Darkness, it was all Tarou could sense when he opened his eyes. He didn"t feel any pain which was a good sign. It was another narrow escape from the vicious rat.He closed his eyes and opened them again.
"Move to the back!" a loud voice echoed.
"Hey, no pushing!"
"I was here first!"
Tarou was startled when he opened his eyes and heard the cacophony of voices. He landed on his back and he could feel a damp and slippery surface. Feeling the ground with his paws, he felt the moisture. Paying closer attention to his surroundings, Tarou could hear something dripping. There were indications of small movements inside. He could also detect running water from outside and the overpowering scent of wet soil arrested his sense of smell.
Examining his surroundings, Tarou had no idea where he was. He could tell that the sun would never reach this place which appears to be underground. Insects crawled close to where he was and something knocked him off his paws. He tried to stand up to see what was happening. He could see nothing which was not unusual but he could hear several impatient voices fighting about who deserves to be first in line.
"What is this place?" he wondered. The squeak was so loud, it echoed across the s.p.a.ce and came back as a booming noise that surprised even him. Placing a paw on his mouth, Tarou couldn"t help but slap himself with his free paw.
The voices stopped momentarily but one shrill voice which from a creature who sounded to be scarier that Boss filled the s.p.a.ce.
" Argh!Another newcomer! What are those humans doing!!!"
The chorus of voices resumed but Tarou had no idea what everyone was talking about.
"I was here first! I deserve a spot!"
Exasperated and clearly annoyed, the same vicious voice snapped at everyone.
"Silence or I"ll eat up all your souls!" The threat stopped the noise inside. Everything was so still and only dripping water can be heard from inside. Tarou was still confused about what was happening.
"What is this place?"
"Why am I here?"
"We have no vacancy here newcomer! Go back where you came from."
Tarou knew he was the newcomer this voice referred to but he still had no idea what to do. It didn"t take a minute before the silence was replaced with complaints and mumbling. He could hear tiny voices whispering close to him.
"Serket is feisty today."
"She"s in one of her cranky moods."
"I would be if I was here. She has been taking over soul management on her own."
"Stop mumbling. I"m scared of getting stung to oblivion."
Hesitant but afraid to stay in the place any longer, Tarou used his gentlest and smallest voice to ask.
"How do I even go back where I came from?"
"Back, you say?" the figureless voice asked. Tarou nodded, not knowing where to look. Almost instantly, he felt a force push on the chest and he was falling again head first. This time, however, there was no pain.
*****
Squeezing inside the small opening was no small feat. Mina swore never to look at canned meatloaf with disdain as she tried to fit inside the log.
"No animal, dead or alive, deserves this torture!"
It was undoubtedly a snug fit but Mina managed to reach further into the log with great effort. A tiny figure partially covered by a bunch of half-eaten plants caught her sight.
"Tarou?"
The figured remained unmoving. Afraid that the small mouse was badly hurt, Mina reached out a paw to check on him. Extending her paw as far as she could, she was about to flip Tarou over to see if he sustained injuries. But as her mouse was about to reach Tarou, she felt a void. It was as if the figure of the mouse she saw was a hologram. Mina struggled to inch closer and closer. Peering through the void, she became curious. Before she could figure out what was happening, she fell into an abyss and she had no idea if she could manage to land on her feet.
When Mina gained her consciousness, she felt so stiff as if she has been staying in the same position the entire night without moving. She could feel herself going in and out of consciousness but she never managed to open her eyes. Her eyelids felt so heavy.
Mina did not feel any pain but she didn"t know if it was a good sign or not. She opened her eyes slowly, not knowing what to expect. It took her several seconds to process what she saw next -cool but piercing blue eyes reminding her of the sky on a clear day.
Mina stared back, unabashed, feeling as if the image before her would disappear.
"General Jadon," a voice called out with sarcasm. Mina sensed the struggle in the man"s eyes but he eventually turned around. The words didn"t even register in Mina"s mind but she felt a sense of loss when the man turned around.
"Greetings, Your Highness," the man before her replied after he faced the person who entered the room.
Mina heard one step followed by another. With each sound, she could feel her head hurt so much that her vision became blurry. As Mina closed her eyes, she could hear the sarcastic man"s voice once again.
"Doesn"t she look perfect? She looks as if she"s just sleeping."