Prophecy of the Old King: Verse 1 The Gauntlet Part 1

Into the void

Snapping their pincers in front of my face, they prepared to kill me. My dagger was useless against them. Maybe it would be best to fall on it, taking my life before these things mutilated my body. But that would be cowardice, certain to send me to Putsez. No, I would face their pincers and hope death came quickly. They are so close now I can smell their rank breath.

"Want some help?" a voice calls from behind me. Caught off guard, I spin round and my jaw drops. Where seconds before stood solid stone, there was now a hole. But it was not a hole in the wall, rather a hole in the fabric of the world. Inside the hole were a dozen people.

"Come on, quickly. I don't have all day," snapped the man who had previously spoken. He grabbed my wrist and yanked me stiffly through the hole, which sealed behind me.

Now I was in a endless dark tunnel. I could clearly see the twelve men in front of me, all of whom bore the same uniform, I surmised they were soldiers, although from an army I had no knowledge of. At least they weren't the king's men. The tunnel was not devoid of light, simply devoid of substance for the light to shine on.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Limbo, but don't worry, we know our way around. Becoming lost is not the problem. It's the roaming beasts and lost souls you need to fear," answered the man in charge. Seeing the look on my face he added, "But they shouldn't be a bother, after all we are from the second century division. We excel at dealing with the fiends of Limbo. My name is captain Demode and I swear you are completely safe."

Most of what he said made no sense, however I got the gist. He said I was safe. Liar, I was never safe. Sure he may have saved me from death at the hands of those monsters. But they must want something. I would not let them make me their slave.

"What do you want from me?" I demand.

"We want you to live," the captain replied.

"I was alive back there," I state.

"Sure, those bugs weren't just about to kill you or anything," he retorted.

"I cut a head off, I could have fought my way out," I argue.

"Fools error, cutting parts off just makes them replicate. Ever soldier knows that," he reprimands me.

"I suppose you can do better," I bristle.

"Oh, we find killing garantulas a walk in the park," he assures me. I am about to snap back, but something up ahead catches my eye.

A white patch forms in the darkness and thirteen people step through to our tunnel. Twelve of them are soldiers and the other has the weirdest clothes I have ever seen.

"You got your charge out safely too Torn?" captain Demode asked, "And here I thought it would be past your mental capabilities."

"Well, look at you, last I heard you lost Madam Gotosbu in Limbo," Torn gibed.

"Oh, right, she's now a lost soul. I saw her recently to say hi. She was so happy she tried to eat me," Demode replied.

"Maybe she did more than try. You look like a zombie to me Demode," Torn joked.

"You saying I'm old?" Demode asked.

"I'm saying you're ancient," Torn replied clapping Demode on the back.

"I missed Limbo. There's no rules here," Demode laughed.

"Aye, ranks mean nothing here," Torn agreed.

"Er," began the boy with weird clothes.

"Let's save the questions for our destination, or we will be here forever. Time is wasting and staying too long in Limbo is dangerous. The lost souls come calling," Demode said calmly.

"But where are we going?" I tried this time.

"Not another word. Look, I hate to be blunt, but you are our prisoners," Torn snapped.

I shut up, they did have weapons after all. Although I am brave enough to fight my way out, I do not know the way out and do not want to become a lost soul.

"Good, now forward march," Demode commands and we begin to walk.