Dead Inside

14.

"We're here!" Sabre jolted out of thought from Green Steve's remark. They had been traveling for two and a half days now and, according to Green Steve, they had arrived at the place where the God of the Steves live. Through those two and a half days, Sabre's other arm was beginning to disintegrate and so was the side of his thigh. Sabre shuffled to the side to look beyond Green Steve. They stood at the edge of a large cliff. Below was a long, bright green valley with large palm trees surrounding a ginormous lake, sun reflecting off of it's waters. The palm trees swayed from the faint breeze and the waves from the lake flowed gently across the sand around it. It took Sabre's breath away; Would this be the last thing he would ever see before he died?

"It's beautiful." Rainbow Steve breathed. 

"How do you know the God of the Steves lives here?" Blue Steve asked. 

"I just do," Green Steve said. "I can sense his powers' strength, and it is strongest here. Come now," he turned to the group. "I will show you to him."

Green Steve led the way down a long, narrow pathway that led down towards the valley. Sabre glanced over the edge of the pathway; the grass came to a halt when large, black stones jutted out of the ground with their sharp tips pointing upward to the group. Sabre swallowed, now he didn't want to fall. He had to watch his step. 

Green Steve was walking so easily down the pathway, Sabre started to believe he has been there before. Was he hiding something from them? Sabre pushed the thought away, of course not. He trusted this Green Steve. 

Suddenly, the stone from beneath him crumbled. He stopped and glanced down to find a crack running around his legs. Before he could react, the stone shifted and fell away. Sabre yelled in surprise and gripped the edge with his only hand. 

"Sabre!" Rainbow Steve exclaimed. Him and Galaxy Steve dropped down to reach for him. "Hold on, we'll get you!"

Sabre hung there and looked down at the ground below, the sharp stones were pointing up towards him. His hand slipped slightly and he glanced back up to where the group stood. "I can't hold on!"

"Just a little longer, Sabre!" Rainbow Steve told him. "I almost got you!"

Sabre clenched his teeth, sweat slowly running down the side of his face and his heart pounding hard in his chest. Rainbow Steve's hand was so close to his arm, he just had to hold on for a moment longer. 

Then his hand lost it's grip; and he plummeted downward towards the jagged black stones. Rainbow Steve and his other friends stared in horror as he fell. Sabre blinked back up at them, the wind whipping his hair. So this was it; he was done for. He closed his eyes, waiting for the stones to pierce his skin and break his bones as the killing strike. But it never did. He opened his eyes, he had been caught by someone and this someone was flying! He glanced up to the person. It was a man, with black hair and clothes and his eyes glowed a bright white. The man slowed to a stop and stood in front of the group. He set Sabre down and Rainbow Steve, Blue Steve and Galaxy Steve came up and squeezed him in a hug. 

"I thought we would lose you, Sabre!" Rainbow Steve told him. 

"Don't ever scare us like that again!" Blue Steve said. 

They broke the hug and gazed up at the strange tall man. 

"Thank you for saving Sabre." Galaxy Steve said. 

The man said nothing, just gazed down at them as if expecting something else. 

"Who are you, anyway?" Galaxy Steve asked. 

The man finally blinked as if waking from a vision. After a moment of silence, he spoke. "Never in my years have I seen a human so up close, and with Steves for friends."

"My name is Sabre." Sabre told him. "I'm sure you know my friends."

The man didn't move. His eyes had dulled slightly before brightening once again. "I knew you would come, Sabre. I saw it all."

Sabre held his gaze with the man. "How?"

The man straightened up and gazed back down at Sabre with his intense eyes. "Because, I am the God of the Steves."