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. I believe I was in shock and
would have jumped into the pit itself, then, if he had
ordered it. My captor led me to the pillar of black flame.
"The black fire, as you can feel, radiates no heat," he
said, as we approached the shadowy column.
Indeed, the flickering fire actually seemed to absorb
warmth from the air. I felt as if I faced the open night, with
my back to the comfort of a house or inn. A limitless well
of cold seemed to emanate from the fire, sucking all that
was living and warm into its black and soulless depths.
"A curious phenomenon, don't you agree?" he said.
"Now, study the white one."
We moved to this pale phantasm. This column of fire
was translucent and pearly as smoke, but possessed a
definition of form and purpose that belied a vaporous
nature. The chill of the blaze was like a forceful attack, like
a blast of subfreezing wind across a field of ice. I recoiled,
to the amusement of the priest.
"She saps your life, does this fire," Erasmoth said, "but
gives you the eternal life of my goddess in return!"
"Life?" I cried, quite losing the impartiality of a
historian, for which Your Eminence will no doubt chastise
me severely. "How dare you call this evil abomination life!"
"Ah - but it is truly the greatest life!" responded the
priest. "For it is life without end!"
"A life without awareness!" I retorted. "No life at all!"
"I did not expect you to understand," he announced, his
tone filled with supreme arrogance, "but I have shown you
the proof of a miracle
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