Soul Dust Cavern

  Ash seeps from my lips to pool on the floor, my essence boiling from the miasma of my core to fade into oblivion at my utterance. The lost words which escape my soul appear upon the ground as obsidian dust glinting in the dim light of this forbidden cove. A low and ominous growling bids me turn and look whereupon I see standing eight feet tall, yet it is hunched over still, an emaciated wraith-like figure o'er covered with swaths of gauzey black cloth from head to to except for the spaces necessary to expose his blisteringly black eyes and wide and unforgiving maw. I do not exclaim for fear of this caverns unearthly powers, but as this..creature draws near me I am hard pressed to hold my ground.
  Eventually, inevitably, I must give way to this ominous creature as it stoops and draws one massive humanoid and yet clawed hand through the dust of my soul ash upon the ground, taking up some to, to my horror, shovel it into its mouth. An expression of rapture and relish crosses the creature's face before it turns it's darkly daunting gaze upon me where I stand within easy reach.
  "So explicit a rendition of all that is sacrosanct. The dust of your spirit amazes my palate. Young and mature being that comes to my temple, what is the wish for which you have entered?"
  My eyes widen at the voice of this creature. It comes dark and sultry across the perception of my mind, while seeming to drag across the fabric of eternity in the utterance. The wish for which I strive...it seems lost to me now. I try to cast about my mind for some sense of logical request, but even that falls short. I step forward numbly and kneel before this creature, not to pay homage, but to cast my gaze among the sifting remnants of my volition. I trail my fingers through it, wanting to speak, to say something profound to this dark god lest it deem my mortality too insignificant to trifle about preserving me instead of destroying my essence.
  My fingers excite whirls of black granules from the floor that rise to form semblance of pictures, my memories displayed in muted yet enrapturing flows and patterns that I half grasp, but which this creature veritably vibrates with pleasure at seeing. There is a hum growing in the air, shifting and turning with the expanse and collapse of flitting shapes, alternating between harsh whispers and melodic revelries. It is me, I realize and yet do not. I shift and sift the whole of truth through my being, telling lifetimes in minutes. There is no lie or humble muting to what tales are spun upon the air, all of my life is displayed to this creature in mere moments in an experience that I can only describe as so existentially revealing that by the course of it this great beast knows more of myself and my being than I myself could grasp.
  Dully perceived through my cloud of recollection is the creatures shifting expression, which, along with the rapidity of my telling, is shifting form to be now humble, then enraged, back to benign, and cascading across thought, reflecting in mere moments all the pain, bliss, joy, and agony that has ever coursed across my path of life. In the latent recesses of my brain I retain the too sane sense of fear before this great creature that holds my fate in its hands now that I have fully divulged every iota of my core, but I do not stumble or falter in the telling of my tale until I know it has been told in full. Something shifts in my perception and I feel as if a great gravity has been lifted from me to replaced by a heady euphoria as suddenly the substance of my soul seeps back into my mouth and nostrils from the cavern floor in one great breath of reclamation.
  I come to full awareness and the demon is staring at me slack faced and with a feeling of terrible ponderousness plain on it's face. It's lack of expression is scaring the hell out of me and finally I bring myself to make a meek utterance of sound, a normal stuttering mumble of a question began, before the great beast speaks up, overcrowding me.
  "I feel a powerful path for you young human. Should I help you? Certainly I could. Certainly it may even make the form of eternity take on a pleasant hue. I have been a bit bored of the current way for a while. So many millenia go by with the same star lined tyrants putting people to such a hassle through their 'proper' views of the way the world should be. There wouldn't be any of that with you would there? You're too noble young soul, maybe too noble for the kingdoms to let such a being as you remain alive. I wonder if I help you whether it will be enough to see the world come to ultimate calamity, for truly that is the desire of most all of the old gods. To rouse this desire! To inspire me to volition! Not a mortal in all of creation has yet been able to do this. Such powerful destiny indeed!" I don't know what to say as this creature, this dark god ceases speaking. My breath and heart are racing as the implications of this sink in. Calamity?
  Made to come about by my hand? My wish though, it comes back to me in a flash. To have my family be free of the entrapment of slave labor because they were not 'residents' of the kingdom adjacent to where our village was located. To have a place where my people could be let alone and left to trade in peace. A place where we could settle and lay our ancestors to rest properly so they might look over the future generations. Could that inspire a calamity amid the current world order? I can't reasonably think of how my wish to be left alone and let others be could possibly result in any nature of problem except for for those that want to try and stand against this wish, and in that case it was their own fault what befell them.
  "My village legends tell tales of your kind as harbingers of destruction and chaos as well as scions of salvation and protection. I do not know what to believe for myself save that I can feel the power about you, and I do not doubt that should you so will it I could be put to dust in the wind and ever beyond my mortality's reach. This being so I will tell you plainly my intent. I do not want war or domination, all I want for is peace and prosperity for my people. If you are roused so much by my volition then I will gladly accept any help you are willing or able to provide Great Guardian. I vow here and now to do everything within my power for the better growth and prosperity of my people."
  "A well intentioned interlude of thought child of man. What power would you wish for to carry out this wish?" The dark rasping tones of this entity seem without inflection, but I swear I catch the hint of a sly smile trailing the corners of the creature's too big toothy maw.
  I think a long moment before stating my answer, wary of being caught in some unseen web of subterfuge. "I wish for as much power as I may need to undertake the liberation and protection of my people. Can you grant me this wish venerable elder?"
  With the end of my statement the creature's features perk up, that is to say its hairless leathery black brow crinkles up, and its lips curl back in a full smile to reveal every gleaming dagger like tooth. My instinct tells me to flee before that maw opens up to chomp my head off in one clean swipe, but I hold my ground, realizing this fearsome visage is a smile, albeit a truly terrifying rendition of one.
  "Venerable you say? I'm not sure those of past ages who've had the pleasure of crossing my path would agree with you son of man, but I suppose they were more a trifle than yourself. Your flattery does certainly amuse me so youngling, I will lend you my aide," I feel my spirit lift at this dark creature's consent to help me, but before I can get carried away with thoughts of rescuing my people the creature speaks again. "But! If I am to help you, so too are you to help me."
  I feel a slight surge of panic wondering at what this creature could possibly ask of me, it must read on my face for the soul sifter's next statement.
  "It won't be painful child, do not be so skittish at the mere mention of helping me or I'll be likely to change my mind on helping you mortal."
  "My apologies, I don't mean to seem reticent. It's just...what can I possibly do that you cannot manage on your own?"
  At that the being's brow draws down, the crazed smile fades to a flat line. The dark god's sudden seriousness perturbs me almost more than its previous smiling visage. "There is but one thing that I require your aide for mortal, and it is something that you yourself so cherish in the world. In return for my aide, and even preceding my favor unto you, you must release me from the bonds that hold me. You must free me from this cavern of my internment."
  The wheels of my mind spin rapidly at the notion of that, whether I can free this creature, and even whether it would be a good idea to have a dark god once more roaming the world causing who knows what sort of trouble.
  "What would you do once free?"
  A hint of the previous smile comes back to the creature's face. "A wise question young human, but not one that bids a logical answer. It is the simple pleasure of the night sky that bids my yearning, trapped in this dusky cell as I've been for a thousand years and more with only the drippings of scant water and the dust of all the ages to keep me company. I yearn for the stars, so long removed have I been from their ebb and flow."
  If not for the solemnity of the statement I would never have believed such a statement could have come from a being rumored to be a focal instrument for chaos and and age old wisdom. Standing face to face with this creature though I can see a solemn depth to the cast of its eyes. This creature of agelessness I cannot begin to comprehend, but standing here I feel I can understand its will to freedom and open air.
  "What must I do to free you creature?"
  "Firstly you must do away with this 'creature' business. You will address me under my proper name of Rashgralmalgorshethelias, keeper of creation's insights and guardian of the night."
  I stare blankly at the creature for a moment before it realizes the lack of comprehension written plainly on my face and growls briefly in exasperation.
  "Right then, as you are the first disciple to aide me in more years than even I can count I bestow upon you the honor of calling me plainly as Rashgral. Is this simple enough to remain in your head youngling?" I nod consent of my understanding before the creature carries on to shuffle about the cavern that was it's prison and home for so long drawing up motes from the unseen depths of shadow that were the cavernous recesses of this seemingly circular room.
  The depth of shadows within this place are  dizzying to behold, and the ink black giant wading through them seems to cause ripples as he passes, or maybe it's that the shadow is drawn into him as he moves. I retake my pack by the cavern entrance and get to situating my self to depart as well.
  "It's been so long since I've had the shadow of the sun to fill my eyes. I wonder what changes have come to the above since those old and inkling times of man," the creature carries a tone of innocent intrigue that alarms me, if for nothing else than the simple fact that so ancient a creature could still look upon the growth of a species as a frame of reference. Would it see the turmoil of our homes and kingdoms and look upon us with shame, are things better or worse than in the past of this old god's mind?