"Every great story seems to begin with a snake." - Nicolas Cage.
I have been carrying the boy on my back across the desert for 10 days straight. The boy is healing fast. I can see his skin returning to normal. However, he is still unconscious. It is weird, his body appears fine, better than fine in fact. It seemed this boy was special. Despite his physical condition, he doesn't show any sign of consciousness. I am afraid that there might be a problem I can't see.
My thoughts were interrupted as the ground began to shake violently. What now? The ground began to crack at a rapid pace. I quickly hopped around, trying to find a safe route before hearing a familiar sound. It... kinda sounds like a rattle? The sound came from the cracks beneath me. I was temporarily distracted by it, and I fell into one of the cracks. I managed to grab on so that I didn't fall below. The cracks kept on spreading, and it was as if the hand of darkness itself was pulling me down. The sands kept on pouring on me from above, pushing me into the pit of darkness. The rattle sound intensified, making my head dizzy. My grasp slipped, and I fell as the cracks above began to close, trapping me in as the darkness engulfed my entire existence. Ah, yes... these random extreme phenomena happening at once usually meant a god is seeking an audience. Guessing from the rattle sound, it is not hard to guess who. I lit up my torch and saw red predatory eyes gazing upon me. The eyes belonged to a giant black serpent that stood before me. Its body was covered with red ancient sigils, indicating an old and powerful deity.
"I greet you, God of Crows," the serpent said. "My name is Ular, and I have summoned you to ask something of you."
"Of course you do. What is it?" I asked.
"That boy you have been carrying around, are you aware of who he is, exactly?"
The serpent's question intrigued me. "I am still figuring it out myself. Do you know who he is?"
The serpent formed somewhat of a devious smile... Can a snake smile? Hmmm... Whatever expression it is making, I don't like it. "Well? If you know something, spit it out!"
Ular thought about it for a moment before moving his body and encircling me. I was prepared to fight, but then it spoke, "None of the gods know exactly who he is either; however, there have been, let's just say, assumptions and theories as to what he would become in the future."
"Okay... so what favour are you asking for?"
"Hand him over to me," Ular said. I suppose I should have seen that coming from a mile away.
"Why should I do that? Keep in mind that I am not exactly into the idea of handing over a child to a random god, especially a snake god."
Ular started making unnerving laughing noises. I didn't even know snakes could laugh.
"He is unconscious, is he? I know why and how to bring him back."
"Again... I am not very keen on surrendering this boy to you. I am pretty sure other gods can wake him up as well."
"That is where you are wrong, God of Crows. For he is not merely sleeping."
"What do you mean?"
"Can't you tell? The boy's soul is not in his body. The others are hunting down his soul."
"The others?"
"As we are speaking, the boy's soul is running away and hiding from the deities across the cosmos. I can save him... If you give me his body."
"Why are the deities chasing him? What do they want from him, and what do you want from the boy?"
The serpent was visibly frustrated by my questions. "You don't seem to understand the urgency of the situation... the child's soul has been venturing through the cosmos just to survive the hunt. At any moment now, he can be captured by any of the hunters. The longer you refuse me, the more likely you will lose him forever."
"No... Don't try to turn the situation on me; you are the one intentionally hiding some key information here. Don't pretend like you are some noble god."
"There are somethings you are better off not knowing, Jack Hollow," Ular said as its body began to close in on me. "Just give me the boy."
Normally, this is where I start throwing punches, but if Ular is truly a god, this fight might turn very ugly, especially with the boy being here. "How about this... I accompany you as you attempt to save this boy. If you are true to your words, I will let you keep the boy. You wouldn't mind an extra hand, would you?"
Ular was annoyed by my request, but it was aware that a direct fight with me would be dangerous. "Fine then, you may accompany me, Hollow."
"Great... so how are we doing this?"
"The boy's body and soul are still connected. We can get ahead of the hunters by using his body as a bridge to his soul."
"Ah, great... How do we do that?"
Ular's red sigils began to glow. The serpent began to make strange noises, similar to those of enchantment. The next thing I know, Ular's opened its mouth wide open and in a flash, swallowed me. I thought it was an attack, but then the insides of his body began to emanate light, which got brighter and brighter, forming some sort of light tunnel. By the time I realised what was going on, the light tunnel suddenly pulled me through, and my entire body felt like it was thrown at the speed of light, moving across the cosmos. I saw glimpses of planets, stars, and galaxies passing through in the blink of an eye. Then, I saw the end of the tunnel.
I was thrown out of Ular's mouth with incredible speed into a dark swamp. I slammed headfirst through the trees and into the waters. Normally, this kind of landing is nothing out of the ordinary, but this time, I panicked a bit. I was carrying the boy after all. I immediately checked on him, and to my horror, he disappeared.
"Looking for him?"
I turned my head and saw Ular with the boy's body. Well, shit...
To be continued.