Obsidian Chapter 3

3

Mariana was still young, yet she had declined significantly over the past year. She was drowning in her sadness and felt like a failure. Lucifer saw her as a decrepit old woman and was already rejoicing at the prospect of gaining her miserable soul, so he sent his right-hand man, Samael, to her more and more often.

After all, what could be more valuable to the devil than a defector from the other side, a person who had lived a pure and virtuous life until now, but who was so disappointed that she had rejected God and was willing to do anything to get what she wanted.

Despite everything that had happened to her recently, Izachiel saw in this woman a beautiful and still pure being. Like her, he suffered because of her.

When her son was born, it was clear from the beginning that he was special. It was a great event. The area around the cottage was overgrown with bright green moss and ferns all year round, and forest sprites of all kinds made their home there. Mariana often saw from her window how various animals gathered around, deer and hares alongside a pack of wolves and a bear with her cubs, without fearing each other. It was a peaceful territory. And then she saw that mysterious fog around the cradle, accompanied by the scent of jasmine, and it was clear that something big was happening. Something beyond her understanding.

As he grew up, he would go outside and play with the animals. He would often disappear into the forest for hours. She was afraid, but she did not stop him; an inner voice told her not to interfere. Janek was not a strange child on the outside; only she knew this about him; it was their secret. To the villagers, he was an ordinary boy who played with their children and went to school, where he was an average student.

When he turned ten, he began to tell his mother more and more often that his time was coming and he would have to leave, even though he loved her very much. Mariana began to watch him like a hawk, but one afternoon, a few days before his eleventh birthday, he disappeared. She found a twig with jasmine flowers on the table. She knew they were supernatural, as it was October after all.

That was when her excruciating grief broke out, affecting even her angelic guide, who until then had been hidden under a cloak of invisibility but was nonetheless closely connected to her. When she had been grieving for several weeks, he exceeded his authority for the first time and revealed himself to give her a candle. "I know what a sacrifice this is for you, but believe me, your son John is a great gift to the world. He is the last and only hope for dying beings. His soul has been drawn to it like a light since birth, and it was his own will to leave. He is now in the land of unicorns. When you come to terms with this, it will be easier for him too. Because even though he knew it had to come one day and now his mind is in oblivion, his heart is gripped by an inexplicable sadness because it is connected to yours."

Mariana refused to listen, but she left the candle burning on the table. It warmed her to know that she was not alone whenever she looked at it, and that was the purpose of the candle.

"My name is Izachiel, and now you can easily summon me. But even if you cannot see me, know that I am always with you. I am here to help you. When you want to end our personal bond, blow out the candle and I will respect your wish."

Months passed, but Mariana felt that this self-proclaimed angelic guide was not helping her in any way. He did not bring Janka back to her, nor did he relieve her of her gnawing grief. His supreme advice was of no use to her; she remained alone in her suffering, just as before. She needs quick, immediate help, she thought.

She set off into the forest behind her house. It is a wild forest, ruled by nature untouched by human hands. People are afraid of it because it is full of swamps and wild animals, with packs of wolves and bears roaming there. In addition, there are legends that mythical and mystical creatures reign there. That is the fortune of this place; fear makes it untouched wilderness. Mariana is the only one who has the courage to live on the edge of this feared territory. The house stands on land that has belonged to her family for centuries, and her ancestors lived here in respect and harmony with the forest and its creatures. Her ancestors were druids, but she has lost all her gifts. Her parents were ordinary people and farmers, as were her grandparents and three other generations before them.

It seemed that the family gift had been forgotten, but then Janek was born, and when he first opened his eyes, there was something special in them. Wisdom.

However, her parents died of a disease that swept through the region like the plague when she had barely reached adulthood. She lived here alone for a while and then met Honza, a young man from a nearby village. They got married and lived together in his farmhouse, but then she lost him too when he was called to war. She returned home because she was pregnant and wanted to live with her child in her childhood home. And so she remained alone.

No one visits Mariana here; for the locals, it is a scary place. But it backfired on her too; her son was taken by the swamps. It was God's punishment! People whispered whenever she went shopping at the market.

She never minded the forest, but now, for months, an emotion as dense as hatred has been growing inside her.

When the angel did not help her as she wished, she began to go every day to King's Mountain, as the black rock sticking out of the ground right in the middle of the forest was called. It seems out of place here, as there is nothing like it far and wide in this region. She has no idea how this rock got its name, but legend has it that there is a treasure hidden here, guarded by the Lord of the Forest.

Mariana did not come here for the treasure. She is used to living modestly and poorly; in the village, this usually takes the form of barter, and that suits her fine, as she lacks for nothing. She was hoping for something else. She knelt for hours every day at the foot of the black rock and prayed tirelessly.

After a month of persistent visits, her prayers were answered. When she came to her usual place and knelt down, an incredible apparition suddenly appeared among the trees. It was a deer with enormous antlers, so majestic in its gait and appearance that she had no doubt who it was. Stunned, she remained kneeling on the ground, staring at the creature. She knew that the Lord of the Forest himself had come to her. He was surrounded by a shimmering aura of white light as he approached her silently and slowly. He stopped at a black rock, just a few steps away from her, and she felt the peaceful yet very powerful force emanating from him. He looked at her with his knowing brown eyes as he spoke in human language without moving his lips. His voice was deep, gentle, and filled with understanding. At the same time, she could sense that he was not giving her a choice.

"Mariano, you pray to me here every day. I feel your grief, but know that Janek made his own decision and it cannot be undone. Therefore, I cannot grant your wish. Our world is shrinking, the beings that live here are dying out. When they disappear, it will destroy you too, and humanity should realize that. He is the one who, through his sacrifice, will bring enlightenment to people, and others will follow him and begin to protect and respect Mother Earth. Live and let live, that's all there is to it. But you humans don't understand that. You are destroying us for material gain, because of the nonsensical fairy tales that circulate about us, you are killing us so that you can obtain parts of our bodies and sell them or make potions out of them that don't work. So that you can show off our skin, our horns, hooves, wings, and anything else you don't need to survive, but you believe will give you power or beauty. And that is why the soul of our savior entered Janek's body, and it happened to you, because the blood destined for this fate flows in your veins. Please accept it."

"But that doesn't apply to me. I don't do anything like that and I never have, I've never hurt any living creature. How did I deserve this? I can't suppress my sadness, why are you punishing me like this!"

"You perceive it as punishment, but in reality it is a gift. One day you will understand. You have not lost your son, you are still connected and you will meet again, I promise you that. To ease your pain and thank you, I will give you something. Please accept this gift and do not come here to beg me again. You cannot change fate, it has already happened. My gift is waiting for you at home. Goodbye, Mariana, good luck." The lord of the forest turned and immediately the outline of his deer-like body dissolved in a sudden fog.

Mariana limped home, crying, broken and disappointed. On the table next to a white candle, she found a wooden chest. When she opened it, it was full of gold. It was a treasure of incredible value, enough to support dozens of future generations. But she was alone, and what use was such wealth to her? She didn't want to live. Her son had disappeared, and her family line would probably not continue. What will she do with the treasure? The chest was so heavy that she couldn't move it, so she just closed it and left it on the table. No one would dare steal the gold, no one would dare set foot here, so she can rest easy.

Since then, once a month, Mariana takes a tiny piece of gold from the chest, goes to the goldsmith in the village, and exchanges it for money, which she uses to buy things. People quickly began to gossip that she had sold her soul to the devil for the gold. Or that she had sold her son's soul. Yes, there were even such evil-tongued people out of envy. Once, she even noticed human footprints around the house; the gold had attracted the first thief, despite the widespread fear. But no one broke into the house; behind the human footprints, she saw wolf paws in the moss. She is under the protection of the lord of the forest, she thought. But even so, what good is it to her? She doesn't enjoy life, and wealth is useless to her. She could leave and start over somewhere else, start a new family; she is young. But she doesn't have the strength to do so. The gossip in the village gave her a new idea. God didn't help her, the angel didn't help her, nor did the lord of the forest... There is one last option left.