ephialtikos
by S. Dawson
© 2000

stichos γ
The Summoning

James Subpoena stared around him. Fires ragged wild, like firefly only more dangerous. The fires were no ordinary fires; they were the fires of Hell and Satan. Bodies lay on the ground, infested with vermin. Children screamed and cried and the people starved. All of this was Sharpe's doing. No, their doing.

Subpoena was one of Morgan Creeds antipriests He had been one of the few who saw their leader die and knew what Sharpe was really up to. It had been their fault for summoning the evil. They were to blame for all this death and destruction.

Hudlath lay in the infirmary. He was not dead, but had been injured, injured gravely in service to the King. The King rewarded such men as he. There was a medal awaiting him, he could feel it. God had been with him on the battlefield, he obviously kept him alive because he, Hudlath y Mon was destined to be far greater than he was, a knight or even a Lord. Oh, how proud he was. He was in an ecstasy of delight.

Iago Sharpe looked into his crystal ball. He saw no destruction and death, just sacrifices that had to be made ready for his master plan. No one suspected what he was doing was no in the Kings wishes. Not one single person had questioned him.

Evil. "I am Evil beyond all Evil." He told himself as he stared into the swirling mists of time. "No one can prevent me from succeeding, I am too strong and too powerful. Those who even think of stopping me are killed." He laughed. "I am invincible, no one can stop or kill me!"

Hudlath thought of what would be coming his way once he was fit enough to go back to captaining the guards. Perhaps he would be promoted? Major. Yes Major Hudlath, it had a certain ring to it. Maybe he one day might be Field Marshal Hudlath. Yes one day, one day.

Subpoena gathered with his fellow antipriests. They were going to try to stop Sharpe, by summoning Satan. Once summoned Satan would be in their commands and they would be able to prevent Sharpe from harming any more innocent people.

"It won't work!"

"It will I tell you!" Subpoena stood on the sacrificial rock and faced the crowd. "All we need to do it summon our gracious Master. He will take care of it!"

"It won't work we tell you. Creed was always telling us that."

"Well Creed isn't here is he? I am running things now! If I say it will work it will work. What do you say brothers? Do we summon our Master to take out the Devil that walks and breaths?"

"Yes!" The crowd cried.

Sharpe cleaned his fingernails with his sword. He loved the new power he had he had authority! Soon the time would be right to take his army against the King, he knew that few would be willing but with powers like he had who needed an army?

"Oh Master hear out summoning!" Subpoena walked around the white chalk circle. The wind wiped at his hair and caused his robes to billow out behind him. "We need your service!" The thunder rumbled over head and the ground began to shake. "We must vanquish a daemon who walks upon this earth and does not do your work."

"Omni Satani, Conferate nostrum donum!"

Lightening struck the circle and a child stood in it. She smiled at them and then vanished! She zoomed through the night air, her eyes glowing red, green and finally black.

"I told you it would work."

Sharpe took his scabbard off and placed it on the chair besides his bed.

"A storm, how exhilarating." He said, a smile formed in the tight corners of his mouth. He remembered the day he had become powerful a storm then had also ragged. A lightening bolt struck him, his body began to shake he felt as though his innards were being ripped out and replaced with fire. He screamed in agony, he felt something leave him and something enter him. What ever had entered him was hot. It was burning him, it was causing him to choke and spit blood.

In a split second the pain was over, everything return to normal even the storm had stopped. He had a desire to cut or hurt himself. He knew he could no longer be killed, how he knew, he did not know. He took a dagger from his desk and drove it through his heart. The blood dripped down his front but he was not dead, he was in fact very much still alive.

"Ha! Now no one can stop me! I shall take the Kings Country for myself and not one person can stop me!"