Winter 3 512
Continued from Here...
Imass opened his eyes and he was in a dream. So vivid was the reality presented before him that he could not distinguish the difference. He was lying on his back, staring up at a golden-red sky that stretched as far as the eye could see. Clouds high in the atmosphere drifted vertically across his vision at tremendous speeds. There was no end to the white puff streams and the sunset colored sky never changed. The Akalak stared at the surreal scene above him for what seemed like countless eons.
Eventually, Imass grew restless and his eyes began to tire of staring. Although weakened, he managed to turn his head sideways only to be greeted by the corpse of none other than Lurik. The fifteen year old Akalak had been slain during the Rite of Trial. None-the-less there he laid mangled and twisted like the day he died. His childhood friend's death usually brought rage into his heart, but now he could only feel deep sorrow.
The Knight stared at Lurik for a long time in shocking disbelief. The Glassbeak wound, still grisly, spanned down his leg. Even though the corpses looked mere minutes old, it did not draw blood. Imass could see every grotesque detail of the fatal injury; the debowled stomach, the lacerations across his manhood, and the red gash on his inner thigh.
Suddenly Lurik turned to face Imass. His cold, dead eyes stared, "Imass."
The Knight closed his eyes and started to pray to Yahal wildly. He repeated his short prayer over and over until suddenly Lurik's voice broke his concentration, "Imass, what happened to your head?"
The Akalak eyes flashed opened for a moment to confirm that Lurik was still before him. He closed his eyes again and began to repeat the prayer. He could not accept the fact that the corpse was talking to him. He would not allow it for his own sanity. He had nothing to say to the dead body, though Lurik would not be denied, "Look me in the eyes when I am talking to you Imass!! Is that not something that we once believed in?!"
Lurik's voice carried a heavy weight behind it this time. Imass opened his eyes immediately at stared. The mere action of looking into his friend's eyes brought pain to his heart, "I cannot bare to look onto thee a moment longer, but I shall endure for your sake Lurik."
"It is hard... but you will learn," Lurik said solemnly, "What happened to your head?"
Imass could hardly visualize what happened, but he knew the answer regardless, "....Murdock..."
"Why?"
"I ... I ... do not rightly know. He was my enemy. I hated him."
"And you do no hate him now?" Lurik's expression never changed.
"I feel no rage, no anger. It was robbed from me. All I feel is sorrow."
Lurik's mouth twitched slightly almost as if he was trying to grin, "You will learn Imass."
"He has no honor! No morals! He is a vile beast! I hated him. He killed my brothers and he had no honor.... There was no justice.... He learned the Secret of the Windoak..."
Lurik interrupted, "Why are you here Imass? Why?"
"I...died..."
"I SAID WHY!!!"
"I...."
"YOU FAILED! YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU FAILED! Murdock learned the secret of the Windoak; he killed your family, and threatened the peace of Mizahar and you died! You had one Duty at that moment! It was to kill Murdock and you FAILED!"
"NO!!" Imass closed his eyes sobbing, though no tears flowed.
"You coward! Open your eyes and see! Look around Imass."
The Knight could barely move his head in this state, but he did it regardless for Lurik. Flipping his head over to the other side, the scene of another dead Akalak filled his vision. A seven foot warrior laid next to him; his shoulder, neck, and heart were cut with a single sword strike. The limb was hanging on by a flap of skin. There was no blood, but the corpse looked as if the Akalak died minutes earlier. Sorrow and fear surged through him as the corpse turned to look at him with dead eyes. He too was dead, but alive.
When Imass could bare it no longer, he started to look beyond the two corpses to his right and left. The Knight saw dozens and dozens of corpses all around him as far as the eye could see. They were ALL Akalaks and they were all dead. Some of the purple corpses were riddled with arrows. Some were chopped, sliced, and shattered. Still others seemed to have no wounds at all. One thing was constant though, they where all dead. After taking in the scene, Imass realized that he too was dead and laying on a plain of dead Akalak.
"What is this place Lurik?" Imass said finally.
Lurik twitched his mouth and answered solemnly, "This is the Vale of Sorrow... Akalak brothers whom died in failure spend eternity thinking about it here. You are doomed to this limbo forever Imass. You are a failure, just like me."
Ser Imass began to weep, but no tears came to his eyes.