Immortals: Slovakia

Juraj

My name is Juraj, and I am immortal. I have lived for more than a thousand years, and I have seen the rise and fall of empires, the birth and death of nations, the glory and misery of humanity. But I was not always like this. I was once a simple peasant, living in a small village called Nove Mesto nad Vahom, in the land of Slovakia.

I was born in the year 972, when the Great Moravian Empire was already in decline, and the Magyars were invading our lands. My father was a farmer, and my mother was a weaver. I had two brothers and a sister, and we lived a humble but happy life. We worked hard, prayed to God, and celebrated the seasons.

One day, when I was 18 years old, a group of strangers came to our village. They were dressed in strange clothes, and spoke a language I did not understand. They said they were merchants, and they had come to trade with us. They brought with them exotic goods, such as spices, silk, and jewels. They also brought something else: a book.

The book was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was made of leather and parchment, and it had strange symbols and drawings on its pages. The leader of the merchants, a man named Zoltan, said it was a book of magic, and that it contained the secrets of life and death. He said he was willing to sell it to anyone who could afford it.

I was fascinated by the book, and I wanted to buy it. But I had no money, and neither did my family. Zoltan saw the desire in my eyes, and he made me an offer. He said he would give me the book, if I agreed to do something for him. He said it was a simple task, and that it would not harm anyone. He said it was a test of my courage and intelligence.

I agreed, without knowing what he wanted me to do. He told me to meet him at night, in the forest, near the old oak tree. He said he would give me the book there, and explain the task. I was curious and excited, and I did not tell anyone where I was going.

I met him at the appointed time and place, and he handed me the book. He told me to open it, and read the first page. I did as he said, and I saw a strange spell written in Latin. I did not understand what it meant, but Zoltan told me to repeat it after him. He said it was a spell of protection, and that it would shield me from any harm.

I repeated the words, and I felt a strange sensation in my body. I felt a warmth in my chest, and a tingling in my limbs. Zoltan smiled, and said I had done well. He then told me the task. He said I had to kill a deer, and bring its heart to him. He said it was a sacrifice, and that it would please the spirits of the forest. He said it was a simple task, and that I had nothing to fear.

I was shocked, and I hesitated. I had never killed an animal before, and I did not want to do it. But Zoltan urged me on, and said it was the only way to get the book. He said he would wait for me, and that I had to hurry. He gave me a knife, and pointed me to the direction of the deer.

I reluctantly took the knife, and walked into the forest. I soon saw a deer, grazing peacefully. It did not notice me, and I crept closer to it. I raised the knife, and prepared to strike. But I could not do it. I felt pity and remorse, and I dropped the knife. I decided to go back, and tell Zoltan I could not do it. I hoped he would understand, and let me keep the book.

But as I turned around, I saw him standing behind me. He had a wicked grin on his face, and he held a crossbow in his hands. He said he had been watching me, and that he was disappointed. He said I had failed the test, and that I did not deserve the book. He said he would take it back, and kill me. He said I was a fool, and that I had fallen into his trap.

He said he was not a merchant, but a sorcerer. He said he had been looking for a young and healthy person, who could serve as his vessel. He said he had cast a spell on me, and that it had made me immortal. He said he wanted to transfer his soul into my body, and take over my life. He said he had done it before, and that he had lived for centuries. He said he needed a new body, because his old one was decaying. He said he had chosen me, because I was gullible and naive.

He said he had lied about the book, and that it was not a book of magic, but a book of curses. He said the spell I had read was not a spell of protection, but a spell of binding. He said it had linked our souls, and that he could control me. He said he had planned to kill me, and take my body. He said he had given me the task of killing the deer, to test my will and morality. He said he had hoped I would do it, and that it would make the transfer easier. He said he was surprised I had not done it, and that it showed I had some goodness in me. He said he did not care, and that he would kill me anyway.

He raised the crossbow, and aimed at my heart. He pulled the trigger, and I heard a loud bang. I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and I fell to the ground. I saw blood spilling from my wound, and I felt my life fading away. I saw his face, and I hated him. I cursed him, and I wished he would die. I closed my eyes, and I waited for death.

But death did not come. I opened my eyes, and I saw him standing over me. He looked shocked, and scared. He said he did not understand, and that I should be dead. He said the spell should have worked, and that he should have taken my body. He said something had gone wrong, and that he had failed.

He then screamed, and I saw him clutching his chest. He dropped the crossbow, and fell to his knees. He said he felt a burning in his heart, and that he could not breathe. He said he felt his soul leaving his body, and that he was dying. He said it was impossible, and that it was not fair. He looked at me, and he begged me to help him. He said he was sorry, and that he did not mean to hurt me. He said he was afraid, and that he did not want to die.

I did not help him. I did not feel sorry for him. I felt nothing but anger, and contempt. I watched him die, and I felt a strange satisfaction. I saw his body turn to dust, and I saw his soul vanish. I saw the book, and I picked it up. I opened it, and I saw the spell. I read it, and I understood what it meant. It was a spell of reversal, and it had backfired on him. It had transferred his soul into the crossbow bolt, and my soul into his body. It had killed him, and saved me.

But it had also changed me. It had made me immortal, and cursed. I could not die, and I could not age. I could not feel pain, and I could not heal. I had a hole in my heart, and a scar on my chest. I had his body, and his power. I had his book, and his knowledge. I had his life, and his fate.

I did not know what to do. I did not want to go back to my village, and face my family. I did not want to explain what had happened, and who I had become. I did not want to live like this, and suffer like this. I wanted to end it all, and find peace.

But I could not. I was immortal, and cursed. I had to live on, and bear it. I had to find a way, and cope. I had to learn, and grow. I had to survive, and adapt.

And so I did. I left my village, and my life. I took the book, and the crossbow. I wandered the world, and I saw its wonders. I met its people, and I learned its languages. I studied its history, and I witnessed its events. I explored its secrets, and I mastered its magic.

I lived for a thousand years, and I did many things. I did good things, and bad things. I did noble things, and evil things. I did wise things, and foolish things. I did things I was proud of, and things I regretted. I did things I loved, and things I hated. I did things I wanted to do, and things I had to do.

I lived for a thousand years, and I met many people. I met friends, and enemies. I met allies, and rivals. I met lovers, and foes. I met people I cared for, and people I despised. I met people who helped me, and people who harmed me. I met people who understood me, and people who feared me.

I lived for a thousand years, and I had many names. I was Juraj, and I was Zoltan. I was Stefan, and I was