Vincent Augomoto

Vincent Augomoto woke just before dawn, his red eyes piercing the darkness around him as if it were nothing more than a dim room. He never needed a candle and often preferred the dark to the light. His mother was a Nombian and his father was a mystery. He often heard the priests talk of what his father could have become, but never who he actually was. They speak of him as though he were a hero and Vincent wanted nothing more than to follow in his footsteps, even though he wasn’t certain where those footsteps led. One day, though, he would become the best that he could at whatever he decided to become. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to serve the great lord Dethonius and become one of the great priests of the mission. Propell was one of the greatest cities on the probe and the Mission of Propell was so well known that even the few people that lived on Mt. Dryst knew of their good deeds.

Vincent stood from his bed, which was lain directly on the floor, and took two steps around the bed to his left. The other boys slept, but he couldn’t, he was excited for the coming event and he knew that it was only a few minutes away. He’d been up nearly all night waiting on his brother to come to the door, but it was simply taking too long and he couldn’t wait any longer. He moved through the room, making certain to avoid hitting any of the beds and waking the others. The rug in the middle of the floor made his feet feel much warmer than the cool concrete he had stepped from before. It was a brisk morning but the fires burning throughout the mission kept the interior nice and toasty. 

“You ready?” Kali asked as Vincent nearly jumped four feet off the ground. He yelped as well, but kept it mostly to himself. 

“Don’t do that.” Vincent whispered as he ushered Kali out the door and into the hall. Kali stood before him, a magnificent specimen of power and grace, with his sleek body fit for any battle and his ebony skin which allowed him to enter the darkness and be unseen. He was a beacon of hope for many of the other kids and his “purity” of spirit was evident even to those that were not of their faith. Vincent loved him as a brother, as a friend and as a hero. The two boys were inseparable since their father left and their mother’s died. A freak accident that left them homeless as well, left both their mother’s dead and since there father was no where to be found, they simply became orphans. But Kali kept them off the streets and Vincent followed every step of the way. “You will wake them and then we will not be able to witness the eclipse.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to scare you, just get you out so that we can go watch it.” Kali stated as he led Vincent to the secret door and out of the mission walls. The dark night was too much for Kali’s eyes and Vincent had to guide him to the spot. He helped Vincent sit on the ground and the rising moon of Gamora showed its light enough for both of them to see perfectly. “This is going to be great. You are certain it is this morning?”

“Positive, do you have the crystal I asked you to bring?” Vincent was sitting and looking up at the first moon’s rise as a hint of Luna began peaking over the mountains edge. The orange light that persisted was mixed with some purples and blues and made a gorgeous myriad of luminescence. The show began to be even more brilliant with each moment that passed. “Get it out and hold it to the sky.”

“I have it here, what is it supposed to do again?” Kali asked as he held out the crystal and it began to hum lowly and its gleaming brilliance began to resonate outward as if building energy toward an explosion of amazing light. “Oh.”

Vincent hoped this would work the way it was supposed to. He had read it in the book only a few days before. He would never have even thought of it if not for those strangers that invaded the mission only one month before. Three beings, one insane, one like that of a cat and one he could didn’t get to speak with but that looked like some type of god, all came in and were looking for something within the mission. The insane one actually went after the holy relic that was guarded within the walls of the underearth of the mission. There lived a gargoyle there which protected whatever it was they were after. He heard that they had destroyed a great portion of the underearth in their fights and that they three got away with whatever the item was. The thing that stuck in Vincent’s mind, though, was that they had fought a gargoyle and lived. Even the lowest forms of gargoyles would be too much a match for any mortals and some gods. The three, though, exhibited such power and control that Vincent just had to figure out how to do much the same. In his research, he came across the answer but it would come with a great cost. The answer took him years to figure out, but he would not be denied his rightful power.

“It glows like it is on fire and I can feel it vibrating in my hand. It is as if it is taking in energy and I can feel some of it coursing into my skin. This is amazing. Thank you for this brother.” Kali held the crystal high and his eyes were wide as saucers.

“No thanks needed. I thought you might like it.” Vincent watched the boy as he smiled with glee. Vincent wasn’t certain at first that he could go through with this, and almost backed out. That is, until he found the book of Dethonius in one of the hidden chambers. When he opened the book, he was drawn into it in some way that he could not explain, but there he saw glories that he could not describe, amazements that he could not even remember and power that would allow him to hold them all. He spent nearly fifty years in that strange place, but it seemed to pass like a single night. Dethonius, which this mission worshipped, was no god at all, but a Demon-God masquerading as a true God. After entering his realm, Vincent made a deal with Dethonius to become a powerful being such as himself. This power would come with a cost and that cost would be steep. After assuring the Demon-god that he would pay the cost, no matter its value, Vincent was let in on the secret. In that moment, he swallowed hard and tried to leave. For the cost would the thing Vincent held most dear. Whatever Vincent loved, he would have to sacrifice and Vincent only had his brother. 

“This is amazing!” Kali broke Vincent out of his memories and back to the present. “Where did you find this?”

“It was in a hidden chamber, some of the books that only the ancient priests are supposed to read. Don’t worry, I will put it all back before anyone notices. Keep holding it and the crystal should become black. When it does, it will sing a song to you.” Vincent told the first real lie he had ever told his brother and it was like a stone in the pit of his stomach. He hated the idea of going through with this, but to get what he wanted, he had to complete this mission. If he sacrificed Kali in this way, he would become a Demon-god, or possibly a True God and with that power he would be able to bring Kali back to the probe in any form that the two of them decided. He would no longer have to worry about food, water, shelter, anything because Vincent would have the power to create all of them without restrictions. His power would be immense, but only if he followed through with the ritual exactly as it was pointed out to him. Vincent’s hands were shaking and he was again wondering if he could actually complete the sacrifice when the time came. No matter the power, this was his brother. Those other beings must have done something similar to be granted their powers and he would have to find a way to get them as well, but his brother. “There it goes.”

Kali held the crystal with both hands now as its vibrations were almost too much for a single palm. The light of the first sun had come up behind the two moons and the light that was shining down now seemed to be focusing directly at the crystal. It was so beautiful that Kali couldn’t believe his eyes. He had witnessed many marvels in his short time on the probe but none as powerful and amazing as this. He surely was blessed to have a brother so kind as to share this with him.

The crystal began turning black on the edges and the vibrations began sending shocks through Kali’s body. He was shocked with the first one and nearly dropped the crystal with the second, but then the crystal seemed to grab his hands and kept him from dropping it. He started to panic, but then something soothed him and he began opening his hands wider and wider to allow more and more light in. After a few moments, the crystal stopped vibrating and a strange song started whistling through the wind and it seemed to get louder with each moment. The song was so smooth and amazing that Kali couldn’t help but enjoy its intoxicating sounds.

“It’s working. I hoped that it would not work and would ensure that I would not have to complete it, but I must complete all of it. I have to finish or I won’t be able to pull off all of the things I need. With the power, I will be able to go back in time, bring back the dead, hold souls in my own hell, or defeat those that are stupid enough to stand against me. I lived my entire life trying to be as good as possible. I did everything I could to feed the poor, save the orphans, love those that loved me and ensure that I was a righteous person. I did all of that and got nothing in return. I am twenty years old and have had nothing go in my favor, nor have I had anything given to me or kept what I truly earned. Nothing in this world has worked for me or with me and as such I believe it is time for me to shape this world. I will shape it into what I believe is fair and into what I know is best for everyone involved. No more of these evil beings being able to control things, because I will be one of those beings, with the power to surpass any obstacle without fail!” Vincent thought to himself as he watched the crystal turn deep black and then be consumed by Kali’s body. The music that Kali was hearing was not something anyone else could hear but was a spell that combined the crystal with Kali’s body. When combined, along with all of the power the crystal just had focused within its core, Kali would become incredibly powerful and since he is an innocent, his body will absorb all of the energy directly. Innocence was the key to making most powerful items, and when sacrificing something, innocence made gods out of mortals.

“Wha…?” Kali tried to ask but then fell to the ground, unconscious. His body was glowing with what seemed to be orange fire and his eyes, which were still opened, were glowing like green emeralds. Vincent knew it was time and pulled the small dagger from his tunic. He was going to have to do this quickly or he would lose his nerve. He started by chanting the incantation and moving himself back from the circle he had drawn on the ground, where he had sat Kali in the direct middle. As he chanted, he waved his dagger back and forth wildly as he had witnessed in the diagrams of the book. He wasn’t sure it was all going to work, but he was certain that something was happening.

“Thumathod Devolatho shedorga venoth!” Vincent chanted as he continued his motions. The dagger in his hand was glowing now and giving off some strange sparks. He watched as the circle lit up and began spewing strange sparks as well. He wasn’t certain when to strike but he knew it was soon. Then he felt it, a moment of clarity when he simply knew he had to strike. He then felt his conscious step outside of his body as he watched the body continue forward to the center of the circle. He tried to speak, but was unable to do anything other than watch his own body move on its own. He wanted to stop, wanted to scream, wanted to keep himself from finishing even though he wanted to gain its values, he simply wasn’t sure he could…he could…His body moved to Kali and then struck him directly in the center of the chest. Kali screamed out for a moment and then the energy within him was pulled forth and shot directly into Vincent’s body with such force that he was thrown back against the back wall. As his body rushed past, his consciousness was forced back into its meat sack and he shot back like a bullet. The power that erupted was so large that it encompassed the entire wall behind him, which was twelve feet tall and at least that wide. 

“He…Help!” Vincent screamed as he tried to move, but his entire body was pinned against the wall and every atom in his being was being imbued with power of one sort or another. He could feel himself slowly slipping away as the power soaked through him. He was dying and he knew it. “Wait…I…I”

“Whats wrong?” Dethonius asked as he appeared directly in front of Vincent, standing directly in the middle of the energy but not being touched by any of it. Dethonius stood there, seven plus feet tall with a massive body of pure muscle. He was holding a pipe of some sort in his right hand and a hand axe in his left. He had scars all over his very ugly face and most of his exposed skin. He was not the angel that Vincent had seen before when he was inside the book but rather a demon so vile and hideous that Vincent almost couldn’t look upon him. The two horns on his head were small and made of ebony. He watched Vincent with blank eyes so dark that even the depths of the abyss would worry looking into them. “Need a hand?”

“This isn’….”Vincent tried to say something but was unable to release more than a few words. His body was wracked with pain and his skin was on fire. He wanted to scream but couldn’t even release a single sound.

“Isn’t what you agreed to? That is incorrect. You see, you agreed to kill your brother and in exchange I would grant you vast powers of which you would be able to become nearly as powerful as myself. I never stated that you would be able to use any of the power, or live through it?” Dethonius stated as he took a single puff from his pipe. The smoke billowed from the end and covered much of the area as the energy flowed through his body and into Vincent. Kali’s body was nearly gone at this point and Kali was well passed dead. “Did you think I would grant you power enough to take me on? I am in no need of others trying to kill me or take what is mine. I simply wanted the energy that you are currently spewing from your innocent brother. I am going to suckle on that energy for years to come. Thanks for…Wait, why is your body…?” 

“Did you….forget that…there are other….Demon Gods?” Vincent finally managed through some screams. His body was actually incorporating the energy that was being shot into it and his atoms were beginning to adjust to absorb the energy as well as the magical potential that was being thrown at him. Vincent had made a deal with Dethonius but knew that he would be double crossed, so he made another deal with another Demon God that had been trying to get Dethonius’ hell for centuries. The second Demon God was known as Malichi and truly hated Dethonius. For information on the location of the hell, Malichi made Vincent’s body capable to absorbing the energies and magic that would be spewed from the eclipse event. And now, Vincent was truly becoming a Demon God.

“You…you can’t.” Dethonius stated as he started pulling power to his hands. He was planning on attacking Vincent directly on the mortal plain, but that would take so much power that Dethonius would take a few moments to muster the energy. Long enough for Vincent’s body to absorb enough of the energies to ascend. At least that was the plan, but Then Dethonius felt the prescience in his hell and turned around. A small rip appeared and Malichi as well as about fifty Mythic Demons stepped onto the hells plain. “How did you?” 

“Hello Dethonius. Nice place you have…” Malichi started and both of them vanished from Vincent’s sight. He was left there, in the courtyard of the mission with energy pouring into his body and manna being forced into his every atom. It was a time that he often tried to forget for the pain was worse than anything he had ever felt and far worse than he could ever inflict on others. The problem was, he would have nightmares for the rest of his existence that reminded him of the pain. A problem that he would not unveil until much later.

The pain finally started to subside and his body was finally capable to movement once more. The sun was setting now and the land was growing dark. He saw that there were several of the mission’s inhabitants standing around in front of where he stood but none of them seemed to recognize that he was even in the area. They were looking at the strange circle that had been burned into the ground where what remained of Kali was still laying. They were trying to figure out what had happened here, but none of them could understand it. 

“Can you hear me?” Vincent asked as he finally was able to stand completely. His face was still streaming tears and he was in shock but he knew that he would survive. The men did not reply, or even acknowledge that he was there. “Can you hear me?”

“They can’t hear you.” Dethonius stated as he stepped through a small rift, his body was wracked with cuts and bruises and he was bleeding from virtually everywhere. “You are no longer of this plain and as such they can’t hear you, see you, or interact with you. You have screwed yourself and can no longer live within this realm. Since you double crossed me so well, I have a surprise for you as well.”

“Wait, what? You double crossed me first.” Vincent stepped back and started drawing energy, though he did it on instinct rather than knowledge or actual intent. “You can’t do anything to me anymore.”

“Not you. You killed me, you evil bastard. As such, I will die, but I will ensure that you don’t get the thing you always seemed to want so bad. I reincarnated your brother and will continue to do so until the end of time. Each time he reincarnates, you will destroy him in one way or another. I curse you with the last remains of my energy and magic. I will see you in hell…” Dethonius gritted his teeth as he spoke his last and his body vanished, but not before the last remaining power shot out of his fading body and into the Soulmere that was floating just above Kali’s remains. The Soulmere was transformed instantly and turned from white to a deep gold, then shot off in a different direction far from Vincent’s eyes.

“No!” Vincent screamed as he tried to move toward the rocketing Soulmere of his brother but to no avail it vanished within seconds. “Now…now what?”

“Now you have a job to do.” Malichi stated as he stepped out of the rift that Dethonius left open. At that moment, fifty hideous hands of various demons shot up out of the ground below Vincent and grabbed him from various angles, pulling his screaming soul down into the hell that he would now reside in. “And now our agreement is concluded. Enjoy your new home, in the depths of hell.”