Goth Stories
3. The Story of Agarinion, The Damned God.
Copyright © 2012 by C.B.Colin
I. The curse…
The moon was on the clear, dark blue night sky. The stars were shining like the diamonds which never disappear. But in vain was the sky clear and beautiful, like a magic painting, when Agarinion was very upset and it was impossible for him to not let the tears leave his red eyes and to flow softly on his white marble cheek, disappearing on the half way in a steam.
Agarinion, the prince-god of Flos region, on the rose island, the son of Gods Dolor and the evil Sanguis which was nowhere to found, being one of the most terrifying flosen gods who preferred to curse everyone which are trying to love, being one of the most feared flosen god of all times.
This young god, had a white marble face, with beautiful eyes but the color of iris was red as blood. The hair was burning on his head, being blue, and he had a long same blue color beard. His ears were sharp and long, and his wearing was dark blue, like a robe made of silk, having embroidered floral symbols on the edges.
He was seating on the palace balcony, and watched the wild sea, where the vast moon mirrored in it. He shuddered when someone putted a hand on his arm. He turned his face and sighed. Was his mother, Dolor.
“My dear boy, why are you not sleeping? It is very late.”
“I cannot, knowing that is getting closer the…”
“I know, trust me, I know.” The goddess said, hugging him.
“But you must.”
“Why?” He said a little angry, pushing her away. “Why I have to take these tasks every single year?”
“You know why. To release your father’s curse. Do not forget Agarinion, that if you will release it, you will become a full god, and not just any normal god, but the god of light, life, and love. You do not wish to not pass the tasks and to become as your father.”
“I am already becoming him. I am tired of these tasks, since I was born from your tears and my father’s fire, I had to pass them, and now look at me, I am changing!” he outraged. “I am horrible, soon dragon wings will come out, mother, please do something! I want to go back to regain that boy with golden hair and with sweet waters eyes. I am a monster!”
“Do not say that. You just have to pass these three tests and to gain love, but I will tell you a secret.” The goddess said, with her black hair and red eyes from crying, and from behind the back she took out a rose, but not just any rose but a black glass one. Inside was a liquid.
“Mother! It is… the black rose. The only black rose from the island… was forbidden for you to take it!”
“Do not worry, I change it in a crystal and fill it with blood. But not just any blood, but your father’s. Tomorrow at the dawn, when the sun will start its journey on the sky, when the tasks will start, you have to wear it, until you will reach the last task. There you have to use this blood with wisdom.”
“What task?” Agarinion asked fearful.
“I cannot tell you, only be careful. I love you my dear boy.” The goddess said, hugging him with warm.
Agarinion woke up again alone; the goddess disappeared in a light like a lightning bolt. The prince-god watched long the glass rose where in it a viscous liquid from the evil god was. That blood stained with so much hateful and sins brought to the divinity. He had an impulse to throw the rose, but he knew that if he would do that, he will end up dead. So therefore he puts it in one of his secret robe pocket and left the balcony disappointed, leaving behind small trails of blue fire.
II. First Task…
The sun was already shining above the island’s rocky mountains, being a clear and beautiful morning sky. The birds were singing in line with the atmosphere, everything was alive, except the Thorns Valley, where the sky was cloudy and stormy, and the sea was making huge and foaming waves, and the sand was black full of human bones. In the Thorns Valley, the young god’s tasks were under the looks of the gods. From the most beloved god to most hateful cursed god. Agarinion was nervously shaking, seeing so many eyes riveted on him. Ifis, a human witch, who Agarinion was in love with, approached him. His heart was beating harder and harder by the moment she was getting closer. She took Agarinion away from the god’s tribune, wanted to talk.
“My young god, last night I looked down in the fountain water and you do not wish for me to tell you what I saw.”
“What did you saw?” Agarinion got a little afraid, knowing that Ifis could see the future.
“The last task will be…”
But the witch couldn’t continue, because the mighty god approached them. Maaram the Wise One was the powerful god on the Flos Island, the god of knowledge, time and wisdom. With a long white beard, coiled on his silver scepter, Maaram looked at Agarinion with kindness and compassion through his cat green eyes.
“Ifis my dear, you know very well that you cannot reveal the time. Especially that Agarinion has to confront on his own the tasks. To break his father’s curse.”
Ifis made a bow with her head, retiring, disappearing in the milky fog which suddenly came by.
“Do not fear Agarinion.” Maaram, the supreme god, said when he saw that the boy was looking fearful to the fog. “It is just my wife, Crivma, the goddess of wheatear.”
And indeed, from the fog, Maaram’s wife, Crivma, appeared, with her hair flowing like a green river, and she had the eyes like the fog behind her, without any color.
“Agarinion dear, I hide all the curious eyes of the gods. Now you have to go. From this portal you will be able to begging your first task. Do not forget to think before you act.”
Agarinion felt down on his knee, feeling how from his back to dragon wings started to grow.
“You have to start soon.” Maaram said to Agarinion. With his silvery scepter, he formed a portal made of steam. Agarinion got up and entered in.
Everything was dark. Not a sparkle of the sun. But he could see something; he saw a clepsydra in which the sand was flowing reverse, from down to up. Agarinion approached it, especially that the clepsydra was shining like the moon. He caught it with his hand, and he could hear voices whispering. Then the Three Seasons approached him. The Sand, The Sea and The Snow. Every one of them was the representatives of the island’s seasons, only three. The Sand, with her dim blond hair, with yellow eyes, walked to Agarinion and said:
“You have three attempts young god. One of them is too reverse the clepsydra…”
“The second attempt is to eat the clepsydra…” The Sea said, with her green-blue hair, flowing softly on her shoulders.
And between them, The Snow came, being all white.
“And the last is to break the clepsydra. Choose wisely.”
Agarinion didn’t know what to do. The time was flowing backwards, which for the locals was a good thing. The sun was raising from west, setting at east, same with the moon. Agarinion closes his eyes, remembering when he was a child; he had a teacher called Miraam, Maaram’s first son.
“Agarinion. The time is the only weapon we can use. The time can be destroyed, and also the time can be won. With the time we can do anything.”
And therefore, Agarinion grab the clepsydra, reversing the time, and around his the dark was replaced by a desert, everywhere only sand and the sun was burning. After that he swallows the clepsydra and from the sand dunes, a huge water wave appeared, taking over, and Agarinion realized that he was flowing on water. He took the clepsydra from his stomach, and then he smashes it in his strong hands, and the water started to freeze.
“Very wise Agarinion.” Said the three seasons, and Agarinion was amazed when they flew away and his dragon wings disappeared.
A new steam portal appeared
on his way, and he ran unto the next challenge.
III. The second task…
He suddenly woke up in a very tall tree. The tree was so tall that he couldn’t see the ground, being above the clouds. On the sky, both sun and moon could be seen. On the sun’s parts was night and on the moon’s part was day. Everywhere where he was looking, he saw that the tree’s leafs were singing, like instruments, melodious sounds, like violins. Agarinion accidentally touched a branch, and all the leaves on it started to sing.
“For this task, young god, all you have to do is to compose a harmonious music for the Green Tree, on which you are seating.”
“The Green Tree? I… am above it?” Agarinion wondered, speaking to an elf, which was close to him. This elf was pretty old, with sharp ears, gold long hair, and his eyes were purple.
Agarinion remembered that on the rocky mountain, was the biggest tree on the island, and everybody called it The Green Tree. It had a large trunk, reaching some miles very easily, and was so high that no one could see the braches, and seemed to be that the young god was on it.
“But I do not know how I could compose from the leaves, elf. I do not know what the music is.”
“The music which you will play will make the tree get smaller, coming back to the grounds. The music disappeared from the island, when the tree started to grow. And the musicians stopped playing because they couldn’t reach the branches.”
Agarinion watched the greenish