mortas

Chapter 1 When I first saw Mortas, he was just a pathetic clown performing on the street. He was drowning in baggy clothes, his tasteless greasy makeup was smeared, and his expression was comically exaggerated. In front of him was a broken bowl for tips, which he hoped would be given by passing villagers as a sign of appreciation for his performance. Unfortunately, his performance was painfully boring and did not arouse interest among the villagers. Even sheep manure thrown by a local scoundrel into Mortas' bowl aroused more interest. The silence was a kind of unspoken mockery, but he continued to relentlessly give it all his strength. He did his best not to miss the opportunity to get out of the mud and get recognition for his efforts. Confidence, self-abasement, humility and resilience. Desire burned in his eyes, anyone around could almost smell his smoldering soul. I approached him, dropping a single gold coin into his broken bowl. "Thank you for your generosity, good sir!" While he was talking, I was sick of the sight of his cracked makeup and twisted face. Oh, that stupid clown, he really didn't understand it. There is no generosity in transactions with Underground Residents, only a constantly accumulating amount of interest. Chapter 2 The next time I saw Mortas, he used this gold coin to leave the village and move to the city, where he established himself as a leading actor in the bolshoi theater. He made incredible efforts to climb the career ladder. He studied with the best actors, explored all the alleys and streets to collect the best jokes and practiced in front of the mirror until morning every single day. However, his most important step was poisoning his teacher the night before choosing an actor. Driven by his desire, Mortas became completely unscrupulous, doing everything to achieve his goals. Agree, such a person, of course, achieves the goal. But did it satisfy his desires? His audience is below in riotous laughter, but she still sees only the clown, the instrument of laughter. They don't recognize Mortas any more than the kid who threw sheep manure into the tip bowl. I suspect that he will soon leave the theater in search of more recognition. Chapter 3 Three years have passed and now Mortas is Prince Edwin's favorite jester on the Royal Estate. By joining the realm of the powerful, he did everything in his power to get rid of the stigma of a buffoon, but instead he upgraded his clown status from a "joke" to a more serious joke. It is easy to think that a person has power simply because he communicates with the powerful of this world and this awakens the desires of Mortas, prompting him to seek a chance to become part of the palace elite. This opportunity soon presented itself. Prince Edwin's youngest son suddenly became seriously ill and soon died. Edwin did his best to find a cure for his beloved child, offering huge rewards to those who could save the boy by any means. It was at this time that I placed an ancient magic scroll at the head of Mortas' bed. Chapter 4 Dressed in exquisite silks and finery, Mortas was captured by Prince Edwin's soldiers, chained up and thrown into prison. He swore and shouted his innocence, telling everyone in prison that he was not to blame: "Let me talk to Edwin!". Oh, you stupid clown. You let your desires cloud your mind. This scroll was indeed able to cure the disease, but for such a "blessing" had to pay a very high price… Magic will turn a person into a Grave-born, stuck between life and death, doomed never to die, but guaranteeing an eternity of painful decomposition. As for the cause of sudden illness, can you guess? As a result of my actions, Mortas was subjected to "special" treatment in prison, he was subjected to all kinds of indescribable tortures by sociopathic jailers. In particular, one jailer was exceptionally ruthless—a Safe. With the very end of the whip, he whipped Mortas's cheeks until they were so swollen and bleeding that he could not speak. But that didn't stop Mortas. His desire to live has only flared up. He patiently hated everyone who brought him to this! "Mortas, let's talk." I appeared before him in my true form of the Underground: "I know what you want. I can help you." "You know... damn it..." He sprawled on the floor, coughing up huge pools of blood. "You also came to make fun of me… like everyone else." "Actually, I know you better than you know yourself." I ignored his bad attitude and continued: "A simple confession. Equal respect. And they couldn't even give you that." His dull eyes flashed. "I can give you the chance you deserve, the opportunity to meet face to face with all those who mocked you, who did not pay attention to your hard work...", I whisper, holding his gaze, "and kill them all!". "Your strength … Please give me everything, help me take revenge on everyone who looked down on me!" In the end, Mortas made up his mind, his voice became almost inaudible: "When all my enemies die, I swear to you with my soul!" "Deal." I know the identities of his enemies, just a few mere mortals who could die of natural causes in a few short decades anyway. It was at this moment that his life was coming to an end, if I wait any longer, then his soul, overflowing with desire, will be lost. I couldn't wait any longer. I bent over his body, using his own blood to draw a symbol that granted him the power of the Underground Inhabitants. In these pools of splattered blood, Mortas was reborn as a Demon. Chapter 5 Six months passed and Mortas returned to prison, immediately killing everyone who had bullied him and even bewitched Prince Edwin, which led to civil unrest in the Royal Estate. Now there was only one enemy left—Cypher, the jailer who had tortured him so cruelly. And now Mortas is standing in front of the Safe and our deal is coming to an end. Mortas suddenly turns his head to me, laughing: "Before I do that, I want you to see something." My heart freezes when I have a terrible feeling that something is wrong. Mortas takes the scroll and holds it out in front of him. I recognize him immediately, this is the same scroll that I put on his bed, the scroll that leads to the fact that Edwin's son becomes a Grave-born. Damn it! I was deceived! I rushed to the Safe to break his neck, but he had already turned into a Grave-Born, his tongue completely rotted from magic. He screamed, but the scream was not heard. Even Demons can't kill the Grave-Born. If Mortas' last enemy is truly immortal, my deal with him will never end. I supported his wish and now he will never have to seek the approval of mortals again, because instead he got what he craved, which only the Underground Inhabitants possess. My strength is in him forever! I hear his noisy laughter, which transcends time and space, passes through the barren country streets, permeates the city theaters, destroys the halls of the palace filled with betrayal, and finally echoes through the prison. This is his mockery of me. "His greed overflows, his cunning knows no bounds. He was once a mortal, but now his evil surpasses the evil of Demons."