The Twentieth Entry

Bodies piled at the bottom of the tunnel, what was left of the human in the corpses was little. Corrupted and mangled by magics, their skin ripped and shredded, pieces tied together by stringy muscles, and bodily parts in irregular places. Their screams had barely any human tones, only that of an animal or monstrosity, driven by a unsated lust for souls.

Their hunger, however, was not direct at us – instead at the end of the tunnel was a misfit group of disheveled survivors. Many appearing to be civilians who merely picked up a weapon, and some leaders of military respect. Their clothes were ripped, unorganized, and awash in black blood. Yet, in the face of their absolute destruction, no hope rising in sunlight, they shouted in defiance.

Hope had fled, and I would not give them salvation.

A’re and I watched from the steps, the creatures ignoring us entirely as they flooded down the tunnel along the walls and into the blood bath. The survivors had erected a barricade at the end, its small portal enabling a sure lane of fire, which enabled even the most untrained to simply pull the trigger and kill something.

A’re looked up at me and asked: “Will you not help them?”

“No.”

A’re turned around again, watching the survivors, before hesitating to make a decision. He stepped down quickly and walked into the lane of fire. The spray of slugs that washed over the sea of creatures created a stream of blood that A’re walked through, and then grabbed a piece of rubble from the ground. He attacked the creatures, and they shrugged off his blows. They ignored him and raced to their doom in the hail of gunfire.

“Why are they ignoring me?!” A’re shouted over the loud thuds and cracks of the slugs bouncing off the ground around him.

“There is a saying in one of the books I read,” I said stepping down slowly, “that a bear cub strays not far from the mother.”

A’re merely looked at me, dropping the rubble from his hands, the slugs avoiding us entirely; his yellow eyes widening in the haze of fire around him.

“I do not know what a bear cub is, but I believe it can be applied to this moment in a metaphorical way.” I said.

In that moment, A’re appeared to realize something, the slugs moving around us and avoiding us.

“I get it now. Mother tried explaining to me what you are, but now I understand. You are like the background of a painting, a house planted at its center, a collage of colors to bring it forward. The house, however, is not its center. It’s you. Standing in amongst the colors of the painted world, larger than the house and its flowerbeds, and tall trees. Invisible to creation, visible only to shadows.” A’re said as a disquiet expression formed along his metallic face.

Perhaps it was fear, but not of me, and of what I could do. A’re backed away and ran towards the barricade. There was a range to my influence, though not fixed, and A’re appeared to be aware or make a guess of this.

“There is a corruption in them, A’re. You cannot help them. They were doomed before these events occurred.” I said following him.

“Please, wait!” A’re shouted as he got closer to the barricade, though it was hard to say for whom he shouted.

Suddenly there was a change in the defenders of the barricade, one stopped shooting and appeared to see A’re – as if becoming whole out of nothing.

“What is that?!” One of them shouted over the continued fire.

Despite A’re’s attempts to communicate, the gunfire continued, and one of the defenders aimed at him. They fired a round, which tore some of his fleshy metal from his right arm. Blood trickled from his arm, but A’re still stood his ground.

This situation was not for idle chatter, the survivors were in a frenzy to defend what little they had. And for A’re to appear out of thin air would doubtlessly heighten their fears. He was lucky to have not been gunned down on the spot entirely. To his luck, however, the creatures that bore down upon them was to his advantage.

To his disadvantage, however, the creatures were now able to see A’re. The flood of bodies appeared to narrow itself towards A’re, and the defenders focused their fire, appearing to protect A’re, but really to thin their numbers. The gunfire, however, appeared useless against their numbers, and a pincer move was set upon A’re. They attacked at both sides, moving closer and closer. A’re was paralyzed.

I lowered my presence a bit, which eviscerated all the creatures instantaneously, and appeared out of thin air like A’re, next to him; the black blood rained down into a lake of dark liquid, which stained the floor.

The survivors hurled expletives into the air in disbelief, and in terror they aimed their weapons. I found the gesture less than funny, but even after that display – terror overrides all functions.

“Wait! Wait! Let us communicate! Please, I beg you to listen!” A’re pled.

Their stances did not change, their fingers touching the trigger but no one pulling.

“We can help you! I am A’re.” A’re gestured to himself, blood still running down his arm, “We are travelers seeking answers here on your world. If you would assist us, we can help you in your struggle!”

Behind the barricade the crowd shuffled and cleared a path for a man, he looked upon A’re. The man’s hair was cut short, grey and shades of black, of at least fifty years or more, and his attire was ragged yet a bit more put together than the other’s. His most prominent feature was his right eye: sealed shut with little black strips of metal. Around the eye were several projecting scars that spread onto his nose and the right side of his head but stopped short of reaching the other; the seal appeared fresh, but the scars old.

“Who are you?” The man asked, his voice hoarse from disuse.

“I am A’re, we are travelers from off world. We are seeking answers and would like your help. We, of course, do not ask this without a fair trade: we will help you in any way we can.” A’re said calmly.

The man looked over A’re, his eye narrowing and a frown forming over his expression. Yet, the man did not outright deny A’re. The man looked away from A’re and onto myself. There, the man’s mouth threw open agape, his eye widening, and taking deep gasps.

“You!” The man said in a gasping shout, his voice unable to fully allow it.

The man frantically looked over the survivors and shouted: “Lower your weapons! Lower them! Clear the barricade! Let them inside!”

The survivors then set out quickly dismantling a part of the barricade to allow us passage. With a passage cleared, the man stepped forward and bowed slightly.

“You are the one foretold in our prophet’s dreams! A dark armored clad being will find their way to us and bring us salvation!” The man chanted and asked politely: “Please, tell me your name.”

“This is Axiom.” A’re gestured and presented me to the man and the survivors.

The man smiled, his one eye about to burst into tears.

“Then, please, both of you come forward with us. There is much to discuss.” The man gestured towards the survivors and down another tunnel.

A’re looked at me with beaming eyes of excitement and pride, his efforts appearing to be successful. He was first to step forward, and I followed him, passing into the tunnel ahead. The man followed behind us, and the barricade was secured once more.

I felt this endeavor a waste of time yet, at the back of my mind, found A’re’s curiosity and naivety refreshing. A’re, however, was not the only thing at the back of my mind: for I felt the subtle pangs. The Obelisk was looking directly upon us.