A Choice At Last

At the stable 

"They are back," Roldan shouted. "Prepare the hall for them to enjoy their meal. There should be no problems" 

Joffrah looked at the coming horses and sighed 'None of the slaves survived'

"We cleared it this time, Roldan!" Valakh jumped from the horse in excitement. "Send someone to the priest to inform him about this. Tell him none of the slaves could survive. I will tell him about the treasures when we go back myself"

"Yes, junior priest, I will do that" Roldan called another servant and told him what to do.

-

"They cleared it? As expected of Valakh" Soru threw a pouch containing some gold coins to the messenger for his service and good news.

'He and the other apprentices have proved their talents. But we can only send two people on special request each year. I will send Valakh and someone else from their team on his recommendation and ensure others get their reward next year. Suddenly a smile crept on his face as he thought about something else.

'i finally have that treasure, eyes of Raoh, no one can stop me from becoming a Chief priest now' 

He slowly stood up and left his chamber into a dark hall.

-

"Don't kill me… I beg yo.. please don't" sorken gasped his eyes as the pain of burning flame and other injuries filled his entire body. There was no one around him. He was in the large courtyard where they all first separated.

Fear gripped him as he looked around. Were they hiding to torture him while he thought he was free. He looked for Tamara, or Valakh. None of them were here.

As he was still in the stupor about everything that just transpired. A small blob form covered his entire body. 

Sorken neither understood what happened nor did he felt anything. He just felt more complete.

He heard muffled shrieks coming from a distance. 

'beasts!

'They must have left because of the beasts, leaving me unconscious to become their food. What should I do?

Fear crept up in his heart, all this to become their food in the end. Wasn't it better to die there with Jorah if it was the end. 'my throat, it burns, I cannot even make a sound, That bastard destroyed my throat' 

'No dying with jorah would serve no fucking purpose. The abyss, it's the only way out here. I don't know what the hell is up with it but either way I am going to die'

Sorken looked around and saw that he could see the beasts trying to crawl out from one of the cracks. He had to act fast, if he were to die he cannot become food for these beasts.

His eyes fell on the crack of the abyss. His own words came back to him. He had to make a choice and be quick at that. 

'If it ends like that, it will be my choice.'

He crawled, there was no strength left in him but he still pushed his body to the crack.

Burning pain erupted in his entire body as he felt every bone in his body getting crushed and suddenly everything went black as he got completely absorbed into the abyss. 

The flickering light in the abyss went back to normal as if nothing ever happened.

In the far reaches of void, a small figure still moving around in his ever changing throne looked at this scene and a muffled grin escaped his lips. 

"I didn't really do anything after all. Just fixed an anomaly these people created, you don't have to look so sullen" his words, spoken with a childish voice were directed at someone or something.

A raspy voice replied "You know what I fear…. You definitely do! I understand what you want to achieve and so do we all! But, if he fails and lord gets the gist of what transpired, I hope you are as ready as we are for the consequences!" 

The voice was neither filled with anger nor calm. It was agitated yet stable.

"This is our only chance! An anomaly. I don't know how it came to be but the truth of this world is far too bleak for anyone but him to handle. You know that, better than all of us!

"When the sky fell, we were given a blessing and curse at the same time. We are still hanging on a very thin line. But, this? This is the only chance we might ever get.

"The unbinder of truth, our lord, he may never reply again! How many eons can we handle? Should I start naming every threat that will consume us? 

"The gods in this world, they are so foolish and useless that I might I have killed them a hundred times over it, not for their own use" 

The other voice, still raspy, became a bit soft and said "We will not interfere any more than necessary, it is still a shard if he cannot find the way on his own. He can never become what he ought to" 

"I understand" 

End of Volume 1 "The Silent Hope"

Autumn leaves of despair, Winter winds brought lone.

Summer's serenity faded, and with rain came gloom.

Spring is still to come, or has it already gone?

Like my silent hope.