Haunt & Havoc

by Jeremy Dwyer

  “It is true. Many tens of thousands of us have listened, and all felt the same. We tried, and tried again, for days and weeks we suffered, not wishing to bring ill news, yet hoping to find a way. There was none: we are too feeble to overcome this dark obscuring of the suns of the sky,” Palmer said.

  “Wait here. I will meet with His Majesty, and tell him of your great difficulty, that he may give guidance,” Aura said.

  Aura then left the receiving room, passing through twelve (12) foot tall gold trimmed doors, entering into the throne room and closing the doors behind her.

  “You bring me news, Aura?” King Xander asked while seated upon his throne, which was made of diamond and platinum, and was elevated on a marble platform thirteen (13) feet up with as many steps, such that an observer looking through the doors from the receiving room could not see either the king or his throne.

  “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I bring news unfit for your magnificence,” Aura said, bowing down as she spoke.

  “Approach me, that I may hear,” King Xander said.

  Aura walked up the stairs, slowly and with trepidation, not knowing just how angry King Xander might be.

  “What is it, Aura?” King Xander asked.

  “The drinkers of the Atrejan waters – two (2) of them, a man and a woman – have brought a report to me. They tell that the stars of the sky are painful to hear, and that they cannot discern the message of the position or movement. They – and tens of thousands of others of their same waterbinding – have tried repeatedly and failed,” Aura said.

  “This is disturbing. The stars have not yet been made to serve me, but they serve the darkness instead. I am greatly disappointed that, among these tens of thousands of people who drink of the Atrejan waters, none was able overcome that darkness to bring me the knowledge of the stars!” King Xander said.

  “Sadly, that is what I report,” Aura said. The tone of the Unfailing King’s voice was enough to cause her worry. She did not know if his wrath would be directed at her for the message, but the wrath was about to be unleashed.

  “Bring me the woman. Kill the man, and set his severed head and limbs out on a tray of rusted iron, along with a note that shall tell of his name and his crime against me. The note shall command ‘Do Not Fail to Obey the King,’” King Xander said.

  Aura then left the throne room and returned to the receiving room.

  “The King wishes to see you,” Aura said to Della.

  “See me?” Della asked.

  “Yes. Do not make him wait,” Aura said.

  Della approached the door to the throne room and entered.

  Aura closed the doors so that Della could no longer be seen.

  “What of me?” Palmer asked.

  Aura motioned to the guards who came over and decapitated Palmer before he had time to beg for his life. They then removed his arms and legs, and opened him to spill his innards upon a large shield of iron, alongside his head and limbs. This shield of iron carrying Palmer’s remains was taken outside and laid down in the courtyard area, near a fountain that sent water thirty-one (31) feet into the air.

  A sign made of wood was placed next to the remains, and it was etched with a sword point to read as King Xander had commanded.

  Aura returned to the receiving room and waited.

  ~~~

  Inside the throne room, King Xander spoke fiercely to Della.

  “Approach, woman, that I may see if you are worthy of a lesser punishment or a greater one,” King Xander said.

  Della began crying, fearful for her life.

  “I command you to approach!” King Xander yelled.

  Della stood there, crying even more bitterly, not even aware of the fate that had befallen Palmer. She did not know the man, but they had traveled together, and she became fearful for him, as well.

  King Xander stood up and pointed to guards that were elsewhere in the room, and they took Della by the arms and forcefully escorted her up the steps to approach the throne.

  Della cried the entire way, and King Xander looked upon her, displeased immediately.

  “You are not adept at hearing the stars. And your plain appearance is not worthy of my seed. I thought that, perhaps, in your failing to hear the messages of the suns in the sky, you might have a secondary purpose in bearing a child for me who could be at least a servant. Yet, I feel no desire for you, as you are not gifted with much feminine charm,” King Xander said.

  “Please! Please! Please! Let me try again! I will listen to the stars, but they are more powerful, and I am weak. Only the waters let me hear them, and what I hear is pain. I give all that I can, but I am nothing!” Della said, sobbing.

  “Then you admit total failure before you begin. Do not waste my time! Send her remains to be with those of the man. She is not of any use, so there is no loss,” King Xander said.

  The guards took Della out of the throne room, and into the receiving room, where she met the same grisly end as Palmer, and her remains were placed next to his in the courtyard.

  Aura watched the execution, feeling delighted that King Xander had seen fit to kill the woman, rather than make her a concubine, for that was an honor which Aura sought for herself. She returned to the receiving room, waiting for the moment that King Xander would think of her and feel desire, so that she may ascend in status.

  ~~~

  The massacre of Della and Palmer did not go unnoticed, nor was it meant to be missed. A strong and healthy man of thirty-two (32) years, by the name of Matoskah, took careful notice. He was a drinker of the Trerada Ocean waters, and was a distrusting and cynical person. The Trerada waters gave him resistance to the spiritual attacks that had been sent by the heralds, and he had the will to use that power, so his own soul was still in command of his body, rather than being subjugated by a distant soul from beyond. The Envision song had charmed the multitudes – many of them also Trerada water drinkers – into letting down their guard, but Matoskah was among those who actively resisted and doubted the musical promise it made.

  Matoskah – and others with similar power – made their way, secretly, across the continent of Ihalik and gathered together in the Road of Kovoxotu land bridge, which extended from the northern edge of Ihalik, bearing northeast and connecting to the southwestern corner of the continent of Revod. The land bridge separated the Kazofen Ocean on its east from the Zovvin Ocean on its west. There, many assembled and made plans, waiting for the right time to act.

  CHAPTER 2: Spiritual Master of the Kingdom of Illusions

  “Bring me Rivka,” King Xander said to his guards.

  One of the guards went through a side door of the throne room, not leading to the receiving room, but down a long and luxurious, brightly lit hallway – with marble floors and metallic walls and ceiling like those of the receiving room – toward a room with a closed door. The side of the door facing the hallway was covered in brilliant electrum and platinum.

  The guard opened the door and saw a woman sitting on a stone bench at the center of the room.

  The woman was Rivka, and she looked up at the guard with angry eyes and venom in her voice, saying: “Never enter without knocking, or both of your spirits could be seized and condemned.” She was referring to the fact that the body of the guard – like that of so many others – was inhabited by another spirit which had been invited in during the ritual by which Ihalik was overtaken.

  The guard looked to the interior of the room and saw that it was filled with candles and knives and human remains. The room was lit only by twenty-six (26) candles – each two (2) feet tall – arranged in a circle on the floor. The floor was actually tiled in dark red ruby, but it looked for a moment as if it were covered in blood. There was no blood on the floor, however, as Rivka was careful to never let any spill.

  “His Majesty commands your presence,” the guard said.

  Rivka smiled, hoping that she was soon to receive what she sought most – the seed of the king, to bring about an heir who would be loyal to her. She st
ood up from her stone bench, which was positioned in the center of the candles – it was a one (1) foot high pentagonal bench, where each side was carved with horrifying, horned faces – and she joined the guard. Rivka then closed the door, which was covered with blood red ruby on the side facing the interior of her room. The guard leaned in to the room and noticed this fact just as Rivka closed it, pushing him out. They proceeded through the hallway and entered the throne room.

  “How may I serve Your Majesty, the Unfailing King?” Rivka asked, looking up to the king’s throne on its platform.

  “Approach the throne, Rivka,” King Xander commanded, looking down upon the guard and Rivka.

  Rivka walked cautiously up the steps, moving her legs and thighs seductively as she did so, hoping to arouse the king. She wore a purple dress with cut lines that exposed her skin, which was perhaps pleasing if not extraordinary.

  “Give us privacy,” King Xander ordered the guards who stood around the base of the throne’s platform, and they all left the room.

  Rivka felt her womanly desire surge, and she craved the thought of tasting the King’s flesh inside of her.

  King Xander looked at Rivka and saw a woman who was at least a decade older than her true years, as Rivka was not particularly physically fit, in his esteem. He knew that she drank of the Zovvin Ocean waters – which made her a useful herald – and that was why he summoned her even now. The thought of coupling with her did not enter into his mind.

  “Drink anew of your waters, that you may serve me,” King Xander said.

  Rivka was disappointed that this was not a carnal invitation, but she was eager to obey in the hopes of earning more of the Unfailing King’s interest. Thus, she drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from her vial on a chain around her neck – that chain being made of interlocked human vertebrae. She was thereby energized and ready to serve using the power to reach the spirit world.

  “Now, I will add my strength to yours,” King Xander said, and he drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his own vial – a magnificent golden vessel hanging on a chain of platinum and gold around his neck. This was possible because the body which his spirit inhabited was already waterbound to the Zovvin waters. He was energized by this drink, and he did this to ensure that no other spirit would take control of him, for he had bold and dangerous plans. He used his powers to build a spiritual wall around himself, guarding against intrusions.

  “What shall we now do together, Your Majesty?” Rivka asked, imbuing her words with an added, sensual meaning.

  “Call to me the Master of Spirits in the Maelstrom,” King Xander said.

  “Please, please, no! He is too powerful! I beg you to reconsider, Your Majesty!” Rivka said.

  “Our combined strength will suffice to maintain control and shield us from his spiritual assault. You know the greatness of the waters,” King Xander said.

  “He is a demon! His powers are far beyond those of a thousand of us acting in unison!” Rivka said.

  “No. You fear that which has little power, thus giving it more power. You further doubt the power of the Zovvin Ocean waters. Your cowardice makes you disloyal to me, and unworthy even to drink of those waters,” King Xander said, with scorn in his voice.

  “I will serve you gladly – with the richest feast of all that I have and I am. Yet, if you asked me to serve you a drink which I knew was poison, how could I obey and still be a faithful servant, unless I warned you of the power of the venom in the drink?” Rivka asked.

  “Have faith in me, Rivka, and have confidence in the waters. Strengthen your beliefs – immediately – and then call to him,” King Xander said. He wanted her to take the risk of directly connecting to the demon, and to suffer the consequences if the process went awry.

  Knowing that King Xander would not listen, but fearing that he might order her death or simply ignore and dismiss her, Rivka reached out with her powers into the spirit world and called to the demon known as Gadamalto.

  ~~~

  In the Maelstrom of Vengeance, Gadamalto felt a calling from the material world. He was angry, yet intrigued. A fool, he thought, was approaching. And fools were welcome to enter, but never to leave. They would be shown his infernal hospitality, and be comforted with madness and confusion. Gadamalto then answered the call.

  ~~~

  “Why do you speak to me mortal? You risk your life speaking a single word,” Gadamalto asked in a deep and terrifying voice that only Rivka could hear, and only in her spirit.

  “It is not I who seeks you, but His Majesty, King Xander,” Rivka said.

  “No mortal has majesty compared to me! Yet, I will hear him speak, for a fool will condemn himself by his words,” Gadamalto said, this time in a voice that both Rivka and King Xander could hear, for it was spoken out loud, audible to any ear listening in the throne room. Yet, the demon remained invisible to the eye.

  “You desire souls, and I can send multitudes to you,” King Xander said.

  “In death, many are mine. I am eternal, and can wait for the brief duration of their lives,” Gadamalto said.

  “The corrupt belong to you. I can change these people in my kingdom, and bend their minds and morals, so that a greater share will turn corrupt in life and become yours upon death,” King Xander said.

  “You are a liar, as anyone with open eyes can see. Your kingdom is built of illusions, which the true darkness will soon reveal,” Gadamalto said.

  “A lie shouted many times in the light will outshine a truth whispered in the darkness. They will believe that lie,” King Xander said.

  “What lie will you tell them that they should become mine?” Gadamalto asked.

  “That I am their King, and thus have authority over their religion, so that they must give worship to you, with songs and books that proclaim you as their Spiritual Master,” King Xander said.

  Rivka was filled with terror, as she was the conduit through which King Xander was connecting to the demon known as Gadamalto. He was genuinely beyond any spirit of a deceased mortal, so King Xander was more than bold, but outright maniacally foolish, to be saying these things. Rivka could only watch and listen in horror, not knowing what was to become of this exchange. If the demon became angry, she would be destroyed first for enabling this communication.

  “You seek something in exchange, of course. State your desires, mortal king, that I should consider your offer. Be cautious, for if I accept your bargain and give you what you ask, then you will be held to your part, and will pay dearly for failure,” Gadamalto said.

  “I want the entire world to proclaim me as their king. They will be subjugated using song and sword, and my kingdom will spread across every single continent and the lands that connect them. You will be there with my armies and my navies, down to the ship, to the unit, to the soldier and to the sailor. You will guide their every move and inform their every perception, so that every strike lands upon the intended victim, every hidden enemy will be revealed to them, and every counterstrike should fail,” King Xander said.

  “I know all things and this is what you ask of me!? Have them drink of the purest ocean waters and they will have the power you seek. I am not your army or your navy, to win your wars for you!” Gadamalto said.

  “You say you know all things. Then you know you will get nothing by refusing me. I will send their spirits to another master, to whom they will become slaves in their eternal condemnation after their flesh has failed. There will be war, and I will be king everywhere. The question is only that of which demon will benefit,” King Xander said.

  “Do not taunt me, mortal, or I will raise an army against you!” Gadamalto said.

  “You are nothing, in the realm of the living, unless they choose to listen. I will make them listen – listen to me – and listen in great numbers,” King Xander said.

  “You bargain from weakness, you pathetic fool!” Gadamalto said.

  “I have already conquered this continent. I can seduce and conquer the remainder of the
world without you. I only seek a greater efficiency in battle, for which you would have been paid well,” King Xander said.

  “You are asking me for favors in great number, as numerous as your soldiers and your sailors and their each and every action upon the battlefields of the world,” Gadamalto said.

  “And you will be paid souls in great number, when they praise your name. They will belong to me, mind and body. I will shape their beliefs. To what spirit will I commend their faith? To the demon who granted my military expedience in battle, of course. You should be honored that I thought of you first!” King Xander said.

  “You are arrogant. Yet, I will give you what you seek. And you will pay me, more than anyone has ever paid…intensely and eternally,” Gadamalto said.

  “My fleets are preparing for their next battle. Be ready, demon,” King Xander said.

  ~~~

  At this, Gadamalto departed to prepare a fitting gift for King Xander. He delighted in the horrid torments he had planned. A single mortal lifetime that this King Xander would have was nothing to him, as he had the patience to wait millions of years, if needed. Compared to eternity, these finite times were of no concern.

  Gadamalto looked out upon the billions of corrupt and screaming souls which he tormented in the place of madness known as the Maelstrom of Vengeance. They deserved all that they received, and would continue to receive tortures in abundance and great variety such that they could never become accustomed to or tolerant of the agony. This would last for eternity, unless they heeded the call of the Redeemer, known also as the Perfect, Truthful Innocent One. Gadamalto dreaded the occurrence of that call, but he was utterly and totally powerless to stop it. He could only lie as best he could, to convince the condemned souls to not listen and to accept their own fate as deserved for their wicked ways of murder and abuse and theft and defamation and mockery and slavery of others in their lifetimes.