Arthur tossed the key in the air as he walked through the army of undead. They no longer blocked his path or tried to attack him. Instead, they opened a path toward the towers.
"Be careful from the twin sisters!" Nyxiel shouted from above. "One of them forbids lies, and the other forbids truths! It’s best if you don’t answer at all!"
"Where is the fun in that?" Arthur asked with a grin as he looked at the sky. Nyxiel sighed and flew away, heading toward the central tower.
Arthur found the entrance to the inner grounds of the palace. It was a giant gate, with walls that were tens of ters high. The giant palace was split into five spiraling towers, with the central one being the most prominent.
A giant door was sticking out from one of the towers, which Arthur assud would belong to Nyxiel. He felt a little guilty, but didn’t hate the impactful entrance he had made.
The doors swung open for him. Arthur stared inside, and saw the long corridors inside. He walked in and gazed at the paintings on each side of the corridors. It seed to belong to people who looked ordinary, but sohow important enough to have portraits inside the palace.
The paintings were nurous, and they didn’t end even after Arthur reached a giant foyer. Inside the foyer was a man sitting behind a giant desk. The man had bandages all over his body, suggesting he was a mummy.
"Welco to the Death Palace," the mummy said as it pulled a few papers. "Do you have an appointnt with the Sovereign of Death?"
"Nothing official," Arthur said while staring at the giant mummy. "Can you tell him that I’m here to see him?"
"And who are you?"
"A friend," Arthur said. "But I think that I would have to et the generals first."
"If there is no official appointnt, then yes," the mummy said as it pulled out a pair of glasses, even though its entire head was bandages. It placed the glasses and read a long docunt. "Please take the door to your right. You will find the nearest and available general there."
"Thank you. I have a question."
"Yes?" the mummy asked.
"Who are the people in the paintings?" Arthur asked. "They don’t seem remarkable. So of them even look sick."
"Ah, yes. These are the soldiers who gave away the life of the living to join the army of the dead," the mummy said. "Each painting is in honor of their sacrifice. You will see plenty of them along the way. Please note that it’s forbidden to touch them."
"Of course," Arthur said with an intrigued smile. "This way?"
"That way."
Arthur followed the mummy’s directions and walked toward the door, which opened on its own. It led him to another long corridor filled with paintings.
The common thing between the paintings was the sickly appearance of the people inside. Arthur noted that most of them seed sick before they joined the army of the dead.
"I guess the people thought it was better to live detached from your body than to live in sickness," Arthur muttered. "Maybe death is truly the ultimate release from the burdens of life."
Arthur reached the end of the corridor, and found a giant hall. The hall was split into two, with each side looking different than the other. On the right were white statues, standing proud and tall, their features defined. On the left stood black statues, with fear etched on their obscured features.
On the far end of the hall sat a woman with twin heads.
"Welco," the two heads said in unison. Arthur saw that their hair was black and white, with white and black streaks respectively.
Their necks were long, and they twisted and turned like snakes. Arthur stared at them in silence. He realized that these must be who Nyxiel warned him about.
"My na is Selthera," the woman with black hair said.
"My na is Velthera," the woman with white hair said.
"You must be the twins," Arthur said with a smile. "My na is Arthur Netherborne."
"Arthur Netherborne?" the two sisters stared at each other, and then back at him. They had a devilish smile. "We know who you are."
"The man loved by all."
"The man feared by all."
Arthur noticed that Velthera always talked before her sister, Selthera.
"Are you going to let pass?" Arthur asked.
"If you answer three questions from each."
"If you answer with nothing but the truth."
Arthur squinted his eyes.
The two won rose, sharing the sa body but different heads. They gestured to the statues on each side.
"These are the ones who tried before you."
"These are the ones who failed."
"I just have to answer questions?" Arthur asked as he turned to the statues. "I’m assuming that Velthera forbids lies, while Selthera forbids truths."
"You have been warned."
"You have been deceived."
Arthur squinted his eyes at their different answers.
"I was advised not to answer any questions," Arthur said. "That ans there is a different option here, one that I could use to leave this room without going through your trial."
The two won began laughing at the sa ti. The statues jumped down from their pedestals, landing in front of Arthur. They blocked his path and raised their weapons at him.
Mana gathered inside the hall, as each of the statues activated their skills. Arthur was surprised to see them use abilities and magic. He had assud they were just puppets for the two sisters.
"That’s interesting," Arthur said with a grin. "How could you do that?"
"Truth prevails."
"Lies bury."
Arthur was silent. He could tell that these statues were far stronger than the undead monsters outside, and destroying them might not be the end of it. If he wanted to defeat them, he would have to use his insignia.
But it was too early to reveal it.
"I will answer your questions," Arthur said.
The statues retreated and stood on each side, on standby. Arthur glanced at them and then at the sisters. "But what happens if I give the wrong answer?"
"You turn to stone."
"You lose your soul."
"Both answers sound like the truth," Arthur said with a chuckle. "If this is the case, then I’m assuming you are yin and yang."
The two won were silent.
"In my world, there is a symbol that signifies how goodness has so evil, and evil has so goodness. Behind every action is a myriad of consequences, so of them good or bad."
"That’s wise."
"That’s foolish."
"It’s actually both," Arthur said. "Even if a man who killed millions saved a few hundred people, they are still evil. A hero should still strike him down."
"Are you a hero?"
"Are you a villain?"
The two won presented their first question. Arthur could feel a strange spiritual presence envelop him. He stared at the two won, and could tell that one of them was lying.
"No."
He answered.
The two won were confused. Then, they were horrified.
"That shouldn’t be possible."
"You can’t give a single answer."
"Well, I can," Arthur said with a shrug. "Because I am neither."
The two won were flabbergasted. They looked at Arthur, and saw that he hadn’t turned to stone. Then, they chuckled.
"It seems that we are alike."
"You have a little bit of both inside you."
"But I define myself as neither," Arthur said. "What’s your next question?"
The two won paused for a second.
"Are you here to kill?"
"Are you here to save?"
Arthur considered their questions for a second. Selthera should forbid truths, while Velthera should forbid lies. He needed to answer in such a way that didn’t trigger any of their curses.
"It depends on your sovereign."
Once again, the two won were silent.
"You are a troubled man."
"You live multiple lives."
Arthur smiled at them. "That’s who I am. Give your final question."
The two won stared at each other, and then a grin appeared on their faces. Then, they turned toward him. "Are you Arthur Netherborne... or are you Ragnar reborn?"
Arthur frowned as he heard their question. This ti, they gave him a single question with two sides. It was tearing at his very own identity and self-image, of whether he was nothing but a result, or a man with free will.
Arthur looked at them without hesitation.
"I am not Ragnar reborn... and I am not just Arthur Netherborne."
The sisters leaned closer, their serpentine necks twitching, waiting for him to crumble under the paradox.
"I am wrath, and I am creation. I am the sin I inherited and the choice I made. Ragnar’s blood runs in , but it doesn’t chain . His war is not mine."
He grinned, the fire of defiance in his eyes.
"I am the beginning of sothing neither Ragnar nor the Creator could ever imagine. I am more."
As his words fell in the giant hall, the statues crumbled to the ground. The two won stared at him, their eyes wide, and then stepped aside to reveal the door behind him.
"You are a living paradox."
"You are a creature of contradiction."
Arthur turned toward them.
"But maybe the world doesn’t need black nor white," they said with a smile, "maybe just a little gray."
User Comments
0 comments from readers