Son of Lazarus

Chapter 22: Welcome to Lazarus

   "What is it?"
   "It's the portal to Lazarus. And to your mother."
   "Why's it here?"
   "It opened for you, Sport. She's calling you."
   "Come, my Prince. Lazarus awaits."

   Darkness. That's all I could see, all I could feel. I felt like I was falling into an eternal abyss, never to return to the surface. I was drowning. I couldn't feel my body. Then my feet were met with solid ground, my ears were assaulted with the sound of wind whispering around a great pit and my nose took in the smell of cold stone. When I opened my eyes, I was met with a great sight. A vast valley of stone lay beneath me and all manner of shadows and monsters covered that valley. I felt my heart stop. The sight was...breathtaking. No other word could describe it. I forced my eyes up to the great wall that surrounded this land. Vast stone walls and cliffs made up the border around this place. They were all illuminated by a crimson glow that I could only guess was fire.

   I could feel my heart flip in its cage. Was this Hell? Or was it my mother's domain? "Welcome home." The soft feminine voice made me turn. Before me stood a woman, her hair flowing around her as though underwater. Her skin was a pasty, pale silver. Her hair was the color of ebony and her eyes were red bursting into blue. They were my eyes. Resting on her brow was a crown of obsidian, adorned only by a single blood ruby that bore a crack down the center. The outfit she wore was unlike anything I'd ever seen. I could tell it was a type of armor, though I wasn't sure what type. In the red light, I could see that her armor was the color of obsidian, accented by blood red markings. I felt my breath catch. She was absolutely stunning.

   She walked over to me and turned almost immediately towards the valley. I turned, my eyes following her movements. Stunning and graceful. Was this truly my mother? I watched as she leaned against the railing. Railing? I hadn't even realized where I was standing. I had been too caught up in the scenery around me to even notice that I was standing on a balcony. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Her question acted as a beckoning hand, inviting me to join her. Swallowing back what little fear I had in the face of her, I joined her at the balcony and answered her question.
   "It took my breath away." I admitted. My answer put a smile on Zathora's face. She turned to look at me.
   "It'll be yours, when you're ready."

   I turned my gaze back to the great valley below, watching the nightmares go about their own lives. "This will be mine one day?"
   "When you're ready, yes." A new smile crossed her face as she studied me. "You have grown so handsome, my son." I couldn't keep a smile from crossing my own face. It felt good to hear those words, no matter whether or not they came from the woman who raised me or the woman who had given me life. Zathora pushed herself away from the balcony railing and turned around, lifting one of her fingers to beckon towards me. "Come with me, Tristan. It's time you took a tour of your home." I stayed behind a ways, watching her hips swing from side to side. I chuckled to myself. I still couldn't believe this was my mother. She was far too beautiful and yet here we were. She stopped in what I could only assume was a doorway leading to only God knows where. Her eyes rested upon me and I couldn't help but lift my head, standing at attention as a soldier would do when approached by his sergeant. "Are you coming?" She asked. "Or are you going to stand there all day?"

   I quickly made a move and followed her. Zathora swung open a great door swirled with black and pink. I recognized that coloration. It belonged to the stone Rhodonite. I stepped in after her, my breath catching in my throat at what I beheld. Pillars of clear quartz crystals rose high above my head, holding up a roof of made of the jet stone. The walls around the room were made from obsidian and in front of me sat a great throne. The throne's base was made from rose quartz, which faded into a beautiful, sparkling sapphire. The arms of the throne were made out of the same jet stone that the ceiling was, except it was sparkling with tiny diamonds. At the very top of this throne I saw a blood ruby, the same gem as that which was set into her crown. "It's beautiful." I breathed, not able to peel my gaze away from it. I heard my mother chuckle.
   "And it will be yours one day." She stated, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Come. We still have much to see."

   After a while, I finally peeled myself away from the grand sight of the throne room and followed her through the rest of the manor. Well, I assumed it was a manor. It wasn't until I stepped outside onto the bloodstone path that I realized it wasn't a manor. When I looked up, I saw tall spires of obsidian, jet and crystal reaching for the ceiling that rested high above our heads. The doorway, I realized, was the dazzling diamonds that had been dotting the arms of the throne inside. These diamonds were set inside of onyx, however, giving it a more shiny look as it glittered in the red lighting. Realization hit me. This was no manor...it was a castle. I turned around, pulling myself away from the gorgeous sight of the castle behind me. Before me lay the bloodstone path, stretching down from the castle's doors to the valley below.

   The path led down between two massive rock walls which faded back into the ground. I was in awe, especially when I saw what looked to me like a marketplace. In the center of the large, rocky opening sat a fountain of rocks. The liquid that was springing from it looked like blood and fire but it lacked the stench of real blood. Despite the gory feel, it looked beautiful. "This is where all of my nightmares come to enjoy themselves." I turned to look at my mother as she strutted into the center of the area, where she sat down at the edge of the fountain. "They gossip and tell tales of their adventures in the minds of the mortals."
   "So it's like an open market for information?"
   "You could call it that, yes." Zathora chuckled and drew a nail across the stone that made up the base of the fountain. "It's where I come to relax and to get updates on how the nightmares are doing. But enough about that. It's time I showed you where you'll be training."

   She led me through many more caverns and open areas before we got to a large, stone enclosed area. There was a crystal stand in the center and in the small dip in the center rested a amulet, it's make and craft unknown to me. I turned my head to look at my mother for a moment before I stepped closer to the crystal stand at her encouraging nod. The closer I got the more I could see of the amulet. It was circular, with silver designs edging it. In the center, the silver weaved itself into an intricate design. The design looked like it was folding back on itself and in the center, it housed a dark sapphire. It shimmered, the gem glittering in the red light, its blue surface turning purple. I could feel my eyes change for a second, their pupils sliding into slits. "This," mom began, "is where you will be training to control your powers." Her face set into a hard scowl and her eyes seemed to glow. "Prepare yourself, for I am about to unleash your true power."