyes stared at me from the distance, and only beneath the walls of my castle did I feel safe. But those eyes kept getting closer and more insidious, and soon I could not even peer through the windows without feeling menaced. I tried to use the spell from the Book of Bloods against that presence but to no avail. Finally, I ordered all the windows blocked and retired to my private chambers. I hardly saw anyone and lived oppressed by the stone walls and the stale air surrounding me. I felt miserable and tried to find strength to revel against that situation, but I was confronting a force much more superior than all the supernatural means I knew of.
That final day I woke up and found myself in total darkness. I tried to stand up and search for a lamp, but couldn't. I tried to call for help, but no sound came out of my mouth. I was paralyzed and totally helpless, and somehow I knew I had fallen into a state that was to last forever. I could see or hear nothing, and was shocked into terror when the door slammed closed definitely. I've been crying since then and cannot stop. Somehow all my energies are being withdrawn by means of that scream, and if my madness would allow for it, I would realize that my blood is being insufflated into the Book.
*****
The Grand Master saw once more how the selected page glowed in liquid red, and closed the Book over it with a slam. Small drops of thick blood spilled slowly from among the pages. Nurturing the Book was his main mission and he intended to continue with it. So he once again opened the volume at random and cast his breath upon the revealed spell.
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