In Consequence

In the beginning there were three evils: Invideo, Furor, and Inhio. Invideo -a rich, well-to-do merchant whos daughter was married into the regency of the land, Furor-a poor, humble man that had seen the death of his only son, and Inhio -a young, aspiring man who prided in having "nested" in all of the local fair maiden's domains.

One fateful day, a spring wind cast the three of these forsaken together in the market square. Invideo, stunned by the sudden burst of wind, spoke first. "What dast have the God today! He, by unknown purpose of His, and no fault of mine, have whirled me by His breath. I ride to my daughter's save and He hath smote me with his wirls, bringing me here to seek fourtune of haven in this oh-so unfortunate of times."

"The ways of Him work against you, kind sir," Furor insisted. "He is preparing His chariots to strike you down with gust and blow!"

Peering down to the run-down pauper, Invideo cast his tounge. "What right have you to relay the judgement of God. You haven't even the right to call on the judgement of the rats that sleep in your hearth of rags and leaves - let alone I, Invideo."

Staggering to his worn, tormented feet, Furor stepped from the shadows. "Oh! Be you Invideo? Say you be Invideo? Ha! He knows no names when it comes to judgement. I be Furor, and He care not about my name. Still he take my son, my one and only son, and leave me only with my name! Ha! My name. Tis' only a label. Tis' only a label for Him to find you!"

"Hold your tounge incarnate! My ears hold themselves to your cast. Return to the depths that spawn you!" Invideo proclaimed as he spit upon the ragged face of Furor.

"With all madness, jealousy come before. With all my madness, come jealousy before. Listen to my call as your spit hang from my brow: I read the signs that are upon yours. Tis' only the beginning if you continue against the wind that hold you here, that stumble you so. Be wary of your actions, for all don't see it, but one sees all!" With those words, Furor climbed into his throne of shadows and ceased to be.

"As the sun reaches its apex, the wind roars with intent against me. Why hast He forsaken me? What have I done to require a demon's spew of venom upon my ears? Who sent this earl of evil to my path simply to rant on about madness and jealousy, then fade from existance like a ghoul? And who damn me to be....to be a prisioner in this God-forsaken place?" Invideo violently queries to the clouds above. "Or be it me forsaken?"

With a twirl of his decadent cape, Invideo turned against the wind, leaving the pauper to rest forever.

In the falling sun that eve, through the thickest of forest, a young, proud man rode through the gale -almost splitting it in two with the aid of his steed. Closer they rode: his steed, a magnificent beast, and himself a magnificent spectacle clad in the most beautious dyed garments and fitted with various medallions. Into town they came, causing the sun to fade in his magnificence. The wind ceased.

"Geetings all." the man proclaimed.

The small armada of curiosity surrounded the steed and his rider. "I must pry." A beautiful, young maiden stepped out from the mass. "Who be you?"

With an obvious interest in his eye, the decadent man gracefully decended from the equally-decadent beast. Splitting the crowd in two, he ventured towards the maid. Taking her hand, he quietly and proudly stated, "I am Inhio: son of Egenus." The maid melted into his eyes. "And who be you, my lady?"

In a futile attempt to conseal her weakness, she sputtered, "Vera."

"Vera. Tis' a pretty name....for a being with far geater beauty." Inhio, still cluching the maid's hand, bowed, and with it a kiss to the maid's hand.

"People of Expiscor, I am in need of a grave favor. I seek shelter that so many have not given. I need the warmth of a fire, the satisfaction of a hot meal, and the comfort of a home. I seek refuge from this horrific wind that follow me from town to town. But with my request, I have no money to barter with. I suppose if i were to sell my steed, my faithful, brave steed, I could amass enough to do so. Will anyone aid me in my turmoil?" A well of tears had built in the eyes of Inhio, and he turn to his steed, hiding the apparant desperation.

"I have a hearth -a cold one it be now, but with a fire kept, tis' a moderate home -a poor one, but a hearth nonetheless"

The voice familiar to Inhio changed his hidden pout into a hidden grin. Round he turned, thankful in his face and voice. "Thank the God for you. Thanks be to God to have swept me to this place to find you. God love you for evermore.....Vera."

"The morn approaches me. The wind still blow through my soul. I have suffered this night. A demon enchanted me. He whisper in my ear as I sleep. He bring visions of fire in a man's blood, of screams in the mists, of evils in the hearth." Invideo staggered from a local inn, downcast with the ailment of drink. Unto the morning, out into the market square, to the still body of Furor.

"Still he lie. Untouched. Unloved. Forgotten. Is this my fate? Shall I fade into madness, then into the shadows with this heap that still lay before me? I still hear his words: 'With all madness, jealousy come before.' Be I jealous that I ride to save my daughter from a good man and a good family?"

Invideo pauses, then neels down in the shadow with Furor. "Nay...My daughter know not what she wants. The life of the rich my daughter needs not. She needs me. I...." Invideo leans over the limp body that lay. "His words still echo. 'Be wary of your actions, for all don't see it, but one sees all!'" Repelling from the shadow, Invideo fired, "Curse this maggot-ridden demon for casting a spell on Invideo. I want only my daughter back, and nothing, not even this forsaken wind, is going to stop Invideo!" Creating a wind of his own, Invideo turned from Furor, leaving the leaves to rustle in his wake. Trodging through the mist, Invideo feverently fought the wind.

In the mists, a stir sounded. Blinded by the veil in fron of him, Invideo grew tense and cautious. Suddenly, the wind ceased. Invideo's ears picked up the faint sound of footsteps running. Struggling to see anything this morn, Invideo batted at the mist.

"OH! Excuse me sir," a voice sounded after the body collided with Invideo.

As Invideo rubbed his shoulder from the sudden impact, he glanced down at the shadowy figure and noticed a few medals glean the pale sunlight.

I'm feeling a whole helluva lot better today. So I'll continue...

"Kind sir, If you would be so kind as to aid me in my haste. I am a wanted man," the figure started.

"Why should I, Invideo, aid the likes of you -a criminal in haste probably from a heist?", Invideo inquired.

"Please sir....I...I...I've done it again. I can't help myself. The beauty. The damned beauty. Oh, it tempts me so. Their body, their face, their scent.....I couldn't stand it. Her voice: sweet as buttercup, and her hair softer than a thousand flocks. She pales Aphrodite........I cannot speak of her anymore. She floods me with lust. That is Inhio's curse: I am followed by lust. She calls me to every beauty. She controls my thought. I cannot escape her. I cannot." Inhio crumbles to the ground as he reveals this.

"What is this ramble? What speak you of?" Invideo approaches the mass of cloth that lay on the ground.

"I....I've been with a woman on this night. She enchanted me. She pulled me in. I could'nt help it.....Her father.....I......I need to run. Please, aid me! Aid ME! Never confuse love and lu..." As Inhio pleaded on his knees, a curtian overcame his eyes, and he fall to the earth.

"Thank you for stalling this scum long enough for me to bash his lustful skull into the ground! Sorry sir if he hurt you in any way. Did he?" a figure in the mists asked.

"No. No......He....He didn't." Invideo quietly answered.

"Good. This so-called man stole my daughter's flower from her! He shall rot in hell for all eternity for this devilish act. The fact that I now know this demon has stolen many flowers from maids across this land just makes me want him to come back to this plane, so I could bash him again. Anyway, thank you for keeping him busy for me and my club." The shadow faded back into the mist.

Inhio's limp body lay in front of Invideo. Invideo's feet grew cold. When he peered down at his feet, he noticed the reason they were cold: Inhio's crimson cape crawled to his feet and his worn shoes breathed in some of it.

Repelling from the body, Invideo questioned. "Wh.....what?! Two caracases in less than a day?! Why does He smite me? Have I wronged him so? Inhio.....I knew him not, but he tried to tell me something.... 'Never confuse love and lu....'.....lust." The color faded from Invideo's face. "Lust? Is that what I have? For my own daughter?! Not possible at all! I cannot....." Invideo fell to his knees in front of the crimison cape.

"I.....I do lust for my daughter. I want her back. I want her back. Oh, God! I lust to have her back in my hearth, with her mother, with her brother, with her father -ME!" Tears begant to stream down, spashing on the crimson cape. "My lust.....I don't want it anymore! Did you hear that! I don't want it anymore!"

Invideo's pantaloons began to take the color of his soaken shoes. "Inhio and Furor. I am them! Lust and Madness! They're in me! And like them, it will kill me! Oh, lord! I shall suffer the fate of both! All because of my want and madness. I don't want that. I dont want that! I need my daughter's love. I need only that. I want that.....that's not lust is it? I'm not mad anymore. I know what I speak. I know what I feel. Please, just don't let me die as them. I don't want to die that way. I am free from myself!"

The wind ceased.

-Fin