The elevator stopped on the second level and the doors
opened to reveal two Cretacian warriors. Dante made a grab for his glasses. “Step
into Sh- ugh!” The Cretacian on his right kicked him hard in the stomach. He dropped
to his knees clutching his stomach. “Well, if we’re not going to behave
ourselves..” He groaned on the floor as he took a Cretacian fist to his left
jaw.
There were a few people waiting for the elevator on level
two. The indicator light turned on and the doors of the elevator opened to
reveal Dante standing on his own two feet,
holding his ribs where blood had started to seep through his shirt, the
wound visible under his hand and the torn fabric. His left eye was already
sporting a quickly darkening fresh bruise, The cut above his right eye and his
nose were both bloody. The two Cretacian’s were in two separate piles, crumpled
on the floor of the elevator. Dante glared at the people waiting for the
elevator. “You might want to call maintenance.” He said stepping out of the
elevator and turning right down the hallway.
He had memorized the apartment number and hobbled his way
down to the correct door. He found it and reached his hand out to knock . The
door opened before he touched it.
“Come in.” a voice invited from the darkness.
Dante considered for a moment. His
hesitation was noticed by the voice. “Do not be afraid. You were expected.” The
voice assured him. Dante looked up and down the hallway and then back into the
darkness of the room. Shrugged his shoulders as much as his broken body would
allow and then walked into the room, the door shutting behind him, leaving him
in total darkness. “Please hold.” The
voice asked and suddenly the apartment was bathed in light from lamps built
into the wall. Against the back wall there was a bipedal creature with what
appeared to be three heads, each at the top of their own three foot neck. Each
of the heads had a set of video goggles on. The body was strapped into housing
on the wall. The sight caused Dante to take a small jump back in surprise. “I apologize
for my appearance. It is disturbing, to
be sure. But from what I have seen, this is only the most recent in a long line
of disturbing things. “ The middle head spoke to him alone.
Dante’s hand brushed a chair
causing him to look down. He grabbed it and moved it so he could sit down. “Are
you the Witness?” He asked.
All three heads nodded. “We are
the Witness. We know why you are here, do you?” All three of the Witnesses’ heads
asked in unison.
Dante nodded. ‘I am looking for a
Shimmeron named Lumarion.” He replied.
Even with the video goggles over
their eyes all three of the heads looked directly at him. “You know nothing,
you cannot ask the right questions or do what is needed with the answers I
have for you. You must learn.” From the wall a robotic arm with a new set of video
goggles extended out toward Dante. “Come, there is little time.” The heads all said at once.
Dante gave a skeptical glance at
the video goggles.
