Mom… Dad…
"Wakey wakey little godling." A voice echoed in my ears, breaking me out of my slumber. It was followed by the chirps of birds, sounds of people chattering and… clanking of chains.
I sat up straight, rubbing my eyes. Where was I? What was going on? When my senses returned I felt something heavy on my wrists. Something cold, like meta—
As soon as I realised what it was, I jolted out of my half asleep state. Looking around it was clear. I was in some sort of cage. Chains on my hands, a pool of white armour surrounding me.
"I got caught? How? What was I doing— Ahh shit! My head is still fuzzy." I groaned.
"Heck why was I asleep in the first place? I was escaping the Orfred corps,made it out of the forest and then… Then what?"
"Had a nice nap little godling?" The same voice from earlier pulled me out of my thoughts.
I looked around, my eyes landing on his skeletal figure. Slouching lazily on top of the cage.
"How long was a asleep for— Heck! before that why the hell did I suddenly collapse?" I asked, irritated.
"Now, now, no need to get angry. You simply faced what we call 'essence exertion'."
"Essence exertion?" I questioned.
"Well." He said, jumping down from the cage, onto the chariot that was carrying me.
"To put it simply essence exertion happens when you try to control more essence than your body can handle."
"Imagine this, your body is an elastic shell and essence is a liquid. Now if you continuously pore the liquid into the shell, it will rupture at some point right? That's what happened to you." He continued, pacing from one corner of the chariot to the other. Each step making the rotten floor board creak.
"This would usually be fatal in mortals but one of the fun things about being a God is that your shell can actually expand and hold more essence each time you reach the limit. The only side effect being exhaustion."
"And you knew this could happen." I said, narrowing my eyes.
He looked around, wiping off fake sweat from his forehead.
"Well… yes?" He said, giving me a nervous smile.
I was mad. Very mad, but ultimately sucked it all in. I was in big trouble and getting heated up wasn't going to solve anything.
"Ahhh! This is so damn frustrating. Got any ideas to get me out?" I asked, laying flat down on the cold metal floor of the cage. Peeking out at the guards marching next to me.
Just a while ago I had killed one of them. An innocent kid who was simply looking out for his thankless family. Was my life worth the cost of his? I mean if I am going to die anyways wouldn't it have been better to simply not kill him?
Was I really any better than the gods who tore apart my family? I didn't even know his name. All I saw was a threat. Just like they saw me. Just like they saw my father."
Six good men lost to this pathetic bastard. Just you wait you will be begging for death before we're through with you, slum rat." The harsh words of one of the soldiers broke me out from m self loathing.
"Captain Rudriger's gone mad, and they're dragging us around for this little bastard? Let's just kill him and be done with it." Another one commented, his voice almost sounded like he was scared.
"You know we can't do that. It's up to the lord to decide his fate, but be rest assured his death will be excruciating at the very least." The sub captain shouted, sitting on top of Rudriger's horse. Rudriger himself was sitting behind him, his face pale and lifeless. Occasionally murmuring something, as drool dripped from his open mouth.
The Fool continued his antics, passing of random remarks about how I was going to die and shit, till he suddenly got serious. Passing straight through the cage. He came right up in my face,
"Say Cairith. You want to live right?"
I flinched a little seeing him pass through the gates seamlessly, but nodded on hearing the question.
"The chances of you living are slim, but not impossible. I am sure by now you know that even if you were to somehow escape for now, which is another monumental task on its own, it won't take long for them to catch up."
"I already know that, cut the crap and tell me the way out."
He smiled a little, his painted red lips glistening under the sunlight.
"The only way out is taking my offer. Take the eyes of the forgotten, have the ghosts hunt them all down."
He twisted his head, whispering into my ears,
"The choice is simple Cairith. It's either your life or theirs. Which do you think carries more weight. A few hundred mortal soldiers or a God who will reign over All."
The Fool's words echoed in my head, each syllable biting into me like a dull knife. Your life or theirs. A few hundred mortal soldiers or a God who will reign over All.
I stared at my bloodied hands, the faint scent of iron mixing with the rusted tang of the chains on my wrists. The chariot beneath me creaked and groaned, rocking with every uneven bump on the dirt road. The rhythmic stomping of boots surrounded me, their polished white armour flashing like cruel reminders of how helpless I was.
Was it really that simple?
I wanted to scoff at the Fool's smug grin, but I couldn't shake his words. My chest tightened. My throat burned as if his question had lodged itself there, demanding an answer I wasn't ready to give. I closed my eyes, trying to drown out the sound of marching soldiers, trying to still my shaking hands.
The faces came unbidden. First, my father—torn apart, bloodied, screaming in his final moments. Then… the boy from the forest. His face was softer, younger. There had been no anger, no cruelty in his eyes—just fear. I'd killed him anyway. I didn't even know his name. Didn't care. All I saw was a threat.
Was I any better than the gods who tore apart my family? No, a part of me whispered.
You'r worse.
I wanted to reject his offer with every fibre of my body, but in the end all I could muster was…
"Fine."
A little squeak, a whisper, a single word but that lone word carried weight heavier than a mountain.
The Fools smile turned into a large grin slipping into laughter as the world around us shattered. We were back where we first met. An empty void. Devoid of life and hope.
He turned towards me, holding out his hand.
"Here, come Cairith. Together. We will show those pathetic mortals. Those infuriating gods what TRUE FEAR MEANS." his voice cracked, as a vial, treacherous laugh escaped his throat.
Before I realised my hands were gravitated towards his, I tried to hold them back. To not make a mistake that might change my life forever, but it was too late…
Our hands touched, energy serged into me, filling me up. Warm and pleasant at first but it soon turned cold, a chill crawled up my spine. Terrible memories filled me up. It felt as if ice itself was stabbing my heart.
That's when I heard it. A wail, as if someone was crying. I looked out into the endless void, no one. That's when I heard another one. Only closer. I turned around. The Fool was gone, no where to be seen. Suddenly something ran past me, the air was cool in the area where they had passed through.
What was going on?
With the blink of an eye I was back home. In my estate. Lying on the couch. My eyes were heavy, sleepy.
Ahh I feel like sleeping.
My eyelids started to close, just as my mother entered from the corridor, singing my favourite lullaby.
"Come little kid where are you now. We are friends and we'll go run around…" she continued singing as she crouched near me. Her smile was bright. Her scent as sweet as roses.
"Pacing through the valleys and mountains out…" she continued singing, patting my hair. Her hands… her hands felt cold for some reason.
Wait. This isn't right. What was I…
Ahh who cares… I feel too sleepy.
"DON'T LET MY SACRIFICE GO TO WASTE" my dads voice boomed in my ears, jolting me awake.
Eyes wide, I looked at my mothers face, her smile was normal, but her eyes… they— they were gone. Replaced by an endless void spiralling as purple fog oozed out.
Before I could react my mother. No, that creatures mouth opened wide, impossibly wide. It's sharp razor like teeth staring at me.
It roared. The noise enough to deafen me. Thats when it took a bite. I screamed in pain, trying to run but for some reason I was no longer capable of moving. As if my limbs lacked the strength.
Thats when several horrifying beasts poured out of… well everywhere, chomping down on me. Each bite, more painful than the previous, as if they were taking out chunks of my soul itself, ripping my essence.
Among them I saw him. The Fool, smiling. As if he was enjoying it.
Just like a devil.
That was the last thing I saw before my vision faded out…
When I finally came to. The Fool was next to me, playing with a coin in his fingers.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME" I shouted, my body still aching, a burning sensation in my left eye. As if it had been plucked out. A sense of violation ripping through my body.
"Look in front of you." He said with a grim look.
"This is what you call the world of the dead." He continued as I bogged my face ahead.
The vision in front of me was…
Tragic.
Mutilated corpses, dead and pale bodies, broken souls with chains on their limbs and necks. They were like ants dotting the endless void, filled with broken buildings and desolate markets. As if a wasteland that was forsaken to the devils.
"Those corpses are what you call 'detached'," the Fool said, standing up.
"And you Cairith are the lone 'tethered' in this world of the lost."