mojo
02-25-2010, 10:30 AM
I write this record of my many lives clear in the knowledge that soon i will be no more than a lifeless corpse. The Dark One that has hounded me across centuries draws near and i fear my luck has run its course.
I have had many names to go with my many lives and i attempt here in the short time i have left to commit to paper an abridged version of those events.
Rome, 65 AD.
I began my first life as Flavius, the bastard child of Flavius Scaevinus. After my fathers death all of us that had any connection to my father fled or risked the wrath of Nero. My mother and i took a boat, a small merchant vessel and headed for the Balkans but were soon attacked by Illyrian pirates.
Only some few of us survived and were pressed into slavery, my mother died trying to protect me, slain by the leader of those infamous buccaneers. Even now i can still recall the sight of her arterial flow darkening the timbers of the ships deck.
Agron, the leader of the Illyrian's took me as his own servant, brutalised and debased me for many years, his toy.
High within the mountains they lived, close to the coast in an easily defended fort nestled amongst the crags.
It was here one day that Agron returned from a raid with a great horde of treasure taken from a sleek caravel of unknown origin, it's crew all dark skinned and brooding warriors dressed in monk's garb.
Late that night when all was still and quiet, after much carousing by Argon's men, i made my way surrepticiously within the storeroom where the treasure was kept. My hope was to steal a few coins and make an escape.
Whilst searching through the trove i came across a golden casket, the size of the palm of my hand. Upon opening the casket a radiant light shone forth, momentarily blinding me. When i could see again a dark figure was looming over me, a foul stench filled the room and i gagged, nearly losing consciousness. The creature stood well over seven feet tall and was scaled, its face pointed and wretched, a forked tongue flickered from between stony lips.
He spoke to me and his voice grated upon my ears, "I am Apep, Lord of the Underworld. The casket you have opened grants you a wish, and one wish only. There is one condition, upon the completion of your natural life you must reside with me for all eternity in The Underworld".
I thought for a moment, in somewhat stunned surprise at this turn of events, immediately thoughts of revenge against those that had ruined my life and the lives of my family played out within my mind, then thoughts of untold riches and power. But at the end of each of those thoughts my mind remembered Apep's words "upon the completion of your natural life you must reside with me for all eternity in The Underworld".
Then it struck me and i believed i had the beast tricked and so i asked, brazenly. "I wish for eternal life".
For a moment the beast did not speak, but his eyes burned fiercely, boring into my soul and i felt the rage that i had unleashed.
But he was magically bound to adhere to my wish, and so he said "Very well, you have your wish". In a moment, a blinding light again lit the room and i was alone once more.
I left that very night with a purse full of coin, climbing to the topmost crag that hung precariously out over the sea, and from this ledge i plunged, i knew not whether to my death or freedom. Either would have been welcome at the time.
Darkness.
And when i woke i could barely see, sound and motion confusing me, and giant hands reached down and raised me, i mewled and grasped the nipple placed before me.
I was no more than a babe.
Apep in that moment before granting my wish had seen the conundrum with which he was faced and had then indeed granted me eternal life, but not as i had expected.
Upon my death i would be born again, with all the senses and memories of my life intact. But only to start anew as a babe, and then a child before becoming once again a man who could use the knowledge of my lives.
Still i thought this was not such a bad thing but i must be extremely careful not to allow those of my new family's an insight into who i really was.
Merv, 651 AD
In this life i was known as Heraclius and i am here in Persia tracking Yazdgerd the last king of the Sassanid. In his possesion i knew he carried a tome, pillaged from a temple in Egypt. Apep was also after the very same tome, for within it's pages was a spell, a spell which if used by Apep would break our stalemate and my soul would be his.
In my many lives i had spent much of them learning as much as i could of the casket and its magics, my journey's had taken me half way around the world, to many countries and i learnt a great many things at the feet of great scholars, engaged in a life within a monastery, fought many battles in many armies, great knowledge was mine from the accumualtion of all my lives and experiences.
But yet the ever present spectre of Apep kept me always on edge.
It stalked me through each and every life, using his minions, at first just taking my life at every opportunity, and then once the existence of the book became known to us we raced and battled each other across the world in search of its power. The book would not only give him power over me but would allow the beast a physical presence in our world.
As i approached Yazdgerd i slipped the small knife from the sheath at my back and hid it within my palm, i was dressed as a peasant in rags and sandals so i could travel unnoticed. Yazdgerd was watering his horse and turned to face me as i approached, the scuff of my sandals alerting him.
"What is it you want peasant" he spat, haughty as ever, even as he ran from those who would see him dead.
"A coin sir, is all i ask and i shall care for your steed" i mumbled in obeisance as a peasant would.
"Begone wretch, i have no coin for the likes of you", he turned away contemptuously.
I slipped the blade out quickly and plunged it into his back, holding him upright as i did so. Looking quickly about i saw no sign of citizenry so laid him gently to the ground behind a small fence and searched through his belongings.
And there wrapped in a piece of dirty cloth was the book i had been searching for these many years.
I clasped it to my breast and hurried away.
Mount Athos, 1153 AD
Atop Mount Athos i sat regarding the Aegean Sea, a more splendid view i had not seen in over a thousand years. I was dressed as the monks of the time, behind me nestled amongst a small grove of tree's was a cave and within lay the tome and the casket, buried in it's darkest reaches.
London 1791 AD
Here i am known as Caleb Williams, a little known poet and literary agent. My good friend William Godwin, an author of great renown, is also the only other person i have ever told my story to, and much to my surprise William did not have me committed, hah!
And in fact the very thought of my eons long battle seemed to bring about him a great excitement. Not many months later his masterpiece was unleashed and one stanza in particular made the hairs on my neck stand on end.
My life has for several years been a theatre of calamity. I have been a mark for the vigilance of tyranny, and I could not escape. My fairest prospects have been blasted. My enemy has shown himself inaccessible to entreaties, and untired in persecution.
New York City 2010 AD
Apophis, The Eater of Souls (http://amkon.net/apophis-eater-souls-t25042.html?p=350494)
Paris 2012 AD
I knew two years ago that the tome had been found, i had kept close many friends upon Mount Athos since i had hidden the damned thing. Its sale upon the black market to a proffesor in New York was not unknown to me and so i ran and hid.
The beast would be enjoying it's new found freedom and i hoped that i would be the last thing on it's mind, but no.
Some sense allowed me to know when it drew near, and for the past twelve months i felt the beast each time it came close and managed to escape.
But i had left it too late this last time and i can now hear it's poisonous thoughts seeping into my mind, its grating steps on the landing before the door.
My heart shudders involuntarily as the portal opens wide and into the room steps a raven haired beauty.
Between her full red lips a slender forked tongue slips, tasting the air.
Her name i believe is Rachel, and she shall be the death of me.
I have had many names to go with my many lives and i attempt here in the short time i have left to commit to paper an abridged version of those events.
Rome, 65 AD.
I began my first life as Flavius, the bastard child of Flavius Scaevinus. After my fathers death all of us that had any connection to my father fled or risked the wrath of Nero. My mother and i took a boat, a small merchant vessel and headed for the Balkans but were soon attacked by Illyrian pirates.
Only some few of us survived and were pressed into slavery, my mother died trying to protect me, slain by the leader of those infamous buccaneers. Even now i can still recall the sight of her arterial flow darkening the timbers of the ships deck.
Agron, the leader of the Illyrian's took me as his own servant, brutalised and debased me for many years, his toy.
High within the mountains they lived, close to the coast in an easily defended fort nestled amongst the crags.
It was here one day that Agron returned from a raid with a great horde of treasure taken from a sleek caravel of unknown origin, it's crew all dark skinned and brooding warriors dressed in monk's garb.
Late that night when all was still and quiet, after much carousing by Argon's men, i made my way surrepticiously within the storeroom where the treasure was kept. My hope was to steal a few coins and make an escape.
Whilst searching through the trove i came across a golden casket, the size of the palm of my hand. Upon opening the casket a radiant light shone forth, momentarily blinding me. When i could see again a dark figure was looming over me, a foul stench filled the room and i gagged, nearly losing consciousness. The creature stood well over seven feet tall and was scaled, its face pointed and wretched, a forked tongue flickered from between stony lips.
He spoke to me and his voice grated upon my ears, "I am Apep, Lord of the Underworld. The casket you have opened grants you a wish, and one wish only. There is one condition, upon the completion of your natural life you must reside with me for all eternity in The Underworld".
I thought for a moment, in somewhat stunned surprise at this turn of events, immediately thoughts of revenge against those that had ruined my life and the lives of my family played out within my mind, then thoughts of untold riches and power. But at the end of each of those thoughts my mind remembered Apep's words "upon the completion of your natural life you must reside with me for all eternity in The Underworld".
Then it struck me and i believed i had the beast tricked and so i asked, brazenly. "I wish for eternal life".
For a moment the beast did not speak, but his eyes burned fiercely, boring into my soul and i felt the rage that i had unleashed.
But he was magically bound to adhere to my wish, and so he said "Very well, you have your wish". In a moment, a blinding light again lit the room and i was alone once more.
I left that very night with a purse full of coin, climbing to the topmost crag that hung precariously out over the sea, and from this ledge i plunged, i knew not whether to my death or freedom. Either would have been welcome at the time.
Darkness.
And when i woke i could barely see, sound and motion confusing me, and giant hands reached down and raised me, i mewled and grasped the nipple placed before me.
I was no more than a babe.
Apep in that moment before granting my wish had seen the conundrum with which he was faced and had then indeed granted me eternal life, but not as i had expected.
Upon my death i would be born again, with all the senses and memories of my life intact. But only to start anew as a babe, and then a child before becoming once again a man who could use the knowledge of my lives.
Still i thought this was not such a bad thing but i must be extremely careful not to allow those of my new family's an insight into who i really was.
Merv, 651 AD
In this life i was known as Heraclius and i am here in Persia tracking Yazdgerd the last king of the Sassanid. In his possesion i knew he carried a tome, pillaged from a temple in Egypt. Apep was also after the very same tome, for within it's pages was a spell, a spell which if used by Apep would break our stalemate and my soul would be his.
In my many lives i had spent much of them learning as much as i could of the casket and its magics, my journey's had taken me half way around the world, to many countries and i learnt a great many things at the feet of great scholars, engaged in a life within a monastery, fought many battles in many armies, great knowledge was mine from the accumualtion of all my lives and experiences.
But yet the ever present spectre of Apep kept me always on edge.
It stalked me through each and every life, using his minions, at first just taking my life at every opportunity, and then once the existence of the book became known to us we raced and battled each other across the world in search of its power. The book would not only give him power over me but would allow the beast a physical presence in our world.
As i approached Yazdgerd i slipped the small knife from the sheath at my back and hid it within my palm, i was dressed as a peasant in rags and sandals so i could travel unnoticed. Yazdgerd was watering his horse and turned to face me as i approached, the scuff of my sandals alerting him.
"What is it you want peasant" he spat, haughty as ever, even as he ran from those who would see him dead.
"A coin sir, is all i ask and i shall care for your steed" i mumbled in obeisance as a peasant would.
"Begone wretch, i have no coin for the likes of you", he turned away contemptuously.
I slipped the blade out quickly and plunged it into his back, holding him upright as i did so. Looking quickly about i saw no sign of citizenry so laid him gently to the ground behind a small fence and searched through his belongings.
And there wrapped in a piece of dirty cloth was the book i had been searching for these many years.
I clasped it to my breast and hurried away.
Mount Athos, 1153 AD
Atop Mount Athos i sat regarding the Aegean Sea, a more splendid view i had not seen in over a thousand years. I was dressed as the monks of the time, behind me nestled amongst a small grove of tree's was a cave and within lay the tome and the casket, buried in it's darkest reaches.
London 1791 AD
Here i am known as Caleb Williams, a little known poet and literary agent. My good friend William Godwin, an author of great renown, is also the only other person i have ever told my story to, and much to my surprise William did not have me committed, hah!
And in fact the very thought of my eons long battle seemed to bring about him a great excitement. Not many months later his masterpiece was unleashed and one stanza in particular made the hairs on my neck stand on end.
My life has for several years been a theatre of calamity. I have been a mark for the vigilance of tyranny, and I could not escape. My fairest prospects have been blasted. My enemy has shown himself inaccessible to entreaties, and untired in persecution.
New York City 2010 AD
Apophis, The Eater of Souls (http://amkon.net/apophis-eater-souls-t25042.html?p=350494)
Paris 2012 AD
I knew two years ago that the tome had been found, i had kept close many friends upon Mount Athos since i had hidden the damned thing. Its sale upon the black market to a proffesor in New York was not unknown to me and so i ran and hid.
The beast would be enjoying it's new found freedom and i hoped that i would be the last thing on it's mind, but no.
Some sense allowed me to know when it drew near, and for the past twelve months i felt the beast each time it came close and managed to escape.
But i had left it too late this last time and i can now hear it's poisonous thoughts seeping into my mind, its grating steps on the landing before the door.
My heart shudders involuntarily as the portal opens wide and into the room steps a raven haired beauty.
Between her full red lips a slender forked tongue slips, tasting the air.
Her name i believe is Rachel, and she shall be the death of me.