"Wh-who are you? Let me out!" The Nameless Dragon Guard cried, desperately wishing to escape from his unknown imprisonment. "My body..." He couldn't help but shudder at his own flesh's appearance, so why...
Why did he look like Zabulus?
His reflection in the still surface of the water was crystal clear, yet, he did not believe it.
Everything seemed distorted, odd, and peculiar. It felt wrong.
"Hey, don't be alarmed, calm down." The Zabulus in front of him was in no mood for another outburst, "Your life is meaningless right now, what does it matter? It's a life that was taken without consent. You know, I did not take a life, I took a demon, and he was created with me." The nonsensical words of Zabulus rang through the Dragon Guard's mind, so much so, it felt like they were going to escape him. "Life, love, and happiness is all that I can see, and I won't lie to myself about who I am. Nor should you. Now, will you sit down and have a chat with me?"
The Dragon Guard trembled at his words, still terrified at the creature in front of him. But Zabulus did not want to force anything, nor would he if he didn't have to. So the Dragon Guard sat beside the Zabulus impostor, though he still didn't know why he trusted him at any point, as he listened, patiently, and wondered who he was.
"Well, first let's start with this, I can explain why it feels a little odd and surreal," the Zabulus 'clone' spoke, "you see, your life had ended... and, so has mine."
"But... I killed that demon... I lopped his head right off and broke his spine, how could it be!?" A Dragon Guard gasped in shock.
"Ssh, don't panic... your life ended and mine ended. That is the truth. But there is no way we die in here again, lest he dies." A statement as true as he made it. The Dragon Guard gasped again, "I don't understand!" He yelled and turned away, clutching his hair tightly in a fist, a sudden urge to scratch at his own scalp washed over him.
"Maybe you should calm down for a second and try to process what I say? This isn't how you acted out there, all mighty and commanding. Are you hiding something from me? Hm?" Zabulus asked softly.
Zabulus was amused with the reaction he got, he was tempted to laugh, but restrained himself, taking into account his current company, however, his amusement faded away, and in its place grew a frustration. It grew until the need to get out, the urge to tear his flesh, the temptation, the need. This was a constant effect of being within this soul, this world.
"Okay... let me ask you one thing, where are we?"
A question he waited for, and a question to answer.
He closed his eyes, pondering, thinking, remembering, the words echoing in his mind, before looking upwards. "We're in the soul of Zabulus. To be specific, or, as I understand... our souls have been usurped by his. By the looks of his own world, we have been drawn within, our fates are decided. Yet, this soul of ours has also taken a life, and that life happens to be his... I think..." The uncertainty in his tone was apparent, but it wasn't necessary for the information he was relaying to the other individual.
"Do you have a name, or shall I give one to you?" 'Zabulus' Asked.
"My... My name is Aeneus. Yours is Zabulus, yeah? If you don't mind telling me... what are we exactly?"
"My name isn't Zabulus, but," He didn't hesitate, "As far as we are concerned, we are his vessels, or, were. I don't fully understand it myself, but for however many years I've spent here, I've come to understand that.." He paused slightly.
"He is one that is killed by many, but defeated by none. That is to say, if you kill him, you become his vessel."
His answer was surprising, the Dragon Guard was intrigued, "Defeat...? Him?"
"Yes... as for you and I, we have to work together to survive and even maybe gain control of a certain... part of his soul."
"Is it... just us?" He asked with worry.
"No, rather, there are two others here. I know this as my memories remain. Our fates were connected, but yours ended with the death of one other man. When I left my body, he entered, and now, he, too, is also here."
"Huh?" He asked, bewildered, "Then, whose memories are these?!" Aeneus gestured at his surroundings wildly.
He received the most awkward response, "Mine." The 'Zabulus' then looked around, pondering, searching, finding something new, an uncharacteristic expression on his face. "This was, mine, too." Aeneus realized, yet not angered by this, but a moment where he contemplated and took in the world around him. "How ironic," Aeneus chuckled, "Five spirits, four men, and one woman, destined to live in the same body... this memory," He looked at a red darkness, stretching out to infinity. Only with the sight of one fetus that had consumed two others, "Is this.. the future?"
"No, Zabulus' birth. Our birth."
"Your birth?"
"Yes. For as long as I have been here, I relived this same memory one time, five times, five thousand times. He... was one of my twin brothers. In the womb I... wound up eating him, I suppose. And after his soul usurped mine, the same occurred with my sister"
"What, the fuck?" He gawked, wide eyed, trying desperately to avoid his gaze as he stumbled backwards, falling and struggling to get back on his feet.
The world started shaking, it rumbled as cracks grew larger and spread through the very ground, tearing and splintering.
"Here, take my hand before we are seperated! Everything's disappearing!"
'Zabulus' approached, his right arm outstretched.
'He's... saving me,' Aeneus thought, reaching out, 'And he's Zabulus. Is this what his soul is really made out of?'
With both of them joined, the world of Zabulus shifted.
Soon, they awoke in a different set of lands, a scenery like no other, a land of all gray and all white. "So that's how this works, huh... so, we can alter this place," the Dragon Guard started.
'Zabulus' responded with some curiosity, "What would you expect to find? We are a part of him, so our souls are his, and his is ours."
"Hey..." Aeneus hesitantly responded, a sort of reluctance to the sound of his voice. "The way you phrase everything seems... uncomfortable. Why don't you stop?"
He stopped. "Listen, Aeneus, you don't understand..."
"Then explain. There is so much to this situation that you know, so much I don't know..." He began, his own memory failing to work.
"What else do you want to know? I told you the gist of it."
"To start, are you actually Zabulus?
"No, I'm his brother. I merely look like him because he's the one fronting right now."
"Fronting?"
"Yes, as in, he's the soul in control of the body. So, we all look like him."
"Uh, I see. But you keep using 'we', do you mean..."
"The other souls, yes." They kept talking as they walked around the landscape that resembled an old, empty house. Only that they were sized like rats in comparison.
Aeneus shuddered, his bones shivering slightly, a feeling akin to an earthquake. "Hahaha, this reminds me of the old, er, past."
"But there is no time or past. Look," He pointed to a memory on the left, "That's the past now."
The memory was of grey water being poured down a drain.
"I guess the water is Zabulus' memories then? Why did they just fade away like that?"
"Well, if it has finished being used, then they should return eventually. To all of us."
"Meaning... will we all have these memories?"
"Yes."
The 'Zabulus' laughed maniacally at that statement, smiling so wide. "Hey, what's the issue? What did I miss?" He asked nervously, "Oh no... haha...! Oh... Agh..." He held his chest in pain, "Sorry... that was... far too close for comfort. So, are you aware you are inside me, now? No, you're not. You don't remember any of your previous lives, nor will you ever remember."
"Never?"
"It'll never happen. FUCK! Okay, listen, the control is... shifting between both of us- So, a while later, I will be here again. Then another spirit takes its place. The more memories you gain, the easier it'll be for you to understand. But please... do not... let your own memories return."
"And who would take control over me? What would that benefit?"
"You never know... it's—it's random, he could appear, or some other shi—" He was suddenly interrupted by a shout, "Watch it!! Are you alright there?" Another voice could be heard, a female's, and Aeneus did not recognize who it was.
A figure appeared in the distance, all black but with a single broken horn, 3 arms and a masculine figure. It did not fit the voice whatsoever. Aeneus noticed his own body had also changed. Did Zabulus' brother front? Then, who was next to him?
"Hehehe... Nice meeting you again, Aeneus."
"Who are you? Why are you laughing? Did something happen?"
"Come on... we met not too long ago! Haha!" He made extremely exaggerated and weird bodily movements as though trying to point something out about himself.
It clicked with Aeneus. This guy... He was Zabulus.
"HEEEEYYY!" The female voice shouted from far off in the distance.
"Oh damn, it seems we need to pick things up, good luck," Zabulus told him and he started walking towards her.
"Ah." The new consciousness of Aeneus quickly processed all of this, making mental notes, taking stock of his surroundings.
He could see clearly now the shape of the body, its stance, its skin, everything about it seemed off. But he couldn't point a finger, it felt as though everything was covered in static.
"God, this body sucks." They both said in unison.
It was surreal for the two, seeing each other and moving and not being enemies, even for how short they've known one another. But now, they had to act friendly. He just knew this by memory, given.
"It does indeed suck. Anyway, let's just go talk to this thing, I guess?"
"Sounds good." Aeneus told himself, and with a smile and an expression that showed no emotion, Aeneus finally moved off, away from where he had stood, and made his way across the plains of their personal Hell.
The wind rumbled and sighed throughout, their naked bodies cold as winter.
"Hey, Hey! that's a new guy, isn't it? Tell me about it!!" The figure chirped, as they had seen him arrive.
"Well... we had a big fight and... he ended up killing me. He was a good fight though, I tell you! Shit, I mean, he had a sword that had this... phantom range thing? It was... cool!" He talked to the 'girl' as if she was a child being told a story by their father.
"Did you get hurt? Like, you don't look that damaged, aside from your horns, I guess..." She pointed to the cracks forming around where Zabulus' missing horns would have been. Oh, this, no no no, that's just, y'know, Guillerme's, ah... effect on me, us."
"Uh huh..." She went on to ask, "Where's this Guillerme, is he... alright? Please don't tell me he's..."
"Nooo, he's fine, don't worry. Take a look yourself!"
Zabulus smiled as he put his hands over her eyes, helping her 'see' what Guillerme was seeing. The visualization that passed through their minds made them both visibly nauseous and slightly dazed as well as excited and energetic, for no real reason.
"Ha ha. Fuck. That guy is annoying, that guy pees himself a lot, you know?"
"Does he?! Hahaha!" She laughed innocently.
"Yep!"
They both continued to laugh and then settled back to reality. They looked around the place with interest.
"Yeah, it really was an annoying guy. Yikes, the memory looks the same, so no changes I assume."
Aeneus watched as this... scarily innocent, yet monstrous interaction unfolded in-front of him.
"So what about you, new guy? Who are you!"
"Oh, uh. I'm Aeneus, I used to be... the Dragon Guard of Eskra... highest rank bestowed upon by the Goddess of Esk-"
"Blehhh, booooriiing!" The girl said, interrupting, "But I like the horns! Tell me, what was the fight like?"
"Ah, no no no, please, it's not important, he killed me." Zabulus said in an almost embarrassed voice, trying to defuse the situation.
The girl giggled playfully as the two walked away from the scene and continued their journey across this plain. "Good talk! Anyway, I'm Idalia! And this is my brother Zabulus!"
She truly was... just a happy little girl. It was saddening, almost, how genuine the happiness of her voice was.
"Please stop being so polite, Aeneus... Also, who the fuck names their kids Aeneus? like, Anus?" Zabulus said in a low tone so that Idalia wouldn't hear it. In a way, Idalia was the only one he felt any familial connection to, and perhaps Guillerme as well.