The Meeting

When you’re called by Them, you answer.
That’s why Bellial stood before the massive, ancient fortress, waiting for the masked figures to open the gate.
The rusted Iron bars squealed as the tired gates were forced into motion. As soon as enough room was made between them, Bellial entered the inner court, leaving the masked figures to force the gate closed again.
Walking toward the main building, he took it all in. Like the world around it, the ancient structure had lost its history.
As far as humanity knew, it had been there since Time had taken its first breath.
And The creature within had owned it since Time took its second.
The heavy wooden doors were opened, and Bellial entered the fortress.
Books.
That was all.
Books.
They filled every surface, every wall, stretching impossibly high, touching the arched ceilings of the ancient building. They were mixes of unknown and known languages, new and old covers, some made of cloth, others leather, others skin, human or otherwise. Bellial looked but didn’t dare touch. All around him, masked figures carried stacks of books to unknown locations, arranging the impossible number of shelves into an unknown order, dusting and sweeping, and maintaining this secret library.
Bellial wondered how many of these books his host had penned themselves, though he never doubted that all were read, cover to cover, perhaps more than once. He wondered what secrets were hidden in these infinite pages, forgotten even by Time but known by the master. The hall hummed with the power held within the walls.
Bellial noticed the masked figures eyeing him as they worked. He quickly walked deeper into the fortress.
The books stretched endlessly down the branching, winding halls that surrounded Bellial as he moved toward the belly of the beast. The books grew older and stranger the closer he got to the source of the power. Their Text warped, looking less like words and more like strange symbols and shapes. Bellial swore he heard one of them breathing on its shelf.
Deep in the bowels of the fortress, Bellial found himself standing in front of an old wooden door that seemed strangely out of place next to the tall arching ceilings filled with books. The power pulsed from the room behind the door, shaking Bellial as he shivered. Reaching out, he knocked.
“Enter,” a voice from within called. The door slowly opened by itself, and Bellial walked into the belly of the beast.
The room behind the door seemed as though it was from another world. The ceiling was low, nearly causing Bellial to duck. The walls were wooden and rough, and windows that must have once looked into the outside world showed the endless hallways of the fortress beyond.
The only thing connecting it with the building outside is the books. They covered every surface, some stacked almost to the ceiling. In the center of the room, surrounded by books, were two cushioned armchairs. Bellial stood in the doorway, taking it all in.
“Bellial,” the voice called, “very good to meet you.”
They stepped out from behind a stack of books, effortlessly balancing one on top as they stepped around it into view.
They were tall, taller than Bellial, with dark blue and red robes draped casually over them. Their pale white hands drew back to their side as their piercing ice-blue eyes looked at Bellial through the eyeholes of the Mask.
The Mask.
It was a horrifying sight, as strange and creepy as the legends stated. It was white with red designs around the sides, with black horns protruding from the top. The mouth hole, frozen in a gaping smile, cut across the face, and the eyeholes revealed the unblinking eyes of the monster in front of him.
Bellial bowed to them.
“Master Mask.”
The creature smiled at him and gestured to one of the chairs.
“Please, sit,” they said.
Bellial sat down, heart thumping in his ears. As The Mask sat down across from him, he remembered all the stories: stories of this creature escaping death, achieving immortality, and taking thousands of souls for their own use.
Their power shook Bellial to his core as he trembled before them.
“I’ve been watching you for a long time, Bellial.” The Mask said.
“You have?” Bellial stammered.
“I have. You’ve made quite a splash, moving here and learning as quickly as you have. You’re powerful, and your soul is stronger than most. That interests me.”
“I don’t want to sell my soul.” Bellial blurted out.
The Mask sat in silence for a second, then laughed.
Their laughter filled the room, ringing in Bellial’s ears. He shuddered in his seat as he waited for them to speak.
“I never initiate a transaction, Bellial.” The Mask said, “I don’t need your soul. I have plenty of my own. No, I’m interested in you. I want to know who you are, why you’re hunting for this power, and what drives you.”
Bellial eyed up the smiling Mask. They would know if he lied to them. There was no point in pretending.
“My master, he gave someone else the position I deserved…” Bellial stammered.
“So you wish to take your rightful place.” The Mask responded.
“Yes, master.”
The Mask sat in silence for a moment, pondering Bellial’s words. Meeting his eyes once again, they spoke.
“My body was a king, you know.” The Mask said. Bellial looked at him in shock, “It wasn’t a large kingdom, but it came with all the power you’d expect. He ruled well, I heard, but when an enemy nation surrounded his capital, he found himself powerless to stop them. Do you know what he did then?”
Bellial swallowed hard.
“He came to you?”
“He came to me. It was quite noble of him, really, his soul for enough power to drive back his enemies and establish peace in his kingdom for years to come. Like yours, his soul was strong, but he didn’t know what to do with it. So he gave it to me, and now, I own him.”
The Mask stretched their hand towards Bellial, showing control over the former King’s body.
“This King possessed the power you seek,” The Mask continued, “but if he had focused on honing his own soul’s power instead of relying on the power given by mankind, he would have his soul and his body today. Do you understand me?”
Bellial nodded, and The Mask continued.
“You have the potential to follow in my footsteps, Bellial, to break free of your human chains and rise above the mortals around you. Yet you want to gain power to seize an earthly role instead of gaining power to gain power.”
The Mask looked at him, their eyes staring into Bellial’s soul as if assessing its potential.
“Forget about earthly titles, Bellial. Search for power and knowledge for the sake of power and knowledge. The true journey to greatness only ends when there is nowhere left to go.”
Bellial nodded.
“Yes, Master,” he said.
“And, should you heed my advice, return to me. I will help you shed your mortal form as I shed mine.”
The Mask stood and picked up another book; reading it, they wandered away from Bellial.
The conversation was over.
Bellial stood and bowed to The Mask’s back. Then left through the door he came in.
As he wandered the halls, his eyes were drawn to the masked figures. They were Indebted to a lifetime of servitude in exchange for their wishes being granted by the creature at the center of this fortress of books. They possessed their own bodies, yes, but their souls belonged to The Mask. They were sent to wander the halls of that creature’s home forever or until their mortal bodies dropped dead, leaving all of their souls in the sole possession of Them.
Bellial thought of The Mask’s words.
He could live in a fortress like this, surrounded by servants indebted to his gracious power and endless abilities.
Then he thought of the smug look on Xinar’s face as he took the book from their master. That look made him dedicate his life to making that man kneel before him, trembling for his life.
How could he let that go?