Chapter 10 – I don’t know.

I fell into the canyon. Unfortunately, I hit my head into a rock and lost consciousness. It was a free fall I assume.

I felt coldness first. Was it death? I opened my eyes, and noticed that I was in mass of water.  I did let go of myself.  Made a lucky guess on instincts and swam on. In around 10 seconds my head was out of water. I could breathe. It was too dark to determine where I should swim. It was a stream, maybe a large river. I let go of myself and floated on my back. My ribs were still hurting. I tried to think positive, but the reality was telling me the opposite. I didn’t want to swim right or left, as it would be waste of energy. I couldn’t determine which way would be close to the walls. Any kind of action would lead to drain of energy. Floating with the river would increase my chances of life than trying to find a way out.

Most probably more than a week has passed. I do not know what to do. I’m still sane but I may go crazy any minute now. It’s frightening to be in a place where the only self-conscious living being is you.

Even though there is nothing to eat, I’m lucky that I won’t be dying of dehydration.

I’m at point where I’m becoming suspicious of my self-awareness. You know it’s what you see, what you feel, what you hear and what you smell that makes you feel alive. Same type of experiences over long time in a same manner will make you feel dead. Actually being dead is better than life such as this one.

Darkness was illuminated. Light was coming from my left. I looked at the direction the light was coming. Two torches clarified the dark. For a moment I thought I have gone crazy. Made up my mind, put all my strength together and swam towards the torches. There seemed to be 2 torches. In between them, there was a gap that looked like an entrance to someplace. I crawled on it. My right foot was still on water. Lying on something, even though it was stony, felt nice and refreshing. Three more torches lighted up. Walls began to tremble and a gate appeared. It opened and there seemed to be a room with a stone in middle of it. I began to levitate. My body was flying upwards. I could not move, or put a pressure against the force levitating me. I was too powerless and hungry to do anything at all. My body turned on its own and I faced the ceiling. I was inside the room. I can’t remember anything about it. My body began to decelerate and stopped moving.  I heard voices. Somebody was talking but in a different language than our own. I had no idea what they were talking about and I didn’t care less. Wherever I was, I was at their mercy. Suddenly,

[-]: He should be able to understand us now.

[-]: How long has it been since we had a visitor? Rai,any idea?

[Rai]: 500 years? Verit he is going to die. We should hurry.

[Verit]: I know. I want to meet our lord too. I’m sick of waiting and doing nothing. Kama introduction please!

[Kama]: Human, welcome to Temple of Tyre. I’m Kama. The others are Rai and Verit. We are servants of Lord Tyre. He left us here long time ago with a duty to accomplish. We were left with a gift to bless on anyone who could carry the load of responsibility that comes with it.

[Rai]: Kama, you are so good at sweet-talking.

[Verit]: Shut up Rai. Let’s just offer it to him. If he accepts and happens to be able to handle it, we could pass away too.

[Kama]: He will die anyway, so the most rational way is to accept the offer.

[Kama]: Human, do you want to live?

I nodded with my eyes.

[Kama, Verit, Rai]: Muol maqac yateh assay. Misec nes elimet. Teis urom texes araq. – Imagine human!

Darkness reigned my senses. I was desperate. I wanted to run but could not. It happened so that I felt powerful again. As if nothing has happened. No broken ribs, no damage to my head. Then.

I saw it again. Those eyes. Those crimson white eyes lusting for blood. It came close to me.  It was the wolf. The one I had killed. This time, I did not feel any kind of threat from it. It told me “I curse you”.  I lost consciousness again.

[Verit]: It’s seems this time we found the one.

[Rai]: It did not come out of his body, so I reckon, its success.

[Kama]: He is alive, and he fused with it.

[Rai]: We are to meet our lord now. Before we leave this world behind, if you all agree I want to pass on Ulfberht to this kid.

[Verit]: Stop talking nonsense.

[Kama]: It seems I’m going first. I feel the bliss. “Lord Tyre accept your slave, I have done what You ordered me to do”. (Kama is lost from sight)

[Verit]: Rai, it is my turn now. “Lord Tyre accept your slave, I have done what You ordered me to do”.

[Rai]: Ulfberht, I’m going to eternal sleep. I leave you here with this kid to roam around. Help him, and serve him. If he is able to fuse with Lord’s gift, he should be able to control you too.

A small cut appears on Aslan’s body, drop of blood leaves his body, floats into air and drops on Ulfberht.

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[Ulfberht]: The contract is complete.

[Rai]: “Lord Tyre accept your slave, I have done what You ordered me to do”.

I woke up feeling terrifying amount of power in me. I could see in darkness. I looked around. I remember torches burning, there was no trace left of them. I was in the initial place I crawled from river. I knew something had happened, but couldn’t remember exact details. There was a big sword laying besides me. Its widths was around 15-16 inches. It didn’t have a scabbard on it. I touched it out of curiosity.

Stood up. River was flowing and I could see dead bodies floating on it. I decided to climb the wall. I looked up and couldn’t see any light coming, but there was no other option. As I wanted to leave the place.

[-]: Where the hell are you going without me?

[Me]: Who is that? (I looked around, there was no living being, only dead bodies floating)

[-]: I’m the one asking the questions. Now, where the hell are you going without me?

My senses were strengthen too. I could feel and hear waves of water clashing dead bodies, but could not located this sound which was talking to me.

[Me]: Who are you?

[-]: I’m Ulfberht. You should refer to me as Lord Ulfberht.

[Me]: How come we can communicate when no actual sound is released from any place around? Where are you?

[Ulfberht]: I’m here. In front of you. Don’t you see me?

There was only sword there.

[Me]: Ulfberht, are you a sword?

[Ulfberht]: Lord Ulfberht! I’m not a sword. I’m the sword. We have a contract by blood which was initiated by my old master. That’s why I can directly contact you without spewing words out of mouth.

[Me]: Who was your old master?

[Ulfberht]: It does not matter. You are my partner now. Take me!

I took Ulfberht with just one hand. It emitted light and turned into silver ring with small but beautiful black diamonds on it.

[Ulfberht]: This is the only time I’m changing my form to anything other than my original sword design. Let’s leave this goddamned place. I’m starving for action.

I began to climb the wall. I pulled my body up with just bare arm strength that helped me to jump meters forward. I began to feel hungry and my power was fading away as I was climbing. Though the pace was fast. Ulfberht told to me keep climbing like this for an hour more and we should be able to reach the top.

I could see the light. It gave me a bit more hope and I increased my pace a bit more. I reached top, crawled out of the Devil’s Canyon. It was a miracle. On my right side there was a bridge. Facing me was a big fort. I began to walk to its main gate. It was majestic, design wise.

Ulfberht transformed back into its sword form. Its color was matte black. Its length was almost 5’6. I took it with my right hand, placed it on my right shoulder. Three warriors came out of the gate and rushed to me. I stopped.

[Me]: I’m Aslan. I’m from the original village, and belong to Kali’s tribe.

[-]: Are you going to argue that Retnus mountain is in Devil’s Canyon too?

[Me]: Take a look at gates. They are still liquid in form. It does not accept me as a threat, why do you?

Second warrior stepped up and...

[-]: Nuve, I’ll be handling this. I’m Igdes. These two are fellow warriors, Nuve and Hener.

I nodded as in appreciation.

[Igdes]: I have never seen anybody, human or demon, coming out of Devil’s Canyon alive or dead. Would you mind telling us how come you ended up there?

[Me]: We were on the 1st bridge when it happened… (I told them in details how I fall down and what was there, up to what happened there and how I crawled into entrance of where it was. I skipped that part and didn’t tell anything about it as I remembered nothing in particular. I avoided the wolf dream too. I told them I saw this sword there and took it with me.)… It was a miracle.

[Nuve]: We are near 3rd bridge and it’s 6th of Levi today. You expect me to believe that you have lived on nothing but water?

[Me]: I told you, I take it as a miracle that I’m alive.

[Hener]: If I’m not mistaken a merchant called Ricat is in fort selling potions and herbs. We could verify his story with him.

Nuve came up to me.

[Nuve]: Give me your sword.

I put my sword on ground.

He tried a lot but couldn’t lift Ulfberht. This attracted Igdes and Hener’s attention. Hener tried but nothing changed.

[Igdes]: Take your sword and come with us.

[Nuve]: Igdes, what the hell?! He is fishy, don’t you see that?

[Igdes]: Let’s go!

[Nuve]: Wait, wait! How come you lift the sword easily as if it is nothing and we can’t?

[Me]: I don’t know.

Next: Chapter 11 - By my hand...