Blood pulsating in my head slowly brought my senses back to my body. The pain rushing throughout my body was intense as the shine and glow throughout the room flashed like a blur into my eyes. The searing it peeling away my skin caused my body to react by clawing at it, mixed with an ice cold surge that only overwhelmed my senses. I could barely muster the ability to focus my mind to form words besides the screaming pain and agony I felt throughout.
“NOOOOOOOO! STOP! STOP IT ALLLL!” I could hear my voice scream although it seemed far beyond my own and as if to silence the world, everything stopped. The pain vanished and my mind fell into a blank state as the lights vanished, the darkness overwhelming me as I slept again. My senses were fleeting moments as I awoke at odd times, fluid being pushed to my lips or was it a paste. I did not know what I consumed by always sleeping after I received anything. The tingle of my body left as if it was never truly mine but cutoff.
When next I awoke long enough to look around myself, a vision foreign as well, the world's colors blended together in a haze but a strong green glow permeated the room. The comfort I felt was few but it troubled me not as the pure exhaustion overwhelmed me. People came and went, noises directed at me, hands touching me, and heads pointed towards me. The cycle of time for me had long escaped me, as my attempt to count moments between when I awoke only confused me further. I needed to get stronger, I needed to think again, I needed my ghost.
“What monster have I found?” Barlar asked himself staring through the doorframe of the room containing the body they had found. All it did was sleep and eat, its mind seemingly shattered from whatever had occurred to it.
“Far from a monster. I have called for a scholar. They may know far more of what has been awoken.” Barlar’s guest said to him as he hunched over inside the room. A clear hint of confusion and curiosity stuck to his face since the stone was opened. That face of confusion being the only joy to Barlar as he had never seen it before, and it felt good to be on equal grounds for once.
“Let it rest. I don’t think we will get anything more until the scholar arrives.” Leaving the room Barlar’s guest gestured to him to follow. Being commanded around was enough to frustrate Barlar but it was clear the words he spoke had truth behind them. A last glance could be seen by anyone who looked at Barlar in that moment, but his eyes were far from calm. The concern of the future this creature may bring into the world had not escaped him.
My eyes slowly got stronger as did my waking moments. Although barely a few minutes between my resting moments, it was more than enough for me to begin focusing my vision. Time passing bared the fruit of my labor stricken moments as the outlines of the world around me strengthened, revealing the strange glowing room, and fleeting moments of faces coming and going from me. Eventually one face stood out from the rest as they entered with several others during one of my cognitive moments, sitting in front of me and resting their hands upon me.
My mind softly began to focus to see their faces, but more importantly the one whose eyes locked with mine. A soft whisper of sound leaving their lips was barely audible and completely unclear in its structure, although the feeling changed greatly. As if like an empty pool I felt my body being energized through the hands of the one in front of me. My thirst like a ravenous beast devouring all they provided, and evidently clear to the other as their eyes widened in horror. They attempted to lift their hands and possession beyond myself, my arm shot out pulling them back in.
The other two in the room quickly jumped forward attempting to release my hand from the one in front of me. The fear and horror there widened as it was clear they feared an outcome no less than death. The tallest of the three lifted a blade to attack me, my hand instinctively reaching out to stop it. The metal pushing through my hand like soft meat, not only stopped moving but the blade began melting as my hand felt no pain. It's metal crumbling against the touch of my skin. My hand lunging out to grab the attacker whose body buckled to the same level as the other in my grasp. Both gasping as if forfeiting their lives for the most basic breaths.
“NO. NO. NO. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK!” Barlar exclaimed as he watched both of his guests crumble to the hands of this monster. Looking around revealed little hope of a solution as he had just watched the strong steel of the blade collapse to this beast. With quick wit he grabbed one of the glowing stones, a chunk that was being used as light in the room, and part of the stone that once encased this nightmare. Lifting it over his head in an attempt to pash in this monster.
A quick swing down did not bless Barlar with his wish as the hands sucking the life of his guests now grabbed the stone in his hands before impact. The faint glimpse Barlar had off the eyes that he had attempted to end only revealed tears and fear. It shook Barlar enough to release the stone in shock before he recovered and pulled back the two others. Quickly dragging the other two out from the room, Barlar legs almost gave out as he leaned against the wall outside.
“This may be just me, but I don’t think we should try that again.” Barlar said between gasps for breaths as he heart tried to break from its bone encasement. His skin was covered in a cold sweat as he stared off into the distance. The light of the city was starting to brighten as the sun set, dropping the city into darkness. He needed to tell the guards and governing officials, anyone who will listen. They were lucky now to be on the edge of the city, but if this got out there would be bigger problems.
No longer I awoke to be fed or given water. The door was opened as I slept with food and water being pushed in without my notice. My sleeping time became less and less the more I held the glowing stones in the room, losing their brilliant glow by the next day. The numbness of my body and skin quickly followed after, although the haziness of my mind took far longer to piece together my memory. Never leaving the room it was hard to truly judge the passage of time, but it seemed several weeks before I could finally piece together the last moments of my memory before I had awoken here.
“LET ME SPEAK TO SOMEONE!” I screamed against the door as my fists pounded on it. Hearing the sound of sliding metal on wood and feeling the shaking weakening it was clear that whoever outside was doing more to seal me in than let me out.
“RAHHH!” My anger built up inside of me with frustration. Barely did I notice the remaining glowing stones flickered like soft flameless candles. I needed a plan to talk to someone in charge and learn what had happened. How long had I been in stasis and what has happened to the rest of the world. I planned to pretend to rest until they next loosened the door for my meal. Time ticked by as I had my back against the door, waiting for hours, and never to have it open.
It seemed as if they had some way to detect if i was awake or not as it never opened even as my hunger grew and exhaustion built up. A day had seemed to pass this way as the natural cycle of noise outside felt like it had repeated to what had been when I first tried this. Finally resting my eyes and slowing my mind I decided to struggle this out. Entering a meditative state as Marck had guided me many times before as a way to calm my mind, and more my drinking. Sleep almost overcame me as I heard the soft noise of the door sliding open.
Waiting until the noise softened before the door peaked its maximum width and a plate silently slid in and I rushed the door. The noise outside before I reached the door was clear; they were watching me in a way I didn't yet know as they attempted to close it shut. My foot pushing the plate as a wedge into the opening, quickly followed my fingers and more of my feet. The strength to open the door took what felt like everything I had.
“YOU WILL OPEN!” My grunting voice seemed to wilt up the strength as it slowly pulled open further until it was clear I had the majority. Slamming the door I quickly rushed outside to begin talking to whoever it was that was keeping me here. My mouth sealed up real quick as the artificial light around me illuminated the faces of many and more importantly the shine of metal armor and pointed spears in my direction. Many wide bearded men surrounded me in full plate armor weapons drawn and all pointing in my direction. They didn't seem completely human, as something felt far too different, and the moments of silence between us all gave me the time I needed to find the word.
“Dwarves?”
