The Forgotten Slayer-Chapter 7: Dust

Because the passage of time was unclear in this new realm Clyde found himself in, it was impossible to know how much time has passed.

After awhile Clyde found himself pondering if time was also passing in the world he came from. Thinking about that for too long caused him to worry about Bell and what trouble the Lord would create.

The worry quickly vanished as his own reality was brought to his attention. For the first time since his arrival Clyde saw a living being. Or at least he thought it was alive.

In front of Clyde was a small frog. The grey pattern on it almost made it indistinguishable from the ground. The sky was still pitch black with no sign of changing.

However must curiously the ground has became softer acting like a form of sand or snow.

Clyde stood still watching the frog with a curious intent. Before long it began to burry itself into the ground. What stuck out to Clyde was the fact that it seemed as if the frog was trying to protect itself.

Turning around Clyde was frozen with terror. A wall of some grey bleak substance was headed in his direction. Pretty soon he could feel specs of whatever it was hitting him. This caused another question to appear, why was his spectral body being affected.

Could he die... again?

Touching the substance as it was falling on his hands he noticed it was the same as the floor below him.

It was dust.

The wall coming his direction was a duststorm.

If he could die again he was not about to find out.

Looking around once more there was just small hills and plains of dust no matter where he turned.

'Just my luck, I'm dead, stuck in some trashy place and now I have to embrace a storm.'

Well it's not like he knew he would die but at minimum it wouldn't be pleasant.

Running in the opposite direction as fast as he could, Clyde was glad to not be limited by his humanity because he couldn't run out of breath if he couldn't breathe.

Although he couldn't run out of breath a part of him felt like slowing down but he couldn't quite figure out what made him feel that way. Perhaps his very essence was being drained when exerting himself in this form.

Before another moment passed his foot suddenly sunk into the ground pulling him downward.

Sinking deeper and deeper into the ground until all that remained was his head, Clyde started to hold his breathe forgetting again that he doesn't need oxygen.

***

At this point Clyde would rather be dead than alive. Unable to move and detached from all senses his mind was rapidly deteriorating.

Eventually his feet felt free and he could wiggle them. Slowly more and more of his body was coming out. By the time his arms were free he pushed himself out of the soft spot finally gaining freedom.

Looking around there wasn't much to see besides total darkness.

Wandering around aimlessly Clyde's despair grew deeper despite his new freedom. Everything going on made no sense at all. He had never heard of a place like this. Was he in purgatory? It would be so easy to just stop and give up.

Feeling of the hole in his chest Clyde wondered if this was his punishment for breaking his promise. He wasn't allowed to see his sister in the afterlife. If god existed they were cruel.

All he couldn't think about during this time was his serious misfortunes. He was born during a time of anguish, Hell decided to invade his realm, his family was slaughtered and the only reason he lived was because he was a coward. On top of that he was given an impractical aspect that boosted his physical abilities. Which seemed fine until he realized that what he was up against was beyond reason.

'I couldn't even die right.'

"Some people are trying to get some rest but your needless whining is interrupting that."

Clyde was so startled by this voice he didn't know what to say.

"Is someone there?"

"No you're just going insane."

"Where are we?"

"Questions and questions, did you ignore my first statement."

"I'm sorry if I'm concerned because -"

"I know why your concerned I've been hearing your thoughts since you arrived."

A strong flame appeared in the underground area Clyde found himself in. Across from him and on the other side of the flame was a man with silver hair resting on his shoulders. He was dressed in clothing Clyde had never seen before. It must have been some fancy robe worthy of a palace dweller.

"I am Orion and this is my home you have entered."

"Why would anyone choose to live in this place?"

"Well if I'm being honest I was banished here, but that's not important. What is important, however, is the fact that you somehow made your way into this realm."

"It's not like a chose to be here. I just died and before I knew it I appeared. Eventually after god knows how long I fell into a sinkhole and here we are."

Orion seemed to already know this but there was a glimmer in his eyes when Clyde mentioned that he died.

"You said you died. Now you are here. How curious indeed. Luck is on your side after all Deathwalker."

"Deathwalker...? You call this luck please explain."

"For starters a Deathwalker is someone like you, torn from life and rejected from death. You are lucky because you are able to leave this place. Additionally this will be a boon to myself. Leaving this place will cost you though."

"Cost me what exactly?"

Orions aloof attitude and demeanor dropped instantly. A cold chill could be strongly felt despite Clyde's spectral state.

"Everything.... and nothing really. That sounded ominous but really it just means you'll owe me a favor at some point. You would also be unable to refuse the favor when it's called upon. But after that you would be free. To sweeten the deal I recall you felt powerless, well I can give you power."

"What is the favor?"

New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on ƒгeewebnovёl.com.

"Unfortunately I can't tell you that but I will admit that the deal is much more in your favor than it is mine. After all I would be losing a power of mine if I gave it to you."

"Are you even a human?"

"So many questions and so little answers. It really is just a yes or no deal Clyde. To answer your question I am in fact a human. Well that's not exactly true but I am a human in nature, I've just... meddled in affairs above our head which is how I ended up here in the first place."

"I'm sorry but I can't except this deal, my gut is telling me I would deeply regret this decision later."

The flame inbetween them vanished leaving only darkness between them.

"You are an utter fool. Are you referring to the same gut instinct that likely got you in here in the first place? Regardless it is as you wish, the deal will not be happening. And now you will come to regret this decision instead."

Before Clyde could realize what happened it was if time froze. He could feel his entire body begin to fly upward and into the dust ceiling. The pain where his heart used to be exploded in excruciating agony.

A second later he was already in the sky in the midst of the duststorm. Even then he was flying so far and fast that he quickly couldn't see anything but a blur in his surronding. Clyde did notice that there was a sudden change in the color of the blur.

At that moment there was an intense blow to Clyde back as he came to a sudden stop. If he wasn't already dead he imagined he would have exploded at the force.

Looking around him it was clear he must have traveled very far because aside from the dirt hole he found himself in, all around him was full of grass and trees.

'Am I home? No I doubt it because that wicked monster wouldn't have taken me there for free.'

At that moment all of the exhaustion had caught up with Clyde and he began to pass out. Before he did though he heard something strange.

'Is somebody... humming?'