The Last Soul

Author's note: I own nothing. Drat.

Daniel woke, cold and alone. It was very quiet… frightened, he pulled his thin blanket tight about his shoulders. There was scratching at the door, and a half hearted snapping. It sounded familiar. Determined to find out what was wrong, even though he was afraid, he walked across the icy floor. The door yielded to his small hand, and he gave a gasp at what lay in the doorway.

It was the chattering dog! The animal lay on its side, legs flailing. Daniel had played with this beast, and he’d never seen it like this… it looked… sick. He didn’t want to touch it, but he sat down next to it, fanning air on it with his blanket. “Puppy…puppy… get up!” The Chatter Beast didn’t get up, but the legs stilled their thrashing. Then the head turned on the floor to look at him, and it emitted a low whine.
Daniel shivered, he would have to touch it… he moved over, placed his hands against the animals side. The muscle was slick beneath his fingers, and cold. He gave a little push, when that did nothing he pushed harder, harder still. The Chatter Beast snapped at the floor, started fighting to get its legs under it. Both strained and slowly the animal tilted to its stomach. Success.

The skinless hell hound snarled and started to plod of down a passage. It stopped halfway from sight, turned and gave another low wine. Daniel ran to catch up.

The quiet was everywhere, and there were more people on the floor, scary people he didn’t know. The beast led him past these, down path after path. Daniel was getting colder, he shivered and huddled, wishing he could get his feet off the icy floor. No sign of stopping from the Chatter Beast. Then another person he knew! Daniel ran to her, she was so very still…
He could hear her breathing; it was a light, soft sound. He wondered if she was asleep. “Lady, lady?” She stirred, gave a soft moan. Daniel looked at the beast, “What is wrong with everyone?! Why are they like this?!” The animal of course could not reply.

Daniel turned back to her, shook her as he had shook the dog. She however, didn’t get up, instead sinking deeper into into the ground, completely lax. The boy gave up, looking back at the dog.

Something had occurred to him, filing him with fear anew.

“Where is The Pontiff? Where is Topec?!” The dog turned and sprinted down a side pass. “Wait! I’m coming too!”

The passages twisted and turned, getting further and farther away from the center of the maze.

There he lay. Xipe Topec showed no movement as they approached. He was twisted slightly, as if he had been struck, his legs crossing at the knees, sideways to the floor. His face was turned into the dirt, with only the pins preventing touching. One hand was sprawled forward in a grasp, the other crushed below his own side. He looked shallow and wane in the dim blue light.

“Topec!! Topec!!” Daniel rushed to his side, slid to a crouch and shook his shoulder. “Topec!! Topec!! Get up!!! Wake up!!!” Panic bubbled in his chest, the warm woman, she hadn’t ever gotten up. “Topec!!!” A wooden room swam in and out of view, long benches, white walls, golden candles. A broken colorful window shone color on the woman’s long blond hair, her empty eyes gazed at the alter.
“Papa!!! Wake up!!”

Daniel slid further forward, tried to pull the prone Cenobites body up from the ground. He was gasping now, shaking, “Don’t take Papa!!” He screamed, “Don’t take him like you took mama!!!”

It was a lone wail in a silent world, swallowed without a murmur.

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Topec could hear a sound, far away… in a shadowed window he sank further into oblivion. The need to wake, the desire, it was abandoning him. The pain had gone with it, Leviathan, everything. He was alone and numb.

“Topec!!”

Like a ripple on dark water, a voice, small and high with youth and fear. He was far too tired to be bothered with it… it would go away…

“Topec get up!!!”

He watched his breath mist the blackness from half shut eyes, it rose and faded. The cry came again, increasingly agitated. (Leviathan… why am I sleeping, I was… something is wrong…) he tried to pull his thoughts together, but they eluded him. It was so much easier to just close his eyes…

“Papa!!!”

(Papa..?) His eyes narrowed in confusion. (Papa? Who is… papa?)

“Don’t take Papa!!”

(Who is papa?) He lifted his head weakly, looking across the inky blackness. (No child I have ever sired would dare…)

“Don’t take him like you took mama!!!”

A strange feeling, like water sliding down a parched throat, his breaths came a little deeper. He had been so hungry, drained, and this was reviving him. (Suffering… An Innocent’s suffering…) He drank it in, feeling his focus and strength returning. (An innocent… Daniel!)

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“Daniel…”

Daniel paused almost mid scream. “Pa-Topec! Your awake!!”
The black eyes were grayish at the rims, but they were focused. Topec soundlessly pulled himself into a crouch, rose from the floor. He swayed, but did not fall. Those eyes scanned the labyrinth though the walls, seeking Leviathan. The God was weak, needing more souls, having burned the last of his reserves.

How had it come to this?! They were starving! The God hungered; he must be satisfied, but in time… all the souls would be used, what would they… would they offer themselves? Leviathan called in the distance, sustaining himself by withdrawing the energy stored in his minions. He felt Topec, urged him to the task.
The boy looked up at him from tearstained cheeks, wide eyes, trembling limbs. What good was he? The race of man had no women left to breed. The silence stretched thick between them.

“Daniel, return to the hall of Souls.”

Daniel blinked, feeling relieved but hurt at the same time. He would not be weak in front of his father though, he was awake, it was good.

“Yes Black Pontiff!” He ran off, trusting the Chatter Beast to show him the way.

Topec looked after him from solemn eyes.

“And I tasted the draught of despair.” He intoned, black eyes sliding shut. “And lo, it was bitter on my tongue.”