Glade… floated. He wasn’t asleep, but neither was he awake. In his experience, this state of mind meant he was once again hovering within the black void between life and death. But this time was vastly different from all the others.
He had finally died.
Hovering next to his body was what gave it away. Looking down, Glade had to admit that his body had taken quite the beating over the last several days.
Over the years, Glade had tried to envision what life after death would be like. Would he be a raging spirit of frustration that lashed out at the injustices he had weathered in life? Or would he feel compassion and a profound sense of peace and love like so many had preached to him over the years? Another possibility he had often pondered was if he would be confronted by all those whose lives he had ended prematurely.
If he were honest, he hoped for the latter option. It would have given him great pleasure to end the existence of some of those sadistic bottom feeders a second time. Glade didn’t know if a spirit could be killed, but in his opinion, some people were worth putting down twice.
Much to Glade’s surprise, beyond the fact that he was hovering above the ground, he couldn’t tell that much else had changed. Well, except for not having a body. Or hearing Ember’s incessant emotional babble. But everything else that made him, well, him, was still there. He thought the same, took in information the same way, and was doing his best to ignore the floating cloud that was likely an adjudicator next to him.
“Be at peace,” a familiar, gravelly voice welcomed Glade. “You have passed through Veil and stand on the precipice of eternity. As with all things, you have the freedom to choose. Behind you lies your past…”
At the voice’s unspoken suggestion, Glade took in the hall. Not much had happened since he had separated from his body seeing as everyone was practically frozen, like time had been dialed down to the slowest setting possible.
Astral spiders ranging in size from a quarter to the size of a basketball moved at a glacial pace out of the catacomb entrance where they met Bragden. The older dwarf was making a good showing of himself, swinging Glade’s enchanted carbon steel dagger with ease as he cut through one crystalline arachnid after another.
Patch and one of his assistants had deftly wrapped Riya in her blankets and were mid-way to the hall’s exit. Out of everyone present, Glade truly hoped the girl would make it to safety.
Other dwarves were either falling back through the hall’s entrance or running to help Bragden. One of the latter was the clan’s Verser, Croon, who was charging forward with his massive pot of boiling gruel. Of everyone’s choice of weapon, Glade thought the Verser’s decision had the most merit against the swarm of spiders along the ground. Also, the irony wasn’t lost on him that Croon was intentionally trying to kill the invaders with his cooking.
Then there was Gird, the blacksmith, who sat quietly by the fire while working on one of his projects. He hadn’t so much as flinched when they had ordered everyone out of the hall, ignoring the whole disturbance. There weren’t any spiders near him that Glade could see, but that didn’t make the idiot safe. Though, it wasn’t like he could do anything about it now that he was a spirit, but seriously, Gird had significant prioritization issues!
Wondering what was taking his full attention, Glade zipped over to where Gird was working. In his lap was Kedryn’s staff, the dwarf carving intricate symbols along its top with the star silver dagger he had yet to give back.
Shaking his head, Glade returned next to his body, where he watched the Golem he had summoned right before he died. It was far smaller and less refined than the previous guardian. Then again, he had only used the smallest amount of mana required to make the thing. Of everything they had at their disposal, the Golem was their best option in fighting off the spiders. It would never tire, the arachnid’s poison wouldn’t have any effect on it, and it was made of stone. Hard to do damage to stone with their little fangs.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“… and ahead of you lies eternity,” the voice continued, pulling Glade’s attention from the fight to take a scene that had just appeared before him. What he found would have taken his breath away if he could still breathe.
An expanse of glory and light stretched into eternity. Words like beauty, harmony, and perfection lost all meaning before the paragon of what could only be called transcendence lay before him.
Time lost all meaning as Glade bore witness, doing everything he could to soak in the feeling of majesty while he searing the sight of such infinite perfection into his memory.
Glade didn’t know how long he stood there, gaping, but he finally worked up the energy to finally ask a question of his own.
“Is she there?” he projected absently to the floating cloud of puff. “Is she waiting for me?”
“You must choose,” the gravelly voice continued as if he didn’t hear Glade’s question. “To return or move forward.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
The cloud continued to ignore him, hovering patiently nearby.
Casting his mind back to the moments he had first heard the adjudicator’s voice, Glade decided upon a different approach.
“Credos!” Glade mentally growled, invoking the adjudicator’s name. “I demand an answer before I make my choice. Is - she - there?”
The ball of cloud shivered, finally giving Glade its full and undivided attention.
“You spoke my name…” the puff ball projected, giving Glade a cursory scan. “Assessing spiritual aura to identify designation... Designation found. Glade, Enlightened Human – first of his kind. Originated from dimensional authority 133. No record found of providing designation Glade with naming authority. Higher form required to mitigate circumstances… elevation from Fragment to Shadow level consciousness requested…”
Glade hovered in place as he listened to the puff ball talk to itself. To say that he was confused was a vast understatement. He opened his mind to once again demand what was going on when the cloud finally spoke.
“Request to elevate to Shadow level consciousness authorized... Stand by...”
In moments, the cloud before him morphed into a dark silhouette of a squat, male humanoid whose border was outlined in silvery light, like it was standing between him and the sun.
“Elevation from fragmentary to shadow level consciousness complete,” the dark silhouette rumbled, it’s voice far more resonant than it had been before. “Welcome Glade, to the spiritual realm between Veil and the Beyond. Though I have never given you my name, you have called me, and I have answered. A truly rare occurrence indeed,” the being paused for just a moment, as if he was seeing Glade for the first time. “Have you made a decision if you wish for rebirth or to move on?”
A dozen questions sprang to the forefront of Glade’s mind, each vying for attention. But his original unanswered question remained.
Just as he was about to ask, Credos interrupted him.
“I perceive you have come to us in ignorance. While that is to be expected given your… unique circumstances, know that we Adjudicator’s are not here to answer questions. We exist simply to render judgement on the methods and merits of your advancement. So, I ask again, have you made your choice?”
Wholly dissatisfied with the response, Glade began a retort when Credos spoke to him again.
“Do not try our patience, Branded. You have limited time within the spirit realm. If you do not make your choice, one will be made for you. So again, I ask you to choose.”
Credos’ last statement brought Glade up short, his mind flashing back to his first face to face experience with the adjudicators - beings that likely had the power to wipe him from existence. This was no idle threat. The glorified balls of cotton candy had made choices for him before, using his boons in the process. Sure, Glade had no idea at the time what was happening, but from the little he understood of how valuable those boons were, he was certain he had gotten the raw end of the deal.
“I choose to remain with my people,” Glade projected firmly. It wasn’t even a real choice. Sure, the expanse of the Beyond was beyond description, but others he was responsible for needed his help now.
“Your choice has been witnessed,” Credos replied, which for Glade was just stating the obvious. Of course, the ink spot on the fabric of reality would be a witness. It was standing right there the whole time. “Let all that have branded you come forth to render their judgements.”
As soon as Credos finished the statement, the Beyond vanished from Glade’s sight as seven other silhouettes flashed into existence within the hall. Each was similar in color and make up to Credos, but that was where the similarities ended.
A giant of a woman towered over them all, with the others of various shapes and sizes surrounding him in an instant.
At that moment, Glade really wished he still had his side arm.