Marcus kept silent as Ansem explained that the medal would diminish the evil influence of the ring on his soul, making him less susceptible to evil illusions and curses. But the power of the Celestial Medal itself was diminished by the Dominus and in such cases where Marcus would come across a powerful curse, he would have to trust his own instincts.
“But would the medal allow me take off the ring?”
“You can’t take it off,” Ansem calmly replied. “You made a blood pact with the ring the moment you put it on your finger, and it can only come off the moment you die.”
Now Marcus was starting to get a bit more nervous. If he couldn’t take off the ring even with the help of the Celestial Medal, was he destined to fight for the rest of his life? He wanted a way out, a way for him to return to his previous life.
“What happens if I continue to use the ring?” Marcus sheepishly asked.
Ansem sighed, “To be perfectly honest. I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” Marcus growled. He was expecting an explanation, an outline of what would happen and thought that with Ansem’s access to all kind of esoteric knowledge, he would be the one that would guide him. But as it turns out, he was clueless.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Ansem said in a soothing tone of voice, trying to calm the young man who was clearly way over his head. “This is uncharted territory for you as it is for me.”
“Why is that?”
“No human has ever held the Dominus,” Ansem’s reply was ominous.
Marcus pondered on this answer. It made sense; the Dominus was a powerful object capable of bending reality to the owner’s will, allowing him to accomplish impressive acts like flying or teleporting, and even healing life-threatening wounds in the blink of an eye. No sentient creature would be able to wield the Dominus without going insane from the power it granted.
However, Marcus didn’t feel any different from the first day he began to wear the ring. Was it because his exposure to the ring was only limited to a few weeks? That amount of time wouldn’t be enough to change anyone, but Ansem said the curse of the Dominus was very powerful. Wouldn’t that mean it would have taken over his mind the moment he put on the ring?
So many questions, however, when Marcus wanted to ask Ansem something more, his host rose up from his chair and said:
“We talked long enough,” then began to walk to the heavy wooden door, “it’s time to leave and don’t forget that sword.”
Ansem stood there by the open door, waiting for Marcus and apparently he wasn’t in the mood to keep playing host to someone with a bull’s-eye on his back. Marcus couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated. He wanted to know more. But for the moment it was to leave the questions he had for another time.
Marcus grabbed the sword and the Celestial Medal and followed Ansem down the narrow hallway, out of the circular drawing room, into a narrow room with walls lined up with shelves filled with books, folios stacked upon one another that almost reached the ceiling.
What was this place?
Ansem opened the door that lead to the streets and Marcus was bid farewell by a cluster of brass bells that tinkled mildly.
Marcus lifted his gaze, it was already night and for some reason the moon shone more brightly than ever before. He was still in Telervo, but the streets were empty and distant sound of traffic echoed in the streets that were set alight by the pale glow from the streetlamps.
“Guess this is goodbye,” Marcus said looking up and down the street, checking for enemies.
“For now,” Ansem replied, a grin twisting the right side of his lips.
Hopefully, Marcus thought that he would find a way to rid himself of the ring and wouldn’t have to cross paths with Ansem again. He belonged to a world that Marcus didn’t want to be a part of.
Realizing that no enemies were approaching and that it was safe, Marcus began to walk up street but the sound of Ansem’s voice stopped him.
“Rejoice young man,” he said opening his arms. “A brave new world awaits you and may your dreams come true.”
Marcus just turned around and kept walking, unsure if Ansem was encouraging or taunting him.
********
“Marcus!” Abigail said, trying to get Marcus’ attention. “Are you listening to me?”
Marcus slowly turned his head to face the pretty girl with long auburn hair who stared at him with an expression of concern in her big, deep-blue eyes while her boyfriend kept himself busy eating his lunch.
“Oh, sorry.” Marcus replied looking at his lunchbox, “What were you saying?”
It was lunch time, and for the past week Marcus had been eating lunch in the rooftop of the school building with Abigail and Alexander, her new boyfriend. Which was kind of a strange situation for Marcus, he liked Abigail and for a long time thought that he was going to eventually build up the courage to ask her out on a date and tell her how he felt. But that chance had since come and gone, and now he had to hang out with her boyfriend.
At first, Marcus didn’t like him at all. There was something about him that just didn’t seem right. Jealousy was a dumb reason to lose Abigail’s friendship, and Marcus decided to hang out with them as much as he could.
“When did you get that ring?” Abigail asked drawing closer to Marcus.
“I found it just lying in the middle of the street,” Marcus answered stepping away from Abigail just far enough so that she wouldn’t get a closer look at the ring. “Why the sudden interest?”
Abigail drew back, placed her hands on her waist and puffed up her cheeks, “it’s not sudden,” she replied in a grouchy tone. “Over the past week I’ve seen you wear that ring,” Abigail went on without a pause, “it’s rather weird and I just wanted to know where you got it!”
Marcus couldn’t tell her that he found the Dominus, The Silver Ring of the Morning Star inside a black marble hidden in a secret compartment in an abandoned library when he was running away from a group of thugs that almost killed him. On second thought, Abigail wouldn’t believe him and probably might smack him for making fun of her.
“Leave it alone,” Alexander yawned at Abigail while he closed his lunchbox. “Let him wear the ring.”
“But Alex!” Abigail complained but didn’t say anything else. She was usually quick with a comeback, but not this time, and both Marcus and Alexander were grateful for that.
“This isn’t over!” Abigail warned them and went back to finish her lunch in silence.
Marcus held back a chuckle, not out of respect for his friend, but for his well-being. Abigail packs a mean punch.
After finishing his lunch, Marcus gazed at the cloudless sky and wondered if would be so lucky to continue to enjoy these peaceful everyday moments.
Marcus’ life had been turned upside down, but for everyone else it was just the same. Except for one little detail: Mr. Aker resigned from his teaching post, much to entire student body delight that such a horrible man was no longer teaching. His replacement was as much of a hard-ass as Mr. Aker was, however, their new teacher was a man that liked his job and expected nothing but the best from his students.
It seems that Mr. Aker remembered everything that happened that day in the alley, how he almost became demon-chow and how he ran away leaving Marcus to deal with the threat. And Marcus would never forget the expression of shock that contorted Mr. Aker’s face when Marcus was seating in his desk, alive and without a scratch.
Marcus went into that alley to confront and use the Dominus to force Mr. Aker to quit, but their encounter was interrupted by the arrival of those demons and that giant that, if he were to believe Ansem’s word, came from a place called Golgotha.
Demons that came for the Dominus, to challenge him, and claim the right to rule over hell.
A chill ran down his back, Marcus didn’t want to become the ruler of Golgotha, but didn’t want to die and since he couldn’t take off the ring, he was screwed.
From time to time, Marcus would see for a split second and sometimes longer, denizens from Golgotha peering back at him, waiting for the chance to strike. His only silver lining however, was the Celestial Medal that Ansem gave him to protect him. So far, the Medal worked and not only did it keep him safe from the influence of the denizens of Golgotha but prevented anyone around him from becoming possessed. The last thing Marcus wanted to do was to fight his fellow classmates.
“So, will we be seeing you on Friday?” Abigail asked Marcus as they passed through the main gates of the school and out into the street.
“What’s on Friday?” Marcus replied in a vague tone.
Abigail stared at Marcus with a confounded look on her face, “did you forget?” She asked and before Marcus could reply she pointed a finger at him menacingly, “we’re going to the movies and don’t tell me you forgot, because it was your idea!”
Marcus took longer to reply for one of those “denizens” of Golgotha crawling up the gate wall like some overgrown lizard with a humanoid face caught his attention. It’s translucent body warped the wall beneath the creature, its long, hook-shaped claws held it upright in a ninety-degree angle and just when it was about to disappear behind the gate wall, the creature turned its head a full one-hundred and eighty degrees to gape at Marcus with its large and hollow eyes. It hissed and slithered away.
“What are you looking at?”
Abigail’s voice snapped Marcus out of his trance, “nothing.” He replied as he examined the place where the creature used to be, and wondered if he didn’t possess the Celestial Medal on him, would the creature possess Alexander or Abigail?
“So, are we still going to the movies?” Abigail asked again in a commanding tone.
“Sure,” Marcus replied, a smile contorted his lips.
Abigail returned the smile, “See you then.” Then she turned around and went to join Alexander who was waiting for her at the other side of the school gate. She waved him goodbye and left, Marcus saw they talked about something that only mattered to them.
Did he really suggest going watch a movie with her and her boyfriend? It was a really dumb idea, why would he spend almost ninety-minutes feeling like a third wheel? Marcus realized for what it was, a hopeless attempt to repair his broken relationship with Abigail.
They were still three months from graduating and soon they would go their separate ways, and from where he stood, the only one who would “join” Abigail in her new journey through college was Alexander and he would only become an acquaintance.
And that thought pierced his heart like a hot needle.
Marcus shook his head lightly to get rid of that depressing thought. There was no time to waste on depressing fantasies. There was work to be done.
A loud snapping sound echoed inside an empty warehouse. The intruder was a boy of no more of seventeen with jet-black hair, a rusty sword in his left hand and a silver ring with a crimson jewel that shone with an unearthly glow. This ring known as the Dominus, bestows upon its owner the power to shape time and space to their liking. A truly powerful relic. However, the Dominus also bestows the right to rule Golgotha, a shadow kingdom.
Something happened to its original master in that darkest of places, which somehow allowed the Dominus to find its way into the human world.
And now Marcus Biel, the new master of the Dominus, had his life turned upside down when he was attacked by a demonic giant seeking to take the Dominus.
It was dumb luck that he even managed to survive that encounter.
Luck and that he got help from Ansem.
But Marcus couldn’t be relying on others; this was his fight and no one else’s.
After his encounter with the giant and Ansem, Marcus began to research how he could train his body and mind to prepare for future battles. It was more challenging than he thought it would be. The limited use of the Dominus meant that he would have to learn the old fashion way. But learning to fight got in the way of his schoolwork and studying for exams.
Perhaps now it was the time to release some of the power of the Dominus and put what he’d learned to the test. Reaching behind his neck, Marcus undid the necklace he had fashion to carry to the Celestial Medal and set it aside on an old wooden crate.
Marcus examined the warehouse he had been using to train. It was large like a cathedral. He wondered if he would end his training alive.
His hands were shaking and felt a knot in his throat as he began to walk to the center of the warehouse, the sword that Ansem had given him in his left hand prepared to face anything that may challenge him.
In the center of the warehouse a semi-transparent shadow figure slowly emerged, and Marcus recognized the creature, it was the one that was stalking him at school.
Burning-red orbs materialized in the black cavernous space in its skull and slowly opened its mouth as if it were to speak. However, no words came out but instead inhaled the other smaller denizens that also materialized from the warehouse walls and floors into its frail-looking body.
Marcus drew out his sword as the denizen with red eyes grew larger and more menacing. Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to let them track him.
Once it finished absorbing the other denizens, Red-Eyes, smashed its gargantuan fists on the ground as it let out a chilling howl. His behavior reminded Marcus of that of a gorilla, a giant, deformed gorilla ready to attack a rival male for supremacy.
Red-Eyes pounced at Marcus before he was ready to prepare a counterattack.
Marcus was able to teleport behind Red-Eyes as it smashed into a wall of wooden crates. Marcus was shocked, despite the denizen’s massive size, it moved faster than any other creature in the world.
How terrible the creatures that dwelled in Golgotha were, Marcus thought as the creature prepared its next attack.
Red-Eyes pounced at Marcus one more time using its fists as springboards, but this time Marcus was able to decelerate time using the Dominus, a technique he had been practicing to be able to have more time to study and to sharpen his skills. However, this was the first time he’d used it in actual combat, and was shocked when he realized that Red-Eyes continued to move, although at a slower pace, but decelerating time placed an enormous strain on his body and the sword shook slightly in his hands.
Nothing short of beheading Red-Eyes would stop its relentless attacks. The creature was bent on obtaining the ring, it would never stop, and Marcus had to deal with the creature now before it became a much bigger threat. He could accelerate time and finish the creature with one swift strike. But how? The creature’s neck was as thick as an oak’s trunk and under the strain of what he referred to as “Time Magic,” summoning the superhuman strength to slice through that thick neck would have unknown consequences to his body and soul.
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