Death Returns

Chapter two: ας ζήσουμε, γιατί πρέπει να πεθάνουμε!

    As he arrived at the top of the enormous hill, he saw lots of carriages pulling up to the entrance of the castle and started to feel slightly self conscious about his simple— and admittedly filthy—horse, but he shrugged it off. He noticed a lot of the people entering were wearing masks, so he figured tonight was a masquerade ball. He guided Lillith to the stables where he put her in a stall, quickly put on the simple black masquerade mask he had brought, and then walked up to where the men and ladies were getting out. A few people gave him strange looks for just walking up instead of coming in a carriage, but he ignored it and approached a man in a white wig and expensive clothes. He handed him the invitation he had received and the man looked over it, then folded it back up and smiled politely.

"Mr. Banik, welcome. Please, go inside and all of your needs will be met." The man said, bowing a little. Calian nodded and returned the polite smile. He walked up the white marble staircase into the castle and once he walked through the great doors, he had to stop for a moment to take it all in.

The grand foyer shone with accents of gold and pearl, huge walls, maybe twenty feet high, towering over him with a ginormous chandelier dangling above. He walked through the foyer and, following the crowd, came to the ballroom, which was twice as breathtaking. The ceilings were at least forty feet high and a mural covering the entire surface looked down on him, showing the Greek Gods sitting in Mt. Olympus on their twelve thrones in all their glory. Around the walls were these grand pillars of Quartz, and the floor was a beautiful design made of marble and different types of polished stone. He made a small circle, just to be able to take it all in, then refocused on what he was doing there.

After all of the guests had made it to the ballroom, the huge space now filled with people in masks and huge flowing skirts, a man in a wig very much like the man's at the entrance announced the King and Queen, and everyone clapped. The man left the stage and a couple walked out, which were presumably the King and Queen. The Queen had short red hair and a dainty face, her features almost doll-like. Her eyes shone a strange shade of blue, like periwinkle, and the crown sitting atop her head was pure gold, bejeweled and bedazzled. The king had dark hair that was now graying, and gray-blue eyes, that seemed to have lost their color over the years, as he had lost his smile, for he stared out at the crowd with a sone face, not daring to show any emotion. They both were dressed in the finest fabrics money could buy, and it was very obvious.

Once the applause had died down, the servants came out and handed every single person in the room a glass of wine. As everyone took a glass, the King and Queen raised theirs, and so did the guests. Calian went along with the crowd, for he didn't know what else to do.

"ας ζήσουμε, γιατί πρέπει να πεθάνουμε!" They said in unison, and took a drink. The crowd repeated it and also took drinks from their glasses. Calian again followed along, but was confused.

ας ζήσουμε, γιατί πρέπει να πεθάνουμε.

It was Greek. He thought for a moment, thinking he had it wrong, but he knew he was right. The phrase meant, "Let us live, for we must die." And phrases like this were commonly used among this generation of worshippers of the Greek God Dionysus. God of wine, pleasure, and festivity, among other things. Calian looked around the room, and noticed a few new things. In every corner, a Thyrsos, the pinecone staff Dionysus was always depicted wielding, stuck out from the wall.

This wasn't just any party, it was a celebration to honor Dionysus. This was a cult.

"Welcome to our home! We hope you had a safe journey, and we hope you enjoy your stay here. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask. Now may the celebration commence!" The Queen said, her voice ringing throughout the large ballroom. Everyone cheered, and some music started to play. Everyone immediately chose partners and started to dance, the King and Queen joining them. Calian, not having a partner, went off to the side and sipped his drink, trying to stay inconspicuous as he studied the room for more Dionysus paraphernalia.

He slowly moved around the room and glanced at all the walls, doors, and decorations. He didn't find much else, but that wasn't too strange, because if they really were part of a cult they most likely wouldn't want to announce it to anyone who wasn't a fellow member, such as different guests and new staff.

He gave up, making a mental note to check the rest of the castle over the next few months, and just watched everyone dance.

"No partner?" A female voice asked from behind him. He turned quickly and was met with a pair of vibrant blue eyes from behind a glittering mask. A woman in a silver dress, with long black hair and a sly smile stared back at him. He greeted her with a polite smile and turned to face her.

"No, I came alone. And you?"

"I did as well. Princess Siersha, of Magdeln. pleased to meet you." She introduced herself, holding out her hand. Calian bowed a little, taking her hand and kissing it lightly.

"Calian Banik, pleased to meet you as well, your highness."

"No title?" She asked curiously.

"No, no title." He confirmed, giving no other information. She narrowed her eyes at him and took a drink of her wine.

"How curious. Well, Calian Banik, would you like to dance?"

He wanted to say no, but it was rude to refuse a Princess, and he was supposed to be laying low. "Of course, your highness." He nodded and set his drink down next to hers, then took her hand and they entered the sea of moving people. As they began to dance, he started feeling slightly uncomfortable, the Princess not talking her eyes off him, but not saying anything. She seemed to be trying out figure something out about him, and it made him nervous.

"So where are you coming from?" She asked, finally speaking after at least a few minutes.

"The North. But really you could say I've come from everywhere. I am a traveler of sorts."

"A traveler? How intriguing. What do you do on your travels?"

"Many things. I sell things, buy things, trade things, collect things."

"So, an exotic breed of merchant. This sounds rather fascinating. If you get the chance, do stop by Magdeln. I would love to support your work. And I would love to hear all about it on this little vacation."

"Of course. I'll be sure to." He responded stiffly. He was used to just agreeing and doing whatever royalty asks of him, otherwise he probably would have lost his head more than a few times by now. He knew how to navigate it. But with her, it felt strange. Like she was the one manipulating him.

After the song ended, they bowed to each other and Calian thanked her for the dance, then excused himself quickly. As he walked off, Princess Siersha got a strange feeling. She knew he wasn't just a regular guest here, and she was going to found out what he was up to.

***

A/N:
I'm back! I apologize for such a long break and the short(ish) chapter. I've gotten out of the flow of writing so it was hard to finish this one, but now that I have finished it, I'll probably get back to my usual schedule. Anyway, I very much hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one, which I will be posting as soon as possible.