Deal with the Devil
In ancient times a darkness ran across the land. Untamed in its freedom and unrestricted in its malice, it brought destruction and woe to all who came into contact with it. A hollow woodsman & his radiant daughter, a family of redheads & a sewing witch...two boys lost within a wood...
Alone, in the ever shifting dark, a lantern burned brightly.
The Beast looked the young boy in the eyes.
Absently, the human child wondered if the beings eyes were eyes at all.
"Become my lantern-bearer." the shadowed man with a twisted horned crown of edelwood branches stated, voice deep and menacing, "I will offer you a piece of my soul in return. No one else shall be needed to keep my souls flame alight. Only you."
The tree leaves above rustled in agitation before falling silent. The air grew heavy with tension, and all the world seemed to hold it's breath as the lord of the wood spoke once more,
"To you, the bearer of my soul, I will give you all that you desire. I will have you by my side forevermore. Your brother shall live free from The Unknowns grasp. All those who have been cursed in this place shall be free once more. All you have to do... is say yes."
Wirt's heart seemed to clench at the mere thought of his little brother. The brother he had scorned, the brother he had tried to abandon what felt like eons ago.
He thought of their adventure so far, the dangers they had faced, the songs his childish sibling had sung along the way. He thought of Beatrice under her curse, he thought of the woodsman and his daughter, but most of all he thought of home.
His mother had married another, their union giving him the boy he now called brother.
Would she mourn him? Would she brush him aside as a mere memory after a time? Would she... would she forget him?
He swallowed harshly at that.
His mother loved him. She'd never just forget about him. Never.
His step-father loved him. Although Wirt had made it his mission to force a distance between them.
Greg... Greg loved him.
Greg.
Would Gregory... ever forgive him?
Closing his eyes, he took a shuddering breath before slowly releasing it into the frigid air.
His decision was made. He would stick by it this time. He would not fail anyone again.
Opening his sharp dark eyes, the orbs filled with resignation to his fate, he uttered one word.
"Yes."
AN: This was written a while ago, it's slightly AU in certain regards but the main points are there. Wirt isn't just offered to be a mere lantern-bearer here, he's offered to become something so much more, a living vessel for the beasts soul. He's offered to basically be his equal & his very source of power... sort of like a horcrux if you've read Harry Potter. The beast thinks this will be safer in the long run...perhaps he's right, perhaps...he's wrong?
To any who follow my other stories: I'm slowly trying to get back into writing things, updating stories on here & generally getting back into the swing of things. I lost all joy for things I once loved but am trying to feel something for them again. I'll try my best but some things take time.
I hope you liked this short...thing & thank you for reading it.