The Power of Euphoria

Euphoria walked the snowy path with her silver dragon and her yellow dragon flying high in the skies so that they could keep a watch out for danger. She needed to destroy the gargoyles that had her shadow in possession before it escaped and found her again. Long ago she was one of the most powerful beings ever to live until her magic grew dark and evil to the point her health was at stake. She gave up her shadow and along with it her magic.

However, even though her shadow was gone she could still feel it, she could feel it growing in strength without her, and if wanted her back. The dragons suddenly came down in front of her, “We cannot follow the path any further. You have reached Eye of the Tike Man.” they said simultaneously. Their wings cleared from her view and she could see the black water for as far as her eyes could see. The Tike Men were guardians of the gargoyles and the most vicious being to ever live in magic history. The only way to get to the gargoyles from here was to cross the Eye within which the Tike Men lived. There was a worn and tattered metal bridge that went across the center of the Eye; if the Tike Men spotted you they would eat you.

Fog swarmed from the black abyss and flies rippled in the water swarming over the floating dead bodies. Euphoria no longer had her magic therefore could not levitate over the Eye. Her right foot set on the bridge first and there was not a single movement out of place. She went on walking cautiously across the bridge feeling it shake beneath her.

A Tike Man popped his head out of the water and smiled at her, “At last you have come.” He said. “What?” she asked spooked by the communication. “The lady with no shadow; you are the only one to ever give up a shadow without the gargoyles seizing it first. Now we know why.” He said. A canoe came out of the fog with two other Tike Men on it, “This way,” the one with an ore said. She stepped into the boat and sat down in the middle keeping her eye out for any tricks.

There was no shore but there was a dock they stopped at. The mansion was just before the dock on the swampy land. “Why have you brought me here?” Euphoria asked. “We have something to show you.” A woman in loin cloth said standing on a rock in front of them.

She followed only the woman now into the mansion. The mansion was tall, spooky, black, purple, olive, and brown, designed from the great Goth architects of long ago. The pillars holding the steps up had a gargoyle on each one, the rail on the long porch had them sitting on the edge, and on every story rising into the sky a gargoyle sat looking down at here and watching her every movement.

In the center of the room was a steel cage and inside was a man with horns and scales. His fingernails were long, his tail was spiked, and his body was perfect with every muscle screaming strength out to her. “What is this?” Euphoria asked. “This is what your shadow has done to one of the gargoyles.” She said. “This is a gargoyle?” she asked widening her eyes. “Indeed, and you must take it back, and you must die with it in you.” She declared. “I’ve come to destroy it.” “You cannot create or destroy magic, it simply is, and within a being it will grow given the right. You rejected it like a child and it had emotions, your emotions; we know your father abandoned you long before you could remember him and your magic was in you already. The rejection gave it part of you. You will never be rid of your shadow.” She explained.

“No, I gave my shadow up because it was killing me. I got rid of it all the way, I did, and I do not want it back.” Euphoria cried. The woman put her fingers lightly on the top of Euphoria’s left hand; her power hand, “How did you know to destroy it and not let it dwell within the gargoyle that took it?” she asked. “I felt it.” “You see; it is not gone.”

“I will take it back only if you will kill me.” Euphoria agreed. The Tike Men stepped forward ready at a command’s sounding. “Take it,” the woman told Euphoria.

Euphoria stepped up to the cage and the man screeched at her like a gargoyle would. She cut her arm with a dagger strapped to her thigh and dropped it on the gargoyle. Something she did not expect to happen occurred. Her skin went grey and stone like, her finger nails grew out long like frozen charcoal, her hair flew up into a mass of rock and formed into horns, scales popped from the surface of her skin, and her eyes went black.

She screeched with the gargoyle and her shadow as one and took in the energy from the room. Blasts of magic and fire hit her directly. In the language of the gargoyle’s that she now knew she said a spell and blew everything to smithereens, guts flying that way, and heads flying this way. She was dead but the power within her kept her animated only during the rain storms.

She took her place on the porch as the last existing gargoyle and the first of her kind the rain stopped and she froze into the stone figure she would be until it rained again. 

 

 

Nov. 2008