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The wooden staircase down to the alchemist’s sanctum looks shoddy and decrepit. Several steps are missing altogether. The rest are uneven, cracked, and splintered. To make matters worse, the descent is poorly lit by some sourceless arcane fire interspersed in sconces mounted along the wall. A few of which had fallen; their empty husks rusted over.
I hesitate at the top of the staircase, my foot hovering a hair’s breadth above the first step. Surely, there’s another way? I look back through a shattered doorway at the base of a crumbling tower. Despite the difficulty of navigating around rubble heaps and squeezing past the rotting remains of fallen wood beams, it would be better to return empty-handed than risk my neck in this deathtrap. I lift my foot to-
The Sky Father's natal curse flares. My body writhes in agony, my breath is torn from my lungs, and every nerve burns. Time stretches, each moment as tormenting as the first.
An eternity later the pain fades to a manageable level. It takes a few more moments to catch my breath. I can’t go back. My only hope of salvation lies with the alchemist.
I take the first step. The ancient floorboard groans under my weight but doesn’t break. Feeling a bit more confident, I proceed down the winding stairwell testing each step before trusting myself to it.
Hours pass and there is always another squeaking step. For the last 30 turns, chilled breath spills from my lips. Fewer sconces light the way, leaving almost entire turns in shadow; eventually, there are none left. All that lies before me is darkness.
It’s a good thing I brought torches and a fire kit. Bracing a torch between my legs, I strike flint against steel; sparks fly. And are immediately snuffed out by an eldritch force. Ok, I can’t light it normally, but perhaps I don’t have to. After putting the fire kit away, I reach out to the last lit sconce to ignite the end of my torch. When I pull back, the end is gone. Erased.
Dread washes over me. This is beyond unfair. I have already struggled to make it this far and now to be forced to stumble blindly into this treacherous abyss. It's too much. The world becomes blurry. The wooden haft slips from my grasp, clattering against the stairs. Tears slide down my cheeks. I swipe them off with the sleeves of my tunic.
“Why?! damnit, Damnit, DAMNIT!”
The tower echoes, “Why? damned, Damned, DAMNED.”
Belly deep laughter escapes me. I wrap my arms around my stomach and try to contain this bubbling hysteria. Of course, I am. Even the tower thinks so. A few minutes pass, and I’ve regained control of myself, allowing for the occasional snicker. I touch the wall. The stone is freezing, but it will guide me. After one last glance at the final ensconced flame, I descend into darkness.
Between frigid air and stone, warmth is fleeting. I shiver as my fatigued body drains of heat. Yet, I cannot let go of the wall. Without its support, I would’ve slipped ages ago. How far down do these blasted stairs go? Do they wind all the way to The Fallen's realm? Am I to beseech the Morningstar herself for salvation?
I attempt to ask the tower but am unable to utter a sound. No, not unable. Not allowed. The stairs have also been silenced. When last did they squeak? How did I not notice? Is sound suppressed or have I been deafened? Maybe both? In the end, it doesn’t matter. If I’m forbidden to hear or speak, then I can only continue in silence.
Time has no meaning. My exhausted body is numb, yet every leaden step still hurts. Without that pain to ground me. I would be lost, adrift in the void. I stop. It’s time to let go. At least then I won't be in-
PAIN! Beyond any I’ve experienced, it’s as if I am being drowned in magma. Even now, when I have nothing, The Sky Father can’t help but increase my suffering. How dare He!
No matter what is or isn’t allowed, He will hear me. I scream into the void, “I'd rather find peace in hell, than anguish for all eternity in your heaven!”
And there before me, are two doors of solid gold. Hundreds of glowing sigils in a rainbow of colors are engraved upon them. With rumbling thunder, they swing outward, revealing an enormous space. Glassware of all shapes and sizes rest on numerous shelves. Many contain vibrantly hued substances.
At the center of it all behind a gold counter is a beautiful woman wearing black velvet robes with golden embroidery that give the impression of sea foam on dark water.
"Welcome to my sanctum," she says.
I march up to her, "Who would live down here?"
"Apologies, I know the location isn't ideal, but you work with what you have.”
"The location? This isn't about the location"
"I know. Not everyone's journey is as difficult as yours was. I am glad you made it here."
"Thanks, I guess." I want to be angry with her, but I sense my troubles weren’t her fault.
"You have what I asked for."
I pull a once radiant recording crystal from my leather satchel and set it on the gold countertop. "I do.”
“Why do you need a banshee's wail anyway?” I ask, staring at the eerie crystal. Inside, an inky darkness roils, suffusing more each day since that moonless night on the fen; only a glimmer of light remains.
"I don't need it." Her eyes glint mischievously in the amber light of a nearby brazier, a knowing smile on her face, "You did."
“Wha-?”
"But let's move along to what you desire." The alchemist pulls open a drawer from a solid gold cabinet, engraved like the doors in rainbow-colored sigils. She lifts a vial of luminescent ruby fluid and gently places it on the counter between us. "One vial of Morningstar's Solution, as promised."
Immediately, I am drawn to the fragile vessel, captivated by its soothing glow. I reach for it.
The Alchemist holds up her hand, "Not yet, child. There are things we must first discuss."
Reluctantly, I withdraw my hand. "I thought we had a deal."
"We do. And I always fulfill my end of a bargain. However, I am obligated to go over the . . . side effects."
"I already. Know. The side effects," I say through clenched teeth.
"Nevertheless, I must go over them with you. Liability, you know."
"Fine."
"As you well know, while this is the only cure for The Sky Father's Curse, Morningstar's Solution is named as such because you will be marked as Morningstar's kin. This usually includes a change in skin color, growth of horns and tail, as well as cat-like pupils. Some individuals have also been known to develop bat-like wings. And in rare cases hooves. These changes are irreversible. Do you understand the risks as I have described them to you?"
I hadn't known about the possibility of hooves, but I am already committed. "Yes, I understand."
"Excellent! Then we can proceed with the bargain. She walks me over to a full-length mirror, “In case you want to see the changes,” she says, when I look at her quizzically." She then picks up the potion and offers it to me, "Here you are."
I accept the vial. It feels surreal to hold this. This was an impossible dream, always outside my reach, and now it rests in my palm. I open the vial and bring it to my lips. But when I try to tilt it back, I can’t.
“It’s ok if you’re not ready. You can always choose to drink it later.”
“But I am ready! I want this so badly. I don’t understand why this is so hard after everything I went through to get here. Can you help me?”
“Of course.” She brings the vial back to my lips, slowly pours it into my mouth, and I drink the potion.
Relief floods me, like the first rain after years of drought. The ever-present agony of The Sky Father’s curse ebbs away until nothing remains of it. In its place a boundless joy fills me; I am finally free.
Amidst my euphoria, the changes come quickly with only a little pain. My skin turns scarlet; two ebony horns curl backward from my forehead narrowing to sharp points, and in the mirror, I can see my eyes gain golden cat eyes.
I yelp when I feel a sudden tightness just above my butt and also between my shoulders. The alchemist waves her hand causing my clothes to change shape, freeing my newly formed spaded tail and bat-like wings that match colors with my skin and horns respectively.
Despite all the changes, I feel better than I ever have before. Unexpectedly, I even like how I look now. However, something is still off, like an intangible weight within my soul that is slowly crushing me.
“I still feel . . . heavy?”
"I see," She says, then lifts the recording crystal off the counter inspecting it. "Well, you should know you are lucky to have made it here. I estimate in another day, two at the most, the light of this crystal will be consumed entirely, and you would've been in no condition to complete our deal." The alchemist plucks the darkness from the crystal with a gesture and deposits it in an empty jar. As she does, I feel the intangible weight I’ve been carrying go with it.
Pointing at the jar, I ask, "What will you do with that?"
"Dispose of it. The stuff is worthless." She says, with a shrug.
"Then why collect it at all?"
She smiles warmly, "Why? So, my children don't have to keep carrying it."
She hands me the once more radiant crystal, "Here. Take it."
"But?"
She giggles "It's ok, like I said before, I don't need this. It was always meant for you. Keep it with you, and if ever the darkness returns, call upon me again. I will take care of it."
Tears well in my eyes, "I- I will, I promise. Thank you."
"Good. I would love to keep chatting, but it's time for you to leave the tower."
"If I need to return, will I . . . have to go through all that again?"
"Don't worry," She snaps her fingers. The golden doors open revealing, not the stairway nor the abyss, but a peaceful settlement nestled within a fertile valley. Every one of its inhabitants bears the marks of Morningstar's kin. "You will find me much easier from here."
Before I realize it, I've run up to hug Her. She doesn't shy away, rather She pulls me in, holding me close to Her chest.
When I end our embrace, She leads me to the door. I cross over into the valley. Turning back, I see Morningstar waving goodbye as the doors start quietly closing. Before they close entirely, She calls out, "Live with pride, my child. Now, go in peace and serve yourself."