A Blood Red Top Hat

Chapter Finale: The beginning

"Wretched..."I gasps at the sight, my friend Wretched. A person that I would have fun with and share lunch, became this. Thing.

I can not name how to simply describe this monstrosity, the monster, surrounded with mists black and dead like space. Not just jet black, but the feeling of looking at something endless and hollow. The monster doesn't take any particular shape but a shape shifting mist.

But in the unpredictable movement, a clear bright glowing eyes pierce though the darkness. Darting from side to side, seems like getting into it's new body. Until those stars focus exactly on me.

"And who are you little one?" It questions, with...Wretched's voice.

I tried my best not to freak out or offend this godly creature. "Spirit." I tried to keep calm but the word came out cowardly. I tried to shook of the spooks the monster is giving me, leaving me standing with fear so small compared to him.

"Spirit. Are you the brave warrior who awaken me from my slumber and taken back my powers from a thief." Wretched's voice echoed though out the room and into those long stretched hallways. I stopped, and think about what response I would make towards him.

"I am not a hero, I am not a warrior." Summoning my courage and finally shook out. "I am here to safe my friend from you!"

I screamed out my hardest for him to hear my calls, it freeze for a second and...laughs.

"I am Zios, the Guardian of this land and you are here to safe a thief." He have another chuckle and moves forward. Thick black mist grows larger as he cave in, those eyes grow much more clearer as a sudden outline of a mask appears in front of me, the Zios mask, cubic shape with slight smaller cubes on the edges. Normally from books and stone statues, his mask is a brownish kind of shade and vines creep around the sides. But Zios right now, a large crack crawled on his left eye, the beautiful wood-like mask was now covered with debris and like a black veil on his mask. And the worse thing is, small black liquid slowly oozing out from the cracks and his eyes.

Like others, my heart is filled with terror and my heart is pumping fast in order to keep me from fainting. I can't move, my legs planted on the ground like tree's roots.

"I..." I don't know what to say, the words flew away from my mind. "Not so powerful now. After all, you are only a pitiful human." He snickers and moves back. That leaves me with a few second to recover, I took a few large and beep breathes and let the fear brain away from my system. "You leave and I will spare your life, the choice is your's."

I stopped and think. The fear is still in my mind and it's rattling my bones, save Wretched?

No, he isn't worth it.

But he's my friend.

You don't know him.

But he can help me through the adventures.

My brain is starting battling itself, half of my mind says yes, save him! But the other, I rather not think of it.

"Wretched? Can you hear me?" I screamed out at the monster, Zios turn towards me again, and laughs. The taughting laugh break through my defences, and my legs are shaking as I am back in the cold night breeze that welcomed me when I run away from Alpha, or so Zarfy as I learnt from later on.

"Wretched, is no more." He said simply, those lifeless eyes darting around me, seems like scanning my emotions.

I tried to make myself fearsome, standing up high with pride. Well at least I tried, until a thought hits me.

What if I can do 'that' again, how Wretched make Zarfy disappear into thin air, and open a gate way to the realm of codes. "So I am guessing you want to challenge me?" He slowly inch forward, "then let's begin."