The Lamp's Cursed Occupant
The night was a swirl of darkness and grey mist that whispered tales of darkness in the ear of all those that would listen. As Faolan walked through the forest, he was intrigued by the smells and sounds around him, with a smile on his face he continued forward, where only weeks before a group of eight people had entered and were later found miles away decapitated. The spirit of Ifrit led him forward, lending him strength when he felt fatigued. Ahead lay the shrine of Shiva, a foreboding place full of traps, and fears, still unknown to a majority of the human race. "Master, the air chills ahead, the spirits are against us, and your face shows your fatigue even though Ifrit warms your body and lends you strength. Rest now before we continue!"
Growling, Faolan glared at the small beast perched on his shoulder, its grotesque form masking the intelligence and power it held inside, something even Faolan himself was yet to witness. Sighing, Faolan realized the small beast was right, and dropping his pack on the ground beside him he removed the small leather collar from one of its side pockets and placed it around the beasts' neck, before rolling out his thin sleeping mat and sitting down on it.
"Master, even after three years of being in your service, you still do not trust me. This blasted collar is restricting, and you have not spoken my name in almost three months, my power grows weak as it forgets. If you wish for me to help, you must make me remember!"
"Shut up, you disgusting creature. I know what happens when I sleep, my control over you is closed, and you are free to do as you please. Last time I left the control collar off you, you attempted to kill me! As for your name remember, Faolin Ruadh, though u have refused your form in the past, tomorrow you will unleash your power and lead me to what was rightfully mine at birth!", said Faolan with obvious distaste in his mouth.
Lying down, he rolled his cloak underneath his head for a pillow and fell into a dreamless slumber. He awoke at dawn as the first raindrops of a coming storm landed on his forehead dripping down the right side of his face outlining his high cheek bones and strong chin. Standing he cursed loudly before dragging his equipment into the shelter of a near-by tree, sitting glumly against it, he pulled out several pieces of hard tack bread and jerky and chewed them angrily. Tossing several pieces on the ground for Ruadh, he started to pack his bag while humming a song from his child hood, the words lost long ago in the maze of his memory.
"Hurry Ruadh, time is short, and we are far from home. Let us reach the shrine by noon, and leave at dusk. Let Ifrit protect me, and the eyes of my father watch my back. At the gate you will change, Ruadh, and the collar of enchantment shall be placed on you. Do you accept this, or will death be your destiny today?"
Grumbling, Ruadh jumped onto Faolan's shoulder, nodding his head a curt yes, he stared again in a daze, contemplating the coming dangers. As Faolan had wished, they reached the shrine at noon, and stood before its gaping entrance. Light revealed nothing of what was inside, it was concealed by an unnatural darkness and from inside came a cold like Faolan had never felt. Standing straight, he dropped his pack onto the ground and removed his two-handed sword Basifear which he strapped onto his back over his green cloak. Walking forward he cried out a challenge to the demi-god Shiva and entered.
Cold air blasted his face; around him were walls of crystal ice. The ceiling was designed in a cathedral design, goblins and angels of ice stared down at him, as if their eyeless sockets could remove his soul and place it their among them. Their mouths hung open, laughing at him in an endless silence that left a ringing in one's ear. Turning around, he frowned as the entrance disappeared, replaced by a wall of squirming worms, their backs covered in razor like scales. Placing Ruadh on the floor, Faolan removed the leather collar around the neck of his beastly companion and stared silently at him, waiting. As a roar, unlike any he had hear before filled the hall, he stepped back, struggling to remain balanced as a tremor ran through the place threatening to collapse the hall of ice in on him. When he stopped he turned and looked where Ruadh had once stood, in his place was a creature of immense size, its fur a blazing red, in some ways it resembled a gigantic wolf. Smiling, Faolan removed the collar of enchantment from his bag, its leather decorated with emeralds and jewels of various sizes, colors, and shapes. Placing it around Ruadh's neck, he stepped back admiring the true form of his companion.
"Ahh, so that grotesque, gremlin like form u are usually in hides your true beauty, do u feel free my friend?"
"Never, not until I am allowed life without a collar, master. Someday you will forget my past temper and trust me perhaps? For now, let us continue forward, I believe I have cracked the ceiling and can not see it holding up much longer."
Looking up, Faolan found what Ruadh said was true as particles of ice fell onto his face. Brushing it off, he headed toward the door at the far end, his senses alert. Nearing the end, he paused and slinked over to the wall to inspect it. Placing his finger into a small crack, he grinned as it brushed the sharp edge of a blade. Pointing, he motioned Ruadh to be silent as he removed a piece of hard tack bread from his pocket. Tossing it toward a patch of ice, resembling a piece of glass, landing it made a small sound, like two stones tapping together, but that was all it took. From the wall, a large blade swung out, its silver blade a mere blur, lasting only a second. Looking at his feet, he knew his boots would not be able to pass the trap, and removing them would mean instant frostbite, and leave him immobile. Before Ruadh could protest, Faolan had leaped onto his back, and was urging him forward, with padded feet he was able to pass silently, and through the door he passed unharmed.
On the other side of the doorway was a room. It walls were golden like the petals on the fairest sunflower and were decorated with designs of past adventurers and wars forgotten long ago. Bordered by green gems of immense size, it was spectacular to behold, and for several seconds Faolan stood in a daze, which almost cost him his life. From somewhere to his right from a dark corner, hidden by a mist of green magic, came an arrow. In a movement that surpassed the speed of anything he had ever done before, Faolan ducked low, while rolling backwards behind a pedestal. Leaning against it, he moved into a defensive stance, while motioning Ruadh to remain hidden behind the statue he had run behind when he first saw the arrow approaching. Before he could move to position himself so he could safely observe his enemy he was frozen by a voice, so sweet it could of come from the heavens, but with a strength that left all around it weak and demanded respect.
"Who are you, who enter the shrine of Shiva. Who awakens his immortal archer, Cahira, from over 400 hundred years of sleep? If you are after the treasure, it does not belong to you. If you are after the power of Shiva, you are too weak to be worthy of him. If you are here to defeat his strongest warrior and archer, you will die. With the power given to me, by the demi-god Shiva, I will call upon the horrors of ice, and rip apart your nightmares, turning them into reality. So stand now, so I can see he who is foolish enough to oppose me."
With the spell broken, Faolan shivered, he had heard tales of Cahira, a female warrior, who over 400 generations ago defeated an army of over 5,000 trained warriors with only her bow, arrows, and the short sword strapped to her waist. For her skills she had been granted immortal life by Shiva, and had been placed as the guard at Shiva's primary shrine. Standing, he turned to face her, with a look of rage he removed the red stone of Ifrit, its glow only making the room around him shine blindingly.
"I am here to receive the treasure, it is mine. I am here to gain the power of Shiva, I am strong enough. I came here only for that, but if I must kill you to receive it I will!"
Staring at him coldly for several seconds she nodded her head and stood analyzing him. He wasn't a normal mortal, nor did he bring with him normal companions. Glancing toward the statue that the were-creature hid behind she stood thinking for several more minutes before speaking.
"Unsheathe your weapon so that I might look upon it and study your strength."
Sighing at this delay, Faolan reached behind him, un-strapping his sword from his back. Holding it in front of him, point to the ground he stares hardly at her, wondering what this could have to do with anything. His anger turns toward curiosity as her eyes widen and her lips move soundlessly.
Staring at it, she could not believe what she was seeing. The sword he held was huge in size, its blade at the minimum 6 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2 inches thick. As she looked upon it, her mind slowly turned her scrambled memory, when it stopped at a certain point she could hardly believe it.
"You carry the sword Basifear, it was once wielded by the ruler of my clan, and only the son of his blood could have the power and spirit strong enough to use such a thing. You have proven your power to me, and therefore I will refrain from fighting, the treasure is yours, but Shiva will not be found here. His sleeping shrine is far away, in the snowy wastelands of the Midwest."
Bowing she walked to the end of the room where she kneeled and whispered words forgotten in the change of times. As she finished a low hum filled the room and the wall opened before her, revealing a small, ruddy colored lamp. At first glance it appeared to be nothing, but an old, weathered, oil lamp, but to the trained eye who could read the runes inscribed on its side it was so much more. Walking up to it, he nodded at Cahira then placed his hands upon its sides. The hum in the room immediately stopped, and where the lamp once stood was a small creature, perhaps 3' in height, its torso was covered in a mixture of scales and black fur. His head resembled that of almost an eel, but its facial features had the resemblance of some sort of human heritage, his legs were human in shape, stance, and appearance, but his feet were large, golden colored hooves. Yawning as if awakening from a deep sleep it stared at Faolan for several seconds before speaking in a deep tone, unfitting for its size.
"I am the genie Kartikeya, also son of Shiva, the god of destruction and transformation, and Parvati, goddess of the mountains. What you see before you is not my true form, but the form of a curse placed upon me by this lamp when I stole it from my father. You will be granted 2 wishes, no more, no less. Be wise in your words, or else destruction will be your end. So quickly before eternity is over and we are all naught but dust and the gods are forgotten and therefore non-existent."
Grinning at the small creature Faolan made his first wish, "Oh son of the mighty Shiva and the beautiful Parvati, grant me this wish of immortality and the ability to one day be great in this world and eventually dine amongst the gods and their kin."
Looking at the young man before him, Kartikeya sighed and clicked the nails of his thumb and pinkie together.
"It is done, young man, you are now immortal, as for the rest, you already had that potential, and your eyes hide a beast I think you are yet to know. So rest easy. Now, continue with your final wish so I may return to my accursed slumber."
Pondering it for a minute, Faolan wondered how powerful the true form of Shiva and Parvati would be. Taking a slight risk, but one he felt reasonable, he made his final wish, "Oh son of the mighty Shiva and the beautiful Parvati, grant me this wish. I wish that you, Kartikeya, may be cured of your curse and returned to your natural form, but as my constant companion and slave if necessary with the inability to harm me until I grant you freedom at a currently unknown time."
This time Kartikeya paused, for over 2000 years he had been cursed, was this form of freedom one that would be more hindering then this cursed form he currently held. After thinking, he looked at the impatient Faolan and realized he had no choice, and with a sigh he clicked the nails of his thumb and pinkie together once again, and closed his eyes as he felt the spirit of the curse leave him, and his life spirit rejoin him.
Smiling, Faolan watched as Kartikeya transformed in front of him into a human like creature of great beauty. He had inherited the third eye of his father, and the beauty of his mother. Muscular, but still slim, he was a creature to be reckoned with when he had unsheathed his massive axe from his back. Laughing Faolan realized he had everything he could want, with immortality and the son of Shiva and Parvati on his side, he would be able to reach his goal, and one day be great and bring the lost clan of the Eastern Lion back into existence and by doing so he would be Glorifying the gods. The only thing stopping him was the possibility of another immortal defying him. Immortals could not be killed by a mortal, nor god, but an immortal could kill another immortal if he or she felt inclined to. Turning toward Cahira, she simply nodded in understanding and bowed low to her lord, for even as a guard of Shiva, she was still a member of the Eastern Lion Clan, and would follow her lord she had once thought lost until the end of eternity.
From behind the statue crept Ruadh, his wolfish ears tipped with silver tilted forward. Walking up to Faolan, he smiled as his master removed the collar of enchantment, but even with it removed, Ruadh would be forced to follow him till he was given freedom. As the four unlikely companions left the false shrine of Shiva a deep chill filled the air, and a dark wind blasted from the west. Faolan turned to the north squinting at the setting sun and remembering a homeland where someone waited for him. Smiling, he turned toward his companions and let out a laugh, its delight awakening the forest around him.
The night was a swirl of darkness and grey mist that whispered tales of darkness in the ear of all those that would listen. As Faolan walked through the forest, he was intrigued by the smells and sounds around him, with a smile on his face he continued forward, where only weeks before a group of eight people had entered and were later found miles away decapitated. The spirit of Ifrit led him forward, lending him strength when he felt fatigued. Ahead lay the shrine of Shiva, a foreboding place full of traps, and fears, still unknown to a majority of the human race. "Master, the air chills ahead, the spirits are against us, and your face shows your fatigue even though Ifrit warms your body and lends you strength. Rest now before we continue!"
Growling, Faolan glared at the small beast perched on his shoulder, its grotesque form masking the intelligence and power it held inside, something even Faolan himself was yet to witness. Sighing, Faolan realized the small beast was right, and dropping his pack on the ground beside him he removed the small leather collar from one of its side pockets and placed it around the beasts' neck, before rolling out his thin sleeping mat and sitting down on it.
"Master, even after three years of being in your service, you still do not trust me. This blasted collar is restricting, and you have not spoken my name in almost three months, my power grows weak as it forgets. If you wish for me to help, you must make me remember!"
"Shut up, you disgusting creature. I know what happens when I sleep, my control over you is closed, and you are free to do as you please. Last time I left the control collar off you, you attempted to kill me! As for your name remember, Faolin Ruadh, though u have refused your form in the past, tomorrow you will unleash your power and lead me to what was rightfully mine at birth!", said Faolan with obvious distaste in his mouth.
Lying down, he rolled his cloak underneath his head for a pillow and fell into a dreamless slumber. He awoke at dawn as the first raindrops of a coming storm landed on his forehead dripping down the right side of his face outlining his high cheek bones and strong chin. Standing he cursed loudly before dragging his equipment into the shelter of a near-by tree, sitting glumly against it, he pulled out several pieces of hard tack bread and jerky and chewed them angrily. Tossing several pieces on the ground for Ruadh, he started to pack his bag while humming a song from his child hood, the words lost long ago in the maze of his memory.
"Hurry Ruadh, time is short, and we are far from home. Let us reach the shrine by noon, and leave at dusk. Let Ifrit protect me, and the eyes of my father watch my back. At the gate you will change, Ruadh, and the collar of enchantment shall be placed on you. Do you accept this, or will death be your destiny today?"
Grumbling, Ruadh jumped onto Faolan's shoulder, nodding his head a curt yes, he stared again in a daze, contemplating the coming dangers. As Faolan had wished, they reached the shrine at noon, and stood before its gaping entrance. Light revealed nothing of what was inside, it was concealed by an unnatural darkness and from inside came a cold like Faolan had never felt. Standing straight, he dropped his pack onto the ground and removed his two-handed sword Basifear which he strapped onto his back over his green cloak. Walking forward he cried out a challenge to the demi-god Shiva and entered.
Cold air blasted his face; around him were walls of crystal ice. The ceiling was designed in a cathedral design, goblins and angels of ice stared down at him, as if their eyeless sockets could remove his soul and place it their among them. Their mouths hung open, laughing at him in an endless silence that left a ringing in one's ear. Turning around, he frowned as the entrance disappeared, replaced by a wall of squirming worms, their backs covered in razor like scales. Placing Ruadh on the floor, Faolan removed the leather collar around the neck of his beastly companion and stared silently at him, waiting. As a roar, unlike any he had hear before filled the hall, he stepped back, struggling to remain balanced as a tremor ran through the place threatening to collapse the hall of ice in on him. When he stopped he turned and looked where Ruadh had once stood, in his place was a creature of immense size, its fur a blazing red, in some ways it resembled a gigantic wolf. Smiling, Faolan removed the collar of enchantment from his bag, its leather decorated with emeralds and jewels of various sizes, colors, and shapes. Placing it around Ruadh's neck, he stepped back admiring the true form of his companion.
"Ahh, so that grotesque, gremlin like form u are usually in hides your true beauty, do u feel free my friend?"
"Never, not until I am allowed life without a collar, master. Someday you will forget my past temper and trust me perhaps? For now, let us continue forward, I believe I have cracked the ceiling and can not see it holding up much longer."
Looking up, Faolan found what Ruadh said was true as particles of ice fell onto his face. Brushing it off, he headed toward the door at the far end, his senses alert. Nearing the end, he paused and slinked over to the wall to inspect it. Placing his finger into a small crack, he grinned as it brushed the sharp edge of a blade. Pointing, he motioned Ruadh to be silent as he removed a piece of hard tack bread from his pocket. Tossing it toward a patch of ice, resembling a piece of glass, landing it made a small sound, like two stones tapping together, but that was all it took. From the wall, a large blade swung out, its silver blade a mere blur, lasting only a second. Looking at his feet, he knew his boots would not be able to pass the trap, and removing them would mean instant frostbite, and leave him immobile. Before Ruadh could protest, Faolan had leaped onto his back, and was urging him forward, with padded feet he was able to pass silently, and through the door he passed unharmed.
On the other side of the doorway was a room. It walls were golden like the petals on the fairest sunflower and were decorated with designs of past adventurers and wars forgotten long ago. Bordered by green gems of immense size, it was spectacular to behold, and for several seconds Faolan stood in a daze, which almost cost him his life. From somewhere to his right from a dark corner, hidden by a mist of green magic, came an arrow. In a movement that surpassed the speed of anything he had ever done before, Faolan ducked low, while rolling backwards behind a pedestal. Leaning against it, he moved into a defensive stance, while motioning Ruadh to remain hidden behind the statue he had run behind when he first saw the arrow approaching. Before he could move to position himself so he could safely observe his enemy he was frozen by a voice, so sweet it could of come from the heavens, but with a strength that left all around it weak and demanded respect.
"Who are you, who enter the shrine of Shiva. Who awakens his immortal archer, Cahira, from over 400 hundred years of sleep? If you are after the treasure, it does not belong to you. If you are after the power of Shiva, you are too weak to be worthy of him. If you are here to defeat his strongest warrior and archer, you will die. With the power given to me, by the demi-god Shiva, I will call upon the horrors of ice, and rip apart your nightmares, turning them into reality. So stand now, so I can see he who is foolish enough to oppose me."
With the spell broken, Faolan shivered, he had heard tales of Cahira, a female warrior, who over 400 generations ago defeated an army of over 5,000 trained warriors with only her bow, arrows, and the short sword strapped to her waist. For her skills she had been granted immortal life by Shiva, and had been placed as the guard at Shiva's primary shrine. Standing, he turned to face her, with a look of rage he removed the red stone of Ifrit, its glow only making the room around him shine blindingly.
"I am here to receive the treasure, it is mine. I am here to gain the power of Shiva, I am strong enough. I came here only for that, but if I must kill you to receive it I will!"
Staring at him coldly for several seconds she nodded her head and stood analyzing him. He wasn't a normal mortal, nor did he bring with him normal companions. Glancing toward the statue that the were-creature hid behind she stood thinking for several more minutes before speaking.
"Unsheathe your weapon so that I might look upon it and study your strength."
Sighing at this delay, Faolan reached behind him, un-strapping his sword from his back. Holding it in front of him, point to the ground he stares hardly at her, wondering what this could have to do with anything. His anger turns toward curiosity as her eyes widen and her lips move soundlessly.
Staring at it, she could not believe what she was seeing. The sword he held was huge in size, its blade at the minimum 6 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2 inches thick. As she looked upon it, her mind slowly turned her scrambled memory, when it stopped at a certain point she could hardly believe it.
"You carry the sword Basifear, it was once wielded by the ruler of my clan, and only the son of his blood could have the power and spirit strong enough to use such a thing. You have proven your power to me, and therefore I will refrain from fighting, the treasure is yours, but Shiva will not be found here. His sleeping shrine is far away, in the snowy wastelands of the Midwest."
Bowing she walked to the end of the room where she kneeled and whispered words forgotten in the change of times. As she finished a low hum filled the room and the wall opened before her, revealing a small, ruddy colored lamp. At first glance it appeared to be nothing, but an old, weathered, oil lamp, but to the trained eye who could read the runes inscribed on its side it was so much more. Walking up to it, he nodded at Cahira then placed his hands upon its sides. The hum in the room immediately stopped, and where the lamp once stood was a small creature, perhaps 3' in height, its torso was covered in a mixture of scales and black fur. His head resembled that of almost an eel, but its facial features had the resemblance of some sort of human heritage, his legs were human in shape, stance, and appearance, but his feet were large, golden colored hooves. Yawning as if awakening from a deep sleep it stared at Faolan for several seconds before speaking in a deep tone, unfitting for its size.
"I am the genie Kartikeya, also son of Shiva, the god of destruction and transformation, and Parvati, goddess of the mountains. What you see before you is not my true form, but the form of a curse placed upon me by this lamp when I stole it from my father. You will be granted 2 wishes, no more, no less. Be wise in your words, or else destruction will be your end. So quickly before eternity is over and we are all naught but dust and the gods are forgotten and therefore non-existent."
Grinning at the small creature Faolan made his first wish, "Oh son of the mighty Shiva and the beautiful Parvati, grant me this wish of immortality and the ability to one day be great in this world and eventually dine amongst the gods and their kin."
Looking at the young man before him, Kartikeya sighed and clicked the nails of his thumb and pinkie together.
"It is done, young man, you are now immortal, as for the rest, you already had that potential, and your eyes hide a beast I think you are yet to know. So rest easy. Now, continue with your final wish so I may return to my accursed slumber."
Pondering it for a minute, Faolan wondered how powerful the true form of Shiva and Parvati would be. Taking a slight risk, but one he felt reasonable, he made his final wish, "Oh son of the mighty Shiva and the beautiful Parvati, grant me this wish. I wish that you, Kartikeya, may be cured of your curse and returned to your natural form, but as my constant companion and slave if necessary with the inability to harm me until I grant you freedom at a currently unknown time."
This time Kartikeya paused, for over 2000 years he had been cursed, was this form of freedom one that would be more hindering then this cursed form he currently held. After thinking, he looked at the impatient Faolan and realized he had no choice, and with a sigh he clicked the nails of his thumb and pinkie together once again, and closed his eyes as he felt the spirit of the curse leave him, and his life spirit rejoin him.
Smiling, Faolan watched as Kartikeya transformed in front of him into a human like creature of great beauty. He had inherited the third eye of his father, and the beauty of his mother. Muscular, but still slim, he was a creature to be reckoned with when he had unsheathed his massive axe from his back. Laughing Faolan realized he had everything he could want, with immortality and the son of Shiva and Parvati on his side, he would be able to reach his goal, and one day be great and bring the lost clan of the Eastern Lion back into existence and by doing so he would be Glorifying the gods. The only thing stopping him was the possibility of another immortal defying him. Immortals could not be killed by a mortal, nor god, but an immortal could kill another immortal if he or she felt inclined to. Turning toward Cahira, she simply nodded in understanding and bowed low to her lord, for even as a guard of Shiva, she was still a member of the Eastern Lion Clan, and would follow her lord she had once thought lost until the end of eternity.
From behind the statue crept Ruadh, his wolfish ears tipped with silver tilted forward. Walking up to Faolan, he smiled as his master removed the collar of enchantment, but even with it removed, Ruadh would be forced to follow him till he was given freedom. As the four unlikely companions left the false shrine of Shiva a deep chill filled the air, and a dark wind blasted from the west. Faolan turned to the north squinting at the setting sun and remembering a homeland where someone waited for him. Smiling, he turned toward his companions and let out a laugh, its delight awakening the forest around him.