I had found it at last. The ancient temple of Emmen-Ra. After searching for it for two Azure Moons, I had nearly given up on its existence. All of my peers within my abbey scoffed at the notion of a baptistry of the Hells, but I knew my research was sound. Yet, there I stood at its precipice with a rabbit within my sack and a fresh corpse upon my back.
Long before the Great Happening merged the worlds, there were no magicians. Mortals could only cast spells in places of power such as baptistries or by invoking the powers of the Great Beyond. As the Church of the Holy Trinity dominated the empire, they seized control of all the baptistries to Heaven and destroyed every temple they could not consecrate. As thorough as they were, they were not as perfect as they claimed. A temple dedicated to the god of corruption survived their purge and was now within my sight.
The temple appeared as a cave rather than a structure built by man. The symbol of Emmen-Ra marked the temple’s location and was invisible to those who did not know what to look for. Only by gazing at the cave’s entrance from a specific angle could one see the symbol of the beheaded snake.
A numbing pain shot down my spine as I stepped into the mouth of the serpent’s head. Was I stepping into the Hells themselves? It did not matter, for I would soon welcome its fiery embrace with open arms.
Bodies littered the temple floor. A toxic gas grew thicker with every step towards inward and had claimed the lives of the ill-informed. Luckily for me, I would not be so foolish. The apothecary told me the antidote would last several hours, but for what I had planned, that didn’t leave me much time.
The cavern went on and on, and the further I delved into the bowls of the toxic abyss, the darker it became. My lantern lit my path, but a circle of pure darkness surrounded me. I showed no fear, for the dark was my day.
Even in the dark, I could feel the call of the place of power. It was hungry for a ritualist, and I was eager to feed it. There it stood before me. A perfectly smooth circle of stone on the floor with a statue of the beheaded serpent staring upon it with its gaping mouth wide open. Within the circle were indentions that drew a star.
I rested the corpse in the center of the circle and placed the rabbit in my sack within the serpent’s mouth and slit its belly with my knife. As its blood dripped from the serpent’s mouth, it filled the indentions of the circle and colored it red.
I spoke the incantations in the language of the ancient Evintians that once roamed those hills. I knew not what they translated to in modern speak, but it did not matter. I made my intentions clear, and the universe heard my cry. The blood circle glowed as I called upon the power of the cave to fuel my ritual. I lacked the magic reserve to even try such a spell without ripping my flesh from my bones, but with such a monstrous place of power at my disposal, my ritual was easier than breathing.
The blood-red eyes of the corpse sprung open. The joints in its body cracked as it slithered its way up to stand. I bowed before it, for I knew my best chance for getting the answers I sought would be to humble myself before divinity.
“Now this is quite strange…” the corpse spoke with perfect poise. “I cannot remember the last time I was summoned. Who are you supposed to be?”
“I am Abbot Dastan Elga. I have gone to great lengths to summon you, Emmen-Ra. It is an honor to stand in the presence of a real devil.”
Emmen-Ra laughed. “I see you are no mere dabbler. There are few mortals alive today that know the difference between true gods and devils. If you have summoned me knowing that I am a devil, then that means you must want something.”
“I seek only knowledge, great Emmen-Ra. I have lived a life of countless sins that the world has yet to punish me. I realize I am bound for the Seven Hells.”
“If you have come here to barter for your soul, I cannot help you. From what I can see, your actions and decisions have utterly darkened your soul. There are not enough days left in your fragile human life to possibly atone for such darkness.”
“I do not seek atonement. I have accepted my eternal destiny long ago. No one understands better than I that my sins have earned me whatever infinite torment the Hells have in store for me, but the torment of the unknown plagues me worse than all others.”
I bowed my head to the dusty floor of the temple. “I have summoned you, Emmen-Ra, to beg for insight into my coming afterlife. I wish to know for sure what I am to face under the rule of the devils.”
Emmen-Ra bared the teeth of the rotten corpse he possessed. It was difficult to tell if he was smiling or angry. “Men like you are quite rare. You know full well that you are bound for the Hells, yet you do not flee. You listen to the nonsensical ramblings of preachers as they fabricate stories of what they believe lies in wait for the wicked. How could they possibly know? Have they been there?”
Emmen-Ra knelt within the circle and lifted my chin from the dust. “I will reward your courage by granting your request, but I believe the best way for you to discover your future is to hear the stories of those who have come before you. I shall summon seven of demons, one from each of the Seven Hells. Listen well to their tales and you shall find the answers you seek.”
“What would my lord wish for in return?”
“Your soul is as good as mine already. The amusement of such an event will be payment enough for such a meager cost.”
“Thank you, Lord Emmen-Ra.”
Emmen-Ra recited an incantation of his own in a language I could not hope to comprehend. It was almost as if he was speaking in pure gibberish. Within moments I could hear a set of bare feet walking towards me from the darkness behind. My first Hellish visitor would soon be upon me.
The antidote to the toxic air of the cave pulsated in my veins. There was no telling how much longer I had, but I didn’t care. Death was the only fate a wretched being such as I deserved. I would rather die than miss my one chance to learn the truth of what was to come. As I stood there struggling to take a deep breath, I braced myself for whatever vile creatures Emmen-Ra would force me to lay eyes upon.
I lifted my lantern from the ground to shine a light upon my visitor and gasped.
To be continued…
Part 2 coming 10-16-2020
