Cole's Story; The TWILIGHT PIERCER

Chapter 3; A Voice in the Sand

            "AAA – OOF!" With a shout and a loud groan, Cole smacked into the ground again, his body going numb with pain as he laid there, sprawled on the smooth, stone floor for a few moments.

"I told you to hold on." The voice made a sort of 'tsk tsk' noise as Cole managed to rise up from the ground. "C'mon, you don't have much time."

"Y'know, it's not every day you get thrown down a magical hole into some other world." Cole groaned as he stood up. "And what do you mean, we don't have much time?"

"Your body can't withstand how my world works." The voice began to resonate a little further away. "Follow my voice and I'll tell you more – and be quick."

Cole gave a nod into the stony cave ahead. He hopped off the small platform he'd landed on and followed the voice.

"Hold up." Cole realized he had open-gloves on, and his body felt slightly heavier. He looked down and realized that he now donned combat boots, seemingly thicker, darker jeans and a breast-plate gleamed in the torchlight upon his chest. "How does falling down a hole change what I'm wearing?"

"If you'll listen for a minute, you might just learn something." Cole stuck close to the voice as they traversed further into the cavern. "When someone travels worlds, the path they take tends to change themselves into a reflection of their subconscious."

"Alright... doesn't make sense, but okay." As they continued to walk, Cole began to feel a bit tired.

"As for where you are, you're in my world. This world is parallel to your own, or Earth, as you call it."

"Is it all just caves?" Cole felt stupid asking that – as soon as the words had come out the voice snorted.

"Heavens, boy. Our worlds aren't quite different. Of course, it's divided differently, and as you in your world call them, our 'laws of physics' are similar, but different in many cases."

Cole only nodded, trying to process this info as the torchlight began to bounce off several crystals hanging from the ceiling and protruding from the walls of the cavern.

"Okay. So let me get this straight – I somehow got to this World by... touching a broom handle, and because of 'the way it works', or whatever, I'm donned in the garb of a Hero, and now I'm doing what exactly?"

"You're right, and what you're doing is quite simple, but we haven't much time. Tell me, Cole, are you feeling tired by chance?" The voice hit home – Cole had been growing more tired every few steps.

"Yeah...? What's up with that? I slept really darn good last night."

"Your body is slowly being drained by my world. Your spirit isn't in tune with it, and such, the very energy flowing within you is being drained by the moment."

"Well, shoot! Get me out of here then!" Cole was growing nervous – he didn't want to die in some random cave.

"It's not all Doom and Gloom. Finally, we're here!" The Voice caused Cole to look further up. There was a Stairway leading up to some sort of stone altar. "Quickly, up to that Altar if you want to live, Cole!"

He didn't need to be told twice. Cole quickly sprinted up the steps. When he got to the Altar, though, it was devoid of anything.

"Okay, was there supposed to be something here?" He was beginning to panic – he started to feel woozier.

"Cole, before you can go any further, I need to tell you why I brought you here." In a bright flash, a ghostly, cloaked figure appeared in front of him, its' face obscured in the darkness. "That Broom handle you grabbed is in its' true form, and is strapped to your back."

"What do you mean, my..." Slowly, Cole reached his right hand back, and his fingers wrapped around a leather-bound hilt. "What the..."

With a slow pull, Cole held a sword that was two feet of wicked metal, radiating with a bright energy.

"The Darkness Diminisher." The voice began speaking, "Alone, a powerful blade, but united with the Light Harbinger, together they form a sword of true power... the same power that has weakened me."

Cole nodded slowly; his gaze still stuck on the blade. "So why... why bring me here?"

"Cole, I brought you here to save me. There's something truly powerful inside of you that can let you bring the two blades together. Please... I ask of you to bring the two together and save me."

Cole could only stare. Him? Some sort of hero? He just couldn't wrap his head around it, but in that moment, he began struggling to stand up, his body growing weaker and weaker.

"But I'm just... a normal guy – I'm not cut out to do this sort of thing!" Cole gasped as he fell to his knees.

"But you are. Neither of us has much time left. I'm going to use what energy I have left and it will protect you in this world. Please, Cole... Unite the Swords..."

Cole was panicking. "But how!? I... I can't do this on my own!" He could only gawk as The Voice practically exploded into a cloud of dust.

"You're not on your own... Now point your sword at the Altar..." He did as he was told, finding the strength in his arms to point his blade at the Altar. When he did, a beam of light shot out of it, and upwards.

"Find Sariel... he knows... more..." In a flash, the golden dust The Voice became shot into the Altar, and a thundering boom came out of it, nearly knocking Cole down the stairs.

"Sariel...?" His question fell on deaf ears. As the light settled down, a new object was sitting on the Altar, a faint light radiating off of it.

"The Ancient Hourglass... It can protect someone in a World that is not their own. Take it Cole... and guard it with your life." After that, the voice faded for good.

In one swift motion, Cole's hands reached out to the Hourglass. Its' top and bottom appeared to be made out of fine, red stone with patterns, and gem-like ridges. Within, the golden sand shone with power.

"Whoa!" As soon as Cole touched the Ancient Hourglass, he felt all of his energy come flooding back at once. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Cole noticed that as soon as his fingers connected with the Hourglass, the sand in the top had started flowing down, but not at a very fast pace. "Thanks, Voice...?" He got no response.

Stepping down from the Altar, Cole looked around the cavern, the Torchlight bouncing off the walls.

"Now where to find Sariel..." As if on some sort of cue, as soon as Cole said the name, a rumbling sounded near the Altar. He watched as a section of the wall crumbled away revealing a dimly lit tunnel that seemingly got brighter towards the end. "Question Answered..."

Cole sheathed his sword, fumbling for a moment before it returned to the scabbard. Hourglass in hand, Cole stepped into the tunnel, having to crouch a bit as he made his way closer to the light, a sudden light gust of wind hitting him as he got closer and closer to what appeared to be the outside world.

With one final step, Cole was out, and he could only gasp in awe at what he saw.