Beyond Gods 50 Warrior Trials Begin

Try as he might, Johan couldn't open the castle door to leave. It was clear he was trapped. He found himself standing in a long dimly lit hall with large grey stone pillars lining a carpeted walkway which led up a flight of stairs. The floors were littered with bones of the deceased.

"Fu! fu! fu! fu!," laughed an eerie female voice. The laughter echoed throughout the hall.

"Ghouls," muttered Johan to himself.

He popped some Labyrinth food from his bag into his mouth in order to replenish his diminished mana supplies.

[Amazing son,] echoed Johan's father (from now on, I'll now refer to him as JD), [you survived. You showed courage and grit. I am proud. You are a true Flint.]

[Dad?,] thought Johan, [How come you're only speaking now? You were quiet for so long.]

[After the time reset we were separated,] echoed JD, [but I encountered Jade and a.s.sumed that she would eventually meet up with you. But then we were pulled into another realm, I went into hiding inside Jade when I found that they were looking to capture me. Just now, I transferred myself over.]

[I am glad you are back,] said Johan, [I missed you. But this might be the end of the ropes.]

[Never give up,] echoed JD, [as long as you keep fighting, there is always hope.]

Johan sat against the door.

[It is great that you are here,] thought Johan, [but I really don't know what I am going to do. I don't know this place. They say people much stronger than Jade have been killed in here.]

[Sometimes winning isn't all about strength,] said JD, [but about your approach and strategy. Who are those people?]

"People!?," muttered Johan looking around. He suddenly sensed the presence of three familiar people appear out of thin air. He had thought the laughter belonged to ghouls.

"Fu! fu! fu! fu! fu!, I saw everything!"

"I told her to let it go," squealed a male voice from behind the pillars, "yet she dragged me along to spy on you."

"How did you get in here?," stammered Johan shocked.

Two ominous figures stepped out from behind the pillars. It was Rey and Athyne. Rey dragged a tied up and gagged Leprechaun behind her. He had tears running down its face.

"Sheemus?," gasped Johan, "how did you get here?"

"MMmmmm! MmmmMMmm!," whined Sheamus unable to speak with the gag in his mouth.

"She was following you," said Athyne, "didn't like how you made her look bad in front of Luisa."

"You kissed another woman," giggled Rey hysterically, "she gave you the herps! Now Luisa will break up with you and be mine! She will think you are the liar and not me!"

"You guys were here alone?," asked Johan looking around wondering where the ghouls were.

"Naw," said Athyne, "a bunch of unruly fellas jumped us. I taught them a lesson."

Johan's mouth dropped open.

[Looks like it is your lucky day,] echoed JD, [strong friends have appeared.]

"You're a doctor!," said Johan, "its your duty to heal. Fix this! Unless you aren't good enough."

Rey's expression darkened.

"He is right," said Athyne.

"B-b-but," stammered Rey looking up at Athyne as her pupils dilated.

"Your doctor oath," said Athyne.

"Yeah," said Johan, "the Hippocratic oath that all doctors have a duty to heal."

"Hippocratic?," stammered Rey, "You mean my oath to the great Voodoo Queen?"

"Voodoo Queen?," said Johan and Athyne confused.

Rey took out a pendant that had a picture of Mich.e.l.le Obama in it and stared at it affectionately.

"Voodoo Queen," said Rey as tears flowed down her face, "I will make you proud by healing this terrible tyrant. For you, not him ..."

Rey raised her finger and pointed it at Johan and a large Asura Demon manifested behind her.

Athyne, Johan and Sheamus went pale upon seeing it as blood began dripping from their noses and they fell to their knees from the oppressive force emitted by it.

A drop of sweat appeared from Johan and Athyne's forehead upon seeing it.

[What is that girl!?,] gasped JD.

"HERPS BE GONE!," yelled Rey.

Johan felt an electric current pa.s.s through him.

"*Sniff* You're healed," said Rey, "I want some alone time. Bye! *Sniff*"

Rey ran up the stairs dragging Sheamus behind her as a stream of tears flowed out behind her.

"REY WAIT!," yelled Athyne.

But she was gone leaving Johan and Athyne alone.

[This man,] said JD, [is the man who killed me.]

Athyne looked at Johan.

"Still mad about your parents?," said Athyne.

"Well," said Johan.

"I say we let bygones be bygones," said Athyne, "you tried to kill me. I killed your parents because they fired me. But they were resurrected. I don't want no trouble, especially without Rey around in this place."

"I guess," said Johan.

With Rey absent. It felt as if an evil presence that had temporarily retreated re-entered.

"I am not sure what she is," said Athyne, "but that women scares me ..."

"Yeah," said Johan, "me too."

"She beats me," said Athyne, "I think she is possessed. But she says that demon that has been appearing lately when she heals is normal."

"I don't know how you want me to respond to that," said Johan, "That isn't normal. I am not even sure what you are. I saw you turn into a white monster."

"That was adrenaline," said Athyne.

"That was not adrenaline, why do you even remember it?," said Johan, "then there is the question of whether Mich.e.l.le Obama is really the Voodoo Queen?"

"I don't know," muttered Athyne, "nothing Rey does makes any sense."

A ghost wearing a kings crown and royal red robe rose out of the ground in front of them.

"Welcome warriors," boomed the ghost, "it has been five thousand years since we last had a team of challengers who chose to take on the trials of the warrior castle Athelion to fight the evil ghouls that reside within. Pa.s.s and you shall be rewarded with strength and opportunities beyond your wildest dreams. Fail and your souls will be doomed to wonder this castle for eternity. I King Athelion will be your guide for this challenge. You have defeated the ghouls of the first level. In total there are three levels. Follow me to level two."

"We can fight in teams?," asked Johan.

"Of course," said King Athelion.

"What is this?," said Athyne.

"Don't worry," said Johan, "just fist b.u.mp me and fight whatever attacks us."

Johan held out his fist and he and Athyne fist b.u.mped.

"Sounds like a plan kid," squealed Athyne.