Home Bound
A line of weeping souls gather to enter a gate of bones. Standing taller than any tower I have laid siege upon. What does it hold back for only a small door at its base opens for the cursed?
It feels as if I have spent another life time waiting to see who guards this masterfully crafted doorway. So long spent studying every detail I could see upon its face. I wonder whose bones the giant frame is made from. Full standing skeletons along its borders clasping hands in the center. Blood and flesh draining from its arch like a mesmerizing waterfall. Can this truly be the place priests tried to make me fear as a child? Only am I fascinated by what I am seeing, yet I truly am no longer the scared boy. As I get closer I hear screams from beyond the mighty gate. Such vivid nostalgia comes over me. Memories I had once forgotten rush to greet my wondering mind.
The smell of the battlefield comes first. Decaying flesh from those that lost to my blade. The crows feasting upon the thousands of weak men sent to war. Nothing brought more joy to my heart than watching a man's eyes go cold as his soul left the body. My how I missed beheading foreign generals and their rulers. Yet, better was the time spent with their women. They fought grandly as well to no prevail, but still the challenge satisfied. I guess I enjoyed myself too much in the times of war.
Seems I got lost in the past for my time has come to face the gate keeper. Taller than any man I had ever faced. Great was his presence it made me excited. Could I possibly challenge this beast? He had magnificent horns bowing back like a ram. Ash covered skin, fur peaking barely to his belly from his lower half. Scarred from head to hoof as if to show his battle birth. Truly magnificent was he as a warrior. I may just rush him to test my strength here.
As if he could read my mind I received the end of his staff. I was unable to be furious for such a beautifully crafted weapon had placed me on my back. Four feet of what seemed to be spine touched the ground above was three large skulls. Between more skulls and spine were two elongated femurs. Once I was able to focus back on my newest opponent I recognized the smile upon his face. It was identical to the one each moment I was in the misted of combat.
I arose back to my feet eager to confront such a worthy opponent. This seemed to please him even more for he wasted no time engaging me. To avoid another blow from the staff I rolled to his empty hand just to be thrown in the air. Being kicked like a child by a horse, I felt my chest give and then expand. Relentlessly, he continued his onslaught with me off the ground. Taking an elbow to the jaw he had me spew blood during my accent. Upon my reproach he plowed me into the ground with his horns. With a loud thud and a groan I mustered what I could. I began to assault him with all my weight. Punching as hard as possible at his temples, he seemed unfazed. With a demonic laugh he lifted me by the throat high off the ground and said, "Such strong will from a defeated warrior." With a distasteful look planted firmly on my face I replied, "I was never defeated I was betrayed, so FUCK YOU!" Finishing with anger in my voice I began my assault once more. I kicked with all my strength at his chest catching just beneath his sternum.
With a final cry of pain from him I began to smile back. Trying everything I could to keep inflicting more pain, it seemed endless; as if time was irrelevant on this plain of existence. I continuously delivered elbows and knees to his ribs with as much force as possible. The Gate Keeper and I continued our fight which seemed to become more of a spar. After what felt like years passing he grabbed me with a bear hug and said, "Never have I had the pleasure of fighting someone this long". As if he had become my greatest friend he released me. With a questioning look I replied, "What is it time for my sentence, or is it that you are tired?" In a split second he began to laugh with such a thunderous boom and said, "Welcome to your new home face me again when you are stronger". Confused I attempted to give a response, but was thrown through the gate.
As I entered the high flames I felt no heat. It was like I had walked into a place where it was always summer. The sweet scent of blood gracing my nose with the hollowed screams of the condemned ringing from farther than the eye could see. Grateful to already have a vantage point I took my time to survey. With a sense to move from such a beautiful view I quickly stepped to the side. A split second after a half charred soul collided with the ground; lacking my expected splat effect.
Seeming dazed rather than frantic the roasted corpse look to me with pain in his eyes. To be fair I did look at him with "What the Fuck are you looking at". As if to beg why I had no fear in my expression he asked, "Have you just joined us friend?" With a look of "friend where" I mercilessly kicked the cooked coward from the cliff. Would have been fine without the crunch of his burnt flesh against my bare foot. As I went to observe more of my new battlefield I was interrupted once more. This time by a large red fellow whom had just witnessed my inhumane display of affection. With a grin of long teeth ear to ear he approached with, "So heartless, I like it. How long have you been here?" As controlled as I could I responded sarcastically, "Not long enough, sun burnt gorilla". To my surprise he laughed, which sounded like a crying Hyena with nut issues.
As I waited for him to make a move, I caught myself thinking of the Gate Keeper. I didn't even get his name to call him out once more. Breaking my train of thought the gorilla said, "I am here to guide you to your place of torment". Unable to resist I cackled, "My own personal tour guide huh, don't happen to have any female ones do you? Your ugly ass is something I'd rather not stare at". With a fast reaction from us both I happened to block an inbound back-hand.
So soon and once more I had the opportunity to test my limits. However, with the want to meet the big guy in charge I asked, "So when is the mighty King available, or better yet that's where we can go". With pure fury in his eyes the ape grabbed my throat. "How dare you." he exclaimed with a thunderous boom. As if I had somehow been unreasonable with my question. Seeing the look of "what's your issue" on my face disgusted him apparently; for with a swift motion I was being slammed to the ground. Now enraged myself I wrapped my legs around his tree trunk of an arm. Kicking at his throat and landing a solid blow he released me. Within that moment I gained my breath just to tackle him from the cliff. Hoping that Sir Crispy wasn't the only one able to survive such a fall. Could you really blame me though, I mean who wouldn't question that.
Upon our decent I began to pound into his ribs as hard as I could. Sparing no time he attempted to push me towards the ground; only to succeed in spinning us like a twister. With partial luck we both collided with the ground, his arm underneath me. Though it hurt, with some stinging pains, I was able to stand. My glowing red friend was wobbling as he came to his feet. With timing and pure pleasure I gave him an old friend's favorite. A full weight axe kick to the back of his head. With an added front-flip the red demon's head split upon meeting the ground once more. Satisfying it was to watch it burst like a watermelon crushed by a hammer. Having dealt with the sun burnt nuisance I went back to surveying the land. Seeing what looked like a temple in the distance I began my journey.
To my surprise they actually had stairs leading from the cliff side. Upon my decent I came upon a sign stating "Judgment Ahead". I have to say I was interested in how they passed down their so called punishments. To satisfy my curiosity I kept to the path leading forward. Got to admit the trees here were decorated wonderfully. Most of them dripped a thick dark maroon sap almost as if bleeding. While quite a few had become hangmen trees. Some of the dangling corpses still moved and groaned in agony. One of those happened to be a woman hanging in the center of the dirty stone path. She was still fresh barely starting to lose mass.
As bare as the woman was I found myself feeling no attraction to her body. Once I got closer she began to move and reach for me. With a mumbled "Help" she began to weep seeing that I was contemplating walking past. Somehow in the back of my mind I decided to assist the hanging beauty. Whether I was going to yank on her to break her neck, or have her loosen the knot while holding her legs I hadn't decided. Once I got ahold of her she began to reach for the knot. In that moment I was unable to end her existence for some part of me wished to help. After the noose was undone, and as her feet touched the ground she embraced me. Confused and disturbed I pushed her from me using little force. "Thank you, I turned from judgment and the tree ensnared Me." she said with relief. "Why did you run? Was it really that unfair?" I replied. With confusion in her eyes she said, "All I ever did was try to survive". I gave a questioning look and said, "I did the same and here I am heading to see what they say. So would you like to come with, or stay here alone and naked?"
With that in mind she got closer to my side, as I continued to head towards this so called place of judgment. "So what is your story?" I asked with seriousness.