Awake at Last
There I lay, in the bowels of Hades, forever peaceful in my eternal slumber. I am the god Cerberus, and it has been many a century since I fell into this peaceful bliss. I was to forever lie here, floating, forever wandering through endless time and space. I was sure there would never be a time where I could awake, and I could make up for the horrible wrongs I have done in the past. That's how it was, has, and forever will be: or so I thought. "Ding, ding" rang the bell at the top of the merchants door, signaling that someone had entered. The merchant watched as a young man, around 25 or so, walk in. He seemed to just want to look around. He went over to the trinkets isle, and poked around for a little bit. He picked up a silver whistle, one that when was found, never worked. It was cheep, but the man looked at it with amazement, like he saw something in it that captured his attention. The shopkeeper did not care though. It was just another sale. The man walked out after purchasing the whistle. The man that just walked out of the shop was Dave. Dave was a simple young man that led a very boring life. He went home after work, ate, went to sleep, woke up, and went to work. That was and has been his basic life for the past 2 years. He had not always been like this, though. He had once lead a very exciting life and used to travel a lot. He also used to be in love.
(Flashback) Dave was once betrothed to a very beautiful maiden, her eyes like a ominous morning sunrise, her hair flowed like water down a steady stream, and lips as soft as roses. They were a happy couple. They had a son, and their lives were good. And believe it or not, Dave began to get bored with her. Sure she was beautiful and all, but there seamed to be no excitement in their lives. He was taking his love for granite, and the gods knew that. They said that he was so selfish, that if he could not see the truth and cherish what he had, they would do something drastic. After the next year and a half, he did not change the least. In fact, he only got worse. He started hanging around bars, picking up prostitutes, and turning into something that was almost comparable to a worthless swine. One night, he got very drunk, and to his unfortunate, he picked up a man. He was so drunk, he saw the man as the most beautiful thing in the world. That night he made sweet, drunken love to the man. That was his biggest mistake of all. Little did he know, but the stranger was actually an Angle, given permission to do such an evil act to finally test the will of Dave. In the morning, he saw a note on the bed, saying that because of his acts of commitment last night, he would pay the ultimate price. And so he did, as when returning home, he found not his wife or his sun, but a note. It took him but a moment to realize what had happened. The note said that because he failed to see the treasure that was blessed to him, his wife and child were carried away to a far off land, where there they would be more prosperous that they had ever dreamed of being and found a man that would love and care for her always. Amazingly, this did not upset him. He found it relieving to have the burden of a child and wife taken off of him. He crumpled up the note, not concerned about why or where they went. All he cared about now was that he was free.
He went home and laid the whistle down on his door counter, where he kept all his money and other such carry-round trinkets. He lay down on his empty bed, listening to the fountain outside in the square. After about a couple of hours, he decided to grab his tunic and go to the inn and maybe ‘have a good time.' Little did he know that while he sat there for a couple of hours, trouble was brewing down at the inn. The Angel was working his magic, turning the people against Dave. Back at the inn... "Why should we believe you? You're just a prostitute, and a gay one at that!" said one of Dave's friends. "Oh, sure, you can just ignore what I say. But be I black, white, purple, straight, gay, or any other sexual preferences, listen to me," the Angel said, "Is anyone in here perfect? No! I am telling you that he has done the worst possible crime other than back talking the Gods themselves, and I witnessed every second of it!" The people were listening very intently now. "Dave has killed his wife and his child, and I ask you, are you really going to let that slide?" His words echoed around the cavern, no one was making a sound. You could have heard a pin drop. A man coughed in the background. There seamed to be nothing but confusion in the crowd. A lone man stepped forward, a puzzled look upon his face. "And how, pray tell, do you know of this hanis act?" questioned the man. There were many nods around the cavern, also thinking it odd that this man was the only one that knew. "I was leaving the house of a client, and as passing by, I saw him dragging a bag, and thought it was his daily rubbish. I went over to him, thinking I could get some work. And as I approached his back, I realized my feet getting slightly damp. I looked down, and to my disbelief, I was walking in a trail of blood." At that statement, some of the women in the cavern gasped. One even fainted on the floor, immediately catching the attention of the whole crowd. "Leave her, she has just fainted is all." The angel yelled, getting impatient. "So what, you were walking in a ‘trail of blood' you say, but how do we not know that it was the blood of an animal he had thrown out? It is common to have a bleeding sack." A couple of children snickered in the corner; their immature minds only comprehending the bleeding sack part. Now was the angel's time to strike the final blow. "I also came to that conclusion, and decided to investigate further. I followed him further still, my curiosity moving me forward. He was looking over his shoulder, obviously suspicious of someone finding out some dirty little secret of his. He came to the stairs, and then stopped, as if something was keeping him from going down them. He then proceeded to go down them, but not at his normal pace. He slowed down, and on his way, the bag came loose at the top of the knot. It was then, and only then, did I know what he had done. That was because a human hand popped out, one with a ring on it." His final blow had been struck. He looked around at the crowed to see their reaction. Most had their mouths open in disbelief. Others looked angry, and the rest had an expression on their face of both emotions. Some of the women were crying for the loss. The children had returned to their parents, scarred and worried faces. After a long silence, one man blurted out, "Well, what do we do?" Conversation broke out all over the cavern, deciding on what to do. The Angel was standing there with amazement. "What dim witted creatures these humans are. Glad I will never have to see them again." He said to himself. Fifteen minutes later, there still was no decision on what the increasingly angry group of people. The people were basically screaming out their ideas now, adding to the confusion of who said what. "Lets go burn his house down!" yelled one. "Bring him to the town square and then burn him!" yelled another. "No, let's bring him to the temple of Zuce and then let the Gods deal with him!" screamed the priest, his usual peaceful self shaking with outrage. Other ideas were flying around like wet angry bees. No one seemed to be getting anywhere. By this time the Angel was getting REALLY annoyed. "EVERYONE STOP! CONTAIN YOURSELF PLEASE!" he interrupted. Everyone got really quiet. "Now, why not just kick him out of town. Then we can save ourselves from the Gods wrath, rid ourselves from this problem, and we can just let the animals deal with him." Everyone seamed to agree with that and finished their drinks. They went to their houses and grabbed their pitchforks, scythes, torches, and other instruments that are usually pictured in a town mob. They met back at the bar, and then set out to the outskirts of town towards Dave's house. * * * Dave was about to get going to the inn, when there was a knock on the door. He grabbed his silver whistle he bought earlier that day. He then opened the door and looked out. He was utterly bewildered. There, if front of his house, was nearly the whole town. "Hey guys, I was just on my way to...well, invite you over to my house. But I guess your all here, so why don't you come on in," Dave said in a bewildered tone. No body moved. There seemed to be no response from the crowd. Then he saw it. For some reason they all looked mad... at HIM! Dave was confused. Why would they be mad at him? This was serious, they had pitchforks, scythes, and some even had torches. "Is this really necessary, I mean, is it a crime to have a party?" Dave was lost, not knowing what was going on; no one would tell him, so how could they think he knew? There was a sudden change as a man yelled, "Grab him!" Dave suddenly found himself being pulled away from his house. Dave was being pulled this way and that way; angry faces flashed in his vision. He was hopelessly entangled in the arms of the angry villagers. His clothes were being tugged this way and that, being stretched to the tearing point. He was on the ground; being dragged toward the village entrance, when he was suddenly was vaulted forward; his shirt finally ripping from the villagers throwing him. He found himself without a shirt, laying on the ground in misery. "Wh...what is this all about?" Dave stammered. "Dave, we as a village here by banish you from this village!" the mayor said. Dave was in shock. Him, banished? How could this happen? "On what terms are you banishing me? Is this some kind of sick joke I should know about?" Dave was beginning to think that they were just doing this for a laugh. "How dare you pretend you know not of what I am talking about? You are banished on the terms of murdering your wife and child!" the Mayor exclaimed, disgust mounting in his voice. As he looked on in disbelief, the gates of the village closed, and he was left in the cold. He was still sitting on the ground, staring with a dazed expression in his eyes, when he realized that something was poking his side. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the whistle. He rolled it in his palms, looking at the thing in wonder. As he sat and looked at the whistle, he allowed his mind to wander. He unintentionally brought the whistle up to his lips, and blew. ..............I opened my eyes................ No noise came out, and as soon as he realized this, he stopped blowing on it and looked at it. It looked like any other normal whistle; silver, slender, with a little opening on either side and one at the top. Maybe he just was not blowing hard enough. He brought it up to his lips one more time. This time he blew as hard as he could. .............I felt my bonds weaken. I had no clue what was happening. I decided to take advantage of this situation. I flexed, pushing my legs and my heads out as hard as I could. The bonds broke before my titan like strength. I was free............ After blowing as hard as he could, and still not able to force a noise out of it, he decided that it was broken. He then realized that he must have looked very foolish sitting on the ground, blowing on a whistle that maid no noise, after he had just been banished from the village he had grew up in. He got up, sweeping off his back and pants. It was nighttime, and he was freezing. He decided to start walking for the next town. He took one last look at the village that he so fondly already missed. He then set out for the nearest village; witch was about 11 leagues from his village. There he could find shelter, clothing, and a job to try and start his life over with the money. About an hour later, he felt woozy. He felt like there was something new, something foreign, inside his head. He shook it off, and figured that he was just tired. He decided that when the sunset, he would make camp. After camp was set up, he sat and pondered what had happened. He was now totally alone, no one to talk to. He drifted into a restless sleep, pondering what he would do next. .........I have been wandering for hours, trying to find a way out. It seems there is no way out of this desolate space that confined me. I have reached some sort of barrier, one that has eluded my passing for a couple of hours now, or at least what I think has been a couple of hours. This wall seems to be magic, because I have pawed, gnawed, and hurled myself against it, but to no avail. It was then that I felt the barrier weaken as my surroundings turned a softer, more relaxing color. I then nudged the now flaccid door with my head and it fell away like a cloth. I found myself in a barrage of moving images, talking figures, and a rather promiscuous scene between two males that I have to admit I found very amusing. I then realized that I was in a dream of some sort, and then it came to me. I was trapped inside a mind: a prisoner of another more or less intelligent than himself. For which it was an intelligent being or not, I could not tell. By the images rushing around my head though, I knew it had to have some basic knowledge, and might even be somewhat intelligent. I decided to try and communicate, letting out a howl from the maw of one of my great heads. Suddenly, halfway through my howl, a disturbance shook me and I was thrown into a wild tumble as the consciousness around me tightened and became very awake. I lay on my side, startled, unsure of what to do next... Dave awoke with a start. He could have sworn that he heard a howl. He looked around at his surroundings. He was surrounded on all sides by desert, just like he left it. No animals were in sight, and Dave sat still, trying to hear the sound again. Nothing. There seemed to be nothing there. "Is there anybody there?" Dave knew this was a foolish question, as if someone was there, they would actually be able to answer him. But strangely he felt a slight acknowledgement in his mind, as if something was trying to tell him something. A gust of wind blew, sending shiver down his spine. Something in his mind felt that and a couple of seconds later he felt warmth spread his whole body. He welcomed the feeling, and drifted off to sleep, trying to portray himself in his dreams to maybe to see whatever it was. ...I felt the creature shiver, and an image of a cold wind swept along the consciousness. I laid my warm body against the ground, and felt the creature return to a state of homeostasis. The creature felt content with this action, and once again found the creature drifting into sleep. I got up, and started to walk to the wall that had once again gone limp, and nosed inside it. There, by a warm fire, was a young man. "Who are you?" I said with authority, but at the same time intense curiosity. The man looked alarmed and intrigued, and could not find the words to give me an answer. He just got up, and started circling me, taking every detail until it started to annoy me. With one of my heads, I looked over at him with an angry look, and he finally saw it. He flinched when I turned around and started to smell him. "Relax, I'm only returning the favor." I said, trying to calm down the frightened human. He smelt human, and that was enough for me to believe he was one. "I ask again, who are you, and what are you?" I questioned. "My name is Dave, but my question is what are YOU? I'm just a human who has fallen asleep." He said, seeming hesitant. "I am the God Cerberus. I wish to find the one who awoke me, and then give my thanks to him. He has set me free from captivity, and I wish to roam the world again." I was finishing my final lap around the man when I spotted the whistle. My eyes widened, and I tackled the man. "What do you know of the artifact and how did you come by it!" I barked, outraged that he would dare mock me by its presence. "Wh...What artifact?" He stammered. "Don't act innocent," I screamed, "I'm talking about the item around your neck!" "Oh, you mean this little thing, it's just a whistle that doesn't work. Nothing to get alarmed about." He said with an obviously innocent tone. I lifted the paw that kept him pinned to the ground. He got up and took off the whistle. "You can take a look at it if you wish." I took the whistle out of his outstretched hand. In my minds eye I could see the man who imprisoned my blowing it and then all went black. I looked at the man after a while, and tried to sum him up. He was lean, not to muscular, and looked like he had not been fed for days. In a brief moment of consciousness, I felt pity for him. "If you truly are the true owner of this whistle, I have some information to give you. You will be hunted. That is the plainest answer I can give you. It may have been hidden for a while, but all that while it has been hunted, fought, and killed for. It holds great power and should only be used in a great time of need. From now on, now that I know what your spirit looks like, I can find you, and give you all the strength I can. Now go, and remember what I said." I placed my hand on his head, putting my thumb on the bridge of his nose, and gave a push. He faded from view as he entered the mortal world. END OF PROLOG