Closing Wounds (Part 1)
Jul 20, 2007 6:27:04 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2007 6:27:04 GMT
Tong Lieng was in awe at the majesty of the Otherworld. Everything, from the sea of clouds beneath him to the golden sky seemed to be sitting in perfect blissful reverence. He looked around, hoping for some kind of sign that would point them where they needed to go, but the expanse was so infinite that it was disorienting. Finally, he turned to Neojiisu and spoke with a slight ring of concern, "So, uh, where are we?"
"Don't worry," calmly replied Neojiisu, "I'm not lost. I'm just admiring."
"Oh."
Tong Lieng was about to join Neojiisu in his long admiration, but apparently Neojiisu was already done. "Let's go," he said, "I've been here before."
Neojiisu started to dip towards the cloud layer, but he stopped once he got a foot in. "Wait. I want you to hold on to my shoulder tightly and not let go. Right now we're in the realm of disembodied souls, a waiting point before the souls are judged to either heaven or hell. It might look like we're alone, but we're actually surrounded by thousands of wandering spirits right now. Can you feel their energy?"
"Yes, actually, I can, now that you mention it."
"Good. Now, on the other side of this cloud layer is hell, but the cloud layer itself is very thick, and unless you'd like to join these wandering souls, I suggest that you hold on to me tightly. It's very easy to get lost, and if we get seperated, I might never be able to find you again. Got it?"
"Yeah, let's go."
Tong Lieng clutched Neojiisu's shoulder tightly and the two began to descend. Suddenly, everything went gray, and the darkness grew deeper and deeper. Lieng took one last look up in time to see the last bit of light disappear. He quickly realized how true Neojiisu's warning was. Before long, all sensation of gravity left him, and he couldn't tell whether they were still moving down or up, left or right. Neojiisu was silent, seemingly completely focused on his movement. How he was finding his way, Lieng didn't know, but he had no choice but to trust him. Then, suddenly, they broke through the clouds at a shallow angle, and they were flying through the air again. The clouds were to their back, and the ground was to his front, beneath him.
Hell was a dismal place. The cloud layer let in only the faintest bit of light, rivaling a moonless night. The terrain in all directions was dark, dull rock, cracked and lifeless. Everything was shades of black and gray and even the atmosphere was silent and darkly eerie. The stale smell reminded him of a morgue. Hell was an unimaginable desert.
Neojiisu broke the silence, "I can't believe I'm back here. I never hoped to come here again."
"You mean you've been here before?"
"Yes, a long time ago. I was searching for the Dragon Orbs, trying to steal them from some kid on the Guardian Tower, when I ran through some door and wound up here. I was a lot angrier back then, and I actually absorbed a lot of the souls that were here into myself-- it's a long story. But from the feel of the place, it looks like it's full again."
Tong Lieng noticed the stark difference from the norm in Neojiisu's voice. It was quick-paced and low-toned, with a hint of a tremble.
"Are you nervous?" asked Lieng, turning to Neojiisu.
"Yeah, alot--" replied Neojiisu, his eyes still fixed forward into the distance, "--In a way, I have that anxious feeling like I'm reuniting with an old friend. But at the same time, I'm scared to see what he's become."
"Do you want to turn back?"
"Yeah, I do. But I know that it's not going to help anything. Still, I'm scared."
"I can imagine. I guess we have no choice but to get it over with then, do we?"
"Yeah, I can't believe that this day is here. It feels like it's happened so abruptly-- my goodness I'm scared."
Neojiisu's voice was trembling even more now, and his breathing got heavy. Sweat was raining down his face, and he started panting frantically. Lieng grabbed him by the upper arms and moved so that he could stand in front of him face to face, "Neo, what's wrong?" he asked.
"He's..." he choked mid-sentence, and nearly regurgiated while finishing it..."He's here!"
When Lieng saw his eyes widen with the look of death, he quickly turned around. There he was, a ghoulish monster of a man. His eyes were completely blood red, and his skin was stone gray and rock hard. His long black hair flowed behind him as he soared upwards from the ground with tremendous speed. Slender but muscular arms trailed lankily behind him, brandishing oversized forearms and hands with long, sinister claws. His long, bony legs were equally fashioned. He was dressed with a dark loin cloth with flowing drape in front and back, along with an oversized scarf that draped over his shoulder, wrapped around his neck, and trailed long and flowing behind him. And finally, there was his smile-- wide and evil, brandishing knife-like fangs.
Tong Lieng couldn't even sense him coming; he was uncompletely undetectable. Yet somehow Neojiisu could feel him approaching, a sign of the deep inseverable bond between them. This is why Neojiisu's eyes were fixed forward. Long before Lieng even knew that Indigo was there, Neojiisu was already paralyzed with fear and disbelief.
Indigo was upon them in a flash, slashing his claws and snarling wildly. Tong Lieng pushed Neojiisu aside, who was too paralyzed with emotion to move on his own. Indigo passed between them and turned around. Lieng turned to give Neojiisu a quick look. Neojiisu was crying inconsolable tears, and it was clear that he was losing all control of himself by the way that he was slowly sinking towards the distant ground below. Lieng quickly teleported over to him and grabbed him, then both of them teleported to the ground, barely avoiding another vicious attack from Indigo.
"Neo! You have to snap out of it! He's going to kill us!"
"I can't--" he whimpered, "I can't fight him again."
Lieng swore under his breath, something out of character for him, and he put Neojiisu gently down on the ground. Then he stated matter-of-factly, "I'll do it myself."
"Don't worry," calmly replied Neojiisu, "I'm not lost. I'm just admiring."
"Oh."
Tong Lieng was about to join Neojiisu in his long admiration, but apparently Neojiisu was already done. "Let's go," he said, "I've been here before."
Neojiisu started to dip towards the cloud layer, but he stopped once he got a foot in. "Wait. I want you to hold on to my shoulder tightly and not let go. Right now we're in the realm of disembodied souls, a waiting point before the souls are judged to either heaven or hell. It might look like we're alone, but we're actually surrounded by thousands of wandering spirits right now. Can you feel their energy?"
"Yes, actually, I can, now that you mention it."
"Good. Now, on the other side of this cloud layer is hell, but the cloud layer itself is very thick, and unless you'd like to join these wandering souls, I suggest that you hold on to me tightly. It's very easy to get lost, and if we get seperated, I might never be able to find you again. Got it?"
"Yeah, let's go."
Tong Lieng clutched Neojiisu's shoulder tightly and the two began to descend. Suddenly, everything went gray, and the darkness grew deeper and deeper. Lieng took one last look up in time to see the last bit of light disappear. He quickly realized how true Neojiisu's warning was. Before long, all sensation of gravity left him, and he couldn't tell whether they were still moving down or up, left or right. Neojiisu was silent, seemingly completely focused on his movement. How he was finding his way, Lieng didn't know, but he had no choice but to trust him. Then, suddenly, they broke through the clouds at a shallow angle, and they were flying through the air again. The clouds were to their back, and the ground was to his front, beneath him.
Hell was a dismal place. The cloud layer let in only the faintest bit of light, rivaling a moonless night. The terrain in all directions was dark, dull rock, cracked and lifeless. Everything was shades of black and gray and even the atmosphere was silent and darkly eerie. The stale smell reminded him of a morgue. Hell was an unimaginable desert.
Neojiisu broke the silence, "I can't believe I'm back here. I never hoped to come here again."
"You mean you've been here before?"
"Yes, a long time ago. I was searching for the Dragon Orbs, trying to steal them from some kid on the Guardian Tower, when I ran through some door and wound up here. I was a lot angrier back then, and I actually absorbed a lot of the souls that were here into myself-- it's a long story. But from the feel of the place, it looks like it's full again."
Tong Lieng noticed the stark difference from the norm in Neojiisu's voice. It was quick-paced and low-toned, with a hint of a tremble.
"Are you nervous?" asked Lieng, turning to Neojiisu.
"Yeah, alot--" replied Neojiisu, his eyes still fixed forward into the distance, "--In a way, I have that anxious feeling like I'm reuniting with an old friend. But at the same time, I'm scared to see what he's become."
"Do you want to turn back?"
"Yeah, I do. But I know that it's not going to help anything. Still, I'm scared."
"I can imagine. I guess we have no choice but to get it over with then, do we?"
"Yeah, I can't believe that this day is here. It feels like it's happened so abruptly-- my goodness I'm scared."
Neojiisu's voice was trembling even more now, and his breathing got heavy. Sweat was raining down his face, and he started panting frantically. Lieng grabbed him by the upper arms and moved so that he could stand in front of him face to face, "Neo, what's wrong?" he asked.
"He's..." he choked mid-sentence, and nearly regurgiated while finishing it..."He's here!"
When Lieng saw his eyes widen with the look of death, he quickly turned around. There he was, a ghoulish monster of a man. His eyes were completely blood red, and his skin was stone gray and rock hard. His long black hair flowed behind him as he soared upwards from the ground with tremendous speed. Slender but muscular arms trailed lankily behind him, brandishing oversized forearms and hands with long, sinister claws. His long, bony legs were equally fashioned. He was dressed with a dark loin cloth with flowing drape in front and back, along with an oversized scarf that draped over his shoulder, wrapped around his neck, and trailed long and flowing behind him. And finally, there was his smile-- wide and evil, brandishing knife-like fangs.
Tong Lieng couldn't even sense him coming; he was uncompletely undetectable. Yet somehow Neojiisu could feel him approaching, a sign of the deep inseverable bond between them. This is why Neojiisu's eyes were fixed forward. Long before Lieng even knew that Indigo was there, Neojiisu was already paralyzed with fear and disbelief.
Indigo was upon them in a flash, slashing his claws and snarling wildly. Tong Lieng pushed Neojiisu aside, who was too paralyzed with emotion to move on his own. Indigo passed between them and turned around. Lieng turned to give Neojiisu a quick look. Neojiisu was crying inconsolable tears, and it was clear that he was losing all control of himself by the way that he was slowly sinking towards the distant ground below. Lieng quickly teleported over to him and grabbed him, then both of them teleported to the ground, barely avoiding another vicious attack from Indigo.
"Neo! You have to snap out of it! He's going to kill us!"
"I can't--" he whimpered, "I can't fight him again."
Lieng swore under his breath, something out of character for him, and he put Neojiisu gently down on the ground. Then he stated matter-of-factly, "I'll do it myself."