Guide to the Fallen

Chapter Two: A Challenge

Admeri stared. Dozens of people stood around him, gaping and staring back. they ranged from old to young, and their clothing varied as much as their faces. Most had the look of daily wear, but here and there people stood out. A young couple, the man in nothing but undershorts and the woman in a silk nightgown, stood clutching each other. Two soldiers stood alongside them, in full atmosphere gear, armored with blast helmets. An old man still sat in his electrochair. And, almost lost in the crowd, a young girl, maybe ten, but not older.

"Come on, come on. I said over here!" Aurgur's voice boomed over the crowd. "I haven't got all day." Then, more quietly, "Well, I do, and there's no day here. But I wish I hadn't."

Admeri glared. He couldn't see Aurgur, but his eyes shot daggers. He hesitated a moment, half hoping another option would present itself. It didn't, of course, and so he followed the other souls towards the voice. From the middle of the group, an orange shape leaped into the sky, did a back flip, and was suddenly reclining on an invisible chair.

"Hello," it said. "And welcome, once more, to the Afterworld. Enjoy your stay, but mind the grass. No sun makes the plants... difficult. Ah!"

The ground firmed beneath Admeri's feet, no longer the gentle resiliency of turf, but smooth and hard as wood. He looked down. The grass was still there, but he floated, standing on air. Beneath his feet, the green blades fluttered in a gentle breeze.

"Now that's taken care of, I can really start." Admeri looked back to the orange shape. Its height matched the length of his arm, and two human-enough legs stretched out towards crossed feet adorned by velvet slippers. It was bare chested, but instead of hair, tendrils of smoke decorated its torso. One hand sported four fingers dangling talons, and the other held the handle of a whip, thin and tiny as a reed. Two horns sprouted from the top of its head, but instead of looking fearsome, they looked dainty. As he spoke, his free hand waved and gestured.

"As I have told you, I'm the Death Light, the guide to the Afterworld. I am not its lord, merely her servant. And that's putting it rather strongly, I could tell you. She's not too pleased with little Aurgur at the moment, no indeed. I get too many of you through the woods and across the river, you see. Miss Collector says she doesn't get enough souls, she says. She's got no one to till her fields of stone and no one to drink from her fountains of woe. It makes her sad, you see.

"But worrying about the Lady isn't my job. Guiding you is, and I've had thirty thousand of you people's trips around your sun to perfect it. Pay attention; you only get one introduction."

He paused, gave a little cough of steam, and suddenly Aurgur was no longer lounging. He stood on muscled legs, red as fiery blood. The horns on his head curved, as long as swords, and his maw held teeth to match. Great wings, black as the roots of mountains unfurled to twice his sudden height, reaching so high, they seemed a shadow over the meadow. Flame wreathed his shoulders and his whip smote the air, its crack driving Admeri to his knees. Beside him, the girl fell on her face, hands over her head. But before Admeri could think any further, the monster was gone, and the little orange mockery returned.

"Point one," Aurgur said, as everyone tried to find their legs. "Nothing is what it seems."

He gave the assembly only a second to stand, and then he continued as if nothing had happened. "To follow that, I have said you are in the Underworld, when you are in fact only at its doorstep, the threshold at the very edge. Over there," he gestured, calling attention to a line of trees mantled in gray shadow, "that is the Underworld. And there you must go. Beyond, you will find trials and temptations, sent to lead you astray. For you have lost the path, and now you must find it, if you hope to reach the end. And believe me. You do want to reach the end.

"There are puzzles and riddles, traps and fights. There are demons and dragons. There are wolves and starving lions. You will face fear and despair and horror. And sometimes..." he laughed, steam hissing from his nose. "Sometimes, you will even find hope and help on the way.

"And you must find the path. You have the tools, or you will be given them. I will be there too, but beyond the trees, my power wanes. I am guide, not protector. And you must remember."

Those final words triggered a shift, and Admeri was flung through the air with all his companions. He landed, rolling, and came to a rest spitting grass and dirt from his mouth. Not a pace to his left, the once distant trees loomed overhead, grey and glowering. On the other side, the meadow faded away to light, but out of the brightness Aurgur flew chortling.

"My favorite part," he squealed. "Oh yes. I will guide you, but I do like to have fun. Come on. In, in. In you go, beneath the trees to face your fate!"

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I enjoy writing this story. The updates may be few and far between, but it's an escape, a chance to play around and have fun, without worrying too much. Vote if you're enjoying the ride despite potential inconsistencies! Comments, whether criticism or praise, are most welcome.