All the money in the world wouldn’t have changed his mind, but it wasn’t his to change. Jeffrey’s mother had come from a wealthier land to the north and could not endure allowing her eldest son to marry a peasant girl, and a personal servant at that. She had been married away to Jeffrey’s father when she was only fourteen, bartered for a return of loyalty, which wasn’t needed, or even of any consequence.
However, she was the youngest of seven sisters and quite homely, so the fact that fate had brought her to this dreadful place did not surprise her in the least. Still, she would do what she could to see her son climb out of it.
“What exactly do you mean, sir?” William asked, uncertain of whether the old man was dreaming or had finally gone mad.
“My journal,” Jeffrey croaked, pointing a bent, arthritic finger toward the chest lying beside his bed. “Bring it to me.”
William opened the chest, paying scant attention to the familiar creaks and musty smell.
Almost daily, since Jeffrey had been sick, he had asked William to retrieve his journal, or a quill, or some other obscure item from the chest. He pulled out the old leather journal with both hands and heaved it onto the bed beside Jeffrey. Pawing at the leather covering, Jeffrey flipped it open and took out an old letter.
“Read it.” His voice was a raspy whisper as he carefully stretched out his arm towards William. William carefully unfolded the letter and read the short message.
“‘It is real’ –Roman.”
William was mystified, but he had learned a great deal of patience while caring for this old man. The name was familiar. Over the last few months Lord Jeffrey had spent much of his time recounting to William stories about a mysterious island, Jeffrey’s own grandfather, and a man named Roman.
The two couldn’t be connected, could they? William thought. Roman had died more than eighty years ago, and this letter wasn’t nearly that old. Besides, William knew Jeffrey’s stories were just that, stories and fanciful tales. Jeffrey had told him Roman died on one of his expeditions with Jeffrey’s grandfather while they searched a secret island that supposedly held “untold power” and ”immortality”.
“My grandfather received this letter just months before he died.” Jeffrey began; no doubt able to see William’s confusion as he scratched at his beard. “I am a dead man, William. I was already bedridden by the time I discovered this message in some of my father’s old things. Nothing can save me now, nor do I want to be saved.” His voice was growing forceful.
“I have no children or family of my own. You are the closest thing I have to a son,” he said simply. Jeffrey’s late wife had lost three children during childbirth and one to fever a few months after. “Whether you believe it or not, I loved your mother, and that is the reason I have been telling you about the island and about my grandfather. It is real, all of it. It is the answer for you and your family; it’s the answer to this plague that has ravaged me. If you can find the island, you can save your family from the deadly curses of life,” Jeffrey said with desperation.
“Wait, wait, Lord Jeffrey. With all due respect, sir, you are talking nonsense; magic islands, powers, freedom from plagues, this can’t be real. You told me yourself that your grandfather saw Roman die. How could this letter be from him?” William’s curiosity was growing, but he was still hesitant to believe such a farfetched tale.
“Listen, my son,” Jeffrey’s voice was weakening with exhaustion, but he continued to press; his tired voice relentless. “My father wasn’t very old when my grandfather died. He remembered my grandfather went mad about a week before he died, just after a middle-aged man came to the castle with a message for Grandfather. They spoke privately for only a moment, and the stranger left quickly. For the next week, until he died, my grandfather insisted the man who had visited him was Roman. It never occurred to me it could have been true until I found that letter.”
“Even if you are right, what would you have me do?” Had Jeffrey gone mad? William was just a simple peasant; what could he do? Still, he respected the old man enough to wish him to feel at ease in his final days, even if William privately thought him mad.
“I want you to find the island, or find Roman, and save your family from this curse. I will pass land and title to you to this end alone. You must promise me. Your family will never again want for anything. Promise me.” His old frame had hardened and he was speaking with a newfound strength, as if he was mustering all he had for this final act. He stretched out his arm and opened his hand to William.
“I will do as you wish,” William said, although still not convinced. He could not believe in such fairy tales, but if granting this final request from his lord would help his family, he knew he must. William clasped the old man’s bony hand in his own. “I promise,” he said, completely unprepared for the trials and horrors that lay ahead.
Chapter 33
William was a simple man. He was not easily given to adventures or throes of passion and imagination. He had never been absent from his family for very long, either. The only time he had been separated from them was while he was busy caring for Lord Jeffrey.
His body was ripe with motion sickness when he stepped off the small ship onto a rocky shore. He vowed to never leave home again—if he ever made it back. He thought this entire quest was a joke, but if it meant a better life for his family, as Jeffrey had promised, then he would stay the course. This was the fifteenth island he had scoured in the Mediterranean. He found nothing on the others, and he was sure this one would be no different.
As he watched the small vessel push back out to sea, he thought of his family and how much he loved them. Mostly, he thought of his lovely wife Esmeralda. He could count the days and hours since he had last seen her warm smile, and even if he could see it again tomorrow, it wouldn’t be soon enough. She meant the world to him.
For a moment he thought about just getting back on the boat and sailing home. Jeffrey was probably dead by now and the castle his; no one would be the wiser. Still, he was a man of his word, and he owed it to Jeffrey to finish the task.
Jeffrey had told William that Roman and his grandfather, Caius, had been exploring a small island they called Shiria in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Turkey. His grandfather had told him of the monolithic stones the ancients had placed in intricate designs, stones so large they could not have been carved or carried by mortal men. He had also left Jeffrey a map, which seemed useless to William.
Caius and Roman had believed the natives on this island had a secret that could free men from death and give them unimaginable power. There were stories of the island passed down from ancient times, but they were scarce now. It was said the island was guarded by a dense fog and illusionary magic. There were also stories of men who had lived hundreds of years, men who had gathered those monoliths single-handedly, and even men who could turn into ferocious beasts at will. Most people who had heard of the island steered clear of the area; they believed it to be cursed.
Some said it was the home of the gods. Then there were those like Caius and Roman, who didn’t care. They just wanted power, at any cost. Caius had said they had been exploring one of the ancient sites, a circle of huge, freestanding stones on the edge of a giant cliff. He said Roman had stumbled and fallen over the edge of the cliff onto the jagged rocks below. Caius took Roman’s death as a bad omen and gave up the search. He left the island that same day—never to return.
And here I am, William grumbled to himself, following in the footsteps of two old fools. He looked around, but the island seemed deserted. About a hundred yards down the beach he spied a small path disappearing behind the tree line and decided to see where it led. After walking for hours, he finally came to a small hut tucked discreetly off the path.
He walked through a thicket of trees and bushes before finally arriving at what seemed like a small dirt moat surrounding the hut. His curiosity was piqued when he heard the steady clank of chisel against rock. The clanking stopped when he walked a few steps around
the hut.
William was shocked to see a huge man with nearly solid-black skin. He was carrying a massive stone, at least twice as long as a man and nearly half that in width and depth. William was dumbfounded. The stories were actually true! He watched as the man laid the enormous, unfinished stone down, next to another that had been chiseled with astonishing precision to create a perfectly rectangular monolith, larger than anything William had imagined possible.
Chapter 34
“Tell me, what is it that you want?” The man spoke in a very unusual dialect, never turning to look at William behind him. William was silent. He was completely mesmerized.
Clank, clank, clank. The man went back to work on the huge stone.
“I want to be like you.” William had finally pulled himself together and surprised himself with how forcefully he spoke.
“You want to be like me? You don’t even know me.” The black giant still didn’t look up from his work.
“I want your power.” William was tired of playing games. The man put down his tools and looked at William for the first time.
“And just what power would that be? Do you want to carry around big rocks? Do you want immortality? Are those the furthest reaches of your ambition?”
His words made William feel small and foolish.
“Don’t feel bad,” the giant continued. “Everyone wants power, but the greatest of powers have to be earned. They can’t just be given away. Power only comes through sacrifice, in one way or another.” As he listened, William noticed the giant’s eyes were solid white
“Teach me.” William’s voice was stern. The man looked at him for a long minute.
“Very well. My name is Odam. If you can handle it, I will teach you to wield true power.” There was solemnity and strength in his voice. William’s excitement grew with every breath; he was going to be powerful!
“Let’s start with this rock.” Odam gestured to the monolith he had been carrying just moments ago.
“I can’t lift that.” William believed the man was making fun at his expense.
“How do you know? You haven’t even tried.” Odam’s voice was hollow and monotone. “If you’re not up to it, you are welcome to leave.” William could tell the giant was completely serious.
William thought it was useless, stupid, in fact, to even attempt it, but this man was persistent. He stretched his arms, preparing them for a big lift. He squatted in front of the massive stone and reached his arms as far around it as he could. Clenching tightly, he thrust his legs and back upward with all his might.
The stone didn’t budge. He’d known he wouldn’t be able to lift it, so his feeling of disappointment seemed strange. He burned with humiliation, sure this man was mocking him.
William looked up at Odam, who was busy picking at the apricot in his hand.
“I don’t know, maybe it’s too big,” Odam said, his face expressionless. William knew Odam had never expected him to be able to lift the rock. He was growing frustrated. “Here.” As he spoke, Odam handed him a chisel and a stone. “Cut one centimeter off of each side and make sure the edges are smooth.”
What game is this man playing? William thought. He knows as well as I do one centimeter won’t make any difference at all.
“Or you’re always free to leave,” Odam said, probably sensing William was questioning his instruction. William thought it was ridiculous, but he wanted to impress the man; he wanted to learn real power. So he went to work chiseling the huge gray stone in front of him.
Chapter 35
William had chiseled relentlessly for days. He was exhausted. Finally deciding his work was complete, he called for Odam. He waited and waited.
After nearly an hour, Odam came slowly strolling out of his hut.
“I’m finished,” William said proudly. Odam walked slowly around the stone and carefully looked over every inch.
“Good work. Did you lift it yet?” He was staring expressionlessly into William’s face.
Of course not, William thought. His frustration with this man was escalating rapidly. “Well, I haven’t tried, but I don’t see how I could. It’s barely smaller than it was a few days ago.” William knew his tone of voice revealed his frustration.
“You haven’t tried? Then you certainly could not.” Odam stared into William’s eyes again as he spoke.
William couldn’t tell if Odam was trying to teach him some mystical secret or if he was just toying with him, but he thought it was worth staying a few more days to find out. So, once more, William bent down in front of this monolithic stone and tried with all his might to lift it, but, once again, it didn’t budge.
“It must still be too large.” Odam spoke as if he was a bit surprised.
William searched his face for a hint of humor or sarcasm, but found nothing. The man himself was a stone—a monolith.
“Take off another centimeter,” the giant ordered.
William was furious. It wasn’t going to do any good, and the work had peeled the skin right off his hands—he had worked them nearly to the bone.
William swallowed hard and went back to work. He worked diligently, but his progress was much slower; he could barely hold the chisel now, or the stone. Finally, more than a week later, he finished his task.
Before he called for Odam, he reached down and tried to lift the stone, but still couldn’t budget it. He called for Odam and sat down, lying back on the huge stone, nearly too exhausted to sit up. He didn’t know how much time had passed before the tremors of the large man’s footsteps roused him.
“I still couldn’t lift it,” William exclaimed as he noticed Odam’s presence just above him.
“At least you tried this time.” Odam’s voice was slightly condescending. “Cut it again,” his voice thundered. Without waiting for a response, he through William an orange and walked back into his hut. On the outside, he was emotionless, but Odam deeply hoped this man could renew his faith in mankind and muster the strength to find what true power really was.
“Cut it again! Cut it again! This is useless, and this man is insane!” William shouted inside his head. Still, he had no choice. He had seen true power and he wanted it. He wanted it so much he was even willing to continue with this ridiculous exercise. Grabbing his tools, he pulled himself up and began banging away at the unforgiving stone.
Chapter 36
Out of the corner of William’s eye, he saw a middle-aged looking man, very tall, with a thick build, vault over a downed tree and maneuver through the dense brush with ease.
“I have been watching you hammer that thing for days. I thought you would have given up by now. You are starting to remind me of that crazy bastard inside the hut,” the man spoke articulately. “Whatever you’re after, you are wasting your time. He’s not going to teach you anything; he just wants to see how long he can make you kill yourself banging that damn stone. I’ve seen it happen before.” The man widened his eyes and grinned slightly as he spoke, making William feel even more like a fool.
“No, he has real power. I’ve seen it, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it.” As William spoke, the man’s grin turned into a wide smile.
“You’re right, he’s got power, but he’ll never share it with you. He thinks you’re an imbecile, out here pounding rocks all day while he sits comfortably inside. But I can show you how to get real power. Just come with me.” The man spoke like a silver-tongued devil as he lifted the huge monolith up in his arms.
“I won’t give you games or riddles; I’ll take you right to the source.” Seeing the man’s display of power and listening to his sales pitch was all William needed. He was tired of pounding rocks and believed it wasn’t getting him anywhere.
“The name’s Roman.” The oddly large man reached out his hand.
“Roman, you say? I’ve heard that name before. My name is William. It’s very good to meet you.” William was tingling with enthusiasm, and after this encounter with the infamous Roman, his desire for power was growing by leaps and bou
nds.
Odam overheard the men’s conversation from inside his hut and was terribly disappointed the man had been so easily led away. He had been the first person to seek Odam out in nearly a century.
It had been millennia since he had made an immortal or even met a human with the will and desire to find true power. Something about this man had given him hope. There was strength in him, however misguided.
“What do I need to do?” William asked Roman, increasingly anxious.
“That depends on how much power you want. I could give you power right now with just one bite… strength and immortality… but for even more power, you need to go to the source. He’s just on the other side of the island.” A faint smile lit Roman’s face.
“Just a bite?” William asked with a frown.
“Yes, just a bite, and then death will never harm you. Instead, death will be your ally,” Roman stared at William intently as he spoke.
William didn’t like the idea of being bitten; besides, it sounded too insignificant.
“Take me to the source.” As soon as William had finished speaking, Roman took off through the jungle with amazing speed and agility. It was an awesome sight, and it was impossible for William to keep up. After tripping a few times over vines and branches, and fumbling through a briar patch, William finally emerged from the forest onto a rocky cliff.
He was amazed to see Roman standing atop one of six monoliths sitting upright in a circle, each of which was more than twice as tall as a man. It was just as Jeffrey’s grandfather had described.
“The secret is over the edge.” Roman hopped down from the huge stone and pointed over the edge of the cliff.
Apotheosis of the Immortal Page 14
