When I woke up, all I could see is black. Quickly I began to struggle to get my face off the ground. My head is swimming and I’m having trouble doing even that much. That neanderthal got me good, I thought to myself. With that thought, a jolt of adrenaline began to course through my body and I quickly got to my feet. As I looked around, I felt a jolt of fear. This was not the shallow cave I had confronted the ‘hunter’ in before my blackout, rather it seemed to be a completely different kind of stone than what was present in New Mexico. Taking stock of my situation, I came to the realization that I was at the bottom of a small slim cavern. While this was concerning, there was a solid amount of light coming from above, which means I’m pretty close to the surface. That said, my face really hurt where the giant hit me earlier. I think it was right around my left eye and I sure have a shiner now. I’m also worried about running into the brute again, and so getting out of this cave before he gets back is definitely a priority. The only logical inference I can make for my current situation is that the creep had moved me to this cave for some unknown and most likely nefarious reason.
Thus, I began to steadily but rapidly make my way through the cavern toward the light. After finally making my way to the source of the light, I’m both disappointed and thoroughly confused. The light seems to be emanating from a giant golden sword. The sword itself looks a little too large for a normal person to wield even with two hands. While there is an exit, I am transfixed by the magnificent blade. Logic tells me that touching the mysterious blade is probably a bad idea, but my childlike sense of awe and wonder told logic to shove it. As I step up to the golden sword, I reach out and put my hand on the hilt. In a flash of gold, the world around me becomes blurry, and I close my eyes against the brightness
When I opened my eyes again, I was somewhere else. I seemed to be on an endless flat plain, and everything from the sky to the ground was gold colored. Different hues of gold of course, but gold as far as the eye can see. At this point, I was starting to think that I was losing my mind. Maybe the ‘hunter’ had drugged me, which sent a dagger of cold fear down my spine as I remembered my mother's substance abuse issues. On the other hand, as stressful as the situation was, I couldn't remember a time when my mind was clearer. Just as I was thinking that, I noticed some golden particles start to rise off the ground and begin to glow. As the particles grew brighter, they began to come together to form a figure. Drugged or not, whoever this glowing figure was, I wasn't going to go down without a fight. So as the figure materialized before me, I took a defensive stance.
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After the figure fully came into being, it immediately locked eyes with me. The being's eyes glowed with a deep gold color that seemed both confident and unrelenting. The figure seemed to be a kid a few years younger than myself. His hair was a sparkling gold, as was the armor he wore. His skin was white with a golden luster. Even as a straight guy, I had to admit Golden boy had an ethereal beauty about him. This was unnerving, but I was trying my best not to let it show and I refused to be the one to look away first. As the silence began to lengthen, the kid finally said something.
"Not bad, little warrior, not bad at all," he said.
"Who are you?" I asked, still trying my best to keep constant eye contact with the entity, but I was beginning to have problems focusing. In an arrogant tone, the glowing guy responded.
"I am Verethragna, who are you?” The name of the entity was familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place it. I must have hit my head when the hunter knocked me out. As I tried to remember who the figure was, I broke eye contact and noticed a look of displeasure on its face. The figure then raised its foot and stomped on the ground, creating a golden shockwave that slammed into me.
As I picked myself up off the ground, I met the gaze of the golden being. “Am I boring you, mortal?” it asked, staring at me with hostility. I decided that it didn't matter if this was a dream or a mental breakdown, I would treat it as reality from now on. With this newfound resolve, I stared back at the entity and asked,
“Are you the Victor?” The being's expression changed to one of prideful joy.
“Yes, I am the Victor, in war, in sex, in all things - I am champion. I am Verethragna, god of victory!” Verethragna's words echoed around the golden world, and I knew with certainty that they were true.