Chapter 3 - The Offering

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gunndreams

New member
Dez Alor read the words to the Savage Song aloud in his mind. He reread them over and over, to ensure he had memorized them. And as he continued to read them he noticed an unfamiliar musical tune began playing in his mind. First a faint echo, then growing louder as he recited over and over in the recesses of his mind, the words to the Savage Song.

After a time, and satisfied that he had the arcane text committed to memory, he turned the page of the bramble-covered book. What his eyes saw suprised him rather than frightened him. On this page was a single word. Its letters stretched from one end of the page to the other. He stared it for a moment, then began to pronounce the word one syllable at a time. It came out slowly, sloppilly. He spoke the word again, this time from memory. Then again, faster this time. Then yet again.

The word on the page burst into flames, but it did not burn the book. But Dez felt the heat, and dropped the cursed text, jerking his hands away as he did so. His eyes widened in fear for a moment. Then, as if it were nothing, he picked the book up and slowly, cautiously, opened it back to the page he had been studying.

One word only.

The word was still aflame. Yet it still remained there, unblemished by the tiny tongues of fire that coalesced around it. Now, he could hear a voice in his mind. He marvelled that it was speaking in his native tongue.

"The deplorable word! The deplorable word! It has destroyed our world. We beseech thee, young lad, do not speak this deplorable word."

Despite its low volume, Dez Alor found in the voice a warning, a deep sense of foreboding. There was the distant rumble of ominous thunder. Quickly, he closed up the book. He looked long and hard at its jeweled cover, overlaid with gold thorns, then tucked it gingerly under his arm, taking extra care to keep from coming into contact with any of the sharp thorns that adorned it.

He had enough of this accursed world -- its barreness, its fullness of unlife. Reaching into his shirt, he touched the crimson ruby he wore around his neck. Instantly, he was transported back to the great wood between worlds. Dez found himself liking this place all the more. It was many times unlike the dreaded wasteland he had just stepped out from. Though he had seen no creatures here before, he remembered that it was definitely teeming with life. The very waters and the trees themselves radiated abundant life and energy.

This time, however, he saw that he was not alone. His eyes looked upward, and saw perched atop the tallest of the trees was a large four-footed beast, casting a long shadow over the young boy. The animal looked powerful, and beamed with an aura of majesty. It had a sharp golden colour that was as bright as the sun, but it did not hurt the eyes. Instead of flinching away at the brightness, Dez found himself attracted to the light coming from this wild animal. When his eyes adjusted he saw that it was a great cat, the king of all great cats he thought. The bushy hair around his head seemed as some sort of crown.

"Stay where you are, young lad." The voice carried authority and power. Though Dez felt fear, it was not the kind of fear that carried dread. No. This fear was a sense of awe, of deep respect. He felt that even if he did not wish to stay, he could not leave the presence of such a powerful one.

The lion bounced down from larger tree to smaller tree to ground, effortlessly landing in front of the boy's face. Dez Alor was taken aback for a minute, unsure of what to do or say to such a creature. For what seemed like an eternity, he could feel the weight of the power this great cat possessed and thought he would be overwhelmed by what felt like a galatic-sized tidal wave. The Snake Men and even Serpos himself, he thought, would only fall on their faces in the face of this one. The young boy knew he was not safe. No, this was someone who he knew could not be bargained with, could not be swayed by anything at all. This was someone, he sensed, who had the ability to create or destroy an entire universe with but a single thought. But he sensed something else as well. Something good. It came from the great cat himself. The great cat is good. Dez Alor fell to the ground on his knees.

"Arise, Dez Alor." said the Lion, speaking gently to assuage his fears. Slowly, the little boy arose. The Lion continued speaking, "You have had a trying time, young one. Did you take that book from the hall of a large castle in accursed Charn?"

Dez nodded. He could not keep his knees from knocking together. The Lion reached out to the young boy with a large paw, stroking his arm. Dez did not flinch, his thoughts and gazed transfixed on the great cat.

The Lion then said, "You must never use what you have learned reading that book. They are magic spells that will cause all kinds of evil. And if you think to use them for good, you cannot use them for long before you become as corrupt as the spellbook's author."

Dez somehow felt he could open up and talk to this one. "But my family was killed..."

"By the snake-men, by King Hsss and his evil henchmen. Yes, truly I know."

"You know?! How could you know that?"

"I know everything, young lad. I know all that has happened, is happening, and will happen."

"You know what will happen?"

"Yes, and I know that if you should ever use the spells you have gleaned from that book, it will bring a curse upon you. You would never again be the same."

Dez felt a swell of anger. He wanted to retort back, to plead his case. He wanted to justify using the great spells. Surely being robbed of his family, his childhood, his security was enough of a curse -- and all in one day!

"Don't you think," he began to say, but the great cat shot him a look to command his silence. Dez held his peace.

TO BE CONTINUED...
 
oh very cool. veyr nice. here's what i understood this to be; jsut a guess:
Somehow evil creatures form other worlds (the snake men, ect) have made it into earth, killed this Dez Alor's family, and he somehow either found out about Charn or stumbeled upon it using the ruby-thing these snake people brought in. so he goes there, finds this horrrible book that was once Jadis', and then meets up with Aslan.
did i get it right? i'm sorry, i just get a little excited whenever a fanfic comes along that could, potentally compare wiht Lewis.
please post more soon.
 
The young boy stood in rapt attention as he listened to the words of the Great Cat. He was told that under no means must he ever use the spells written on the pages in Bramble Book of Charn. Gazing intently at the young lad, the Lion spoke with great concern, His words carrying great warning.

Dez Alor listened intently, trying to assimilate the tellings of this beast and what was happening to him. At times he felt his anger well up inside him, wanting to lash out. After all, the snake-men killed his parents, devoured his little siblings. He was the only one to escape. When those thoughts arose, the Lion's words became mere growlings and roarings. When he pushed them aside, as if to clear his ears, the growlings and roarings became coherent speech again. As if able to read the tumult in the boy's mind, the Lion repeated His message several times until Dez Alor understood the things the great cat wanted to convey.

"When you get back to Eternia, destroy this book with fire. Its pages must never again be read by anyone." commanded the Lion.

Dez nodded, and the Lion continued, "Once more I tell you, that the spells found in this book will bring upon you a curse. You will never be the same again." The Lion's eyes opened wide and emphasized the last sentence. Dez got the message. The book must be burned. The Savage Song and the Deplorable Word must never be used, never sung nor spoken.

With that, the Lion shook His head, the mane tussling from side to side. As if a dream, the Wood faded all around him, and in a few moments Dez found himself in Eternia. He looked about himself, stomping his feet on the ground and gripping the Bramble Book -- still in his hand -- to make sure he had not been dreaming. Then he turned his gaze from himself to his surroundings. Before him stood the smoldering remains of his family home. All around him was the village he had grown up in, all in shambles -- the residue of the snake-men's ravenous appetites. What had happened a few moments before with his trips to another world, the meeting with the Lion was furiously pushed back in his mind as he tried to come to grips with the painful reality of the moment. The young boy dropped to his knees. Suddenly Dez heard a frightening, shrill yell. He recoiled instantly from the sound of it, for it was as if an animal were being torn to pieces but the pain would not give way to the relief of unconsciousness. He felt utterly alone, so utterly alone -- taking comfort yet that there must be someone here who he could company with. Then he realized the awful truth -- the seemingly inhuman screech came from himself, from the depths of his own despair.

The Lion's roarings and warnings and growlings became a faint whisper in the cacophony of madness, sorrow, and loneliness. How could this happen to him? How could they do such things?! What right did anyone have to murder his family, to devour his little siblings?! Why, and would he always be alone with nobody to love, no one to love him?

"But I love you." came a voice on the breeze, caressing his teary-eyed face. The voice carried a gentle roar, the reassuring voice of the great cat. Then, Dez looked again all around him, and his eyes fell on the thorny book by his side.

"Don't...." said the voice again. "I will be with you."
The other voice inside him was closer, and spoke more forcefully. "The Snake-Men must pay! They must die!"

"Their time will come," the gentle roar said. "Put your trust in me, all will be made right."

"With this great power you can make it all right, and with your own hands!" cried the other.

A battle of wills inside the boy ensued, both vying for the heart and mind of Dez Alor. And little did he know it, but his soul as well. Only one spoke the truth, Dez realized, but which one would his heart follow? Would he heed the words of the Lion? Could he wait for His timing, His way to settle justice? Or would he take matters into his own hands, using the forbidden power. Could he, with this power, reshape Eternia into something far better than the world of bloodshed it currently is?

As if on cue, the soft-spoken voice of the Lion whispered on the winds into the boy's spirit, "The spells can only be used for evil. It will corrupt your gentle soul."

"Be the master of your own soul!" shrieked the other voice. Dez shuddered, for while the Lion's voice soothed his spirit, the other voice appealed to his dark desires for vengeance.

"I will be with you, child," said one Voice.
"You can no longer be with your family!!" cried the other.

Dez continued to ponder the two different tellings. One was concerned for him, the other seemed concerned for his desires. How long would he linger between two opinions?

**THUD** Just then, a Snake-Man jumped Dez from behind, wrapping himself around him. His vulpine body began to constrict the young boy. It took a moment for Dez to regain his equilibrium, and he began to struggle against the snake-man's powerful grip on him.

"Is this what the Lion meant by justice?" the melancholy voice said, echoing in his mind.

The snake-man shook his tail momentarily, making a rattling sound. Dez turned his head to face the snake-man. They locked eyes for a moment, snake jaws wide open, the tongue flicking in and out. Suddenly, the snake man dropped his jaw to meet Dez's shoulder. The six-inch fangs plunged into the boy's flesh, piercing skin, muscle, and grinding against the bone. Dez winced his face and screamed in pain.

"Say it now! Use the spell!!" Dez's mind raced to remember the word.
"Do not do this," spoke the Lion's voice, but it was drowned by the acidic venom flowing from the snake's fangs into his body. Dez began to feel his body go limp, breathing became hard and forced.

Then, mustering up all his strength, and with every deep-seated emotion in his being, Dez took a deep breath and cried with everything in him that deplorable word.
 
The Snake-Man's mealy mouth released its ravenous grip upon the boy, hissing as he did so. He looked at the boy, mouth agape and eyes opened wide. Dez Alor paid him no attention, his wounds the foremost thing on his mind. The sound the boy uttered was guttural, somewhat chaotic, yet definitely vulgar. But it was not this alone that chilled the cold-blooded reptilian's spine. When the boy pronounced the final syllable of that most accursed word, an amagram that conveyed utter profanity in any language, his voice seemed to take on a most otherworldly tone.

At first nothing happened, and in the next moment the ground beneath Dez Alor began to rumble. A gentle quaking at first, then increased with intensity. In a mere six seconds the earth was violently shaking. Dark clouds gathered in the skies above and the rumbling of thunder was heard, followed by torrents of lightning flash. Dez Alor and the snake-man looked upwards, both transfixed and terrified. What they saw up above filled them with awe and abject terror.

A whirlwind caused the darkened clouds to whirl in a huge circle high above them, faster and faster it turned. Lightning from all directions flashed into the spinning black circle. The lightning strikes met in the center of the circle, then dissipated outwards, and a large rift opened within the circle. Dez's pain subsided, replaced by fear. He continued watching, oblivious to the snake man leaving his presence.

Then, gigantic glowing red eyes appeared within the rift. Dez Alor did not notice that the bramble book beside him began to levitate before him. When it was inches before his face, the thorns that adorned it began to move, shifting their shape. They twined and joined until it formed a face, an awful bat-like face with sharp teeth and shark-like eyes.

Slowly, Dez turned his gaze from the monstrous eyes above, and looked at the hollow, empty eyes that looked at him intently. The bramble book floated before him, the face on it boring into the young boy's pupils. Suddenly the face opened its mouth, gave a shriek, and the thorny spikes which covered the book now shot out at Dez Alor, like the tentacles of a ravenous sea creature. The spike-like tentacles pierced his flesh, and began to dig into his body.

Dez felt too pained to move. He could not even speak. The thorns kept pushing into him, until it seemed that there was no area inside his body that it did not touch nor penetrate. He thought he would die, but the terrible magic of the book prevented any relief of unconsciousness. He felt thorns inside every limb, every cavity, every part of him. Now more thorns shot out, this time enveloping around him. The spiked tentacles gripped him harder than the snake man had done, or ever could do, he reasoned. The thorns kept snaking out, wrapping around him as a cocoon. Dez found that he could no longer even breathe. Every nerve in his body was afire, a symphony of absolute agony. The poor boy longed for death, for the relief of unconsciousness. Truly, a most deplorable word it was!

Fire coalesced around the cocoon, but it did not burn the thorns. Mighty flaming tongues licked the thorny sarcophagus, causing it to glow brighter, the intensity of the glow increasing every second. Finally, it became white hot, and the cocoon exploded, shattering into a million different pieces.

Dez Alor looked all around him. The pain was gone, replaced by a new feeling. He immediately took notice of his extremely sharpened faculties, and enhanced senses. Every color, ever detail that his eyes took in was much sharper, more vivid. He closed his eyes for a moment, finding out that his hearing was much more acute. He marvelled that his mind felt afresh, as if the congruent space had grown a billion times, and he could recall any data he wished.

Dez looked down, inspecting himself. He lifted his hands, palms up. He was shocked to see his skin a deep, gray color, the fingers of his hands having sharp talons on the ends. He was clothed in very black clothes; dark boots with spiked protruding from them, black chest armor emblazoned with the bat's face he had seen minutes earlier. A "living" cape attached to the bone collar around his neck was draped about him. He was no longer the little boy, he took notice that his height and stature had increased greatly. Muscles rippled in every part of his body. It was as if he had received an entirely new body, crafted to inspire awe and command terror.

Dez realized that all this time he had not been breathing. Nor could he. He no longer needed to breathe, though he could still smell. Now he noticed something else as well. He could sense, feel even, the life force of the living things around him. It was so tangible that he felt as if he could squeeze them in his hands, mold them like putty, or crush them like fruit. Dez turned around, his mind sending mental tentacles about, feeling the snake men still in the area.

"Hmm, how I despise these animals!" he said to himself, flexing his mind as he did so. He clenced his fist, and immediately the snake-man who had been torturing him ten minutes earlier appeared before him, clawing at his own chest. Dez smiled, the snake man paralyzed for a moment. Then, the snake man's guts exploded out of him, spewing blood and busted organs.

Dez then "felt" a gang of snake-men running towards him. From the back, of course, those cowardly reptiles! Dez lifted an arm in their direction, and beams of intense heat shot out from his hands as the snake men approached him. The beams zig-zagged and hit their targets, reducing the snake men to dust. Dez Alor laughed out loud, and marvelled at his voice, no longer that of a little boy. But now it had an otherworldy tone to it, as if six men were speaking, though it was only himself and no other. Truly, it was a most deplorable word -- for the Snake Men!

"With this power, I shall destroy the Snake Men! I will triumph and rule this world!" he proclaimed loudly.

Just then, Dez heard faint whisper, "Dez, why have you done this thing?"
 
Wowzers. That was creepy (the good kind). :eek: Will his new powers corrupt him more than they seem to have already? This is a very interesting and good story. Please keep going when you can.
 
In another universe, the Deplorable Word had annihilated everything under the sun of one world. All but one. And in another, the Deplorable Word annihilated all that was good in one person. All but one.

Dez Alor touched the ruby that still hung around his neck. He looked at it, the memories floating through his mind's eye. It was the only memento he had of his mother. His mother had once mentioned to him that she had acquired it from the house of an old family member, some generations past. When he was young, she told him stories about her travels to a faraway distant land, its entrance in the house of a kindly old man. She often told him that she was from another world, not native to Eternia. His mother liked to tell the tales of her adventures in a land filled with talking animals, far unlike the brutish Snake Men that stalked Eternia, always on the hunt for someone to victimize. Dez remembered his mother mentioning one particular beast that was quite unlike the rest. A majestic animal, having the bearing of one...

Slowly, he came to a startling realization. They were not just bedtime stories. Did not this jewel he held in his hands transport him to...the Wood Between The Worlds! And the majestic animal she often mentioned. What was his name? He racked his brain for the information, even as his newly acquired power ate away the last vestiges of goodness in his soul.

"Aslan," said a most familiar voice behind him. "My name is Aslan." Dez turned around to face the voice, seeing the Great Cat as its source.

This time Dez did not bow down. Nor did he feel the need to do so. However, he found that he could no longer bear to look into the face of Aslan. Try as he might, he found that he could not deny the fact that his newly-acquired power was corrupting him, sucking away the goodness within him like a vampire's mouth fastened upon an unwitting victim. He began to feel resentment towards the Great Cat.

"And where were you when the snake man fed upon me?" Dez queried, his tone agitated and interrogating.

Aslan did not answer the question, but instead asked one of his own. "What is this that you have done? Did I not tell you that using the accursed spells would put a curse upon you?"

Dez sneered, saying, "I have never felt better." He felt proud and confident, yet unrepentant.

"Your family is with me, as you could have been." said Aslan, the telltale emotions on His face a mixture of sadness and anger.

Dez's heart leapt within him. The mention of his family flooded his mind with the many wonderful memories he had of them. Dez looked down at the ruby his mother had given him. How he loved her so! For a moment he felt as if he would give anything at all to have them back.

Aslan walked towards the boy, transforming as He did so. Now he no longer looked like a lion. He changed into a man clothed in white robes, a golden sash about his waist, and a matching ribbon draped about His chest hanging from one shoulder going diagonally to the waist. His hair and beard were a deep brown color. Dez noticed that He bore awful scars on both wrists, and feet. They were mangled, as if put through a meat grinder. Yet the hands were strong, and though His limbs looked terrible, He felt no pain.

"Oh, Dez. I understand. Allow me to offer you another chance."

Dez looked up from where he was, in that brief moment able to look into the face of this Man.
 
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The Man held out His hand, and Dez began to reach out to Him.

Whosoever comes to Me, I will not turn away," He said. I can give you a very great gift of eternal security, Dez. Unlike those of this world, you are not an Eternian."

Dez was taken aback for a moment. So it was true. His parents were from another world. Dez knew that the Man was telling the truth. His parents had always told him the same thing, though he thought their tellings were only fairy tales.

The Man continued, "I offer true hope and true peace. And true power with a purpose. I gave your race the great gift of salvation, that whosoever calls upon My name, the same shall be saved."

Dez lifted his hand, his mind a turmoil of emotions and decisions. And many questions. What had happened on that other world? What did this Man do over there?

"Behold these great scars on My hands, My feet. The Law I gave them was, 'the soul that sins it shall die', but so great was My love for them that I became as one of your race, and died in their place. I have satisfied both My own demands, and My endless love for them. And I would do it all over again, for them and for you." The Man's eyes were moist, as if pleading with Dez.

Now Dez lurched his hand forward, and placed it in the open palm of the Man. Instantly he felt a awash of the evil that was gnawing him inside. His eyes grew open wide when he saw that his hand was no longer grey and taloned, replaced by a fleshy, normal hand like this Man's, only without the wounds. He looked down at himself, and saw the effects of the transformation gone as if it had never taken place. The pain and the despair had also vanished.

He looked into the Man's eyes, realizing that for the first time since he uttered the deplorable word, he could do so without fear, without shame. "Come to Me, you who are weary and heavy-burdened, and I will give you rest." said the Man, smiling.

Dez smiled back. Then, Dez began to think back, to dwell on everything that had transpired up to this point. He was oblivious to the howling winds, the bloodshed all around him. Dez looked around, observing his surroundings. He remembered how it felt to have the strange power coursing through his veins, at his command. He began to think that he actually liked killing the snake-men, making them cringe and cower at his every whim. Slowly, his hand slipped from the Man's, even as he surveyed the carnage all about himself.

Finally, Dez's hand dropped, and he felt the evil surge back into him like liquid feces into crystal glass. Instantly, and painfully, his transfigured form returned, the evil gripping him even harder this time. But he could not help but feel a perverse sense of pleasure from it. He looked at his hand again, a dark grey color with talons at the end of each finger. This time they looked thicker and much sharper.

"Dez!!" exclaimed the Man.

Dez immediately turned his gaze from his surroundings and himself back to the Man. He found out again that he could not lift his eyes to look the Man in the face. He so much wanted the peace, the love that this Man offered him, but the lure and the pull of the power he would have to renounce felt too great to give up.

"You will go back to the greatest pain you have ever known now. But I will keep My offer and my invitation to you open until the day you die. The righteous shall live by faith, but if any shrink back, My soul shall have no pleasure in that one."

Dez felt ashamed, yes. Yet, he thought how dare this Man tell him what to do then offer him no assistance in dealing with the snake-men!

"It is appointed to men once to die, but after this shall be the judgement," said the Man, speaking gravely. "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, then I will come in to Him, and will dine with Him, and he with Me."

Dez so much wanted peace, but not at this Man's price.

"Until you come to Me, your name shall no longer be Dez Alor. You are Hordak, a son of perdition."

Dez's eyes grew wide. Then, suddenly, he realized that he could no longer remember his own name. Hordak? Yes, that was his name. Is his name. He was now Hordak.

"You shall see me no more until your heart says, 'Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD.' " And with that, the Man vanished away as quickly as He came.

Hordak thought nothing more of Him, and declared, "Thus shall be my moment of greatest triumph, when I crush the Snake Men and rule this planet!"

"Hmm?!" The ruby ring hung around his neck began to glow. Suddenly, a ghostly apparition slowly appeared until Hordak could see it in full view.

"M...Mother?"

"Moment of greatest triumph," said the apparition. "This is your moment of greatest shame."

Hordak threw his arm forward, in a vain attempt to reach out and restrain the retreating spirit. "Mother!" he cried. But it was not to be. In his misery, he began singing:

Been away, haven't seen you in a while
how's your day
have you changed your style and do you think
that we've grown up differently
don't seem the same
seems you've lost your feel for me
so let's leave it alone
'cause we can't see eye to eye
there ain't no good guys
there ain't no bad guys
there's only you and me and we just disagree
oooooooooo, ohhhhhhhhh
i'm going back to a place that's far away
how 'bout you
have you got a place to stay
why should i care
when i'm just trying to get along
we were friends, but now it's the end of our love song
so let's leave it alone
'cause we can't see eye to eye
there ain't no good guys
there ain't no bad guys
there's only you and me and we just disagree
oooooooooo, ohhhhhhhhh​

Then, he turned his back from where the apparition appeared to him. And he walked away. He wondered who he had been singing for, or about.
 
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Once upon a time the Creator had made a very good world, one full of sound and light. It was a world that was allowed to use magic, and powering that magic was a resevoir of magical energy the Creator had put into that world's universe. But one of its inhabitants chose the way of evil, and swayed many to his cause. Yet, the Creator's will could not be resisted, and He brought forth the way to salvation.

Once upon a time there was a boy, and his world was full of love and laughter -- the joy of family, and bright hopes for the future. But one day it was all shattered by tragedy, and then compounded by forbidden knowledge that radically altered the course of the young boy's life. Yet though his course was altered, his destiny could yet be different. The Creator would work things for good.

Hordak walked through the debris of villages, torn, plundered, then set afire. He wanted to see if there were any familiar faces he would recognize. Hordak feared no one. The bramble book was entrenched within him, becoming as much a part of his character as it was his body. He knew every spell, every incantation from memory, and the consequences each would bring. There were a thousand-thousand ways he could take life, reshape it, bend it to his will. But there were only a few ways to give it. For a moment he lamented that he could not create life, only destroy it. A moment later he broke out in maniacal laughter. Hordak feared no one. Nobody, that is, except the Man with the monstrous scars. Thinking about the Man, or the Lion, caused his knees to start knocking.

But he had no time for such thoughts now. There were more important things to think about. His mind began to plan how he would destroy the Snake-men, and set up his throne on Eternia, reshaping it to his image. His spirit was still that of a young boy, but it had not arrested the development of the corruption that germinated in his soul. His spirit was dead, lacking the life only the Man with the monstrous scars could give. No, but it would propel him further into his corruption, into greater and darker power.

Hordak heard screaming in the distance. He looked up instinctively, knowing immediately what they portended. He did not need to see what it was. He could feel them, feel their raw, slimy souls. The sorcerer supreme marvelled that they did have such things as souls, but his insight told him that they were not of the same quality and value as his. Never mind. They would be simply raw fodder to feed his craving for destruction.

There they were now, the surviving villagers fleeing the wrath of the wretched creatures. The urgency of their plight overpowered them seeing the malevolent form of Hordak, standing in their midst -- arms crossed, and living cape billowing in dry tinder ablaze. Hordak smiled. He realized that though he appeared to be a figure of terror, he would not be truly treated as such until he acted in a manner according to his visage.

Using his newfound powers, Hordak moved with incredible celerity to the source of the villager's fear. He had learned how to move like lightning, to draw strength from the earth and those around him, to have dominion over animals, and many other secrets.

He saw them now, the last remaining and unfortunate villagers being devoured by the Snake-men. One of them, a hydra-like snake on two legs with five heads had just engulfed a small child, and was about to pick up another.

The Snake-men's eyes bulged wide when they saw the shadowy, imposing figure appear before them. They dropped their "meals", swiftly moving into position, ready to resist Eternia's sorcerer supreme.

"Which one of you is the head snake?" Hordak asked, his otherworldly voice causing some of them to shiver. He noticed this and took delight in their fear. He was now an object of terror for the wretched serpents.

The hyra-snake dropped the child. "How I hate a meal unfinished. But no matter." He walked up to the towering figure in black, raising the four heads which served as arms in an intimidating manner. "You may call me Zerpentor," he said, hissing between his fangs. "And may I call you LUNCH?!"

Hordak did not return a reply verbally. Flexing his mind, he focused on the Snake man's torso. Immediately the snake-man was overcome by violent siezures. He strained to claw at his chest, as if to pry away an invisible hand that held him in a powerful vice-like grip. But he could not. The mouths of all his five heads were open wide, and it was clear even through his tough skin that he was convulsing wildly. The other snake men watched in rapt astonishment at their leader.

Hordak saw this and smiled. Whe the corners of his mouth pushed upwards to make that smile, the snake-man stomach burst mid-sagitally. Out plopped a freshly swallowed child. Hordak snapped his finger and the child awoke, wet with various fluids, still shocked from the terrible experience, but otherwise in good condition. Hordak pointed at the child and moved his arm to the right, levitating the child out of harm's way. Another snap of his finger and a he created a protective shield around the child, and the other children still in the area. It was not that he was using his power for good, however. He wanted to partly use their gratitude to sway their hearts to join him later.

"Oh no!! The king!!" cried one of the Snake Men, a red bulging behemoth of reptilian muscle. Another snake man, this one green with two living snakes for arms, hissed at the man in black and began his attack, lashing out his serpentine arms. Hordak turned his head, an evil smile crossing his lips, his teeth perfectly white and razor sharp. Suddenly red beams erupted from Hordak's eyes, zigzagging towards the snake-man. When they touched him he was immediately reduced to ashes.

A second after the rest of the snake men, all but two of them, were immediately levitated off the ground, all of them clutching their throats, their feet pushing up against their chests at some invisible thing. "How I hate you wretched reptile beasts!" With that, the floating snake men's innards burst out, causing a painful death to each of them.

Hordak noticed both the surviving snake men's fear. It was conveyed by their beady eyes, and written upon their faces. There was no need to hide it, and no use doing so. He had the ability to discern every twitch and twang of their bodies. He focused his attention to one of the snake men, one that looked almost human. Hordak thought he looked disgusting, dressed in green armor, and having that sickly colored yellow skin. Hordak smiled at him, flashing rows of shining, sharp white teeth. "Go for now. I'll have fun with you later."

With that, both snake men retreated. This was fun, Hordak thought. No one would trouble him any more. No one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a faraway place, filled with warm bright lights and melodious sounds, a woman dropped to her knees before a great white throne. She folded her hands, and bowed her head low, assuming a prostate position. "My Lord, I want to lift up my son to you. Please, do whatever it takes to save his soul."

The figure on the throne answered back, "In time, my child. I make all things beautiful in My time."
 
Thanks to both Hester L and Lost Dreamer for giving me personal feedback concerning this story. Sorry if my postings are not as frequent as they ought to be. But, I am a busy man, married with two kids (one's on the way).

Though this story is a work of fiction, the lessons we can glean from it are not. How often do we, like Dez or Esau or King Saul, throw away the blessings that could have been ours because of our desire for instant gratification? We'll tell ourselves in such situations, "This is for me. This will do me good." But far from it. We always act against our best interests when we do those things contrary to the will of God.

Remember the parable of the men who built their houses, one on sand, and the other on rock? Jesus told this story not to appeal to our sense of righteousness (which we are nearly totally devoid of), but to our self-interest, our desire to come out ahead. He said that the person who builds their house on the rock is wise (he didn't say righteous), and the person who builds their house on sand is foolish (he didn't say evil). Yet, in the LORD's book, smart and right are the same; dumb and wrong are the same. The one who does those things that are pleasing to God are smart -- they are acting in their own best interests. They will receive rewards according to what they have done. Yet, those who do those things displeasing to God are dumb -- they are acting AGAINST their own best interests. And they will reap rewards according to what they have done.

So it is with Dez Alor/Hordak. The story will continue....
 
I very much liked the new section. I also love the values you're inter-twining in with it...its very cool.
You actually post more than alot of people on this forum (not offense to anyone) s don't worry about it. just post more when you can! :)
 
Chapter 4 - Dust In The Wind

The Snakemen regrouped, naming Zerpentor's son, Hsss, as their new king. Everyone wondered what would now be the state of their vast empire. The old king was dead, killed by an extremely formidable foe. Their new king was just as powerful, but inexperienced and still a babe in the ways of rulership. His reputation for being a gluttonous, carefree teenage snakeman preceded him. Although, some of those close to him thought, that perhaps his recent involvement in the scuffle which killed his father may have matured him. Still, many remained skeptical that the newly-crowned ruler would be able to measure up to the effectiveness of his predecessor. However, they would wait and see. Respect must be given to the king, regardless of his experience or lack of it.

The newly crowned King Hsss paced back and forth in his private chambers, mentally digesting the events of the past few days. His father had been killed, he had been crowned as king, the reputation he had among his people was less than favorable. All knew him to be a man given over to his appetite. That was one thing he did not need right now, yet he was grateful that his father was a strict and patient snakeman, putting his stubborn son through harsh training to one day take his place. And now the time had come. "What would father have done?" he often thought. How he wished his father were now here. To compound all this, a new threat had emerged that had the power to topple, nay, utterly destroy the snakemen once and for all. This did not look good.

A knock on his door interrupted Hsss' private reverie. "My king, the people await you." A muscular Snakeman, nearly seven feet tall, stepped into view. He had the look and build of a great warrior, finely chiseled for battle. "What are your orders, my king?"

King Hsss hesitated for a moment. "Rattlor, send some spies to learn more about this new threat -- the one who calls himself Hordak. Have them report back to me if -- when -- they return." The snake king thought about what he said for a moment, knowing that this mission had a high chance of death for those sent. Nevertheless, by custom the king's word was law and had to be followed to the fangs. "At once, my king," Rattlor said, bowing respectfully.

Rattlor left his presence. King Hsss looked out his window, turning his attention upon the people below. His kingdom was no different than that of the others, except they were of a different race. They fed upon the humans, raided their supplies, took some of them captive as slaves. His forefathers established a vast empire and ruled with an iron fist. Would it now all come to an end? Long ago their race and that of the humans lived in peace with one another on Eternia. Was this Hordak a human being? Could they bargain with him? Or, have the sins of his forebears and his people finally caught up with them? Hsss briefly looked at his staff, a conduit for powerful magic that his father had left behind. Powerful as it was, it was no match for Hordak's. Hordak's powers, it seemed, were an otherwordly kind -- vastly more powerful in both intensity and quality, and unsurpassed in its inherent evil. He could feel it back there, that day when his father's innards burst with a single smile from the lips of Hordak. Ah, but they had Serpos, one of the ancient god-beasts of Eternia. Yes, perhaps Serpos could tame this new threat.

King Hsss felt the rumble of his stomach. Time to feed. He went downstairs, and opened the double doors to a large room filled with food. The snake king ignored the grunts and screams of the various bipedals that hung on hooks and ropes from the ceiling. He looked at this one and that, trying to decide who would be the honor of servicing his need. After a few moments, he settled on a young teenage girl, and plucked the hapless human, still constrained by ropes. The young woman's eyes were filled with dread, anticipating death by the mouth of this loathesome creature. She was a young girl of only nineteen summers, just barely coming into the flower of womanhood. How terrible that all her dreams, goals, and aspirations would end here in the stomach of this monster reptile.

King Hsss morphed into his five-headed hydra form, unhinged his jaw and began working his mouth down upon the poor victim. Peristaltic movement in his jaws pushed the young lady deeper into his esophagus, into the waiting stomach. The woman did not cry or scream as she descended into the acid pit of the snake king's eager stomach. When she was fully inside his throat, the snake king gulped firmly. He felt the oozing of her liquids as his powerful esophagus crushed her body flat, strong digestive acids in his belly doing the rest. Hsss breathed a sigh of relief, taking pleasure in his stomach digesting the young girl. Perhaps before going to business he could feast on another meal.
 
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"C'mon Edmund! Rush over here before you miss it!" cried Peter to his younger brother, who was running towards his other siblings to see the site. His feet swiftly carried him across the lush, green grass. Edmund ran as fast as those feet could carry him, all without feeling the pain of fatigue. His new body felt ten million times superior to his old one back in England.

"Are we all here?" asked Edmund, turning to Peter.
"We all are, except for Susan." said Peter, motioning with a finger far in the distance towards the Great White Throne.

Far across the great expanse of the Real Narnia stood the Great White Throne. The One who sat upon it was this place's focal point and center of gravity. He was as tall in stature as any man, but His power dwarfed that of the mightiest of creatures. Great scars on His hands and feet told a story that would be forever etched in the minds of every living being. Four great creatures stood around the throne, connected in a square. They were of gigantic size, each of them having four faces -- lion, ox, human, and eagle. They each had four wings that touched each other's at the tips. Fiery spirits hovered high above the throne, each being made of fire, each with six wings. Day and night they endlessly cry out to the Man on the throne, "Holy holy holy is the LORD God Almighty!"

And there at the foot of the Throne, a beautiful woman prostrate on her knees, her face pressed to the ground, bowing low before the Almighty. Across the expanse, the Pevensie children turned their attention away from whatever wondrous site brought them there, and dropped to their knees, piggybacking their requests upon their sister's, praying for one of their own left behind in a dark land of shadows and sin.

The Almighty raised raised His hand for silence. At once the cherubim around the throne and the seraphim above it ceased their mouths from making any sound, though their hearts still sang praises. The Pevensies, and all of Heaven were transfixed upon the One who sat upon the Throne.

The Man stood up from His throne. He bent down, and put a His hand on Susan's head. "Arise, gentle one." Susan stood, looking into His eyes.

"For if it were only one of the children of Adam, I would do this all over again," He said, displaying the scars on His hands. "I will save your son, and his adopted homeworld."
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Hordak touched the red gem that hung around his neck. Nothing happened. He had tried several times to make the magic of the gem work, but since he became Hordak it would not cooperate with him. It lay inert, being dead as a withered leaf since he began his new life as Eternia's now sorcerer supreme. Ah, sorcerer supreme. Yes, no one could rival the power he possessed. There was no other being in Eternia who could match the vast energies he wielded to his whim.

Though still young at heart and somewhat immature (the transformation gave him power, not a mature and wise spirit), he discerned that if he were to conquer this world he would need help. No doubt he was the most powerful being that ever walked the planet, now. However, he could not be everywhere at once. Lacking that ability, he would need underlings whom he could trust a delegation of his authority. The Snakemen had an army, a well-organized militia, and a heirarchy of feared monarch snakemen. The Snakemen treated their king like a god, yet they worshipped only Serpos, the ancient godbeast of the Snakemen. Hordak knew of no God, and feared no one, save for the Man with the monstrous scars.

He tired of the gem failing to activate for him. Never mind. He knew of a spell that would give him the results he desired. The bramble book contained many secrets written and hidden for several hundred millenia. He now drew from the wealth of knowledge he acquired from the accursed tome. It was one with him, now. He did not need the gem, though for a moment he was dismayed that he could no longer have the comfort of any trappings from his previous life. What had he become? There was no longer a strong memory of the old life, not even the old name. Certainly not Dez Alor.

Hordak concentrated, focusing his mind upon the desired destination. Then, he opened his mouth and sang:

Tuesday afternoon
I'm just beginning to see
Now I'm on my way
It doesn't matter to me
Chasing the clouds away

Something, calls to me,
The trees are drawing me near,
I've got to find out why?
Those gentle voices I hear,
Explain it all with a sigh​

It was not so much the words of the song, but the intent and feelings he had put behind them which caused the magic to work. His surroundings began to twist, churning from one way to another. For a moment Hordak felt as if he would become dizzy, but then his new body reoriented itself as fast as he could blink. Then, the shifting stopped, and a new environment lay before him. Many multitudes of trees and ponds dotted the landscape. There they were, to the left and to the right, in front and behind him. Trees everywhere. He was in the Wood between Worlds.

"An entire multiverse. I will conquer it all, and plunder it all. Then shall mine be the kingdom, and the power, and the glory!!" he declared. "Ugh!!!!" He grabbed his stomach, nearly doubling over in pain, though nothing had struck him.

Hordak immediately felt uneasy in this place. Yes, it was teeming with life so vibrant that one could feel the trees growing just by touching them. But what had been life and breath to him before, his lungs drinking in the living air, was now to him most unbearable. He felt himself growing steadily weaker the more he remained in this place. It was as if the Wood were counteracting the rottenness in his bones -- the Bramble Book of Charn. Every breath he took, every step he made caused ever greater anguish to his physical body.

The bent-over sorcerer supreme of Eternia knew he had to get into one of those pools -- immediately. A sense of urgency gripped Hordak. There was no telling what would happen if he continued to linger in the Wood. This was a gateway to a vast multiverse. He knew that jumping into any one of the pools of water could lead to anywhere in creation. But he did not know where a pool could lead, and he began to think what he would encounter on such new worlds.

Great gobs of sweat began forming on his head, dripping over his brow. The magical power he had acquired was no good here. Not in this place. In a flash of insight, he realized that the strength of his power was in direct proportion to the amount of evil that lay in whatever universe he had taken residence in. But there was only him here. Only him, and... no, it couldn't be. The absence of evil in that One was an absolutely overpowering holiness. If he were here, would he be destroyed if he saw the Man?

"Must...get...out...of...this place!" Hordak bent down on all fours now, the weight of his body seeming like a million tonnes, though it seemed his mass had somewhat decreased. The sorcerer supreme crawled to the nearest pool his eyes could see. He put one hand under the water, then another, and slowly worked himself -- head first -- eagerly pulling himself into the deep watery pond.

As soon as he plunged inside, Hordak immediately felt his condition improve. He swam deeper until he came to a light near what was to him the bottom of the pond. Hordak dove straight into the center of the light, gaining strength with ever second. There it was, a new world before his eyes. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt something different. His mind probed his surroundings, tracing every mental spike for it.

Hordak opened his eyes wide, suddenly coming to the realization that most of his powers were inactive here. He deduced that this was because the magical resevoir built into this paticular universe operated on a different principle. Hordak flexed his mind, feeling the power source faintly, yet feeling that he could still use his telekinetic abilities. He did not have as firm a grasp on its method of manipulation as he did on Eternia. But, he felt that with some consistent practice he would be able to master it within a short amount of time.

But what a world was this! A blue, rotund biped walked past him, brushing against his side. Hordak squinted his eyes to get a better look at him. The creature was blue all over, with large ears and a long snout for a nose. It had deep black pools for eyes. He turned his attention from the creature and looked around him, seeing himself in a crowd that had a vast array of diversity. Tall spires and flying vehicles graced the sky. Nobody seemed to be frightened of him -- diversity was commonplace here, and the norm of this society. Though malevolent in appearance, the citizens of this world did not think him so. They were probably used to seeing stranger creatures than himself. What was this new world? He was astonished at the technological marvels that now surrounded him.
 
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