I was very into how this was going. It'd been ages since I'd smoked anything — not since my reckless youth — and honestly, after the past few days, I could use a break.
Raising one hand, Mattia summoned a hookah — ash-black, packed to the brim with something unholy. As the coals were lit and fanned, I got bored and asked:
So what am I supposed to do here? I need to talk to your
First, walk through your own Then, you shall find both him… and yourself.
Yeah, okay, that's a lot of riddles and not nearly enough Just hand me the truth. Preferably in smokeable form.
She handed me the pipe after cleaning the mouthpiece, whispering solemnly:
Taste She will lead you.
Truth and Clash.
And oh boy, did it kick in!
But nah, that's not how it started.
In the beginning there was the Word. And that Word was: Bliss!
Oh, most holy, all-powerful, all-knowing and however many more epithets — to You, the Gods!
At first, of course, it sucked — I caught full-on panic and thought I'd be parting ways with my heart forever. Not even the overall hypnotic vibe of the place helped. But then, all those chants, the twisted faces, the half-darkness, the light from the braziers, and everything else kicked in just right.
The picture in my eyes started spinning, and the last thing I saw was a puff of smoke that Mattiah blew right into my face as she said:
Ahead lies only the Void… and
Or had I already seen that? And who even am I? Where? Why do my arms and legs flicker and blur like that?!
The hill, overgrown with wild greenery, welcomed all my numerous limbs so well that I had to bury them into the vegetation and soak up its juices. They spread through my body fast and started pouring back out through my mouth, cutting off my breath.
Choking, I begged them for mercy, but the neck of some man that crawled out of my mouth turned soft like dough. Until it wrapped itself around my limbs and dragged me rolling down the slope.
I was falling for a long time.
Luckily, I landed on a tiny cloud, which broke the fall, and now I was gliding in circles over this — or maybe another — hill. And then, from above, came a thunderclap of unimaginable force!
Looking up at it, I noticed those clouds weren't like mine. They were huge, spreading so far I could barely see the Colossal Scales of Battle behind them!
The cloud and I got so fascinated. We just froze, unable to look away. I fed my companion olive pits, spitting them into its open mouth, and warned it not to ask for seconds.
Up above, or maybe to the sides (I couldn't tell directions), two forces were clashing: one looked like dark, weightless creatures with glowing coal-like eyes. Must be demons, based on the usual lore. But their enemies didn't resemble anything I'd ever seen: enormous wheels, orbs — all covered in countless eyes, lush wings, and bright white color!
Who the hell are those?! And who should I bet on?!
Neither side was gaining ground, even though they kept pressing into each other, smashing in with their intangible mass. The roar was so insane I had to cover the ears of a chicken that landed in my arms and asked to be calmed down. I was trembling right along with the feathered baby, as sparks fell from above, and the cloud had to keep dodging the rain of burning heavenly shards.
This is Neither of them will win. – Was all it said. I wanted to argue, but there was no one to argue with.
Instead, I was suddenly running in full armor, trapped in a suffocating helmet, under the welcoming screams of a crowd.
A huge arena was opening around me, far beyond the size of any I remembered. Rows of seats went high up, and on the balcony stood some scrawny dude with his finger pointing down. Symbolism
again? What's this wheezy guy want?
In my right hand, bulging with muscles, was a massive chain I kept whipping on the ground to show off my might. And while running, mind you!
Also, there was a tiger running beside me, who for some reason wasn't attacking me but even winked — like, I'm with you, bro! And we were charging straight at a panicked crowd of women, men, and children, who were screaming, begging for mercy, and marking themselves with some signs I'd never seen before.
What am I supposed to do with them?! Poor people! I don't wanna touch them!