Redeemed Chernabog 1

    The woman that had once been known as Princess Celestina of Passhold stood at the edge of the pass that would take her down to the plain and the town below. 

    Her blue and yellow peasant dress whipped around her legs as the wind blow through the pass. 

    She looked to the sun perched on the edge of the heights above, as she stroked the head of the raven on her shoulder. “Come, Diablo. We must find shelter, there will be no moon tonight and it will be too dark to descend.”

    Her father had pointed out a cave not far the last time they were here. Of course it was on the dark, bald mountain, and the raven became agitated as they hiked to the cave. 

    The path narrowed and the side of the mountain seemed to fall into the abyss as the darkness overtook them. 

    The woman paused waiting for her eyes to adjust but she looked at the edge for a longer time then was required. That void called to her so strongly. It would only take a step. A simple step.

    She heard the skitter of pebbles, then a loud snap as rock broke and tore. 

    She merely stood there, wondering if the avalanche would overtake her soon.

    A massive obsidian figure with wings that blotted out the stars rose above her and her raven. 

    She was incurious of what was happening. Now or a little later was good enough. 

    She saw darkly glowing eyes swept the vale and then they saw her. They considered her a long moment then it changed so that it stood just a little above her. 

    “Many a man have I seen here, perched above the vale, few women, yet this is the first time I have seen a princess in this place at this time. What do you contemplate?” The voice was as massive stones rubbing against each other.

    “Death.” She turned away from the dark creature, she was no longer a princess, everything had been taken from her: her kingdom, her family, her home, even her name. What did it matter?

    “Indeed? Whose? Your own or someone else’s?”

    “Yes.”

    “Surely your dreams can be better accomplished with someone else’s.”

    The woman’s exhalation could have been taken for a bitter laugh in the one place, a sob in another. “My dreams are dead. All dead. My true love is dead, my family is dead, my people are dead, my kingdom is dead. He killed them all. There are no dreams left.” She gestured with her staff down into the vale.

    The creature folded his massively muscled arms across his sculpted chest. “There is at least one dream left for you.”

    “Oh really, and what would that be?”

    It reached out a hand toward the human habitations below, “Vengeance.”

    “And what purpose would that serve?” 

    “He destroyed everything you loved and you would do nothing?”

    “I did something.” She whispered.

    “Oh, what did you do?”

    “I forgave him.”

    A wave of cold swept over them.

    “And?”

    “He rejected it.”

    “Did it make you feel better?”

    “No.”

    “Did it bring anyone back?”

    “No.”

    “Did he not kill everything you loved?”

    “Yes.”

    “Does he not deserve justice?”

    “...Yes.”

    “Who could stop you from bring justice down on his head?”

    “Only myself.” Said the woman as she looked down.

    “Why would you stop yourself?”

    “Because I was a silly, little princess that deserved all that happened to her. Now, I am nothing.”

    The ancient creature from the beginning of time paused for a moment.

    “Do you not wield a magic staff?”

    “Yes.”

    “Do you not have a familiar?”

    “Yes.”

    “Are you not a princess?”

    “Yes.”

    “Do you not have a righteous cause?”

    “Yes.”

    “Then go forth and bring justice to him. None could stand in your way.”

    “But I don’t know how to fight.”

    The creature smiled. “If that’s all, come.”

    He lead them into a cave. She conjured a small glowing sphere to light the way. He pointed to a spot on the rough wall that was lighter in color then the rest.

    “Make it hot here.”

    She placed the end of her staff on the wall and wished heat to flow into the stone. 

    “Hotter.” He commanded.

    She focused and the rock began to glow and melt.

    The creature caught up the runny melt and began to shape it in his hands. Soon a translucent sphere was formed.

    “Hold out your arm.” He said and she obeyed. 

    He held a claw over her arm and looked at her, she nodded. 

    She sucked in her breath as the claw ran across her arm and the blood welled up and dripped on the still glowing stone in his other hand. The stone cleared into a green-tinged crystal. 

    “Your staff.”

    She held out her staff and touched the crystal and the two fused together. 

    He waved his clawed hand around the crystal and said, “Look.”

    She brought the crystal close to her face and she gazed into it. She could see figures forming and moving deep within it.

    “Now let it infuse you.”

    She cupped the now cool crystal in her hand hand and let the magic flow. Diablo jumped to an outcropping and his mistress began to vibrate as her muscles and mind learned things, knew things. She was changing in small and subtle ways. She was different, the way she stood, the way she breathed. 

    She spun, swinging the enhanced staff and leapt over Diablo to another outcropping.

    “I know how to fight!” 

    “Indeed.” The rock creature stated.

    She leapt down before him and bowed, “This is a great gift, how may I repay you?”

    The creature straightened and considered her, “Give unto me your heart.”

    The woman blinked, “So after all that you would kill me, now?”

    “Hardly. The magic will more then sustain you.”

    She considered that. “My heart is broken, empty and worthless. It brings me only pain. Who are you to want it?”

    “I existed before names, and have gone by many names, but you may call me, Chernabog.”

    She shrugged. “Very well. Take it, I don’t want it anymore.”

    “Done. Lay on that rock.”

    She glanced at the rock, it was too familiar a shape. “I’d rather stand.”

    His eyebrows raised, “So be it.”

    The creature placed obsidian claws over her chest. A muttered spell and they entered her, a twist, a gasp and the claws came out with a withered heart, blackened and burnt, like coal but with still a few stray streaks of sparkling opal embedded within.

    The creature frowned at the opalescent streaks, but then produced a small clay pot and placed it therein. 

    The woman was leaning heavily on her staff, panting for breath. Soon she looked up, “See, that wasn’t so bad.”

    The creature raised his eyebrow, usually the process left the donor passed out on the floor.

    She turned and took heavy steps to the entrance of the cave. The light of her staff lighting the way. She looked from the heights to the few, small glittering lights of the town below. The torches lighting the heavy castle. 

    She lifted the staff and shot lightning into the sky forming a storm. The rain and lightning beat on the mountain and the town below them. She formed a shield to keep the rain off herself and her raven.

    “Very good. Now what will you do?” asked Chernabog.

    “I will go down there and crush mine enemies and destroy them as utterly as they tried to destroy me!” She stepped forward and pointed down the valley.

    Then she looked at her arm and down at the simple blue and yellow peasant dress she was wearing. She knew that it hugged her body, that they would see her beautiful body and not who she really was now. 

    “But first they should not be distracted, so they know what they are dealing with.” She brought the head of her staff to her feet and with a swirl, green sparkles came forth and the hem of the blue dress changed to black. The layers of fabric changed and swirled around her, the skirt lengthened and thickened. The heavy robes obscured where exactly she began and the clothes ended. She held out her arms and drapes formed like wings and a black cape draped behind her with highlights of royal purple to let them know they are dealing with a princess of the blood. A leathery headdress crawled around her throat and hair creating horns above her head. 

    The former princess grounded her staff on the ground next to her. A heavy sound echoed through the mountain. 

    Chernabog looked appreciatively at the new form of the princess. He nodded his head slightly in salute, “There will be no doubt in anyone’s mind as to what you are.”

    “Indeed.”

    “Now, take your vengeance.”

    “I shall.”