Alby jumped to his feet, and quickly alerted the commander.
"Hey, we've got a problem here! Get up!"
The commander bolted upright. It seemed he had already been on alert, ready for an attack at a moment's notice.
"Where is it?" he croaked, struggling to form his words.
Alby paused for a second, trying to hear the ratting sound again.
After a moment, it rang - faint, but in this perpetually empty land, it seemed to boom like a war drum.
Alby looked in the distance, and paled.
"There" he replied, pointing behind them.
Out in the distance, still far away but closing the distance, a harrowing creature seemed to tower over the land. It was hard to tell, but it must have stood at least ten meters tall, if not more. It stood on six stumpy legs, with at least a dozen black, sickly tentacles weaving their way off its back. Something seemed to move below the surface of those tentacles, practically bursting with anticipation to escape its grotesque master. It had three empty sockets in its head where eyes should have been, and a terrifying maw with countless rows of razor sharp teeth beneath them. Chains wrapped around each leg dragged behind it, but it didn't seem bothered in the slightest.
What made the ghastly sight all the more terrifying was that the creature had seemingly appeared out of nowhere - Alby was sure of it. There had been nothing behind them just moments ago.
"What... is that thing?" Alby managed to squeak out.
The commander seemed much more composed, but a hint of fear seeped through his apathetic exterior.
"Something we shouldn't be dealing with right now. We need to move." The commander stressed. "NOW!"
The two hustled out of the dune where they made camp as the monster continued to approach.
Any trace of hunger and fatigue in their bodies was momentarily erased as adrenaline coursed through their veins. Whatever the beast was, Alby knew it was certainly not something they should be fighting.
The two ran across the barren land, but didn't seem to be gaining much ground on the monstrosity. For a time, they seemed to be able to keep the creature at a distance. However, as the minutes dragged on and lethargy began to rear its ugly head, the monster slowly but surely drew closer. Perhaps in better condition, he could have kept up the chase, but as hungry, thirsty, and drained as he were, Alby found himself struggling to maintain his sprint. The commander, while physically in much better shape than Alby, looked equally drained. It seemed he wasn't used to this crippling hunger and thirst. It almost made Alby want to laugh.
Suddenly, after what seemed like an eternity of running, the commander dug his heels into the ground and slid to a stop. Alby unceremoniously forced himself to stop as well, looking at him in frightened confusion.
"What are you doing? We need to keep moving!" Alby said between gasps as he desperately heaved for air.
The creature was still a distance away - it wouldn't be on them for a few more minutes, at least. But it was gaining on them, fast. There was no time to waste.
The commander shook his head.
"I was hoping to wait to do this, but things moved a bit faster than I was expecting."
The commander reached his hand down towards the belt, pulled his two swords out of their elegantly engraved scabbards....
And aimed them directly at Alby.
Alby stared at the commander, momentarily at a loss for words.
In truth, he knew the commander would betray him sooner or later. It made too much sense - he was a noble with visions of grandeur. A lowly kid from the slums would mean nothing to him. It was why he had always ignored Alby, why he almost seemed annoyed whenever Alby tried to talk to him, to get close to him.
It was only a matter of time, really, until the commander chose to use Alby for his own gain. He was just waiting, keeping Alby as bait to throw at the first threat that came his way. Of course, Alby had not expected that threat to be a harrowing abomination beyond human understanding, but the commander using Alby to save himself came as no surprise.
That didn't mean Alby was happy about the man's decision.
"Really? You're gonna betray me now? Leave me to be eaten by... THAT?" Alby sneered.
The commander didn't offer a response. Alby shook his head.
"What happens when that monster is done munching on me, huh? You can barely move, and it's not like you have anywhere to run - there's nothing in this damned desert! At best, leaving me to die will buy you a few extra minutes. Is my life really worth so little to you?"
The commander chuckled, shaking his head.
"Don't worry, that beast won't be a concern for long after you're gone," the commander said. "A few more minutes should be plenty."
For the first time since Alby met him, the man actually cracked a smile.
"It's nothing personal, really - I actually found you somewhat entertaining. But I'm afraid that our time together has come to an end. You should be grateful - your death here means you'll get to play a meaningful role in my story."
Alby laughed.
"Ahh, delusions of grandeur. Awful big talk from a guy sent to die on the frontlines by his beloved Country!"
The commander continued to point his swords at Alby, but grew a little stiff at the comment.
"What, sore subject?" Alby mocked. "My all-powerful commander - mowed down like an inconvenient ant. Surely they'll tell stories of your heroics!"
A frustrated look suddenly contorted the commander's face.
"You listen here, boy. You don't know anything about what you're talking about."
Alby snickered.
"Don't I? You're such a loyal and dedicated soldier, someone the higher ups would just adore. What was someone like you doing leading a suicide vessel?" he pressed. "Surely whatever you had planned couldn't have been so important if our glorious leaders were raring to send you to your death!"
Alby knew the commander knew something. Now seemed like as good a time as any to ask the questions he had been holding back.
The commander growled.
"Don't you dare speak ill of The Country, boy."
His grip grew a little tighter on his swords, and he lined his swords on top of one another as he lowered himself into a practiced stance, readying for a strike.
"Unfortunately for you, time is short. I have no need to give answers to a walking corpse."
Alby grew a little pale, a nervous smile creeping onto his face.
"Goodbye, you poor fool." the commander said.
Alby began to step backwards and reached one hand behind him, as if bracing to make a break for it.
As he did, the commander suddenly shot forward, slashing his swords downward from one side to the other in a vicious arc towards Alby - almost faster than he could react.
Almost.
Alby hadn't lied when he told the commander he was good at staying alive. While he wouldn't go so far as to call himself a great fighter, he knew a thing or two about how to gain the upper hand when his life was on the line.
After all, the only thing that mattered in a fight was who came out alive in the end. Honor and civility meant nothing if they got you killed.
Instead of backing away, Alby suddenly planted his back leg, using it to shoot forward just underneath the commander's descending blade.
As he did, his hand grasped onto something behind his back…
It was a knife. The commander's knife.
Alby had gotten rid of his one weapon when he tried to surrender to the enemy in the world of the living- a foolish move, in retrospect. Thankfully, his commander came to the land of the dead with a veritable cornucopia of available substitutes, and he just so happened to drop most of them during their trek through the dunes.
It was too easy. The commander had let his guard down, viewed Alby as nothing more than a hapless fool he could easily trample over when the time came. He was blissfully sleeping when Alby snuck away from the camp, retracing their steps until he found one of the weapons. He was too full of himself, the commander. The thought that someone as lowly as Alby could so much as think about fighting back had never even occurred to the man. His arrogance was truly something to behold
And it was the reason he would die. For good this time.
Alby shot the knife forward. He slashed towards the commander's ankle, the very spot that was once protected by armor worth more than Alby's life. His knife bit into the man's skin, meeting slight resistance as it cleanly severed the tendon underneath.
The commander whirled around in surprise, and then buckled to one knee as his ankle gave way.
"You..." the commander grumbled.
Alby, suddenly standing tall above the commander, beamed.
"What can I say?" Alby said. "I guess we're both pretty treacherous."
Rage bloomed in the commander's eyes as he tried to force himself to his feet, jabbing his swords towards Alby. However, his ankle once again failed to support his weight, and he fell down to the ground gracelessly.
Heh, who's tripping over themselves now? Alby thought.
The commander looked up in frustration.
"You can't do this. You can't!"
It was strange, seeing the commander's stoic facade crumble. If Alby didn't know any better, he'd have thought the soldier sounded a little desperate.
"Oh? Why can't I?" Alby mocked. "You were fully prepared to feed me to our friend over there. Why shouldn't I do the same?"
The commander glowered at Alby.
"You don't get it. My life isn't my own to give away," the commander stressed. "I have to escape. If someone like you continues on…"
Alby scoffed.
"Again with the grandiose bullshit. You're part of some grand design, you have some meaningful role to play, people need you to live, blah blah blah. You said it yourself - you're in the land of the dead! How can there be anything left for you?"
The commander shook his head.
"Both of us will be killed by that monster if I sat around and told you everything. What should matter to you is if you leave me here to die, things will only get worse for you!"
Alby looked at the commander's face. For once, he seemed sincere - frightened, even.
"Please," the commander pleaded.
Alby sighed.
"So what would you have me do, huh? Stay here and die in your place? Make one last heroic stand so my valiant leader might live to fight another day?" Alby asked. "In case you didn't notice, you're down an ankle, pal. Even if I fought that thing, I don't think you're making it very far."
The commander was silent for a moment before answering.
"You're just a street urchin, right? You joined the war effort with no real purpose? Here's your moment, boy. You won't be getting anywhere either. Help me. What greater purpose could there be than to die for our cause?"
Now, Alby knew the commander was desperate.
He burst out in laughter, his howls making his hungry and drained body hurt.
"Die for your cause? What the hell do you take me for?" he said through his laughs.
Alby wiped a tear from his eye, finally growing calmer. Once he did, he squatted down in front of the commander, just out of reach in case he got any funny ideas.
"I'll admit, I've thought more than once that death might be my best choice. And yet, here I am, alive as I've ever been, an urchin standing above some almighty hero."
Alby paused for a moment, then stared the commander in the eye, burning him with a deathly serious gaze.
"I may not know where we are or what comes next, but there is one thing I know for certain; I'm damn well not about to throw my life away for some golden boy wannabe trying to play god."
Alby stood up. The commander stared at him with a pleading expression.
"Wait," he said "We can still work something out."
Alby flashed him a smug smile as he backed away.
"Ooh as much as I'd love to, it looks like our friend there is much more eager to have a conversation."
The crawling abomination seemed mere moments away from them now, its towering figure somehow making the shadowy land even darker.
The commander struggled onto his feet, desperately hobbling in Alby's direction. It was no use - Alby was only slowly backing away, gaining more and more ground on the commander.
"Wait, wait!"
Alby didn't spare him a response. He turned away, and sprinted as fast as he could, leaving the commander in the dust. He could hear the commander's desperate pleas beginning to grow fainter.
Then, no more than a minute later, he heard a harrowing snarl that shook him to his very core.
The beast had reached the commander.
Alby didn't look back - he knew he would forever be haunted by the sight if he did. But the sounds…
He heard the sound of skin breaking apart, as if something was ripping its way out of the creature's body. He heard the commander scream in agony. He heard the sound of tearing flesh, the sound of teeth crunching on bone, more screams…
And soon, those screams stopped.
Alby continued to run as the gnawing sound grew worse and worse, fading into the distance…
And as he ran, a new light shot overhead, joining the mass of swirling energy far above him.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Alby was struggling to continue moving.
He had managed to find a new surge of energy after the commander's terrible end, but he could only will himself to move so far.
His muscles were heavy, his lungs were on fire, and he could feel blood forming in his mouth from the lack of water and the constant exertion. His body was on the brink of collapse. He was practically dragging himself across the gray expanse, barely keeping himself upright.
And, while the commander had unwillingly bought Alby some time, the monster was back on his tail. As Alby continued to slow down, the monster only drew closer. At best, it was a couple minutes away from Alby now.
Thankfully, Alby finally had a destination ahead of him.
It seemed to appear out of nowhere, and Alby thought he had imagined it at first. But it was undeniably real. Drawing closer, less than a hundred meters away, stood a hexagon-shaped platform made of a glimmering silver material. Tiles adorned with a litany of figures Alby lined the whole platform. Alby thought he recognized the shapes of humans among those figures, but they all seemed strange and disproportionate. As Alby drew nearer, he thought that the pattern seemed to tell some sort of story. Not that it mattered - it wasn't like he'd have enough time to figure out the tale.
And at the platform's center...
A pristine white basin rose up, no bigger than a sink. A dark black liquid filled the basin nearly to the brim, threatening to overflow at the slightest disturbance.
Alby had no idea what that basin was, he had no idea what the platform could be, he had no idea where he was or why he was here...
And yet, he knew he had to get to that basin.
Alby was nearly at the front of the platform now, the monster chasing him probably a minute away from eating him alive.
Come on, come on! Alby thought. Move faster, you fool!
Alby managed to step up onto the platform, practically crawling across its sleek surface.
Finding his way up to the basin, he grabbed its rim, using it to support himself. He took a closer look at the liquid's surface.
It seemed thick and viscous, bubbling and swirling as if it had a life of its own. It looked unnatural, disturbing, wrong…
But it was the first liquid he had seen in days, and Alby was so thirsty that he was willing to take a risk.
Acting on impulse, he used his hands to scoop up the strange fluid and brought it to his lips, downing it in one swift gulp.
Instantly, an intense pain overwhelmed Alby's body and soul. He fell to the ground. He would have screamed his lungs out if they weren't already about to fall apart. Instead, all that came out was a muted gasp.
Alby felt as if his entire body was being torn apart. He gradually lost sense of his surroundings, losing his hearing, his vision, his sense of touch.
All that was left was pain.
Unbeknownst to Alby, the abomination had finally made its way onto the silver platform. It stood still for a moment, then its vile tentacles began making their way towards Alby. Suddenly, bony tendrils burst through the surface of the tentacles, moving with a mind of their own in the direction of the nearly unconscious Alby.
Just before they reached him, one of the beams of light in the swirling mass far above separated from the rest, shooting down...
And landing squarely in Alby's chest.
He screamed, a real scream this time - one that echoed out over the empty landscape. His back arched off the platform's surface, and suddenly, an incandescent silver light shot out of his body. A moment later, the same light burst out from the entire platform, shooting up far into the sky - right to the mass of light far above.
And where that light touched the monster, it began to burn.
A horrifying, grating noise not meant to be heard by human ears burst from the monster's maw, seeming to shake the world itself. The monster convulsed and spasmed in pain, falling onto the ground and turning into a writhing mass of flesh. The light paid it no mind, continuing to incinerate the monster with uncompromising efficiency.
The light swelled, seeming to blot out the land, and then suddenly ceased to exist.
Alby and the monster were no longer in sight. All that remained was the silver platform, the marble white basin...
And the seething black liquid, filled to the brim, threatening to overflow at any moment.