I floated disoriented and confused in a shadowy void, shrouded in darkness.
There were no landmarks, no floor, walls or ceiling, nothing to indicate my location or distance, so I simply remained.
How much time had passed?
It was uncertain, nothing made sense, there was no way to measure time. There was no sun, no moon, no hourglasses or grandfather clocks.
I tried to scream for help, but I had no voice, no mouth, no teeth, no tongue or throat. Nothing would come out of my being, no matter how much I struggled, for there was no body to inhabit.
What happened to me?
Strangely, a cozy calm settled on my nonexistent shoulders like a soft, warm blanket.
Momentarily, I remembered my childhood, where my dear and loving mother would tuck me in to bed, telling me stories, searching for monsters in my room, or comforting me after a nightmare.
Oh, I never said goodbye properly. An argument was our last interaction before I ran away from home due to a foolish dream. Will I ever see her again?
What I wouldn't give to go back. Retrace my steps. Take a different path and make different choices. Not make the same mistakes. Tell her how much I loved her. Tell her how sorry I was…
The logical side that made up my bizarre incorporeal existence warned me that something was wrong, a tingling in my invisible head.
Suddenly, numbness ran through my essence and the memories I held so dearly and fondly turned to gray.
I was aware that this was worrying and what I should feel in this situation, fear, despair, anger, and more, but apathy was what took over.
I watched as my memories became monotonous and colorless, starting with the earliest childhood memories and moving toward the most recent moments.
I watched my life unfold, my moments of joy, anger, and sadness, my fears, mistakes, and embarrassments, my highs and lows.
I remembered every hug and compliment, every scolding and frown of disapproval, every fall and cry.
I saw people who had disappeared from my life, their existences remembered in this moment of revelation.
I should miss my family, but I am unable to.
Nothing was left out. The outside perspective revealed all my flaws to me.
An obedient little girl trying to please everyone, blind to her imperfections. Too bad it's impossible to change that now.
Everything was melting away into nothing, like candle wax slowly melting, leaving a void similar to the one I was traveling in.
Was this death? Wandering through eternal darkness towards nonexistence? Where was what I was taught? Where was Alll-mer? Where was the paradise we were promised? Have I been deceived my whole life?
Fear never came, despair became unknown, sadness and revolt disappeared from my vocabulary.
One, two, three…
I counted the invalid seconds in a futile attempt to concentrate, giving up and falling silent moments or eternities later.
Then I returned to my transient, insensitive state, waiting for what would come next.
W̷̨̰̫̻̼͉̟͕̊̐̀̐ä̸̩́́͌̔͑̿̏̿̃̀̅̏̔́̑͘k̵̡̯̦̙̖̰̠̣̪̞̝̠̭̰̠̈́̓͒̚e̶͍̭͇̮̰͍̦̹̳̘̪̱͜͜͠ ̸͉͒͠ŭ̸͙͐̄͂̄͗̉͒̐̔̏̚͝͠͝p̷͙̞̠͎̼̝̙̙͈̈́͋͛͒̏̒̎̀̈́̊͒͒̇̈́!̴̡̨͔͎̜̼̺̩̼̭̩̩̙͕́͜
A powerful whisper reverberated through the void, shaking its foundation, the blinding light of a thousand suns drove away the gloom, and gathering every ounce of power and determination I had left, I opened my eyes.
-XXXXXX-
"GASP!" I woke up with my lungs screaming for air, analyzing my surroundings with wide eyes and a confused face soaked in sweat.
A battle instinct strengthened by years of combat forced me to search for a weapon when I found myself in an unfamiliar place, a dark, damp and suffocating rocky chamber.
It was only after I stood up with trembling legs and an aching body that I realized the familiarity of the environment.
Everything came back like a war hammer blow to my head and I grabbed the air near the scabbard at my waist, mentally kicking myself as I remembered the fate of my sword, seeing its fragments shining faintly on the filthy floor.
But if I'm still alive then that means...
I wasted no time and raised both hands, assuming a combat stance as I searched for my opponent.
I frowned as pain assaulted my mind and eyes, the walls seemed to spin, showing me their twisted surface and glimpses of the corpses of beasts, an armored giant, a dark beast, and a worried child standing next to something.
I squinted my eyes, focusing on that something, and there it was, Micolash sitting on the floor and against one of the cave walls, next to a walkway of rock and wood over the dark abyss.
I couldn't see his face, but he displayed a disconcerting casualness in his posture and actions compared to what had occurred.
His legs were crossed, like the meditating statues I had heard about in the Eastern Sanctuaries.
He stroked the head of the child who remained seated between his legs, now helmetless, imitating his position while holding a rag doll with both hands, shaking it slightly or moving its limbs.
In a stomach-churning display, Micolash removed a small piece of flesh from the corpse of the beast beside him, tearing it off with a wet, slurping sound, and carrying it toward what I assumed was its mouth, before stopping and tossing it to the ghostly rats waiting at his feet.
The rodents' spirits fought over the piece, squealing and scratching at each other before tearing it into three parts, devouring their respective portions.
Then he tore off a larger piece with disturbing ease, using it to attract the attention of his wolf, whose head and tail excitedly followed the swing of his arm, like a trained pet.
With a throw, the piece of flesh closed the distance toward the animal, which leaped and bit it out of the air in a single, precise movement, sinking its misshapen fangs into its master's gift.
It was no different from the wolves of nature in this case, tearing large pieces and devouring them in a few bites while dragging him to his corner.
The great knight was the only one who did not act, similar to a statue next to Micolash.
For the moment, I did not know how to act, I had witnessed horror after horror since my arrival in this hell, but never something so contrasting, wrong, but indifferent to everyone.
I had my back to the exit and I imagined that I could escape and find a weapon if I was fast enough, not to continue the fight, I was alive and I would not ruin this chance.
I moved with light steps, or at least I tried, the armor and fatigue made it difficult for me to escape. Strangely, I did not feel the pain of my injuries and I would not waste time checking them now.
CRACK!
I immediately flinched as I crushed a small rock beneath my feet and felt a pang in my heart as all eyes focused on me.
The knight didn't react and the wolf watched me disinterestedly before returning to eating, but Micolash was the one that worried me the most.
He stopped immediately, with one hand on the girl's head and the other in the air.
The eyes on his arm turned towards me one by one, watching me intensely as they blinked at different intervals.
His head moved seconds later, slowly turning, revealing his glowing yellow eyes to me.
I braced myself for combat, but the threat I expected never came. He seemed to whisper something to the child as he handed her something.
Nodding, the girl put on her helmet, stood up and walked towards me without the fear she had shown at our first meeting.
As she approached, I noticed the leather armor and the bloody dagger she was carrying, along with the light wounds where there was exposed skin.
Has she been fighting since we parted?
She stopped in front of me and raised her head, staring at me with her yellowish eyes that pierced the depths of my soul and her emotionless face like that of a painting.
A shiver ran through my body, I never imagined that I would fear a child, but her current appearance belonged to horror stories.
However, her next actions contradicted my assumptions, handing me a bread while smiling weakly before returning to her father's lap.
I said thank you, but received no response, so I just sat in a dark corner and rummaged through the leather bag at my waist, removing some cheese and mushrooms for my meal.
I choked in disgust at the taste, the ingredients were old and it wasn't the best combination to eat raw, but it had to do.
In the meantime, I pondered what my next move would be.
Le'garde had disappeared and I didn't feel like looking for him, not after everything that had happened before and after we entered the dungeon.
The senseless slaughter of the innocents, his growing obsession with the occult, his imprisonment in the dungeon, what was the point of all this?
The red-haired foreigner harbored a burning hatred for Le'garde, was he related to one of the victims?
The Dark Priest mentioned something about a cube that Le'garde possessed, what was so important about that?
The mercenary seemed to be the only one without ulterior motives, wanting the reward for the rescue
Our arrival here was too coincidental to be pure chance. There was something going on here, some bigger plan, but what was I supposed to do, leave or move forward?
Hump! For once there is no one giving me orders and I don't know how to act. D'arce, you really are a trained dog, aren't you?
I was pulled from my thoughts by a movement in the corner of my vision.
Micolash had gotten up and was now dragging the remains of the fallen creature's corpse towards the end of the walkway, throwing it into the abyss.
CRUNCH!
CRACK!
I raised a questioning eyebrow as I heard sounds of chewing, flesh tearing and bones breaking.
Morbid curiosity burned in my chest and I struggled to decide whether to check or not.
Against all odds, I stood up and approached the walkway, for I was tired of remaining ignorant to the mysteries that surrounded me.
I spotted Micolash reading something in the strange grimoire attached to his left arm by a green tentacle, far from the worst thing I had seen, but still worrying.
I had no love for magic, much less for that of unknown pagan Gods, but the Priest's words echoed in my mind.
As much as I hated to admit it, there was a lot I didn't know.
Are there other true Gods besides Alll-mer? Is Micolash being watched by them?
I heard his whispers as I approached, but his words made no sense to me.
"Hm… Ssso the removed mechanicsss still work…"
Mechanics?
Suddenly, he turned on his heel and walked past me in a hurried pace, making me recoil in surprise, completely ignoring my presence and dragging the remaining corpse into the abyss.
CRUNCH!
CRACK!
"What are you doing?" I jumped slightly at my words, not expecting to utter them so quickly, much less for them to be answered.
"I'm incrrreasing my affinity with the God of the Depthsss." Micolash replied as he pointed to something below.
For a moment, I thought he was mocking me, but his expressionless face and monotonous voice revealed otherwise, so I swallowed my fears and advanced along the walkway, feeling my stomach sink at what I saw in the darkness.
A massive, toothy mouth, with swollen yellow lips and crooked teeth of a lighter shade, connected to a large purple head, the rest of whose probably even larger body rested out of sight.
My breathing quickened and a tremor ran through me. I swallowed hard, licking my lips as the words died in my mouth.
My chest felt like it would explode, struggling to stay upright in the face of such a monstrosity.
THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! THIS CANNOT BE A GOD! AN ABOMINATION OF SUCH SIZE IS A DEITY?! THE WORLD IS LOST IF SUCH A BEING IS WORSHIPPED! ARE THERE MORE OF THEM HERE?! WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?! ARE THEY LISTENING TO US?! WATCHING US?! ALL-MER PROTECT ME! ALL-MER… ALLL-MER… ALLL-MER IS ONE OF THEM?! EVERYTHING I KNOW IS A LIE?! I PRAYED AND BEGGED TO A MONSTROSITY?!
"This is the God of the Depthsss…"
I nearly broke my neck as I turned my head, focusing my horrified face on the solid one of Micolash, whose casual pose reminded me of my childhood tutors.
His red-painted face and inhuman features covered by a tangle of dark hair were frightening, but his lack of emotion demonstrated a calm that did not belong here.
I wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him, demanding answers and asking if he had gone mad, but I guess we all have gone mad in this endless abyss.
That idea died as he continued his explanation.
"...Born from the Green Hue, the primordial sssoup of life, a place where time and ssspace mean nothing, the birthplace of the Old Godsss who embody fundamental conceptsss of the world. He embodies the concepts of rrrevulsion and inescapable darknesss, being worshipped by few, those considered forgotten and abandoned, like insectsss, or outcastsss of sssociety, taking theirrr ability to think as a mercy againssst the pain caused by reality and free will. Unlike the other Old Godsss whose traces roam the world, this is the true God, with his organsss ssscattered throughout the dungeon, constantly changing its layout, or so I thought."
I had trouble processing his words, a true God, an Old God of forgotten religions no less, was in front of me in flesh and blood.
The corners of my vision darkened and my stomach churned, I turned back the way I came and emptied the contents of my stomach onto the floor.
This was too much! I couldn't take it anymore! I... I needed to get out of here!
A comforting hand on my back did little to help me, as I turned to see Micolash chewing on a piece of raw meat.
"HOW CAN YOU EAT THAT?!" I demanded, stumbling to one of the walls where I weakly supported myself, trying and failing to regain my composure.
"I learned the Devourrr ssskill, so it doesn't bother me anymore." He shrugged as if there was nothing wrong.
"Y-you learned it?! What do you mean?! Cannibalism isn't something you learn overnight!"
"Cannibalism only countsss if it's between beingsss of the same speciesss. I doubt the Moonlesss Guardsss can be considered humansss, and before you ask, yes, that's the name of the enemies we faced."
"Enough jokes, I demand answers! What happened to this dungeon?! What happened to you?! Why is everyone so interested in Le'gard and a damn cube?! How do you always know the name of things you've never seen before, what to say and where to go?! Tell me the truth, no matter how ugly, I can take it! I'm tired of being ignorant!"
I stopped with an accusing finger pointed at his face, whose serpentine eyes closed sideways, with the ones on his arm doing the same at different intervals.
His silence worried me and I scolded myself for hostile to the one who almost killed me.
The girl could have saved me, but there was no reason for us to be allies. I was at a disadvantage here.
I saw the exit out of the corner of my eye and prepared to flee as Micolash took a deep breath, but instead of an attack, I heard a heavy, tired sigh.
Clasping his hands behind his back, he fixed me with a hesitant gaze before replacing it with determination.
"To begin with, my new appearance is due to the side effectsss of a new ssspell, the price to acquire more powerrr. Now for the more pressing matter… Times are changing, D'arce, the Old Godsss and their tracesss are more active than ever, even after abandoning humanity. The God of the Deepsss is responsible for corrupting the dungeon, changing its form and creating the darknesss that makes us hungry, drives us mad, and creates most of the monstersss we face. Gro-gorrroth's tracesss rest in the stomach of the aforementioned God, and Sssylvian's swim in the Green Hue, while the servantsss of the Moon God stalk the passages that surround usss."
"W-why is this happening?!"
This was only getting worse. It felt like my heart would stop at any moment. Oh, what kind of chaos I have become involved in, no mortal should be placed in such a situation, much less in a game of Gods beyond their comprehension.
"Hm… An Assscended God will soon be born within the wallsss of this dungeon, bringing about a new world order. However, the Old and New Godsss present do not wish to have their reignsss overthrown and their influence and power diminished, so they have started all this chaosss to stop the flow of destiny. Our arrival has already been decided, however, not our future, we may die, several Godsss may arise or none at all, we may return home with our mindsss and willsss broken, the possibilities are endlesss. And how do I know what I know…"
Micolash's gaze drifted to the ceiling in deep thought.
"…I had visionsss…"
"Visions?"
"Yes, like Enki, the Dark Priest, I had visionsss revealed to me by powerful entitiesss. I use the knowledge revealed to me by them to plan my stepsss, knowing what to say, do, and acquire to ensure the desired rrresult, but although I know about the future, I do not know the final outcome, for dessstiny is like a turbulent ocean."
"Tell me everything, please, I need to know!"
What was my purpose here?! Just a pawn?! A toy?! Or could I make a difference?! Would I die soon or live long enough to grow old?!
"Do you need it or want it? Or do you believe you want it but fearrr the truth? I can reveal everything to you, but it would ssshake your faith and worldview. Your reaction to the God of the Depthsss speaks volumes."
I… Did I really want to know? I could remain blissful ignorant or face the cruel truth. He was offering me a choice, was I ready to finally take control of my life and decide something for myself?
I took a deep breath, readjusting my posture, ignoring my churning stomach and aching head, regaining what little dignity I had left to give him a determined look and answer his question.
"Tell me everything."
"Very well, but you better sit down, because there's going to be a long ssstory. Prepare to forget everything you've learned about Godsss and the world." Micolash nodded solemnly. "Madeleine, come here, this is sssomething you need to know too."
The child, now identified as Madeleine, waved excitedly and sat down next to her father, waiting for the explanation with a smile.
I laughed lightly, a mixture of surprise, joy and nervousness. They acted as if they were on the outside world, as if all this was normal. Maybe they've gone crazy, or maybe I have. Maybe this is the new normal or they've adapted well to the environment.
Ha, in a world of madmen, the sane ones are the mad! They did the right thing, accepting and thriving, you, on the other hand, are about to break! What a great knight you are, defeated by a child and a sorcerer who doesn't know how to fight!
Then Micolash began his explanation, of the origin of the universe and the birthplace of the Old Gods, the concepts they embodied and much more.
With each word spoken and truth revealed, I felt revolt and denial coursing through my veins.
I lost count of how many times I wanted to question him, to call him a heretic, but the seriousness in his words, the level of detail, left little to question.
I could not help but notice the changes in his attitude during the explanation.
Micolash seemed much calmer and more collected, rarely showing emotion, maintaining an upright and regal posture, even his vocabulary had become more formal.
He had become so different, where was the nervous but smiling young man I had known?
Madeleine, the wolf and the knight seemed to be the only ones who got any kind of reaction out of him.
So the conversation continued, getting to the points of the Ascended Gods and the New Gods, and as I learned their history, I could not help but grit my teeth in fury.
END OF CHAPTER