“Violet...” My eyes widened slightly at her request. She had been right about the cave not being the safest place at the moment, but the thought of her sacrificing herself was just out of the question – even for me. “No, you can't do this. I will not go on without you! There must be another way!”
A small, wistful smile spread over Violet's face as her gentle, sienna eyes looked at me. “If it is my time to die, Dearest Sister, then I shall embrace it knowing I will die protecting those that I love. However, if Celestra deems my life worthy to see another day, then I shall rejoin you soon.”
Even with death so near, Violet remained calm and carefree. I sighed, feeling flustered. Arguing with her at this point would be futile. Her mind was already made up and time was running out.
She leaned over to kiss Mother's forehead and then my own before standing up and walking towards the group of ravenous creatures. Her body became but a blur of blackness only seconds after she attempted to sprint past the group.
Like the hungry predators they were, the creatures chased Violet for several meters before pouncing on her and tearing into her flesh. My eyes and ears burned from what I witnessed. Mother's body was getting heavier in my arms, but I pushed myself forward out of the cave, hoping the creatures would still be preoccupied.
I suddenly felt Mother's body get ripped from my arms. Before I knew it, the sounds of shrill cries and more flesh ripping surrounded me. Mother was too weak to scream, but I knew what had happened. My mind felt too stunned to truly comprehend the devastation. In blinded desperation, I retreated back into the cave and collapsed to the rocky ground, my body shaking uncontrollably from the traumatizing experience.
One of the creatures prodded its head back into the mouth of the cave in an attempt to snap at my foot which was dangerously close to its reach. Out of frustration, the creature howled mercilessly, causing the cave to shake once more.
I covered my ears quickly in the pathetic attempt to drown out the horrific sounds. Suddenly, I felt a small pebble hit my forehead from above, followed by another, larger rock.
The remaining creatures shrieked in unison once they had finished feasting on Mother's corpse. The sounds were enough to cause the ground to quake and more rocks to fall, making the cave slowly crumble and become further unstable.
Another larger rock fell and landed on my midsection, making me gasp for air, afterwards. Suddenly, I felt the ground beneath me collapse and I fell through an endless pit of darkness. The screams of the creatures above quickly faded into nothingness.
Chapter 5
I was unsure of how much time had passed, for I felt the shadows of death encompass me. The cool, rocky ground my face laid upon was a welcoming relief.
So, this is what it's like to die, I heard my subconscious say. I wondered if I would ever find Violet again – or Mother – or Father ...
There was a great weight upon my back, inflicting me with excruciating pain as a result. My body stirred from the shock but I was unable to move it any further. Instead, I was only able to listen to the sounds around me. The afterlife was so uncomfortably silent. The faintest, ominous sounds of howling winds traversing through narrow caverns could be heard in the distance. My nose suddenly picked up the pungent scent of rotting vegetation and old, fetid water. Gradually, my eyes opened upon being roused by the putrid smell, but only blackness remained around me. As I attempted to move one of my arms, I heard the crackling sounds of small rocks falling from a pile and landing on the ground nearby. Apparently, I had been buried beneath a mass of rocks and was rendered helpless. I was too shocked to even scream for help and the more I shifted underneath the pile, the heavier the load became. I was suddenly struck in the head by another falling rock, which caused the back of my skull to hit hard against the floor. For the moment, I was dazed and the warm, coppery taste of my own blood tickled my tongue. I closed my eyes and tried to recall all that transpired, which led me to this impending fate.
The flashbacks presented in my mind were filled with screams of despair and death. The horrific, screeching sounds of those repulsive, winged creatures never escaped my ears. I recalled the disturbing images vividly, watching my father, mother and sister fall one by one to those ravenous creatures and being consumed alive until only bones and scraps of torn flesh remained. I wanted to believe that Violet got away, at least, but my black, emotionless heart was telling me otherwise. My eyes burned from the missing tears I was unable to shed for my lost family.
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when I sensed another presence nearby. I wanted to call out to whomever or whatever was there, regardless of the consequences.
The musty air of the dank caverns shifted as I noticed from my peripheral vision, the silhouette of a large figure moving around my fallen form swiftly as though assessing the situation. A snake-like hiss was heard moments later and I began feeling the weight of the rocks being heaved off of my broken body. When the last stone was hefted away, I felt my body get lifted and carried. I was convinced it was a humanoid creature; though, curiosity rose in my mind as to what sort of creature it was. The same putrid scent from earlier was also emanating more strongly from the stranger as my limp body was cradled in its arms. My eyes were barely open as I watched the darkness of the caverns transition into a natural, dim light that some of the cave's minerals emitted.
The creature walked with hastened steps to its destination, which appeared to be somewhat civilized. Several wooden cabinets and tables lined the walls of the small cavern I was carried into. Upon some of the tables were various types of potions and bottles that were haphazardly scattered about. I felt my body being placed upon a cool surface with my arms and legs spread apart and firmly secured in shackles.
Moments later, once my eyes were fully opened, I found myself staring up at the stalactites above. Briefly, I stirred, attempting to move my body once more. The noise from the shackles inadvertently drew the creature's attention, as well.
The sounds of the creature's hissing grew louder as it finally approached the light and stood over me wearing a calculating expression. The ‘creature’ was actually an aged, human male of tall stature. Lengthy, black strands of ebony hair cascaded over his weathered, pale face that defined his skeletal features. He adorned himself in a long, black and green overcoat, which concealed the rest of his thin frame. His ebony, pupil-less eyes stared into my own, glowing faintly with some sort of dark magic that made me perturbed. After a few moments of closely observing me, his thin, pale lips twisted into a small, satisfying smile and he walked away. When I opened my mouth to speak, he had returned again, this time carrying a small syringe in his hand. He placed his finger to his lips, gesturing for me to stay silent, then took my arm and quickly plunged the needle into a vein in my wrist, emptying its liquid contents.
I cringed from the sharp pain and almost immediately afterwards, felt my body's strength return. My eyes were opened wide and my senses returned to me fully as I looked upon my savior in awe.
“Do not become too dependent on this,” he warned in a low, raspy tone, setting the needle on a nearby table. “Larger doses will kill you.”
My eyes trailed to the empty syringe on the table. “What was that you injected me with?” I inquired curiously.
He smirked. “It is called ‘cyanide’. Like most medicines, it's a cure in small doses and a poison in larger ones. I have, however, been working on enhancing this formula in order to speed up its effectiveness. You are the first to become subject to this experiment.”
My ignorance of pharmaceutics was apparent. I looked at him, both curious and confused at his explanation.
He took my expression rather amusingly and I heard him chuckle under his breath. I sensed something different about him that made him stand out beyond ordinary men.
As my gaze returned to the stalactites above, my troubled mind began pondering the situation.
“I wish we could have found you before,” I murmured. “Mother was dying and we desperately needed a hea
ler.”
“I am no healer,” he promptly replied, his tone now icy. “My work is kept secret from the ignorant world ...” He gave me a predatory gaze. “... and it will remain so.”
By the tone of his voice, I had a feeling I wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. I frowned at the thought. “Why did you save me, then? Who are you?”
He hissed in amusement of my obvious, flustered state. “Questions. So many questions. Normally, I would not have cared what happened to you; however, you did make a mess of my cave with your fallen heap of rocks. I am not a ruthless killer as you may think I seem.”
“I would have preferred to join the rest of my family in death,” I continued. “Nothing else matters to me, anymore.”
“Not even your own life?” he quirked a brow.
I stared at him momentarily. “You have no idea what has happened to me, nor do I think you would even care. I'm just a ... ‘test subject’ in your eyes.”
“Why, yes,” he nodded. “Yes, you are just a test subject. And, no, I do not care about your pitiful life before you decided to trespass in my territory. In general, the past means nothing to me. But, the future ... That means everything.”
I swallowed at his cold-sounding words. “The future?”
He waved his hand dismissively towards me. “Indeed. Death is a delicate and beautiful art that should be expressed in all forms. Death is not a ... convenience.” He sneered. “Moreover, you came at the ideal time for me to test my cyanide mix. Now that I know it works, I can proceed to greater things.”
His raspy words were poetic and captivating. I was allured by his pleasant description of death and it somehow reminded me of Violet's calm attitude towards the subject.
He leaned on the edge of the table where I lay and continued his explanations while he gazed at me. “You are a young girl who is full of life – full of possibilities – full of the answers I seek.”
I licked my dry lips nervously and attempted to wriggle my body out of the shackles, but my pathetic efforts were futile.
“It is not often I come across civilization these days since the blight upon the land,” he continued, ignoring my pitiful attempts. “There are many things I can only do with the dead. Life, however, is unpredictable; it's challenging – and I am one who enjoys a good challenge.” He smiled at me, revealing a set of unnaturally-sharp fangs, thus confirming my suspicions about him being more than just a simple old man.
“Please,” I beseeched, “just let me go. What do you want with me?”
He casually held up my pale, thin wrist and felt my racing pulse. “I saved you from premature death. You owe your life to me. The debt shall be paid back in sums of your own blood.”
My mind was suddenly struck with the thought of my Father's crazed superstitions of the Blood Moon. I had always embraced the beauty of the Blood Moon, dismissing all negative connotations that paranoid minds usually associated it with. Now, however, even I began to feel doubtful. Perhaps, Father was right – about everything. I sighed deeply, feeling as though I had little choice in the matter at this point.
“My blood ...” I repeated. “I have little blood to give. The drought continues to drain my mind and body of life.”
“It is ironic that the source of the drought is the very men that seek to destroy me,” he smirked.
My brow arched curiously at his comment. Before I could respond, he pushed himself from the table and left the room.
He returned minutes later carrying some folded clothes, which he set next to me. Retrieving a small key from one of the many hidden pockets in his overcoat, he proceeded to unlock the shackles around my hands and feet.
For a moment, I remained in place, still dumbfounded of him setting me free. Slowly, I shifted my body to sit upright, anticipating the excruciating pain that would follow, but none came. Physically, my body appeared fully-healed. I stared at my pale hands in surprise, and then shifted my gaze back to him.
“For now, you will remain my slave, apprentice and test subject,” he said, and then nodded towards the folded clothes. “Put those on. The ones you currently wear reek of harpy.”
I unfolded the clothes, which revealed a black-laced corset and matching skirt adorned with skeleton-like images embroidered into the edges of the fabric. The attire also carried the scent of old blood, which made me hesitate in wearing it. Instead, I returned my gaze to him.
“Do you have a fascination for women's clothing, Sir?” I inquired simply. I hadn't really intended for the question to be as sarcastic as it might have sounded.
He rumbled in laughter. “Of course, not. I simply did not think my last test subject deserved to wear such lovely clothes as a corpse.”
I wanted to smile and think he was joking, but apparently, he was not. I set the outfit down and drew back away from him, frowning.
Noticing my actions, he approached. I was backed into a corner of the small room and his figure loomed over me eerily as his frail, icy-cold hand reached out and lifted my chin up for me to meet his gaze.
“My manners elude me, Dear,” he began with a smirk. “Perhaps some introductions are in order, hmm? I am Daggax'iylion. I do not expect you, a mere human to pronounce it correctly; therefore, you will simply address me as ‘Master’.” His cold hand stroked the side of my cheek gently, awaiting my response.
His touch felt as cold as death itself. I swallowed at first, the words having been initially lost from my mind. “I ... I am ... J-Jasmine...” I finally replied in a quivering voice.
“Jasmine ...” he repeated with a grin. “Such a lovely name for a lovely girl who will bring about the true beauty of death. I do hope you will be more cooperative than my last test subjects.”
My face paled further. He had spoken as though he had done this many times in the past. Was this truly what my new life was promised – as an expendable test subject for this crazy man's experiments? I had lost a past life and all that I knew and yet, I was spared by the very creature who embraced death. He was a wise and seemingly powerful, yet calculating creature who had somehow taken the deceiving guise of a man with a hidden agenda of his own – an agenda, in which I knew he would not share.
Chapter 6
Despite Master Dagg's rather intimidating guise, he was quite the gentleman, ensuring that my needs were taken care of. Perhaps, this was merely his way of making me gain his trust. One would not think someone like him possessed such charisma. He gave me a ‘room,’ consisting of merely another small, hollowed-out cavern; a makeshift bed to sleep in, which was nothing more than a nest of hay; clothes which were obtained from the corpses of his previous victims; and food – perhaps the only good thing that came out of this little ‘bargain.’ He allowed me to wander his home freely, much to my surprise. I feared the possible consequences that would follow for attempting to escape, which probably explained his permitting my limited freedom.
For the remainder of the day, I explored the rest of the caverns to learn more about my new – and assumingly permanent – home.
The dank caverns I traveled through snaked in many directions – a well-crafted maze that one could easily get lost in. They reeked of the same fetid water and rotting vegetation scent. The moss-covered stalactites above were constantly moist and dripping with rank liquid that seeped through from whatever sat above the cave. Small puddles of greenish-brown, algae-infested water formed in certain spots of the cave floor from where it dripped above. Life as I knew it had no place here.
I continued my trek onward and deeper into the twisting tunnels. Emerging into another open cavern, the smell of rotting flesh immediately hit my nose as I discovered several empty cages lining the walls. In the center of the cavern, were two tables, upon which various types of tools lay. Approaching one of tables, I picked up a tool and examined it closely, noting its foreign craft and the sharpened edge which was covered in fresh blood. Realizing the tool was probably used very recently, I promptly returned it to its place. As I resumed my explorations, I spotted several chains h
ung from the ceiling, with severed corpses attached to some. My eyes burned and I cupped my hand over my nose and mouth to suppress the overwhelming stench of the corpses, but it barely helped. I carefully maneuvered my way around the area, almost stepping in small puddles of blood on the floor in the process.
What is this place? I thought, gazing up at a hanging corpse. I slowly approached the corpse and examined it from a modest distance.
The carcass had rotted so much that the blackened, feathery skin barely covered its exposed bones. The lower torso of the unidentified creature was naturally-severed from aging decomposition, leaving only the faint entrails of skin and bone. The half-skeletal face of the creature gazed at me with its piercing death stare. The eyes had been removed; leaving only two, empty sockets.
I stepped back from the thing, unable to look any further. This place was ridden with a certain kind of death that was foreign in my eyes and thus, disturbed me.
As I began walking away, I heard the faintest sounds of chains rustling. Stopping in my tracks, I looked over my shoulder at the rest of the room – more closely, the hanging corpses – feeling my own paranoia overwhelming me. Turning back around, I hastened my steps out of the room and the sound of the chains clattered even louder. As I glanced over my shoulder again, the hanging corpse I had examined earlier had fallen to the ground in a heap, its body having rotted beyond the chains' ability to support it. There was something else that had caught my attention, however. Those same, blackened sockets were now replaced with two, red-glowing orbs of dark energy. The thing had come alive before my very eyes.
When the two orbs caught my own gaze, the creature suddenly let out a familiar, ear-piercing shriek, which, once again, triggered a painful memory....
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The Necromancer's Apprentice Page 3
