Bk 2: Chapter Five (1)

Walter and his crew ran through a collapsing cave while trying to defend themselves from a giant ox.

"My lord!" Commander Gallion called and swayed away from a falling boulder as he shouted. Walter could very much see the ox dashing right for him. Since this entire ordeal, he had not taken out his sword. D'huile and the rest were doing the job of protecting him. For some reason, while looking at the Ox about to ram into him, he felt as though this cave was only getting longer. His eyes flashed with realisation, this is his test.

He brandished his sword at the coming ox and lowered himself so the ox ran over him, as he stabbed a charcoal sword into it, letting the ox's speed tear the sword down its abdomen.

"Enter the shed," he ordered as he rolled away to not be crushed by a falling rock.

"My lord!" D'huile protested.

"I do not like to repeat myself," Walter said and they sent an unwilling look towards his figure, before disappearing into smoke.

Seeing that they had all entered the emperor's shed, he dashed for a speck in the distance. To obtain the emperor's shed from the tribe, he had to walk it. All through the ordeal, even if he had not learnt anything, he had gained a nimble body. No matter the number of oxen sent his way and boulders from the cave roof that fell, he always managed to step out of the way. The speck they had been pursuing for so long had grown larger at last, confirming that he had been right about his suspicions. This test was for him. The speck got wider till what stood ahead of Walter was a wall of fire. He did not think too hard about whether the fire would truly burn him that was the only way out of there. He put his hand through tentatively and felt no pain. Only then did he enter.

The other side was an empty white space. He looked back at where had stepped from and there was nothing there but white.

"If you are done playing, step out," he said and his voice echoed through the space, but no one appeared.

"If you don't take this time to explain yourself, you will have to explain to the spirit of the emperor's shed why you killed its master," he said and a large figure immediately appeared before him. His entire naked body was head to toe covered in oil. His bald head gleamed before Walter, making him wonder if to tell him he was naked.

"I never killed anyone's master!" the naked man shouted.

"I don't care. Either you or whoever you are acting as a keeper of this test for killed my predecessor. And the spirit was offered him in return for my being here," Walter said.

"Nonsense! How can the master be someone anyone can offer to you?" the naked man shouted.

"That is not my concern," Walter said indifferently, "I come here and the spirit gets you master to do with as he wills. This is a set deal. So open the path for me to meet him," Walter could feel from the moment the naked man appeared that he was slightly flustered, probably not the most competent of people for the job he was given. Looking at his naked form which the large man was still unaware of, he felt this was more possible. A man like this can be tricked to be let through.

"You speak treason! Guards!" the man shouted and long-robed people appeared around Walter. They looked completely stoic-faced and full of malice. Somehow Walter felt as though these were not humans.

"What do you intend to do? This transaction has been sealed. Your master has no choice,"

"You will die for your insolence!" the naked man said and the guards stepped forward mechanically.

"You are not qualified to make that kind of judgement," Walter said and the naked man frowned. Even though he did not want to decrease his momentum, Walter saw that his figure froze slightly.

"Do not offend people outside your station," Walter warned grimly and the bald man started to get much more flustered.

"The..the master will decide upon your treason," he waved his hand away and the guards vanished, and then made a flicking motion with his middle finger that blew a hole into the wall white space before them. The hole looked as though filled with rippling silvery liquid. Walter saw the man make a calling motion at him with his finger and step through the slivery veil. Walter felt himself grabbed forward through the veil too.

Beyond the veil was a land of lush green and rolling hills in the distance. People in long robes moved around with weapons that differed per person. When Walter took a closer look at them, he discovered they all seemed to be of the same facial features as Helen; slit for eyes, pearl white skin and usually round facial structure.

Those around turned and their eyes followed the naked man rushing towards a mountain in the east. Many girls turned away in a gasp as he passed and men frowned at the naked figure. A majority found it amusing and crackled in laughter, none paying attention to Walter whose body was moving after the man without his control. All the while, the naked man remained unaware. His flustered figure dashed for the mountain, where he was stopped by an old man at the mouth.