The King and his Hand

Prologue

Prologue:

“Where am I?” 

I open my eyes to find myself floating in a void. My voice echoes after me, the darkness slowly eating it up. How did I get here? Not too long ago, I was… I was… why can’t I remember?? It's so cold here. The pressure of the matter around me is suffocating. Curling into a ball to try and stay warm, I call out again, not expecting an answer. Silence meets my ears like a slow, distant rumble. The void seems to boil in slow motion, not visibly, but the sounds speak all that were not seen. All of a sudden, a bright white light appears ahead of me. It's heat warms my face. I swim towards it, pushing against the thick, empty matter. Maybe it’s a portal? At the very least, it can keep me warm. 

“Martyn Littlewood, halt! We are gods! Exalt!” 

I stop in my tracks. Rhyming gods? Where have I seen this before? I decide it's best to be respectful, 

“Hello, mighty beings! I am your humble servant. How shall I address you?” 

I can almost hear them sneer in response. The light they stand in flares up, matching their temper. 

“Names, we have not.” 

Another finishes,

“Now listen, or stay caught.”

I try to see what these gods look like, but the light is blinding. All I see is rough glowing silhouettes of angel-like creatures. They continue speaking.

“You don't remember,”

“We made sure.”

“But you were a huge problem last we met.”

“Yes, and we are not beings to forget.”

I try to comprehend this new information. The rhyming makes it all the more terrifying. I've met Gods before and decided to anger them? I was either brave, incredibly dumb, or both. What did I do? But the real question is, how will they punish me? 

“Well, what do you want from me then?”

My voice trembles in fear. The beings come out of the blinding light so I can see them. They tower over me, a thousand eyes covering their body, staring at me. Long dark cloaks sewn from the night sky obscure their faces. Detached from their body were four pairs of white wings just as covered with eyes. A glowing symbol resembling a nether portal was their only visible facial feature. One of them smiles, revealing long, white, pointy teeth and then answers me,

“We want you to watch.