The Curse of Abbadon

“Everything is ready for the ritual, Ms. Cozbi,” Egill avoids looking Ms. Cozbi in the eye as he informs her of his success. He shivers as Ms. Cozbi pats him on the back and walks towards her cauldron. The dark enchantress hasn’t informed him of her plan, but Egill wouldn’t ask questions or he would be putting the lives of his loved ones in danger.

Egill begins to back away from what Ms. Cozbi is doing. She stands in front of a cauldron with a book that's bind is peeling with age. In front of Ms. Cozbi is a circle of six sharp triangular stones. Each stone has a bony hand on top, that is prepared to hold something. Egill shivers once again, before turning and running away.

Ms. Cozbi is aware of this, and knows that Egill won’t speak of what has happened tonight under the full moon. However, she is unaware that two children are hiding in the forest behind her. Alexander and Ulima, two siblings, who heard whispers of the enchantress and decided to investigate. Now branches filled with evergreen leaves block them from sight, leaving tiny gaps for them to peek through.

Alexander leans forward as Ms. Cozbi begins to mutter something from her book of spells, but he can’t hear exactly what she is saying. The risk they have taken in coming here will be for nothing if they can’t learn anything of Ms. Cozbi’s plan. Alexander shifts his feet underneath him and starts to crawl forward when Ulima grabs his arm, and yanks him backwards. Alexander turns his head towards his sister, giving her an annoyed glare, which is responded with an eye roll from Ulima. She then turns her head to the side, and points at the stone wall a little farther forward. Understanding now, Alexander begins to crawl towards the wall. Careful to avoid twigs that could snap and give away their hiding spot. From behind the wall, they can hear what Ms. Cozbi is saying, but to them it’s just gibberish.

“Lichka malfrma ti oltgar metch finserni.” Ms. Cozbi mutters her spell as she mixes different substances into the cauldron. A tall necked vial of red liquid goes in first. The liquid is thick, and trickles out slowly. A short and plump vial of clear liquid goes in next. It’s thinner than water and reacts with a puff of smoke upon touching the red liquid. Next, Ms. Cozbi picks up a container of leaves, and pulls one out. Ulima recognizes it as one of the poisonous leaves she has studied. The leaf is crumpled up and dropped in the cauldron. Before grabbing the final ingredient, Ms. Cozbi puts on a pair of sleek black gloves that she pulls up to just below her elbow. Then she grabs a tall, cylinder shaped vile, filled with strange black dust. She pours a small amount into the palm of her hand, then uses her pointer finger and thumb to take a pinch, which she sprinkles into the cauldron. A sizzling sound is barely audible over the continuous chanting, as the dust reacts with the mixture.

“Lichka malfrma ti oltgar metch finserni.” Ms. Cozbi continues chanting as she opens her bag and pulls out a black feather. “The feather of a raven,” she names it before dipping it into the cauldron then walking it over to the stone circle. She places the feather in the first hand, before returning to her caldron. Pulling out the second object, she names it, “the gold of a pirate,” before dipping it into the liquid and placing it on one of the other hands. The third object is the hair of a fairy, and it receives the same treatment, along with the bone of a human, the ear of an elf, and the eye of an ogre. When finally all the objects are in place, the hands on the stones close, so that the objects can no longer be removed.

Finished with the cauldron, Ms. Cozbi quickly dumps a liquid into it, making the substance in the cauldron evaporate before the cauldron itself melts. Undisturbed, Ms. Cozbi picks up her book and walks over to the stone circle. She opens it to a marked page and begins to recite a different spell. “Abbadon I call on you, Abbadon the destroyer, Abbadon the sacrifice will be made so you can roam free.”

Ulima and Alexander exchange worried glances from behind the stone wall upon hearing this name. Abbadon is a demon that they have all learned about in school. He has destroyed many lands, but the ancient citizens of their land stopped him before he could do the same to theirs. However, this action took its toll and the ancient citizens passed shortly after, before sharing any knowledge on how they stopped Abbadon, or how to keep him away for good.

“Abbadon I call on you, Abbadon the destroyer, Abbadon the sacrifice will be made so you can roam free!” Ms. Cozbi repeats herself louder this time, and it summones a strong current of wind. A blast of cold air wacks Ulima and Alexander’s backs, pushing them against the stone wall, before passing by to the stone circle. The wind is coming from all angles and meeting up in the stone circle, as it spins around itself, turning into a swirling black mist, before a dark creature emerges from within it. His hands, feet and face are white like paper, but fade into a black. He wears a dark cloak that floats around him. Black wings that drip red blood keep him floating, and he stares maliciously right at the kids, with an eager grin.

“Bring them to me” Abbadon’s voice shakes the ground as he speaks. Ms. Cozbi looks around startled, but can't find the people that Abbadon wants. 

Suddenly a soft breaking sound echoes around them as the stiff dirt breaks apart and arms break through the dirt and reach to grab the children. Ulima is seized first. Alexander tries to scramble away, but the hands grab his feet and yank him down. Breaking apart the dirt, the kids are dragged to the circle of stones. From closer they could see a thin magical border between them and Abbadon. 

“Does it keep us separate or just keep Abbadon in?” Ulima asks herself.

“Just keeps me in,” Abbadon responded, as if he heard her thought, “for now.”

The arms begin to drag Ulima forward again, and she starts kicking out her feet to stop herself, but it does nothing. The arms throw her into the circle, and she rolls to stop at Abbadon’s feet. A glimmer of evil glee flashes before his eyes before he grabs her.

“Possesia infernia” Abbadon whispers in her ear, before letting her go. Ulima’s eyes roll back in her head, and her feet drop out from under her, and she falls to the ground. “You can bring your sister back home now, Alexander. Try to save her before I destroy everything.”

The arms grab Ulima’s unconscious body and pull her out of the circle, releasing her at her brother’s feet, then releasing her brother. Alexander hooks his arms under her back and knees, and lifts her up.

“Better hurry” Abbadon says, before Alexander turns and runs.

~★★★~

    Ulima wakes up in her room, surrounded by everything familiar, but something feels off. A strange presence in the back of her mind, that she can’t quite distinguish. Around the room sits her desk, some pictures, lots of books, her bedside table, and on the table there is a candle. 

That’s when a new voice in her mind echos out its first order. “Set fire to that curtain,” it tells her. Ulima shakes her head, trying to shake the voice out. Then she rubs her eyes, thinking this might be a dream, but the voice repeats its order. “Set fire to the curtain, Ulima.”

This time Ulima's right hand lifts up on its own accord. She tries to stop it from moving, grabs her arm with the other hand to pull back, but nothing works. Her right hand knocks the candle into the curtain and the fire leaps onto it.

Her mind is regained for a moment, but the voice quickly seeps back in with another order. “Leave the house.” Ulima stands up and walks to her door. She sees a glass of water on her desk that could put out the fire, but she is unable to move towards it. “Don’t say a word to anyone,” the voice instructs, before leading her down the hall.

She is almost at the door, when her brother’s rushed footsteps announce his presence,  a moment before he comes into sight. He looks at his sister confused for a second, before peaking up the stairs where she had come. Ulima can’t see it, but she knows her brother is either questioning the smoke, or strange light coming from her room.

“What’s going on Ulima?” he asks. “I thought you were asleep.”

Ulima tries to open her mouth and say something, but her lips won’t let her voice pass through. A small whimper from the back of her throat does emerge though, and she sees the immediate confusion on her brother’s face.

“Why is there smoke?” he asks, “Wait, is there a fire? Get outside quickly Ulima! I will go get Mom and Dad.”

He speeds off, and Ulima walks out of the house. Immediately she feels slightly better, like the grip on her mind has loosened but whoever is doing this, still has control. That’s when the events of the previous day hit Ulima like a tidal wave. Abbadon must have done something to her. The last thing she remembers is him whispering ‘Possesia infernia’ in her ear.

At that moment, Alexander runs out of the house with their parents, just as the roof of the house is set ablaze. Ulima can feel that Abbadon is pleased, just as he drops his grip on her mind, taking all of her strength. Her legs give out, and she begins to fall, but Alexander catches her before she can hit the ground.

“Ulima! What’s wrong? What’s happening?” He searches her expression for answers but finds none.

“Abbadon made me do it” Ulima mumbles, before everything goes black.

~★★★~

Ulima wakes up in a new location. She vaguely recognizes the library as one that only the most knowledgeable citizens have access to. She sits in a comfortable chair, but soon recognizes an uncomfortable pinching on her wrists and ankles. Looking down, Ulima notices that her wrists and ankles are tied down, keeping her restrained. Has she been captured? Did Abbadon do this? She tries to pull herself out, but it’s no use. The sounds of her chair moving and her struggling catch her brother’s attention though, who quickly rushes over to comfort his sister.

“Oh, Ulima, I’m so sorry We didn’t want Abbadon to do any more harm. I hope you will forgive me.” He pleads for his sister’s forgiveness, but it is unnecessary.

“It’s ok,” Ulima looks defeated as she responds, “I understand that you did what you needed to do.”

“We are working on a solution though,” Alexander tries to give Ulima hope. “We will find a way to stop Abbadon, and free you from this.”

From behind Alexander, a tall, intimidating elf approaches them. He motions for Alexander to move to the side, before speaking to them both. “My name is Alfie, and the other elves and I believe that we have found a way to stop Abbadon. It may put your sister in danger, but it also may save her.” His glance meets Ulima’s as he says, “We want to find what he has sent you to collect, and destroy it.”

Ulima nods slowly. She sees how this could work, but also how this could go terribly wrong. They might not be able to stop her before she gives Abbadon what he wants, but this may be her only chance to break Abbadon’s spell. The problem is, if they wait too long, Abbadon might get suspicious and carry out his plan another way.

“What do you need me to do?” Ulima asks quietly, but determined.

“We are going to free you from this chair, and let you wander around, until Abbadon contacts you. When he does, we will be hidden around you, following, and will step in once you’ve found what Abbadon wants. Do you understand?”

“Yes”

    It doesn’t take long after Ulima is released for the now growing familiar voice in her head to echo a new order. “Go to the enchanted library,” it says, so Ulima begins to walk. She had never been to the enchanted library, never even seen it, but somehow she knows exactly where to go. The doors are strong oak, but Ulima knows that metal is hidden between those layers keeping it from burning. Before she even starts brainstorming ways to get in, the doors open. Ulima assumes that this is the elves and fairies doing, who are hidden around her. They need her to find it so that they can stop Abbadon.

    The library is breathtaking, but the moment is ruined with a new order. “Find the secret door. It isn’t where knowledge is stored, but where wishes are held.” 

    Ulima looks around, only seeing books and books of stored knowledge, until she catches sight of a shimmer past the books. Walking down the hall, she notices it as a fountain, and fountains are regularly known as places to make a wish. When she approaches the fountain, a tarnished coin catches her eye. It's the only one in the fountain, which seems strange, so she lifts it up.

    A loud grinding noise of gears turning and stone shifting makes Ulima jump back, just in time to see the pearl that the fountain statue is holding, open up, and reveal a frozen soul. Mesmerized by it, Ulima begins walking forward, reaching for it, but is stopped moments before grabbing it. Alfie jumps down from a bookshelf and snatches it. Rushing away with the other elves, while the fairies attend to Ulima, keeping her from following the soul.

    The elves run to their study and pull out a very old book. They flip through it, looking for a specific page, then turn the book to Alfie. They had recognized the soul from a picture in this book. The book says that it belongs to Abbadon, and it allows him to live in this world. Without it, Abbadon would be banished again, breaking the spell on Ulima. Alfie turns away from the book, grabs the ancient sword, which belonged to one of the ancient warriors who fought Abbadon in the first battle, and slices the soul.

    Back in the enchanted library, Ulima feels Abaddon's presence being destroyed in her mind, releasing her free will. They believe that this is the end, but to verify, Ulima, Alexander, the elves and the fairies rush to where Abbadon was summoned. They are immediately relieved when they enter the forest, where Abbadon was to discover that he has indeed been banished. Yet, a rolled up parchment message has been left where Ms. Cozbi’s cauldron once was. Alexander walks up to it, opens it, and reads.

    “So you banished Abbadon, good for you, but I’m not really surprised,” it says mysteriously. “Abbadon is very powerful, but he isn’t as intelligent as he needed to be. On the contrary, this won’t be that last time you see me. I still know lots of demons I can summon, so don’t celebrate quite yet. Your land will fall. -Ms. Cozbi”