Drowned within the void Adeus stood. Analysing it all before he walked, the ground echoing a wet sloshing clangor with each footstep. Further in sounds of snarled beasts beheld him. Voices of old clawed his mind in drunken rage. He screeched guttering pleas of no escape as he frantically tore side to side, mentally tethered. Whimpers rose and fell as he tried to lay latch upon a hope or two, until deep within the void, he saw a figure devoured in crimson.
Drunken the fiends came, sober they left relinquishing Adeus from his turmoil. Upon sanity's return he remained stagnant. Gazing at the figure through the distance, he discerned it the shape of a malnourished man. Upon realisation, a drowning sense of deep rooted fear anchored within Adeus's chest as beads of sweat fell.
The man on the other hand too deluded to even notice him, engaged in a dance of crimson. Dance of crimson, how did Adeus know that? And why was he here? They were his first thoughts within this place but that realization left as fast as it came. Frightened by the unfolding horror.
The man danced on, ignoring the beastly bones scattered 'round him in a circle, ignoring the flimsy skinned garment 'round his waist inches from unraveling him, ignoring the boy standing far from him. He just danced as blood dripped from his fingertips, as crimson liquid flowed from his nose and eyes, bones cracked from within. Yet, he pushed on unblinking... not that he could.
Despite the indulging fear, Adeus couldn't help but feel for the thin man who danced despite his body already given out. Who danced as though the world around him, breaking or not, would never falter him. It was disheartening, darkening yet brought a sense of honour filled with relief.
Why? What sign enshrouded the man and the actions he took that brought the comfort of relief filled with honour? He was malnourished, his body already past the edge of breaking, draining itself of all life yet he still lived. Dancing frighteningly so.
Not once did Adeus blink. Before he realised it within that short passage of time he'd crept forward unknowingly. Nauseatingly so, the crimsoned figure grew closer, details vivid than ever. A pouncing chest, heaving breaths drowned atop one another, hoarse screams of a voice stretched beyond possibility barely escaping. The crazed dance of flesh shattering bones and sluiced blood. It all came crashing down once Adeus halted before the circle of beastly bones etched with runes.
Grounded, the thinned, old man's eyes finally fell shut. At the same time he raggedly coughed, blood spewing out from within. Hyperventilating and shaken, pained groans of fatigue and hardships escaped transforming into screeches as bones rearranged and wounds closed up. Greedily drinking clean the splash puddle of blood upon the floor, the circle of beastly bone runes took away any evidential remains of his visceral torture. He looked like a reborn man yet turned pathetic.
There was something to him, the man... or perhaps it wasn't him, just the way you see it within a person's face when they realised they're free. Laying on the ground the old man waited, the feeling of no pain, no fatigue. It all felt fake and he was ready to face it yet again. But nothing, pain never came, fatigue stayed gone. It was then he first saw Adeus gazing at him.
No... the man told himself. To his own shock Adeus spoke back not in command. Yes... you're free. We thank you for your youth, your years and your pain. Within Adeus's own pitch of words was another combined with his, a more feminine gentle voice.
Its owner made known as she passed Adeus walking to the thin man. She stood taller than anybody Adeus had seen, a humanized giant she was. Her skin reflecting the dark voids embrace, runes etched in gold ran down all her limbs. Her hair tied into long cascading cornrow braids of ethereal light. Purple drapery clung to her figure.
Kneeling, her fingers found the man's face gently caressing it, her pearly irises hidden within darkened eyes met the man's brown irises showcased with light all around it. Twitching her eyes, she saw it all, the life he lived before, the dread he felt within this darkness, the pain... but also hope and lost dreams never fulfilled due to his long duty within this place. She embraced him then calmly spoke out in a dual pitch residing Adeus's own, You did well.
The intrusive thoughts of this to be some crazed illusion grew weak, he had done it. He had served his years, his harsh painful torturous years. He felt joy, he felt rage, he felt loss, he felt emotions within the past years that had long since been relieved, swelled up in his well of a soul, now comforted within the embrace of a warmth hold.
He sobbed, for the first in years, he sobbed for all his lost years. In this moment a baby became he. Time passed bringing with it his own recollection. Smiling the feminine figure spoke, Adeus on command followed suit at once.
My child you did your part, now it's time to rest. Your tribe awaits you, no? She turned a direction and both Adeus and the man followed her gesture. There, an aurora light reflected visions of a tribe of the first days engaged in their own daily activities. Its time to go home now, she continued.
He examined her one last time, giving her an expression of gratitude. Finally acknowledging the pained elephant in the room he faced his successor, the boy who he suspected to be the same age as him when he first arrived, no older than 15 winters, Adeus.
Somber the old man hugged him. Perhaps a last wishing of good will and perseverance. Albeit within his eyes held a relief filled with a grieving honour. Why? Because he paid his dues and was now free... Adeus told himself. Before he knew it the man was gone, disappearing within the aurora lights. The last thing Adeus saw was the figures within it rushing to welcome the old man now turned young they all recognised in shock.
The focus of the spiritual lady soon fell on him. His eyes laid on the altar constructed by the runic beast bones before halting on her figure. Her hand rested on his shoulder. It's all right, said she. This time her voice was her own. Your time of freedom will come and it will be as joyous as his, perhaps even greater.But... but my parents, my siblings I haven't-They know Adeus, you know this. Your entire family happened to be chosen, they now have their own duties as do you.
His entire face darkened as the memories all came back. How long do I have to be here... tortured. He asked grimly, scared. As long as you need to be. She offered with gentle honesty. In the face of forced torture her words lacked any sort of comfort she could bring forth. Reaching her hand out the lady calmly awaited his. Lacking any sort of conviction he followed her gesture grabbing hold onto hers, by every means he wished to scream, shout, reject what he could not. But her warmth secretly receded such actions.
Walking into the altar, she stepped out. Light flooded upwards illuminating his figure, before a speck of harm could reach him he heard the last words he'd hear in a while. I wish you well Adeus... for you are the best of us, you and your beloved family.
Pain then came quick. The light forced his eyes open, unblinking he became. It forced his mouth wide as a rejuvenated voice soon to be hoarse screeched. His bones of youth twisted and broke, remaking itself over and over in a rhythmic way pulling his body into a horrific dance. Gashes of blood tranced down his fingertips, falling from the punctures within his flesh the remaking bones made. Dark blood from within his punctured organs rained from his mouth with guttural pleas. His eyes began with tears but would soon dry out and cry blood. This was Adeus's initiation, his own dance of crimson.