CHAPTER 6: Sins of the Father

"Death Unconquerable,

Death Eternal,

All that I am,

All that I have been,

Is yours alone.

Let death be Life,

As all Life is Death,

By my breath,

By my blood,

By my Life.

Through Death and Fire,

So mote it be!"

Incantation to summon the God of Death

From the "Book of the Dead Gods"

Aurion brought the cup to his lips, refreshing with throat with the ruby red liquid. He drew in a short breath and resumed his tale.

~*~

Neferaton worked on his plan with the utmost secrecy. If he succeeded in taking the amulet from his brother, which would probably result in Riathon's death, he should make his escape fast. Every necromancer in the known world would be after him. He should get rid of the spirits that shielded his brother, and for this he consulted ancient, forbidden scriptures. Soon, he was ready to bring his plan to life.

During the darkest hour of the new moon, he drew a pentagram of blood in his dungeon, lighted a hundred black candles and burned incense made of flesh and bones. Reading from a tattered scroll, he invoked an ancient creature, born when the time was young. It had walked the earth on fiery pathways but, as the planet cooled down, its kin had taken refuge close to the planet core, surfacing only to feed. And it feeds off human souls.

It took all of Neferaton's concentration to summon the creature. When it appeared in the circle before him, he saw a creature of smoke and shadow, an unholy ghost of cursed fire. It cried and it hissed, demanding to know why it had been called from his flaming lair. Neferaton explained the terms of the deal; it would rid him from his brother's guardians and it could feed off their souls, as well as his brother's after he was done with him. The creature nodded affirmatively. But Neferaton should have known better that to shake hands with the Dark Ones.

He led the creature inside Riathon's room. On entering, his guarding spirits rose and hissed at them, but they were soon annihilated by the creature of shadow. Neferaton threw a blast of ice to his brother, binding his hands in a frozen prison. And he reached out to take the amulet from his neck. He stopped his move on mid air, halted by his brother grim laughter.

"So, you've finally showed your true face, little brother", hissed Riathon. "You want the amulet, but you are unaware of the curse that it carries".

"Explain!" Neferaton had never been as furious as this. So close, and yet so far away from his goal.

"Once worn, it can never be removed", he said with a sad smile. "I can never take it off, not even when life has become a burden and I wish for nothing than death. It can only be taken away and only by one who has no soul. So", he grinned nastily at Neferaton, "unless you are willing to sacrifice your own soul, walk away this moment".

Neferaton was beside himself with anger. His deranged mind chose for him, and he turned at the Dark One, making his offering. The creature advanced, and sunk its teeth on his throat. Riathon stood silent as the creature drunk his brother's soul and Neferaton's body twisted and trembled under the fiend's kiss. And then the unthinkable happened. Neferaton moved his neck sideways, driving the creature's teeth deeper in his flesh. But with this move, he was able to kiss it back.

An unholy exchange started, initiated by Neferaton's cursed kiss. The creature shrieked and tried to break off, but it was too late. Neferaton consumed its essence, and it soon fell to ashes before him. No arcane spell or chant could have achieved what he did driven by his will alone. By will and an insatiable thirst for power. Crazed, haunted and soulless, he turned to his brother and slit his throat with his clawed hand. He picked up the bloodied amulet and vanished into the night.

~*~

Aurion took another sip from his wine. He felt a light flutter in his stomach seeing Macha staring at him with big, fiery eyes. Cain was as hooked and even his golem appeared caught in the tale.

"Well? What happened next?" asked the amazon, eager to know more.

Aurion looked at the shadows dancing in his cup.

"Neferaton fled to the east, and found the temple of the Lost God of Death. He drunk the eggs' potion and imbued the amulet, but immortality was not what he had expected. Having merged with the Dark One, he has become a half creature, one of eternal shadow. He cannot leave the temple, for the effects of the amulet wear off outside the Death Gods influence. So he's condemned in a half life, feeding off the souls of those stupid enough to seek him out", he said, and a shadow crossed his pale face.

"And why do you seek him, Aurion?" asked Cain, fearing the answer.

"To kill him and restore the amulet on Riathon's grave", he replied steadily.

"So", said Macha, "this is an issue of revenge, to pay him back for the murder of your leader?"

"Not exactly", replied Aurion, the shadows darkening even more his haunted eyes. "I seek to atone for my father's crimes. Neferaton was my father".

If he had said that Diablo was his father, they wouldn't be as shocked.

"My mother had elfish blood in her. She died giving birth to me, two months after Riathon's murder. This means I'm five thousand years old, and all my life I had been searching for the location of the lost Temple. Thanks to the Dark Wanderer who swept through the jungles of Kurast, I know where to look. And how to deal with him". He then remained silent, lost in painful memories, memories of a life that had been too long.

Macha and Cain retired to their rooms, leaving him alone.

But not in peace....

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Author's notes: OK, so I'm late from updating. I've been busy with my Harry Potter/Severus Snape fanfic, and guess what? Aurion Whitbone, my favourite necromancer, has a guest appearance there. Check it out, and leave a review.

IT NEVER HURTS TO REPEAT: TO READ IS HUMAN; TO REVIEW IS DIVINE (quoted from another FFnet author)