The Coven of the Black Rose

Epilogue:

    Tasra and Tessa had their deep conversation in front of the enormous rose bush of the Black Rose in the Black Rose Chamber. It was already three days since their victory against the Forgonians, but seeing most of the roses dead didn't lift their spirits any lighter.
    "I just can't believe it..." Tessa said. "We're the only ones left as the coven heads."
    "Yeah but we have no other choice but to move forward." Tasra breathed out.
    His sister turned to him. "So she's staying with us?"
    "Yes. Asha wants to rebuild the farm first. She's still undecided whether she's going back to Galem or not. She is not certain of what awaits her there."
    Tessa nodded. "Alright, I got to go now and help Asha and the farmers in the farm."
    "Sure, I'll just stay here for a moment."
    "No worries." Tessa walked out of the Black Rose Chamber. Tasra went closer to the rose bush and touched some of the dead roses. He wished he can make them alive again, yet he knew that the power of Black Rose has its own limitation.
    "Now is the time." A sonorous old voice of man whispered in his mind. He looked around and saw no one, only the scattered and wilted roses all around.
    "Visit the chamber, our lovely herald." This time, he heard a deep voice of a woman. Tasra knew that neither of them was the voice of the Black Rose Spirit. This was something different, and he could sense it. He opened his flaring palm. "Who are you? You're not the Spirit of the Black Rose, are you?"
    Both voices laughed at once and spoke in unison. "We're more than that, young one. Visit the Chamber of Old for answers."
    Tasra was terrified, yet he obeyed them. What was more bizarre than being a warlock of a mysterious flower? He has nothing to fear. He reached for the door, the rose carvings were still there, and twisted its knob open. The interior was still the same. The written spells inscribed on the walls, dead candles beneath it. Surprisingly, the statues of the four gargoyles were back on their original position, standing on the spot where he saw them the first time when he entered here. His heart froze. The paintings on the wall before him were still the same. But this time, Tasra saw a black obsidian throne standing before the painting of the huge silhouette of a man in the middlemost. The door behind him closed itself. None of the gargoyles moved. "What is this? Who are you? Answer my question!" Tasra called on the room.
    "Do not fear, young one. We are not a threat." The man replied.
    The flares in his hand has quenched.
    "Come and sit down on your throne. It's time for you to meet me." The woman said.
    Tasra felt nervous as he followed the voices. As he sat, Tasra felt normal and nothing happened. He waited for the voices to speak until his eyes got heavier. He closed his eyes and, suddenly, he saw a vision he didn't wish to look at. It was like he was dreaming where Tasra saw himself in a vast field of wheats. Few trees scattered around. The thought was weird for him. Why would there be trees in the middle of a wheat field? He didn't know. Looking far away on his right were farmers, like the ones who were working on their farmland. The sky above was blue and sunny. It was a great weather, indeed. Suddenly, it got dark outside as black clouds drifted along the winds, covering the friendly color of the sky. From then, it turned dark outside, like it was evening. Tasra noticed that the tree trunk and its branches around were turning black. All its leaves turned in to a small black berries that he has never seen before. The dark clouds drifted away, revealing the purple sky.
This was familiar to me. He thought to himself. The sky became like this when he fought Luison. However, this was not in his control. Until the vast sky was clear, black lightning struck everywhere on the field. Tasra heard the farmers howled in pain. They all fell in their knees and their bodies were growing. Their shirts were torn apart and destroyed. Their skin turned black. Horns grew on their heads, large reptilian wings on their back, a long black tail on the back of their lower torso, and sharp claws on their fingers. Their eyes flared pink. Soon, they turned into gargoyles. Tasra knew that those creatures were his allies but witnessing on how the farmers turned into those monsters has terrified him. Below him, the land turned dark brown and the wheat crops were no longer seen anywhere. Instead, there were countless bushes of purple and crimson roses. Its dark green stems were thornless, while its petals were dimly glowing. The Black Rose, he thought upon recognizing the flowers. It suddenly sprouted from the ground. Thunder roared as black lightning continuously struck on the land. The gust of wind got stronger. Tasra heard the gargoyles roared and more howls echoed from the sky behind him, where he saw a dozen more gargoyles.
What is happening? Tasra thought. He tried to speak or to wake up himself, but nothing happened. This was the strangest dream he ever had, so far.
    "Look at how powerful we are..." The voice of the man spoke, once more.
    "Everything can be ours, once again...Every life in the universe could bend under our power..." The woman's voice added.
    Tasra really wanted to know who they were. If it was not the Spirit of the Black Rose, then who could it be? There was a cold tingle in his heart. He glanced behind him and saw a towering black temple. It was really colossal, that none of the Forgonians can build such. It was made in pure black stone which has two big windows and a huge, closed double door at the middlemost. It has three spires on its roof, leaving the middle ones as the highest. Tasra remembered everything. The farm field, the farmers, the trees, then the black lightnings, the gargoyles, and the black temple...All of those were painted on the wall, just behind the black throne. Yet he realized one detail was missing from the paintings. Tasra felt gooseflesh.
     He turned a few feet behind him and saw a man, twice as tall as him. His black robe was similar with Tasra's and with the people in their coven. The man's head was bowed, with his face veiled by the robe's hood. The skin of his arms was pale white as he was holding a gigantic black axe by his hand, which was tall as himself. Tasra also noticed that he stood barefoot over the surface of the Black Rose field.
    "I welcome you, my sinister herald..." Both voices spoke at once. He heard it much louder, the voice coming directly from the man. Tasra felt that his heart beats faster every second he stares at him. Finally, the man stomped his axe on the ground. He unveiled his face, revealing his bald and pale white skin. At that moment, Tasra's gaze was locked on his horrifying and flaring pink eyes.
    "This time marks the advent of world's eternal damnation."
    Tasra's vision blacked out, and he collapsed as he sat on the black throne.