Morte, the lost Heir (ONC 2024)

17. Morte

As Morte wandered deeper into the Sepulchers, the weight of his predicament bore down on him like the heavy stone slabs that surrounded him. Coffins and graves lined the narrow passageways, casting eerie shadows that seemed to whisper tales of despair and longing.

He no longer counted the days, weeks, perhaps months he had been wandering there. His clothes clung damp and filthy to his body, his hair obscuring his eyes. "Why do I deserve this fate?" he cried out, expecting no answer from anyone. He had grown accustomed to being alone, alone with the coffins carved into the walls, which concealed the bodies of the long departed. Once, he encountered a figure wandering among the graves on the same level, initially mistaking it for a ghost or hallucination, but when it attacked him, he had to kill it in self-defense. Poor figure hoped for food or water. Since then, he had passed by the corpse several times, knowing that he was hopelessly going in circles, the identical corridors and halls confusing him.

"Where would I have gotten food, poor guy!" he muttered aloud, already accustomed to talking to himself. "There are only rats here, and they're not even that hard to catch! The water drips from the ceiling; who knows from where..."

At first, he worried that the water might be dirty, but he got used to it after the initial bouts of diarrhea. Got used to it, like everything else: the fact that he couldn't see the sun, that he had no idea whether it was day or night, that the constant gloom came from the light of the crystals hanging from the ceiling. Then, one day, he woke up with no desire to walk anymore. He found a dry enough place and just sat there. When he was hungry, he sometimes caught a four-legged runner. He just had to wait for them to come close enough if he sat still. And he ruminated, tortured himself.

On a day when he dug himself into the deepest recesses of his soul, someone seemed to be standing before him. He saw only the outlines and was preparing to draw his dagger, but the figure kept coming closer.

"Tobi!" he cried out, then the joy faded from his face. "Am I just hallucinating? Or if you're really here, how did you get here? Or am I dying, and my brain is playing tricks on me? But I feel like I'm not dead yet!"

He looked at his hands, moved them, and realized he was still doing well despite the circumstances.

"It's me, Tobi, really, but it seems I'm the dead one!" his friend replied and hesitantly smiled.

"What? Are you a ghost?" Morte was astonished.

Tobi sat beside him, and Morte now saw that his face and body shimmered with a peculiar light.

"Yes, there was a little accident, not worth mentioning. Let's leave it at that. But I came because I need to lead you to the others so they can find you," Tobi said.

Morte started to laugh. "Well, this is quite something! In my darkest hours, I feared that all these dead around me might somehow come to life... and then you show up." He suddenly stopped laughing. "But this isn't really funny..."

"The main thing is that you're alive. You have no idea how afraid I was that I wouldn't find you in one piece!" Tobi's face reflected concern.

"I'm not the same as before, my old friend! This place has broken me. I feel like I'm not strong enough anymore and do not desire anything. What's the point of leaving here? It's fine for me here; this is what I deserve!"

"What are you talking about, Morte? You are the rightful heir to the throne! You must get out as soon as possible to claim your rightful inheritance! You cannot let Sol's schemes succeed! If you don't hurry, he will take the throne!"

"I used to be afraid of this because I knew Sol was ambitious, and he was vying for my position. I had to watch out constantly, but I also got tired. In the end, Sol won; as you can see, I got stuck here! I deserve this. The oracle also said she saw the growing darkness in me, but she said the empire would flourish thanks to this dark power. Since then, I've been thinking about how she could understand it. Because then she said, here is the key; you deserve it, but I got nothing. I stood there for days, waiting for the key, but in vain. The oracle disappeared too..."

"You don't know everything. You're here because of Sol's treachery. He was here before you, and he took the medal, which is the key. So, the oracle can't give anyone the key anymore. You don't deserve this! Your men are waiting for you outside. Sessom is gathering your followers, and there's a small team on their way here to find you."

Morte closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall as if he wanted to sleep. He stayed like that for a long time, then suddenly opened his eyes and stared at Tobi. "You're really here, aren't you? I'm not just imagining things."

Tobi stood up and turned around to show that he was there. "Yes, it's me, and I have to say, I didn't appreciate not getting any notice that you weren't coming to Dion!"

"Ah, I thought I'd finish here quickly, but this is what happened... sorry. And so, are you really a ghost now?" Morte worried.

"Yes, I'm stuck here for a few more days until I finish this. My soul won't rest until I complete this mission. So get up, let's go!" he urged his friend.

Morte looked sadly at his friend. "Did you die because of me?"

Tobi lowered his eyes and nodded. "But don't worry about me. It was my fault. I should have run much faster. And my friends are coming for you, too. You can count on them. They promised to get you out of here!"

"I don't feel the strength within me! You died because of me, too, and if I get out, I have to go against my own brother! How do I reconcile this with my conscience?"

"You're facing difficult decisions, and no one envies rulers for that. You have to make tough decisions, but you do it for the welfare of the people! And I know you'll be a good ruler because I know you. The empire is already crumbling. The priests are fleeing from Narig to other cities, and Sol is gathering dubious groups around himself to secure his power, groups who used to plunder and kill for money. Only you can save the empire from total destruction! So get up now, and let's go!"

Tobi commanded Morte so decisively that he dared not oppose him. He stood up and felt dizzy and uncertain. If his followers saw him in this state, they would surely turn away from him. He must look miserable. But Tobi looked urgently at him. "Hurry! The worst is over now! We just need to get to the entrances where they'll find you, and then we can breathe a sigh of relief!" said Tobi.

"Do you mean you'll breathe a sigh of relief, and then you'll disappear?" asked Morte, following his ghostly friend, who led him through the identical greenish chambers as if he knew the way perfectly. "And will you tell me exactly how you ended up here?" Morte continued, worried that the dwarf was walking too fast and he couldn't keep up with his trembling legs.