Interlude:
The dream was the same again.
"You have failed me, ______"
Always the same, trapped in that horrible place; with no way out.
"Even with the boons I had granted you, even with ascending you beyond the feeble trappings of your inferior mortal body, you have failed"
And he was there; judging you, persecuting you for your failure
(for what?). He had granted you power, and promises of greatness
(Power? Greatness? Why did you want either?)
But it was all a lie; false machinations by a dark god, and only now did you see the truth. And he was furious.
"Know that THIS is the price of failure, for failing to enact my will upon the word. Did you not promise me you would grind your brother's corpse under your heel?"(Brother? You didn't have a brother.)
Excuses and apologies where piling in your mind, but they were all useless; no amount of begging or grovelling would placate the rage of this monster.
And so it began; pain and agony wracking your body, your mind, your very soul. Black ichor poured from every orifice, as the very body granted by this god was breaking by his very whims. Your body tried to convulse in spasms, but it was locked in pain and bound by the might of he deity before you.
"Yeeessss, behold your punishment; for when you bargained with me, you offered up your very soul as payment. I OWN you ______; mind, body, and soul. And I intend to collect upon it."
You couldn't speak; not only was your mouth unable to move, but you felt your mind fraying and shattering by the second. ________'s very touch defiling your spirit and rotting your mind.
"Oh, do not worry about the fun ending so soon ______; I have had over five thousand years to perfect this craft. I assure you that the time has given me many...CREATIVE and EFFECTIVE methods to try out on those who defy me. Or who have failed me. And so long as I exist here, upon MY domain; you shall live, unable to die, in endless agony for your incompetence."
"Such is my will, and my will is law; for I am a GOD..."
Pain. Pain and endless torment; steadily getting worse and worse. There was no end to it, to the torture and agony brought on by a vile and mad god.
"Hmm...I grow bored with simply watching you squirm; I wish to hear you SCREAM..." (No, please no. No more; somebody help! Mother! Father! Nee-san! HELP ME!!)I'm...I'm sorry brother. Forgive me...
"-ki. HOUKI!" You're shaken back and forth, as you finally snap out of it. You don't know when you woke up, or when the screams stopped coming from the dreams and from yourself.
"Shhh, sweetie; it's alright. It's only a nightmare," A nightmare that never leaves; that never goes away, no matter how many times her parents say otherwise, "Shhh, you're here with us, safe and sound."
You're still crying, and holding onto your mother for dear life; the nightmare still vivid in your mind. Eventually, your nee-chan comes and hugs you, crying and holding on like you're about to go away forever.
You do the same, feeling safer in your sister's arms fare more that you did in your mother's. Deep down, a part of you feels that no matter what happens, your sister will always be there for you.
Always.
Author's Notes: Bah, something that I simply needed to get written; regardless of anything else. It just hit me as I was planning out the rest of the quest. Consider this a hint from a benevolent GM.
Well, benevolent for now at least...