Тарнос

Not so long ago I was taking supplies to a border camp. It was a stormy day, and I got to the place only at dusk. There I met a skinny and dirty old man dressed in some rags. He was squatting under the dilapidated roof of an old house opposite the camp, and there was emptiness in his eyes. Here, near the front line, we constantly saw refugees whose homes were destroyed during the fighting, but I noticed something unusual in the look of this type.When the rain finally stopped, I was able to get out of the camp full of grumpy soldiers. However, I rejoiced early in peace and quiet, because the old man jumped to his feet and shouted through tears: "Alas, alas! He's coming! Tarnos, shining fang! A chain dog of the gods with a heart of stone! His eternal redemption begins again..."It scared me a lot, especially when the old man suddenly grabbed my jacket: "It's because Tarnos' radiance has been tarnished by what he guards. To wash away his sins, he needs the blood of all the demons who have made their way into this world, every single one."Trying to escape from the clutches of the old man, I slipped and fell. I was about to get to my feet when suddenly there was some commotion in the camp. First I heard the screams of the soldiers, and then the sounds of breaking dishes and cracking barrels. After that, heart—rending screams and screams of horror began, and then the most terrible thing - the roar of demons.The flames had already come close to the stockade, and I realized that hell would soon begin here. I tried to grab the old man's hand in the hope of saving at least one life, but he covered his head and trembled. He was sobbing, and his tears were flowing on my hand. Then he shouted, "He's come! He's here! I can feel it! The brand on my body has flared up again... the one who cursed me is already close… Is he going to pick me up today?"BANG! The gates of the camp shattered into pieces with a crash, and a demon appeared from behind them, clutching armor in its paws. He looked at us and scratched his head. I realized that I was finished. The old man howled even louder than before, fell to his knees and spread his arms wide, as if greeting a demon. The latter, in turn, slowly went to meet him. He looked at the old man with interest and seemed to rejoice in the servile reverence of this man. I could already smell the stench coming from the demon, but my legs refused, and I could only lean against the tree behind me.As soon as I closed my eyes and thought about my dear deceased mother, there was a heavy blow, and some sticky and smelly slime splashed into my face. Despite the ringing in my ears, I opened my eyes and saw a strange pillar that fell from the sky and crushed the demon, leaving only a bloody mess of it. I rubbed my eyes, but they did not deceive me: the pillar, decorated with rich carvings, was clearly not from this world.An old man with a distorted face was yelling at the pole. The ringing in my ears gradually subsided, and I could make out the words: "No! no! Damn you, Tarnos! You should have taken me, not this demon! You can't use me as bait forever! I've already escaped to this dreary hole, where are you going to drive me now?!"I followed the old man's gaze and saw a figure standing in the shadow of the pillar. Golden veins shone under a shock of white hair. They entwined a black body, like a statue, whose legs were deeply embedded in the stone. Several more pillars fell from the sky with a whoosh, and a hideous crunch from other crushed demons came from the camp.The old man showered the figure with curses: "Damn you! I curse you, Tarnos! It was you who did not give the Gift to give people fire, did not let us become stronger! For you, we are bugs that prevent you from doing your job! For this, people began to fear and despise you, as soon as they got to know you! They don't need you! They've forgotten you!"The old man's screams turned into malicious taunts: "Maybe you managed to break the connection of people with the gods, but you can't prevent our connection with the demons! Their power will allow us mortals, whom you despise, to move the mountains themselves! You'll never see forgiveness, ha-ha-ha!""You humans appease demons because of petty ambitions. You crave power that is not given to you!" — Tarnos finally answered the old man, but I never saw his face.The old man was furious: "Haha... petty ambitions? Tell me, why do the gods enjoy eternal life, soaring above everyone else, and we humans have to put up with our mortal fate? Why are we born weak and powerless? What's wrong with wanting strength to match our mind?""People are far superior to other creatures in wisdom and fortitude, but these same qualities gave rise to your greed," Tarnos' voice turned icy. "Dara trusted me to keep an eye on the Sealed Gate, but the demon worshippers are always trying to break the seal and let the demons into Esperia. I cannot allow such blasphemy.""Ha ha ha! The old man's laughter became even crazier. — Yes, you slandered us, persecuted us and sent us into exile. But didn't we succeed in the end? The haughty gods received a crushing blow, and we were rewarded with the power of demons!""It's my shame, I don't deny it," Tarnos' icy eyes flashed in the shadows."Ha ha! Look at you, you stubborn and ruthless chain dog! To punish yourself, you put your feet in stone and swore that you would not take a single step until all the demons were destroyed. Do you really think that's enough to erase the shame of your act? It's just ridiculous! The old man's voice was filled with bitterness and hatred again. "But if you want to destroy all the demons, why do you brand us and drive us away tirelessly?""In exchange for power, demon worshippers become the embodiment of evil, and this makes you the perfect bait," Tarnos replied."What kind of god are you? Only demons do that!" — the old man covered his face with his hands and seemed to cry. It started raining again. Drops fell on his disheveled hair, and a strange golden brand on the old man's forehead began to glow.I was so carried away by this terrible scene that I almost forgot that I was participating in it myself, but the old man suddenly jumped up to me, clutching a fragment of a demonic weapon in his hand. He was aiming right at my heart. I didn't even have time to cry out, but Tarnos was immediately in front of me. He grabbed the old man tightly and lifted him into the air."Kill... me..." the old man squeezed out, and then poked his weapon into Tarnos' hand without causing him any harm."You can't get rid of me that easily," Tarnos broke the old man's weapon as if it were a thin twig and threw it to the ground. — Go ahead. Carry my brand. You miserable creatures will not be able to get rid of this fate even after my redemption.""No way. It's impossible! Ha-ha-ha! Tarnos, sworn guardian! Not to atone for your sins!" — the old man rushed away and, stumbling, disappeared into the wastelands.I don't know when Tarnos left that place. I only know that when the rain stopped, all traces of what happened disappeared, as if nothing had happened. Nevertheless, the deeds of the ruthless deity cut deep into my soul, filling it with nightmares. Tarnos will hunt demons for the rest of his days, and he knows neither pity nor rest.