I free and wasn’t it my decision to escape the fate? I’m perishing, I’m dead and lifeless! Lord, where is He? Is he looking at me? No! The essence of me is darkness, and if only this bright look turns on me, I will fade away, unable to endure it, I’ll die, and the Abyss will swallow me. I’m afraid and trembling at this great sight of Him, and I myself don’t raise my eyes. Lord is so great, and I'm so miserable and dark, that I’m constantly in fear, but I don’t want to accept my inner Darkness and I will never do it, the soul is sick of it. I know, my soul has shriveled up, and I’m not sure whether it was in the heart that is not beating and was the repository of stinging
Darkness, – Wanderer looked into the eyes of Aundas, whose heart was squeezed in his hand. – Your heart beating is sweet to hear; I have power to do what I want, for we all are the center of great Darkness.
Terrifying were the laughter and the roar of Scott Renter when rushing in the jump up, he threw the body of Aundas down on the floor – broken glass rained down from the windows of the temple. Aundas was raised, and his body, breaking through the wall, tumbling, brought down slabs and stone crosses in a graveyard. Moving away from the ruins of a fallen temple, Scott Renter was walking to the crypt slowly to finish the execution; and vampires, soaring over his head were afraid to attack and were watching the battle in silence, as the result of the battle is lethal.
Mysterious light of the moon was shining as a halo, pandering to the absolute Darkness; and the Spirit of vengeance descended into Wanderer’s heart, filling his look with unbridled anger and fire. It was fire that shed in the carmine eyes of the legendary Beast, the most powerful in the World but becoming small and feeble in attempt to resist Logo.
Wanderer, taking the primordial nature, turned into a dark winged creature. His brutal body was covered with short fur; blackened skin was bursting with incredible muscles. Clawed paws, long tail and kind of the face, which has lost any resemblance to a human’s one was nasty with pointy huge ears and open wide fanged mouth. Imperious eyes mercilessly gazed down at the worn-out Aundas outstretched at the crypt from the height of four-meter body.
The pain and Darkness devoured the consciousness of Scott Renter into a crushing labyrinth. The Path was Eternal and Beginningless, cruel, senseless and hopeless, Darkness and Pain were the space. They were united with locked and breathless; lonely and helpless, homeless and eternal Wanderer. He cognized Death and Life in death; he was turned from Life into Death; he was damned and insane. And the Darkness, embracing, made him slave and created different creature. And the universe was whispering:
– Your name is Ar-hon! Tireless Slave!
– Begone, Darkness! Behold the collapse of the foundation laid in me. I’ll build something different, and the eye of the depths of my soul will penetrate into your world. I’ll annihilate it and Earth Kingdom will fall! Life
is put in the people by God; you put the distortion, you are reflection of destructive spirit; you're worthless! You're weak! Your essence is Lie, the Power is illusory and the power of yours is deception and shaky. Leave! Leave me alone! You torment me! I’m perishing, and the Life is flowing down as a drop of life-giving water, as hot steel in the soul, in the heart, which you want to subdue like the body! Damn you! And I’m damned! And the Power is flowing away from the wounds of the soul left by the Spirit. It’s not able to accept the Gift of this unseen and taken away from me from the birth, from conception of originally damned soul! I hate you! I’ll destroy you! Begone… Begone! – Wanderer appeared as a child hugged by Darkness, he was twisting, suffering imprisoned in the Void, alone and naked, on bended knees in a vacuum of mob, shedding tears.
Reality dispelled the Illusion, stopping the vision and Wanderer, recovering, gradually approached Aundas. He looked into the eyes of blood brother and stooping down, dug his clawed hand into Aundas’s head and lifted him up. Turbulent flow of life, as pouncing threatening wave, instantly swept and weeded out the hidden anger and bitterness that plagued the innermost part of the soul – the memories.
– Brother, I'm sorry… – said the wanderer, and his hand crushed Aundas’s skull.
Blood dripped from his claws, soaking into the snow. Scott Renter turned and walked away and, gradually taking human form, approached Iona. The bloodied child was lying in a snow-white tomb; the warmth was leaving cold body; and different life, spreading through her veins, was transforming the dying girl. Gasping, anguished breath was bursting from the lips.
Wanderer snatched the blade glittering in moonlight from the earth; and with a cry of anguish, sobbing pierced the child's heart, and froze bowed, on bended knees near the girl. With hers last ounce Iona glanced at the drooped, smiled shyly, and froze forever. Iona’s face stamped in memory of Scott Renter indelibly, and tears shed at the moment shriveled the soul, and henceforth nothing could cause the tears of Wanderer.
A silky tender voice broke into the silence of speechless suffering. Moonlight lit a virgin in a white cloak; her soft hands pulled back the hood, revealing a high forehead, blue eyes an the face, framed by golden curls. Red lips, half-opened sensually, said mellifluously:
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– You have not changed, Anthony…
– The only person who knows the true name of Wanderer…
– Rise, Anthony; this way is given to the dead. You, who tasted life from
the birth, got the force of the mortals. If you recant the original essence, you will be taken away the life, you will become feeble, you will become just like human beings.
Wanderer gave a sigh, grabbed the sword and approached the virgin. His gaze was stern and voice was cold.
– You rose up from the depths of the past… Annette… Are you foreshadowing the Pain and the battle of the feelings implemented in the ashes? The hammer of Fate has shattered Love and will the immortalized know the terrestrial? Will the world of Love accommodate the one who is neither alive nor dead, – lifeless, breathless… And yet, as the dust of sand hides an undercover life…
The virgin stepped forward, threw off her cloak, revealing naked body. Gold pendant hung down to her chest, rounded belly stuck out clearly,
– The son of yours will be born…
Light hand touched the face of Wanderer hesitantly; fingers caressed his forehead went down to the cheeks. His mighty right hand covered her hand; Scott Renter closed his eyes and in a moment opened them again gazing at dearest features. His hand slid to Annette’s chin, thumb gently outlined sensual lips.
The sword ascended, the edge penetrated to the womb, the blood gushed from the mouth, and Annette fell as a leaf plucked by the blowing of the wind.
– I've changed…
Having returned for the cloak, Scott Renter was going away, and bowed lilac-white snowdrop followed with its eyes the stately figure.
Star placer illuminated a person in a black robe, standing at the edge of the bleak mountains of Tandrod; majestic face with thick beard, balls of beads counted by lowered hand, the black robes – Klim the recluse watched Wanderer and with a sigh said quietly:
– Sui cuique mores fingunt fortunam hominibus…1 1 The fate of each person is built by his character…
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Chapter 2
shone from the darkness
Rus. Year 354 from Great Separation. Second Epoch.
The modern era came in the archaic style of the past; the rudiment of neo-history was based on the collapse of the old world; on the cataclysms of the earth and the contentions of the opposing powers, creating one world, based on nature and socio-political thoughts of people who believed that the basis for the creation of the new world had to be enclosed accumulated experience of the past adapted to absolutely different conditions of modern existence. The history took its rise from the Great Separation of the former foundations into the comprehensive unification of powers, nations, and continents. People had no differences either in the language or in the «roots» of their ancestors. United Nation had