Post by Now And Forever on Sept 13, 2006 19:15:13 GMT -5
*riiiiip*
Nix, Cleric of Horclyme, was singing softly to himself as he worked.
"...the world's ahead, and there are many paths to tread. Through shadow, to the edge of night. Until the stars are all alight. Mist and shadow, cloud and shade. All shall fade..."
His voice, so soft and lilting belied the ambience of the place he did his work. The rectory was a dark place, lit by dim, smoky candles that fed a constant stream of sulpher into the air, some grotesque parody of censors.
He was garbed in his usual attire. His black coat, long enough to drag upon the ground was resting, worn and comfortable on his shoulders, the effect of darkness in darkness broken only by his shock of white hair that hung tangled and ratty to his shoulders. That and the collar.
Encircling his throat was a stark white collar, marking his station as Cleric. Woe to those that did not bend his neck in sight of it...
*riiiiip*
"...all....shall....fade."
The last words of the song were nearly lost in the sound of his back-up singer, Tasha.
Of course...singing is a relative term...
Nix placed the removed eyelid carefully in a small box, inlaid with black opal that lay upon the small altar-like table that was his workbench. Tasha was shrieking in denial and horror, staring at him with her now lidless eyes, the pupils of which spun wildly about the room, tearing as her own salty blood ran in small rivlets into them.
"Poor dear..." Nix crooned, as he set aside the bloody tongs he had been using. "Can't blink away your tears, now can you? Let me help you..."
He reached into the sleeve of his coat and pulled forth a crimson hankerchief. He dabbed daintily at her eyes.
"Now, now, dear one. Though your voice is lovely, we can't have you going on so, not tonight. But that will teach you to mind when you let yourself 'rest your eyes' during the morning sermon, hmm?"
She just kept screaming.
"Sulking will get you nowhere, Tasha. Now think about it! Everyone will always be able to see what lovely blue eyes you have! Think of all the times that you missed something whizzing by because you chose that exact moment to blink!"
-Pain is merely the voice of Horclyme. His words can only be heard when one's nerves are on edge. Pain is the God's truest indication that He is there, and that His eye finds all of His children...-
This is how the morning sermon always began. Pain was the voice of the God, so pain was life. The only drawback being that most humans took so long to listen to the word of the God, and drowned it out with all that shrieking...
He took up a thin, tapered rod and moved to the nearest candle, seeming to glide, being followed by the curious and diembodied sound of chains rattling...
He held the point of the thing over the flame, heating it up. He began to croon again, his strangely sweet voice dancing in the smoky darkness.
"His eye is moonlight, his ear the sky
We build the pyres, we build them high
We heed His call, and light the fires
His blood upon us all.."
He brought the red-hot needle back to the table were Tasha was lying.
She was not tied down, nor restrained in any way. She was of course free to move aside at any time, escape.
But the Cleric had deemed that she hear the Voice. And the Cleric was wise in His ways...
He moved the needle close to her eye, watching it grow moist from the heat.
"Just a tic, Tasha, and we'll have thoses nasty little cuts sealed up."
He laid the hot iron against the raw, open flesh above her right eye. She shrieked anew as smoke erupted from her skin, her searing blood filling the air.
Nix drew it slowly along, humming softly the hymns that had been in todays sermon at Carnivale.
"Hush now, my lamb. Soon, you will be hearing Him, and he will take you further into his graces. And tonight, after the Benediction, with all the city gathered to witness, He will show Hmself to you all, and bless you all with His presence..."
Her screams actually seemed to softly slightly as the thought of witnessing the God with her own eyes...and not being able to miss a single moment...
The Cleric hummed as he worked.
Nix, Cleric of Horclyme, was singing softly to himself as he worked.
"...the world's ahead, and there are many paths to tread. Through shadow, to the edge of night. Until the stars are all alight. Mist and shadow, cloud and shade. All shall fade..."
His voice, so soft and lilting belied the ambience of the place he did his work. The rectory was a dark place, lit by dim, smoky candles that fed a constant stream of sulpher into the air, some grotesque parody of censors.
He was garbed in his usual attire. His black coat, long enough to drag upon the ground was resting, worn and comfortable on his shoulders, the effect of darkness in darkness broken only by his shock of white hair that hung tangled and ratty to his shoulders. That and the collar.
Encircling his throat was a stark white collar, marking his station as Cleric. Woe to those that did not bend his neck in sight of it...
*riiiiip*
"...all....shall....fade."
The last words of the song were nearly lost in the sound of his back-up singer, Tasha.
Of course...singing is a relative term...
Nix placed the removed eyelid carefully in a small box, inlaid with black opal that lay upon the small altar-like table that was his workbench. Tasha was shrieking in denial and horror, staring at him with her now lidless eyes, the pupils of which spun wildly about the room, tearing as her own salty blood ran in small rivlets into them.
"Poor dear..." Nix crooned, as he set aside the bloody tongs he had been using. "Can't blink away your tears, now can you? Let me help you..."
He reached into the sleeve of his coat and pulled forth a crimson hankerchief. He dabbed daintily at her eyes.
"Now, now, dear one. Though your voice is lovely, we can't have you going on so, not tonight. But that will teach you to mind when you let yourself 'rest your eyes' during the morning sermon, hmm?"
She just kept screaming.
"Sulking will get you nowhere, Tasha. Now think about it! Everyone will always be able to see what lovely blue eyes you have! Think of all the times that you missed something whizzing by because you chose that exact moment to blink!"
-Pain is merely the voice of Horclyme. His words can only be heard when one's nerves are on edge. Pain is the God's truest indication that He is there, and that His eye finds all of His children...-
This is how the morning sermon always began. Pain was the voice of the God, so pain was life. The only drawback being that most humans took so long to listen to the word of the God, and drowned it out with all that shrieking...
He took up a thin, tapered rod and moved to the nearest candle, seeming to glide, being followed by the curious and diembodied sound of chains rattling...
He held the point of the thing over the flame, heating it up. He began to croon again, his strangely sweet voice dancing in the smoky darkness.
"His eye is moonlight, his ear the sky
We build the pyres, we build them high
We heed His call, and light the fires
His blood upon us all.."
He brought the red-hot needle back to the table were Tasha was lying.
She was not tied down, nor restrained in any way. She was of course free to move aside at any time, escape.
But the Cleric had deemed that she hear the Voice. And the Cleric was wise in His ways...
He moved the needle close to her eye, watching it grow moist from the heat.
"Just a tic, Tasha, and we'll have thoses nasty little cuts sealed up."
He laid the hot iron against the raw, open flesh above her right eye. She shrieked anew as smoke erupted from her skin, her searing blood filling the air.
Nix drew it slowly along, humming softly the hymns that had been in todays sermon at Carnivale.
"Hush now, my lamb. Soon, you will be hearing Him, and he will take you further into his graces. And tonight, after the Benediction, with all the city gathered to witness, He will show Hmself to you all, and bless you all with His presence..."
Her screams actually seemed to softly slightly as the thought of witnessing the God with her own eyes...and not being able to miss a single moment...
The Cleric hummed as he worked.