- TNP Nation
- The Black Cathedral
Carolus took a terrified sharp breath. Had he failed? Was he still in his cell? The darkness all around him seemed so terribly oppressive. He rose to his feet and looked around, hoping to see something familiar.
Darkness.
"Hello?" he called out?
"Figured you'd wake up soon, mate." a jovial voice answered.
Carolus spun to face a man dressed in blue robes. It was as if this man lit up the endless void.
"Christ?" Carolus asked.
"Nah mate, Douglas, but everyone calls me Dougie." the man replied.
Carolus stood motionless, pondering the man.
"This is some sort of final hallucination before my brain shuts down, right? Some sort of strange last little burst of brain function." Carolus pondered aloud, not even seemingly addressing Dougie.
"Well you see..." Dougie began, before violently lurching forward and slamming some manner of gilded item into Carolus' chest, sending him tumbling backwards.
Carolus scrambled to his feet ready to fight, but was taken aback by the sight of the man loudly chanting an incantation as a red mist circled above him, being pulled into the golden urn in his hand. Carolus could pick out a snarling face in the mist every so often, before the mist disappeared, and the man in his blue robes held the lid of the urn tight.
"Right, come here, hold this." Dougie beckoned.
Carolus stayed frozen, unsure what was happening.
"Fuck, mate, just come hold the thing." Dougie hissed, his knuckles white with effort.
Carolus stepped forward and placed his hands on the urn, holding the top tight. He pressed hard as he felt the resistance pushing at the lid.
Dougie pressed a finger against the seam and rapidly muttered another incantation, leaving a molten bead of metal as his fingertip traced along the side. Carolus could only watch, confounded at what he was witnessing.
When he finished, Dougie motioned for the urn and quietly slipped it into his satchel.
"Where am I?" Carolus rasped, his eyes wide.
"The space between spaces." Dougie stated. "Now we're about to go to a different space." he cried jovially, grabbing Carolus' hand. As he conjured a portal, the pair were pulled violently within.
As Dougie stepped out the other side, his boots clicking on the wet stone, Carolus collapsed, heaving violently before emptying his stomach.
"Right, forgot about that bit. Get it out mate." Dougie grimaced as he rushed over, and patted Carolus on the back.
"What the fuck was that?!" Carolus cried out between wretches.
"Oh mate, we have two more of those to go yet." Dougie chuckled. "Now come on."
Carolus rose to his feet, wiping the bile and spit from his lips and chin. He groggily started after the robed man, trying to gain some clarity in his surroundings. Wet stone, putrid odors of rot and death, weakly burning torches lined the path.
"Where are we going?" Carolus finally asked.
"To pay your debt, get you squared back up before the next part." Dougie answered, never breaking stride.
"My debt?" Carolus asked.
This time there was no answer. Dougie had stopped at a large door hewn into the stone.
"Don't move. Its not dangerous, it just wants to see who's here." Dougie remarked
Carolus was about to ask, but then he saw the spindly, black, putrid fingers curl around the edge of the door. A pair of milky eyes emerged from the darkness, a lidless stare that seemed to be piercing through the pair. The weedy creature crawled from the darkness and approached them, its snake like nostrils pulsating as it sniffed at them.
It took Carolus everything he had not to recoil from the creature.
"What, the fuck, is that?" Carolus hissed.
"A Doorman. He guards the door to the Drowned God's realm." Dougie replied calmly.
The creature hopped back to the doorway and beckoned them inside. The path ahead suddenly alight with the swirling energies of another portal.
"Come on then." Dougie motioned.
Carolus let out a heavy sigh, and marched forward, stepping through. This time, he didnt feel the nausea as much as he did the bone crushing cold. His tattered prison uniform did little to shield him.
"Not far now." Dougie assured him.
They made their way up a flight of stairs, winding ever onwards. Carolus shivered violently as they walked, rubbing at his arms and hands. He could see a light ahead, which seemed to wash back and forth across the walls. His stomach dropped as he laid eyes on what was beyond the catwalk.
The Profane Procession. Just as he had seen it in his dreams.
"This was real? It wasnt just a hallucination?" Carolus muttered to himself.
"Real as you and I. The little prick in the jar had been here before. You were likely seeing what he saw, the draw of it pulling him back." Dougie stated.
Carolus didn't know what to say, he simply kept moving, towards the other end of the catwalk. They came to a wooden door, upon which Dougie knocked sharply three times. He waited a moment before knocking again. This time the door swung open, revealing a large chamber. The pair entered, and strolled to the center. Carolus rushed over to the roaring fireplace along one of the walls, and held his hands out, trying to get the feeling back in his fingers.
Dougie took note that the little scribe creatures from before were no longer present, instead, the room was silent save for the crackling of logs in the fireplace.
Carolus turned at the sound of another door creaking open, and was taken aback by the strange tendril faced creature that strode towards them. It extended a hand, in which Dougie placed the urn. Carolus watched as the two seemed to have a conversation in a guttural language he certainly didn't understand, but defintely recognized.
The tendril faced being promptly turned its eyes upon him, swaggering across the floor, urn in hand.
"Don't be afraid. Your debt is payed. Your kingdom awaits you, oh great Warlord. May you send many to my halls." it said, its voice shrill and grating as it garbled out the words. It bowed and turned away, leaving through the door it came through.
Carolus pointed at the creature, staring at Dougie.
"Drowned God." Dougie nodded. "He's actually very kind."
Dougie waved his hand and opened another portal, motioning Carolus through. Carolus wearily did as asked. This time, he could feel warmth on his skin. He could smell pine trees, and fresh cooking from somewhere. He blinked against the setting sun, shielding his eyes.
"Where are we now?" he asked, almost resigned.
"Home. Where you were always destined to be." Dougie assured him.
"I..I don't understand. This is all insane. What is this? Who are you, really? What is this place?" Carolus stammered.
"You're an eight foot tall green monster man, and this is the strange part?" Dougie laughed. "Come on, let's get you settled, your place is this way. The stewards likely have the whole place set for you."
Dougie began down a dirt path past a willow tree, towards a row of impressive wooden structures. The one they were heading for looked oddly to Carolus like a stave church from his homeland, built of dark wood with rich accents of brass. He followed Dougie through the door, which seemed to be built for Carolus' height and dimensions.
"Valkyrie?" Dougie called out as he removed his hat. "He's here."
Carolus listened as footsteps moved across the floor above them and down the stairs. He sunk to his knees as he saw her.
Alara.
She smiled sweetly as she approached. She placed a hand on Dougie's shoulder and gave him a firm nod. Dougie returned the gesture and silently slipped out.
Carolus stared up at her. Lips trembling as he tried to find words.
She moved forward and pulled his head into her stomach, gently shushing him. He placed shaking hands on her waist and buried his face into her tunic.
"It's ok. It's ok. We're safe now." she told him, running her hand along the back of his head.
Carolus rose to his feet, eyes filled with tears. He couldn't believe it. "I..I'm so sorry." he choked.
"It's ok. Knowing what I know now. I know it wasnt you. The stewards, and Dougie, they explained everything. They want to make it right. Everything will make sense in time, but first, you need food, you need rest, and you need to get rid of these rags." she said sweetly.
Carolus didn't move. He simply stared into her eyes. Eyes he never thought he would see again. They simply let the moment hang between them. They had been given an opportunity to start over.
Darkness.
"Hello?" he called out?
"Figured you'd wake up soon, mate." a jovial voice answered.
Carolus spun to face a man dressed in blue robes. It was as if this man lit up the endless void.
"Christ?" Carolus asked.
"Nah mate, Douglas, but everyone calls me Dougie." the man replied.
Carolus stood motionless, pondering the man.
"This is some sort of final hallucination before my brain shuts down, right? Some sort of strange last little burst of brain function." Carolus pondered aloud, not even seemingly addressing Dougie.
"Well you see..." Dougie began, before violently lurching forward and slamming some manner of gilded item into Carolus' chest, sending him tumbling backwards.
Carolus scrambled to his feet ready to fight, but was taken aback by the sight of the man loudly chanting an incantation as a red mist circled above him, being pulled into the golden urn in his hand. Carolus could pick out a snarling face in the mist every so often, before the mist disappeared, and the man in his blue robes held the lid of the urn tight.
"Right, come here, hold this." Dougie beckoned.
Carolus stayed frozen, unsure what was happening.
"Fuck, mate, just come hold the thing." Dougie hissed, his knuckles white with effort.
Carolus stepped forward and placed his hands on the urn, holding the top tight. He pressed hard as he felt the resistance pushing at the lid.
Dougie pressed a finger against the seam and rapidly muttered another incantation, leaving a molten bead of metal as his fingertip traced along the side. Carolus could only watch, confounded at what he was witnessing.
When he finished, Dougie motioned for the urn and quietly slipped it into his satchel.
"Where am I?" Carolus rasped, his eyes wide.
"The space between spaces." Dougie stated. "Now we're about to go to a different space." he cried jovially, grabbing Carolus' hand. As he conjured a portal, the pair were pulled violently within.
As Dougie stepped out the other side, his boots clicking on the wet stone, Carolus collapsed, heaving violently before emptying his stomach.
"Right, forgot about that bit. Get it out mate." Dougie grimaced as he rushed over, and patted Carolus on the back.
"What the fuck was that?!" Carolus cried out between wretches.
"Oh mate, we have two more of those to go yet." Dougie chuckled. "Now come on."
Carolus rose to his feet, wiping the bile and spit from his lips and chin. He groggily started after the robed man, trying to gain some clarity in his surroundings. Wet stone, putrid odors of rot and death, weakly burning torches lined the path.
"Where are we going?" Carolus finally asked.
"To pay your debt, get you squared back up before the next part." Dougie answered, never breaking stride.
"My debt?" Carolus asked.
This time there was no answer. Dougie had stopped at a large door hewn into the stone.
"Don't move. Its not dangerous, it just wants to see who's here." Dougie remarked
Carolus was about to ask, but then he saw the spindly, black, putrid fingers curl around the edge of the door. A pair of milky eyes emerged from the darkness, a lidless stare that seemed to be piercing through the pair. The weedy creature crawled from the darkness and approached them, its snake like nostrils pulsating as it sniffed at them.
It took Carolus everything he had not to recoil from the creature.
"What, the fuck, is that?" Carolus hissed.
"A Doorman. He guards the door to the Drowned God's realm." Dougie replied calmly.
The creature hopped back to the doorway and beckoned them inside. The path ahead suddenly alight with the swirling energies of another portal.
"Come on then." Dougie motioned.
Carolus let out a heavy sigh, and marched forward, stepping through. This time, he didnt feel the nausea as much as he did the bone crushing cold. His tattered prison uniform did little to shield him.
"Not far now." Dougie assured him.
They made their way up a flight of stairs, winding ever onwards. Carolus shivered violently as they walked, rubbing at his arms and hands. He could see a light ahead, which seemed to wash back and forth across the walls. His stomach dropped as he laid eyes on what was beyond the catwalk.
The Profane Procession. Just as he had seen it in his dreams.
"This was real? It wasnt just a hallucination?" Carolus muttered to himself.
"Real as you and I. The little prick in the jar had been here before. You were likely seeing what he saw, the draw of it pulling him back." Dougie stated.
Carolus didn't know what to say, he simply kept moving, towards the other end of the catwalk. They came to a wooden door, upon which Dougie knocked sharply three times. He waited a moment before knocking again. This time the door swung open, revealing a large chamber. The pair entered, and strolled to the center. Carolus rushed over to the roaring fireplace along one of the walls, and held his hands out, trying to get the feeling back in his fingers.
Dougie took note that the little scribe creatures from before were no longer present, instead, the room was silent save for the crackling of logs in the fireplace.
Carolus turned at the sound of another door creaking open, and was taken aback by the strange tendril faced creature that strode towards them. It extended a hand, in which Dougie placed the urn. Carolus watched as the two seemed to have a conversation in a guttural language he certainly didn't understand, but defintely recognized.
The tendril faced being promptly turned its eyes upon him, swaggering across the floor, urn in hand.
"Don't be afraid. Your debt is payed. Your kingdom awaits you, oh great Warlord. May you send many to my halls." it said, its voice shrill and grating as it garbled out the words. It bowed and turned away, leaving through the door it came through.
Carolus pointed at the creature, staring at Dougie.
"Drowned God." Dougie nodded. "He's actually very kind."
Dougie waved his hand and opened another portal, motioning Carolus through. Carolus wearily did as asked. This time, he could feel warmth on his skin. He could smell pine trees, and fresh cooking from somewhere. He blinked against the setting sun, shielding his eyes.
"Where are we now?" he asked, almost resigned.
"Home. Where you were always destined to be." Dougie assured him.
"I..I don't understand. This is all insane. What is this? Who are you, really? What is this place?" Carolus stammered.
"You're an eight foot tall green monster man, and this is the strange part?" Dougie laughed. "Come on, let's get you settled, your place is this way. The stewards likely have the whole place set for you."
Dougie began down a dirt path past a willow tree, towards a row of impressive wooden structures. The one they were heading for looked oddly to Carolus like a stave church from his homeland, built of dark wood with rich accents of brass. He followed Dougie through the door, which seemed to be built for Carolus' height and dimensions.
"Valkyrie?" Dougie called out as he removed his hat. "He's here."
Carolus listened as footsteps moved across the floor above them and down the stairs. He sunk to his knees as he saw her.
Alara.
She smiled sweetly as she approached. She placed a hand on Dougie's shoulder and gave him a firm nod. Dougie returned the gesture and silently slipped out.
Carolus stared up at her. Lips trembling as he tried to find words.
She moved forward and pulled his head into her stomach, gently shushing him. He placed shaking hands on her waist and buried his face into her tunic.
"It's ok. It's ok. We're safe now." she told him, running her hand along the back of his head.
Carolus rose to his feet, eyes filled with tears. He couldn't believe it. "I..I'm so sorry." he choked.
"It's ok. Knowing what I know now. I know it wasnt you. The stewards, and Dougie, they explained everything. They want to make it right. Everything will make sense in time, but first, you need food, you need rest, and you need to get rid of these rags." she said sweetly.
Carolus didn't move. He simply stared into her eyes. Eyes he never thought he would see again. They simply let the moment hang between them. They had been given an opportunity to start over.
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