User blog:Skylord Elberich/La Danza de la Muerte

You know about magic, correct? Silly question, everyone does. Everyone knows about witches & wizards, wands, potions, spells, and all the rest. But I bet you don't know that it's real. Yes, it's real, as the flesh on my fingers. And I bet you know nothing about the most powerful spell, eh? Nah, only a few know of it's tale, and most pass it off as a madman's ramblings, even the most open-minded of magic users. But I'll tell you something; it exists, and it's more dangerous than you could even imagine.

It is very powerful, so much that it can raise the dead. It can whip up mighty storms, and it can plunge the earth into darkness. But, it can only be used by those who are trained extensively in the ways of advanced magic, or are born of inherent bewitchment. It is not the sort of spell cast by a wand, or weaved with a staff. Instead, it is danced. This is why it is known as La Danza de la Muerte. And this is it's tale.

A long time ago, a village, whose name is now forever lost, suffered many great misfortunes. First, all the water dried up, including that of the river. The resulting drought made all the crops to die, causing a famine. Then, millions upon millions of vermin came upon the town, spreading a sickness that killed of a lot of the villagers.

Then, the dead came back.

Those who died from the sickness were reanimated by a tall, pale, faceless demon, and transformed into mindless, flesh-eating monsters. Nothing could kill them, for they were already dead.

One day a young woman came to the cursed area. She was no ordinary woman, and her appearence proved it. Her skin was as pale as sun-bleached bones, which contrasted with her raven hair and jet-black eyes. She wore a beautiful red dress with a black bodice, and a rose in her hair. The young woman asked to see the Mayor of the village. The Mayor asked why the woman was here, and she replied "I am here to help you with your great misfortunes. When I was born, I was born dancing. I could dance before I could walk, and, as God as my witness, I will dance all your troubles away. But, I must ask for payment. My services are not for free. How you choose to pay is up to you."

The Mayor agreed to this, and the woman got to work. She stood at the center of the village, and... she began to dance. Suddenly, from seemingly nowhere, music began to play, but she didn't dance to it's tune. Rather, the tune played to her dancing. Then, the magic began.

Rain came down in plentiful drops, refilling the wells and streams and rivers, and vitalising the once-dead crops. It washed away the dust in the streets. Soon after, all the vermin danced away from the village and into the river, where they drowned. And the living dead, upon hearing the music, and seeing the woman dancing her merry jig, began dancing themselves. And they danced their way back to their graves, where they collapsed from fatigue, and never woke up. Even the faceless being began to dance, and danced his way out of the village.

After the work was done, the woman asked for her payment, hand outstreched. The Mayor then said "We shall pay you with our thanks" and gave her nothing.

The woman stood still, brow furrowed, hand outstreched, and waiting for payment.

"We have nothing to give you, now go!" The Mayor yelled.

But she did not leave. Instead, she started dancing again. But this time, she danced with anger in her heart. As the otherworldly music began, stormclouds appeared above the village, sending down bolts of lightning that set the buildings ablaze. The crops grew into a living forest that swallowed people alive. The water seemingly came to life as well, and turned people into mindless slaves. The dead rose out of their graves to dance a terrible dance of destruction, and the faceless thing returned to the village to dance his macabre dance.

Worst of all, he invited his friends to dance alongside him.

Many monsters danced on that village, and many men, women & children died. The only survivor was a stonemason's apprentice, who made a high cross marking where La Danza de la Muerte first took place, then left the village, never to return. No-one knows what happened to the raven-haired woman.