“The Tome of Uriel was once given to me to use and now I’m giving it to you,” said Adathan.
“Is the book… magical?” I asked
“Everything in Limbo has an aura of energy.”
I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but I trusted Adathan. I was new in this strange place and realized that I didn’t understand anything. The earthen realm had a familiarity that I couldn’t sense in Limbo. I was like a butterfly opening its wings for the first time.
I flipped the page in the book and saw:
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[Main Quests]
1. Ascend
2. Recover Token
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“Adathan, how would I go about recovering my token?”
The big angel stretched his arms and leaned backwards on his chair. He took a few moments to gather his thoughts before he responded.
“That is difficult to say. All spirits arrive in Limbo with their token, so I can only presume that yours was lost somehow.”
I did wake up in the mud. Something might have attacked me and stole my token when I first arrived in Limbo. If something did happen I definitely didn’t remember. I didn’t even know how I’d died. There was a gap in my memory.
“Could something have taken my token?”
“I’m not sure, my dear. Even for an angel the happenings in Limbo can still be surprising.”
I realized that I was anxious about my token. In some strange way I felt like a part of me was missing. As if the token contained an essence that I had lost. I felt weaker without it and knew I needed to get it back. It would perhaps provide me with powers that I could use to leave Limbo. It seemed like a reasonable assumption. The quest listed in the book provided me with a goal. I realized that I needed something to help protect me against the creatures that I encountered. If the token supplied me with powers then it was definitely worth retrieving.
“What does a token look like exactly?” I asked.
I had asked that question previously, but Adathan’s answer was interrupted by the kerberus’ attack.
“A token can be anything my dear. It takes on the embodiment of the soul. Some tokens are artifacts carried by the owner, like a staff or a purse. Other tokens exist inside the soul’s body and provide visions or schizophrenia. And still other tokens can be companions like a crying baby or barking dog. The types of tokens are extremely varied.”
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[Common Tokens]
Artifact Tokens
Wand
Grimoire
Phone
Keys
Computer
Ring
Sword
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Body Tokens
Tumor
Abscess
Stigmata
Growth
Enhanced Appendage
Neoplasm
Two-Headed
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Companion Tokens
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Animal
Ghost
Creature
Insect
Sub-Demon
Flower
Eidolon
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The book of Uriel displayed a varied list of tokens. Some of them frightened me. I couldn’t imagine what my token would be, but I hoped it wasn’t a screaming baby. Working at the hospital had given me an aversion to crying children. I wanted to help sooth them. To make them feel better, but the sounds of crying children was something I found very unpleasant.
“How would I find my token?” I asked
“You will have to search for it in Limbo.” He replied
“I don’t even know where to begin.”
“You will need a seeker to help you.”
“What is a seeker?”
“A seeker is either an entity or an item that can guide you in the void. There are many beings that can travel within Limbo. The trouble with most seekers is that they are powerful and dangerous.”
I had no powers and knew I wouldn’t be able to contend with a powerful being.
“Can you help me, Adathan?” I inquired. “Are you a seeker?”
Adathan smiled at me. His smile always made me feel good. I realized that this was an angelic power of his. When he smiled it pierced through the gloom and made me feel peaceful. I wondered if all angels had this ability.
“I wish I could, my dear, but I’m needed elsewhere. Also, you cannot stay here much longer. The entity that sent the kerberus to retrieve you will be returning soon in stronger forces. It would be best to be long gone when they return.”
Great!
How was I supposed to get along without Adathan? I realized that I had recently met him, but he was the only friendly thing I’d encountered since arriving in this strange place.
“I think you might already have a seeker. Look in your book Hannah.”
“What do you mean?”
I opened the book and looked at the stats on my page again.
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Name: Hannah Jones
Points: 6
Items: Black Car
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Was my Plymouth Satellite a seeker? It was the only item that I possessed.
I decided to press my finger on the words: Black Car, that were written on the page. The writing under the description of the item expanded.
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[Item]
Name: Black Car
Abilities: Seeker, Sanctuary, Immunity
Seeker: Allows the driver to sense the direction of a desired object within Limbo.
Sanctuary: Up to three normal sized spirits can enter the vehicle at the owner’s choosing. All other creatures are barred against entering the vehicle.
Immunity: Immune to all physical damage.
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“I think you’re right, Adathan. I do have a seeker. My car is a seeker.”
He nodded and we both left the motorhome. We walked around the destroyed convenience store and saw the Plymouth Satellite. It was a thing of shining beauty as the outside lights from the Mega Mart reflected off the black paint. I hadn’t remembered it looking so perfect. It was always in good shape, but it looked like a brand new car right off the manufacturing line. I realized that the car wasn’t the same vehicle that I possessed in real life. It was something else. I didn’t know what it was exactly, but I was happy to have it as my own.
I moved to open the car door and looked inside. The keys were in the ignition and the lug wrench was still on the front seat.
Picking up the lug wrench I said, “where was this when I needed it!”
Adathan smiled and touched the car like he was petting a dog for the first time. He ran his hands over the hood of the vehicle as he inspected my possession.
“What do you think of my car?” I asked.
“I’ve never seen one such as yours before. There is something ancient about it, but I cannot quite grasp it. It’s almost like…”
I waited for him to finish his thought, but he never did.
“What do you mean… What is hard to grasp?”
He continued to look over the car as he walked around it inspecting every nook and cranny. He bent down and ran his hands over the right front tire. He seemed deep in thought like he was on the verge of some lost knowledge that eluded him.
“I recognize your car, but I’m sure I’ve never encountered it before.”
I sat down and tossed the book of Uriel onto the front seat. Instantly, I felt comfortable. My car was the only thing that reminded me of home. It was a slice of familiarity in this strange place called Limbo.
Adathan cocked his head as he looked up into the dark sky. I knew he sensed something. He had the same look on his face previously - when the kerberus attacked.
“My dear, it will be twilight soon and you need to go. Something dangerous comes this way.”
Adathan moved to the driver side door and held out a plastic bag with the Mega Mart logo. He had seemingly pulled the plastic bag out of nowhere as I hadn’t seen him holding it previously.
“Take this bag. It contains some possessions that will nourish and sustain you.”
I started to get scared as I still didn’t know where I was going or what I’d do.
Adathan saw the look on my face and said, “Fear not Hannah, trust in your abilities, seek out your token, and fulfill your quest!”
“I’m scared, Adathan. What will I do without you? I have no powers and everything seems to be so dangerous in Limbo.”
“There are many wandering spirits such as yourself. Seek out those that can help you… but never trust a demon. They will try to trick you to steal your soul.”
Adathan closed the door and tapped the roof of my car.
“It’s time to go Hannah, don’t look back and drive fast. I will find you again one day.”
I started the engine and looked at my angel friend one last time. He was staring in the opposite direction. I hit the gas hard and jumped over a small curb in my excitement. I drove onto the road and headed away from the Mega Mart as fast as possible.
“Grarrrrr”, I heard a beast bellow back towards the gas station.
Looking in the rear view mirror I saw a giant creature surrounded in flames emerge from the forest. It towered over the twenty foot high gas station sign. Its body was made of red leathery flesh. Instead of arms it had two sets of rope-like appendages that tore away at the trees. The top of the beast had a mixture of a bull and horse’s head. Two large spiraled horns topped the skull and its eyes flared a bright red. The entire body of the creature was on fire as flames engulfed it from head to toe.
I quickly glanced down and saw that Adathan was glowing again. He had his sword out at his side and was readying to fight the giant beast.
As I drove away the last I saw of Adathan was of him leaping towards the creature. Then my view was blocked by the forest.
I fixed my eyes on the open road ahead. I realized then that my journey had just begun.