Tales of Blackwood: Forgiveness of a Saint

  • “You approached me the other day, asking for forgiveness” Said the Saint, with a kind, benevolent smile in her face. “Do you still seek it?”

     

    The Serpent didn’t respond at first. She thought the Saint had already forgiven her, that she was now aejude, friend in her tongue.

     

    “What do you mean woman? I thought you already had uttered words of kindness towards me, do you still don’t trust me?” Hissed the tsaesci.

     

    “I have, but the gods have other plans for you” She says, noticing the tsaesci cringed as she uttered these words. “I realize that my divines must seem alien and strange to you, but they are important to me. Please, I simply require a small favor, will you help me?” Beckoned the Saint.

     

    The Serpent accepted reluctantly, and followed the Saint to the woods. Her suspicions only grew as they got deeper into the forest, and eventually she grabbed the Saint’s shoulder.

     

    “My patience grows thin, irnes’kil… What do you want with me?!”

     

    Instead of answering her companion, the Saint simply smiled. She very gently took the Serpent’s hand from her shoulder and looked deeply into her eyes. As she did, the moonlight shined against her iris, and they seemed different for a second.

     

    “I can’t do this without your help, come with me. Would you kindly?”

     

    She moved back to her path, and the tsaesci followed in a trance, fueled by a desire previously alien to her.

     

    The woods became deeper and darker, even her, mighty as she was, could feel a sense of dread from the area around her, but the Saint carried on with her steady pacing. She even began humming a soft tune at one point, anyone other than the serpent would have probably ran at this point, but her interest, or maybe her overconfidence, propelled her forward. She began to recognize her surroundings, but her mind was hazy, what was this place again?

     

    Soon they came to the edge of a clearing, and the smell of death lingered in the air. In the middle of the clearing she spotted a small shack, was this always there?

     

    The door of the shack opened and a tall silhouette came forth. He was carrying a large sack, slung over his shoulders. As the silhouette came closer, the Serpent had a better look at him. From his figure he seemed to be a man, a very tall one, maybe an elf even. He wore a mask with thick goggles, thick leather gloves and boots, and a white apron, covered in blood.

     

    The figure walked toward the middle of the clearing and dropped the object into a trench dug in the ground. A swarm of flies flew upwards as the sack fell, but settled down as soon as the figure left.

     

    Clarity flooded the tsaesci’s mind as she began to recognize the area. It seemed that the Wizard had relocated himself, and he had been busy. The Saint sit back into a tree stump and simply watched the Wizard do his bidding. She bit her right index finger through her glove; the Serpent could see her quivering with excitement, she even heard the Saint squirm a muffled sound through gritted teeth.

     

    The Wizard returned to his shack, and the Serpent took this opportunity to slither quietly to the trench in the middle of the clearing. The Wizard had been busy; this trench was filled to the brim with corpses. It phased her little that a few of these bodies had been her doing, but she was surprised all the same that the Wizard managed to fill it as much as he did on his own.

     

    The tsaesci was startled when a hand touched her shoulder, her own immediately dashing to her sword’s hilt. However, when she saw it was only the Saint, her mind was eased.

     

    “Do you see all this?” Said the Saint, pointing to the pile of corpses. “My gods don’t approve of this madness. The Wizard needs to ask for forgiveness, as he has sinned”

     

    “Is this the reason we came here? You expect a confession from the Wizard?! Are you mad? He will kill you!” The Serpent hissed.

     

    The Saint only smiled, a kind, motherly smile. She looked mildly amused at the tsaesci’s statement.

     

    “I’m impressed at your devotion to my life, but even more at your confidence in your own abilities… Have you forgotten I have bested you before? It is not the first time I have showed sinners the error of their ways, he will see reason, and he will confess. When he does, he will earn his place at the side of our father, and he will be at peace”

     

    “Why do you care so much? Are you seriously talking about saving the soul of this trash?!”

     

    The Saint smiled again, closing her eyes as she did. When she opened them again, there was something different… The way they shined against the moonlight, for some unknown reason, the serpent felt a shiver go down her spine. The Saint’s hand met the Serpent’s and she whispered softly in her ear.

     

    “Please, I simply require your help. Just do as I say, and you will be greatly rewarded,” She said, returning her gaze to the tsaesci’s “Would you kindly?”

     

    Without really knowing why, the serpent nodded her head, and as if she was in a trance, followed the Saint.

     

    Both the figures stood in front of the shack, and waited. The Serpent stood at the ready, she didn’t know if the Wizard had gotten more powerful since their last encounter, but the Saint didn’t seem worried. She simply picked a spot to sit in a nearby log, and began slowly kicking the air with her feet. In the Tsaesci’s eyes, she probably looked like a small child, eagerly waiting to play with her friend.

     

    Eventually the Wizard left the shack, with another body, wrapped in thick cloth and slung over his shoulder. When he had taken a few steps from the shack, he froze.

     

    The Serpent put her hand at the hilt of her sword, and waited for the Wizard to make a move. The Saint simply smiled to the Wizard, and waved her hand in his direction.

     

    He threw the body at the floor and concentrated to weave a spell. The Magicka flowed around his fingers as he released and formed the energy. Fire erupted from his hands as he shot it towards the tsaesci. In his mind, the Saint wasn’t a danger; he could even use her in his experiments. He wanted to hear that woman scream, but the snake would need to die now, else he would.

     

    The Serpent dived away, avoiding the flames by inches. She hid behind the Wizard’s shack, away from the flames. He kept a watchful eye to the tsaesci, and backed away slowly to keep his full shack in view. He looked around as he did, to make sure that the Saint hadn’t run away. But as he looked towards the tree stump, he saw nothing.

     

    The Wizard looked around, slightly concerned, and as he turned, he met the Saint’s eyes. Her gaze didn’t leave his, and he felt all that was going through her mind. He gasped and backed away, but before he could concentrate to weave another spell the Saint drew a small knife from her sleeve and stabbed at the Wizard’s side.

     

    The elf fell back, grasping his flank. He tried to grab the dagger and pull it off, but his body went numb. His grasp of the hilt softened, and his breathing began to slow down, becoming painfully automatic. He lost control of his bodily functions, causing his muscles to relax, emptying his bowls in the process.

     

    The Saint giggled at his misfortune. “Oh! Does baby need to be changed?” She chuckled. “It’s useless now elf, but you can still talk a bit” She said as her head moved closer to his face. “You have sinned. Will you beg for forgiveness in the eyes of the gods?”

     

    The Wizard’s anger boiled. “How dare she!?” Went through his head.

     

    With the muscles of his face still responding, he globed a bunch of spit in his mouth, before spewing it in the Saint’s face. Her expression remained neutral, instead she simply sighed and wiped her cheek with her sleeve.

     

    The Serpent slithered out of her cover once she determined that the Wizard was no longer a threat. As she approached, the Saint beckoned her closer, and spoke.

     

    “Would you kindly? Help me move him”

     

    Without paying much mind to it, the tsaesci obeyed her commands. She picked the Wizard’s limp body and took him near the tree stump. The Saint told the serpent to be careful, as the poison wouldn’t last for much longer. The Serpent grabbed the elf’s arms, to stop him from casting any spells.

     

    As the poison’s effect started to waver, the Wizard moved again. He struggled to move against the serpent’s grip, but her strength was too much for him. The Saint waited patiently for him to stop, absent-mindedly kicking the dirt beneath her feet. Once he stopped struggling, she spoke again.

     

    “Will you ask for forgiveness now? It will be easier on you… I will give you one last chance”

     

    Again, the Wizard spat at the Saint, and again the Saint sighed. She pulled her dagger from the elf’s side, causing him to scream in pain, but she immediately healed his wound with her restoring magic, so that he wouldn’t die from the bleeding.

     

    The Saint gently put her hand over the Wizard’s own right; she caressed it for a moment, and then smashed it down in the stump in front of her, stabbing it into the wood with her blade. Her smile didn’t waver, in reality; it just might have gotten bigger. She then moved over and did the same with his other hand, drawing another knife from her sleeve.

     

    The Wizard screamed again, tears falling down his cheeks, and vomit coming out of his mouth. He spewed his lunch to his side, and then contemplated his hands. His head turned, and as he has about to speak, the Saint hit his face with the back of her hand.

     

    “Shush now child, you had your chance to speak” The Saint turned to the Serpent, still a smile plastered on her face “Friend, I need you help here, would you kindly, chop off his hands?”

     

    The tsaesci didn’t quite understand the request at first, but her body didn’t seem her own. Slowly but surely she drew her katana. It’s blade shinned in the moonlight as she held it above her head, and became a blur as she slashed down.

     

    Again the wizard screamed, and from the corner of her eye, the Serpent saw the Saint bite on her finger, containing a squeal of excitement. The Saint quickly reached inside her robe and picked a vial of something. She opened it and sprinkled it around his wounds, sending another wave of pain through the elf’s body.

     

    To compliment the salt she used in his wounds, she also weaved her magic to close the flesh and stop the bleeding completely. The Wizard dragged himself away, mumbling sounds as he did. His back was against a tree, which he used to sit up.

     

    Again he began to try and say something, but this time his face met the Saint’s foot. Her boot struck his cheek violently, and instead of removing it when he stopped speaking, she simply giggled, rubbed it against his skin and pulled her sleeves up.

     

    She skipped back to the stump and hovered her hands over the weapons impaled into it. Her fingers passed thought the one she had used to stab the elf’s left hand, as this one was free of poison. She plucked it from its flesh and licked some its contents. The Saint quivered with pleasure and slowly walked towards the wounded elf.

     

    “Friend? Would you kindly search his shack? I want two buckets, both filled with water, and a rag if you will” Said the Saint, as her gaze deepened into the elf’s eyes.

     

    It was as the tsaesci had been free of a charm, and thrown into another one. She slowly slithered towards the shack and collected all the materials the Saint requested. She returned shortly after and put all of the things she requested near the woman, watching her, with mad curiosity.

     

    The Saint slowly passed her knife through the Wizard’s face, shaving of his beard and hair. After she was done, she threw one of the buckets of water over his now bald skull. Her knife inched ever closer to the elf’s eyes, but when the first drops of sweat began to appear in his forehead, the Saint pulled the knife away and giggled a childish laugh.

     

    “Kidding!” She chuckled.

     

    The Wizard’s breathing began to slow down as he calmed, but once he stopped again the woman quickly shoved her hand into his mouth and pulled out his tongue, swiftly severing it with her blade.

     

    As the Wizard howled in pain the Saint dispatched some more of the salt in her vial, further adding to his agony. Her knife then flashed again, this time shaving his lips right off his face. She smeared some more salt to close his wound, and then used a healing spell directly at his head; to relieve his pain, stop him from going into shock.

     

    She then extended her hand to the serpent’s direction. “The rag, would you kindly?” The tsaesci obeyed yet again, without really knowing why…

     

    With one hand she put her small knife in an angle that would hurt the elf’s mouth if he tried to close it. With the other, she pried it open and jammed the rag into his throat, forcing him to swallow half of it.

     

    A small part remained outside his mouth, and like this, she left him. The Saint skipped back to the stump and removed the other dagger from it, along with his hands. Without paying much mind to the blood she sat down and watched the Wizard. For what felt like hours they waited. The Serpent gazed in the Saint’s direction a myriad of times, occasionally catching her biting her lower lip to the point of drawing blood, and others she caught her hand slowly sliding in between her legs.

     

    This went on for some time, minutes? Hours? Who can tell? And as the elf started to fade into a state of unconsciousness, the Saint walked slowly towards the victim, putting one foot directly in front of the other, taking her time, savoring her victory.

     

    As she came even closer, her hand closed at the tip of the rag, and pulled it with all her might. Along with the rag came part of his stomach, blood and vomit stuck to it and came out in bursts. The Saint caressed his head while holding a bucket to his mouth as he painfully expelled globs of blood, bile and even chucks of flesh.

     

    “There child… It will be all better now…” The Saint repeatedly kissed his forehead, and wiped from his mouth and cheeks any chunks that splashed back. Using the clean part of the rag, and the water from the other bucket.

     

    When he was done, many minutes later, the Saint took his face into her hands.

     

    “You will die here,” She said with a kind, motherly smile while caressing his cheek “Aren’t you excited to meet your father? Oh, what am I saying, of course you are…” She dismissed any response he could have given with a slight chuckle “Do you want to ask for forgiveness now? I can speed your passing, instead of the long hours you will suffer in this state. You know, a person can live up to twelve of so hours like this. Thirteen hours and about thirty-four minutes was the record! Do you think you can beat it?”

     

    The Wizard did not speak, he couldn’t. He simply waved his head madly to the sides, begging for it to end. The Saint kissed his cheeks and forehead, and then spoke.

     

    “Unfortunately your sin was too great. I won’t be able to give you immediate grace, you will still have to suffer, just a little more…”

     

    The Saint then drew her knife, and brought it under his robe. With two swift movements she severed a limp appendage, and threw it to the side dismissively. She then stared into his eyes as he screamed, crouched in his front, and absent-mindedly bit on her finger as she watched him die.

     

    The Wizard finally stopped moving, and the Saint simply stood, leaving his corpse there. She reached into her tunic and pulled her chime, ringing it a few times and offering his soul a silent prayer. The Saint turned her back to the serpent, kneeling down to pray, and offering a few words to her companion.

     

    “You may leave now, I wish to be alone”

     

    As she did that, the tsaesci felt like she was waking up, she didn’t know how to react, and the shock of all this hit her for the first time since they got there. Her hand made it’s way to the hilt of her sword, and she slowly slithered over to the form of the woman.

     

    As the Serpent got closer, she hears the Saint’s voice yet again, this time much quieter, speaking right to her chime.

     

    “Are you proud brother? I did just as you taught me… Do you forgive me now? Will you appear to me? Please… I’m so… Lonely…” the serpent heard the woman start to cry, and as her form hunched and shrunk into a fetal position she still heard, “Are you still mad? Why won’t you talk to me?”

     

    The Serpent didn’t know how to react; she simply didn’t know what to do. She stood there for what seemed like hours, watching the Saint cry. But then, she left, without really knowing why… 

Comments

4 Comments
  • Soneca the Exiled
    Soneca the Exiled   ·  September 12, 2014
    Nah.... In my head he has a beard, he'll have one here too o3o
  • Morthevin
    Morthevin   ·  September 12, 2014
    The Wizard has no beard, Soneca! If you want to make a mockery of my dead characters, do it properly! :P
  • Soneca the Exiled
    Soneca the Exiled   ·  August 29, 2014
    Yeah I made that reference the first time I used Illusion magic with her and have been using that as a queue to signal a sort of hypnotic trance, exactly like the main character of bioshock.
    I actually just noticed what you meant by that... I'm sure...  more
  • Okan-Zeeus
    Okan-Zeeus   ·  August 29, 2014
    Okay. The whole "would you kindly" thing is totally like the one from Bioshock, isn't it? Flay me if I'm wrong.
    This was an okay read. Your two protagonists were the highlight of the story, or at least the Saint was. She had some interesting qualiti...  more