Forgotten Tidings
A hollow scream came from further ahead followed by a deep thunderous "NEXT". Unable to hear clearly I could make out nine different speakers. One came across more decisive upon hearing him Lilith trembled in fear. She whimpered, "It's them the Judges, I can't forget that voice he was the one that sentenced me." With a sigh of accomplishment I said, "Then I guess it is time to see what my fate has in store for me." A rotting glare fixed itself upon the back of my head burning a hole in my skull, when I turned to see I nearly collapsed.
For so long I thought that she would have gone to heaven. I was made to believe she would be saved if I went to fight for the church. My dearest sister Lilian, how I had forgotten her face so pure and innocent. Forcing myself to stand I took each step with all my might. Her eyes piercing deep into my soul tearing away all I was.
I couldn't speak all I could do was stutter her name as I got closer. With a simple word the last piece fell from my heart as she said, "Why". I felt the tears roll down my cheeks as I replied, "Only for you my sweet sister, you were never supposed to see this awful hell." She smiled and with a look of shame, "It is my own fault I am here. When they sent you away I became their plaything. Never able to hide long enough to be forgotten. I always hoped you would come back and save me, but they never let me see you, only your letters."
Crying in anger I stepped closer to hold my sister, my I had forgotten the smell of our home in the mountains. She gripped me tight shaken and with complete surprise she said, "I'm here to take you to judgment, for Barious never seemed to find you." Unable to keep from smiling, "He did, he just failed at convincing me to follow like a pup." Lilian laughed then pointed to Lilith and Leon, "Be careful my dear twin they will either stop you or make you the strongest master here."
With confusion in my eyes she kissed my forehead and walked away. I tried to follow, but in an instant she disappeared. How long had she been suffering here waiting to see me once again? Why is she even here? What happened to her while with the clerics? Endless questions flooded my mind as I began to pace. Lilith once again took the opportunity to hold me in her arms. Too broken to fight her I held her close and let my pain drift back into the darkness in which it crawled from.
After regaining myself I slowly pulled from Lilith's arms staggering to stand on my own. I don't understand why but I drifted back to the window I had looked out of. I could barely hear Lilith and Leon talking of what to do next. In a single moment I felt those eyes upon me once more, but this time they seemed to feel as I did. Lost in the whirlwind of emotions I drifted in focus down to the bottom of the pit.
Lilith continued to ask Leon, "Did you know he had a sister?" Leon with a glance over to me said, "That I did, he always told me each life he took was another to guarantee her place in heaven. He suffered through the night terrors of his deeds. Once he even begged to be slain for we were ordered to kill a village that only had children left. They were pagans so the church would not allow them to live." In horror Lilith continued to hear of our past together in service to the Knights Templar.
When she asked of my death Leon shook his head and said, "That is not a story I have the right to tell. In all my time of being a low life monster he never once looked at me so. To repay that debt I will forever fight at his side and keep his tale of truth with me, even pasted the grave." Lilith with tears in her eyes told Leon of our meeting and how I had grown on her. Being the non-emotional type Leon joked, "So is that why your legs get drenched when he holds you. I just figured you were sweaty." Blushing bright red she replied, "Do they really? I have never had that happen." Leon laughed which caught the attention of a few souls who began to gather.
In my drift down to see the beast at the bottom I could feel hundreds of thousands of souls gazing deep into me, as if I were a book they had been dying to read. The air thickened as I descended choking me like water filling the lungs of those I had drowned. A warm familiar hand reached out to me, it reminded me of the wild animal that hide in the darkness of my heart. As I got closer to the base of the pit I could see a river of corpses floating in no particular direction. Bodies still kicking and screaming as they were killed repeatedly. Knowing I was to go further down I tried to follow the strong presence I had been feeling. Something cold kept me from finding what entity was calling me to the depths. Not wanting to see what kept me I returned to the thought of my judgment. I returned to Lilith and Leon as if I had only been lost in thought.
Regaining my bearings I realized that all eyes were now on me for I had made the mistake of looking down. The blood collected around my feet and the muscle began to twitch I felt nothing as the floor opened underneath me. Suddenly the floor closed and I was still staring at Lilith begging the question of why I had not been turned to red ribbons. By luck another that had known of the floor took the chance to look down. Without a single word being uttered he was soon gone. Blood and flesh rained on those that had been standing close to him.
More confused now than I was before I kept myself close to Lilith and Leon as we found our way down the grand steps. With each one of the souls to receive their judgment we took a step forward. Soon we were in the "Grand Hall of the Sinful Saints". Seated high above those being judged were nine very unpleasant looking souls. From right to left each were names scribed with letters of a language I had never seen. Each representing a sin, however the last judge had no name and no sin to call upon. Those that found themselves in his presence were giant grotesque monsters, very much like the legends of old. One I remembered from a story I heard while visiting Greece, the Cyclops. No doubt for it only had one eye in the center of his forehead.
The story made him seem less scary then what I was seeing. The Cyclops stood almost eye to eye with the judge barely kept in check by chains around its hands and feet. Every time it became angered by the judge flashes of blue and gold would dance from the bindings. It seemed like lightening was coursing thru him, as bolts jumped between his three horns. The judge laughed at the rage of the Cyclops and said, "By order of the High counsel you are banished to Tartarus." In the blink of an eye the massive monster was gone. What had me thinking was where I had heard of that place he mentioned.
As I continued my day dream into my memories we found ourselves to be next in line. To get my attention they showed their sense of humor. "Sir Crum are you now deaf or just plain dumb. For we can wait for your ears to be cleaned of the shitty thoughts you are having." Unable to stain from laughing I turned to meet the gaze of some oddly shaped, loud, demanding demonic judges. Each bore marks of the sins the resided over.
Farthest to the right was the judge of Lust, she was very beautiful in face and figure yet was missing her eyes, all of them were. Continuing down the line the next was of Gluttony a very large fellow, but he was cleaner than our previous lard asses. Then was the judge of Greed he had long fingers and an ensnaring smile. The judge of Wrath sat beside him, his skin stained with blood and war scars. Heresy was a little hard to pin for she was dressed nicely, very proper, and was given away by the fire pit down in front of her seat. The next three continuing left were the judges of Violence, Fraud, and Treachery. Each distinct from each other, yet all were different from the one whom had a fun time serving the punishments of ungodly monsters.
He seemed proportionally larger than the others not in a fat sense, more like being a giant. With a grin he said, "Are you ready for your punishment trio of disobedience?" Violence spoke next very shaky and uncertain, "Aren't you Lilith we passed your sentence decades ago why are you here?" Unable to look up she responded, "You did and I ran back to the forest where I met this man." as she pointed at me. All nine began to talk to each other and as their voices gained volume the last one waved his hand for silence.
"So shall we judge them together or separate them?" he said calmly. Greed replied, "More is better for the trial ahead." Lust pushed, "I want Raziel though, he seems like he can please me and my daughters." With rage in his voice our monstrous judge exclaimed, "It has already been decided. Tartarus has laid claim."