THE BLACK TOWER 1.Behold the black tower Somewhere in a realm half-forgotten where the sun rises from the west and sets to the east, surrounded by deserted lands and enchanted forests, there stands a tower of black. It is said that this was the home of a strange heir to a throne never inherited, to a poet-prince who looked for nothing and lost everything. No one but the wind enters this domain of solitude, and the only thing alive are the five blood-red roses mourning in the front of the ruined gate. Behold, o Stranger, the black tower of desolation! 2.The great hall Dead leaves whisper of broken charms in the winding corridors where Darkness wears a scepter and a crown. The wind howls through each hole and broken window before it reaches to the cracked door of the great hall. What a misfortune holds this place in such terrible captivity? Behold, o Stranger, the carpet of human bones, the dusty throne at the end of the great hall and the skeletal remains of a human body clad in gold and black! Behold the skull that blindly stares beyond the throes of life and the mysteries of death! Once there were joy and laughter, now there are silence and tears unshed. 3.The lonely spirit It is not the wind that sings this ancient song, echoing through the walls of oblivion! Listen, Stranger, and soon you will hear the story of a great disaster, soon you will know more of darkness and love. It is the lonely spirit of this tower, forever haunting, forever searching, that sings the ancient song of the five blood-red roses. 4.The top of the tower Once there was a poet-prince whose mother, the queen of Nevermore, had died during childbirth. The king remarried, had another son whom he designed as his heir, for who would be mad enough to give a kingdom to a poet-prince? The firstborn child left his fathers castle embittered, wishing that he had a kingdom of his own, a smaller and a mirrored one, where the dreams would be his ministers and the sweet desires - his army. His wish came true when the poet-prince met a hooded man with a derisive smile, who said he was a magician and who could grant peoples deepest desires. -You will have your kingdom, prince! But when the time comes, I will return to take as a payment something that is dear to you, something different from your crown! The poet-prince smiled, for he thought he had nothing dear to him except his kingdom and the bargain was soon made.The magician took the prince to a far-away land, where there stood a great white tower, whose top was almost touching the serene sky. There, lost in the clouds was a giant clock of stone. -When the sand of the clock runs out, I will return to claim what is mine. Until then, my lord, reign and rejoyce! - said the magician to the prince, and then to himself: But dont forget the top of the tower! 4.The vortex of magic The months that followed were the happiest in the life of the poet-prince. He lived with his dreams, the tower was full with minstrels, bards and knights with their ladies, celebrating the joys of live. One evening, as if out of his dreams there appeared at the festivities a young lady whose beauty was so striking that the prince fell in love immediately, for the first time in his life. The feeling was mutual and soon the engagement was announced at the great hall of the tower. The young couple planted five blood-red roses in front of the tower as a sign for their eternal love. The poet-prince was now the happiest man in the world, having such a fine lady at his side. She became his most treasured thing. The clock at the top of tower was completely forgotten and no one noticed that on the night of the wedding his upper part went completely out of sand.The gates of the great hall suddenly opened and the old magician appeared with his usual derisive smile. -Your time is up, my lord. I have come to take whats mine. The face of the poet-prince froze for he secrelty knew what would be the magicians choice, but still he asked: -What do you want? -I want that lady by your side, my lord. I want your most cherished treasure. The smile on the magicians face widened. The heart of the poet-prince trembled both in anger and despair. -You will never have her!Go away, you foul thing, or I will strike you dead on the spot! -Strike me dead, my lord? -the magician laughed. - Youve broken your promise, so heres what you deserve... The old man whispered a curse whose words echoed only in the hearts of the prince and his bride and were so terrible, that for a moment the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the wind, coming through the open door. Then the poet-prince took out his sword, but before he reached the magician, the latter whispered something under his nose and the great hall was suddenly filled with a vortex of fiery light, coming out of the sleeves of his ragged garment. People shrieked as the light touched their flesh, turning it into grey ashes in a matter of seconds. No one escaped. The bleached bones of knights, minstrels and ladies were scattered on the floor of the great hall like a carpet, and the skeleton of the poet-prince fell back to his throne to stay there forever. The body of his bride which had suffered the most from the magicians malice was now a simple mound of ash. This was the end of a short reign, of a dream of a tower once white and now black. 6.Was it a dream? Did you see, o Stranger, did you see the tower of black? Was it real or just a poets dream? Behold now... no..dont.... because there is only death and solitude there, and the only thing alive are the roses, the blood-red roses. Great was the curse the magician uttered before the vortex of fire, great indeed, and his words were: -Misery will chase you through eternity for you will never reunite, not unless your souls could find a place where the sun rises from the east and sets to the west! This was the blackest curse one could utter in front of two hearts in love, because everyone – from the wisest magician to the foolest peasant – knows that such place doesnt exist, right?
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 14:13:40 +0000
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