Fantasy and Vampire Book Club discussion

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I tried... I cut it down from 5900 words to 2,092 - that's the absolute best I can do!

It was dawn when my brothers and I awoke for the first time. Brightness assailed my eyes as I stared about, blinking in confusion and curiosity. I was aware of others about me, but my attention was drawn solely to a single presence that filled me with joy and awe. I glanced about, exercising my new eyesight. A blinding light slashed across my vision and I immediately had to cover my eyes. I lifted my wings to my face. I was astonished to find that I had wings. I stared for a moment at them, blinking as they shielded me from the incredible brightness. My wings were a deep golden hue. They were covered in feathers of flame that danced in mesmerizing patterns. I found that I could see through them, and I could see clearly the one who had awoken me. As I looked into the face of the one who had awoken me, self-awareness and knowledge of who he was filled the core of my being. At that moment it was as if I had gone from infant to adult in the blink of an eye.

“My dear one,” his voice was beautiful and terrible. “thou shalt be called Aloysius: guide to mankind and warrior of the Lord. I bestow upon thee a great task in life, dost thou accept it?”

There was a moment of choice, and something inside me quailed at the unknown task laid before me. I trembled, but replied, “Yes, Holy One. I do accept this task, and I thank thee for the responsibility.”

“The time is not yet, but it will soon come, when thou shalt leave on thy errand.”

“Leave, my Lord?”

He nodded, but said no more as he turned to greet my brothers. The knowledge of the burden I must someday carry weighed heavily on my heart. And something about his voice struck me. I did not know it then, but there was sorrow in my Creator’s voice when he named me.

As I listened and heard my brothers being named a question formed. I nearly felt impatience as I waited to ask my question. I did wait, however, until all had been named and then I cried out in desperation.

“Lord! Tell us your name: that we might proclaim your praises better.” I do not know what made the words pour from my throat, and I wished that I had held my tongue. I did not know fear or shame, but I did wish I had remained silent. But then he was there, lifting my face. There was no rebuke in his eyes, merely love and joy.

“Your question is good, my child. I have many names. Thou shalt call me Cruithaor Elchiyl, for that is the name by which I would be known.”

***

“Aloysius!”

I turned from my deep contemplation of the heavens below us
to greet my dear friend Haeronymous.

“Come with me!” he called.

Together we soared through the firmament and down towards the earth. It was our pleasure to witness our Master’s creation.

“Do you hear that?”

I listened for a moment, and then I heard it. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. A sweet, lilting sound that made my heart ache to hear more.

“What is that?”

“I don’t know, let’s go find out.”

He dove, and I followed. We landed near a grove of tall trees and we hid ourselves in the grove and peeked out. A young girl was sitting by her family’s well, playing with a small toy and the enthralling sound emanated from her mouth.

Haeronymous crept closer to the child. I pulled him back, remembering the one mandate Cruithaor Elchiyl had given us.

“What are you doing?” I hissed.

“Why can’t we make that sound?” he asked.

I opened my mouth, and then closed it, why indeed? A feeling I had never experienced welled up within me, deep and empty as though I had lost something precious. Haeronymous shimmered and became visible. I did not understand at first what this meant; the feeling of loss was so strong. As he stepped out from the cover of the trees, however, I awoke to the realization of what he was doing.

“Haeronymous!” I whispered, “Haeronymous, no!” He was too far away now for me to snatch him back without being detected myself. I moaned quietly and forced myself to watch what I could not stop.

“Excuse me,” Haeronymous stood in front of the child.

The little girl looked up with a smile on her face that transformed into an expression of wonder and awe. “How may I help you, Great One?”

“I have a question,” he said. “What was that sound you were making?”

“My singing?”

“Singing,” Haeronymous breathed the word reverently, “your singing is beautiful, my child. Will you sing for me?”

The child smiled brilliantly. She clambered to her feet and began to sing. Her young voice was clear and strong as she sang what must have been a common lullaby. She finished her song and Haeronymous was quiet for a long time. After a moment Natha picked up her little doll and hugged it to herself.

“Did my singing not please thee?”

“Your singing was beautiful, child. Will you do one more thing for me?”

The child nodded earnestly.

“Tell no one that you saw me.”

“You want me to… to tell not the truth?” The child stuck a finger in her mouth.

Haeronymous loomed over the child, allowing his brightness to flare up in all its glory, “You will do as I say!”

Natha blinked and ran towards her house. Haeronymous looked about wildly and with a mighty rush of his wings he was gone. I should have told Cruithaor Elchiyl then and there, but I did not yet realize the true danger that Haeronymous had fallen into. He had merely asked a simple question and I could see no harm in it. Thus, to my eternal shame, I kept silent.

Haeronymous avoided me for a few days, and I stayed clear of his familiar favorite spots. It surprised me when he suddenly sought me out a few days after the event.

“They love me,” Haeronymous said, breathless with excitement, “they worship me, Aloysius! You should come see!”

“They?” I asked warily.

“The people…” he hesitated. “Well, not all of them of course, that will take time, but the people of Natha’s village anyway.”

“What?”

“I went back,” Haeronymous confessed, “Aloysius. It’s amazing! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be worshipped?”

“Haeronymous… I don’t think this is a good thing.”

Haeronymous’ eyes blazed angrily. “Of course you don’t. You are jealous you aren’t the one they’re worshipping. Well don’t expect me to share!” With a burst of his wings he was gone. My heart felt as though it was crumbling to pieces within me as for the first time I knew the meaning of betrayal.

“Cruithaor! Cruithaor Elchiyl!” I cried.

He appeared and I looked up into his face. Then I bowed my head at what I saw in his eyes. He already knew.

“Forgive me for not coming to you right away, I did not understand.”

“I know you did not,” Cruithaor Elchiyl’s voice was kind, “how could you? You and your brothers must find Haeronymous and bring him before me.” He handed me several lengths of golden chain. “These will bind him against escape.”

“Yes, Lord.”

Haeronymous was not hard to find. His lively spirit and curiosity had all turned to arrogance and we found him in the center of the firmament.

“Welcome brothers!” Haeronymous greeted us. There was madness in his eyes. I believe he truly thought we had come to grant him our support.

Faster than thought, we bound our brother. Haeronymous struggled to get away, but the chains had taken his strength. He was reduced to snarling threats as we dragged him to our Master’s throne.

Cruithaor Elchiyl, radiant in splendor and majesty, sat upon the judgment seat as we brought Haeronymous in.

Haeronymous was spitting and writhing in his chains, groveling at the clear pavement beneath us. Hate filled his eyes and fury covered his face. He had not changed form, but I saw now that his own pride and hatred had changed him from a fiery serpent of glory to a lowly snake, a worm. His sentence had not even been pronounced, but he had already fallen far.

“Unchain him,” Cruithaor Elchiyl commanded.

We obeyed and stepped back, leaving my former brother to stand alone before Cruithaor Elchiyl.

“Haeronymous,” Cruithaor Elchiyl’s voice thundered. “Thou hast broken the only command thou wast given. I created thee in beauty, Haeronymous, I gave thee everything thou needed. I created thee for perfection. Thou knewest this, and still thou hast rebelled.”

“I will have it, I will have your throne. The people worship me now! Me! They belong to me!” Haeronymous snarled.

Without warning, he leapt at Cruithaor Elchiyl, claws extended and mouth gaping in a horrible grimace. Before any of us could move, however, Cruithaor Elchiyl rose up from his throne and seized Haeronymous by the throat, halting his murderous lunge. Haeronymous squealed and squirmed as though burned.

“As punishment for thy crimes, thou shalt never return to the firmament. Thou shalt be cast out from all thou hast known. Thou shalt crawl upon the earth on thy knees. Thy beauty shalt be consumed by the fiery pride that hast already devoured thine heart. All who see thee will be appalled at thine appearance.”

The fire contained within Haeronymous’ body flared and he was engulfed in flame. He screamed and writhed but Cruithaor Elchiyl did not let go. His form grew dark as the flames cooled and he appeared blacker than the empty spaces between the stars. Then Cruithaor Elchiyl hurled him down from the firmament and the one who had been Haeronymous wailed as he fell from the heavens.

“Know this,” Cruithaor Elchiyl proclaimed, “all who follow Haeronymous now, share in the fate of Haeronymous.”

There was an uncomfortable shift that rippled throughout the room. I was stunned to see many of my brethren leave, their bodies turning dark as they followed the fallen one. At long last, only the faithful remained.

“Master,” I hazarded the question, “why not just kill Haeronymous and his followers?”

“Dost thou remember the task I assigned thee at thy birth?”

I nodded, I would never forget that moment.

“It is time for thee to leave upon that errand. Thou wilt teach the people about me. Thou wilt lead them against the forces Haeronymous will raise in his attempts to displace me.”

“Master...”

“No, dear one, he cannot win. But thou must still be there to meet him and contain the evil he will attempt to spread.”

“Why can’t you…” I swallowed, feeling presumptuous, “forgive me, but can you not stop him yourself?”

My Master laughed suddenly. “And the first part of my plan is revealed, it is not that I cannot do this thing, Aloysius. But I created thee to be able to learn and grow, because I want thee to learn and grow. And thou will help the people to do the same.”

“I think I begin to understand,” I said humbly. “But how will I fit in among them? They fear me in this form.”

“Thou shalt go among them as one of them. My dear one, it is time for you to walk on your own. But I will give thee one final gift to help thee on thy journey: the gift of music.”

“Thank you.” My heart leapt within me at this gift, for I had fallen in love with music even as Haeronymous had been enthralled by it. At the thought of my lost brother, I sobered.

Cruithaor Elchiyl also turned solemn, for he knew my thoughts better even than I. His eyes saddened and what I now know to be tears formed in his eyes as he looked at the place where Haeronymous had fallen.

He spoke in a voice filled with sorrow and kindness, “Dear Haeronymous, if only you could have seen and understood. I did not keep you hidden for MY protection, but for yours.”

Oh my lost brother! If you had only felt the love and the outpouring of sadness our Creator experienced over your fall. He knew you would never be able to deny yourself the temptation of being worshipped. And now, now you have doomed yourself to eternal despair and darkness. Oh my brother, what have you done?