Grath's Gift
- Feb 23
- 8 min read
This is a wriitng prompt from Reddit
[SP] "No pushing or shoving. You'll all be sacrificed in due time."
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It was just after dawn and I was having to fight my way to the other side of a large group of “Followers of Grath”. I was trying to get to my food stall to start work for the day but they had already started piling up at the large doors of the what is commonly referred to a the Temple of Grath’s Gift. It was not a temple as one would think of for religious ceremony as Followers of Grath were not really a religion but more of a group of suicidal idiots that intentionally sacrificed themselves in hopes of being the “chosen one”. According to legend Grath, the most powerful sorcerer have ever lived, would bestow all his power on one worthy sole. Grath himself had used some sort of suicide magic in his final days to create this place and ever since people have come to kill themselves in hopes of being “the one”. Though Grath died hundred of years ago it was a well known fact that he hated his fellow sorcerers so, many including myself, have always though it was just one big morbid practical joke. That however, did not in anyway dissuade those seeking his power to happily march to their deaths. Though the size of the crowd waxed and wained, it was the same thing every Monday, the one day the doors would open; a group of asshole wizards and witches lining up for their chance to claim the prize. I really hate Mondays. I grumbled to myself
Making my way deeper into the crowd, I bumped into a particularly tall wizard with a gray pointy hat and long gray robe holding a tall wooden staff.
“How dare you bump me, you peasant!” he growled.
“Apologies sir..”I said but he cut me off.
“Why are you even here?, I don’t detect even the slightest bit of magic in you. You will never be chosen!”
“I am not trying to be chosen.” I stifled my anger, all these Followers of Grath were the same, smug, rude, and pompous, but they could also kill you with a flick of the wrist so I tried my best to not spark a confrontation. “I am just trying to get to work sir, i do sincerely apologize, it was an accident.”
“Accident or not, remove yourself from my presence at once you lowly void.” he spat at me. A void was a derogatory term those with magic called those without. It was short for devoid as in someone who is devoid of magic. I hated when people used that term. I was about to say something in return that would most likely get me killed but just as I opened my mouth a horn blared and the temple doors swung open. There was an immediate squeeze from the crowd as they all pressed forward.
Two guards of the temple started ushering people in. One yelled at the top of his lungs.
“No pushing or shoving. You’ll all be sacrificed in due time.”
I was getting pushed closer to the gate by the second. This was not good. The squeeze from the crowd had closed in so tightly that I could not lift my arms and had almost been lifted from my feet as the throng pressed toward the open doors.
Fuck, Fuck, this is not happening. I said to myself as I moved ever closer to the temple entrance. I saw the crowd narrow as it approached the gate and thought if I could get the attention of the guards they would stop everyone and let me escape this heard of suicidal sheep.
As I got closer I yelled to the guards but only a squeak came out. The pressure of the crowd was squeezing my ribcage so tightly I couldn’t get a deep enough breath to yell. I continued to squeak “help… help!” between labored breaths. The collection of followers were relatively quiet but the sounds of the steady foot steps moving forward drowned out my meager cries for help.
“Big group today.” once guard shouted across our heads to the other.
“In deed. Well it is the big man’s birthday today after all.” the other shouted back.
‘This is going to take forever to clean up” The first guard shouted back.
“Yeah, but a nice haul ehhh? haha!” The second quipped back.
Were they openly discussing having to clean up the dead bodies but that they will also be looting them at the same time? This is such a fucked up cult and none of the sorcerers seem to notice or give a shit.
I was in disbelief when I gave out my final squeak of “help!” as my body was carried by the rushing mass into the inner corridor. I craned my neck and watched as the doors got further and further away then swung shut with a dull thud of heavy wood. “fuck.” I squeed as my fate was sealed. The doors only open once a week.
As my eyes adjusted to the light my attention was drawn to the far end of the narrow hall. I could tell that it opened up into a larger space but was more concerned with the sounds coming from that room. Screams of pain as bodies magically disintegrated, gurgles as slit throats filled with blood, wrenching as poisons took effect. It was like something out of a nightmare and still the throng pushed ever-forward, undeterred by the horrors ahead, all certain that they were going to be the chosen one.
The crowded hall started to thin and my feet found purchase on the floor agin as the crush subsided. I didn’t move as the others pushed and shoved past me. It seemed mere moments from when the doors opened to standing here now watching the last hand full, of at least two hundred faithful, take their own lives. This was insanity. A massive pile of bodies made a small hill in the center of the room ahead of me. There must have been an alter of some kind here not that you could see it now.
“Eh? What ya waiting for?” I jumped at the sound. One of the guards from the doors was standing to my left.
“Well, go on. Not gonna wait here for ya ta die of old age. Haha!” The second guard was now at my right both laughing at his morbid joke.
“I am not going to kill myself.” I said “I am not one of those fuck wits. I got pushed in here, so if you could kindly show me how to get out of here I would be much obliged.” The guards looked at each other strangely and started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” I asked, not in the mood.
“Well, today is not your day is it my friend.” the first guard said.
“Not exactly, no. So how do I get out of here?” I repeated.
“Well, you d….” The first guard was interrupted mid sentence by the second guard.
“Just walk in ta the room ahead. You’ll see the door, just go through there.” he said with an unnerving smile. The first guard just stared at him then nodded as if just now remembering the way out.
“Okay… Thanks.” I said then turned and walk into the main chamber, the guards following close behind. I took a few steps in and stopped looking left to right as I trying to see the door.
“Is it on the other side of the bodies?” I asked starting to walk around the pile of bodies then I felt one of the guards wrap an arm around my neck followed by three sharp punches to my middle right side of my back.
I screamed and took a couple steps forward the pain in my back intensifying. I reached back only to see my hand come back cover in dark blood, my blood. These ass holes are trying to murder me.
“What the fuck!” I groaned feeling the blood dripping quickly down my back and legs.
“No one gets to leave once they come through the doors. Its the rules, sorry.” the first guard said.
“Yeah, really sorry man but them’s the rules.” the second said with an apologetic shrug.
They started to come closer both now holding small daggers.
“Don’t make this harder than it gotta be. I got ya in your liver by the color of da blood, ya not gonna make it no matter what ya do from here so just let us finish ya off quick, yeah?”
The first guard took another step towards me and I turned to escape but the pile of bodies blocked my way. Without thinking I started to climb, already starting to feel a bit weak and light headed. I reached the top and it was just high enough that the guards would have to climb to reach me but neither did.
“Fine, suit yourself, take the slow way. Won’t be long anyway he got you good.” The first guard said with a shrug.
Both guards sheathed their daggers, rolled up there sleeves and immediately set to stripping a stacking the dead bodies next to the wall. My vision was starting to get blurry and I was getting colder by the second. I was having trouble keeping my self balanced, seated on the top of the pile when I suddenly noticed another person on the opposite side of the room.
“Well, what do we have here?” The old man in blue robes said, taking a few slow steps forward.
“Hey, Help me! These guards are trying to kill me.” I tried to yell but found I already didn’t have the strength. The two guards stopped, looked around the room, and then to me.
“Who you talking to? Starting to see things eh? Yep not goin’ to be long now?” one said before they both went back to work.
The man in blue stepped forward again.
“Trying to kill you eh? Looks like they have killed you, you’re just not fully dead yet.”
“What? I need help.” I whispered, starting to loose consciousness.
“Don’t worry I will help you, you just need to die first.”
“Wha…?” was all that came out with my final breath. My eyes closed unable to believe what was happening to me as I limply fell back onto the top of the pile of Followers.
The next moment the room erupted in blue light shimmering off of every surface with a bright blue-white light emanating from under the pile of bodies. There was a sudden shock wave blowing the bodies from the pile to the outer walls but my body remained suspended above the now fully cleared alter in the center of the room. My lifeless body slowly descended to the surface of the alter coming to a gentle rest.
“Ffffuuuuuuuuaaaaa” I screamed as I sat straight up the blue light winking out. The man in blue was right next to me now smiling wide.
“I am so happy that this actually worked” He said giddily.
“Wh… What’s going on? I… I thought I died.” I stuttered.
“That is because you did die. Fully and completely dead. haha!” He clapped his hands together and did a little jig in celebration of something, me being alive again I guess.
“Can you please tell me what is going on?” I pleaded with the man in blue.
“You have triggered my spell, my boy! Ha! You now have all of my magical powers and all of those who have sacrificed them selves before this alter. Isn’t that wonderful?!”
“Your spell? Wait… Are you the sorcerer Grath? As in Grath’s Gift?” My brow knit in confusion my mouth hanging open.”
“Yes in deed my boy, the one and only in the flesh… Er well in the sprit more accurately, but at your service all the same.”
I stared at his grinning face for a long time, flopped back on to the alter, closing my eyes.
“This can’t be good.” I said with a foreboding feeling.
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