The Holy Son in Marvel

Both Coulson and Natasha underestimated the chaos that would ensue once the prisoner was discovered missing. At dawn, when the jailer and judge found their captive gone, everything spiraled out of control. The church bells tolled once again, marking the start of a new witch hunt.

This was why neither Coulson nor Solomon were questioned as they walked through town that morning. The zealous Puritans were focused on hunting down any women they suspected of witchcraft, leaving them little time to concern themselves with the out-of-town strangers—for now. But once their search failed to produce any witches, the foreigners would become the most likely scapegoats for the townspeople's fear.

Coulson only realized the full scope of the situation when he arrived at the tavern, finding it empty. A lone drunkard, loose-lipped under the influence of whiskey, shared the news. Unable to reach Solomon, Coulson rushed back to the inn (not forgetting the liquor he had promised) and contacted Natasha, urging her to prepare. Whether or not the townspeople would turn their suspicions on them, Coulson was determined to save as many innocents as he could.

Meanwhile, early that morning, two young girls, who had been out all night, returned to town, igniting the flames of mass hysteria. Ann Putnam and Elizabeth Parris awakened Cotton Mather and Judge Matthew Hopkins, describing the strange events they had witnessed in the forest clearing. They altered certain details to protect themselves, swapping key elements of the story.

In truth, Ann Putnam and Elizabeth Parris had attended a witches' gathering the previous night, invited by the founder of the Salem coven, Kaziah Mason. This ill-tempered old woman, despite her age of over ninety, was still spry and vigorous. She lived alone in a small cabin deep in the forest and rarely interacted with the townspeople, who believed her to be insane. Intrigued by the invitation from Salem's most mysterious woman, Ann and Elizabeth decided to join her, their disillusionment with Puritanism pushing them to defy the strict norms of their community. For Elizabeth Parris, particularly, her devout demeanor was only a performance for her father; otherwise, she and Ann would never have participated in Tituba's voodoo ritual.

Kaziah Mason's invitation came at an opportune time. Witnessing the strange "possession" symptoms shown by Mary Walcott had only convinced the girls of the reality of witchcraft. Mason's true intention in inviting them, however, was not to initiate them into the coven but rather to make them sacrifices for the Dark One.

That night, Ann and Elizabeth followed Kaziah into the forest, where the full moon's light was swallowed by the twisted trees, leaving them in darkness save for the small lantern they carried. In the dim light, they began to see grotesque shapes forming in the shadows—twisted, hideous forms that did not flicker with the lantern's light but rather observed the girls in silence. Holding each other's hands tightly, they stumbled after Kaziah, afraid that letting go would lead them to vanish into the trees. And yet, even this was only the beginning of their fear.

As they proceeded, they spotted a faint orange glow in the distance, gradually illuminating the forest with a reddish hue. The light cast the surrounding shadows into an eerie, shifting dance, making the forest seem more dangerous and menacing. Just before reaching the fire, they saw a massive tree with twisted branches lit by the flames, appearing as if a huge Algonquin face was growing out of the trunk, its hollow eyes staring into nothingness. The sight terrified the girls, but when they looked back, they found their path had disappeared. The only way forward was toward the fire.

Cautiously, Ann and Elizabeth approached the fire, which was far larger than they had expected, its flames lashing wildly. They heard strange chanting, words that seemed unutterable by human tongues. The rhythm of the chant entranced them, drawing them forward despite their fear. Surrounding the fire were several shadowy figures, while the flames themselves danced in blue, purple, and orange hues, releasing thick black smoke that drifted up into the moonlit sky. Kaziah Mason stood before the fire, leading the chant.

Seeing the girls entranced, Kaziah began a new incantation: "I! I! Shub-Niggurath! The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young! Bless the daughters of Eve! Bless the daughters of Gorgon, Mormo, and the Moon of a Thousand Faces! Accept our sacrifice! Great Messenger, Dark One! Bless the chosen children!"

With a wave of her hand, two cloaked figures emerged from the shadows. These were other girls unknown to Ann and Elizabeth, who discarded their cloaks, standing naked before the fire, trying in vain to cover themselves. Kaziah commanded Ann and Elizabeth to do the same. Terrified, they refused, so Kaziah cursed them, causing them to vomit for several minutes—not undigested food, but maggots.

This was true witchcraft, not some harmless ritual!

Thrilled by the display of real power, Ann eagerly agreed to comply and urged Elizabeth to do the same. The two girls stripped off their clothes, placing their left hands on their foreheads and holding their right feet, as instructed by Kaziah Mason.

Kaziah intoned in a deep, booming voice, "Do you surrender that which lies between your hands to the Dark One?"

The girls replied, "Yes, I surrender what I hold between my hands to the Dark One."

Kaziah drew a symbol on the dark ground, then reached into the fire, withdrawing a burning piece of charcoal that seemed not to harm her. She placed it at the center of the symbol and returned to the others, continuing the chant. The air shifted, the temperature plummeted, and the fire took on an unnatural glow in an indescribable color. Ann struggled to find words to describe the scene, her mind overwhelmed. The two naked girls near the fire suddenly looked stricken, realizing that this was no playful ritual.

From the earth, a shadowy figure rose as if emerging from the depths of hell. The Dark One, carrying two burning staves, advanced. Tall and naked, with a mocking gaze and a sneering smile, his skin was pitch-black and oily, his proportions grotesque and unsettling. Approaching Ann first, he touched her forehead, putting her into a trancelike state. She seemed to revel in the sensation as he slowly began to consume her soul, her complexion growing pale and sickly. Elizabeth, paralyzed with terror, could only watch.

Just as the Dark One was consuming her soul, an immense, invisible force struck him, forcing him to stumble backward. Another blow followed, pushing him even further, and the two burning staves fell from his hands, breaking his connection to Ann's soul.

The Dark One recognized the magic—it was the Fist of Yog-Sothoth.

Noticing a shadowy figure standing just beyond the firelight, the Dark One sneered before disappearing into the forest's darkness. As the girls regained their senses, Ann Putnam and Elizabeth Parris screamed and fled into the woods, while the other witches hastily donned their cloaks, picking up the girls' discarded clothes. Sensing the powerful force that had attacked the Dark One, the panicked witches quickly dispersed, leaving only the great bonfire blazing in the clearing.

Upon returning to town and dressing themselves, Ann Putnam and Elizabeth Parris wasted no time in relaying the events of the previous night to Judge Hopkins and Cotton Mather. However, in their version of the story, they were not participants but merely innocent girls who had stumbled upon the scene while playing in the forest.

Ann gave a detailed description of what she had seen: the bonfire, the naked women, the Dark One, the smoking staves, and the eerie chanting. Since Ann didn't know all the town's witches by name, she listed several unpopular figures as suspects, driven by her fear of witchcraft. The first accused was Sarah Good, known for her smoking habit, which many found distasteful; the second was Sarah Osborne; the third was John and Mary Price; and the last was the true witch, Kaziah Mason.

Judge Hopkins wasted no time, ordering the King's men to take up arms and arrest the witches as described by Ann. While Kaziah Mason managed to escape, the others were captured and thrown into jail.

The trial proceeded swiftly, with the judge employing ancient methods. Each suspect was brought from their cell into a darkened room, where Cotton Mather and the witch-hunter would interrogate them. Each suspect was forced into a wooden chair at the room's center, bound hand and foot, and subjected to the questioning of Judge Matthew Hopkins, who had special interrogation techniques prepared for each one.

___________________

Read Ahead

[email protected]/Mutter