The Grimoire

Seer in the Shadows

Alexander the Great, even at birth, was destined for greatness. Legends say that Zeus himself struck his mother's womb with a thunderbolt, leaving a distinct lion-shaped mark, proclaiming to the world that Alexander was sprung from the loins of the Gods themselves. The Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, burned to ashes, signalling the beginning of a new era, and a great battle was won by a Macedonian general, against all odds, defeating the combined forces of the Illyrian and Paeonian armies. The Gods had made themselves clear, that Alexander would be a King unlike any other. 

But it was not by the hand of gods that Alexander won his great many victories. He possessed a keen intellect, almost unnatural, to predict his opponents tactics. Indeed, it was a skill that was not entirely his but that of a childhood friend's. A young Persian woman by the name of Elissa, with whom he had spent a great many years with. A seer, capable of reaching into the stream of causality and seeing the outcomes of events, long before they happened. She was always at his side, even to the envy of his wives, and her advice was invaluable. They grew up together, spending time in the many gardens of Pella. While being tutored by Aristotle, he would sneak away during the day and pass on what he learned to Elissa. Even as King, Alexander would always make time and seek any opportunity to spend time in his dear friend's company, relaying to her the many struggles of politics and his goals to expand Macedonia. During one such visit, Elissa whispered to him her secret, and a streak of military victories began, the likes of which the world had never seen.

All was not well, however. Elissa's parents had died at a young age, and her older sister had raised her for most of her life. She was strict and often abusive, lashing out beatings for minor misdeeds or locking Elissa out of the house. This rough upbringing was something that Alexander was left clueless about, for the last thing Elissa wanted was to be pitied by someone she so endeared. When Alexander's conquests began, Elissa was showered with wealth, but had ceased all contact with her sister, and so it was until one fateful day, many years later, that Elissa received a letter from a physician in Pella, informing her of her sister's imminent illness, urging her to return home and comfort her in her last days. Feeling conflicted but softened by the years apart, she finally told Alexander the truth. Alexander was initially upset but insisted on accompanying her. If her sister was to die, he would ensure her last days would be as comfortable and content as possible. Leaving an honourable and loyal minister in his stead, Alexander and Elissa left for their home city, the city they had spent their childhoods in.

When they arrived, they soon discovered that the sister's condition was far worse and far stranger than the physician implied in the letter. Her eyes had clouded over, and she was too weak to walk most days. Her mind had seemingly been struck by some advanced form of dementia. Every night, she would talk to herself and stare off into dark corners of the room, insistent that there were dancing figures of light all around the house. Elissa was severely upset by her sister's condition, but there was something behind the distress, an unspoken understanding, a lack of shock or surprise. Alexander would spend every day of the following month alongside Elissa, comforting her when he could, using his wealth and prestige to ensure the best medical care possible. But with every day that passed, Elissa grew increasingly distant, consumed by her own thoughts. It was not until her sister was permanently bedridden, that she told Alexander the secret behind her secret, the source of her seer power.

As a child, during one of the many nights she was locked out of her own home, forced to sleep outside, she would pray to the gods constantly. Only this time, she got a response. The shadows around her began to dance and sing and before her, coalescing in an abyssal mass of solid dark, a demon appeared, shaped like an upside-down heart, stood upon a single leg. The demon jumped up and down playfully, and with a childlike voice, it asked:

"Do you wish for the power to make your dreams come true?"

Enamoured by the creature's playful demeanour, Elissa responsed excitedly
"Yes please. I want to be wealthy, and I wish to be like the nobles and the queens, and I never want to see the distant lands and travel the world."

"What matters in wealth is what the wealth can afford you. There is nothing more valuable than knowledge, of the world and beyond. The real question is, what can you offer me?" the creature asks, it's voice less childlike and more punctual.

"I have nothing to give. It's just me and my sister and we're poor" she responds pleadingly 

"Then that will do." the creature speaks before fading away into the shadows of the room. The shadows however, do not fade. Little childlike figures form out of the dark. They whisper in Elissa's ear, telling her the deepest secrets of those around her. They whisper of other's intentions, their current whereabouts, the doors and windows they leave unlocked, of a future King sitting idly in an unguarded garden. She could send these shades out to gather whatever information she desired, knowing that she owed the demon a great debt. 

And so it was, that the sister died soon after Alexander learned of this devilish pact. Elissa informed him that her time will come soon too. She thanked him for the time he had given for, for the friendship they shared. Alexander refused to let it happen. He insisted on staying by Elissa's side for as long as it took, striking down any demon that would dare approach. Elissa reassured him by stating that she would not die. She would spend an indeterminate length of time repaying her debt, working as a shade for the demon, existing in a state between life and death. Alexander still refused to accept it, he readied his weapon and prepared to stand guard by Elissa's side for as long as it took. 

Three nights passed and Alexander began to drift to sleep, Elissa laying safely in the bed. Through weary eyes and heavy eyelids, he felt his body weigh him down as Elissa rose from the bed and entered another door. Through sheer force of will, Alexander snapped out of the paralysis and charged through the door after her, only to find himself floating in a dark space. Before him was a rhombus-shaped entity, of swirling orange and purple colours. It's surface showed a million faces all at once, and the environment around him danced and twirled in intricate abyssal patterns. Mephistopheles was it's name, it's presence along carrying the knowledge of it's identity. With a regal, commanding voice, it spoke:

"Bravely courting death is not befitting of a King"

Alexander spat back "Let Elissa go or I swear by the god's own hand, I will cleave your spine in two"

"O' Blessed King of Conquest, you may have a great destiny ahead in life, but your life means nothing to me. All debts must be repayed and hers is no exception."

Before Alexander could say or do anything more, he was thrust back into the bedroom, waking up in the spot where he dozed off. Elissa's body was nowhere to be found and he was left alone. A feeling of anger and frustration welled up inside him, before the defeat and powerlessness sank in. He sat at the foot of the bed and contemplated the words that the demon spoke, before a sound from the bed caught his attention. A tune, played softly, as though by a lyre or a lute. Beneath the sheets, a small wrapped gift with a letter attached. The letter was from Elissa, apologising to him for the way things turned out, thanking him for all he did for her, and lastly, a gift from beyond. In the wrappings, there was a small sundial-like object, with various moving metal pieces. It was shaped like a heart, beating each second, two dials pointed to numbers from 1 to 12 on it's face. The letter continued, describing the device as a type of timekeeper, one of a pair of identical devices. That no matter where one was, no matter which world, realm, void or otherwise, the timekeeper would always strike 6 at the same time. That when it strikes 6, it will play a sweet tune. Lastly, that Elissa has the device's twin with her. Alexander can rest assured, whenever the device strikes 6, whenever it plays it's melody, wherever she is, no matter what happens, she will be thinking of him, until the day they can be reunited.