Zanzy's WayA Story by Sherrid Wells A bord demoness takes a temporary job to help a friend and gets summoned to witness a sacrificial ritual only to decide to flip the script on the participants and have a little fun. “Please, Zanzy?” Babiltzion asked in a wedeling voice as he passed in front of her chair. “Broda is expecting twins any day now and if I'm not there she will use my scrotum as a coin purse!” he pleads as he stops and looks at Zanzyicalon's bent head. He notices that her hand that had been gliding across the old tomes scripture paused a second before continuing. He narrows his eyes and decided to bring out the big guns.
“I'll give you a hundred tomes from The Library.” he says.
Without pausing Zanzicalons continues to read. “I've read them all. Twice.” she said in a bored tone.
Bab's frowns deepens and a sheen of blood tinged sweat appears on his brow. “You can be the twins sponsor!?” he exclaimed in increasing desperation.
“Broda has already registered me as the twins sponsor at the Registry of
Fate.” Zanzicalons says. With her head bowed Babs couldn't see the small smile she was hiding as she continued to tease him and refuse. “She even followed tradition and registered me as the twins official El Tiendita. I'm thinking Godfrey and Angelica would make wonderfully unique names for daemon twins.” She states calmly as she turned the tome's page. She peeps up and watches with amusement as Bab's usually dark complexion pales to the color of raw putty.
“ZANZY! You wouldn't?!” he yells with an appalled expression on his face.
Zanzicalon slowly lifts her head and her obsidian colored eyes stare unblinkingly at Babiltzion while one slim red brow lifts slightly before turning back to the old tome and continuing to read.
“You would.” Babs whispers as his broad shoulders slump and he plops down on the old horsehair love seat next to the ancient fire place that sat along the stone wall of Zanzicalon's spacious home. The walls were lined with books, tombs and manuscripts that spanned millennia. Babiltzion looks at the stacked books covering all forms ancient history of races long gone and magic theory from how to call the moon to perform curses with a flick of the finger when his gaze is caught by the sight of a small book with a colorful cover sticking out from under the cushion on a nearby footstool. He glances at Zanzy who continued to ignore him as he casually gets up and stealthily reaches down and pulls out the book. Zanzy looks up when she hears his bark of laughter. Her eyes widen in horror and she jumps up and makes a grab for the book that Babiltzion puts over his head to keep out of her reach. He grins at her as she continues to jump up to try to grab the book. He looks up and turns the cover around to read more about the book.
“Love's Sweet Sonnet” The romantic comedy of a young opera singer and her older male suitor a piano virtuoso.” he laughs as she stops j umping and stands with her arms crossed over her chest and glares at him. He grins even bigger. “The great Zanzicalon, demoness extraordinair, keeper of the ancient knowledge and terror of the Royal Counsel reads human smut books!” he said in a voice choked with laughter.
Zanzy tosses her long red hair over her shoulder and sits back down in her favorite chair. She carefully spreads her long skirts out around her in a water fall of red silk fabric. “So? Like I said I've read everything in The Library.” she says with a pout as she picks at an invisible spot on her dress with her finger nail.
Babiltzion flips through the book then looks at Zanzy. “How did you get this? You haven't been upside in centuries?” he asks before tossing the book onto Zanzy's lap. He watches as she straightens the bent pages and smooth's the cover of the book.
“I went to the Bazaar a few weeks ago.” she said as she shrugged her slim shoulders. “I was bored. I found the book at one of the vender's.”
Babiltzion quietly watched as Zanzicalon seemed to look inward at some place he couldn't follow. “Bored, huh.” he said quietly. He looks back at the book in her lap and after a moment leaned forward.
“You know if you take my calls you could always go and pick out your own books.” he said in a quiet voice. Zanzy looks up from her self contemplation and tilts her head as she listened to his proposal. “The human world is full of books that you could read. People to talk to that wouldn't filch when you came by because no one knows who you are... even those who call me wouldn't know who you are. They are calling me and you will just be my...” he pauses and thinks for a second. “You will just be my secretary.”
Zanzy bites her lip and listens as he go on. “When you hear my call you can just answer and take a message. Since the summons doesn't name you in particular you can just leave after you get the message and go explore.”
Babs pauses. “It isn't good for someone as old as you to get bored Zanzy. It's too close to insanity. Your too important to lose, but if you went insane...” he shakes his head before continuing. “If you went insane we would not only lose all that knowledge you hold of our history and heritage that The Counsel cares so much about, but we would also lose YOU. There are not enough of us to lose even one let alone someone as unique you.” he states as he reaches over and grasps her hand pulling her fingers apart. “We need you. Broda, the twins and myself. WE need you and you need something to ignite your interest again and if that is ..” he pauses and grins, “human smut books so be it.”
He leans back in his seat and crosses his ankle on his knee “Besides maybe some of that smut will wear off and you'll start looking for a mate.” he begins laughing and doesn't even attempt to duck as Zanzy throws “Love's Sweet Sonnet” and bounces it off the side of his head. He knew he had her and that Broda wouldn't be using his scrotum for a coin purse any time soon.
Chapter two
The sallow candles faint light flickered off the dark forms as they walked around the room placing more candles and ritual items around the ancient circle scratched in the dirt and dust on the old stone floor. At an invisible signal the group gathered around the circle and began a soft guttural chanting hum.
A tall figure stepped forward to the edge of the circle and silently takes a black bladed knife and holds it up into the air before quickly cutting a slit into the palm of their hand. A deep vibrating voice whispers “Babiltzion I summon you” He then began to walk counterclockwise wise around the circle pausing to drop blood on the outline every few inches and waiting for the soft hiss that sounded as he again whispers “Babiltzion I summon you” before walking on. The last drop of blood dropped on top of the first and the leader yells “Babiltzion I summon you” causing the chanting to stop abruptly. In the silence the sound of the hissing of blood turned into a high pitched sizzle as a ring of flame and dark gray smoke rapidly runs around the circle finally completing the circle and enclosing the etched pentagram in a power circle..
The issuing silence was palpable as if the room itself was holding it's breath before beginning to buzz with excitement as the group stared at the faint flickers beginning to gather inside the enclosing circle.
The group stood in stunned silence as they stared at the figure that had finally appeared. They had been expecting Babiltzion with his usual three piece pin stripped suit, two toned leather shoes and fedora that made him look like a 1940's gangster. He often appeared with a lit stoggy and cut lead glass full of what looked like whiskey that he would sip as their leader, Alvilon and he discussed business. But for some reason he had decided to appear as a beautiful young woman sitting on a stuffed Victorian chair. She had long wavy hair twisted into a thick unicorn braid that fell over her shoulder and past her waist to pile in her lap like a pet snake. She wore a dress of brilliant turquoise silk trimmed in lace with long flowing sleeves and a tight bodice like that of a midevil princess. Her skin appeared almost translucent in it's peaches and cream perfection. She sat with her head was bowed over what appeared to be a book in her lap. She didn't even bother to look up as she kept reading.
Alvilon started in his loud booming voice, “Babil...” but stopped in mid word as woman's index finger came up as if calling for a moment of silence. A buzz of excitement went around the circle as Avilon flushed a dark red and began again. “Babiltzion I summoned you and you will answer to me!”
Zanzy sighs and carefully places the small silver dagger she uses as a bookmark in-between the pages to mark her spot. She closes the book and with a twitch of her fingers a note pad and quill with a large white plume with gold threads running through it appeared in her hands.
She looks up and begins her recitation as Babs had told her. “Babiltzion is...” she stops, her gaze widening as she takes in the room. The circle of black robed participants were standing in what appears to be an old cave with all the usual amintities including the drip of water somewhere in the darkness.
“A CAVE?” Zanzy's voice matched her incredulous expression. “What? Did you guys read the 'How to be the most supreme daemon summoner” and didn't realize old Kadium wrote it as a joke?”
The group began to move restlessly and Zanzy heard someone whisper, “I told you it was corny.” before he was hushed.
Avilon's face became even darker red and he began again ignoring Zanzy's comment. “Babiltzion I called you and you will answer to me!” He turned toward the back of the group and said, “Bring the sacrifice!” in a voice that thundered with his anger.
Zanzy's eyes widen in horror as a dark robed figure brought a baby and places it on the table in front of Avilon. The babe was dressed in white swaddling clothing. It appeared calm as it looked around with wide curious eyes before becoming fixed on Zanzy.
Zanzy stood transfixed as she noted the child's unusual silence; and as she looked closer she noted the childs aura seemed to glimmer as if coated in diamond dust. She, herself, had never seen such an aura before, but she had had it explained to her once by the member of the Royal Counsil who had trained her ability to see auras when she was a child.
Zanzy looked at the baby then at Avilon as he began to speak. “This is my sacrifice to you Bab..” he said as he raised the knife above the child.
“Wait” Zanzy yelled. Alvilon hesitated as she continues in a calm voice. “If the sacrifice is meant for me I demand to know if it is a.. suitable sacrifice.”
Alvilon slowly lowers the knife and gives a nod toward Zanzy. “Of course.” he says. “What do you want to know?”
“Who is the child? Where are her parents? Why do you think she is worth sacrificing?”
“I will answer you and you will keep your bargain and make me a daemon as we discussed, Babiltzion!” he demanded.
“Remind me of the discussion you speak of.” Zanzy responded in a non committal request. Alvilon narrows his eyes. “Your trying to renege on our bargain,” he said angrily.
Zanzy pulls herself up haughtily. “If you knew anything you would know that Babiltzion always keeps his bargains!” she said in a voice full of contempt and righteous anger. She waits in anxious anticipation as she hopes he had not guessed she wasn't Babs and had made no bargain with him.
Alvilon bows his head at the power of her voice then nods. “We spoke before of giving me the power and immortality by making me a daemon. You said if I could find a perfect sacrifice “one child of four parents two of human and two of daemon blood born in sacrifice and given in sacrifice.” Alvilon spoke in a sing song manner as if quoting a well memorized statement.
Zanzy sighs to herself and thinks that Babs had just said that to shut the idiot up. Who ever heard of anyone born of four parents? Let alone four people of daemon and human races? She was going to have to have a talk with him when she got home about his practical jokes and agreeing to things with full blown nut jobs or she was going to have him reassigned to the Admissions Department and out of Information and Acquisitions.
Zanzy nods as if she remembered the conversation and Alvilon continued. “I summoned two other daemons and obtained their blood. I gave that blood to my wife before she became pregnant and continued to give it to her as the baby developed.”
Zanzy raised her eye brow, “She knew what you were doing?”
“Of course!” Alvilon sounded outraged at the suggestion he would do such a thing to his wife without her permission. “That was part of the instructions you gave me. Don't think I cut any corners and you can get out of our bargain!” he said in a desperate voice.
Zanzicalon lifts up her hand stopping his spleial. “I have no intention of reneging on any bargain WE have. I just want to make sure you followed the instructions you were given.” she said. He calmed down and continued. “My wife died in childbirth just as the other daemons said would happen making the child 'born in sacrifice”.
“You told the daemons what you intended to do with their blood?” she asked.
“You said they would all have to know and agree to be part of the child's creation.” he replied with a frown. “I don't think they thought it would work, but it does not matter as they knew what was going on when they gave me their blood.”
Zanzicalon thinks for a second. “So all parts are fulfilled except the final sacrifice.”
Alvilon nods and once again raises the knife above the child. Zanzicalon calm voice stops his actions. “The instructions were to 'give TO sacrifice” not 'give in sacrifice' however.” Alvilon frowns as she continues. “You're suppose to give up the child so that the sacrifice can be performed in honor of the new Daemon.” she says in a persuasive voice. “Humans have perform sacrifices for millinia... but it will take a daemon to perform the sacrifice for a child of humanity to become a daemon.”
The greed and eagerness in Alvilon's eyes emphasized the madness Zanzicalon could see saturating the man's soul. He picked up the child and walked to the circle before frowning and asking “How can I give you the child? The circle can't be broken?”
Zanzicalon smiles serenely, “That does not matter. This is a special occasion. It's not every day we get a new daemon in our world.” she said as she calmly walks through the circle as if it was not there.
The group mutters and backs away from her and Alvilon as she holds out her arms for the child. He places the baby in her arms and turns to pick up the knife. Zanzicalon turns and lays the child on her chair making sure to tuck her against the back of the seat so she could not roll off. She turns back and steps out of the circle toward Alvilon.
“Let us finish this.” Zanzicalon says in her most authoritative voice. “Alvilon, do you give this child to me of your own free will and in doing so, do you fully acknowledge the creation of a new daemon to live among daemons? To grow in power and strength in the way of daemons? To follow our customs and to pledge that life to the good of our race? Does your coven bare witness to this of their own free will?”
“I do.” states Alvilon as he looked around at his assembled coven with a raised brow.
“We do,” they stated in unison.
“Then I accept this sacrifice in the name of The Royal Council of Daemons.” Zanzicalon says in a solum voice as she takes the knife Alvilon intended to kill his daughter with and plunges it into his heart.
Alvilon watches with a dazed expression as the members of his coven r an screaming toward the tunnel leading out of the cave only to collapse as their hearts exploded from their chests. He looked at Zanzy as she kneels down and withdrew sthe knife from his chest wiping the blade on his robe.
As his eyes begin to fade she answers his unasked question. “Babiltzuib didn't lie to you. He just left out that it is the one born of the daemon blood who would be the daemon. It only took a small sacrifice freely given and witnessed to register her with The Counsel. I thank you for your sacrifice and witnesses.” Alvilon's eyes widen as he finally realized he was not dealing with Babiltzion.
She pauses as if thinking.”There hasn't been a child born of human and daemon parents since... well, since me.” she said with an angelic smile before standing and walking back to her chair. Alvilon watches as she picks up the now sleeping child and sits down in her chair slowly rocking the child and singing an ancient lullaby as she and the babe faded from his darkening vision.
© 2017 Sherrid WellsAuthor's Note
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Added on October 14, 2017Last Updated on October 14, 2017 Tags: Paranormal, Deamons, humour, short story |
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