Hell Notes
Forbidden Realm II27/1/2019 Once again I woke up floating in the same space. Swimming in the void, in the emptiness. But it's not empty, it's full of stuff. The skies, above and below, dotted with stars, with realms. I'm alone, so I just go to explore, only for peek in to one and another. One is green, lush with growth and so peaceful. Another is covered in mountain ranges and, even if I can't see very clearly without entering it, I'm pretty sure I see dragons flying over and around those mountain peeks. There is life going on in all of those. But there is one a little further that's bothering me somehow, I feel drawn to it, something is calling me there. I must go investigate.
I approach it slowly and before my eyes a dire picture emerge. The realm is under attack and the defenders are vastly outgunned and outnumbered, they are barely holding. The attackers have giants and all manner of other vile tools of war and destruction. There seem to be no hope for the home team. That just seem not right at all. I feel I have no choice, I have to step in. I entered straight in to the front lines, with my blades and my dogs of war. I got some of the retreating troops back in line and got them hold that line. While we went on assault, we went after those giants. Grinding them down, one by one, piece by piece, until every single one of those monsters were laying in dirt. With the biggest threats eliminated, defending forced somehow miraculously managed to repel the invaders, eventually, just barely. But there were no celebrations, no screams of joy. Death and destruction was near absolute - all I could see was just ruins. I left that place feeling sadness, with a sense of loss. What is the point of fighting if you are lost no matter the outcome of your fight?.. It all feel so wasteful, so empty, devoid of purpose. I just felt I need a time off. A moment of rest to get my self back in to more positive vibe. I got out of that "sea of realms" to the shore, just to find my sis already sitting there, waiting for me. "Sneaking up on me again?" "I thought you might need a shoulder to rest on." "Thanks. All better already. Since you are here anyway, do you know anything about that forbidden realm, hidden in the very depths?" "No, I never went that far. Maybe you shouldn't either?" "I have no desire to ever go back there. But I have a feeling I might have to, someday. But not today, or any time soon. On more positive note, would you like to go explore some places, peaceful ones?" She just smiled in agreement and jumped on her feet ready to dive in to it with me. And so our day ended with some sightseeing, of only peaceful sights.
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Forbidden Realm26/1/2019 I woke up in a little strange place, or perhaps more precisely - strange state. Suspended, floating in an ocean of nothing and something at the same time. There was no up or down, no ground nor sky, only the space. And something else - tiny specks of light, like stars, scattered around me. My first instinct was to try and move around in a physical sense - moving my body part, but it was no use. I looked as helpless and a fly fallen in a bowl of water. But soon I realised, or perhaps remembered other ways to get around in places, states as this. I only have to use my mind, my awareness, my focus, to change my "point of perception" and thus changing my location. It's all relative, all matter of perception.
I got interested in those "stars" around me, so I focused on one of those, and as I did, I began moving closer to it. But as I approached one of those "stars", it began to grow in my perception, from a small speck to a planet, a whole world. Those were not stars, those were world, entire realms scattered around. I moved from one to another. Every single one was a realm. I realised I could enter any of them, if I'd like, to explore deeper, closer. But as I was about to go in to one, Jonny showed up. "You need to go check this place." He's giving me some coordinates, or maybe it was more like distance and relative direction to everything else. But he ran off before I could even ask anything more. I just know where to go, and that this place quite far, hidden deep in the void. Far from all other specks of light. I got curious my self what could possibly be hidden there, far from any eyes. So I locked on it, spread my wings and at full speed soared through to void. Zipping passed many realms until there was nothing, only a vast ocean of dark and empty space. There was no more light, only faint sense of direction, a feeling of one. A little while after, I began seeing a tiny faint speck of light far in the distance. That was a relief, because I was beginning to doubt my sense of direction and maybe I got lost. But now that destination was in sight it should be smooth sailing. As I was getting closer I noticed some other object in my path. I slowed down a bit to get better look at it, and that thing began moving. It was moving towards me. A sentry? Looks more like machine, but I sense something alive inside. At this point I have no idea if it's friendly or hostile, if he/it even see me or maybe that thing is just flying somewhere else. But just in case, I start taking wide circle around it, and lo and behold, he's matching my every move. Well at least it's clear now, I was spotted and he is trying to catch up with me and it seems he is heavily armed, although from so far away it's hard to tell for sure. On the other hand, not sure if I want to find out. Since I noticed he is a lot slower than me, there is no reason to get in to fight with whatever can be outrun. On that thought, I realigned my self with my destination again and left that sentry in the dusts. As I came closer to the place, that speck of light start to grow and grow and now that realm was almost filling my entire field of view. I didn't stop, I just went straight in to it and landed in front of bridge leading to large gates. The whole place is like a fortress, surrounded by walls. Huge walls, seemingly reaching the sky. And these gates ahead of me seem like the only entrance and something prevents my from just flying over those walls. But that's not a big deal, I'll just walk over there. There was single guard by the gates. Looks like some kind of sleeping golem. A machine from the outside, but something alive underneath all that layer of machinery. I wonder if I can talk to him. I only took one step and he woke up. "Hello, I come in peace.." I waved my hand in the air. But that guard responded with all the fire power he had, without warning or a single word. Projectiles were zipping all around me. So much for diplomacy... I opened fire too and he was down in a moment. But I didn't get a moment to contemplate the situation, should I try to investigate anything or should I leave. The moment that guard's body hit the grown, gates opened and more of them appeared. Two, three, five, ten and then another ten or twenty. And all of them rushing at me their guns blazing. "What the hells is wrong with these people? Can't we all chill a little and have a chat?" All of it was very confusing, since I didn't show any aggression, except the self defence part, but now there seem to be no other option on the table, only to fight. So we did battle there for while, but no matter how many of them I take down, more kept coming, and coming and coming. Until I got my self surrounded, with no escape, and running out fire power. Out numbered and outgunned. "Well shit, this expedition going to leave a scar." I began saying my prayers to ease my passing. But almost at the very last moment I heard a cracking noise above me. Seemed as if the sky is opened and three beams of light struck the ground, right in front of me and my crew landed. "Your asses just had to wait to the very last moment, didn't you?" "We didn't know it could get this messy. Take these." They start loading me with new weapons and armour. After refitting me all three just took shelter behind me and I was back in butchering business, but now I have better range, and stronger hits. They were dropping fast until not a single one of them was left standing. That was our window to get out, because I've seen enough for one day. We just packed up and left that hostile place, before more of them would show up, more than I could handle even with all the upgrades. Cherry Cliff: The Grey Hound Inn23/1/2019 That Ki's big grin give it all away. She is up to something, I can feel it in my bones. She is cheating for sure, but I have no idea how, yet. Perhaps she marked the cards somehow, but I can't see any markings. Well not a bother, I'm sure we will find out soon enough. It's all just for some good fun anyway to kill the time. We've been waiting for this guest for a while now, whatever he has, if anything, is important enough to wait for days if I have to.
"He is here." Blossom announced his arrival before he even entered our tavern. He merely glanced over the place and swiftly marched to our table. Not a moment to waste. "Welcome, please take a seat, have a drink." I try to show my best manners. "Thank you, but it's okay. I'm just for a moment. I have something that might help you." This friend of a friend begin to give me some mild anxiety with all the rushing, and his "straight to the point, business first" ways. "Are you sure I can't interest you in a glass of whiskey, on the house?" "A finest whiskey in town, Sir! Smooth as baby's butt and kicks gentler than love-sick maid." Rob joined in advertising his wares. "Thank you, but I don't consume alcohol." Our guest was not impressed. "Non alcoholic drinks only outside, in the lake.." But my failed attempt of a joke received no applause. .. Eh don't mind it. I apologies for my juvenile humor. So what you said you have for me?" He pulled from his pocket folded piece of paper and passed it to me. On it just one word - a name. "Who is it?" It just didn't ring any bells and the meaning of it was lost on me. "It's her." "Her who?" "The girl you are trying to find." "Huh? Oh.. Are you trying to tell me that is her real name? The witch lied to me?" He just shrugged his shoulders: "That's all I got right now, hope it helps." "I'm sure it will help, thank you. What do I owe you for it?" "Don't mention it, just a favor to your friend. Good luck." And he disappeared in the doorway as swiftly as he came. I don't know what will I do with it, what I can do with it, but I know it's very important piece I was missing. I'm feel much closer to her now. "Who is she?" Ki's question brought my mind back in to present. "Someone I used to know. Before you joined us. And then we lost Rei. Because I was blind and ignorant. But we'll find her. One of these days we will find her, I'm sure." "Does she want to be found?" "That is very good question. We will ask her that the next time we see her.. Lets get back to our game, shall we?" I have good cards, there is no pint in dragging it any longer: "I call with.." "Welcome traveller! You seem to be long way from home. Our finest selection of liqueur will rejuvenate your weary feet in no time." Rob's voice caught all our attention. Who is he talking to? We didn't expect anybody else today. The man look very tired, his rags barely holding on his frail body. I never seen him before. A human? "What this human doing here?" I asked Blossom. "He was following you." "A lot of random things might be following me. But I mean, why would you let him in?" "I though you knew him." "Maybe we should just stick with our families and friends. Wandering souls can surely find some other places to hang around." "Okay, you want me to send him off?" "No, it's fine. He's already here, at least we can listen to his story. This once." The man was not responding to Rob's questions. As if trying to, perhaps even struggling to make sense of all that's around him. But after few moments his eyes lit up a little. "I'm looking for something, for someone." He pored words out at Rob. There was deep feeling of despair and urgency in his voice. "Well you might be in luck here. I just happen to know someone half-decent at finding things." Rob waved his hand towards our table. He walked straight to us, his eyes fixed on me. "Can you help me? I'm looking for my son, it's very important. I must speak to him." And I got yet another piece of paper shoved in to my hands. With a name. "Your son? Is that his name?" I know that name. It all beginning to make sense. But I'm not sure if this man can be helped, knowing who is he looking for. "I see now. So you were following his scent, that I'm carrying.. Perhaps I should shower more often. Anyhow, what you are asking might be beyond my abilities, but I will try what I can. It might take a while. You are free to stay here in the mean time. You don't seem to have where to go anyway." Old man just nodded his head in silence and sat down at the far corner of the tavern. Just staring in to the wall and drowning in his own regrets. But that can't be helped, at least not any time soon. If opportunity presents it self - sure, but I have too much on my hands now to worry about his pain any more than necessary. "So where were we?" I turn to Ki. "Ah right, I call you with two aces.." Ki throws her cards on the table laughing: "Ha Ha! I have 3 aces! I win! I win!" "Hmm, three clearly beats two.." Cherry Cliff: Guardian16/1/2019 "Hey Alice. Are you busy?"
I just dropped on her without warning while she was clearly in the middle of something. She greeted me with her usual smile. "It can wait a moment. Do you need my help with something?" "Well yeah.. It's about my realm. I think I'm missing something, maybe even something obvious. Every time I come back to it, there's hardly anything left of it, I have to start it all over. And the longer I'm away, to less of it left. What is missing?" She pulled her eyebrows together and was just staring at me for a little, as if I grew a horn on my forehead. "You are quite right, it is obvious. You must forgive me, I'm a little surprised. You, of all people, got stuck on something as simple as that. Perhaps they did took away from you much more than I imagined." "So it can be fixed?" "Fixing would imply something is broken, which is hardly the case here. Everything just as it should be, as it meant to be." "But I never seen anything like that here. Not even once I noticed anything fading in your domain. Yours is stable." "Precisely. Well, try to solve it your self. What is the main difference between your place and mine? No.. Perhaps the right question would be: what is the greatest difference between you and me?" There was thousand things I could name, but neither of those seem to have any relation to the problem. Except.. Maybe just that one main difference.. "Hmm.. Is it because you are here at all times, while I'm mostly down there?" "Indeed. You are half way there." "But you know that I can't be there at all times, not yet. So I'm stuck with constantly rotting away realm?" She start to laugh at me, which confused me even more. "Any other day I would love to play riddles with you. It is truly a joy to watch your mind trying to find a way out of every maze to find your self in. But there are far too many things waiting for my attention at this moment, so I will give you some of that cheese and I'm sure you will manage the rest." "So there is a way?" "There is always a way, if the need is there. What you create is nothing more but a dream, a memory. And memories have a habit of fading away over time, don't they? Unless! Unless you keep keep them alive by remembering, dreaming.. Or in other words - by observing. You can't be that observer at all times, so the magic answer is - you need someone else who can. You simply need a guardian." "Guarding from what?" "From decay." "Oh! I understand it now!" "Ha Ha!.. Do you now?" Her laughter did deflate my initial burst of confidence. "I think I do. More or less. At least, I think I have pretty good idea now, of the matter. I have some ideas to work with, at the very least.." "Splendid! Can't wait to hear about those next time you come by. Now off you go, I must return to my work. Be sure to tell me of your progress soon." She waved her hand, before I could even thank her, and I sunk in to fog, just to emerge in my own domain a moment later. All seemed to be clear as day. I can't be here all the time and there is nobody else who would, so that leaves me the only other choice - I have to make "somebody". And I tried. For days, but that turned out to be a whole lot harder than I imagined. I didn't want to go back to Alice, I was determined to crack this one all by my self, at least this once, even if it takes me a while. But couple days later, while I was trying to fix the unfixable, I felt presence getting closer. It was strong but not overly intimidating, someone new but somehow vaguely familiar. "Knock knock!" "Who's there?" She emerged just few steps in front of me. Someone I've never seen before - a lady of some different kind. Clothed in silk, red hair dancing in the breeze, and that strange mask. But she feels familiar, even if there's no memory attached to that feeling. "A friend." "I didn't know I still had any of those left." "Now, now. We are almost family and family never forget their own. At least we didn't. We know you went through a lot, things were taken, memories were lost." "Happens, I guess." "Not very often, at least not what happened to you.. But it'll all come back to you in time. But I'm not here to talk about the past. We've been watching you and we know you could use a helping hand. I brought someone here - one of ours. She will help you, if that's okay with you?" "Okay.." "Fabulous! Have fun you two then." "What? Wait.. ...And she's gone." I'm left standing there alone with my confusion. Almost alone. There's now two little red eyes staring at me. "I guess, make your self at home then." |