DOOM SAGA I - I'll be home tomorrow

1 John 4:1

Jekkad

DAY 151

"Fuck, fuckfuckfuck!", she spat through gnashed teeth as she bolted around another corner.  Three days. It had taken her three fucking days, and yet she had not found the promised path into the Blood Swamps. And as additional luck, she had gained the Inhabitants attention. Being bound to the ground gave her a big disadvantage as they followed her eagerly.  Sleep had been unthankful and the tiredness and pain in her belly hadn't made it easier for her to find her way back on track. She had to get around closed doors, moving bridges and flying platforms that were hovering in the nothingness. She had not spent a thought on all of this, how and why were questions that would never be answered. She just accepted everything and tried her best not to panic. Her muscles were burning but her goal was finally in sight. At the end of the long flat path in front of her, she saw what looked like a big - a really really big - broken window. Behind lay a dark and dead landscape.
She did no longer falter. Only one chance. The People following her slowed. She was still running, even quickening her pace. With all her strength she pushed off the ledge. Her feet found nothing at the other end. Her stomach churned. She fell a couple of meters straight down before her body hit a slant, the left hip taking most of the force. She slipped down unstopped before falling over an edge again. Ten meters down she landed with her left foot first, her knee bent awkwardly on the uneven ground before her head hit the floor. A scream left her lung before blacking out.

On the cold stone floor, she lay and writhed in agony when she awakened. She managed to crawl behind a broken stone pillar and out of sight. Her clothes were still soaked in sweat and she had barely any water left. She had no idea how much time had passed or what came next. At least she hadn't landed on the surface of Jekkad. In real Hell. The demons might be gone but monsters still existed. She peeked around the pillar and saw blackened dead trees gathering to become a forest further in. It couldn't be far from here. She had only one protein bar left from her stash and she kept it for later. Besides the piercing pain in her leg, she felt comparably fine. Using the calm moment she took off her shoes, the heels of her socks were soaked in the blood of the open blisters. Her toes felt numb and stiff. She layered a few strips of cloth bandages around her feet and put the socks on the outside of her bag to dry. The wet of the blood would only irritate her skin further.
She pulled herself up on the structure and scanned the area. These monuments were the biggest ones yet. Ruins of what once had been a castle. But in between the ruin and her was a nightmarish forest. Puddles and a thick mist hung over everything. A barren landscape void of life. Only a minute into the forest, searching for dry land o walk on, she heard whispers. Every time she turned around no one was there but she was absolutely sure she had heard them. She ignored it and walked on. Hours later she felt like she was standing at the beginning again. She was getting frustrated and the constant whispers robbed her last nerve. Her pants were drenched in mud up to her hips from wading in the swamps. Her legs trembled from exhaustion.
"What the fuck do you want from me?! I'm just trying to find the way to the Tomb of souls!  If you don't want me here then-"
A bright ghost stood right behind her as she turned furiously. She nearly tripped and fell as the woman watched her. From all over more of them appeared. Many of them seemed to be former Sentinels with full-on armour, the rest... civilians. One of the Sentinels walked closer to the woman. He extended his hand to her and hesitating for a moment she obliged. His hand wasn't cold or dead at all. For the time of a lightning strike, she saw her life rush past her eyes and his as well. What stuck with her was his death, the Slayer above him as he had slain the demon that had killed the soldier. He raised his other hand to point in a direction and started to walk, her hand still in his, leading her onwards. The beautiful woman smiled and walked to her other side.
It took them another full day to reach the ruin as she was limping badly. They'd passed hundreds, if not thousands of fallen spirits, all watching her come through. At night she had fallen asleep resting her head in the lap of the woman as she hummed melodies she had never heard before. She simply knew there was nothing to be afraid of. She felt it deep in her heart. On the next day, they lead her through the buildings and in its mid a gruesome titan was already waiting for her. His palm stretched from one end to the other, his fingers rising into the sky far above her. The soldier led her onwards, letting her down by his arm over a high edge so she could gently land on the giant's hand. The ground shook and bright yellow eyes opened to glare at her. A low rumble thundered through the air as it judged her, yet she wasn't afraid. The many ghosts that had followed waved and called goodbyes and safety for her journey, at least that's what she thought they said. She stumbled and fell, sliding into the mid as it lifted its hand into the air. Like an ant she fell and rolled off the hand, landing on an older platform.

Ingmore's Sanctum

In the distance, not too far away, she saw what must be the tomb. Blue water contrasted the endless brown, and huge monuments crept over the surface like caterpillars with rose-coloured flesh. With her hurt leg, it took her a good hour of climbing and wandering to reach. She had gone slow, looking out for any danger, taken breaks from the throbbing pain. The dozen of stairs now before her resembled her personal nightmare. She had not seen a single creature, no Makyr or whatever reigned here, so she sat down at the bottom and took a breather.
What was she going to tell him? Would he even listen to her? What would she do if he left her behind? What if he didn't care about bringing her back because there was something evil to fight first? What if he was just like them? 
Worry grew in her inner now that she was so close. She knew that he probably had something bigger than her to do, a quest to follow. Other lives to safe.
She scowled and rubbed her throbbing head. It will be alright, she had to believe in it. She believed in him.
As she reached the top her eyes wandered over the glowing orbs gathered there. And the empty space in the mid. He wasn't here. Her lung filled with air and she hollered angrily. She was too tired and hurting for this.

Fσʅʅσɯ ƚԋҽ ʋҽιɳʂ ƚσ ƚԋҽ ԋҽαɾƚ σϝ ƚԋҽ ɱσυɳƚαιɳ.

She sighed. Desperation was overgrowing her excitement. She had to swallow hard.
"Okay...", she mumbled and rubbed her teary eyes with her arm. After another hour of searching along the outlined paths on the stone-plated ground, she came across a tunnel leading down into the earth. Further away she could see more of these entrances all leading downwards. Sometimes stairs, sometimes bare earth lead her deeper and deeper. Other tunnels connected and separated but she kept on her way, the first narrow path widening steadily. Her leg was getting worse and she had to take breaks or stumbled onwards on one, when the walls finally opened into a round organic-looking chamber. In its mid the sarcophagus.
"Why am I so stupid...?", she asked herself as she stood in front of it.
"How the hell do I open it?!" she spoke to herself.
"WHY HAVEN'T I THOUGHT OF THIS?!"
She walked around it half a dozen times, looking for runes, for scriptures, for anything to hint her how to open it. But there was nothing but the curse carved into the abiding stone. She tried pushing it open, but of course, it wouldn't budge. She prayed to the gods to help her but no one answered, so she sat on the floor and stared at it. For hours. Her heavy eyes fell shut multiple times, before once more she tried pushing the top, kicking it angrily, wounding her fists punching it.
This was it.
No cheating this time.
No SODIA to help her.
No fucking god to help her.
She clasped her hands around her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry... I failed... I failed... Our only chance...!"
She bend over the sarcophagus and pressed her forehead into it. Blood trickled from her nose triggered by the excessive sobs. She rubbed her face into the stone, blood and tears smeared across his symbol. A sudden light made her shriek and fall onto her butt a few feet away. The seal glowed in a gentle blue hue before the top was shaken and pushed off from inside. She fought back up onto her feet and quickly wiped her face as clean as possible when a big hand grasped the rim and a tall man climbed out of it, standing straight and energized. It only took seconds for him to understand where he was. Then, his bluish-green eyes glared down at her.