Laid Upon the Altar

Enter the Throne Room

If you’re just joining the story now, you’ll be more lost than our characters in the story. Things are really coming to a head.

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Laid Upon the Altar

The swirling shadow billowed in and out of itself from the dark throne of Erets. The torches burned along the walls of the temple. The pink and yellow orbs that floating about the caverns had either dimmed or extinguished entirely, giving way to ruby and violet streaks and rainbows of the chamber deep beneath the surface. Tannites stood around the walls, expectant of their maker. The blonde priestess of Apkallu knelt between the shadow and the altar. Lily stood at the altar with the priestesses Heather and Amber at either end. Her son Cole, with Emily the priestess holding him in place, stood behind her. Two large Tannites and a smaller were two steps behind Emily and they cowered before their maker for the first time. Zeke said nothing from his watery cage that had risen from the floor.

“For many years you have been away, Ekeziel, drinking slop with the pigs on land,” scolded the dark and shadowy Apkallu. As he spoke, his shoulders rolled back and his voice lowered. Crimson sparks crackled beneath his eyes. “What brings my prodigal son home?”

Zeke chewed at his lip and pressed his hands against the barrier of water that held him. He glared at Apkallu then allowed his glance to dart over to Cole. The shadow followed Zeke’s line of sight until it landed on the boy. When it saw him, blood red lighting flashed within the roiling form. He slammed his grip down on the arms of the dark throne.

“What blasphemy is this that would enter my chambers?!” roared the shadow as remaining orbs in the room pulsed.

Lily interjected, “He is my son, lord.”.

“He is not my son, woman,” Apkallu said as he shifted his focus to Lily. “You approach me, unbeckoned, to offer yourself as my bride yet you bring me an insult for a gift?”

“No, my lord!” Lily’s thoughts scrambled.

“Why does he not bear the mark of my child, as the others behind you?” asked the shadow. Lily turned to look at Jeremiah, Jeddy Lee, and the small one. Cole turned with her. The small one. “Mom, is that one David?” Lily didn’t say anything to him.

The shadow pulsed with red and purple light again. “Speak, woman!”

Lily lowered her head. “Lord, I… I… I wanted to give you everything I had but he hasn’t turned. Will you still have me?”

The dark lord Apkallu sat within his shadow.

“You have much to learn, woman, but I will take you nonetheless. My harem has room for many more wives. Stay where you stand.” Apkallu shifted to address Cole. “Boy. Have you no hate in your heart? Is there no lust that pulls at you?”

“I mean, I just want to make everyone happy. Dad is never happy and I do get mad at him about it. I don’t hate him, though.” Cole regretted the words as they came out of his mouth. Dad wasn’t ALL bad, he just didn’t get him most of the time. They didn’t get each other. Then with his own eyes, he watched Jeremiah change into a fish monster.

Apkallu stood from his throne and let his full weight fall with each footstep as he descended the steps toward where the boy stood at the altar. This shadow creature was large, at least as tall as the ceiling in their house. Cole squirmed, shifted his weight as he stood, and wrung his hands together. He didn’t dare speak but he thought to himself, “Please God make this end. All of it.”

“Your father has been formed into a fine creation.” The Tannite that had been Jeremiah stood behind Cole. No words. No song. No shimmer of green light. “Perhaps he will one day bring me a worthy wife.” The shadow glanced sideways at Lily and sighed with disgust. “Woman, you will appease my hunger. For the moment.”

Apkallu lured at Cole with an open hand in a gesture towards to one of the brunettes at the end. He walked towards her as he spoke. “Boy. Have you considered my lily of the valley? My golden Heather?” Apkallu touched her shoulder and she rose and slinked towards Cole.

The hungry eyes. It was her. Cole stood straight and set his jaw. As much as he anticipated her coming close to him, he resolved to not give in. Jeremiah had at least talked with him about being on guard against treacherous women. She was beautiful but not good. No good could come of this. The song Jeddy has sung when they had broken free from the slimy cocoons came back to him. He breathed out the melody of This Little Light of Mine. From the side of the altar, Zeke banged his hands against the water walls that held him. Cole could see he was shouting but he couldn’t hear anything the old man was saying.

Heather stopped an arms length from Cole and brushed Lily aside. Lily’s mouth hung open. “What’s going on? This isn’t what—” Lily’s words were cut short as a Tannite wrapped its webbed claws around her mouth and pulled her away from her son. It held her back from the altar as she struggled helplessly against its strength.

Heather pulled her hair to hang over her left shoulder, exposing her neck. Her eyes hooked Cole. He swallowed. Again, he thought to himself, “God, if you’ll hear me, please help me.” His mind didn’t stop racing with his silent, unspoken prayer. He thought to himself there’s no good in this beauty. He thought about tying knots. He thought about homework. He thought about how David had called him C-Average and as much as he hated that, look at what happened to David. There is no good in this place.

Heather was barely taller than he was. The fairness of her skin glowed in the supernatural lights of Erets. Her brown eyes were deep and inviting. The curve of her neck took Cole’s breath away. The braid of her hair had traces of gold woven into it. She reached out with her hand and smoothed a slight wrinkle in his shirt. “You look very handsome today,” she purred.

He had never been so utterly captivated by a woman. Heather stepped toward him and held his face in her hand. She leaned in and lightly kissed his lips. Cole closed his eyes and returned the kiss. As she pulled away, he heard the words “God, you’re beautiful” escape from his mouth. Heather winced.

The looming shadow of Apkallu raced towards the two in a stepless glide, reached his hand behind him with a swiftness that cut the air, and backhanded Cole with the fury of the gods. Cole went sailing through the air, legs over head, and crashed into the water cage that held Zeke. Lily’s muffled cries came from behind that claw that clamped over her mouth.

“There is no God below but me,” bellowed Apkallu as he swelled up from his shadow. Heather wiped her mouth and stepped back toward the Tannite that held Lily. Heather winked at her, leaned in close to Lily and whispered in her ear, “Nothing wrong with that.” Then she returned her attention to the jumbled mess of shadow, boy, and water.

Apkallu rose his voice to his sons, the Tannites. “Bring the boy. Bring the old man. Set them on the altar.”

The Tannites centered around the cell and grabbed Cole. One chirped and the water shimmered green. It thrust its claw through the water, snatched Zeke by his coat collar, and pulled him out of the cell. Water dripped from his drenched mittens and dirty clothes as he was carried from the unnatural and watery cell. Green light shimmered through his beard and over his body as he mumbled incoherently.

The horde of Tannites descended upon the boy and old man. Cole swung his fist at the closest creature holding him only to be grabbed below the wrist midswing. The Tannites raised up Cole and Zeke and slammed them both down on the stone. The creations of Apkallu began to sing their single note as they held the human offerings tight to the altar. Cole struggled against the inhuman hands of their aqueous captors. Zeke rocked his body, still mumbling. Lily cried.

“I do not know what this boy could mean to you to bring you back to your father, Ezekiel,” said Apkallu. “No matter. You are here. You want something. Unfortunate for you, you will never taste your former glory.” He leaned onto the alter.

“The prodigal son and the blasphemy,” said Apkallu to Zeke and Cole. “Son, you may have come home looking for bread. I will give you nothing but scorpions. You will find very little of me to be accepting, for even my kindness is cruel. Now, I am hungry.”

Hatred, Temptations and Wrath

There’s always a hook in the bait.

Talk to y’all in two weeks.

~ J.P. Simons