The Tear of Gramal

by Phillip Jones

  Leaning against the table, Lasidious stroked the back of Celestria’s hands and waited for them to stop trembling before he turned to claim his seat at the end of the table.

  Mieonus stomped her lifted heel against the floor. “Well? Aren’t you going to say anything?”

  Again, Lasidious did not respond. He leaned back, lifted his feet up on the table and smiled.

  Now, more than ever, Gabriel believed that his greatest fear was beginning to manifest. It took everything in him to sound confident. “Lasidious, this Collective cannot waste its moments on theatrics. We have gathered for a purpose, and I intend to see that it’s accomplished.”

  When the Mischievous One failed to respond yet again, Mieonus surmised, “Something has changed with you. You’re more cocky than usual. Stop toying with us, and tell us why you’ve come.”

  Lasidious dropped his feet to the floor and leaned forward. “As I look around this room, I’m trying to determine who I’m going to destroy first. I have grown tired of some of the faces that sit around this table.” His eyes focused on the Book. “Perhaps I’ll start with you, Gabriel.”

  As the others sat in disbelief, the Mischievous One put his feet back on the table. “It’s my opinion that the laws governing this collective are no longer necessary. Gabriel, I’ll destroy you if you don’t agree to step aside and allow me to rule without opposition?”

  The others eagerly waited for the Book to respond. According to the law on Gabriel’s pages, a law Lasidious and Alistar initiated more than 10,000 seasons ago, the Book was required to strip any god of their power who threatened to end its existence. Further, Gabriel was to leave the offender’s immortality intact and then strip their mouth from their face. The Book was then required to create a place of continual suffering that was worse than any nightmare that could be found on Hell and cast the offender into it. It is there they would exist for the rest of eternity as payment for their threat, and their screams for mercy would forever remain unheard.

  With Lasidious threatening to end his existence, the members of the Collective were all shocked as Gabriel just hovered above the table in silence. “What are you waiting for, Gabriel?” Mieonus shouted. “Strip him of his godliness and be done with it. I’d love to witness his suffering.”

  The Mischievous One pointed a finger in Mieonus’ direction. “Perhaps there are two beings I shall need to destroy. Once I’m done with the Book, I may need to focus my attention on you if you’re unable to keep your mouth shut.” The Mischievous One moved his arm in the direction of Gabriel. As he did, his fingertips began to glow with the power he threatened to evoke. “You’ll surrender control of this Collective, or you’ll be destroyed. You have 1 Peak to make your decision.”

  Hosseff stood from his chair. “1 Peak? Have you gone mad, Lasidious? You’re in no position to make that demand. The Book would—”

  The Book spoke over the shade. “No, Hosseff ... you’re wrong!”

  “What do you mean?” Calla responded. “How could the shade be wrong?”

  Gabriel’s eyes dropped. “Because Lasidious knows.”

  “He knows what?” Jervaise barked. “Speak clearly, Gabriel. You’re confusing us.”

  Bailem was the next to speak. “He isn’t confusing all of us. Lasidious has come to realize the magnitude of his power. He now clearly knows he has the power to destroy the members of this collective.”

  “Ha!” Mieonus rebutted. “As if you would know anything! You’re the most witless of us all, Bailem!”

  “Agreed,” Owain added. “You’re a fool if you believe any of us possess the power to destroy the Book!”

  “I also agree that none of us has that ability,” Calla confirmed.

  Returning to her seat, Mieonus stroked the Mischievous One across the back of his shoulders as she past and then plopped into her chair. “We would be fools to believe that this Collective has lost the upper hand. I shall never cower to the likes of you, Lasidious. Perhaps you should return to whatever hole you crawled out of, and take your slut with you.”

  The Book shook his head. “Careful, Mieonus. This isn’t the moment to berate Lasidious. He has realized his potential, and he knows he has nothing to fear. He can destroy us all, and there’s nothing I can do to stop him.”

  The Goddess of Hate would have responded, but she could see the concern in the Book’s eyes. She leaned back in her chair and searched for the right thing to say. “It appears I’ve been a bit hasty with my words. Allow me to apologize, Lasidious. Is there anything I can get for you? Perhaps a tall mug of nasha?”

  The God of Water leaned forward. “You can’t be serious, Gabriel. Since when has Lasidious had the power to control even you?”

  Gabriel lowered onto the table and allowed his binding to open just enough to provide balance. “Since before the game with the Crystal Moon began. There’s nothing I can do to protect you now. If it’s Lasidious’ desire to change the laws, then I must yield or perish just as you must yield or perish.”

  As Celestria took note of defeat in the Book’s eyes, she sat in her chair glancing between Gabriel and the Mischievous One. She was unsure of where her allegiance should be placed. On one hand, if Lasidious was, indeed, more powerful than Gabriel, she no longer had to stay true to her promise to the Book. Yet on the other hand, Lasidious had not offered a real explanation as to why he had abandoned her. Her distrust of the Mischievous One’s intentions, no matter how much she still loved him, was dangling at the forefront of her mind. For now, she would remain silent and say nothing that would cause a reaction from either side.

  Alistar stood from his chair. “Lasidious, if you are to be the new head of this collective, I have a gift for you to show that my intent is to conform to your rule. I don’t want to perish. I shall return in a few moments to bestow your gift upon you.” The God of the Harvest vanished.

  Kesdelain was quick to stand as well. “I shall also bestow a gift. I have served you before, Lasidious. I’ll be happy to serve you again.” The troll also vanished.

  Mieonus stood, “And I have a home that I could give you. I have seen the way you and your lovely goddess have gazed upon my waterfall. It’s yours if you’d like. Meanwhile, allow me to retrieve two mugs of nasha. I shall go and pick the ripest fruit myself.”

  It was not long before the only beings left in the room were Lasidious, Gabriel and Celestria. The Goddess of Beasts had to smile. “I must admit, I enjoyed the fear on Mieonus’ face.”

  Gabriel lifted from the table and floated closer to Lasidious. “How do you intend to rule...?”

  When Alistar appeared, he was standing in the Vampire King’s throne room beneath the Mountains of Gannesh on Hell. “Brother!” he shouted. “Show yourself! We have a problem!”

  It took a few moments, but eventually, the Vampire King walked into the room holding Yolan’s hand. Sam Jr. was in his free arm while Garrin was cradled in the queen’s. “How can I help you, brother?” Lasidious replied.

  Alistar’s exhale was long. “Then the transformation was successful?”

  “Of course, it was. It went just as we thought it would. With the king’s body not possessing a soul, he was the perfect vessel to occupy. Tell me ... how did the meeting go?”

  The God of the Harvest hesitated to respond. He looked at Yolan. “Your Majesty, if you’d allow us the moments to converse. I’m sure there are more important matters for you to attend to than wasting your moments on the senseless babbling of brothers.”

  The queen reached out and took the Prince of Brandor from Lasidious and gave the Mischievous One a quick kiss on the cheek. “I know when I’m being politely dismissed. Shall we hunt together later this evening? I have a craving for green demon.”

  Lasidious smiled. “I will look forward to the fear on their faces as you puncture their flesh. I’ll find you once our conversation is complete.”

  Once the Vampire Queen was out of earshot, the Mischievous One was quick to question. “I have to know. Was Tardon stripped of h
is power? Better yet, what did he look like without a mouth? I can only imagine the fear that must have filled his eyes.”

  Lasidious could see there was a problem. “What’s wrong, brother?”

  Alistar’s response was immediate. “The words you filled Tardon’s mouth with had the opposite effect than we intended. The Book cowered at Tardon’s threat.”

  “What? Explain.”

  “Tardon demanded that Gabriel relinquish control of the Collective or perish, as you instructed him to do.”

  “That’s good ... isn’t it?”

  “No, it isn’t. The Book did nothing.”

  Lasidious’ brow furrowed. “Nothing?”

  “Yes ... the Book did not make a stand against Tardon as you said he would. The Book yielded.”

  “Gabriel wouldn’t yield,” Lasidious negated. “The law on his pages wouldn’t allow him to once the threat was uttered.”

  Alistar shook his head. “You don’t understand. He yielded because he was unable to enforce the law. Apparently, you’ve had the power to control the Collective since before your game with the Crystal Moon began. You’ve given up your godliness for nothing, and now Tardon sits in your seat without opposition. At this very moment, the Collective is coming to the realization that Tardon is their new law.”

  As the anger built on the new Vampire King’s face, Lasidious turned and walked across the room and stopped next to his throne. With his head hung low, his nails dug into the back of the chair.

  “What would you have me do, brother?” Alistar questioned. “It’s too risky to let the Collective believe that you’re the one governing them.”

  “Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!” the vampire screamed as he reared back and punched the top of his throne. As the back of the chair broke apart from the rest, he whirled around and continued to shout while the separated piece tumbled across the floor. “How could I not have realized the extent of my own power? The path I’ve chosen to follow was completely unnecessary!”

  Alistar shrugged. “I know, but shouting at me won’t get us anywhere. A new plan is in order, and we must act quickly. Tardon won’t know what to do with his perception of dominance. He’ll say something that gives you away, and Gabriel will learn that he’s an imposter.”

  It took a moment for Lasidious to settle down, but the graveness of the situation demanded that he calm himself. “This is what you’ll do. You’ll return to Ancients Sovereign and destroy Tardon. Annihilate him before he has the chance to say something we can’t fix.”

  “I cannot destroy him, Lasidious. With you transferring most of your power and your soul into the Vampire King’s vessel, you have left your former body as a shell of who you once were. If I were to end Tardon, what soul would Gabriel collect? He would know it wasn’t you when he was unable to find your spirit. The Collective would be forced to hunt for it, and I would be unable to keep them in the dark.”

  “Damn it!” Lasidious whirled around, kicked the bottom half of the throne and watched it tumble down the steps. “Damn, that book! Why can’t winning be easy?”

  Alistar crossed his arms. “You’re wasting your breath with senseless emotions. You need to focus!”

  The Mischievous One took a deep breath. “I feel sick to my stomach. This body must be incapable of dealing with these feelings.”

  “Your new body and mind isn’t your problem. We both agreed that Tardon was an acceptable host. Now what would you have me do?”

  A fair series of moments passed before the Mischievous One responded. “Okay ... you will...” The conversation continued.

  When Alistar finally reappeared next to his seat inside the Book’s Hall of Judgment, he was empty handed.

  Mieonus looked up from handing the second mug of nasha to Celestria. “What took you so long, and where’s your gift? Our new lord has been patiently waiting. He has told us that he intends to spare us all. Isn’t he so gracious?”

  As the others of the Collective looked in the God of the Harvest’s direction, Alistar rolled his eyes. “Mieonus, you’re the biggest sheep of them all. Allow me to demonstrate the magnitude of my gift.” Alistar scanned the faces around the table and pointed in the direction of the far wall. “I suggest you all move, for my gift is grand and will require space.”

  The curiosity of the others caused them to comply. Once they were out of the way, the God of the Harvest focused on Celestria. “Please stand beside me. I want you to see Lasidious’ face from my perspective as your lover realizes the nature of what I’m about to bestow upon him.”

  The anticipation of the gift caused Tardon to rub his hands together. “I cannot express my excitement. May I have a hint of what it might be?”

  Smirking, Alistar lifted a finger and rocked it back and forth. “Careful, Lasidious, you don’t want to appear too anxious. It would spoil the surprise.”

  “Do hurry. I cannot wait to see it,” he responded.

  With Celestria at his side, the God of the Harvest turned his back to the others and then stepped in front of her. He whispered in her ear, “No matter what happens, I want you to know there’s a reason for what I’m about to do. In your dismay, you must say nothing of my relationship to Lasidious. I will explain my actions when the proper moment arrives. What I’m about to do is going to cause you pain, but I assure you, this pain will be a wasted emotion. For now ... you must feign your despair.”

  The Goddess of Beasts whispered a response. “What are you talking about? You’re scaring me, Alistar.”

  “I assure you, there’s nothing to be scared of. As I have said ... whatever happens next, there’s an explanation. That’s all I can tell you for now. Do you understand?”

  “What would you have me do?”

  Mieonus shouted from across the room. “Are you going to give him the gift, or not? Our new lord doesn’t have all Peak!”

  Alistar extended a hand behind his back and held up a finger, but his eyes remained focused on Celestria’s as he continued to whisper, “You must react the way you would’ve if you had not known there was an explanation. Make sure you say nothing of my relationship to Lasidious. Do you understand?”

  With the goddess nodding, Alistar turned in the direction of the Book. “Gabriel, will you please join us? We will need to draw from your power. The gift is of that magnitude.”

  As the others of the Collective murmured about the possibilities of the gift, the Book floated across the room and stopped next to Alistar.

  “Come closer, Gabriel.” With the Book floating as close as he possibly could, Alistar continued to whisper. “I believe Lasidious is deceiving us. I’m going to defend you against his threat. You must be ready to act, and enforce the law within your binding once I have proven his weakness.”

  Celestria grabbed Alistar’s arm. “You can’t do that. You know the severity of the law. He’s your—”

  Alistar was quick to put his fingers over Celestria’s mouth. “You must trust me. You’ve been deceived, just as we all have been deceived. I would never hurt you. You must not react to your emotions. I say again ... you must trust me.”

  Gabriel was the one to respond. “If you’re wrong, he will end us. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

  Rather than respond to the Book, Alistar lifted Celestria’s chin. He made sure her eyes focused on his. “You must trust me ... okay?”

  As soon as Celestria nodded, Alistar turned to face the imposter god and lifted his hands. Before Tardon knew what was happening, his ability to speak had been stripped, and a wave of force was barreling in his direction. A moment later, Tardon lifted from the floor as the power sent him crashing into the wall behind him.

  Alistar shouted, “Now, Gabriel!”

  The Book’s arms extended. From across the room, Gabriel’s power seized the imposter and lifted him off the floor. With a whip of his arms, the Book sent Tardon flying into the wall closest to the collection of gods. Lasidious’ old body fell to the floor, unconscious, stripped of all its power and without a mouth.


  Celestria screamed. “Nooooooo!”

  Alistar was quick to react. He turned around, grabbed Celestria and then teleported out of the hall.

  Seeing Tardon’s mouthless face, Mieonus took a moment to gloat. The Goddess of Hate rushed over to the table, grabbed one of the mugs of nasha and then skipped across the room. After kneeling next to the imposter, she poured what was left on Tardon’s head and then waited for who she believed to be Lasidious to open his eyes. Her voice was full of contempt. “Lasidious, before Gabriel throws you into an existence of eternal torment, I need you to know ... I spit in your nasha. And I would’ve never given you my home.”

  As the Book floated across the room, the others of the Collective were asking questions, but rather than answer, he shouted, “Silence!”

  A long period of moments passed as the Book quietly hovered above Tardon, looking down at the smooth skin that now replaced the fallen’s mouth.

  True to form, Mieonus’ impatience got the best of her. “Well, aren’t you going to say something, Gabriel? This is your moment. Enjoy it.”

  As the Book passed his hand over the top of the imposter’s head, Tardon fell into a deep sleep. “He will awaken in torment. Everyone return to your places. I called this meeting for a purpose, and I intend to see it through.”

  Those who remained returned to their seats without question. With Gabriel hovering above Lasidious’ old chair, he pointed to the door of the room and called out, “Michael, the moment has come! Show yourself!”

  Every god gasped as the archangel entered the room.

  Moments later, Western Luvelles

  The Source’s Old Home

  When Alistar appeared with Celestria, they were standing in the Mountains of Oraness next to Fisgig’s perch.

  Celestria was quick to pull away from Alistar’s grasp and shout, “How could you betray your own brother? You would expect me to trust you after you sent him to an eternity of suffering?”