6 True Power (1/2)
”I've been waiting for you to wake up for so long, sleepyhead. Are you a man? What do you need so much beauty sleep for?!” Lineir was speechless, the voice in his head was bouncing around his skull and was enough to make anyone want to clap their palms to their head.
But since it was all in his head he didn't even have that option! He looked at the blade in his hand closely and became immensely excited despite his fatigue.
”You wouldn't happen to be one of the legendary immortal blades would you? Have I struck it rich? Will I finally be able to become a hero and never worry about food again?” The voice in his head grew incredibly annoyed at his youthful thoughts,
”Me? An immortal blade? Don't be ridiculous. There's little time for your questions. That undead blood is pouring in here, and the undead heart will know where I am after all this time. It's almost done refining the souls of the old city. When that happens, not just you, but the whole new city will likely perish. Choose now, follow my instructions and save the world or die here asking pointless questions!”
Lineir hesitated, it could be a trick after all. This voice might deny that it was an immortal sword but Lineir knew that only immortal swords could speak out with true human-like speech. Furthermore, it appeared like the blood sucking spider was actually the minion of this strange sword. However, his blood had apparently been returned to him. He even felt refreshed now and the wound on his back had sealed as if it was never there.
The voice started taking a softer tone but still reeked of arrogance,
”Ok, I see that you are the kind that doesn't rush things. But there's really no time. How about this, I promise to answer any one question of yours truthfully, and then you follow my instructions. Afterwards, I will tell you exactly what you want to know in full!”
Lineir paused, the black liquid pooling up to his ankles. Soon the pit would fill with this undead blood and he would drown if he didn't leave anyways. He asked the question that first came to mind and felt most important,
”Can I trust you?” The voice chuckled,
”Trust is a fine thing, but it is fine to know that I won't kill you right now, that undead heart over there though, that definitely will if it is allowed to return to life! So listen to me and run out of this pit now. If you can make it to the undead heart, I have synthesized enough power from your blood to stop it from resurrecting. Go, unless you don't value your own life or anyone in the entire city!”
Lineir was sold, his sister's life was at risk as well! Immediately he realized that he was out of choices and began to sprint up the sides of the pit.Climbing up the side of the pit was far more difficult than it might seem. The black liquid made everything slippery and holding the sword in one hand, Lineir could only scrabble at the ground with two legs and one free hand. Sometimes he would jam the sword into the side of the pit walls and use it as a cane.
”Hurry, every second you delay, it gets stronger. Can't you hear its heartbeat? If the interval between each beat increases to the speed of a normal heart, even I can't stop what is coming!” The voice in his head was urging him on calmly.
Lineir felt frustration coursing through him as he slipped yet again and received a face-full of black muck.
”Can't you do something about this? If you're so amazing, then help me through this!” He yelled out. The voice sighed,
”Look, I could help you through this, but I can only possess your body for a short time before your blood will be corrupted and die. If I do it now, then when we get to the undead heart you will already be a dead man walking and I won't have enough time to seal the heart before you drop dead! Just get me there as fast as possible and I will take care of the rest. Don't worry about tiring yourself out, once you're there I will take over!”
Lineir pressed onwards relentlessly trying to batter his way free of the endless blood and mud. The voice of the sword shouted bizarre encouragement to him all the way.
”Oh quite good, I didn't think you would get up past that spot so easily” and, ”Oh, if you keep smashing my blade in so hard, we'll get there in no time”.
”HAAAAWWWWHHH!!!!!!!!!!!”
With a tremendous cry, Lineir arrived at the top of the pit and stepped on the street level of the deadzone. In the distance the giant undead heart, bigger than a city, was beating faster than ever causing ripples to spread out endlessly through the disgusting black liquid. With every heartbeat, more black liquid would pulse out of the rotting heart,shooting straight up into the sky in a pillar of blood, and fall down like rain. Soon the whole town would be drowned in black blood. Looking back, Lineir saw the pit he had been in was almost completely filled, in another ten minutes or so he would have been sucked in and submerged.