Chapter 15
The Baemi village was in an uproar. The men had gathered in the chief's hut where Gerlach and Gerhard were bound and gagged as ordered by the chief. Gerlach's face was empty of emotion and Gerhard had to be carried as he clearly lost his mind.
Both of them were to face judgement by the chief and of the other council members of the village.
"They must die!" Adalhard said to Chief Randulf, "Gerlach killed his own sister and Gerhard just stood by and watched!"
Chief Randulf did not want to be reminded of the incident; Ishild was brutally murdered by her own brother, who the chief believed to be possessed by the devil.
"Ishild was right, Gerlach was behind everything in this village! He must be executed at once!" Adalhard said, again to the chief.
"Oda did warn us about Gerlach, he is indeed possessed by the devil!" a council member said.
"Enough! Quiet please!" Chief Randulf shouts at them and they went silent. "I must think of what is the right way to execute them. Either hang them or have drawn and quartered."
Gerlach tries to speak through the gag, but no one wanted to hear what he had to say.
"Let me think, give me some time alone," the chief demands and he retires to his quarters.
()()()()()()()()()()()
In the forest, Meinrad pranced about, thinking of how to achieve his revenge. Ishild's body had been laid on a stone table in a mound and Meinrad had covered the entrance with stones.
He was overcome with grief and fury. "Meinrad, Ishild would not want you to kill the boy, her brother," Runa said to him.
Meinrad looks at his adoptive mother with anger in his eyes. "He killed her!" he snaps at Runa. "The boy must die and I will kill him with my own hands!" he shouts.
"How are you going to do that? The village might be heavily guarded and maybe the chief wants to execute the boy himself," Helmold said.
"He's right, we'll be dead before we set foot in there," a dwarf informs Meinrad.
Meinrad began to think, the chains were still tight around his wrists and neck. He ignored them and he snorts heavily.
"I would sell my soul to the devil," he whispers to himself.
Just then, the sky grew cloudy and darkness fell over the forest. It grew much colder than before and snow began to fall.
"What just happened?" Hartwig asks, but no one had an answer.
Meinrad knew something was wrong and he looks around, wondering what lingered in the darkness.
Then, he began to hear the flapping of wings above him and he looks to see a winged figure flying above the tree line.
The creature descended upon the group and Meinrad got a good look at it. It had leathery bat-wings, with dark-red skin. It had horns, much like Meinrad's, but they were shorter, and its eyes blazed like the fires of Hell.
"What...who are you?!" Runa shrieks and Meinrad growls at the creature.
"You summonded me," it answers and points at Meinrad. "Many call me Lucifer, the fallen angel," it adds.
"The Devil?" Hartwig asks. The creature laughs a horrific laugh and a serpentine-like tongue slithers out of its mouth.
"I am here to offer you a deal," Lucifer said to Meinrad.
"What is the deal?" Meinrad asks without even thinking first.
"You want revenge, so I will make you and your companions immortal. You will not be killed by sword or arrow and you will carry out your revenge in one fell-swoop," Lucifer explains to him.
Meinrad could no believe his ears; this deal seemed too good to be true. He would be able to kill Gerlach and his revenge would be granted.
Then, Lucifer shows him a scroll and Meinrad takes it. "What is it?" he asks.
"Your contract," Lucifer answers, "Your soul for immortality. I just need a signature."
"Meinrad, wait!" Runa shouts at him, "I don't trust him! You just can't take the risk!"
Meinrad's heart was heavy with grief and he refused to listen to Runa. He wanted to kill the boy who murdered Ishild, his love. He also felt that the whole village was responsible for letting Gerlach kill Ishild. He would let the dwarfs kill the villagers in whatever way they wanted.
He unrolls the scroll and sees the line at the bottom where his signature would go. "My companions and I will not die?" Meinrad asks Lucifer.
"No, you'll be completely immortal," Lucifer answers, "Oh, but I do prefer you bring the boy you want to kill to me. I will open the portal to Hell and the boy and his father will suffer for all eternity," he adds and Meinrad looks at the signature line.
Just then, he felt something prick the fleshly part of of his claw and a few drops of blood fell on the scroll.
"That will be all," Lucifer said and he takes the scroll. "Now, let us begin," he adds and looks at Meinrad and the dwarfs. He then grins and then fire surrounds them.
The wind blew violently and it fuels the roaring fire. The dwarfs, particularly Runa, were afraid of what would happen to them, but Meinrad felt the flames of hatred course through him.
The images of Ishild dying in his arms flashed in his mind. Then, Gerlach's voice was heard, "It was not my fault! She stepped in front of that beast!"
Meinrad felt the need to roar out his rage and he did so. His roar was heard all across the forest, scaring away any living creature residing there.
The fire dies down and Lucifer looks at Meinrad and the newly transformed dwarfs. Meinrad's eyes were no longer shining like the moon, instead they were red like blood.
The creature then roars at his minions, it was time for them to carry out their master's revenge.
From the author: This is not good! What will happen next?! Well, you will to find out next time!