Demon-song: a fantasy short story
TIM: I haven't started reading Blood for Blood yet, but I thought you'd like this one for similar myth.
"I dreamt of the demon's hymn again."
My master did not show easily when he was startled. That I caught it at all meant that my words had affected him profoundly.
I was not surprised. These dreams had troubled my sleep ever since that night, when I delved into my master's books, without his permission. He had hinted that there were things man was not meant to know, but I was foolish. I found a chant, not knowing not to read it aloud, it branded itself upon my psyche.
I thought myself strong enough. I was wrong.
He studied me through his half-moon glasses, scowling through his wizened beard. "The same one?"
Trembling, I nodded. "It won't leave me. It interrupts my sleep. I can hear it even now--"
He silenced me with a raised hand, and urgency in his sparkling eyes. "For heaven's sake, child, do not chant it here."
"No, master, I would never."
My master paced, glancing at the hourglass on his work-table. "We must do something."
I nodded, tensely.
Master thumbed through his book. "There must be a counterspell in here somewhere--" He turned to glare at me. "Stop! What are you, mad?!"
Afraid, I looked about me for whatever offense I may be committing. "What?"
"The chanting! Do not even whisper it here! If it gets into my mind as well we are both done for!"
"But I wasn't--"
"You were! I could hear you! Now control it!"
Ashamed, I nodded. "Sorry, Master."
He returned to his books.
Had I really been chanting it without my knowledge? True, it echoed in my head now as loudly as if I were in the dark of a black mass myself, but I kept my mouth closed, marshalling all my awareness against the insidious hymn.
and then, I heard it from my master, under his breath.
"Master?"
He looked to me.
I nodded to him. "You...you're chanting it now."
He stopped. Wide eyed, he nodded. "Oh, you've done it now, child."
"Master I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry." He flipped through the pages of his book again, this time with hands trembling in fear. "I won't give up on this."
And this time, I was powerless to stop it. I sang.
"never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down--"
And my Master joined in. "--Never gonna run around and desert you..."
My master stopped flipping through his tome. It was too late.
The song took control.
"Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie and desert you..."
"I dreamt of the demon's hymn again."
My master did not show easily when he was startled. That I caught it at all meant that my words had affected him profoundly.
I was not surprised. These dreams had troubled my sleep ever since that night, when I delved into my master's books, without his permission. He had hinted that there were things man was not meant to know, but I was foolish. I found a chant, not knowing not to read it aloud, it branded itself upon my psyche.
I thought myself strong enough. I was wrong.
He studied me through his half-moon glasses, scowling through his wizened beard. "The same one?"
Trembling, I nodded. "It won't leave me. It interrupts my sleep. I can hear it even now--"
He silenced me with a raised hand, and urgency in his sparkling eyes. "For heaven's sake, child, do not chant it here."
"No, master, I would never."
My master paced, glancing at the hourglass on his work-table. "We must do something."
I nodded, tensely.
Master thumbed through his book. "There must be a counterspell in here somewhere--" He turned to glare at me. "Stop! What are you, mad?!"
Afraid, I looked about me for whatever offense I may be committing. "What?"
"The chanting! Do not even whisper it here! If it gets into my mind as well we are both done for!"
"But I wasn't--"
"You were! I could hear you! Now control it!"
Ashamed, I nodded. "Sorry, Master."
He returned to his books.
Had I really been chanting it without my knowledge? True, it echoed in my head now as loudly as if I were in the dark of a black mass myself, but I kept my mouth closed, marshalling all my awareness against the insidious hymn.
and then, I heard it from my master, under his breath.
"Master?"
He looked to me.
I nodded to him. "You...you're chanting it now."
He stopped. Wide eyed, he nodded. "Oh, you've done it now, child."
"Master I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry." He flipped through the pages of his book again, this time with hands trembling in fear. "I won't give up on this."
And this time, I was powerless to stop it. I sang.
"never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down--"
And my Master joined in. "--Never gonna run around and desert you..."
My master stopped flipping through his tome. It was too late.
The song took control.
"Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie and desert you..."