Chapter 3

As IT slowly attached to the boy's body, stopping whenever he stirred, IT thought of the effort it had taken to get this far.

XXX

For a whole year IT had gathered together the strength IT needed from the pathetic little village, newly set up on the edge of the forest. A whole year of collecting and hoarding all the animosity; greed; jealousy; wrath; gluttony; pride; envy and lust that the villagers had lived and breathed. A whole year IT had waited; planned and brooded on vengeance. IT was a God and was not used to waiting for ITs wishes to be fulfilled and the time only added to ITs feelings of rancour and retribution. IT dreamed of the joy in reprisal; the satisfaction in vengefulness.

IT found something ironic in the fact that it was that girl's people who were giving IT the strength IT needed. The people whom the warlock and the Prince had spared, the same people whose captivity should have heralded IT's return. Whose children's deaths would have given IT full life. As IT thrived on any and all ill feeling within the new village IT grew, developed and became stronger, eating and absorbing and storing the energy.

But there was never enough for IT to become corporeal and tangible. No, for that IT now needed somewhere bigger, someplace where humans gathered with all their sins, sorrows and degradations. Somewhere like a city, and IT knew which city it would be. It had to be the city that housed those two unbelievers who had destroyed ITs plan a year ago. Camelot.

The time was right, IT had enough power to begin so IT had waited outside the hut of the girl's family, had waited for the upstart brother to leave. IT knew he would; for every month the boy would leave early and not return until nightfall. IT knew where he went, to the grave of that girl. IT had not followed before as IT had not been ready but now IT was. IT would follow this time and wait for the warlock and the Prince to visit the grave. IT had no doubt they would do so, for they were soft and emotional and all too human. Which gave IT such an advantage, over them all.

And come they did...and as they left they were followed. IT wafted behind them, insubstantial and ethereal. And with them IT entered the city of Camelot – bringing with IT the seething hate of a cheated God.

XXX

Even now IT writhed with fury when IT thought of how they had beaten Mawr and his followers. The arrogant Prince, the hidden Warlock and the girl. Well, it was nearly time. The potent fury IT had absorbed in the last three weeks in Camelot would be enough to consume the whole city. As IT attached itself to ITs first victim IT thought of how the contagion and hatred would spread; how all within the city limits would fall prey to the emotions unleashed. Petty squabbles would enlarge; small jealousies would become vicious enmity and slaps would become sword thrusts. Soon the city would fall in on itself, its citizens destroying all they once held dear. The negative emotions, the animosity and the violent deaths of so many would enable IT to complete ITs journey to the realm of man and fulfil ITs true calling – dominion over all.

IT knew IT's power would become overwhelming and incontestable. IT wanted its revenge so badly that, incorporeal though IT was, IT could almost taste it and it was raw and obscene. And delicious.

And it would all start with one man.

It would all start with the sleeping warlock.

XXX