Letum stared at me as I sat on the hood of my car searching through my book.
I knew that I had to consult the book of Uriel before I could agree to follow the red rider into his dominion. I didn’t have my token, so I needed to rely on something to help guide me. I decided to take a chance that he didn’t know anything about the book; luckily for me, Letum didn’t recognize it.
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[Location]
- Fourth Sepulcher of Limbus Patrum.
- Dominion of Letum, red rider of the apocalypse.
- This sepulcher contains the axiom of war. Spirits claimed by the horseman rest in waiting to do his bidding. They will rise upon the day of final judgment when the second seal is broken.
- Entering the dominion of the red rider requires a minimum power of 10 (No restriction for a wisp).
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[Sepulcher Side Quests] (0/3)
1. Obtain the Celestius Cornet and return it to the Nexus (Gain 12 points).
2. Release a spirit trapped within the Sepulcher (Gain 4 points).
3. Steal the sword of the Red Rider of the Apocalypse. (Gain 21 points).
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It seemed as a wisp that I was exempt from restrictions entering Letum's dominion. I didn’t know why exactly.
If I only knew the abilities of being a wisp!
“I will need your decision soon, Potentate.” Letum stated.
I looked up from the book and saw him sitting on his horse. He hung the red lantern on the side of the horse’s saddle. The horseman moved silently for someone wearing armor. I hadn’t even heard him mount his horse. The red lantern shone brighter than before, but not so intense as to hurt my eyes.
“Um, sorry. I’m almost done.” I replied.
I realized after I spoke that I sounded weak and timid. So I decided to counter with a more edgy question.
“What assurance do I have if I enter your dominion that I will be able to leave again?”
Letum's expression became dour and his red eyes flared. The horse moved slightly as if sensing its rider's uneasiness. The horseman face was expressionless most of the time, so my question must have definitely rattled him.
“Nothing in my dominion can keep you Potentate. Your power will not be challenged.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but he sounded quite convincing.
I turned a page in the book.
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[Main Quests]
1. Ascend
2. Recover Token
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I hadn’t thought about the main quest: ascend that I’d seen in the book before. I had only been concentrating on getting back my token.
What did ascend mean?
Was I supposed to ascend to a different level within Limbo?
I realized that I needed to get answers to questions, but knew that I couldn’t ask Letum. Any dicey subject might reveal that I wasn’t a potentate. What I needed was someone to confide in, a friend. So far the only friendly thing I had encountered in Limbo was Adathan.
I decided that I needed to chance asking the horseman a question.
“Letum, refresh my memory, what can the Oraculum do?”
“The Oraculum can see through the Nexus to all things that lay within Limbo,” he replied. “It has the power to answer any question; it sees all and knows all.”
“How do you know it will serve me? I asked.
“It will serve you.”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Perhaps the Oraculum could provide me with answers to my burning questions. Like, who I was, what I’m doing in Limbo, and how did I die? If I could get answers from the Oraculum then it would be doubly beneficial to go with the red rider.
“Of course, the Oraculum charges a price for its knowledge,” he said.
“What price is that?”
“I do not know. The fee is different every time.”
I could only assume that he was talking about something other than money. Was there even a currency in Limbo? I definitely had nothing I could give to the Oraculum, except for my car and my book. I knew that I couldn’t part with either of them.
“You said that it would serve me. What if I doesn’t agree to aid me?”
“I will be tossed into the abyss. But you are the Potentate, the Oraculum cannot deny you.”
Letum was speaking in riddles again. What were the powers of a potentate? He made me sound like some all powerful being. Adathan had called me a wisp and now the red rider was referencing powers that I didn’t know anything about. It was all so confusing and annoying.
“Screech!”
I heard something cry out from above. I looked to the heavens and saw a creature swooping down toward us out of the low lying clouds. It appeared like a bird, but had dinosaur characteristics around its head. Its plumage was black and bright blue. The head was colored bright red with gray flesh. It was the size of a bald eagle, but looked more like a vulture. I wouldn't have been surprised to see it in a prehistoric exhibit at a museum.
The creature swooped down and encircled us. Letum held out his arm and the the bird landed on it.
It ruffled its feathers with a big shiver and dropped its head closer to the red rider’s ear to speak.
“Bella egent operam domino tuo.” the bird said.
I was surprised that the creature spoke, but was starting to get used to being surprised in Limbo.
“Copiae meae vincere debent.” Letum replied.
The red rider and the creature began speaking in another language to each other. It sounded like Latin, but I wasn’t sure. They talked for several minutes, but I couldn’t understand anything.
While they conversed I glanced at my the book.
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[Creature]
Name: Archae
Points: 60
Power: 3
Type: Myrmidon
Location: Limbo
Abilities: Camouflage, Shriek Attack, Language
Weakness: Water
Details: Archae are servants of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. They are able to speak any language known in Limbo or in the earthly realm. Archae choose to avoid combat as they prefer acting as spies or messengers for their masters.
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Letum looked at me several times while talking to the archae. I was still afraid of him when he stared at me. I felt like a young child under his piercing gaze. A parent always meant well for their children, but parents always kept secrets.
I wondered what secrets this infernal possessed.
I realized that I was in front of a powerful being that was to bring about the end of times. It was very hard to truly grasp this idea.
What did the apocalypse mean exactly?
Until recently I would have thought that the four horsemen of the apocalypse was a myth from medieval times. Now I didn’t know what to believe, except that it all felt like a bad dream.
“Potentate, I must leave, but Bilé will guide you into my inner domain,” the horseman said.
“I haven’t even decided yet whether I want to enter your dominion!” I replied.
The archae jumped off Letum’s arm and landed on a nearby gravestone.
“It cannot be helped. Something has come up and I have to tend to my purpose.”
He reigned in his crimson steed and the horse blew smoke out its nostrils. The red lantern grew brighter as he pulled it from the side of the saddle and held it up high. Then he pulled the sword out of its sheath. The blade emitted an eerie sound as he held it in his right hand.
If I listened closely I could almost hear the battle cries of dying soldiers coming from the blade. It gave me shivers down my spine.
“The Oraculum is at your disposal in my dominion. When I return I shall guide you to it. If you choose to do otherwise then I bid you a safe journey.”
Letum whistled and all the dogs stood up. There was a palpable excitement among the beasts as they snarled and whined. Letum snapped the reins and the crimson horse launched forward. He stormed off down the cemetery road retracing the path that he had come. The dogs followed and they all disappeared down the hillside and into the gloom.
And just like that the red rider of the apocalypse was gone.
I turned and looked at the archae. It seemed to be studying me as I returned its gaze.
“Do you speak English?” I asked.
“Yes Potentate.” it replied.
“Which way is it to Letum’s inner domain?”
“The road stretches through the outer rings of the fallen. It is a perilous route, but I will guide you through it.”
He paused.
“Of course, only if you wish to follow,” It clarified.
“So your name is Bilé?”
“Yes Potentate. I am the first servant of the archae.”
The bird seemed strangely human in its responses. It was perched comfortably on the gravestone. When it spoke it sounded like a parrot talking, but without all the stuttering and squawking. It almost seemed human in a way; much like there was a soul trapped inside the bird’s body.
“My name is Hannah… Hannah Jones.”
“Yes Potentate.”
“Can you please call me Hannah,” I asked.
“As you wish, Hannah.”
“Have you met me before Bilé?”
“No.”
I felt stupid talking to a bird. It was a very surreal moment and I felt like I was on stage in a theatrical show. Getting used to the difference in Limbo would take time.
I folded up my book and jumped down off my car. Looking at the sky I realized that it was already starting to get dark. I guess time passed differently in Limbo or I had completely lost track of time.
I knew that I needed to make a decision for my travel. I needed to commit to one of my two options. Now that Letum had left I realized that he wasn’t out to imprison me; so I felt better about traveling into his dominion in search of answers. If he wanted to get me then he could have done so right here, rather than ride away and leave me with Bilé.
The red rider was a powerful being that I couldn’t trust, but I really had no idea what else I might run into while traveling in Limbo. As a medical student you are told to treat the known symptoms of the patient. In my case the only knowns were in the direction of Letum’s inner dominion. Everything else in Limbo was completely unknown to me.
I got back into my car and started the engine.
Leaning out the window I said, “Bilé, lead the way!”