Next Chapter:
John: Wake up to nothing, Literally.
A horrible thudding pain spins through John's head. The pain got worse every time he tried to move. Every time he tries to open his eyes all he sees is blinding bright white that makes his head throb and his stomach roll an makes him want to vomit. So he keeps his eyes close an his cold hand pressed to his forehead. The memory of seeing Dave in the park replays in his mind over and over as John tries and fails to figure out what happened. What's was going on there? Was someone shooting at them? Did he get shot? Is that why he felt like he was being ripped in two? Is he... dead?
He tries again to open his eyes but all he sees is blinding white light. He snaps his eyes shut an rubs at them wondering where his glasses went. He sighs an forces his eyes open again. The light seems to move and swirl with life, but yet do nothing at all. Every time he tries to focus on stream of light it would pulse and disappear like it was never there. Taking a deep even breath John pushes himself up, feeling the plush fabric under him as he looks around. But all he sees it bright light, everywhere, bright blinding light. Even the soft fabric underneath him was just a blinding light.
His eyes begin to burn an his head throb again. The lights around him swirling faster as a horrible ache rips through his gut. An agonized gurgle escapes his lips as he hunches over wrapping his arms around his midsection and curling in upon himself.
"What!? He's awake?" Daves voice comes through muffled from a distance, as if in another room. John looks around but sees nothing but light. It was blinding, it hurt, his eyes hurt, his stomach hurt, his chest felt like it was being ripped in two. Unable to take it anymore John leans over and vomits. The mix of colors of his picnic lunch a dark contrast to the brightness around him.
Dave pushes the door open and glances into the dark room. Bookshelves cover the walls crammed full with so many books that when Dave woke up earlier in the same room he thought he was in a library. John sat hunched over on a dark green couch, about to topple over as he stared at the floor. Dave glances down at the floor to see a fresh splatter on the slightly lighter green carpeting. "Aw... Dude. Why would you puke on a girl's rug? That's all kinds of disrespectful! Couldn't you just ask for a bucket?"
John's head shoots up his blue eyes watering and filled with pain and confusion as they focus on Dave's Dark form in the bright surroundings. "What are you talking about Dave? THERE IS NO CARPET! There is NOTHING here!? What's going on? Where are we? Why is it so bright? Did I get shot? Are we in a hospital? Am I gonna Die? Are we already dead?"
Dave blinks in confusion taking a step inside the room. Moving carefully around the puddle on the floor he grabs the glass of water sitting on the table next to the couch. Slowly he hols the cup out to John. "Here, drink this. It'll help you feel better."
"Drink WHAT Dave? There is nothing in your hand! Why can't I see anything but you? Oh god! I'm dead aren't I? Is this heaven? Please tell me we're not in hell. I don't want to be dead! I Haven't even had sex yet! I'm too young to die!" John grabs his head, fingers curling into his hair as he continues to flip out.
Dave sighs and rubs his own forehead in frustration. He takes his shades off an carefully places them on John's nose, pushing them up before grabbing John's hands and pulling them away from his hair. He carefully wraps John's fingers around the glass and moves it up to his lips.
John stares at his hands in confusion. He can't see anything but he felt the cold sweat covered glass under his fingers. He tips his hands up and tastes the cool liquid as it goes into his mouth. It tastes like water. John greedily chugs the water down before looking around again. He still can't see anything. But with Dave's sunglasses on everything seemed a lot less blinding.
"Oh dear. I was afraid this would happen." Dave turns to look as a woman enters the room. She appears to be in about her mid 30's to 40's. Her black hair is cut short to her chin with slight strips of gray in it. Her horns go up and back in a crochet hook style that causes Dave to curse Rose again. She's wearing a delicate black dress. She moves carefully to avoid the vomit on the floor and sits herself down on a chair in the corner. She reaches over to the table beside her chair and picks up a small device. With delicate fingers she pokes at the device a few times, almost like she's sending a text.
"You were afraid what would happen, Dolorosa?" Dave raises a brow casually placing a hand on John's shoulder to keep him from teetering off the couch into his own mess.
"What? I didn't say anything. What's going on?" John's voice was starting to go high pitched and frantic. Dave narrows his eyes and pets his head shushing him softly.
"He can't see or hear anything of our world Dave." Dolarosa looks up from her small device. A sad look crosses her face for a moment before disappearing being a mother-like mask.
A few caterpillar like creatures of various different colors scurry into the room. Some of them carry towels, others liquids that smelled like cleaning products. They rush over to the mess on the floor and make quick work on removing it. Dave barely resists the urge to step back in disgust, only John pressed against his side keeping him still. He runs his fingers through John's dark hair.
"Why can't he see anything? How is it he can be in this world, but not be able to SEE it?" Dave eyes one of the over-sized bugs in a purple shade as it worked it's spindly legs to spray some cleaner on the mess.
"Who are you even talking to Dave?" John sounded like he was near tears as he glanced up at Dave.
Dave shooshed him again and pressed his head against his side. Glancing back up at the woman who's 'hive' as she seemed to call it they were currently in. Dolarosa looked troubled as she watches John. "He isn't of this world anymore. This is going to upset the goddess of luck quite a bit... possibly enough to have her leave our cause."
Dave growls drawing her attention back up into his narrowed red eyes. "How about we start from the beginning. Why are we here?"
Dolarosa sighs, casually lifting one of the green bug like creatures up into her lap and coddling it like a beloved pet. "Mr. Strider, do you know the story of your family?"
Dave flinches and looks down at the now spotless carpet. "My parents died when I was young. Bro tells me they were the coolest people in the world. But that's really all I know."
Dolarosa watches as the emotions flash across Dave's pale freckled face before disappearing completely under a well trained mask. She pets the grubling's little head before whispering in it's ear and setting it down. The little bug scurries out the door.
It's gone only a moment before the door opens wide. A wild mane of hair and cat ear like horns is the first thing Dave sees. Freckled gray skin and a wide fang-filled grin is the next thing he notices. Then the twitching blue tail that follows as the woman enters the room. "You called for me?" she purrs out, bright green eyes zoning in on Dave's hand moving in John's hair.
"I know how much you love telling stories Disciple. Would you like to tell Mr. Strider how he came to be here?" Dolarosa smiles as her friend bubbles over with excitement. A squeal of glee escapes Disciple's lips at the thought of being able to tell one of her favorite stories. She bounds across the floor and flops down on the couch next to John. Nearly sending him flying off of it.
John wraps his arms around Dave's waist, clinging for dear life when he feels the surface underneath of him shifting. "Daaaaaave." He whimpers.
Dave continues to pet his hair. "It's okay John, someone just sat down beside you. It'll be okay."
"SHUSH! It's story time!" Disciple purses her lips glaring at Dave. She takes a deep breath and begins her story. "About 26 years ago our people were celebrating the coming of another rare true blooded troll. He came into our world and to the palace in order to be initiated into his god tier. Our queen the Condense stood before him awaiting the show of his powers.
The new god was different from the rest of us. His hair glowed a bright gold color instead of our normal black. His eyes were a glossy amber as he stared smugly down at the strongest of all beings, our queen. The Condensce became instantly smitten with the new god and after assigning him the title of God of Love she began to attempt and court him. Hoping to make him the next addition to her growing harem of gods and goddess to warm her bed.
But, the god of love had no interest in our over-confident queen and instead found himself falling in love with a mousey goddess he bumped into outside of the library. They fell completely in love with each other and Dolarosa, the goddess of motherhood, happily bestowed upon them the gift of life allowing the young goddess to become with child.
The queen found out about the couple and demanded the mousey goddess be strung up by her reproductive organs and made an example of. That anyone who would think themselves worthy of stealing from her would face horrible punishment. Disgusted by the queen's actions a group of gods banned together and helped the god of love break his lover out of jail. The two escaped to the human world where they started anew. Luck was on their side as the mousey goddess's power was strong enough to keep them safe from the queen's vengeance. For the goddess power was that of hiding.
The goddess was able to keep her family hidden for about 17 years. Giving birth to three young unformed gods. Unfortunately, on the 16th birthday of their first born child he came into contact with a catalyst, and his power came out. This would normally not cause a problem for the family. Except the eldest son's power, was Sight. With one untrained burst of power all of the work his mother put in to keeping her family hidden was shattered.
The queen spotted the lovers with their child instantly and sent the god of death to destroy them. For even gods can be killed if it's killed by a god of death. Fortunately for you, that god of death had a weakness. Your red eyes, Mr. Strider."
Dave swallows the lump forming in his throat, his hands balling into fists. John yelps and yanks away from Dave, tumbling off the couch and toppling onto the floor. "oh..." Dave says slowly, taking it all in as he stares down at John. His cool kid facade collapsing under the truth that his parents were killed because his brother came to power. "Wait... what's a catalyst?"
Dolarosa looks up from the swarm of multi colored grublings she'd been cooing over during story time. "A catalyst is an item or living creature that through certain actions can bring a god to power. The catalyst brought your brother to power, and your brother enabled him to be able to see the world around him."
Disciple scoots across the couch careful not to touch John who lay defeated on the floor. "Would you like to hear the story of your friend?" She purrs staring intently at Dave's hand.
Next Chapter?
Dave: Listen to the story John: Demand to go home