How many tears do you shed up there,
O' ancient nation of clouds?
Through the curse of immortality you bear,
Weeping with the new-crowned.
Your kingdom is in pain,
But the burden alone is too much to hold.
Every solution is in vain,
Just watch the prophecy unfold.
O' Emperor your worlds in danger,
Your citizens are turning crazy with no aid.
Face the peril, to cease your anger,
Soon, your lives's will fade.
Thus emperor, your hero shall come,
Your grand and mighty saviour.
But my lord, everything comes with a hefty sum,
All we ask is a very simple favour.
The hero's purest blood, represents power,
And the emperor's treasured tears.
With crystalline white flower,
If this is done wrong, everyone shall cower with fear.
Death for the hero shall be upheld,
As they failed their honour.
But if protection is wield,
Fate will decide on this loner.
Your last chance, o' great lord,
Make this destiny accurate.
If you shall stay true to your word,
Your citizens are finally free of this fate.
Your lesson is learned,
Soon, loyalty is solemnly sworned.
Now, hope shall be returned,
And the world of clouds shall be mourned.
Geoff and Naomi are dead, and they're depressed, but when Geoff's cat Bernie dies as well, they embark on a wild journey to find it in the underworld.
*****
When Geoff dies, alongside his girlfriend Naomi, they end up sharing an apartment in the Underworld as skeletons. But after a few years, Geoff starts suffering a mid-death crisis. What's the purpose of going through the motions as a skeleton if you can't really live? Then he gets word that his cat, Bernie, just died and he can collect him and bring him home! Geoff and Naomi hurry to get Bernie only to discover that, due to a clerical error, their cat has been lost. With the hunt for Bernie giving new purpose to Geoff's un-life, he and Naomi begin a quest to get back their cat. Battling skeleton pirates, climbing the sky ladder and facing off against the villain who took Bernie, Geoff is determined to find his purpose - or die a second time trying!
[[2018 Wattys Winner - The Originals]]
[[word count: 30,000-40,000 words]]